“So, again, it’s convenient. Your father isn’t here to deny Damien’s claim.”
“Correct. Landry’s a fucking moron,” Phoenix snapped as he got to his feet. “Even before my father died, I was a minority shareholder. I would’ve had a say in the matter. My father would’ve told me.”
“So I don’t understand what he could possibly think he can get out of this.” Mia looked just as confused as Tarik felt.
“Do you think he’s looking to get Mia back?” Tarik asked, sliding his hands into his pockets as he leaned against the wall, keeping his eye on the two of them. Mia was right, it was too coincidental. When Tarik and Damien had come face-to-face at the charity ball when he’d been dancing with Mia, the shit storm had begun.
“Why would he?” Mia questioned. “Honest to God, he’s the one who wanted the divorce. Well, technically, I’m the one who filed, but I’d told him in the beginning that I didn’t tolerate cheating. He cheated; he had to have seen it coming.”
“If you don’t mind me asking,” Tarik said to Mia, “were things good before you found out he was cheating?”
“No,” she said sadly. “Things started deteriorating long before that. We hardly spoke to one another. He would stay away on business, probably so he didn’t have to see me.”
Tarik frowned at Mia’s admission. He hated that Damien would’ve treated her that way. If she belonged to him, Tarik would make sure she knew just how much she was wanted. Every damn day.
“I just don’t understand what’s spurring this,” Phoenix commented. “Is he hurting for money?”
“That’s a good question,” Mia stated, causing them to both look her way. “Maybe he is. And I’m just speculating here. Damien never allowed me to know anything about his business. He claimed I didn’t have the wherewithal to understand it, and I didn’t argue with him. It was pointless. So, I honestly don’t know, but it seems logical.”
Tarik didn’t know what seemed logical anymore. It was all fucked up, and he couldn’t wrap his head around it.
“You know what?” Phoenix said, pacing toward them. “I just want to forget this even happened. For a little while.”
“What’d you have in mind?” Mia asked, watching Phoenix as he moved closer.
Tarik didn’t take his eyes off Phoenix as Phoenix stalked toward Mia, a determined expression on his face.
“Something that involves you naked.”
Tarik’s eyes darted to Mia to see her reaction. The sharp intake of breath was telling. She was probably thinking about what had happened between them a few nights ago, starting in this very room, and based on that expression, a replay wasn’t a bad idea. Tarik had wanted a replay on Sunday, but with Phoenix gone, one thing had led to another and then… Tarik wouldn’t trade that night for anything in the world.
Pushing off the wall, Tarik moved toward them.
“You’re not gonna buy me lunch first?” Mia asked, breathless and not moving from her spot.
“If that’s what it’ll take,” Phoenix said, grinning.
Mia shook her head. “I’m suddenly not hungry. Not for food, anyway.”
Phoenix lowered himself to the couch and pulled Mia to him. She tumbled on top of him, straddling his hips as their mouths met. Tarik could see the pent-up energy that Phoenix was working to hold back as his eager hands slid beneath her shirt, caressing the smooth expanse of her back. Phoenix might claim he wasn’t worried about Landry, but the proof was in the way he was holding himself.
And Tarik knew just what to do to take his mind off of it.
»»»»»♥«««««
PHOENIX COULD FEEL the tension coursing just beneath his skin. Touching Mia was about the only thing that had come close to calming him in the last hour, but even then, it was a different type of calm. He wasn’t sure he could be gentle with Mia, but he damn sure was willing to try. If he didn’t find a way to release some of the frustration that the morning’s events had brought on, he was going to implode.
“Quit thinking,” Mia said, cupping his face and pulling her lips from his. She stared back at him, studying him.
“I’m trying,” he said honestly. He didn’t want to think. At the moment, he just wanted to feel.
“I need to take care of something,” Tarik said, drawing Phoenix’s gaze to him.
Mia twisted to look at him as well.
“What?”
“Don’t worry. I’ll be back. You two have fun.” With that, Tarik leaned over and kissed Mia. It wasn’t just an innocent peck on the lips, either, but Tarik didn’t linger for too long.
Meeting Tarik’s hard gaze, Phoenix tried to figure out what his angle was but then gave up. He didn’t have the brainpower at the moment, and if Tarik wanted to excuse himself and leave Mia all for Phoenix, then so be it.
Tarik left without another word, leaving Phoenix alone with Mia, something he’d been longing for. After he’d learned that Mia and Tarik had made love on his sofa on Sunday evening while he’d been occupied conversing with his mother, he’d been anxious to get Mia alone. Not because he was jealous but because he wanted to have her all to himself for a little while. Something had changed in Tarik since that night, and Phoenix wanted to know why.
Secretly, he wanted a little piece of it for himself.
“Why are you looking at me like that?” Mia asked, her voice soft and sweet.
“Because you’re so easy to look at,” he told her sincerely.
Her cheeks turned a soft rosy color before she leaned forward and pressed her lips to his. Phoenix got lost in her kiss, the gentle way she moved against him, the urgent feel of her tongue against his. And then it dawned on him as he pulled back, cradling Mia’s face in his hands and staring back at her … Tarik had left them alone on purpose.
Phoenix would have to thank him for that.
“Now where were we?” Phoenix cupped the back of Mia’s head, bringing her lips to his once more. She opened for him easily, a slow, gentle glide of her tongue against his. He lingered there, sliding his fingers through the cool silk of her hair, brushing his thumb over her jaw, tasting the sweetness of her mouth. He felt a calm wash over him, but that didn’t last long when Mia inched closer, rubbing the heat of her pussy against the rigid length of his cock.
Without asking questions, Phoenix let his hands slide down her chest, easing between them, pushing his hand into the stretchy material of her yoga pants. God bless spandex. He needed to feel her slick heat against his fingers, his mouth, his cock. He wanted to spend the next hour making her beg and plead for him to let her come.
A heavy exhale escaped her when his fingers dipped into her pants, finding her warm and wet and ready for him.
“I think we need more room,” he muttered against her mouth as he inched toward the edge of the couch and then used his legs to lift them both. Mia’s legs wrapped around his hips as he carried her to her bedroom.
Making his way to the bed, Phoenix lowered her to the mattress, but he didn’t join her immediately, taking a minute to admire the space. The last time he’d been there, it had been dark, and when he and Tarik had left that next morning, he hadn’t wanted to linger, so that he didn’t wake Mia.
White bedding accented with neon-green-trimmed pillows, and matching curtains offset the dark wood furniture and hardwood floors. Just as bright and cheery as the rest of her place, and she looked so at ease as she stared back at him from her bed.
When she held out her hand for him, he shook his head, grinning. “Lie down,” he instructed.
She leaned back on her elbows, her legs dangling over the edge of the bed as she stared at him, a sexy grin tugging at her mouth.
Knowing there was only one way to get to where he wanted to be, Phoenix made quick work of stripping them both, but he still didn’t join her on the bed once they were naked. Instead, he tossed a condom from his wallet onto the bedspread and, after admiring her for a minute longer, knelt on the floor between her legs, pushing her thighs apart as he let his gaze linger on her fa
ce, then slowly travel down her body to the glistening pink folds of her sex.
“Phoenix.”
“Yes?” he asked as he leaned in and blew warm air against her folds, using his fingers to separate the glistening lips of her bare pussy, exposing the little bundle of nerves that he was aiming for. Using the tip of his tongue, he slid over her clit slowly, his eyes still locked with hers.
“You’re a tease,” she whispered, her feet coming to rest on his shoulders, her knees falling to the side, opening her fully to his gaze and his tongue.
“Such a pretty pussy,” he said, admiring the soft pink flesh before looking back up at her. Her eyes dilated as he spoke, the musky scent of her arousal flooding his senses, making him punch-drunk on desire. “I’ve been dying to taste you again.”
And that’s what he did, but he didn’t rush, didn’t try to send her flying over the edge yet. He wanted to savor her, to listen to her sweet moans and urgent cries for more. He continued to eat her while inserting one finger into her slickness, teasing her at first before pushing in deep.
“Phoenix. Oh, God, I need more,” she groaned, clearly not happy with his torment.
He gave her more, suckling her clit while he added another finger, fucking her slowly as she began rocking her hips toward him, trying to urge him deeper. Controlling the depth and the pace, Phoenix continued to watch her as she remained propped up, her hooded gaze intently focused on where his lips pressed against her heated sex.
“It’s not enough,” she whispered. “Not nearly enough.”
Relenting, Phoenix thrust two fingers into her while he suckled her clit, flicking it with the end of his tongue, over and over until she was writhing on the bed, her fingers digging into the comforter, her feet pushing against his shoulders as he brought her dangerously close to the precipice. He considered making her wait, but the urgency in her cries had him pushing her higher and higher until she screamed his name as her climax tore through her, her pussy gripping his fingers as she came.
Getting to his feet slowly, admiring the way she looked sated and sexy lying against the white comforter, Phoenix had intended to climb on the bed with her, wanting to taste every inch of her, but Mia somehow managed to head him off before he got there. She sat up quickly, reaching for his cock and bringing her lips to the head before he knew what she was doing.
She took him in her mouth, teasing the tip. When she pulled back, he placed his fingers on her lips. “Suck them. I want you to taste yourself,” he ordered. Mia took his fingers into her mouth, her tongue darting over them, licking them. She looked so fucking sexy as she cleaned him. “Now take my dick in your mouth again.”
Mia released his fingers and then pressed her lips against the sensitive head of his cock, her fingers wrapped around the base as she sucked him into the blazing hot depths of her mouth. He loved the way her tongue laved the tip, sliding under the crest, as though she were trying to memorize the feel of him in her mouth.
“Mia,” he hissed, sliding his fingers into her hair. He was already hard and aching, desperately wanting to give her as much pleasure before he took his buried in the hot depths of her pussy, but the way she sucked him into her mouth wasn’t helping his cause. His head began to spin as the pleasure rocked him, her persistent tongue sliding over his shaft, her smooth fingers cupping his balls as she continued to lick him.
“Mmmm.”
Her soft hum had his balls tightening. He’d been waiting for this moment — being alone with her — dreaming about it, and now she was going to push him over the edge before he was ready.
Realizing he had better regain control or they were going to be done far too soon, Phoenix gripped her hair harder and pulled her head back, freeing his cock from the heaven of her mouth.
Her eyes slid up to meet his, a mischievous gleam in them.
“Naughty girl,” he said. “It’s still your turn.”
“I was taking my turn.”
Crushing his mouth to hers, he crowded her as he crawled up onto the bed, forcing her down until she was on her back and he was settling between her legs. He kept his mouth fused with hers, letting her taste herself on his lips as he positioned himself above her.
When he pulled back, Phoenix smirked as he knelt between her spread thighs, propping his upper body above her on one hand resting beside her head, the other sliding between her thighs, teasing her folds. He flicked her clit with his finger before sliding lower and then pushing two fingers into her.
Mia’s eyes closed, her head digging into the mattress as her hips came forward, meeting the thrust of his hand.
“You like that?” he asked.
“Yes.”
“Do you want my cock inside you, Mia? Fucking you slowly?”
She didn’t answer, just another groan.
“Or do you want it hard and fast?”
“Hard,” she cried out as he began finger fucking her faster, deeper.
Phoenix saw the hunger in her eyes as she stared back at him, and he couldn’t resist. Ripping open the condom and rolling it over himself, he flipped Mia onto her stomach, drawing a surprised squeal from her. He pulled her hips up, forcing her onto her knees, and then guided himself into her without so much as a warning.
She was so wet, so hot, he bit his lip as her pussy sheathed him like a silk glove.
“Fuck,” he groaned, leaning over her as he paused, still pushing into the tight recesses of her body.
“Don’t stop,” Mia begged, trying to push back against him. He was surrounding her small body, his arms bracketing her head, his hips pressed against her ass, his abdomen pressed against the warmth of her back. She wasn’t in control. Much.
“I don’t plan to, baby.” That was only a partial lie. He did plan to continue, just as soon as he caught his breath. Driving his hips forward, he pushed into her, going deeper, the tight clasp of her pussy gripping him.
Once he was balls deep inside her, Phoenix gripped her shoulder with one hand to hold her where he wanted her, his other keeping him propped above her as he began to thrust. He’d wanted to be gentle with her, but the overwhelming need to possess her took over. He began driving into her, the bed rocking with every punishing thrust of his hips against her sweet ass.
“Oh, God, yes,” she cried out, her hand lying atop his where he held her shoulder, that small connection making his balls draw up against his body. “Harder, Phoenix.”
He gave her what she asked for, pummeling her over and over, faster and faster until the motion was a blur. The pleasure was generating a heat so intense, so powerful, sweat beaded on his forehead.
“So fucking tight.” Pressing her shoulder blades down to the bed, Phoenix gripped her hips and changed the angle, her cunt strangling his dick in the most exquisite way. He didn’t stop, continuing to pound into her, his cock tunneling through her tight, wet depths until he was blinded by the pleasure.
“I’m coming, Phoenix!” Her orgasm gripped her before he was ready, her muscles locking on him, milking him until he couldn’t stop his own climax.
He roared his release, still pounding into her until his legs felt like liquid and he fell to the bed, careful not to crush her as he did.
“Holy crap,” she mumbled as she snuggled up against him, breathing hard. “That was … amazing.”
A smile tipped his lips. “You can say that again.”
»»»»»♥«««««
MIA WAS BONELESS and sated and… God, she couldn’t even begin to describe the incredible feeling that had washed over her after that … whatever that was. It was just as she’d said: amazing.
So maybe her sexual history was limited to one man before Tarik and Phoenix, but even then, she hadn’t realized sex could be that liberating. It wasn’t the same as making love to Tarik, which had transcended anything she’d ever known, but in a different way. This had been freeing in a way that she hadn’t expected. Phoenix had given her exactly what she’d asked for, not being gentle about it, either. She’d needed that from him, neede
d to know that he didn’t want to wrap her in velvet and keep her safely ensconced there.
“You all right?” Phoenix asked.
“Mmm hmm.” Mia drew circles over the hard planes of Phoenix’s smooth chest as she smiled to herself.
Something had clicked in her, and she felt … what it was exactly, she couldn’t pinpoint, but it was definitely something. Even after having sex with Phoenix and Tarik together, it hadn’t made her feel that sense of empowerment that she’d felt this time.
They’d needed this — her and Phoenix. The alone time. The same as she’d needed it with Tarik. There was a deeper connection that formed between the three of them. At least as far as she was concerned.
Mia admired Phoenix’s lean body as she listened to the rapid thump of his heart beneath her ear. The only thing she knew for a fact was that she was beginning to crave the way Tarik and Phoenix made her feel. For the first time in her life, she felt as though she was finally in control of her own life, her own decisions.
And above all else, she was in control of her heart.
Chapter Thirty-Five
TARIK FOLLOWED PHOENIX into Pierce Industries’ main office the following morning just after eight o’clock. After dropping Mia at school, they’d driven in silence, Phoenix spending most of his time tapping the screen on his cell phone, probably checking the millions of emails he was riddled with on a daily basis.
Whatever it took to keep him calm, that was all Tarik really cared about.
They were heading into the office to meet with Damien Landry. According to Phil, Landry and his lawyer wanted to have a discussion about options, since it was clear Phoenix wasn’t giving an inch on Damien’s demands.
The whole thing reeked of desperation on Landry’s part. None of it made sense, and when Tarik had talked to Phil on the phone yesterday, trying to come up with a time for the meeting, the lawyer pretty much said it was all nonsense and a complete waste of time. There was still no proof, which meant Damien was stalling. And lying.
Tarik agreed, but there was something Landry wasn’t telling anyone, which was the only reason he had convinced Phoenix to listen to what the man had to say. He wanted a little more time to dig into the details. He’d started yesterday, and he was pretty sure he’d stumbled upon something interesting. Something telling.
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