A Million Tiny Pieces (35 page)

“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 face, 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, needed 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.

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.

Pulling
into the parking garage, Tarik parked in the designated parking spot and wasted
no time climbing out and following Phoenix into the building. A few minutes
later, they stepped out of the elevator on the fifth floor, passing the empty
conference room where the meeting would take place in about half an hour.
Without saying a word, Tarik headed into his office while Phoenix disappeared
into his own.

He
hadn’t been at his desk for more than five minutes when his cell phone rang. He
snapped it off his hip and glanced at the screen, only a little concerned when
he saw Mia’s phone number.

“Hey,
love,” he greeted her, trying not to reflect his worry in his tone.

“Do
you have a minute?” she asked.

“Sure.
What’s up?” Tarik glanced up at his open office door and considered closing it
but didn’t want Phoenix to question him.

“I
did some thinking last night. After y’all left. So I called a guy who used to
work for Damien. His name’s Harrison Abbott. He’s an accountant. He and Damien
had a falling out less than a year ago, right about the time everything seemed
to start.”

An
accountant? Interesting.

“Was
he willing to talk?” Tarik asked.

“He
wouldn’t say much over the phone, so I didn’t push it last night. Well, I
couldn’t let it go, so I called him a few minutes ago to see if he’d be willing
to go to lunch. I’m meeting him at eleven thirty.”

“Today?”
Tarik sat up straight.

“Yeah.”

“Mia,
do you know this guy?”

“Yes,”
she said, but he heard the uncertainty in her tone. “We’re not exactly friends,
but I have spoken to him a number of times. I’ll meet him at a public place, I
promise. I just want to ask him a few questions about Damien’s company
finances. It seems logical that money is at the root of this.”

Tarik
hated for Mia to do this, but after the information he’d pulled yesterday, he
had to believe he might know just where she needed to look. “Okay, Mia, but
here’s what I need you to ask him.”

Twenty
minutes later, without a minute to spare, Tarik hung up the phone with Mia, got
Phoenix a cup of coffee, and met him in the conference room. Phil was already
there, but Landry and his lawyer had yet to show up.

“We
good?” Phoenix asked Phil.

Phil
nodded. “This is just to get a better understanding of what Landry is really
after. To bring you both up to speed, he hasn’t produced documentation yet,
probably because it doesn’t exist. But once he can tell us what he wants, we can
decide where to go from there.”

“I
really need to give the press an update,” Tarik informed them. “Hoping we can
agree on something when we’re finished here.”

Phoenix
nodded as Tarik watched him. Phoenix was acting strange. As though he’d
withdrawn into himself, not ready to deal with all the shit that was going on.
It bothered him, but not as his bodyguard or as his assistant or anything else
business-related. It bothered him as Phoenix’s lover, as the man who cared
about him, the man who…

God,
he wasn’t even sure he knew how it all worked, but Tarik had a feeling that he
loved
him.

Tarik
wanted to beat Landry to a bloody pulp just to relieve some of the stress
Phoenix was having to deal with. He knew that the pain of losing his father was
still fresh, still raw. It pissed him off that Landry was using that as his
bargaining chip.

A
sudden knock on the door had Tarik glancing up. He pushed off the wall where
he’d been standing and opened the door, allowing Landry inside. He was with
three other men. None of them looked familiar to Tarik.

Phil
stood, his eyes slowly assessing the three men.

Landry
introduced them. “This is Bill, Ed, and Steve, my legal team.”

The
whole
team
had to join him today? Landry certainly couldn’t do things
the easy way.

Phoenix
didn’t bother looking up as the four men took their seats around the table.
Tarik moved to stand behind Phoenix once more, off to the right side enough
that he could see Phoenix’s face, Phil sitting to Phoenix’s left.

“Phoenix,”
Landry prompted.

Phoenix’s
head barely lifted. “You can address Phil about anything you need.”

Without
hesitation, Phoenix returned his gaze to the phone in his hand.

“This
is bullshit,” Landry declared. “We need to get this settled. I’m tired of the
reporters camping out in front of my office looking for a statement. I’m sick
of them bringing to my attention the fact that my wife is currently in bed with
you.”

The
last statement had Phoenix’s head snapping up, his body going rigid. “First of
all, she’s your
ex
-wife. Second, you shouldn’t have sicced them on us if
you didn’t want to deal with the fucking reporters.”

“Look,”
Phil began, his tone calm as he addressed Landry. “I don’t think we’re going to
get anywhere until we understand what it is that you’re looking for. You
originally claimed that Sid verbally agreed to sell, and now you’ve stated that
Sid Pierce agreed to sell the Austin Arrows to you on paper and then backed out
of the deal, yet you haven’t produced any documentation substantiating your
claim. On top of that, even if you had, the sale didn’t finalize; therefore,
Phoenix has made it clear he has no intention of selling.”

“I
think it’s in the best interest of both parties to come to a final decision on
how to handle this. Mr. Landry isn’t looking to purchase the team anymore. He’s
interested in a settlement for his time, along with pain and suffering,”
Bill-Ed-Steve said.

Tarik
had no idea who was who, but the one in the middle spoke kindly, yet he didn’t
make eye contact with Phil or Phoenix. “Sid Pierce obviously was interested in
selling at some point. We feel that honoring his wishes would be beneficial to
both parties, and settling with Mr. Landry is pertinent.”

Tarik
didn’t have to be looking at Phoenix to see the fury that resonated in his
eyes. He could sense it in the way his breathing changed, in the way his
muscles tensed. Phoenix pushed to his feet slowly, a deadly calm coming over
him. “If you know what’s best for you, or your client, you’ll stand up, turn
around, and walk out of my office right now. Don’t think on it too long,
because I assure you that you won’t like what happens next.”

Not
surprisingly, Bill-Ed-Steve all three got to their feet instantly. The only
jackass who didn’t move was Landry. Tarik moved to stand closer to Phoenix,
directly behind Phil, making sure Landry knew he was there.

Bill-Ed-Steve
disappeared out the door as Landry was getting to his feet. The man obviously
had balls of steel, because he leaned forward and lowered his voice as he said,
“We can do this the easy way or the hard way, Pierce. Your choice.”

“Humor
me,” Phoenix said, his voice hard as steel. “What’s your version of the easy
way?”

“First,
you agree to my settlement request. I’ll even return to my original requested
amount of five million. Second, you leave Mia alone.”

Phoenix
leaned in slowly. “Looks like you’re gonna get the hard way then, doesn’t it?
Now get the fuck out of my office.”

Landry
had the good sense to back up as Phoenix’s voice rose, the anger in his tone
echoing off the walls.

Once
Landry was out the door, Tarik urged Phil to follow, asking him to close the
door behind him. Tarik moved across the room and flipped the lock, ensuring
they had a few minutes of privacy. Only then did he take a seat and give
Phoenix a minute to burn off some of the pressure that was weighing down on
him.

»»»»»♥«««««

“WHERE’S
MIA?” PHOENIX asked Tarik when the rage that boiled inside him managed to cool
to a simmer. It was a testament to his sheer determination that Landry wasn’t
dead on the floor in the conference room.

“She’s
meeting with an accountant for lunch,” Tarik said.

It
wasn’t
what
he said but
how
he said it that had Phoenix looking
at him, trying to read between the lines.

“Care
to elaborate?” Phoenix encouraged when he couldn’t figure out the riddle.

“Harrison
Abbott,” Tarik explained. “Used to work for Landry. According to Mia, Abbott
and Landry had a falling out about ten months ago, when all this started. She’s
going to see if she can get any information from him that might be beneficial
to us.”

Phoenix
knew that look on Tarik’s face. He wasn’t telling him something. Taking a deep
breath, Phoenix lowered himself into the chair opposite Tarik and glared at
him. “What the hell’s going on?”

Tarik
didn’t bother trying to pretend he didn’t know what Phoenix was talking about.
Instead, he rested his forearms on the table and stared back at Phoenix.
“Yesterday, when I left you and Mia alone, I did some digging. I started
looking at all the business deals Landry’s been involved in for the past year.
Something had to spur Landry to make this claim, for whatever reason. I think
he’s hurting for money, so I figured that was a good start. I found something
interesting.”

Phoenix
cocked an eyebrow, waiting.

“Landry
invested in a casino opportunity in Vegas,” Tarik said, watching Phoenix.

Clearly
the other man wanted Phoenix to put two and two together, but he was having a
hard time. He had no idea what he was talking about. Phoenix’s real estate
investments were limited to Texas by his own choice, not to mention, he had no
desire to invest in the gambling industry, so of course, he wasn’t up to speed
on any Vegas opportunities. “And? Is that supposed to mean something to me?”

“It
made the news about ten months ago. The group behind the investment went
bankrupt before the casino even broke ground,” Tarik informed him. “My guess is
that Landry got caught up in that. Probably lost a pretty penny.”

“And
Mia’s talking to the accountant about this?”

“I
explained my suspicions to her and told her to bring it up. See if Abbott knows
anything.”

“Fuck.”
Phoenix thrust his hands through his hair. “And why the fuck did you think that
was a good idea?”

“This
was her idea. I don’t control what she does,” Tarik said, defensively. “She at
least called to let me know.”

There
was that. Although it didn’t make Phoenix feel any better. At all.

Leaning
closer to Tarik, Phoenix met his unwavering gaze. “I want this shit buried. Got
it? And I don’t want Mia dragged into it anymore.”

Tarik
nodded affirmatively, his eyes hard, his expression harder. Phoenix knew he
didn’t have to tell Phoenix that Mia was the most important thing here.
Whatever Landry wanted, he wasn’t above using Mia to get it. Unfortunately for
Landry, he was going to have to come up with another plan, because that was the
last damn thing Phoenix was going to allow to happen.

This
shit had gone on long enough.

“Find
out where she is,” Phoenix said, getting to his feet. “And let’s go talk to
Abbott ourselves.”

Phoenix
made it to the door, his hand on the knob when Tarik met him, crowding him.
Before he knew what was happening, Tarik’s entire hand was gripping his chin
firmly and his mouth was claiming his. Not caring where they were, Phoenix gave
in, pressing his mouth to Tarik’s, kissing him back, thrusting his tongue into
his mouth. Calm washed over him, as it always did when Tarik took the reins.

“We’ll
figure this out,” Tarik said softly when he pulled back, releasing Phoenix.
“One way or the other.”

Phoenix
nodded and adjusted his suit jacket before turning the knob and leaving Tarik behind.