A Million Tiny Pieces

by Nicole Edwards

  “Hellooo?”

  “Shit,” Phoenix mumbled under his breath as he sipped his coffee and turned to face his mother. “Good morning.”

  “Why are you here?”

  Phoenix smiled. “Because I live here?”

  “You know what I mean,” she said, her green eyes pinning him in place.

  “I’m taking the day off,” he told her. He knew his lack of explanation was only going to invite more questions, but he left it at that.

  Ellen glanced over at the kitchen table and looked at Tarik, who merely shrugged his shoulders without looking up from the computer. Sometimes Phoenix wondered if the guy had eyes in the back of his head, because he rarely looked up but always knew where everyone was and what they were doing.

  “Where are you going?”

  “Out,” Phoenix said, walking across the room toward the kitchen for more coffee.

  “What are you going to be doing?” Ellen asked.

  Phoenix sighed. “I’ve got a date, Mother. Nothing serious. No reason for you to run out and buy a copy of Wedding Bliss or whatever the hell those magazines are. It’s just a date.” It was more than a date, but he definitely wasn’t going to tell his mother that. As it was, she was going to jump all over this. Phoenix didn’t hide the fact that he had an active social life, and sex was usually intermixed in there, but he rarely ever went out on an official date. He would extend an invitation to a woman for something business-related, or a charity event, but he didn’t usually go out with a woman for the sake of going out with her.

  “Who is she?” Ellen asked. Phoenix could tell she was trying to hide her excitement.

  “No one you know. But I promise, if things ever get to the point you need to know her, I’ll introduce you.” Phoenix downed half of his coffee and then dumped the rest in the sink before making his way over to Tarik. “I need that stuff now.”

  “I’ll bring it with me when I meet you at the car,” Tarik stated flatly, his eyes still locked on the computer screen.

  “You really don’t have to go with us,” Phoenix mentioned, although he secretly prayed Tarik didn’t change his mind.

  Tarik peered up at him, and what Phoenix saw in his hard, glistening gold gaze had him closing his mouth instantly, although the alpha, always-in-control side of him wanted to tell him to take a flying fucking leap. No matter what Tarik thought, Phoenix did hold the reins.

  “I’m going with you,” Tarik informed him. “I’ll meet you in the garage. How much time do we have?”

  “We’re supposed to pick her up in” — Phoenix looked at his watch — “eight minutes. Fuck.”

  “See you downstairs.”

  Realizing he was going to be late, something he refused to do, Phoenix snatched his cell phone from the bar and headed out, hollering a quick good-bye to his mother as he passed through the entryway.

  The elevator moved like molasses in winter, which left Phoenix knocking on Mia’s door with one minute to spare.

  He heard the deadbolt disengage before she pulled the door open.

  “Hey,” he greeted, letting his eyes trail over her approvingly. She was wearing another pair of those sexy-as-fuck blue jeans, sneakers, and a fitted turquoise-and-black long-sleeve shirt that hugged her beautiful breasts as well as set off her eyes. He was used to seeing her in oversized sweatshirts these days — not counting the workout clothes that had damn near stopped his heart — so the formfitting top had his blood taking an immediate detour to his dick.

  “I’ll only be a minute. Come in,” she said, taking a step back.

  Phoenix kept his eyes on hers, noticing the slight uncertainty in her expression.

  “Where’s Tarik?”

  “He’s coming.” Phoenix hid his smile. He liked the fact that she wanted Tarik there. As much as he wanted her all to himself, he couldn’t deny the fact that sharing her with Tarik was probably the single hottest thing he’d ever thought about. And he couldn’t fucking wait to make that happen.

  He thrust his hands into his pockets to keep from reaching for her. She looked so damn cute and far too innocent at that moment. Not to mention, she made his dick harder with each passing second.

  After the front door closed, Mia disappeared across the room and around the corner, leaving Phoenix standing in the small entry alone. Unable to help himself, he walked until he could see the spacious living room in front of him and a section of the kitchen off to the right.

  Her home resembled her in ways he hadn’t expected. The beige sofa and oversized chair, which sat facing the wall of windows overlooking downtown Austin, appeared soft and comfortable. There were a couple of brightly colored throw pillows set perfectly on each end and a throw blanket hanging over the back. Phoenix realized there wasn’t a television in the room, but he noticed an impressive sound system on one of the two floor-to-ceiling, dark wood bookshelves that flanked the fireplace. On the mantle were a couple of pictures and a vase of white flowers. He immediately moved toward the pictures, trying to get a glimpse into Mia’s life through the images.

  “That’s me and my dad when I was eight,” she said as she approached.

  Phoenix picked up the silver frame and held it closer as he studied the pair in the picture. It was an older man and a young girl, both laughing as they threw red and gold leaves from a huge pile at one another. Placing the picture back where he’d found it, Phoenix picked up the other one. “And this? This must be you and your mother.”

  Mia looked so much like her mother, Phoenix was sure they were mistaken for sisters from time to time. They both had long blonde hair, bright blue eyes, and porcelain skin.

  “Yes,” Mia agreed.

  Turning to Mia after setting the second photo back in place, Phoenix smiled. “You have a nice place.”

  “Thank you. I’m still working on the decorations, taking things slow.”

  “You’ve got more in your place than I have in mine,” he told her.

  Mia didn’t respond to that, but she did ask if he was ready to go.

  Two minutes later, after he’d assisted her with her coat, they were making their way to the elevator. Phoenix couldn’t resist any longer, taking her hand in his and pulling her closer when they stepped inside. An older couple was watching them carefully as they joined them. Never one to miss an opportunity, Phoenix stepped behind Mia and pulled her flush against him, her back to his chest as the elevator began to make its slow descent to the first floor.

  When the doors opened, Phoenix gave a polite smile to the other couple as they stepped off. He then held on to Mia to keep her close. Bending down so that his mouth was to her ear, he whispered that they were going down to the parking garage. The tremor that shook her small body made Phoenix’s cock harden instantly. He was grateful that the elevator didn’t take too long, because he found his control slipping with every minute he was with Mia.

  And to think, the day was just beginning.

  Chapter Eighteen

  “WHERE ARE WE going?” Mia asked, trying to mask the tremor in her voice after she and Phoenix had climbed into the backseat of the Escalade.

  From the moment Phoenix had taken her hand, she’d been completely overwhelmed by him. His touch was like an electric charge that warmed her, brought to life things inside of her she hadn’t realized had gone into hibernation.

  And he smelled…

  God, she was pretty sure it was a sin for a man to smell that good. She had no idea what it was — cologne, body wash, aftershave, or his own natural scent — but whatever it was, if a retailer hadn’t bottled it and started making money on it, they were definitely missing out.

  “I thought we’d begin by…” Phoenix paused as he glanced down at his phone.

  Mia followed his gaze and noticed he was reading something. She saw the word skydiving and decided to look closer. “Is that a list of…?” She leaned in closer to see that it was indeed a list of what appeared to be things to do, sent from … Tarik.

  Looking up, Mia caught Tarik’s golden gaze
in the rearview mirror. “You looked these up for him?” she asked directly, smiling.

  She couldn’t see his mouth, but his eyes crinkled just enough for her to know he was smiling back at her. “I did.”

  “Is this the sort of thing you usually do? Doesn’t seem quite fitting for a bodyguard.”

  Tarik’s gruff chuckle was enough of an answer, so Mia turned her head and met Phoenix’s liquid green eyes. “You couldn’t figure out where to go on your own?” As she watched the embarrassed expression flitter over his features, she fought the urge to laugh.

  “That’s what I pay him for,” Phoenix said, a guilty glint in his eyes.

  “Well, Tarik,” Mia said, pulling her eyes away from Phoenix, “where do you suggest we go?”

  “I provide facts; Phoenix makes the decisions,” Tarik said, the growl in his voice lending a hint of danger to the guy.

  “Not today he doesn’t,” Mia replied, looking at Phoenix again. “But since you seem so interested in the list, where have you decided to take us?” she asked, smiling.

  “I thought we’d start out slow,” he answered as Tarik pulled out of the parking garage and onto the street. The rain immediately started pounding on the roof of the SUV, making it difficult to hear.

  “And what does that mean?”

  “Have you been to an indoor skydiving place?”

  Mia choked. “Indoor what?”

  “Skydiving.”

  “No, I can’t say that I have,” she replied, wondering if he was serious. She hadn’t even heard of such a thing.

  “It’s simple. They put you in a wind tunnel. The air is blowing from beneath you, which lifts you off the ground. Essentially, it allows you to see what it’s like to be suspended in midair. Not quite the same thing, but still quite a rush.”

  “Oh,” Mia smirked. “Is that all?”

  “Do you think you can handle it?” Phoenix inquired, the dare in his tone like a blinding light.

  “I can handle whatever you can dish out,” she said confidently, swallowing hard and hoping he didn’t notice.

  “Then that’s where we’ll go first.”

  “First? Where else are we going?”

  “I’ve got a list,” Phoenix said as he held up his phone. “It’ll be a full day.”

  “When do I get to pick where we go?”

  “Why don’t we take turns?” Tarik stated, more a command although he had phrased it as a question, his eyes peering back at her in the mirror.

  “We can do that,” Mia said, looking over at Phoenix again. “You think you can handle that?”

  “I can handle whatever you can dish out,” he said, repeating her exact words, although his sexy tone made her think of hot, sweaty sex, which had her face heating rapidly.

  When he leaned in closer, goose bumps broke out on Mia’s arms. She hoped he didn’t realize how much he affected her.

  He obviously did if his next words were anything to go by. “You’re competitive, are you?”

  His mouth was against her ear, his breath hot against her cheek, his voice so low she could hardly hear him over the rain on the roof. Rather than say anything, Mia nodded, keeping her eyes focused on the buildings passing outside the window.

  “Good. So am I. Want to put a wager on today?” he asked.

  “What did you have in mind?” she asked as softly as she could.

  “If I win, you have to come back to my condo for the night.”

  “And what happens then?”

  “That’s completely up to you. Your call.”

  Mia considered that for a moment and then surprised the hell out of herself when she nodded. “Fine. And if I win?” She didn’t plan to lose.

  “That’s up to you.”

  “Okay. And what about Tarik? What if he wins?” She looked toward the front once again.

  “Then you have to come back to the condo for the night,” Tarik said smoothly.

  “Are y’all ganging up on me?” The instant the words were out of her mouth, Mia wanted to crawl into the floorboard and hide.

  Their only answer was a simultaneous gruff chuckle.

  Oh, crap. She’d set herself up for that one, and she could feel her body temperature rise several degrees.

  “So what’ll it be?” Phoenix’s words were still so low Mia barely heard them.

  Turning her head a little so that her mouth was closer to his ear, Mia decided to return the favor, ignoring her rioting nerves. “I’ll let you know when I win.”

  Phoenix laughed, a deep, sexy rumble that had her insides quivering. “When? Not if?”

  “Exactly.” Mia had no idea what he had in mind, and she knew it had been a really long time since she’d done anything physical like this — and the treadmill certainly didn’t count — but she definitely wasn’t about to turn down the dare. She wasn’t built that way.

  “I like your confidence,” he whispered. When his lips brushed against the sensitive skin beneath her ear, Mia nearly came up off the seat. If it weren’t for his hand coming to rest on her thigh, she might have. “In fact, I like a lot of things about you,” he continued, his lips trailing the shell of her ear as the warmth of his hand penetrated her leg. “Like the way your hair smells like strawberries.” Phoenix pressed his lips against her neck. “And the way your pulse quickens when I kiss you here.”

  She fully expected him to say something inherently sexual following that, so when he left the statement at that, her body tingled with anticipation.

  “Five minutes,” Tarik informed them, causing Mia to pull back abruptly, realizing that he was sneaking glances at them while he drove.

  Oddly, the idea of Tarik watching them made her thighs tremble and her insides spasm with anticipation. She was losing her mind. That was all there was to it.

  Phoenix evidently didn’t care that they had an audience of one, because he continued to nuzzle her neck, his warm breath making goose bumps break out along her arms. She tried to ignore him even though she knew it was futile. Phoenix Pierce wasn’t an easy man to ignore. Ever.

  Thankfully, they arrived at the skydiving place a few minutes later. It wasn’t until Tarik parked the SUV in a spot close to the building that Phoenix opened the door and climbed out. Mia noticed the sudden loss of his body heat, which left her feeling weirdly deserted although he was still close, still holding her hand as he helped her from the Escalade.

  “Better hurry, little girl,” Tarik said as he came to stand outside the door. “Wouldn’t want you to get wet.”

  Mia heard the double entendre, but she did her best to ignore it, giving Tarik a knowing smile as she did, hurrying toward the door as the rain continued to pound down relentlessly.

  “Have either of you done this before?” she asked them as they made their way inside, instantly greeted kindly by an energetic young man.

  “A few times, yes,” Phoenix admitted, pulling her close to his side as they moved to the check-in desk at the front, Tarik walking incredibly close behind her. Another chill danced along her spine, and this one had nothing to do with it being cold outside.

  Mia watched Phoenix’s interaction with the pretty woman behind the counter, noticed the way the girl eyed him and Tarik excitedly, likely wondering which one of them was available.

  Neither, an insistent voice in her head announced.

  Oh, brother. She was in big trouble.

  A few minutes later, they were instructed to head up a set of stairs to the second floor. Once there, Mia realized there was a group of children, probably around nine or ten, who were talking and laughing as they watched someone who was already in the wind tunnel where they’d be flying.

  Moving to the glass so she could see better, Mia focused on the older man hovering in midair. He looked as though this was possibly his first time. An instructor was accompanying him inside the wind tunnel, helping him to maintain the correct posture to remain airborne. It looked interesting, not like anything she’d ever done before, and Mia found the excitement was infusing her as we
ll.

  “You wanna go first?” Tarik asked, stepping up behind her and placing his hands on her shoulders, his broad chest against her shoulder blades while Phoenix came to stand at her side.

  She glanced over at Phoenix to gauge his reaction. He didn’t seem to care that Tarik was touching her so intimately. In fact, she was pretty sure that was a flame she saw burning in his heated gaze.

  Surprisingly, Mia was comfortable with Tarik’s touch, and despite her lingering trepidation, she welcomed it. Something about him made her feel safe. More than it should have, she knew, but she wasn’t going to think about that today. Today she was going to enjoy her time with them, see where things went. Alex had told her to go for it, so here she was.

  It was time she let herself go. This was the time she was supposed to be finding herself, figuring out who she really was. And this seemed like a damn good starting point.

  “I’ll let one of you go first,” she told him, her eyes still glued to the man in the tube. “How long do we get to fly?”

  “There aren’t many people here this morning, so you’ll get a few minutes,” Phoenix informed her. “If you want to go again, I’m sure I can work something out.”

  Nodding her understanding, Mia continued to watch until another employee approached, letting them know he was ready to assist them into their flying gear. Minutes later, Mia had shed her jacket, pulled her hair on top of her head, put on a purple jumpsuit, goggles, and a helmet. Phoenix and Tarik both did the same, only their jumpsuits were blue and they looked far sexier in their outfits than she did in hers. She tried not to stare as she admired the two of them, hoping they wouldn’t notice.

  The sinful grin on Tarik’s face told her he noticed, all right.

  Forcing her attention away from him, she followed the employee into a room adjacent to the wind tunnel and sat on a bench that he directed her to. Phoenix took a seat on one side, while Tarik moved to her other side. They watched as the last of the kids in the group climbed in, a little girl who was laughing uncontrollably as the man helped her to get her feet out from beneath her.