What to Read After FSOG: The Gemstone Collection (WTRAFSOG Book 7)

by Lexi Buchanan

What a fucking mess. Mia and Liam in love with each other, me in love with Thalia, but having to marry Mia. I couldn’t even tell Thalia about it, because then she might hope for a solution when I wasn’t sure there was going to be one, unless I walked away from everything, but I’d have Thalia. Fuckin’ hell!

  “I need a clean t-shirt from the car. Come outside with me?”

  She walked towards me and slid her hand into mine, and then held on while we went outside to my car.

  Once I’d pulled a clean t-shirt on, I wrapped Thalia up in my arms and kissed her on the top of her head. “I don’t want to let you go…but I don’t have any choice.”

  She snuggled into my chest and held me so hard around my waist. “Don’t let me go, please Phoenix.”

  Thalia made me smile when she used my nickname. I took hold of her face and brought us practically nose to nose, and had no clue about where to start.

  We both moved to sit on the steps at the back of the bar, where I pulled her down beside me.

  “Why didn’t Liam tell me about this…that you could sing and that you did in…Deception?”

  She looked at me waiting for an answer so I tucked her head into the crook of my neck and told her, “I love music and always have, but my parents think it’s a waste of time and most of my life growing up was spent arguing with them about it and the fact that I wanted to be a rock star.”

  She chuckled and kissed my chest.

  “As soon as I realized they planned on grooming Liam for the law firm, which he so did not want to do, I changed and started to follow what they’d set out for my brother so they’d leave him alone…and they did. I rebelled in my own way, hence the tattoos and piercings’ that nobody knows about, that’s why I always wear long sleeves. My parents would flip if they knew what I was doing here with Donovan and Reece. I know I’m a grown man and shouldn’t worry about what they think, but having never had their approval for anything…I’m just used to staying silent.”

  Fuck, I felt like a girl admitting most of that to her, but I needed her to know what my life was like.

  Chapter Thirty-Eight

  Thalia

  As I listened to Jack, who’d become Phoenix to me, I wanted to cry for him…and myself for falling for him when he wasn’t free to be with me. Yeah, we’d just had the most amazing ‘almost’ sex…in a storeroom at the back of Kix, which shouldn’t have happened, but was inevitable.

  A giggle burst forth, which I tried to contain by slamming my hand over my mouth, but no such luck, as the giggle became a full belly laugh.

  “What’s so funny?” he asked with an unreadable expression.

  I grinned. “Us, practically having sex in the back room, in there.”

  “We did have sex in there.”

  “You didn’t come inside me, so it doesn’t count…I still want you Phoenix, so much.”

  He shuddered against me. “You’re driving me crazy. All I want is to take you home with me and keep you forever…but I can’t.”

  Standing up he pulled me up with him and was moving in to kiss me when Liam appeared in the doorway looking pissed as hell.

  “Where the fuck have you two been?”

  “What’s it got to do with you?” Phoenix replied.

  “Well, Phoenix,” Liam emphasized, “Ryder wanted to know why you weren’t on stage.”

  “He was talking to me,” I yelled, anger making my tone ice cold.

  “Yeah, well, it looks like you were doing more than talking,” Liam replied.

  His gaze moved to his brother. “And you’re engaged, damn-it. How could you do this to Mia?”

  Phoenix looked at Liam with a frown and looked about to say something in reply to him, but then seemed to change his mind and looked between the both of us. “My heart wants Thalia, and I can’t stay away from her.” He ran his hands through his hair. “Can I rely on you both not saying anything about this to anyone?”

  “We won’t. Right Liam?”

  “Why keep it a secret? We’re not kids anymore.”

  “Can you imagine the grief I’ll get from Dad, and Lewis for that matter? I’m supposed to be a respectable soon-to-be-lawyer, not someone who hangs around bars in a band full of body art.”

  Liam cursed under his breath and replied, “They’d probably be worse than what I imagine.” He grinned. “I’ll keep it quiet. But if word gets out I didn’t know anything about it; otherwise I’ll never hear the end of it.”

  Phoenix nodded his head then met my eyes before looking away again.

  “This is just so fucked up…I need to leave…I’m sorry Thalia.”

  With those words my heart broke as I watched him walk off into the forest.

  Liam walked over to me, wrapping his arm around my shoulders.

  “I’m sorry Thalia. I really am. Let me take you home.”

  “Okay. I’m sorry as well. How long have you been in love with Mia?” I asked trying to hold my tears back.

  Liam opened the car door for me and practically shoved me inside before climbing into the driver’s side. He just sat looking out through the window with his hands gripping the steering wheel.

  “We’re the same age and our parents have been friends since before me and Jack were born, so it was natural for us all to grow up together, especially me and Mia.” He sighed and let his head fall back against the seat. “She’s the first girl I kissed and the only girl I’ve…well, you know.” He blushed and obviously hadn’t realized just what he was saying until the end.

  To say I was stunned at his admission was an understatement. He’d only ever slept with Mia? With a shake of my head I studied him; I didn’t know what to say. Without knowing the whole situation it seemed stupid. “Liam, if you love Mia and she obviously has feelings for you, then why haven’t you both put a stop to the wedding…or why aren’t you the groom?”

  Without answering he put the key in the ignition and turned the car in the direction of his home while I tried not to think about the last words Jack had spoken to me or how he’d looked.

  My tears started running down my cheeks. Did he regret touching me? Just before he turned away from me I saw his face and he looked more in pain than sorry.

  What the hell did Phoenix’s father have over him to make him go through with this ridiculous arranged marriage? Because that’s what it was.

  I swiped at my tears as I climbed out of Liam’s car and made to walk up the porch steps only to be stopped by Liam.

  “Will you be okay?” he asked wiping the tears that were still leaking out of my eyes away with his thumbs.

  “I’ll have to be. I just want to go to bed okay. I’ll see you in the morning.”

  After saying goodnight to Liam, I quickly made my way upstairs and into my room, locking the door behind me. I threw my purse on top of the dresser then walked into the bathroom and locked the door leading to Phoenix’s room.

  With a sigh of relief, I turned on the shower, threw my clothes in a heap on the bedroom floor then climbed under the hot spray, letting my tears run free with the water.

  Yeah, I felt sorry for myself, and for Jack who was stuck in a no-win situation; he broke my heart.

  He was an addiction. I craved him. No matter what I was doing or where I was, I needed to see him and found myself looking for him.

  At Kix, just seeing him had made my panties wet, then when he’d kissed me I couldn’t have told you my name because my brain had shut down and my senses had taken over.

  My only regret was that I didn’t spend more time touching him and playing with his piercings. His nipple was pierced which I’d stroked a few times, but I’d been too surprised, and too aroused to play with the one at the tip of his cock. I wondered how long it would take him to get hard with my mouth sucking him on the tip while I played with the bar.

  I wanted the chance to find out and, if I had my way, I’d find out, because I knew there was no love lost between Phoenix and Mia, but there was between Liam and Mia. I wasn’t going to just sit back and accept that Pho
enix was going to be married.

  He was mine.

  My tears had started to flow again as I stepped out from the shower so I quickly wiped them away with the towel then dried myself before wrapping a dry one around my body.

  Callie would know what to do – maybe. I smiled and wondered what she thought of the picture of Donovan I’d sent her earlier. He’d given her the look that he seemed to give all the cute ladies. Panty wetting.

  Back in my room with my yoga pants and t-shirt on, I grabbed my cell from my purse and dialed Callie praying she wasn’t already tucked up in bed.

  “This better be good.”

  “Thank God you’re awake. I need help.” I lay back on my bed.

  “What have you done now?” And please tell me it doesn’t have anything to do with…Jack.”

  “It’s everything to do with him. I’m in love with him Callie. So much it hurts.” I took a breath and tried to carry-on. “We kind of made love earlier in the storeroom of a bar. Then afterwards when we were outside Liam interrupted and Phoenix apologized.”

  “Back up a bit. Who’s Phoenix? And why was he apologizing to you?”

  “Phoenix is Jack and he’s in a band with two of his friends. I love the name and told him from now on I’d call him that. I assumed he was apologizing for making love to me; although he didn’t…you know – inside me. He didn’t have a condom.”

  “So he’s irresponsible!”

  “No, no. My guess is, because he’s supposed to be marrying Mia that he never expected to need one. He hasn’t been with anyone in about twelve months.”

  My last statement was met by silence and I checked the phone to make sure I hadn’t hung up on her.

  “You believe him?” Her voice was quiet and serious.

  “Yeah, I do… You know if you want to… I could always have a word with Liam and you could come visit.” I hoped she’d come, because I needed some support. Liam might have admitted to being in love with Mia, but it was his family and I didn’t want to put him on the spot. I certainly wasn’t leaving to go to Texas; that wouldn’t work at all. “Did you get the picture of the hottie waiting to meet you?”

  “Fuck, you’re not playing fair.”

  “So you’ll come?” I crossed my fingers.

  “Let me talk to my mom and I’ll let you know, okay? You feeling all right now?”

  “Yeah, I am. Thanks to you.”

  “I need to go, but I’ll be in touch soon. Love you, Thalia.”

  “Love you too.”

  Staring up at the ceiling I hoped Phoenix was okay. I didn’t believe for a minute that he was sorry for what we’d done. Maybe he was sorry for walking away and leaving me with Liam like he did, but he wasn’t sorry for loving me.

  I turned into my quilt and fell asleep letting the tears fall down my cheeks.

  Chapter Thirty-Nine

  Jack

  I was a bastard. A pretty strong word I’d used a few times to describe myself since I’d met Thalia.

  I’d practically had my cock inside her at Kix, which I sure as hell didn’t regret, although that’s probably what Thalia was thinking after I’d told her I was sorry. I’d apologized for leaving her with Liam in the parking lot, knowing I had to get out of there before I took her with me.

  I’d walked off into the forest to try and get myself together, because I’d felt as though I was about to break apart and didn’t want anyone to witness my downfall.

  “Are you planning on sitting out here all night sulking like a girl?” Ryder asked leaning against one of the trees.

  I sighed. “Maybe.”

  “I don’t understand you. Usually by now I have people worked out, full psych, you know. But you, I have no idea why you’re doing what you do.”

  “Family.”

  “The girl you ran after. Does she mean something to you?”

  I cast a look in his direction. “Yeah, she does.”

  “So why are you marrying someone else?” Ryder sat opposite me on a fallen tree and rested his hands on his knees. “I know all about family responsibility, but at the end of the day it’s your life and you’re the only one who has to live it. If she’s what you want, don’t let her get away, because like I said before, if you do, you’ll spend the rest of your life regretting it…and yes, it’s the voice of experience.”

  I was shocked, because although I’d had conversations with Ryder before, I didn’t think he’d ever said so much.

  “Wow.”

  “Yeah I know. Shocked myself with that.” He laughed and looked embarrassed which had me trying to hide a grin, but by the scowl on his face, I didn’t think I’d succeeded.

  “It’s complicated.” I ran my hands through my hair. “I better get back and rescue Donovan; he hates being put on the spot.”

  “Yeah, I gathered that.”

  As we came out of the forest Dahlia was climbing into her car looking pissed.

  “Why does he bother with her? He could have anyone he wants. Fuck, the girls throw themselves at him, but he always goes off outback with her.”

  “Don’t be too hard on her, she has it rough. Reece has known her since they were kids. I think he’s her only friend.”

  Ryder walked back into the bar through the back door while I stayed put, wondering why he was so bothered about what Reece got up to and with her.

  “Well thanks for abandoning me,” Donovan grouched walking out the same door Ryder had just disappeared through.

  “Us,” Reece pointed out. “He abandoned us.”

  Donovan frowned at me then looked back at the door then back to me. “You been having a heart to heart with the marine?”

  “Maybe…that for me?”

  I reached out and took the beer from Reece before jumping up to sit on the wall to the side of the steps.

  “How’d it go in there?” I knocked the beer back while I watched and waited. I knew it would have been great, because Donovan could sing he just lacked confidence in front of so many folk.

  “Great,” he grumbled. “I’m more interested in how it went in there with the babe.”

  Exhaustion settled in as I wiped my hand down my face, just wanting the night to be over with.

  “It was fine. In fact it was great…then I told her I was sorry and walked away… I let her think I was apologizing for touching her, when I was apologizing for leaving her with Liam. I’m an ass.”

  “We could have told you that,” Reece said.

  I ignored him.

  “Can I bunk at your place again?” I looked at Donovan who nodded his head before walking back inside.

  “Why do you never ask to bunk at my place?” Reece whined like a fuckin’ two year old.

  “Too much traffic.”

  He smirked and followed Donovan back into the bar while I wondered what Thalia was doing. Whether she was still upset after what I’d said, or whether Liam was cheering her up.

  Although I prayed for the latter, the thought of Liam cheering her up put a ball of fire in my gut.

  “Will you stop acting like a girl and get in here!”

  Hearing the door slam back into place behind Reece, I jumped down from the wall and made my way back inside to find the place loud and packed.

  When I climbed on the stage the noise level hit fever pitch with a lot of the audience shouting my name ‘Phoenix’.

  That was what it was all about. People enjoying the music the three of us had created over the past ten years since high school. My family had never understood my need for this release. As far as they were concerned I’d given this up when I left for college.

  But standing in front of two hundred people, hearing them shouting ‘Phoenix and Deception’ had my heart missing a beat. I wanted Thalia standing out there watching me; watching us. She’d understand the pull this had for me. She’d understand and she’d support me; I knew that without even having to think about it.

  Reece started up on the drums, a familiar beat, which was the introduction to one of our more popular so
ngs, ‘Fallen from the Sky.”

  Chapter Forty

  Thalia

  It was morning and by the sound of things Liam’s folks had company, which had me burrowing further into my quilt. After last night I didn’t want to get up and face the day, unless my day included Phoenix.

  Mmm, Jack – Phoenix. I loved the name Phoenix and planned on using it all the time when no one else was present. I’d never felt anything like last night when I was in his arms practically naked. I tried not to think about what was said in the parking lot, because I planned on being with him again and again until he did something to stop the farce of a wedding.

  But what I did keep thinking about was his cock. Oh yeah it was huge, not just in length, but in width with the tip displaying an AP. I licked my lips remembering the taste of him. He’d been leaking when I’d put my tongue to him and he’d leaked more when I’d flicked the piercing. It was a huge turn on knowing he was pierced there, which also made me more determined to get my hands…and mouth on him again. It would be fun to have him at my mercy. I wondered if it was possible for him to come with me just flicking the silver. Mmm… only one way to find out.

  With that thought in mind, I threw off the covers and walked into the bathroom for a quick shower, having slept in my t-shirt and underwear from last night. Yuk!

  Once again presentable in a dress and my new cowgirl boots, I headed downstairs and straight into the kitchen to find Stephanie and Mia deep in conversation.

  “Oh, here she is,” Stephanie said. She grabbed hold of my arm and pushed me down into the chair next to Mia. She then put a cup of coffee and a bagel in front of me.

  I looked up at her in surprise. “Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome. I heard you in the shower, so I knew you’d be down soon.”

  Mia had yet to say anything so after a quick glance in her direction, I started to eat and drink the much needed coffee.

  “Now that you’re here, Mia would like us both to go over to her house and look at flower arrangements for the wedding. Apparently, Joan the florist is taking some displays and brochures there in about an hour.”