by E. K. Blair
“Yeah, you do.” He started laughing while he pulled me along with him.
I pulled him to a stop. “Yeah, I think you’re hot, but I wanted to send a picture to my friend in Texas.”
His eyes widened.
“Please...”
He was the one who was embarrassed as I retrieved my phone from my back pocket.
“Say cheese.”
After I quickly snapped the picture I sent it to Callie, telling her Donovan awaited her in Alabama. I decided to keep the fact that Donovan and Reece looked to be players to myself. If anyone could tame Donovan, it would be Callie.
Chapter 35
Jack
“So this is where you’re hiding?” Donovan said, taking a seat opposite me.
“I’m not hiding. Skipped breakfast so I needed to fuel up, especially after the beer over at Kix.”
“Beer?”
I’d stunned him into silence. “Yeah, I ended up there, figuring other than you guys no one would know where I was. Ryder kept shoving the beer into my hand, so I drank.”
He shook his head. “I’ve just taken your woman home; in case you were interested.”
I stopped eating and glared at him.
“I saw her dart into the forest, alone, so I followed her and sat and watched her for about twenty minutes while she cried buckets; because of you.”
Fuck, I’d lost my appetite.
Mandy one of the servers was walking by so I passed her my plate. She gave me a quick glance then the plate before she removed it and took it back to the kitchen.
“I don’t know what to say.” I put my head in my hands then looked back to Donovan. “What did you say?”
He leaned back in his seat deep in thought. “I told her she needed to talk to you, because you couldn’t stand Mia.”
“Shit. What did you tell her that for? Hell, I don’t know what I was going to say to her, but I need my parents and Mia’s to believe that the wedding is going ahead for now until it all gets sorted. Hell, for all I know I might end up having to go through with it.”
“So it wouldn’t bother you if she went off with someone else?”
It would kill me to see her with another guy. I sighed, it was the same as what it was doing to her if Donovan was telling me the truth and he had no reason to lie.
“I didn’t think so. Talk to her and tell her the truth. She needs to know what she’s feeling isn’t one sided.”
No matter how much of an ass Donovan...and Reece could be, they always knew the correct thing to say. Unless they wanted to yank my chain, then fists usually flew.
“Was she that upset?
“Yeah, she was. Also on the way back to the house, she told me about Mia. How could you let Mia railroad her into being a bridesmaid at the wedding of the guy she’s in love with? How fucked is that?”
Unable to breathe, I slipped out from the booth. “Let’s get out of here.” We grabbed our jackets making our way back outside.
Standing on the sidewalk, I felt as though I could finally catch my breath and started walking back to Kix.
“Hey, I’ve got my wheels over here,” Donovan shouted, already on his way to his car.
Donovan kept his car spotless with the most kick-ass stereo system ever invented.
“You know I’ve been thinking.”
I cocked an eyebrow at him in question. Donovan and thinking was dangerous.
“I think you and Mia need to get together and put a stop to all this. Her father obviously cares about her in his own weird way, surely if he knows she’s in love with Liam, he’ll accept that. Once he does, it will leave you to get it on with Thalia, and there is no way your father will do what he threatened. That was all talk, which, if I remember, I told you twelve months ago.”
It only took us a couple of minutes to pull up outside of Kix so climbing from the car I leaned my elbows on the hood when in actual fact I felt like banging my head against it.
“I just want to forget everything for tonight and get lost in our music; anymore I’m going to crack.”
The front door to Kix opened then slammed shut. “What are you two girls doing out here?” Reece asked.
Grinning, I replied, “Waiting for the third to join us.”
“Ha ha – funny; not. While you two pussy’s have been gossiping like a bunch of women, there’s work to be done.”
We both just stood and watched him retreat back inside.
“What’s up his ass?”
“Fuck if I know. He was fine when I was in here earlier talking to Ryder.”
The rest of the afternoon was spent helping Ryder get all the alcohol, which had been delivered, put away. It went either behind the bar or in the cellar and the work kept my mind busy; only an odd thought crossing my mind about Thalia and what the hell I was going to say to her when we finally had time alone. One thing I did know was that I had to keep my hands to myself when we did get together; touching her wasn’t an option.
Sitting with my back to the bar, I’d been watching everyone arrive for the past hour, maybe longer, and the place was filling up good.
We’d gotten all our equipment set up earlier so all we had to do was entertain the crowd once Reece decided to show his face. Donovan had seen him disappear out back with Dahlia. No doubt to get his rocks off. At least he should be more laid back than what he’d been recently.
“He not back in yet?” Ryder asked, passing me another beer. I’d lost count how many I’d had since returning from town with Donovan. Unfortunately, I still felt sober.
“Nope.”
“She must be a good ride.”
I wasn’t getting involved in that conversation; it’d only piss him off. He’d had a boner for Dahlia when he first arrived, but that had soon disappeared when he realized she was at Reece’s beck and call.
“He’s back...looks like he lost someone along the way,” Ryder bit out, slamming another beer in front of me. I still had half of the other bottle, but I quickly knocked that back and tossed the empty into the bin behind the bar.
“You ready?” Reece asked, but instead of looking relaxed he looked pissed.
After looking at him for a minute, I stood and with my beer in hand followed him to the stage where Donovan was sitting chatting to a group of girls.
Chapter 36
Thalia
Liam was driving me to a new bar, which had opened a few months ago, on the outskirts of town. That was his idea of cheering me up.
I’d managed to calm down some after Donovan had brought me back to Liam’s house. The soak in the tub probably had something to do with that as well.
Wearing my new ‘Alabama’ style cowgirl boots with a short, fitted denim skirt paired with a black tank, I turned to look at Liam who’d been silent during our drive. “Why are you so quiet? I mean I know you don’t usually chatter away, but you look like you’re brooding.”
He let out a sigh and looked at me. “I’m okay. Just have a lot on my mind.”
“I’ll leave it for now, but you’re not okay and neither is Jack, and, how the fuck did I become a bridesmaid at his wedding. That is just screwed up somewhere.”
“I agree with you there. He should have spoken up and said something. Just go along with it for now.”
I winced at his suggestion. Why did everyone keep telling me to go along with it? “Liam, it’s in three weeks. I can’t just act as though everything is normal when it isn’t.” I felt close to tears. “I’m in love with her fiancée; there is no way I can be part of his wedding... And you’re in love with your brother’s fiancée,” I whispered wiping my eyes.
He braked hard outside the club, which said it was called Kix. “How,” he cleared his throat, “do you know that?”
“I saw you with her today in the boutique.”
He sighed and rested his head against the back of the seat. “God, we’re a sorry pair.”
Opening the door, I climbed out with Liam following, because if I stayed talking to him in the car I would be in t
ears.
Until I’d met Jack I’d never been an emotional person, but I was now and it pissed me off. If Callie was here she’d rib me to no end about it, which would probably have cheered me up some. I missed my best friend and needed to talk to her later. One thing I did know and that was, there was no chance of me leaving for Texas just yet, because I wasn’t ready to let Jack go.
“You ready to go inside?”
“Yeah.” I pulled the door open to be met by a wall of bodies. The place was packed as Liam took my hand and pulled me towards the bar through the mass. The group that was playing tonight was obviously popular, because there was hardly breathing space.
“You want a beer?” Liam shouted.
“Yeah.”
While I was standing waiting for Liam to get us both a beer, I had a good look around the bar or rather I tried too. It was a bit difficult with the sweaty bodies all-clambering for prime position near the stage, a lot of which were women.
About to turn back towards Liam, I spotted Donovan at about the same time he spotted me. He paused, before starting to walk in our direction.
He came to a stop in front of me, and then got shoved from behind which brought him up close and personal, with me ending up wrapped in his arms.
He grinned down at me, which had me laughing. He was cute and I needed to get Callie with him.
“Hey, get your hands off her,” Liam shouted, looking pissed.
Donovan’s body went rigid against me before he relaxed and pulled me even tighter against him. “Make me.”
They sure as hell were not going to fight over me. In fact I wasn’t sure I had anything to do with what was going on.
Pushing out of Donovan’s arms, I faced Liam. “Leave it, he got shoved from behind.” I placed my hand on Liam’s chest, hoping he’d leave it alone, before I turned back to Donovan who looked angry, but more relaxed than Liam.
“Look after Thalia.” With that Donovan shoved his way through the crowd towards the stage where the band had already set up.
The lights dimmed slightly, someone jumped up on stage and the crowd started to shout.
“Shut the fuck up,” came blaring out through the speaker system, which the majority found funny. “Okay, calm it down, I know why you’re all here, so with that in mind here’s ‘Phoenix and Deception’.”
Liam froze at the side of me with his beer half way to his mouth. I turned to look at him but he was fixed on the stage. Turning back I met the piercing blue eyes of Jack who stood in front of the microphone.
My heart began to drum against my chest and I felt like it was going to burst as we held each other’s gaze, and then he started to sing; I melted. He had the most amazing voice as he sang about a hero who fell in love with a girl out of his reach, and the whole time his gaze stayed on me.
Liam moved closer and leaned into me using his thumbs to wipe my face, because unbeknown to me, there were tears flowing from my eyes.
When the song came to an end, without taking his eyes from me Jack said something to Donovan, and then passed him the microphone before jumping down from the stage with a look of determination as he headed in our direction.
Panicking, I shoved past Liam towards the back of the bar, which was easier said than done with all the people jammed into the place.
Coming to a stop in a hallway, I had no idea which door would lead me to the outside. About to try the one at the end, an arm snaked around my waist.
“It’s only me,” Jack whispered into my ear before he carried me through the door to our right. He closed it and I heard a lock slide into place as he turned on a low light. He wrapped his other arm around me and held me tight, snug in his arms. I wasn’t complaining because it felt amazing being held by him. My body pressed against the full length of him.
He started nuzzling my neck so I moved my head to the side to give him better access. When he started to use his teeth to nibble the lobe of my ear and down my neck to my shoulder, I shivered; my nipples hardened and my sex pulsed. I pressed my butt into his groin and felt his erection, which pressed between my buttocks; he groaned and pressed closer.
“Thalia,” he moaned into my neck, “we need to stop.”
I took hold of his hands on my belly and held on tight. “What’s happening Jack or can I call you Phoenix? Liam told me he used to call you that, and I love that name.”
He buried his face into my neck while he tried to control his breathing. “Other than Ryder when he announces us, no one calls me Phoenix anymore...so yeah; I’d love you to call me that. In private though.” He cursed at the same time that he pushed me away from him. “I can’t be in private with you again, because I want you too damn much.”
My tears were so close to the surface and as I turned to face Jack or Phoenix they leaked out of my eyes.
“Please talk to me,” I asked. “On the porch you said the wedding wasn’t going ahead and...now it is, and I’m a fucking bridesmaid.” I was angry and smacked Phoenix on the chest as a sob broke free.
He grabbed my wrist and pulled me into his chest holding me tight. “I can’t explain, but I have to marry her...”
He held on to me while I tried to struggle free.
“You’re the one I want. I shouldn’t tell you that, because I have no choice but to marry Mia, but it’s you I want and seeing you like this hurts like hell.”
I broke free of him. “You don’t have to marry her. It’s your choice...and you’ve made it clear whom you prefer,” I practically shouted at him. My heart was breaking. “Just stay away from me, because it hurts too much being this close to you and not being able to have you,” I whispered as I turned my back to him.
Chapter 37
Jack
Her words pierced my heart, making it feel like it was being squeezed in a clamp. This was all my fault, her pain was caused by me. Without a thought to anything or anyone, I took the four strides to Thalia, turned her around and placed my hands on either side of her face. Her eyes searched mine in question as she opened her mouth, but I sealed my lips to hers, trapping whatever protest she was going to say.
Her hands pressed against my chest trying to push me away before they went limp. After a brief pause, I felt her hands run up my chest and through my hair where she gripped it, and pulled me even closer. She pressed her body closer to mine while she chased my tongue in and out of my mouth.
She tasted of beer and my woman. I wanted her more than I’d ever wanted anyone and she was going up in flames in my arms.
Moving my hands from her face I smoothed them down her sides in a caress landing on her butt. Gripping it in my hands, I hauled her against me, which brought her pussy in line with my aching cock.
She pulled her mouth away from mine and let her head fall back on a moan. Not one for missing an opportunity, I placed tiny kisses along her jaw, nibbling on her lobe and licked down her neck to her shoulder.
“So responsive.”
“Love me Phoenix.”
When I heard Thalia say, ‘Phoenix’ in such a husky voice, I lost it completely and had her pressed against the wall, her legs wrapped around my waist and my hands on her panty-clad ass.
She had her hands on my head holding me to her chest while she ground herself against me. I was seconds away from ripping her panties off, and impaling her on my cock.
God. “Thalia, babe. You have to slow down.”
“I can’t. I need you.”
With a groan, I hitched her further up the wall, ground my hips into her, pinning her against the wall because I wanted my hands free.
I licked along her lips and teased her by dipping my tongue in and out of her mouth as I slipped my hands under her top and found her breasts. The top I shoved above her breasts, opened the front fastener on her bra and watched as her magnificent tits tumbled into my hands. Two more strawberries.
Speechless, I rubbed my finger over the tattoos then around her nipples, using my finger and thumb I twisted and rolled them. Thalia acted as though she’d been hit by a
bolt of electricity and writhed against me.
My breathing was ragged and I desperately needed to be inside her. I froze. I didn’t have a condom.
Resting my forehead against hers I tried to catch my breath. “No condom.”
“So close,” she mumbled.
One of us might as well get off, although I’d probably come with her.
“I need to taste you,” I told her, moving her slightly away from me and let her legs drop to the floor. Kneeling in front of her I pushed her skirt over her hips and stopped briefly when I caught sight of the tattoo on her hip. God, she loved tattoos. My hands held her tight as I moved in and pressed my lips against her mound.
Her legs quivered. “Phoenix.”
I lifted one of her legs over my shoulder, moved her panties to one side and got my first look at her swollen bud, which was peeping out between her folds. Then I did what I’d wanted to do for a while, and leaned in to taste her. “God, your cunt’s so fucking sweet.”
She shuddered as soon as my tongue touched her clit. I licked from her mound back and forth to her sex, while I added a finger inside her. She was so wet and tight, my balls were pulled up tight to my body and my cock was ready to burst.
“No, Phoenix...”
“What...”
Before I had chance to think properly, she moved her leg from my shoulder, dislodging my fingers and had me hitting the floor with my butt. She quickly removed her panties then followed me down to the floor, yanked my zipper down, pulled my cock and balls free, before leaning forward to place a kiss to the mushroom head of my cock.
She lifted her head. “You’re pierced?” Without waiting for an obvious answer she bent and licked me around the slit, with a quick flick of the silver with her tongue.
I gritted my teeth to stop my pending orgasm shooting forward. “No condom,” I choked out, again.
Thalia hitched her skirt, straddled my thighs and brought her pussy into contact with the root of me. We both sucked in our breath.
Moving my hands up to her naked breasts, I massaged them as she started to ride the ridge of my cock, spreading her wetness all over me.
“Shit, Thalia,” I groaned. “So good. God, I wish my dick was buried deep in your cunt.”
