Devour

by E. K. Blair

  It was like being in the 1800’s with how their parents were acting – blackmailing them to marry.

  My parents might have a habit of treating me like I was still a child, but at least they didn’t give me a hard time over boys. My dad had once told me, just before I left for college, that money wasn’t everything and to follow my heart. I’d been stunned at the time, because he only ever issued orders.

  Following my heart was what I planned on doing; I just needed Phoenix, who’d been absent for the rest of the day, to get with my plan. I also wanted him to talk to Mia to try and do something from her end.

  “Thalia?”

  I jumped. I was so engrossed in my own thoughts I hadn’t realized Liam had joined me.

  “You okay?”

  I let out a sigh. “Yeah, just thinking.”

  “Jack, no doubt.” He smirked sitting opposite me.

  “Maybe.”

  He started to laugh. “You are so predictable... Reece told me you’d gone off with him earlier.” He cocked an eyebrow in question.

  Ignoring his unspoken question, I asked one of my own, “When you invited me out here for the summer, why didn’t you tell me you were bringing me out here in the hope I’d interfere with Jack’s wedding?”

  He met my eyes in surprise.

  “You already know I like you. At first I thought perhaps we might get closer and then I could stop thinking about Mia. You’re different, and as soon as I saw you I knew Jack wouldn’t stand a chance.” He started running his fingers through his hair. “I’m sorry, but my heart belongs to her.”

  I offered him a small smile. “It doesn’t matter, I’m in love with your brother so I’m not offended that you don’t have other feelings for me, in fact I’m relieved.”

  “So you’re in love with my brother, huh?” He grinned. “Does he know?”

  Sitting back in the porch swing I started to push back and forth slowly with my foot. “No, he doesn’t know and don’t you go telling him. It’s for me to say when I’m ready.”

  “I won’t say anything...I think Mia’s dad is holding something over her head as well. I don’t know what. I thought she was coming round to me, but since I started asking her questions, she’s been avoiding me like the plague.”

  That upset him. I could see it on his face. Despite the rough time we had been having, I truly liked him. Liam was my friend and I cared about how he felt. “I’m so sorry. Maybe she’s avoiding you so she doesn’t act on her feelings for you, because it’s obvious to me that she has them.”

  “Thanks for that.” He rubbed his hand through his hair and looked out into the darkness. “I’m going to hit the sack.”

  “Okay. I’ll see you in the morning.”

  Watching him walk inside, I turned towards the porch steps when I heard the bottom one creak.

  My breath whooshed out. Phoenix was standing there, not looking happy.

  “You can’t love me...and Liam needs to stop with Mia.”

  “What...”

  I jumped up to go to him, but he put his hand out to stop me. Instead I took hold of his hand and brought it to my lips, kissing his knuckle and felt a shudder run through him.

  Not thinking I stepped into his space and brought my hands up to his face in a light caress. His hands landed on my waist as he rested his forehead against mine and met my eyes. “I can’t say what I have to with you in my arms.”

  “Then don’t say it,” I whispered.

  He moved his hands up to my face as I smoothed mine over his chest.

  “I’m moving in with Donovan.”

  I froze. “Why?”

  He kissed my forehead and looked deep into my eyes. “Because if I stay here, you’ll be in my bed every night and to hell with the consequences. As much as I want you there, I can’t do that to you...or me for that matter, because if the wedding ends up going ahead it will kill me having to leave you behind. It’s going to hurt like hell as it is.”

  At his words I burst into tears. Phoenix cursed pulling me into his arms while I cried all over him.

  “Thalia, God baby. Please stop.”

  His voice broke. I pulled away swiping at my tears and met his tear filled eyes.

  Leaning forward I placed a small lingering kiss to his lips then pulled away, completely, moving to stand at the top of the steps, I turned back to him. “I’ll miss you...Goodnight.”

  I quickly walked inside and straight up to my room, which I locked before throwing myself on to my bed.

  My tears continued to fall and started to fall harder knowing Phoenix was just as upset as I was.

  After about ten minutes of feeling sorry for myself I heard my cell ringing in my purse so I quickly scrabbled across my bed and made a grab for it.

  “Yeah.”

  “Thalia, is that you?”

  “Yeah,” I replied to Callie as I sniffled into a tissue.

  “Are you crying?”

  “I was...maybe still am, a bit.”

  “Spill, what’s happened? Who do I need to kill?”

  Giggling, I tried to pull myself together. “No one. Everything’s just screwed up.”

  “Tell me?”

  “I will when you get here... You’re coming, right?”

  “Yeah, in a couple of days. That’s why I rang, but I think I’ll text you the details.”

  “Okay, I’m going to get a quick shower and try to sleep. Hopefully, everything won’t look so hopeless tomorrow.”

  “I hear you. Take care. Love you.”

  “Love you.”

  Rolling off the bed I locked the other bathroom door then stripped and climbed into the shower, trying to relax and to clear my head.

  Chapter 43

  Jack

  It had been a couple of days since I’d last seen Thalia and it hurt like hell staying away from her. I’d been keeping busy, working late at the office, continuing to work when I got back to Donovan’s place and falling into bed around one in the morning, exhausted.

  I’d tried talking to Mia about our situation, but she’d refused to listen and kept insisting we had to go through with it. In fact, at one point she even suggested that we marry, but live our separate lives. She admitted to knowing about me and Thalia and told me that as long as I married her we’d live up to our end of the bargain. There was no reason why she couldn’t carry on with Liam and me with Thalia, at which point I’d laughed at her and told her to get real.

  There was no way I could be with Thalia when I was married to her, and I didn’t think Liam would go for it either. I also had no intention of putting Thalia into that position, what life would we have.

  “You planning on jumping in the beer?”

  “Would be easier.” I looked up to see Liam standing at the side of our table...with Thalia. I couldn’t take my eyes from her. She took my breath away every time I looked at her.

  Donovan smacked me on the back. “Move over and let the lady sit down.”

  On autopilot, I scooted further along the bench seat as Liam practically shoved her down next to me. He was sitting opposite grinning. What the hell was he doing?

  Thalia’s hand started to slide over mine, I turned my hand so that our palms met as our fingers entwined. I held on tight and just sat looking at her.

  She blushed and licked her lips, the movement I followed with my eyes wishing we were anywhere else but Kix so I could taste her.

  My body temperature was rising along with my cock, which was becoming uncomfortable, but I wasn’t ready to let go of her hand yet.

  “Are you all right?” I whispered, moving closer to her.

  “I am now...Phoenix...”

  “Fuck. Let’s dance.”

  Keeping my hand in hers, she stood to let me out and then as soon as we walked on to the dance floor, she wrapped herself around me and...sighed.

  Holding her just as tight, we moved around the dance floor to Bless This Broken Road by Rascal Flatts, which I sang along to real quietly into her ear. As the song came to an end and
went into another one I moved my hand slowly south cupping her butt in my hand.

  She moaned. The sound had my cock surging against my zipper.

  Pressed tightly against each other there was no way she would miss my twitching dick. I was so uncomfortable, I had to slip my hand between us to try and make room in the front.

  “Want a hand,” she whispered into my neck.

  I growled and tried to control my breathing. “Just the thought of you having your hand in there is enough to have me leaking.”

  “I’d rather use my mouth. I want to see how long it takes you to come with just my tongue and mouth playing with the tip of your cock where you’re pierced.”

  Her words stopped me dead in the middle of the dance floor, seconds from coming. Breathing heavily, I cupped her face in my hands and looked into her eyes, but it wasn’t easy because I knew what I was about to say would upset her...and me.

  “I want you. I want you so much; I’m seconds away from walking away from my home, family and career to be with you; to hell with everything else and the reason why I have to marry Mia. But I can’t do that. I’m not made to walk away from responsibility. I love you, but I can’t be with you again. This has to be goodbye.”

  Before she could see my tears, I quickly kissed her on the forehead then turned walking out of the bar leaving her standing crying in the middle of the dance floor. I knew one of my friends would take care of her, but I still felt like the biggest bastard going.

  For once I was trying to do the right thing, without what I wanted getting in the way, but it felt like my heart was being ripped out. I needed to be alone, so I walked towards the forest and went in deeper than I usually did, in case one of the guys came after me. I was such a fucking mess I didn’t want any witnesses.

  Finally coming to a stumbling halt against a huge fallen tree, I sat down and buried my face in my hands, crying like a fucking baby.

  Eventually calming down, I came to the conclusion that I needed to talk to my dad. Really talk to him and hopefully come up with a solution because the wedding was only a week away and I knew there was no way I could go through with it anymore. I’d even thought of hiring an actor to marry us so that it would appear that we’d married, but in actual fact we wouldn’t be married. A stupid idea, but it might work and I was desperate.

  Standing up to head back, I realized I’d been fucking stupid saying goodbye to Thalia, it had been an hour and I knew there was no way I would be able to stay away from her, who had I been kidding.

  Chapter 44

  Thalia

  My heart broke last night when he said goodbye to me, then left me on the dance floor without a backwards glance, but I was sick and tired of crying myself to sleep over him.

  In truth he’d looked as sick as I’d felt, but it certainly didn’t help me any. As I’d stood watching him retreat, Donovan had walked up to me and pulled me into his arms, moving me around the dance floor, while I cried into his t-shirt, again. I wasn’t sure what I’d have done but for Donovan rescuing me. When I’d finally managed to get the tears under control, Liam had brought me back to the house where I’d spent most of yesterday locked up in my room.

  Rolling over onto my stomach, I burrowed my head under the quilt. I could hear voices downstairs, which made me freeze. Was Phoenix down there? I could make out Liam’s voice and a woman’s. Mia maybe.

  With a heavy sigh, I pushed the quilt over to the side and stepped out of bed walking to the bathroom.

  After throwing my pajamas off, I stepped under the warm spray of the shower and let the water calm me. Ridiculous as it may sound considering I couldn’t swim and got nervous when near lots of water, it had a calming effect with me. I could sit on the bank of a river or on a beach and watch the water all day, until I stepped into it, then I would start to panic.

  Finished with the shower, I wrapped a towel around me and went back into my room to root around for some clothes. I decided on my denim shorts, lavender lace tank top and my cowgirl boots.

  My hair was damp after the shower. I didn’t have the time to blow dry it with it being so long, so I ran the towel over it and braided the still damp hair down my back. The closet door was open when I finished so I did something that I didn’t often do. I stood in front of it and took a good look at myself.

  What I saw was me. I was slim built with legs that went on and on, or so I’d been told. My face had tanned since I’d been in Alabama; a sprinkling of freckles covered my nose and dusted each cheekbone; the bane of my existence, but I had to admit that they gave me a girl next-door appeal. My dark eyes and plump mouth added a sultry touch to my appearance.

  Okay, I’d spent enough time in my room to try and avoid going downstairs and seeing Phoenix. He was down there; I just had the feeling in the pit of my stomach that he was there with Liam and...Mia. I needed to be composed before I saw them together, because every time I thought about them being together or saw them; my heart broke a little bit more.

  Halfway to the kitchen it became clear he was in there...and he was laughing. How could he be laughing when I felt as though I never would again?

  I pushed my way through the kitchen door and found them sitting around the kitchen table. Phoenix and Liam were shoveling pancakes into their mouths while Mia was perched next to Liam sipping her bottle of water.

  “Thalia, Mom saved you some pancakes in the microwave,” Liam told me shoveling food into his mouth as though he’d never been fed.

  “Thanks. Morning, Mia, Jack.” I chanced a glance at Phoenix who had my panties wet. I nearly stumbled, because after last night I sure as hell never expected him to look at me like that again.

  His eyes lit with mischief, but I thought it best to ignore him, at least while I warmed my breakfast up.

  With a coffee poured, I retrieved my pancakes from the microwave before I walked over and took the seat beside Jack.

  Our thighs rubbed together under the table while I tried to get the chunks of food down my parched throat. Sitting so close and touching Phoenix wasn’t the wisest move I’d ever made, but my body and heart craved him.

  “Thalia, we’re going to go and hang out around the lake today and maybe go swimming. Do you want to come?” Mia smiled warmly at me, which seemed strange. I may be one of her bridesmaids, but she was anything but nice, usually.

  “Ah, maybe I’ll hang around here today. I don’t swim. Sorry.” I shrugged my shoulders and carried on eating, as my throat seemed to have relaxed some.

  “You don’t need to swim, you could just stay on the bank and watch us,” Mia replied relentlessly.

  “She said she couldn’t swim. Leave it alone.”

  “Jack. I was just thinking about her being alone, that’s all.”

  “She won’t be alone,” he quickly glanced at me then back to Mia, “I have some work to do in one of the fields on the tractor so I’ll be around.”

  Phoenix’s statement was met by silence.

  “Um, are you sure that’s a good idea?” Liam frowned looking between the two of us.

  “No, but it’s what’s going to happen.”

  As I finished eating, I looked up to see Mia staring at me with a worried look on her face.

  Standing up, Liam pushed his chair under the table and placed his dirty dishes into the dishwasher before taking Mia’s hand into his. “Come on Mia, let’s head out.”

  He pulled her up from the table and after saying goodbye, both Mia and Liam disappeared from the house and a few moments later we heard Mia’s car starting up and disappear into the distance.

  Being alone with Phoenix wasn’t the best decision I’d ever made. As soon as I knew he was staying around I should have changed my mind and gone with Liam. “I can’t keep doing this with you. It hurts too much.”

  He clasped my hand in his. “I know... It hurts me too, but I can’t stay away and I’m sick of trying. Mia knows it’s you I want and she knows, that I know, it’s Liam she wants. Everything is just so damn tangled right now, but I’m wo
rking on a solution...and that’s all I’m going to say.”

  I brought our joint hands up to my mouth and kissed his knuckles, before I met his eyes. “I don’t want you to stay away. I miss you and it hurts not seeing you around.”

  “I wasn’t lying about working in the field, but I want you to come with me on the tractor...please.”

  Grinning, I teased, “Are you begging me to come with you?”

  He smirked. “I can pretty much guarantee that I won’t have to beg you to come with me,” he whispered.

  Blushing, I smacked him on his arm as I stood and loaded the dishwasher with my dirty dishes before turning back to him, and answered, “I’d love to spend some time with you.”

  Chapter 45

  Jack

  I’d woken up this morning with the nerves gone. I was excited about my day with the first order of business being to head home to Thalia.

  I still had trouble understanding why Lewis would force his only child to marry someone she didn’t love. I had no doubt that he loved Mia, so forcing her on to me when she loved Liam didn’t make any sense.

  As I’d pulled up to the house, I’d caught Mia and Liam involved in a rather heated kiss on the back porch. I’d been surprised at first that they’d be so open with their affection and then laughed, telling them to carry on as I’d walked into the kitchen.

  Inside I’d found Mom in one of her moods, slamming everything she could lay her hands on. Apart from telling me she’d made everyone pancakes, she stormed out the front door and within minutes I’d heard her drive off in her car. My only guess had been that she’d caught my brother on the back porch with my fiancée.

  Slowly pushing away from the table, I walked towards Thalia who was watching me with all her emotions laid bare for me to see.

  There was maybe an inch between us as I bent my head and placed a gentle kiss to her lips. I knew if I touched her anywhere else we wouldn’t make it outside.

  Caressing down her arm I slid my fingers between hers before tugging her with me to the barn and the tractor.