[English Novel] SIZZLE

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“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. ****, 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 ****in’ 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 songs, ‘Fallen from the Sky.”

Chapter 40

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 ****. 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 need 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.”

The wedding was just under three weeks away; surely they’d ordered flowers before today.

“Isn’t it a bit late to order flowers?”

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“No, they’re already ordered. Today is to make a decision as to how I want them displayed, but Jack’s no help so I thought, as you’re my bridesmaid, you’d help instead,” Mia said, but wouldn’t meet my eyes.

“Um, okay. Although, I’m not good with that kind of thing, but I’ll try and help.”

Was I insane? I struggled to get the chunks of bagel down my throat and caught Stephanie giving me odd looks.

Before I could finish, Stephanie whipped my plate from in front of me, tossing the remainder into the trash.

“Let’s go.”

“Wow, okay. I’ll just be a minute. I’ll catch up to you outside.”

Having run back upstairs for my purse, I felt as though a whirlwind had blown through the house. It had to be the most I’d seen of Stephanie during my stay – apart from the night I’d arrived.

Mia was quiet on the ride to her house. As we rode, I inspected her closer – she looked pale and withdrawn. If Mia didn’t love my Phoenix, but was attracted to Liam, which I suspected was true; perhaps I could plead with her to stop the whole thing. Ugh, but if I did that I could cause problems for Phoenix.

Sitting back, I tried to enjoy the scenery while I rubbed my temple, which had started to throb.

Mia pulled up outside a huge white house that looked like something from ‘North and South’. Oh yeah, my mom as punishment for catching me smoking pot, the first and only time I might add, had made me sit and watch every episode of the show with her when she bought them on DVDs. It had been either watch them, or no allowance for a month, so yeah, I’d watched them and unbeknownst to my mom, enjoyed them. Also it reminded me of home.

My parents lived in a huge monster of a house, probably twice the size of Mia’s and I hated it. My parents and me could live in the house for a month and not see each other; that’s how large my home was.

“Thalia, are you planning on getting out?”

“Sorry. Day dreaming. It reminds me of home,” I added in explanation as I slid out of the car.

“Home?”

Mia had already started towards the front door when I glanced at Stephanie.

“Yeah. My home is like this, but bigger.” Her eyes lit up either in disbelief or glee, I wasn’t sure which. “I hate my home, it’s just too damn big,” I stated following Mia inside her house wondering what the hell I was doing there.

Not knowing anything whatsoever about flowers, plants, displays or weddings for that matter, I wasn’t sure I’d be much help. I’d been a bridesmaid on rather a few occasions, but all I had to do was show up and smile and as I got older, to hold the brides dress when in the bathroom to make sure she didn’t pee on it.

Could I get out of this? I could walk to Kix and maybe see Phoenix and hoped he didn’t ignore me. If he did, I could always chat Donovan up for Callie. Phoenix wouldn’t have to know I was doing it for Callie, maybe he’d get jealous. I could always hope.

“Mamma, I’d like you to meet Liam’s friend, Thalia. She’s replacing Rebecca in the wedding.”

Mia always seemed so self-assured, but her mom looked…lost; out of her depth.

“Thalia, this is my mamma, Sarah.”

I held my hand out, which Sarah took and quickly shook before letting go. “It’s nice to meet you, Sarah.” Her hold on my hand had been light and quick, as though she hadn’t wanted to touch me at all.

While I worked up the courage to escape, Stephanie engaged her in conversation, but Sarah didn’t look well at all.

Being in Mia’s house I felt uneasy and needed to escape.

“Um, I need to go. I’m sorry, but I promised I’d help someone with something. I’ve just remembered. I’m sorry.”

Turning so I could make my escape, Mia ran up to me. She gave me an odd look then hugged me. “Please don’t do anything stupid,” she whispered.

Not stopping to think about what had just happened, I pulled the door open and practically ran through it hurrying down the drive and through the large gates before I stopped to catch my breath.

If I remembered correctly Kix wasn’t too far in the direction I’d started walking in. The weather had heated up some so I just prayed I hadn’t under estimated the distance.

I’d been walking about five minutes when I heard a motorcycle roaring towards me. My heart sped up with nerves, because I was walking on a secluded bit of road. I was so stupid…or maybe not, as he pulled the bike to a stop not far in front of me, I recognized the tattoo on the biker’s bicep, which was poking out from under his t-shirt. Reece.

He took his helmet off. “Now what’s a hot babe like you doing walking along here on her own?”

“Getting hotter!”

He sat staring at me then grinned. “I see why Phoenix is so screwed up over you. Come on, hop on.”

“You giving me a ride?”

Reece climbed off his bike and retrieved a spare helmet. “If you weren’t spoken for you’d be giving me a ride,” he said and winked.

He was damn cute. “Hmm, I would, would I?”

“Woman, get that ***y butt on the back of my bike so we can go. It’s too damn hot to stand around in the sun yakking.”

I laughed. “Yakking?”

“Yeah, yakking. I have five sisters and that’s all they do all day, apart from bugging me when I go to visit.”

“You’re sweet.”

He growled, but had a spark in his blue eyes. “I’m not sweet.”

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“Okay, cute.”

Reece picked me up and put me down on his bike. “Do not say another word.”

Behind the helmet I smiled and held on tight as he gave me a ride to Kix. I just prayed we didn’t meet anyone else on the road; otherwise they’d get an eye full of my legs.

Luckily the ride was only five minutes, if that. We pulled into the parking lot and I waited for Reece to climb from the bike before he turned and lifted me off. But not before he had a gawk at my legs.

He caught me watching him. “Nice.”

Rolling my eyes at him, I walked into Kix and smack into Phoenix. He grabbed me, just stopping me from falling backwards onto my butt.

“What are you doing here?” He was pissed.

Well at least I had my answer. He regretted touching me.

“I can’t deal with you right now,” he spat and I flinched at the anger in his words.

He walked past me and I heard the door close behind me. I just stayed standing where he’d left me not knowing what to do. I felt numb; I couldn’t move.

“Thalia, dance with me.”

Donovan wrapped an arm around me and led me out to the dance floor, where he pulled me against him and held me tight while I cried into his t-shirt, again. We swayed around the room, to what I couldn’t tell you, while he stroked my back and kept me hidden from everyone else, without saying anything.

Chapter 41

Jack

What the hell was I doing? I’d just left the woman I loved in there after telling her I couldn’t deal with her. I couldn’t breathe. Sitting on the stoop, I put my head in my hands.

“Please tell me you haven’t just ****ed up?”

“Yeah.”

“What the…that girl loves you and you love her. Yeah, I know what’s going down in a few weeks, but you don’t love Mia, you love that girl you’ve just left on her own in there. If you weren’t my best friend I’d be in there trying to talk her away from you, because you’re an idiot. I want what you have staring you in the face.”

Reece clenched his fist and I was sure he wanted to hit me, but he kept talking instead, “I want a girl to be in love with me, someone I love in return, but you have that. Don’t be a dick and throw it all away.”

I just looked at Reece, astonished. He stormed back to his bike and leaned against it.

“Look, you told us what’s going on, after you’d spoken to Liam the other night, but you have to try and find a way out of it. I’ll help anyway I can, you know that… Right now you need to get your ass back in there and talk to her before someone else moves in.”

Standing, I walked to Reece and came to a stop in front of him; I waved my hand in front of his face. “What have you done to my friend?”

He shoved me away. “Ha ha – funny; not!”

“I heard you and I think I better start by apologizing to her.”

“That’s usually a good start.”

Walking to the bar, I turned back to Reece. “Hey, what about Dahlia? You spend a lot of time with her.”

If I didn’t know better I’d have said he looked uneasy. “She’s just a friend.”

Shaking my head, I pushed my way back through the doors and froze when I spotted Thalia on the dance floor wrapped up in Donovan’s arms.

Reece walked into me not realizing I’d stopped.

“****. Um, don’t go getting the wrong idea, okay? Chances are you upset her and he came to her rescue, I hope,” he muttered the last bit, but I caught it.

Without another thought, I walked straight over to them on the dance floor and stood directly in front of Donovan so that he wouldn’t have any chance but to see me.

He saw me all right and he looked angry.

They stopped dancing with Donovan keeping an arm wrapped around Thalia’s shoulders. “I’m not going to let you hurt her anymore than you already have.”

“Thalia, please come with me and let me talk. Explain. Apologize.”

She ignored the hand I held out to her, staying with Donovan instead.

“I don’t want to hear you apologize for touching me again. It hurt enough the first time.”

God, if she didn’t get away from Donovan soon she’d have me on my knees begging.

Not giving her a choice, I reached out and took hold of her hand. “I didn’t apologize for touching you. That’s what I wanted you to believe…I apologized for leaving you out back with Liam. Please Thalia, come and talk to me.”

I nearly sagged in relief when she nodded her head and left her hand in mine. Not having any clue where I could take her for some privacy we ended up in the storeroom again.

She blushed as I pulled her inside with me.

Locking the door, I turned and looked at her. I couldn’t stand the distance I’d put between us.

“Come here. Let me hold you.”

She hesitated and stared at the door for a second. My heart sank in worry. Was she going to walk out that door and away from me? After an agonizing moment, she paused before she collapsed into my arms; her own arms wrapping around my neck as I squeezed my arms around her waist. I held on to her so tightly, never wanting to let her go.

Her soft breasts crushed against my chest, my pelvis rubbed against hers. There was no way she’d miss my arousal.

I buried my face into her neck. “I’m so sorry. My life is so ****ing screwed up, but apart from my music, you’re the only good thing in it. I’m terrified of losing you, but I can’t have you.”

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“Phoenix, I’m yours… Don’t you know that?”

She pulled her face from my chest and met my eyes. “Make love to me.”

“Here?”

She answered me by stepping back and lifting her dress over her head.

I gulped.

She was standing in front of me in a white lacy bra and matching panties.

Fumbling in my wallet, I quickly withdrew the condom that I’d put in there last night before I threw my t-shirt off. Undoing the button and zipper on my jeans, I stalked towards Thalia who was standing in front of me licking her lips. I had to taste her. Needed to taste her.

My hands went to her waist as I lifted her up to me, our mouths meeting, our tongues slipping and sliding against each other as she wrapped her legs around me; I pressed her into the wall.

“God, I need you to breathe.” I bent my head and sucked one of her nipples into my mouth through her bra. She ground her ***** against me, arching in pleasure as I bit down on her pebbled nipple.

She had me so worked up; I just hoped I had the strength to stay loaded before I got inside her.

“Phoenix, I need you fast and hard.”

Oh hell.

With unsteady hands, I quickly placed her on her feet and turned her around, putting her hands on the wall. I pulled her ass out towards me, bending to take her panties down her legs and off.

“Open your legs.”

Shoving my jeans further down my hips with unsteady hands, I ripped into the condom and smoothed it down my shaft. I moved in close and rubbed my **** up and down between her butt cheeks while I reached around in front of her and undid the clasp on her bra. Her large breasts spilled into my waiting hands.

She pushed back into me, driving me totally insane. I kept one hand on her breasts and moved my other south, between her legs.

As I slid my fingers over her naked mound to her clit then her ****, I put one finger inside her only to have her clamp down on me. She was so ready, which was as well because I was coming to the end of my control.

“God babe,” I kissed her shoulder. “I need to be inside you,” I growled.

“Oh God,” she moaned. “Then get inside me all ready.”

Taking hold of my ****, I rubbed the tip around her clit and entered her slowly.

We both sucked in our breath. It felt damn good, although for the first time with this amazing woman I’d have preferred a bed; it was too late for that. For the first time since my life got so screwed I was inside someone and I wasn’t sure how long I’d last.

Taking hold of her hips, I put my open mouth to her neck as I went balls deep inside her.

“Phoenix, move.”

“You feel good. I want nothing more than to **** your ****, but if I move, I think I’ll come.”

She pushed back against me. “I love you talking dirty. It really turns me on.”

I groaned into her neck as she tightened her internal muscles, squeezing my ****.

“Is the tip more sensitive because of the piercing?” she asked moaning.

“Oh yeah.”

She smirked, pulled forward before impaling herself back on my dick.

I was lost.

She turned her face to look at me as I captured her mouth with mine, holding her tight while I pumped into her. Within a couple of strokes she was coming, her **** quivered around my **** holding me so damn tight as I shouted my release into her neck, which went on and on.

Finally at an end, I collapsed over her back with my arms wrapped around her waist, panting hard into her neck.

“Phoenix…”

“I don’t want to move,” I told her on a gasp as she squeezed her **** around my ****, again. I moved my hands down to her hips and slowly withdrew from her, dragging a gasp from the both of us.

She turned around and met my eyes so I did the most natural thing in the world and pulled her into my arms before I remembered my **** was semi-erect with a condom half on and off. Laughing, I pulled away and tried to hide my embarrassment as I removed the condom. Tying the end, I wrapped it in a paper towel I’d retrieved from a shelf and shoved it into my pocket as I hitched my jeans up and shoved everything back inside.

Thalia was still naked, although she’d fastened her bra, which I hadn’t even bothered to remove. “Here, let me.” I picked her dress up from the floor and helped her back into it then grabbed a couple more paper towels; dropped down to my knees in front of her.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

“Maybe not, but I can’t keep my hands off you. Let me do this.”

She swallowed at the same time as she nodded her head.

Smoothing my hands up her thighs, I pushed her dress up past her hips as I moved closer to her ***** and the dragon tattoo on her hip. Amazing.

Taking a deep breath, I wiped her clean, and helped her back into her panties. I wrapped my arms around her waist, pulling her closer to me. With my cheek resting against her mound, I just breathed her in while she ran her hands through my hair, over and over again. I shuddered and clung to her wishing my life were simpler.

Chapter 42

Thalia

Sitting outside the house in the dark on the porch swing, I tried to bring some order to my thoughts, which were running rampant around my head.

After Phoenix had given me the best orgasm in history and dressed me, he’d taken me out back into the forest and held me tight while he explained to me what was going on with him and Mia. I’d promised him I wouldn’t let on to anyone that I knew anything about it.

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

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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 ****ed 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.”

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“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 ****, 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…”

“****. 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 **** 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 **** 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 ****ing 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 ****ing 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 ****ing 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. 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.

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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 working 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.”

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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.

I’d lived here all my life and even when I was a horny adolescent I’d never had a girl ride the tractor with me, but all that was about to change, and yeah, I was still horny.

Thalia climbed aboard first, which gave me an amazing view of her denim-clad butt with her ***y long legs.

Before joining her in the extra large cab of the new tractor, I quickly rearranged my dick in my jeans. After I maneuvered myself down into the seat, I took hold of Thalia’s hips and brought her down on my lap.

I caught my breath. She was wriggling around on top of my over excited ****. “Thalia,” I groaned.

“Just trying to get comfy…I’ve never done it in a tractor before.” She gave me a hopeful look and had me laughing when she batted her eyelashes.

“And you’re not going to today either. We’re going to behave and work the field, and then I might take you down to the pool and teach you to swim. On second thought, we’ll go to the smooth part of the river because being close to you with clothes on has me hard, but being close to you in next to nothing will be damn impossible and I’d rather not have witnesses to how hot you make me.”

She turned sitting astride me. “Mmm, are you sure about the no making out,” she whispered into my ear while nibbling my lobe, which sent a shudder through me. “I can feel how much you want to.”

Grabbing her butt, I held her tight as my hips surged up into hers. “You’re driving me totally ****ing insane.”

“I know.” She started to nibble down my neck.

“Stop.”

“Stop,” she parroted.

“If you don’t stop right now, I’m going to rip your shorts from that ***y ass and **** you senseless.”

Thalia chuckled into my ear, the sound sending shivers down my spine. “Promises, promises,” she purred.

I dropped my head against the seat, because just the thought of what I’d said had been enough to bring me to the brink of orgasm. Using my hands, I pushed her away, turned her around and started the tractor up.

Maneuvering the thing with Thalia blocking some of my vision, I just prayed I didn’t smash into something. Once in the open field I’d be fine, I just had to get us there first. I also needed to concentrate on the work I had to do instead of the woman whose back was turned to me.

“Phoenix?”

God, I loved it when she called me that. “Yeah.”

“What changed your mind…about us? About spending time together.”

Not sure how to answer her, I tried to collect my thoughts.

“I woke up today thinking what the hell. I love that amazing girl and nothing is going to stop me from being with her. So here we are, on a tractor heading into this field right here…while I try not to think about those tattoos I caught on you the other night. Because all I want is to get up close and personal with them.”

She didn’t look at me, but continued to look out of the window at the front. “Mmm, you have some wicked looking tats as well, not to mention those piercings. When I think about the one at the tip of your ****, my panties melt.”

My hands were shaking as I gripped the steering wheel. For the first time since I’d gotten it done, I was glad and just knowing the thought of it made her panties wet had me hard as hell.

Breathing heavily, I tried to concentrate on where I was driving, instead of where I could take us to strip her naked. I removed my right hand from the wheel and shoved it down the front of my jeans to dig my **** out from the screwed up place in my boxers.

Thalia chose that moment to look back and caught me in the act. Her eyes went wide as she licked her lips. Moisture pooled at the tip.

“I want a taste.”

My hips involuntarily arched towards her. I brought the tractor to a stop, switched it off, brought Thalia around to face me then slammed my lips to hers.

We both groaned as I continued to assault her mouth. She tasted of syrup and coffee. My groan turned to a pant when she pressed real tight against me.

We had too many clothes on. Oh God, what was I thinking, I couldn’t take her in the middle of the field when anyone could walk up to us. We’d probably be too engrossed to hear them.

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Chapter 46

Thalia

After yesterday I didn’t think I’d see him again, yet here I was wrapped so tight in his arms that I could feel every muscle, including his **** twitching between my legs. I so wish I’d worn a skirt or a dress, it would have made it so much easier for me to ride him.

“I can’t believe I’m going to say this, but we have to stop.”

Was he for real? How could he expect me to stop when I was so close to coming in my shorts? And if I had to guess I’d say he was too.

“The next time I take you,” he kissed my neck, “is going to be in a bed,” he kissed along my collarbone, “because, I want to put my mouth all over you, and I can’t in here.” He kissed each of my nipples, which were poking through my top.

I shuddered and writhed around on his groin.

“I’m so close.” I ground against the rock hard length of him.

“****, me too. I don’t know why I try to stop with you.”

He yanked my top up, dug a breast out of my bra and sucked it into his mouth. I went off like a rocket, rubbing against him hard and fast.

As my befuddled brain started to work again, I felt phoenix’s hands shaking.

Opening my eyes, I looked at him. He was breathing heavily, his jaw was clenched tight, the veins on his neck standing out. He was ready to release.

“Don’t move,” he hissed through his teeth.

“If you won’t **** my **** at least let me suck you off,” I whispered into his ear, presuming he had the same reaction to the dirty talk as me. I wanted him to lose control.

“**** no,” he roared standing up, nearly knocking me out of the tractor. He caught me with one hand, while he used the other to quickly yank his jeans open and gripped his ****.

He watched me lick my lips as he moved his hand back and forth, once, twice, then he came shouting my name, shooting cum into the field.

There were no words for what had just happened. He had a gorgeous ****, long and thick; the sun glinted off the silver bar at the tip and it made me want *****ck it into my mouth.

On wobbly legs he fastened himself back into his jeans and practically fell into the seat, gripping me around the waist he pulled me back onto his lap nuzzling my neck.

“I don’t have any condoms with me.” He laughed. “Hell, even if I had, I’m not sure I’d have lasted long enough to get one on. Hearing **** and **** come out of your mouth, blew my ****ing mind.”

I stayed silent, because all I wanted was for him to take me back to his room and make love to me.

“Thalia, please talk to me.” I could hear the worry in his voice.

“I’m fine. Watching you like that was…hot. It’s just that, well, I want…”

His cell started to ring. “Hold that thought, babe.”

“Yeah,” he answered then his eyes flicked to mine.

“Mia, what’s wrong?”

Sitting on his lap while he held a conversation with his fiancée, didn’t sit too well with me, even though I knew they’d never been together, and that she was off with Liam, I still couldn’t help but feel jealous.

Phoenix had started to go rigid with tension.

“Look, we both know the situation…and, we both know I’m not going to let it go ahead, so calm down and put Liam on the phone.”

I climbed from his lap and as soon as I was clear he stood and jumped down into the field, walking back and forth while he had a heated conversation with his brother, at least I thought it was Liam with the way he was cursing.

Not knowing what to do, I put my butt into the chair he’d vacated and watched him.

He was delicious and the way his jeans displayed his muscular thighs and tight butt, just made me drool. He was sin-on-a-stick.

“What ****ing garden party?”

What the hell was going on?

“I am not attending a garden party with Mia as a prelude to the wedding, so you can get that notion out of your ****ing head.”

Hearing Phoenix talk about the wedding and party brought it home to me of what was expected from him. If I hadn’t walked into his life then he wouldn’t have been turned upside-down.

It was all my fault.

With tears in my eyes, I climbed down from the opposite side of the tractor to where Phoenix was and started walking back to the house, just letting the tears run free.

“Thalia,” Phoenix shouted.

Hearing him, I turned and saw him start to walk in my direction, so I started to run, not able to see properly because of my tears.

“Thalia, please wait up.”

Slowing down, I hesitated, when I heard a hissing sound. I froze. Oh ****, please no – I really, really hated snakes and a rattler – Phoenix, help!

“Just stay there, please. Just talk to me,” Phoenix said as he walked closer and closer towards me, while I stayed frozen in fear.

“Don’t. Come. Any. Closer,” I hissed between my teeth.

“What?”

Then it hissed again and reared its ugly head slightly.

“****. Thalia. Don’t move.”

Unbelievable!

I tried to stay as still as I could when every instinct in me was screaming to run.

“I can see it. I’m going to try and hit it with my knife,” Phoenix told me as calm as anything. I’m glad one of us was because I wanted to scream.

“Phoenix, I’m scared,” I whispered. I wasn’t sure what Phoenix was doing because I couldn’t tear my eyes away from the snake.