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.”