A Million Tiny Pieces (8 page)

Great.

Why
she hadn’t thought about that sooner, she didn’t know.

“Smile,
Mia. We’re going to have a good time.”

Alex
knew her all too well. She knew when Mia got lost in her own head, and more
importantly, Alex knew just how to cheer her up.

Mia
prayed that Alex was on top of her game tonight, because she had the feeling
Alex was going to have to work overtime.

»»»»»♥«««««

“I
DON’T THINK she’s all that impressed with you,” Tarik joked once they were both
inside the limo that would take them to the hotel where the charity ball was
being held.

“Fuck
off,” Phoenix bit out, sparing him a brief glance before returning his
attention to the scenery outside the car.

Feeling
an odd sense of rebellion, Tarik chuckled softly, then, keeping his voice low,
he said, “Name the time and place.”

The
way Phoenix’s gaze slid over to him made Tarik’s dick twitch.

“In
your dreams,” Phoenix replied roughly, looking away quickly.

“Every
fucking night,” Tarik muttered as he continued to watch Phoenix.

For
the last few days, Phoenix had been acting strangely, and Tarik didn’t think it
had anything to do with the fact that he had been giving him a hard time about
the blonde, either. After Tarik had shared the news that Mia Cantrell had at
one time been married to the asshole in the process of suing Phoenix for a
ridiculous amount of money, Phoenix had withdrawn slightly.

But
he didn’t think that Mia was the sole reason for Phoenix’s social retreat.

There
were times over the last two days when he’d noticed Phoenix watching him
intently, but only when he thought Tarik didn’t see. What Phoenix didn’t
realize was that Tarik noticed everything. He was completely aware of his
surroundings at all times. It was a trait that had been ingrained in him from
an early age. When you had to be on the lookout for a backhand coming your way
at any time, you tended to become more cognizant of the things going on around
you.

And
he was even more aware when Phoenix was near.

Not
to mention, he knew that Phoenix had called out his name when he’d been jacking
off the other night, something Tarik wasn’t sure he would ever be able to
forget for as long as he lived.

“Don’t
push me tonight,” Phoenix warned.

“Or?”

“Or
I’ll make you assist me in ways you’ve only dreamed about.”

“Ready
when you are,” Tarik told him gruffly.

There
was no denying the fact that Phoenix had a starring role in plenty of Tarik’s
fantasies, but he happened to believe that he played as many roles in
Phoenix’s. Only Phoenix wasn’t willing to admit it. Yet.

Tarik
knew it was only a matter of time before they indulged again. At some point,
Phoenix would remember what had happened between them that night so many months
ago. The night Phoenix had gotten so drunk he’d stumbled into the condo with
some nameless woman on his arm. The night Phoenix’s inhibitions had been
drowned in a bottle of Jack. The night Tarik had somehow managed to release
control for one single night and give in to what he’d known Phoenix secretly
wanted.

He
was pretty sure that Phoenix probably believed that had all been a dream, but
that night had happened, and there was rarely a day that went by when Tarik
didn’t think about it. It was only a matter of time before he got his hands on
Phoenix again, but he’d vowed long ago not to push him. That didn’t change the
fact that there was a lingering curiosity in Phoenix’s gaze, one that grew
stronger the more time went by. And one day, Tarik knew that Phoenix was going
to give in.

Phoenix
glared at him, but again, Tarik saw the interest burning brightly.

Opting
to change the subject because the current conversation ultimately wasn’t going
to go anywhere, Tarik said, “I worked my magic and had some seats rearranged
tonight.”

Phoenix’s
eyebrows lifted as he stared at Tarik, evidently waiting for additional
details.

“Some
dumbass had Mia sitting at Landry’s table. I worked it so that she was sitting
elsewhere.”

“Who
the fuck does that shit? Do they live in a fucking cave?” Phoenix snapped.

“Don’t
know. But if it’s any consolation, she’ll be sandwiched between you and me
tonight.”

“That’ll
likely piss off her boyfriend,” Phoenix muttered beneath his breath.

“The
guy she’s with isn’t her boyfriend,” Tarik stated, noting the relief that
relaxed Phoenix’s face.

That
was quickly followed by another look. The heat that blazed in Phoenix’s green
eyes mirrored the fire that ignited inside Tarik at the thought of the sexy
blonde literally sandwiched between them. His mind drifted to the fantasies
he’d conjured up just that week, the ones that involved a sexy, naked Mia
Cantrell riding Tarik’s cock while Phoenix fucked her ass. Even now, his dick
recalled the memory, pressing firmly against the zipper of his slacks.

“She’s
off-limits to you,” Phoenix informed him, his tone reflecting a hint of
possessiveness.

“Like
I told you before, no promises.” As far as Tarik was concerned, he and Phoenix
had an equal opportunity relationship. They gave each other shit all the time,
so Tarik had no qualms about pushing Phoenix to the breaking point.

The
tension in the car ratcheted up another notch, which only turned Tarik on more.
He happened to enjoy Phoenix’s wrath, especially when the guy clearly had no
idea what it was that he really wanted. There was no doubt in Tarik’s mind that
Phoenix was interested in Mia Cantrell. Hell, he couldn’t even blame him. The
woman was smoking hot, something he had purposely downplayed when he’d
tormented Phoenix by text over the first few days after they’d met her.

But
at the moment, she was merely a pawn in Tarik’s game. He didn’t intend for her to
be a casualty, but he was growing tired of the game he and Phoenix were
playing. He was growing frustrated with the casual sexual encounters they both
were involved in with other people. One way or another, Tarik was going to push
Phoenix to the point he’d either give in or tell Tarik to fuck off. Since he
hadn’t done the latter in all the years they’d been playing this game, he was
inclined to believe they were getting awfully damn close to the giving-in
stage.

And
Tarik couldn’t fucking wait.

MIA
GAUGED THE length of time from her condo to the hotel by the one glass of
champagne that she had. She didn’t have time to down two, which meant the ride
was too short for her liking. It wasn’t nearly long enough to settle the nerves
that had started a riot in her belly when she’d shared an elevator with the
sexy, penthouse strangers, but it helped.

A
little.

That
and Alex’s incessant chatter about what they should expect from the night. Her
friend went over the amount of money the charity was looking to raise, and then
she mulled over the list of people who would be in attendance. When she
mentioned Damien’s name, Mia went stone still.

“Really?”
Mia asked.

Johnathan
offered a sympathetic expression but said nothing.

Okay,
so her hopes that Damien would have something better to do were instantly
dashed. Then again, she should’ve known better. This was Damien Landry, the man
who demanded attention wherever he went, the same one who would never miss an
opportunity to be the center of attention, and what better opportunity than a
black-tie charity ball?

She’d
been delusional to think he wouldn’t be there, but she’d had her reasons. Maybe
because he hadn’t been a part of the charity that raised awareness and money
for suicide prevention until Mia had shown an intense interest in it.
Considering her father had taken his own life, Mia felt a very deep passion for
the organization. Every year when they’d attended the event, he’d complained —
loudly and to anyone who would listen — about having to go. But she should’ve
figured he would make an appearance. After all, if there was any sort of
publicity to be had, Damien would be front and center.

Mia
could easily overlook his attendance if he happened to donate the large sum of
money he was known to give. After all, that was generally his reason for
attending any function, but not because he had an interest in supporting it per
se. He wanted to flaunt his money and ensure that everyone knew how much he
would give to various organizations. They didn’t realize until it was too late
that his money normally had strings attached. He wanted publicity. He
definitely didn’t give out of the goodness of his black heart.

When
the limo stopped, the driver made his way around, and Johnathan climbed out
first. Alex was next, and Mia followed close behind. They stayed together,
Johnathan offering each of them an arm as they made their way through the
extravagant hotel lobby and directly to the ballroom where the event was being
held. Invitations and coats were taken, and then they were allowed entrance,
all three of them greeted by name.

Stepping
into the ballroom was like stepping into a fairy tale. The decorations were
lavish, and this year’s theme appeared to revolve around … ice. Interesting. There
were a large number of sculptures backlit by brilliant blue and white lights,
set up throughout, all some sort of exotic sea animal chiseled from enormous
blocks of, yes, ice.

Large
round tables that sat eight were set up in front of a long, narrow stage, where
the honorary attendees would make their speeches dedicated to raising awareness
and asking for additional donations while dinner was served. Hoping to not have
to mingle, Mia excused herself from Alex and went in search of the table where
she’d been placed. It took only a minute to locate it, and she was happy to see
that Johnathan and Alex would be there as well, but oddly enough, Mia wouldn’t
be sitting next to them. Being nosy, she quickly skimmed the other place cards
on the table, ensuring she wouldn’t have to endure a dinner with her
ex-husband. Mia knew the event was for charity, but she could only be expected
to exert a certain amount of hospitality in one night.

No
Damien at their table, which was a bigger relief than she’d thought it would
be.

A
tuxedo-clad waiter delivered a flute of champagne, which she accepted with a
gracious smile. Rather than take her place at the table, Mia wandered close by,
admiring the women in their beautiful gowns and the men in their elegant
tuxedos, many of whom she recognized from previous functions. Quite a few of
those who ran in Damien’s circles.

“Mia?”

Hearing
her name, Mia turned and came face to face with Charles and Delilah Somerhaus.
The older couple looked exactly the same as the last time she’d seen them, at
the last charity event she’d attended. Charles was decked out in a tux, and
Delilah looked stunning in a navy blue gown that accentuated her narrow waist.
Mia was pretty sure that if it weren’t for some pretty good plastic surgeons,
Delilah wouldn’t look to be at least half her age. But she definitely did.

“Oh,
honey, it’s so good to see you,” Delilah greeted, moving in for a quick hug,
air-kissing her on each cheek before pulling back.

“It’s
good to see you, too,” Mia said, watching the couple carefully as she took a
sip of her champagne, hoping she didn’t appear as suspicious as she was. Of all
the people in the room, the last two who she would’ve expected to greet her
were the Somerhauses. Although they were pleasant, Mia knew they’d always looked
down their narrow, aristocratic noses at her. She wouldn’t have doubted if
they’d had a party to celebrate her divorce. One of those grand galas where
everyone who was anyone was invited and they sipped Cristal out of twenty-four-karat
gold-rimmed glasses.

Okay,
so they were a little pretentious. Mia had never pretended to like them any
more than they’d pretended to like her.

“I’m
so sorry to hear that you and Damien parted ways.”

Mia
fought the urge to laugh, mainly so she didn’t snort champagne through her
nose. The way Delilah said it was as though they’d had a business arrangement.
Instead of calling her on it, Mia said, “It was for the best. How are you?
How’s Teresa?”

Mia
hadn’t actually met Delilah and Charles’s daughter, Teresa, but she’d heard so
much about her she felt as though she knew her personally. Although, based on
some of the things she’d heard, she wasn’t exactly interested in making her
acquaintance.

“Oh,
my. You haven’t heard?” Delilah asked, appearing stricken as she looked over at
her husband and then back.

“Sorry,
heard what?” Mia asked, glancing back and forth between the couple.

Of
course, Delilah was the one to speak. “She’s … uh… well, she recently got
engaged. Tonight, in fact.”

Mia
lifted her eyebrow, waiting to see if the older woman would elaborate. Why did
that seem to bother Delilah? When the other woman didn’t continue, Mia followed
with, “That’s wonderful. Tell her I said congratulations.”

“We
sure will,” Delilah stated, casting a nervous glance at Charles once more.

Mia
knew there was something they weren’t telling her, but the truth was, she
really didn’t want to know. “Well, it was great seeing you. I’ve got to…” Not
bothering to explain, Mia turned and ventured a little ways past her table,
waiting for them to move on to someone else.

Unfortunately,
her solitude didn’t last long, but at least the company proved to be a little
less self-important.

“Mia?
Is that you?”

Mia
glanced to her left to see Harrison Abbott. “Harrison,” she said, smiling. “It
is me.”

Harrison
moved in for a hug, and Mia returned the gesture, holding on to her champagne.

“You
look incredible,” he said.

“I’d
have to say the same to you,” she replied.

“Thank
you.” Harrison glanced around as though looking for someone, and when he met
her gaze again, he looked a little confused.

“Something
wrong?” she asked, unsure what to expect from him.

Harrison
was a former employee of Damien’s. The two of them had worked together for
years, but they’d had a falling out not long before Mia had moved out. Harrison
was an accountant, and he’d been working for Damien for nearly a decade when
something had happened and Harrison had gone his separate way. Mia had liked
him immensely, finding him to be one of the few down-to-earth types that Damien
usually steered clear of. Probably the reason he wasn’t employed by Damien any
longer.

“Sorry,
no. I’m a little surprised to see you here. Are you by yourself?”

He
sounded as though the thought was preposterous, so Mia plastered on a smile. “I
am. You?”

“No,
I’m … uh… my date’s around here somewhere.”

“How
is your wife?” Mia asked kindly.

Harrison’s
eyes lowered to the floor. “We separated about a year ago.”

A
year ago? That was around the time Harrison and Damien had had their falling
out. “I’m so sorry to hear that.”

“Thanks.
Things are better now,” he said, pasting a smile on his round face, but Mia
could see the resentment still lingering in his dark brown eyes.

“Well,
I certainly don’t want to keep you,” she told him, glancing around as though
trying to help him locate his date, although she had no idea who he was there
with.

“You’re
really here by yourself?”

Mia
smiled, chuckling to herself. “I really am. Is that a problem?”

“No,”
he said quickly. “No. Sorry. That’s not what I meant. It’s just…”

Unsure
what to say when it was clear Harrison didn’t know, either, Mia nodded. “Well,
you know, it’s for a good cause. I figured I didn’t need a date.”

Harrison
smiled sadly. “Well, I guess I should go mingle. These things make me a little
uncomfortable, but like you said, it’s for a good cause.”

“It
was good to see you,” Mia said in return, watching him as he departed.

Although
she was trying to enjoy herself, a small voice in the back of her mind
continued to whisper that it hoped the time would pass by quickly. Sitting at
home with a good book sounded so much better than forcing a smile for the rest
of the evening or having to endure any more sympathy from the people she’d once
considered… What had she considered these people? They weren’t exactly friends.

It’s
for a good cause
,
Mia reminded the voice.

That
didn’t help, but at least she had a sound argument.

Maybe
she should’ve been worried that she was arguing with herself, but she really
didn’t care. For charity or not, Mia still had to worry about running into a
man she had hoped to never have to see again. As it was, seeing the people he
was close to was more than she could bear. She wanted to jump up and down and
tell them that she was fine. Happy, even. But she knew it would be pointless.
These people only saw what they wanted to.

By
the time Alex found her, fifteen or twenty minutes had passed, along with at
least three more couples who wanted to offer their sympathies regarding Mia’s
failed marriage. Johnathan wasn’t with her, but she brought Mia another glass
of champagne, which she kindly accepted. Mia wasn’t much of a drinker, and
three glasses without food was already making her a little light-headed. She
didn’t care about that, either. She was trying to keep a smile on her face, not
wanting anyone to think that she feared running into Damien.

Which
she didn’t.

Okay,
she did.

A
little.

“This
is nice,” Alex said, standing by Mia’s side and motioning toward the open dance
floor. “Much nicer than the last black-tie event we went to.”

“Oh,
right.” Mia snapped her fingers, trying to remember what event that had been.
It hadn’t been a charity function, she knew that much, but for the life of her,
she couldn’t remember what it was. Giving up, Mia asked, “You didn’t like the
farm theme?” She recalled the odd decor from that event. She had no idea who’d
thought it was a good thing to go with an elaborate western theme, but they
had.

“They
had an actual pig there,” Alex said incredulously, chuckling.

“I
know. Tacky. But this is beautiful. It reminds me a little of my prom,” Mia
told her.

“Yeah?
I guess I could see that.”

Mia
had no idea what Alex’s prom had been like. In her head, she envisioned a room
decorated with diamonds and gold. Alex came from money. Her parents were
wealthy, so marrying into it hadn’t been much of a change for her. One thing
Mia loved about Alex was that her world wasn’t centered on it. Aside from the
fact that she did volunteer work at local hospitals, rather than being out in
the real world trying to make a living, you wouldn’t have known that her net
worth — not including Johnathan’s — was likely hovering around a billion. Maybe
more.

Mia
had never been intimidated by Alex or her money. Not the way she had been with
Damien. Then again, Alex and Damien were polar opposites when it came to the
way they presented themselves. The same with Johnathan. He was one of the
highly sought after plastic surgeons in the area. Mia often teased him that he
should’ve moved to Beverly Hills because he would’ve probably had his own
television show. He would laugh, then tell her that wasn’t what he was about.
He wasn’t lying, either. That wasn’t what he was about. Johnathan spent a
significant amount of time working with burn units at children’s hospitals,
offering his services for free or at a substantial discount.