A Million Tiny Pieces Read online

  “Not yet. Why?” Tarik smirked.

  Phoenix rolled his eyes and turned away. He despised the way Tarik enjoyed pushing his buttons, trying to make him want something he refused to want ever again. Phoenix was no longer in the market for a crazy, casual encounter. He’d had to grow up immensely in the last few years, even more so since his father had passed away nine months ago. Fact was, Phoenix didn’t have time to incite the press with his nontraditional lifestyle. He’d made a vow to himself that he would move on, do things the right way going forward.

  Which meant he had to make a firm decision regarding which direction he would swing when it came to his sexual desires. Although if he had his way, he wouldn’t have to pick. He’d much prefer to have both, but that seemed to be frowned upon by society, and that was why Phoenix had opted to go the female route. No more threesomes, no more experimenting.

  Only because it was the lesser of two evils.

  “Breakfast?” Tarik asked in that gruff, no-nonsense tone that Phoenix had grown accustomed to over the years. “I can have something delivered in fifteen minutes.”

  “Not today,” Phoenix told him, leaning over the table once more and skimming through the pages in front of him. Anything to keep from having to face Tarik directly.

  Tarik had been working for the Austin Arrows as their public relations spokesperson for the last six years. However, Phoenix had known him longer than that. They’d met nearly eight years ago when Phoenix, while still in college, had been working with a local kids’ club to establish a hockey program. Tarik had been employed as a security guard for a local firm while volunteering at the club on the side, spearheading the program from the club’s side. In order to get the program up and functioning, the two of them had ended up working closely during that time. Over those few months, they’d also become friends.

  Turned out that Tarik had a knack for dealing with people, articulating what was needed and why, something he’d shrugged off when Phoenix had tried to talk to him about it. So, when Phoenix’s father had been looking for a new PR person a couple of years later, Phoenix had approached Tarik. Reluctant at first, Tarik had finally given in.

  It wasn’t until nearly a year after Tarik had started working for Sid that Phoenix had realized Tarik wasn’t just Sid’s PR liaison. Somewhere along the way, Tarik had morphed into Sid’s assistant, as well as his head of security — aka his personal bodyguard. Although they’d agreed to publicly call him the head of public relations because it seemed less intimidating — at least according to Phoenix’s mother.

  When Sid had died, Phoenix hadn’t questioned Tarik’s contribution to the organization, fully intending to keep him on as public relations, although Tarik had merely transferred his commitments to Phoenix, becoming his assistant/public relations spokesman.

  However, something he’d told Tarik from the beginning, Phoenix wasn’t keen on having a bodyguard, even though Tarik had insisted on assuming that position along with the others, despite Phoenix’s grumbling. Tarik’s presence seemed to make Phoenix’s mother happy, so he’d kept his arguments to a minimum.

  Granted, Tarik’s expertise had come in handy for Phoenix once in the last year, coincidentally a few months before Phoenix had taken the reins of the Austin Arrows organization. It didn’t have anything to do with running a multi-million-dollar NHL team that had him needing personal security, however. No, regrettably for Phoenix, he’d ended up in bed with the wrong woman — and by wrong, he meant married. Unfortunately, he hadn’t learned that she was married until after the fact. More accurately, he hadn’t learned until after the psycho husband had come after him. Literally.

  Once things had finally calmed down, a few weeks after the crazy bastard had shown up at the Arrows training facility, where Phoenix had been talking with his father, and pulled a gun on him, threatening his life, Phoenix had joked that Tarik had nothing to do, yet Phoenix’s mother insisted that he continue to keep an eye on Phoenix.

  Regardless of his duties, there was no doubt about it, Tarik knew Phoenix better than anyone else because they spent roughly ten hours a day working in close proximity to one another, sometimes longer. And when they weren’t working, they still tended to hang out because they’d become close over the years.

  Phoenix shook off the memories of what had happened between him and Tarik so long ago, refusing to go back there. He’d made his decision; it was high time he gave up on that shit once and for all.

  Shoving the paper away, he glanced over at the man who was responsible for managing damn near everything in his life. Which meant he was also responsible for answering any questions Phoenix might have, despite how ludicrous they might sound. As far as Phoenix was concerned, he paid Tarik enough money for him to appreciate every damn word that came out of his mouth.

  “You know of any new tenants who’ve moved into the building recently?” Phoenix probed, bringing his coffee cup to his lips.

  “How recently?” Tarik questioned, leaning against the wall that partially separated the dining area from the living room, his feet crossed at the ankles, the bunching of his muscular thighs catching Phoenix’s gaze briefly.

  “Hell if I know,” Phoenix grumbled, forcing his attention from the man’s legs and eyeing Tarik’s wardrobe selection instead.

  As on most days after he strolled in from the gym, Tarik was wearing a black T-shirt that hugged his massive chest, black shorts, and black cross-trainers. Tarik’s dark brown hair was short and in a wild state of disarray, more so now that Tarik had raked his hands through it. And the stubble on his face probably hadn’t seen a razor in at least two days. In a word, the guy was intimidating.

  However, it wouldn’t be long before Tarik was dressed similar to Phoenix, an expensive suit covering the hard length of his impressive body. The only difference was that Tarik would likely have his Glock tucked beneath the jacket. Phoenix knew that Tarik was as dangerous as he was efficient.

  They got along well.

  Tarik stabbed a button on his phone, his eyes scanning the screen. Phoenix waited patiently, knowing he would have the answers he was looking for in less than…

  “Mia Cantrell. Divorced. Blonde hair. Blue eyes. Twenty-four years of age. Moved into seventeen-oh-four on August eighteenth. Paid cash for the condo. She’s the only one on the deed, and she’s currently a full-time student at the University of Texas.”

  … a minute.

  Sometimes it was a little creepy the kind of information Tarik could pull up at a moment’s notice. Phoenix often wondered what Tarik would be capable of if he’d been given a week. Shit, Phoenix would probably know the name of this girl’s third-grade teacher if that were the case.

  “She’s the last tenant who moved in here?” Phoenix asked, surprised.

  “No, but she’s the one you were eyeing in the lobby earlier.”

  Phoenix flipped Tarik off as he made his way to the kitchen. Damn man always knew everything that was going on, even when he shouldn’t.

  “Twenty-four, huh?” he asked, meeting Tarik’s inquisitive gold eyes as he gripped his coffee cup.

  “That’s what it says.”

  “Well, at least I know she’s too young for you,” Phoenix told him, smirking.

  “Fuck off,” Tarik said in that dark, gravelly tone that made the ladies go crazy.

  “I’d say thirty-eight is probably too old for a twenty-four-year-old,” Phoenix said casually, taking another sip of coffee as he looked at Tarik over the rim of his cup.

  Tarik laughed. “Good thing I’m only thirty-one, asshole.”

  Tossing back what was left of his cold coffee, Phoenix grinned. Riling Tarik up first thing in the morning was the highlight of his day. Hell, riling Tarik up at any time made for a damn good day.

  Well, that was before he’d been graced with seeing crystal-clear blue eyes on the elevator. She was another highlight of Phoenix’s day.

  Now he had to figure out a way to meet her without looking like some kind of creepy stalker.


  »»»»»♥«««««

  AMUSED, TARIK WATCHED Phoenix as he made his way across the kitchen, pleased when the other man went to fiddle with the coffee maker.

  It was a habit that Phoenix probably didn’t even realize he had, making his own coffee whenever they were alone together. Considering in recent months, Tarik had become, for all intents and purposes, Phoenix’s assistant — although a rather loose interpretation of one, as far as Tarik was concerned — he should’ve been the one making the coffee, but he didn’t bother to move from where he leaned against the wall.

  He figured that preoccupying himself with other things was Phoenix’s way of putting a little space between them whenever he felt they were getting too close. Not that they were particularly close right then, but for Phoenix, the fifteen feet that separated them was likely a little too close for comfort.

  Tarik let his gaze follow Phoenix as he moved around the kitchen, fidgeting with the single cup coffee maker, then walking to the refrigerator to get… Hmmm. Interesting. Phoenix came back empty-handed and stared at his coffee mug, apparently doing his best not to look at him. Another telling sign that Phoenix was doing whatever was necessary to avoid him.

  Like most mornings, Phoenix was pretending to be distracted, although Tarik figured he really was wrapped up in his thoughts, something that happened more often than not these days. Granted, it was generally business that was plaguing Phoenix, worrying about the next meeting, the next issue, the next purchase. The guy spent a ridiculous amount of time worrying about shit that he paid other people to worry about. As a venture capitalist, Phoenix’s job was investing money in start-up companies, so Tarik could see how that might be a little stressful. Phoenix took a significant amount of risk with every move he made.

  On top of that, Phoenix now managed the day-to-day of an NHL team whose previous losing record had fans hovering on the brink of abandoning ship. Until this year. This year had started off with a bang, the team currently on a winning streak that no one had predicted. It left Phoenix little time to deal with anything other than dealing with the press.

  However, this morning, Phoenix’s distraction seemed to be a woman, which, quite frankly, surprised the shit out of Tarik. That was very unlike him. So far out of the norm that Tarik had already made a mental note to dig in to who this woman was.

  Tarik wouldn’t have known except for the fact he’d gone down to the lobby to check on the elevator and had opted to take the stairs at the same time Phoenix had come in the building. Habit had him stopping halfway up to the second floor, keeping his eyes on Phoenix as the other man waited for the elevator. That was when he’d noticed Phoenix’s intense reaction to the blonde who’d stepped into the lobby.

  Honestly, whoever she was, she was already added to the rare list of women who sparked Phoenix’s interest without her being naked. It wouldn’t have surprised Tarik to have come back from the gym to find the blonde naked on the couch being plowed into the leather as Phoenix fucked her into oblivion. That was how the man worked. No strings. Rarely any lingering interest.

  Never before had Phoenix asked about a tenant in the building, which was the first warning sign. And now, as Phoenix watched the coffee pour into his cup, Tarik figured he was pondering the details Tarik had supplied him with. Another rarity. At least to the point where Phoenix appeared distracted.

  Okay, yes, Tarik had to admit as he glanced down at his phone once again, the woman was attractive. He’d seen her on the security cameras several times in the last few months since she’d moved in. Not to mention, a picture of her had been part of the details he’d pulled up from the complex’s files. However, there was one thing that Tarik had noticed right away… She wasn’t what Tarik would consider the type of woman Phoenix generally went after — appearing far too innocent for the likes of Phoenix.

  That didn’t mean Tarik couldn’t see why the man was interested.

  “Why’d you ask about Mia?” Tarik asked, both curious and wanting Phoenix to look at him.

  “No reason,” Phoenix answered with a shrug, not tearing his gaze from the coffee cup. “I think she was the woman I saw in the lobby this morning. I wanted to know if she was a tenant.”

  “Right,” Tarik retorted sarcastically. “Because you generally inquire about random women in the lobby.”

  “Shut up,” Phoenix bit out, his green eyes coming up to meet Tarik’s briefly.

  Tarik made sure to capture and hold Phoenix’s gaze for a few seconds before releasing it. It was an intimidating factor Tarik used to keep people at arm’s length. It worked on most people, generally. Not Phoenix. No, his boss wasn’t intimidated by him in the least, and that made for some entertaining times between them, especially since Phoenix reacted to him in other ways. Ways he wasn’t even sure Phoenix was aware of.

  Tarik seemed to have a slightly different effect on Phoenix, but — except for that one night many months ago — Phoenix pretended otherwise. On the other hand, Phoenix affected Tarik like no one else — man or woman — that he’d ever known, and therein lay the problem.

  Phoenix claimed to be straight these days, despite the man’s admission to having been intimate with men in the past, to what degree, Phoenix had never elaborated on. Not in full detail, anyway. Then again, Phoenix had been drunk the night he’d rambled on to Tarik about his sexual preferences. Tarik suspected that declaration had been more wishful thinking than truth, though. Sure, Phoenix worshiped women and pretended that nothing had ever happened between the two of them, and because of the latter, Tarik almost believed it. Almost. Phoenix would need to work on hiding his physical reaction a little better if he expected Tarik to believe him entirely, though.

  And like Phoenix, Tarik appreciated a beautiful woman and frequently indulged himself when the need arose. But unlike Phoenix, Tarik wasn’t interested in hiding the other side of himself. From the time he was old enough to know what physical attraction was, Tarik had accepted the fact that he got a hard-on for both men and women.

  “Are you ready to head to the office?” Tarik asked, pushing off the wall and walking to the bar that separated the enormous kitchen from the living and dining areas. He adjusted his semi-hard dick as he moved toward the incredibly handsome man who could make him hard purely by looking at him.

  “Yeah,” Phoenix said, sipping his coffee and watching Tarik. “You?”

  “It’s not about me, remember?” he responded caustically. “You’re the boss. I just do what I’m told.”

  “Right,” Phoenix said with a snort. “You’re a lot of damn things, but obedient certainly isn’t one of them.”

  No, obedience definitely wasn’t in his repertoire of skills.

  “Give me ten minutes to shower and change.” Offering Phoenix a smirk, Tarik turned and headed out the front door. He’d need a cold shower before he was ready to face the rest of the day with Phoenix.

  Chapter Three

  TARIK TOOK THE stairs down to his floor rather than waiting for the elevator. He lived on the thirty-third floor, in a condo significantly smaller than the one Phoenix occupied. Had it not been for Ellen’s insistence that Tarik remain close to Phoenix at all times, there would be no way he’d have lived in the same building as his boss. Hell, if Phoenix’s mother had her way, Tarik would’ve lived in the same condo as Phoenix, but that was where Tarik had drawn the line. Working with him day in and day out was one thing; having to suffer living there and always being close to him was more than he could bear.

  When he reached his floor, he pulled his key from his pocket and unlocked the door, letting it swing shut behind him as he headed for his bedroom. Flipping on the water in the shower, Tarik pulled off his shirt and walked back to the spare room he used as an office for the days he worked directly from home. Since they were always on the road, the space wasn’t used much, but Tarik still appreciated not having to go to the office to get things done.

  Grabbing his laptop from the small desk in the corner, he headed back to his room, kicking off his shoe
s as he walked. Tossing the laptop on the bed, he pushed his shorts and underwear down his hips and stepped out of them on his way to the shower. He was nothing if not efficient, and he knew not to keep Phoenix waiting for too long. Once the man was ready to go, if Tarik wasn’t following behind him, he’d be left trying to catch up.

  He mentally ran through Phoenix’s agenda for the day while he scrubbed his body and his hair. As he washed his face, he considered shaving but then shrugged off the idea. He’d have no choice in a couple of days, or he’d look like a mountain man, but until then, he simply didn’t have the energy to do it.

  As it was, he wished there was more time in the day to get shit done. If he had his say in the matter, they’d forego the office and work from home until they had to catch a plane later that evening.

  Tarik preferred to work out of the condo for many reasons. For one, it was a hell of a lot easier to keep an eye on Phoenix from there, and since that was a large part of his job description, Tarik took it very seriously. And two … well, Tarik wasn’t all that fond of people, to be honest, although, yes, admittedly, he did have a knack for talking to them. He merely preferred the solitude that came from working from home.

  With the exception of Phoenix’s mother, Ellen, Tarik seldom had to encounter anyone other than Phoenix on the days they handled things from either Phoenix’s condo or Tarik’s. On occasion, there would be a stray woman that Phoenix would invite up to his penthouse. But aside from hearing the noises coming from the guest bedroom — if he hadn’t managed to sneak out in time — Tarik didn’t usually have to deal with the woman. Unless, of course, Phoenix was in one of those moods where he would invite Tarik to join them. Another reason Tarik didn’t believe Phoenix was entirely immune to him: since the first chance encounter nearly six years ago, Phoenix had been inviting Tarik into his sexual encounters quite often, although he still managed to keep his distance. Tarik sensed that Phoenix trusted him, felt safe including him in the sexual encounters that he wasn’t looking to have exploited.