Phoenix Rising Issue #3 - S. R. Watson Page 0,32

cared to, so I have a lot of making up to do, and I’m not sated. I want to hold you captive in this room until my balls shrivel up from depletion.”

“What’s stopping you? You won’t find me objecting.”

“I have rehearsal, you little minx. Besides, I don’t need showdown number two with Asher. He says he doesn’t care what happens between us now, but I call bullshit.”

“So we’re back to sneaking around then?” I ask incredulously.

“Harlow, let’s not ruin this. Whatever the hell this is. I didn’t lie to you about Melissa, but she’s still in the picture. Until I can remove her from the equation, we have to tread carefully. I don’t want to seem like the dick who’s playing two women. Asher most definitely won’t stand for that.”

“What’s her hold on you? Why is she still here? Why are you cajoling her?”

I can feel the heat creep up my neck. So much for round two.

“That’s a lot of questions. Questions I can’t answer right now.”

“Can’t or won’t?” I push.

“Both,” he admits.

“Fine!” I push off him and grab my shorts. I slide them on and storm out the door without a backward glance.

“Dammit,” I hear him mumble. I can hear the guys talking downstairs, so I’m careful to tiptoe back to my room, thankful Lily has been sharing Asher’s bed. I’m not prepared to answer her questions, especially since this shit is insane even to me. I just fucked Phoenix in the very bed he’s sharing with that Melissa tramp.

I ease my door open, but it’s in vain. Lily sits on my bed wearing the cheesiest grin ever.

“Where have you been, missy? And don’t say the bathroom because I checked. All of them except one. Do you know which one that is?”

I shake my head. She’s going to have to spell it out because I’m not volunteering any info.

“A certain master bedroom that’s missing an occupant,” she continues. It dawns on me that she’s referring to Melissa as the missing occupant, and my forehead wrinkles in protest.

“Ugh, let’s not bring her up.”

“Ah-ha. You admit it. That’s where you stayed the night.”

“What? No. I’m not admitting no such thing.”

“Where were you then because I returned to our room about four this morning, and you were gone.”

“Did you and Asher have a fight?”

“No. His snoring was unusually loud, keeping me awake. Now stop trying to change the subject. Focus, woman. Where did you go?”

She gives me the most pitiful eyes and tries her hardest to turn down her lips in a frown, but she keeps giggling.

“Oh, all right. You’re a mess, you know that?” She nods and then signals for me to get on with it. “I couldn’t sleep either.”

“A bit horny, huh?”

“Shut it, freakazoid, or I won’t tell you the rest,” I threaten. She motions with a finger that she’s zipping her lips. “Anyway, as I was saying, I couldn’t sleep. The distance between Phoenix and me weighed heavily on my chest like an anchor. I needed to be close to him—some reassurance that what we shared wasn’t an illusion. That I didn’t make up our connection. I needed to know we weren’t lost— that we were indeed palpable and thriving.”

“I can only imagine how you must feel. I’ve witnessed the chemistry between you two. What did he think about your visit? Obviously, he didn’t kick you out.”

“He didn’t object to me being there or stop me when I crawled into bed with him. I snuggled with him, and we just slept.”

“Just slept, huh?”

“Last night, we just slept. This morning was a different story. I won’t go into details, but just know he rocked my universe.”

I grin, but the conversation that following the mind-blowing sex rocked my universe as equally as hard.

“So is he sending Melissa packing then? I know her stuff is still here.”

“No. That’s the complicated part.”

“Why is it so complicated? Color me confused. He’s fucked you in the bed he’s sharing with her. She needs to go.”

“He won’t say why she’s here, only that he isn’t having sex with her. Trust me, this whole ordeal settles like a lead weight in the bottom of my stomach. I want her gone.”

“Well, he’s not going to be inclined to get rid of her if he can still crawl between your legs behind her back.”

“That’s not fair, Lil. That was a low blow.”

I get up and start searching for something to wear before I head to take my shower. I know she is only speaking the truth, but it doesn’t