MMF BISEXUAL ROMANCE: Phoenix Running (15 page)

Ashley pressed into his hand with a moan. He closed his fingers over Phoenix’s and guided him: faster, harder. Cee-Cee shifted onto her side to kiss his chest while Phoenix continued to milk him. She added her hands to theirs, fondling, touching, stroking. Ashley gritted his teeth.

Phoenix pulled away, and Cee-Cee leaned forward to finish the job with her mouth. Her velvety tongue swirled just beneath the head of his circumcised shaft at his most sensitive part. Then, she dropped her mouth to encompass all of him, and Ashley released. “Hunh!” He shook, straining forward.

“That’s it!” Phoenix whispered. He stroked Cee-Cee’s hair as she bobbed her head. “That’s it, suck it.” Phoenix clasped Ashley’s face and passionately kissed him as he poured into Cee-Cee’s mouth. Flames of bliss licked through them. Ashley tensed and felt his body drained of everything he had to offer. Cee-Cee moaned greedily and reveled in the tangy, familiar taste of him.

When she was done, she climbed on top of him, and Phoenix threw his arms around them both. She sighed, sated. Phoenix chuckled at the look on both of their faces and knew he had to look the same—like they had run a marathon and won first place.

“I don’t know…” Phoenix muttered. “I don’t think I can say no to this. I don’t think I can stop.”

“We have to,” Cee-Cee whispered. Ashley shuddered again, moaning. She rested her head on his chest and listened to his heartbeat. He didn’t say a word, but all three of them were on the same page. This wasn’t something they could quit, although they probably should.

A
n hour later
, Ashley ambled out of the shower and dragged on his pants while Cee-Cee toweled her hair dry and Phoenix moisturized his face in the bathroom mirror. Music flowed through the condominium as they segued into normal life with their monstrous libidos back in check. The three of them meandered into Phoenix’s spacious living room to mastermind how to manage this crazy situation.

“It’s just like any other relationship,” Ashley determined. “I mean, this could work. I know it could. We have to understand each other’s needs, though.”

Cee-Cee threw her hands up, exasperated. “All three of us want different things. Honestly, I don’t give a shit if people gossip about me at work. I’m more concerned about one of us catching feelings and somebody ending up with a broken heart.”

“Feelings or no feelings, we’re all adults,” said Phoenix. “There’s no reason we can’t engage in a physical relationship and keep our heads. With Ashley leaving soon, that alleviates half the problem. As my campaign kicks up, I won’t have nearly as much free time. But people like us, we’re going to have sex. Why not have sex together while we can?”

“And keep it a secret,” Ashley added. He wasn’t even upset about it this time. Why bother letting the world know about something as temporary and shallow as what Phoenix was describing? Although what he was describing wasn’t remotely what was going on between them. They might pay lip service to meaningless sex, but what had happened in that bedroom half an hour ago had had meaning. Ashley wasn’t afraid of that. He was sorry that the others seemed to be.

“What do you want out of a relationship, Cee-Cee?” Ashley suddenly asked.

After some consideration, she replied, “
If
I wanted a relationship, which I don’t, I guess something like what we have would be perfect. Not that I’ve ever considered this before—like, ‘I’m waiting until I meet the right two guys,’ but wow. It’s so hot. So much choice. Nobody would get bored.” She chuckled. She grabbed her shirt and pulled it on, reaching for her shorts. After she was dressed, she sat on the edge of the bed. “I think we’d all like it, otherwise we wouldn’t be so comfortable with how things are going now.”

“I mean, when I think about love—”

“Don’t go there,” she cut him off.

“Hang on a bit, darling. The word doesn’t bite. When I think about love, what I’m missing is a sense of people accepting me for who I am. I’m not big time yet. I won’t pretend I’m constantly surrounded by fan girls and groupies. It’s just that when people get to know me through my vlogs and music, they only get a piece of me. In less than a month, I feel like the two of you know me and accept me. That’s why this works for me. Phoenix?”

Phoenix stared at his watch, smiling. “You want me to give a speech about how I’m missing something and the two of you complete me? And, Cee-Cee, I guess you want to hear that either of us might actually be in danger of getting heartbroken once you reiterate for the millionth time that you’re not looking for anything serious, right?”

She shrugged. “Out of the three of us, I have the least likelihood of getting romantically tangled in this. It’s bodies for me.”

“Well, good. Because let’s be honest. We’re not here to really get to know each other’s flaws and imperfections and kumbaya about how none of that matters ‘cause we still love each other,” he chuckled drily. “We’re drawn together because the sex is fantastic and the circumstances are ideal. Throw a monkey wrench into this equation—like you leaving, Ashley—and this thing falls apart. I wouldn’t worry about relationships or read love into this shit.”

His pragmatic, even cynical, words dug a hole in Ashley’s sentimentality. He saw merit in what Phoenix was saying about circumstances, but he still disagreed. Inwardly. There was no point arguing with two people who weren’t ready to confront that their souls had needs the same way their egos and bank accounts did. Ashley sighed and shrugged.

“At any rate, we have now.”

“That’s all I’m saying,” said Phoenix.

Cee-Cee growled. “Alright. We keep it going until Ashley leaves.”

Phoenix nodded slowly, thoughtfully. “And we play it by ear from there.”

P
hoenix glanced
at the tray of wilting h’ors d’oeuvres on the kitchen counter. “You guys hungry? What about take-out?”

“Pizza!” Cee-Cee voted.

He grabbed his laptop and found the website to place the order. The three of them huddled together and picked from the options. Ashley nibbled Phoenix’s ear. “Cut it out,” he giggled, swatting at him. “Do you want meat lovers or supreme?”

“I don’t care. Just feed me. Some host you are! Getting us in here, fucking us, burning calories and leaving us hungry.”

“I’m trying to rectify that,” he laughed. Cee-Cee hunted down his remote and turned on the rarely used television. She scanned through his guide channel for something to watch while Phoenix finished the order. Ashley hopped up on the couch with her and stretched out with his head in her lap.

Phoenix retrieved two throws from his bedroom and tossed one to them before settling on the floor by Cee-Cee’s knee. “What’d you find to watch?”

“Something scary. Possession-something. Food on the way?” She petted his hair, and he leaned back into her touch. Ashley yawned.

“Yeah, it’ll be here in thirty. Hey, Ashley, while I’m thinking about it, thanks for getting your fans to donate at the fundraiser the other weekend. Because of you we raised over twenty-five thousand dollars, which is the largest haul I’ve ever seen come in for an event like that. I really appreciate it. My little sister has NF1.”

“Yeah, your dad told me. I ran into him backstage when I finished my set. He was talking to my manager. She introduced us.”

Phoenix stilled, wondering why the hell Wallace Briton had been there. A frisson of uneasiness went through him. “That’s bizarre. He never comes to my functions. Why was he talking to your manager?”

“I dunno, mate. I’d be happy to ask, though. I was curious about that myself.”

“No, don’t worry about it. It was probably nothing.”

“Shh, the movie’s starting,” Cee-Cee whispered. She caressed the side of his face. Phoenix looked up and noticed she was doing the same to Ashley. He smiled and leaned his head on her knee. He could get used to this.

The pizza arrived shortly thereafter, and the three of them pigged out. He opened a bottle of wine to accompany the meal. They toasted to great sex and no commitment, and Cee-Cee loudly proclaimed that she could drink to that. Ashley tickled her playfully.

“I met your family. I don’t know how you ended up being relationship-aversive. Your mom and dad are the sweetest people, and your sister is darling,” said Ashley. Phoenix perked up.

“You met her family? How come I’ve never met your family?” he teased.

Cee-Cee giggled. “Because we work. This guy here is a celebrity. They just have to show up places and look cute.”

“As I recall,” said Ashley with a mock glower, “that’s exactly what Phoenix did at the function. He had plenty of opportunity to meet your folks, had he deigned to give up the Important Politician stance.”

Phoenix flipped him off with a saucy grin. Cee-Cee murmured, “Yeah, my parents instantly fell in love with you, Ashley. Mom’s just dying to hear when we’re getting married. She’s thinking double wedding so when Brett comes home to marry my sister, you better be ready to propose.”

“We both know what your answer would be,” Phoenix muttered.

She replied, “You don’t know what my answer would be. I’m starting to realize sex, relationships, whatever, can put you in some spots that you wouldn’t anticipate. Like, had you asked me three months ago if I’d be sleeping with two men at the same time, I would’ve punched you!”

“What’s it like?” Ashley asked curiously.

“What’s it like for you?” she fired back. He grinned.

“The best sex I’ve ever had.”

“Ditto.” She closed her eyes and sighed dreamily. “Actually, ‘best’ doesn’t even begin to describe it. It’s way better than that.”

Smiling, Phoenix shifted in his chair and repositioned his manhood. Sex talk and that look on her face were arousing that itch for gratification. “Alright, you lovely people, I’ve bedded you and fed you. Now I have to bid you goodnight. I have work in the morning.”

“And I’ve got class.”

“I’ll be sleeping in. Sucks to be you guys.”

I
t had been fun
, Phoenix thought, reinforcing his belief that under other circumstances this situation might be ideal. A man, a woman, both into each other and him, no need to make difficult choices or deal with jealousy…A shadow of regret passed through him, and he firmly ignored it. He was bone weary after working all day and playing half the night, and he had to get up in the morning to do it all again tomorrow. Just sleep, he told himself, crawling into bed.

But he couldn’t. Portions of the night replayed. The kiss Ashley had greeted him with that made Phoenix feel like he had come home. Cee-Cee’s cynicism that had, as always, made him long to show her it was okay to believe in something other than herself. The ecstasy on her face, which made him feel so proud and something else as well—genuinely happy for her pleasure. This was the third time they had spent time together, excluding the many phone conversations and Internet chats, and he felt like Ashley. They knew him and accepted him the way no one else had ever taken the time to do. He felt the same about them.

He remembered his sharp, cold speech about keeping relationships and love out of the mix. It was all very sensible, but had he meant it?

Phoenix planned to be mayor again. He was ambitious, like Cee-Cee, without her total aversion to romantic involvement. He was passionate, like Ashley, without the need to shout his passions to the world. He realized that what made the three of them work was that they were so well balanced, each with strengths that made up for the other two’s weaknesses.

He knew that if the three of them let their desire lead them they wouldn’t be kept away from each other, not even if Ashley left to finish his tour. He also realized that if they gave in to the urge to make this dynamic more permanent, the truth about his attraction to both men and women would come out. Not only that—difficult enough for a Republican politician—but the fact that he was seeing two people at once.
Really
at once. How many of his constituents would be okay with that?

That’s where that speech had come from.

Phoenix punched the pillow and repositioned. He could step down. He didn’t have to be mayor. With his law degree, he could settle into a different career field where he wouldn’t be under such intense, constant scrutiny. There was something dangerously seductive about the idea, being free of the constant worry about what other people thought. Letting himself be who he was. However, to take that route would mean to let Buddy take the lead, and he couldn’t have a man like Buddy running his town. The bastard would run it right into the ground. He was corrupt as they come and not afraid to be a jackass to get what he wanted. Besides, as far back as he could remember, Phoenix had always wanted to follow in his father’s footsteps.

In his prime, Wallace Briton had seemed the epitome of a good politician. It had taken Phoenix maturing to realize that was an oxymoron. He had lost faith in his old man, but he had kept his dream alive, and here he was. He was a good man. He had good ideas that would help people, and he knew how to get things done. He had the brains, the charm, the network, the positioning. He didn’t like to think of himself as a politician—but if that’s what he was, he did it damn well.

“
W
hat is it this time
?” Phoenix asked when he opened his door and saw his father standing there.

Wallace Briton’s joker-like smile spread across his face. “Good afternoon to you, too.” He tried to push past, but Phoenix blocked the door. He wasn’t in the mood for company. He had been practicing a speech, and he didn’t have time to beat around the bush with his dad.

“You can’t be out of money that quickly.”

“Oh, no, it’s not about money this time. It’s something more important. Business. May I come in?”

Phoenix crossed his arms and didn’t budge. “Speaking of business, I’m busy.”

“Trust me, you don’t want to have this conversation outside, where anyone else can hear what I have to say.” Wallace leaned closer and whispered, “It’s about Buddy. ‘Member him?”

Phoenix’s eyes narrowed to slits and he stepped into the condo, opening the door wider to let his father enter. He ambled to the suede couch and grabbed his speech, folding it and sticking the papers into his back pocket. Phoenix settled on an accent chair and eyed his father quizzically. “What about Buddy?”

Wallace Briton paced as he spoke. “You know, me and him go way back, son. Way back.”

“He helped you when you campaigned for councilman. Yeah, I know. And?”

“And he’s come to me asking me to return some favors.” Wallace sat down with a weary sigh and frowned at Phoenix like he had bad news. The old man shrugged and opened his hands helplessly. “I owe him this. He wants you to step out of the running.”

“What?” Phoenix shot forward.

“He wants you to announce you’re no longer running for reelection. The way he sees it, he’s an old family friend, and he doesn’t want things to get nasty. He doesn’t want to have to drag the Briton name through the mud. I think it’s noble of him.”

Phoenix spat, “Noble of him? You fuckers wouldn’t know nobility if it rode up on a white horse and tapped you on the damn shoulders! This is blackmail.
Your
blackmail! Look, I don’t have shit to do with the money you embezzled during your term as councilman, and I’m not paying for it by stepping down so the one person who knows your dirty laundry doesn’t air it. You can tell Buddy he can kiss my ass!”

Wallace chuckled drily. “Oh, I already told him you’d say something like that. Still, I wanted to give you a heads up. He’s coming for you, and he’s going to use me to do it. Now, if you don’t mind your dear old dad being locked up for a while in federal, then who am I to tell you to reconsider?” Wallace shrugged pitifully and looked away. “Hate to see Sally grow up without me, though.”

“Sally will be taken care of. She sent me a text thanking me for her birthday gift. I’ll continue to be the father figure that you can’t be for her, you self-serving fuck!”

“Says the guy who hasn’t even met her. Oh, give me a break! You’re a fine piece of work, Phoenix Briton! I made you. Literally. You come from my loins, and this is how you repay me?”

“Tell me,
Dad
, what have you done for me lately?”

“I’ve kept your secrets,” Wallace said quietly. Phoenix looked down.

His shoulders slumped, but he came to a swift decision. “Fine. I can fix that for you. I’ll tell Mom myself. That I knew you were cheating on her. That I was with you on some of those clandestine trips to take your girlfriend of the week a piece of jewelry or candy or flowers. I’ll tell her I could’ve saved her the embarrassment, so you won’t have to tell her! Now you’ve got nothing on me.”

“You think it’s that easy?” Wallace chuckled. “Boy, you just don’t fucking understand this politicking business.” Wallace rose to his feet and ambled to the door. “That’s not the only secret I’ve kept for you. You can work with me or not, but if you’re not for me, then I consider you against me. And you know, son, exactly how I treat my enemies. So, I’ll let you think on it. I’m sorry your ambitions are going to have to take a back seat, but life is like that. You’re young; you have time to get back in the game. I think you’ve had a pretty easy ride so far, kid. Gimme a call when you pick a date to make that announcement, hear? Have a nice one.”

He opened the door and reached in his pocket, dropping something on the side table before walking out and slamming the door behind him.

Phoenix marched across the room and threw the deadbolt. He snatched up the envelope his dad had dropped and ripped it open. Into his hand fluttered three snapshots. His lungs constricted. As he stared at the photographs in horror, he stumbled back against the door, losing his legs. He felt like the walls of the condo were closing in around him.

“How the hell…?”

Someone had taken long distance shots of him, Cee-Cee and Ashley on his yacht out on the lake. The pictures in his hand weren’t that damning, but on the back of the final shot—the three of them grinning at each other and drinking on main deck—there was a message written in his father’s neat pen stroke. “More where these came from. Looks like someone had fun! Or should I say some
three
?” Wallace had drawn a crooked smiley face behind the words.

Phoenix felt like he would pass out. But it was no time to lose his strength. He needed his wits about him to figure out how the fuck to get out of this stupid, stupid situation. He snatched up his phone and dialed Cee-Cee.