Read Phoenix for Free Online Page A

sip.
    His expression sobers at my throwing his own question back at him. “I am
no good for company anymore.”
    “I like your company,” I disagree.
    It’s true. Being read by him aside, I find him a fascinating person to be
around. He is mysterious enough to put me on edge, but at the same time that mystery
makes me want to know more. His gaze heats up at my comment and I return my
attention to finishing the meal. When we are done I take the plates to the sink
before going to set up the dessert.
    “I made lemon cheesecake. Would you like some?”
    “Yes, thank you,” he replies, sitting back in the chair now with his legs
spread wide, watching me move about the kitchen.
    Before I make it to the fridge I step on a sharp piece of plastic that
cuts into the heel of my foot.
    “Ouch,” I yelp, hopping on one leg.
    There’s some blood coming from the small wound. Maybe I should wear shoes around the house.
    “What happened?” Phoenix asks, rising to come to my aid.
    “Oh, it’s nothing. I cut myself on a piece of plastic. It must have come
from the furniture packaging.”
    “Come and sit down, let me check it for you.”
    I sit on a chair across from him, while he takes my foot in his hands and
holds it up to look at the wound. Whoa. I almost forget about the sting as his
warm hands encapsulate my small foot. I actually gasp and his eyes come up to
meet mine. For a moment he toys with my ankle bracelet, smoothing it between
his fingers.
    “Do you have any anti-septic?” he asks, his voice husky. Can he tell how
much his hands turn me on?
    “There’s a first aid kit in the cupboard to the left of the cooker,” I
tell him.
    He gets up to look for it and I mourn the loss of his touch.
    “Really, I’m fine. It’s only slightly stingy.”
    Returning, he replies, “I better disinfect it for you just in case.”
    He lifts my foot up again and places it on his knee. I realise my dress
has ridden up my thighs when he stops moving and falls silent. His eyes linger
on my bare skin, on the curve of my outer thigh. He lets out a long, almost
shaky breath. I pull the dress down as far as it will go, while he drags his chair
closer to me so he can dress the cut.
    I feel like I can’t get enough air into my lungs with him so close. When
he finishes dabbing my cut with cotton wool he slips on a Band-Aid with his
practiced fingers. Then he doesn’t do anything for a moment. It seems like he’s
keeping my foot within his grasp for longer than necessary when I see his eyes
wander up my legs again. I tingle in every spot his gaze touches.
    His voice sends shivers up my spine when he asks, “Have you ever been
fucked, Eve?”
    My eyelids flutter and I let out a small surprised gasp at his question,
breath gushing from my lips. I’m not exactly a virgin, not too far off
though, and I can safely say that I have never been fucked in the way that Phoenix
is insinuating. Most of the sex I’ve had has been the fantasy kind. Our eyes
lock and he moves his hand from the heel of my foot up along the back of my
leg, massaging my shin.
    I actually moan when his fingers press in, releasing the tension from a
knotted muscle. His mouth opens as he watches me.
    “I don’t think that’s a very appropriate question to ask of a friend,” I
finally manage to croak out.
    He smiles darkly. “I told you I was bad news.”
    Moving closer, he brings his hand to the back of my thigh. His touch
lingers over the crest of my bottom. With his lips hovering a millimetre from
my ear, he whispers, “Answer the question, Eve.”
    “No, I’m not answering that,” I whisper back.
    “Okay, I’ll ask a different one, then. Would you like me to fuck you?”
    The way he says “fuck” is so guttural that it actually makes me think he
really might be bad news. Dangerous. I can already feel my underwear growing
damp, because the answer to his question is yes, I would like him to fuck me. I
don’t have the courage to be honest though.
    “No, I