Page 2 of Phoenix Rising
“It’s also nice to meet you, Burton. Luka.”
“I’ve never seen you blush that shade of peach before, honey. I’m gonna call Jude and tell him.”
Leave it up to my best friend to embarrass me.
“It’s lovely,” Luka said as he ran the back of his finger down my cheek before he cupped my face.
In that moment, I considered the possibility of my entire body igniting into flames, all from Luka’s tiny gesture that, for the first time in my life, didn’t make me recoil. In a weak moment, I wanted to know the touch of the man cupping my cheek and burrowed into his hand.
Then I remembered he wasn’t available and leaned away.
“Sorry, I should’ve asked you before I touched you,” Luka said.
I shook my head back and forth before I found the words, “No, it’s okay. You can. I’m not used to it.”
“What about me? Can I touch you?” Burton asked.
My eyes widened, and I nodded, staring at the bewitching man, who was even more stunning up close. “If… if you want to?”
Arthur chuckled. “Give it up for Phoenix, ladies and gentlemen. He attracts two specimens of male perfection without a clue they’re flirting with him.”
He mumbled as he moved around the counter to clean the tables, leaving me alone with the two gorgeous men. Or at least I believed no one was around. There was no dragging my attention away from them.
“Uh…” I sounded daft as I looked back and forth between the two, confusion swamping me because I was a mess; the decorated apron with green vines and leaves along with depictions of pastries and the logo of my shop, Phoenix Rising, had chocolate stains and other food items I couldn’t identify. My hair stood up in all directions, and I’m pretty sure my fingers were sticky with frosting.
As my synapses fired back up, I swallowed around the dryness in my throat and said, “Just ignore him. He’s still inthe honeymoon phase, despite being married for years, and sees romance everywhere.”
Until this conversation, I hadn’t spoken more than a word or two to either of these men. But now they were in front of me, both holding expressions of faint amusement as they stared at me, and I felt faint. And in order to cover my ineptitude in social situations, out came the verbal onslaught.
“Is it hot in here? It’s hot, right? I mean… um, what were we talking about? Oh, right? My deluded best friend thinks, well, stupid things that are out of the realm of possibility because whatever he’s imagining doesn’t happen in real life and as far as I can tell, I’m awake and working. Are you two together? Shit, I did not mean for that to escape my mouth because nosy much, Phoenix? It’s not my business. Over the past several months, I couldn’t miss observing that you two make an exquisite couple. And on that note, I’ll stop talking now,” ending on a groan.
Burton glanced at Luka, who kept his eyes on me the entire time, and beamed at the taller man.
Despite my previous declaration, I needed to explain.
“I ramble to myself when I’m alone, but also when I’m trying not to embarrass myself, but can’t turn it off. I expect it’s because… You know what, that’s not important, so never mind.”
Rather than fleeing out the front door, screaming in fear, Burton gave me a dazzling smile, and Luka’s eyes softened as he stepped closer and rubbed his hand up and down my back.
“We never meant to overwhelm you, Phoenix. It’s why we haven’t approached you before today. At first, we weren’t sure you were interested in men, but the more we observed you, we noticed no one grabbed your attention,” Luka said.
There was a loud guffaw, because, of course, Arthur was eavesdropping on this surreal conversation.
All thoughts skidded to a halt and for a half a second, the blank white void of my brain was silent as I replayed Luka’s words.
They observed me?
Forgetting about my friend and his shameful determination to get me laid and ‘end my isolated existence,’ I studied both men as they stared back at me.
Unsure of what he was saying, I croaked out, “So… what Arthur said was?—”
“Spot on,” Burton confirmed.
Arthur, with the tray full of dirty dishes, strode by and said, “This queen isn’t blind, honey. How else did you think I got Jude?”
Without hesitation, I said, “You waited for him to come to our table and before he uttered a word, you offered to suck him off in the bathroom.”
Both men hid their chuckles by ducking their heads down, but it was then I noticed they’d gotten closer to me.
