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We’d arrived on the outskirts of St. Louis moments before. We’d have a few hours of a layover to allow the passengers time to enjoy the city and all it had to offer before continuing on. I hadn’t asked him if this was where his trip ended. Maybe I didn’t want to know.
A part of me continued to question why I’d been so impulsive in my decision to take the extended train ride. I’d been charged for the late cancellation of my return flight, but that hadn’t bothered me. Still, my decision had been on a whim, my father’s death a stark, cold reminder that life was short. I’d always wanted to take a train ride and it had seemed like the perfect opportunity to see a significant part of the country while being wined and dined.
Then I’d met Phoenix, although I doubted it was his real name. Whether he was Greek or not, the name was unusual to say the least, especially given the meaning behind it. A mystical bird rising from the ashes. While the sentiment was beautiful, who would name their kid after a winged creature? I laughed to myself, another series of images of his naked body sweeping through my mind leaving me tingling all over. He was just a man. A gorgeous, passionate man, but just a man nonetheless. I couldn’t remain enamored by his prowess or his obvious need for total control.
But the feel of his cock inside remained, a haunting reminder that I’d lost a portion of my sanity. To sex of all things. I had to get my mind out of the gutter, returning to business. That was the control I needed at this point. Work was safe, every day similar. It provided a reason to get up in the morning, the fire that had kept me from falling into the darkness of despair. I hated that I’d been reminded my life was empty.
Damn it. Why was I doing this to myself?
Because you’re lonely.
Thanks, little voice. That’s exactly what I needed.
Being with him remained unsettling, the nagging in the back of my mind torturous. I shook my head, trying to recapture the lost portion of the cautious woman, the one who resented anything unsettling in her life.
And Phoenix was a force of nature.
The most difficult aspect of the way I was feeling was when he looked at me, the deep green pools piercing my eyes. His heated gaze wasn’t only about the need to devour me. He was also searching for something.
What?
What could he possibly be worried about? Maybe he was anxious that I’d become too attached, chasing him down for his billions of dollars. This was nuts. I was playing into the fantasy that this was more than what it really was.
Raunchy sex.
When I noticed a voice message from my best friend, I figured what could it hurt to see if I was losing my mind or not. She knew everything about me, including my work ethic. She also had been bugging me for months to go out on a date. I could only imagine her squeal when I told her. I dialed the number, closing my eyes. As soon as I did, an image of Phoenix’s face slipped into the forefront of my mind.
So rugged. So tall and muscular. What he could do with his mouth was sinful, intoxicating. Even though I’d taken a shower, his scent somehow remained lingering, filling my senses with the full effect of his testosterone. Every inch of me tingled, my bottom still on fire from the second spanking of the trip. As I wiggled on the seat, I hadn’t realized she’d answered.
“You’re moaning. Are you okay?”
I opened my eyes, half laughing. “Lizzie. I’m fine. I’m actually better than fine, although you’ll need to be the judge if I’ve lost my ever-loving mind.”
“How did it go with your father and the funeral?”
I’d called her with the news. She was the single person I’d told about my estranged relationship with my father, everyone else believing that he was dead. At least now I wouldn’t be lying.
The answer was more difficult than I wanted to admit. “The truth is I’ve never felt so alone in my life. There was no one there to send him off.”
“That sounds horrible,” she said quietly, such sympathy in her voice. She’d chided me for months about breaking out of my shell, finding happiness that had eluded me for years.
“Tragic, but he did it to himself.”
“I know but that didn’t mean what you had to go through wasn’t difficult. Why didn’t you have him cremated instead?”
Elizabeth was never the voice of reason. Her take on life was to live large, have no regrets, and taste everything delectable while you had the chance. I secretly longed to be her, frivolous when it came to men and fashion. Another laugh pushed to the surface. “I honored my father’s wishes. That was the least I could do.” The top line of his will had stated in no uncertain terms that he be buried under the soil he loved so much. At least my father had found something to love, certainly not his family.
She snorted. “He gave you nothing. Why bother?”
“I don’t know. Maybe it was the decent thing to do.”
She hesitated, but I knew she was thinking of a snarky rebuttal. At least she knew when I made up my mind about something, a tank couldn’t stop me. “Are you back in town? I thought you were going to call me.”
A warm flush tickled my cheeks, a split second of yearning allowing another wave of butterflies to swarm in my stomach. “I forgot to mention I was taking the train back to Florida.”
“A train? As in from Los Angeles?”
“No. I caught one in Napa Valley. It was on my bucket list. A truly beautiful experience.”
