14. Michaela #2
I study his handsome face as he holds my gaze.
His strong, chiseled jaw is dusted with dark stubble, setting off the unique shade of his magnificent blue eyes, and his lightly tanned skin tells me he spends more time behind a desk than on a beach.
My eyes travel as I continue my inspection.
His arms bulge under his fitted black tailored suit jacket and since he’s sans tie, I get a nice peek of his chest.
Devastatingly handsome.
Beautifully muscular.
And impeccably dressed.
This is suit porn at its best.
I’m willing to bet Phoenix Konig is something else in bed.
No wonder that blonde wants to pierce my heart with a poisoned dagger.
“You’re done checking me out?”
I suck my bottom lip under my teeth to curtail a smile, dropping my gaze to my flute for a beat before glancing up at him.
“You’re hard to miss.” That comes out a little flirtier than I intended.
A smile tickles the side of his mouth. “Is that a compliment, Michaela?”
We run hot and cold, but right now, we’re running scorching hot.
“Maybe.” One word. More than that and I’ll compromise myself.
He considers me for a beat. “I won’t tell anyone if you don’t.”
“Our little secret?” I play along.
“Exactly.”
I laugh.
“You’re warming up to me, kitty cat?”
“Don’t count your chickens before they hatch, Konig.”
The air between us is crackling. It’s quite the departure from the cold front that’s been blowing between us.
A waiter approaching, carrying a massive tray, interrupts our banter. After placing a mouthwatering display of food on the table, he places his hands behind his back and bows.
We thank him, and he disappears.
The efficiency here is commendable.
“Buon appetito!” Phoenix says. “Dig in.”
“You don’t have to tell me twice.”
“You’re not going to argue with me?”
Before I can answer, a man dressed head-to-toe in white with spiky blue hair approaches our table.
“Fuck,” Phoenix says.
I frown my confusion.
I lean into the table. “Who is he?”
The man speaks before Phoenix is able to respond. “Looks like Phoenix’s Prodigious Phallus is spoken for.”
My jaw drops.
Phoenix’s eyes burn with fury as he moves his gaze away from mine. “What kind of stupid nickname is that?”
“According to my many sources, it fits,” the man says.
I can picture Phoenix’s Prodigious Phallus , and in my filthy mind it’s pretty impressive—like the rest of him .
“Are you done annoying me?”
“That’s silly, King Konig. I’m lubing you up. I haven’t even dropped to my knees to give you a blowjob yet,” the man says.
I believe that’s my job ?—
Whoa.
Where the hell did that come from?
Getting up close and personal with Phoenix’s Prodigious Phallus isn’t part of our arrangement.
“What do you want, Payne?”
The man hovers over our table. “Enough foreplay,” he says. “In the name of journalistic integrity?—”
“Integrity?” Phoenix says. “You wouldn’t know how to spell the word even if the answer flashed across your screen.”
“Well, my millions of followers would disagree with you,” the man says. “I am a bona fide reporter.” He flashes Phoenix a condescending smirk.
This sparring between the two men doesn’t go unnoticed. All eyes are on us.
Great.
“You mean, you post garbage on your celebrity site,” Phoenix says.
I remember reading Payne Meldrum’s snarky article when I was getting my hair done. It was pretty condescending.
“What a coincidence we’d end up at the same place at the same time. Lucky me.” Payne ignores Phoenix’s dig. “I get to witness the love story of the year unfold in front of my very own eyes.”
The sarcasm is thicker than a cloud of smoke.
He shifts his attention to me, long enough to give me a onceover.
“She’s gorgeous,” he says. “Why have you been keeping her a secret, Phoenix?”
“My relationship isn’t up for discussion, Payne. Unlike the salt and pepper grinders, it’s not on the table.”
“So, you’re Michaela, aka, the fiancée?” Payne continues his interrogation, unfazed.
“Where’s the ring?” His eyes zooming to my left hand.
“Let me guess. It’s being sized.” He rolls his eyes.
“You two are rushing to get married, but you’re not wearing his ring yet? Right. I smell a publicity stunt.”
What an asshole.
“Payne—”
“I’m sure the concept of privacy is foreign to you.
” I say, interrupting Phoenix. “However, it’s still a value many of us hold sacred.
” I pin the short man leering at me with a stern glare.
“Would you suggest we start making out on the table for you to believe we’re in love?
Or perhaps I should straddle my fiancé’s lap and grind against him like I’m riding Ginuwine’s Pony .
Or would you rather we text you a clip of the kinky sex video we shot last night and call it a day? ”
Payne’s irritating smirk falls.
I’m on a roll.
“As for my ring, my fiancé wanted me to have the ring of my dreams––one I’ll be proud to wear on this finger forever .
” I flash my hand and point to my ring finger.
“So, he bought six different eye-popping styles that would make a bona fide princess green with envy.” I read this story online not long ago and I can’t believe it’s come in handy.
“Phoenix surprised me with them this morning over breakfast.” I place a hand against my heart.
“It was so romantic.” I pause and sigh theatrically.
“Having to wait a few days until the ring is sized to perfection is a small price to pay for long lasting happiness.” I plaster a disingenuous grin on my face.
“It shouldn’t matter if you believe Phoenix and I are in love, because it’s none of your business, but for whatever reason, you decided to make it your business.
Do you have any other questions for us, Payne, or can we enjoy our dinner in peace? ”
The annoying celebrity content creator’s eyelashes—coated in gaudy electric-blue mascara that matches his hair—flutter like the wings of a chicken about to set flight as his eyes ping pong from mine to Phoenix’s.
He’s stunned.
Frankly, so am I.
Since yesterday, it seems I no longer have any filters and I have no problem putting people in their place.
I don’t know what kind of beef Payne has with Phoenix, but I didn’t come this far to let this asshole jeopardize everything.
I don’t make it a habit to lie, but desperate times call for desperate measures.
“I admire your lady balls,” Payne says.
“I’m quite attached to them.” Sarcasm drips from my words.
“Consider me your consigliere now,” Payne says with a respectful bow.
“My what?”
“It’s a nod to the Godfather movie,” Phoenix says.
“Exactly,” Payne says. “Which means, I can’t publish tomorrow’s article on King Konig and his queen without photos.”
I flatten my lips. “Don’t bother taking photos if it’s to ridicule us again.”
“As your consigliere , I’m now your ally,” he says.
This guy is so flighty.
It’s scary to think how many people he influences every day. However, the show must go on.
I meet Phoenix’s gaze. “Is it okay with you, my love?”
He cocks an eyebrow, visibly impressed. “As long as it’s okay with you, sweetheart.”
I nod.
Payne snaps away.
“Well, I’ll be out of your hair,” the content creator says after snapping what seems like a hundred photos. “Too much gossip, too little time.”
With that, he’s gone.
Unbelievable.
My eyes meet Phoenix’s.
It’s not like I can ask him questions since everyone in the restaurant is staring at us, including the blonde who insists on giving me the evil eye.
“Well, that was interesting,” I say, before gulping down the rest of my champagne.
A single quirk of one corner of Phoenix’s mouth suggests he approves of my performance. “You’re full of surprises.”
I lean into the table. “We’re a team.”
I’m mesmerized as he reaches for my hand and lifts it up to his lips before dropping a soft kiss against it. The delicious sensation is so unexpected, I hitch a breath.
“We’re a team,” he says.