Half an hour later, Tarik pulled the Escalade into the parking lot of a place dedicated to laser tag according to the sign out front. Phoenix had only played once or twice in his life, and he looked forward to this time. Mainly because he was thinking about the hidden corners within the place where he could crush his body to Mia's and make her beg for mercy.

The three of them made their way inside, the rain having let up significantly, which made it easier all around. Tarik put his arm around Mia's shoulders and held her close against him. It was obvious to Phoenix that he was trying to see how far she was willing to go. Phoenix wasn't complaining, but he damn sure didn't want to push her too far too fast. As it was, this unconventional date had likely taken her by surprise, no matter how well she seemed to be handling it.

"Scared?" Mia teased him as Phoenix held the door open for her.

You have no idea, he thought to himself. "Not a chance," he said out loud.

Tarik took the lead, heading to the counter and paying for the three of them. The guy informed them that the place was completely empty and said for them to have a good time.

Phoenix assured him that a good time was certainly on the agenda.

Once they'd donned their gear and made their way into a small arena, Mia seemed itching to go. He gave Tarik a knowing look, and the three of them wasted no time splitting up and heading in different directions.

Phoenix made sure to stay out of sight as he worked his way through the multi-level arena. He was purposely guiding Mia toward Tarik, and Tarik was doing the same. A good fifteen minutes had passed before they managed to sneak up on her. Phoenix tapped her shoulder gently and took a step back. Mia squealed and then spun around, shooting him and hitting the target on his vest dead center. A luminous smile lit up her face, but then Tarik returned fire, hitting her and leaving him the only one not hit. Since they had to wait out the timer that made their guns useless, there was no one to get back at Tarik.

But that really wasn't the point.

Crowding Mia against the rocky wall after placing both of their guns on a ledge, Phoenix tipped her chin up so that he could press his mouth to hers. She didn't hesitate, kissing him back as she grabbed for his shirt on his sides, gripping and pulling him. The vests were obtrusive, but Phoenix ignored them, cupping her face and exploring her mouth with his tongue.

Phoenix felt Tarik move in, obviously refusing to be left out again. When Phoenix pulled back, Tarik quietly watched them both. Initially, Phoenix thought Tarik was going to kiss Mia, and he didn't blame the man, but that wasn't what happened.

Tarik's hand came up and slid behind Phoenix's head, pulling him in as their lips touched. Instinct had him tensing, ready to fend Tarik off, but the gentle press of his lips had him surrendering briefly. His thoughts were temporarily obliterated by the demanding slide of Tarik's tongue against his own. He knew Mia was standing there, still sandwiched between him and the wall, and that thought cleared out the haze of lust that had momentarily overwhelmed him. Pulling back abruptly, he looked down at Mia.

She was smiling, her cheeks flushed.

He wanted to ask her if she was okay, but he wasn't sure that was the right thing to say. Thankfully, she didn't give him time to say anything at all when she said, "This isn't over yet. You know that, right?"

"Not by a long shot, love," Tarik whispered.

Mia laughed. "That isn't what I meant, and you know it."

Tarik offered Mia his crooked smile and then glanced over at Phoenix.

"Time's almost up. You two might want to get ready to lose." And with that, he disappeared around the outcropping of fake stone.

"He's not gonna win this one," Mia declared, grabbing her gun and smiling up at him. She went up on her toes and pressed her lips to Phoenix's fleetingly before turning and disappearing in the same direction.

He started to follow but stopped as he grabbed the laser gun once more and pressed his back against the wall. He'd join them in a few.

Right now, Phoenix needed a couple of minutes.

Hell, he needed a hell of a lot more than that.

NEARLY AN HOUR and a half later, Tarik pulled the Escalade into the parking lot of an oversized amusement center. The clouds had passed through, leaving clear blue sky and sunshine overhead, although the temperatures were hovering slightly above freezing. He'd made a judgment call after they'd left the laser tag place because their options had increased without the rain to limit them to staying inside. This was more of a one-stop shop that would keep him from having to drive all over town.

"By the time we leave here, we'll definitely know who the winner is," Mia informed them as they climbed out, joining Tarik as he met them.

"Right now, it looks like we're in the lead," Tarik told her.

"The day's not over yet," she challenged.

Taking her hand in his, Tarik led her inside while Phoenix did the same as he had back at the indoor skydiving place, taking her other hand in his as though the three of them together was the most natural thing in the world. And maybe it was. Maybe that was what the elation was that Tarik felt. He had them both with him, and he wasn't sure he'd ever been happier than he was right at that moment.

His thoughts drifted back to that kiss he'd shared with Phoenix. The one that had clearly taken the man by surprise. Tarik's shock had come when Phoenix hadn't tried to push him away. Multiply that by two when he'd pulled back to see Mia staring up at them, her blue eyes glowing with interest, a satisfied smile tipping her lips.

Yeah, she hadn't been turned off by two men kissing. Quite the opposite, actually.

Which was a damn good thing, because Tarik intended for a lot more of that later in the day.

After Phoenix bought the tickets and they passed through the turnstile, he pulled Mia to him. Tarik stood close and watched the pair.

"One more kiss for good luck," Phoenix whispered against her lips.

Mia didn't seem to mind Phoenix's need to taste her, and had it not been for the kids running through the place, Tarik figured Phoenix could've easily gotten lost in her for longer than a minute. But then she pulled away, smiling up at him.

When he released her, Tarik stunned them both, pulling Mia in close to him as he stared down at her. "It's my turn," he said but didn't move in closer. "Does that worry you, Mia?"

"Should it?" she asked enthusiastically, her eyes locked with his.

"No," Tarik offered and then leaned down, pressing his lips to hers. Probably due to their surroundings, neither of them deepened the kiss, but when Tarik pulled back, he noticed the intensity in Mia's gaze as she watched him.

"Let the games begin," Mia said happily, although a little breathlessly.

Little did she know, but they already had.

Yeah, she was certainly hoping for more, and that thought had Tarik discreetly adjusting himself before taking her hand once again.

For a first kiss, Tarik had to admit that he'd felt the spark from that brief touch of her lips clear down to his feet. It'd been far too short for his liking, but it was as though there was a promise of what was to come that hung between them when he'd pulled away from Mia. Back at the last place, when he'd kissed Phoenix, he had considered kissing Mia first but had held back. More because he had wanted to see her reaction to him and Phoenix together; he had wanted to make sure she understood what direction this was going.

Quite frankly, he was a little shocked that she hadn't freaked out. But then she'd nearly knocked him sideways when she hadn't balked at the idea of kissing him in a building full of people moments after she'd kissed Phoenix just now. Why that was, he didn't know. He wanted to know, he just didn't. There'd been plenty of willing women who'd gladly climbed between him and Phoenix over the years, but admittedly none of them were like Mia.

He was beginning to question his first impression of her. Based on the way she'd held his hand and then allowed him to kiss her, he wasn't so sure she was as pure as he'd initially thought. Then again, maybe she was simply caught up in the excitement. He knew he was. His adrenaline was still flowing, his competitive spirit alive and well as they made their way to the rock climbing section of the building.

This was a one-stop shop of all the activities they could possibly want, and by the end of the day, there would be a winner. And unexpectedly, he didn't care who it was, because Tarik got the distinct feeling that it wasn't really going to matter, anyway. If things worked out the way he hoped they would, the three of them would be back at the penthouse engaging in something else that produced a significant amount of adrenaline.

But for now, he only had to survive the rest of the day.

And more importantly, resist the urge to press Mia up against the wall and kiss her the way he really wanted to kiss her.

Chapter Twenty.

BY THE TIME they left the adventure park, Mia was exhausted. She hadn't laughed that hard in years. Her cheeks hurt from grinning, her stomach muscles were sore from laughing, yet the euphoric feeling that filled her couldn't be dampened by a little exhaustion.

Tarik and Phoenix were probably the two most competitive people she'd ever met. They had attempted to sabotage one another - good naturedly, of course - throughout the day. On top of that, the heated looks they'd sent one another - and her - had kept Mia in a state of arousal she'd been hard-pressed to fight.

"Hungry?" Phoenix asked as they made their way through the doors and out into the parking lot. The sun was still high overhead, even at five thirty, and the temperatures were holding steady, however not dreadfully cold. But even that didn't put a damper on her mood.

She was once again holding hands with both men, something that felt surprisingly natural, although it should've freaked her out. They'd both done it most of the day, taking her hand, pulling her close, stealing a kiss here and there... She'd felt a little off-kilter, but never had she felt better.

It was all about living in the moment.

She'd spent so many years trying to figure out how to fix everything that was broken, working on changing the past, walking on eggshells to keep from upsetting the unnatural balance of her stormy life. Now she was learning that wasn't even possible. Live for today, that was her new motto. Try new things.

Well, she was definitely checking that one off her bucket list.

Why she wasn't panicking, or worried what others thought about her, she truly didn't know. Tomorrow there would probably be pictures in the tabloids of their outing, and she might have to worry about it then, but for now, she really didn't give a shit.

She was having too much fun.

"What did you have in mind?" she asked Phoenix once they were in the SUV and pulling out of the parking lot. Surprising them both, Mia had climbed into the front seat with Tarik, laughing at Phoenix as he pretended to pout in the back.

"Food," he told her smoothly, his eyes raking over her face and landing on her lips as she glanced at him over her shoulder.

For a moment, Mia got the impression he wasn't interested in food at all. Although her stomach was rumbling, she was inclined to think she might get her fill if they did go back to his place right then.

Not a good idea, she reminded herself.

As much as she liked him, as easy as he was to be around, Mia still worried about the repercussions of being with a man like Phoenix. She'd learned over the course of the day that he wasn't anything like Damien, but those warning flags were still flying high and proud every time she thought about where this was headed.

Tarik, on the other hand, was a little more her taste. He wasn't high profile, although he wasn't low-key, either. But like Phoenix, he made her feel things she hadn't expected to ever feel again. Things that she'd stopped feeling long before her marriage was over. Like that flutter in her belly when they looked at her. Or the tingle in her core when either of them pulled her close. It was a heady feeling that she was beginning to crave like a drug.

"Before we decide on dinner, we need to figure out who the winner of the day is," Tarik mentioned, reaching over and taking Mia's hand in his as he maneuvered onto the highway, heading south toward downtown.

"I think I did," she said quickly, laughing. There was no way she was the winner for the day, but she figured it was worth a shot.

"Not a chance, little girl," Phoenix retorted. "I'd say I'm the winner."

"Like hell," Tarik added.

"If you think you're the winner, why did you even ask?" Mia questioned, linking her fingers with his while the heater blasted on her face, warming her considerably.

"Because I wanted to hear you say it."

"Okay, fine. I think you're the winner," she told him, glancing over her shoulder at Phoenix once more. "Don't you think?"

"I'm good with that," he answered, grinning.

Of course he was. It didn't matter, because if either of them won, she had agreed to go back to Phoenix's condo.

"Does that mean I get to pick the restaurant?" Tarik asked.

"If that'll make you happy." Mia didn't really care who picked, as long as they got to eat sometime soon. She was starving.

"I know this excellent Mexican place. You up for that?"

Mia looked over at him and smiled. "Sure."

The conversation continued, mostly Phoenix and Tarik arguing affably about who the winner actually was until they were pulling into the crowded parking lot to the restaurant. Mia realized immediately that they weren't too far from her condo. A mile maybe.

Once they parked, Phoenix rushed to help her and then placed his arm around her shoulders and pulled her against him, purposely keeping her from Tarik while he apparently claimed ownership. The fact that they were both fighting - albeit friendly - over her made her feel good.

"Do you two do this often?" Mia questioned when the waiter brought a basket of chips and several bowls of salsa to the table, along with three glasses of water.

"Eat dinner?" Tarik asked sardonically, his eyebrows shooting into his hairline. "It's a daily occurrence for me, honestly."

Mia gave an unladylike snort and then laughed at herself while the two of them smiled. "That's not what I meant. Do you do these types of things often? The laser tag, rock climbing, bowling?"

"Quite a bit, yes," Phoenix told her.

He had crowded her into the booth, stealing the spot beside her and forcing Tarik to sit on the other side. Not that Tarik seemed at all bothered. In fact, he'd planted his huge booted foot between her feet beneath the table. She found she liked that he wanted to touch her.

"It's a good way to relax," Tarik added.

"I'm not sure I'd call today relaxing," Mia told them as she reached for a chip. "Fun, yes. Relaxing, not so much."

"So you had a good time?" Tarik asked.

"The best," she answered truthfully. "I don't think I've laughed that much in years."

The waiter came to take their orders, and all three of them, without looking at the menu, ordered fajitas. When they were once again left alone, Mia continued asking questions, delving into something that had her curious. "So, I've got a question. I ... uh..." She felt her face flame as the sentence drifted through her head but didn't come out of her mouth.

Tarik smirked, that crooked grin that made Mia's insides turn to mush. "Spit it out, little girl."

That was not the first time that one of them had called her "little girl," and she felt a frisson of pleasure course through her at the term. It didn't sound at all condescending when they said it, and she found she liked that they'd given her a sort of nickname.

"It's true that the two of you are bisexual?"

Okay, so maybe she should've waited until Phoenix wasn't drinking his water. When he started choking, Tarik roared with laughter, and Mia fought the urge to giggle as she patted Phoenix's back. They'd drawn the attention of several people sitting around them, but Tarik merely waved them off, assuring them that Phoenix wasn't going to die.

"That's not what I expected you to ask," Phoenix finally said, his voice strained as though he were gasping for air. Which, technically, he probably was.

"I didn't know any other way to word it."

Phoenix drank more water, clearing his throat as he stared over at her, his eyes wide in disbelief.

"What? I read it in the tabloids, so it's not like it's not public knowledge."

"It's never been substantiated," Tarik said, reaching for more chips.