The Phoenix Accord

Author's note:

See Pt. 1 for blurb. Also, if you haven't already read Parts 1 & 2, I strongly recommend doing so before proceeding.

All sensuality (on page or otherwise) takes place between characters who are eighteen or older.

Twenty-Seven

"Is Hazel going to be my Mommy now?" Lena asked as John wrapped a towel around her after she had emerged from the shower.

"What?" he exclaimed a bit too loudly. "No! Mommy will always be your Mommy, sweetheart."

"I know that," she replied resolutely. "I just meant is Hazelalsogoing to be my Mommy?"

"Why would you think that?"

"Because she lives here now, like Mommy used to; and she sleeps in your bed sometimes, like Mommy used to; and she tells me she loves me like Mommy does."

"I love you too, sweet pea," he interjected softly, his tone belying the racing thoughts in his mind.

"I know you do, Daddy. So does Grandmother and Grandfather and Nana and Pa-Pa. And so does Hazel."

"You're very lucky."

"Are you and Hazel going to order me a baby brother?"

"Excuse me?"

"A baby sister would be ok, but I'd prefer a baby brother."

"Lena, you're kind of all over the place right now. Your Mommy is your Mommy, and that's final."

"So, what is Hazel?" Lena asked pointedly. Her face then exploded into a brilliant smile, and she asked, "Can she be my aunt?"

"You've already got several aunts."

"But they're not nice like Hazel. Aunt Alexandra is funny sometimes, and Aunt Olivia always gives great presents, but they never tell me they love me like Hazel does."

"I think for now she should just stay 'Hazel', but it makes me happy that you two are so close."

"Because you love her?"

Before the logical, analytical, rational part of his brain (which was dashing full tilt toward his metaphorical brain in a desperate attempt to get him to shut up at all costs) could weigh in, he said, "Yes. Is that ok?"

"Do you still love Mommy?"

"Yes," he answered truthfully. "Not the same way I love Hazel, but your mother and I will always be very close."

"Then I think its ok. Just please be nice to Hazel because she's always so nice to everyone. The other day, I told her I found a spider in my bathroom. Instead of making you come take care of it like Mommy would, or squishing it like you would, she got a cup and a piece of paper and trapped it so she could take it outside. She said spiders were our friends because they eat bugs that could make us sick."

"That's very true. Maybe I should try to be more like Hazel."

"Daddy!" she teased. "You can't be like Hazel. She's, like, a bugazillion times prettier than you."

"That she is, sweetheart," he replied with a warm smile. "Now. I think you should get to bed. You've had quite a day. Did you have fun?"

"Yes," she replied simply. "Nick played my favorite song on the guitar. He even knew all the words. He has a very pretty voice."

"I agree completely, although I think he'd prefer it if you said he has anamazingvoice. Boys his age don't typically like to be called pretty."

"Ok," she agreed in the way only young children could. She snuggled down into her blankets and turned on her side before murmuring, "I love you, Daddy."

"I love you too, Lena. Sweet dreams."

By the time he reached the door, she was asleep.

He made his way back out to the pool deck, passing a dwindling group of Nick's friends who were watching in awe as he softly played for them. John desperately hoped Nick was granted early admission to university so he could continue his growth as a performer, even though he was certain the young man had enough talent that he could already make a comfortable living playing. The thought of what life on the road could do to someone his age turned John's stomach. He had spent a few minutes at his office earlier researching the best music schools in the country and, even though he was certain it would cause more friction, he had submitted Nick's demo to several of the most prestigious.

He settled into his chair between Hazel and Elaine before scooping up yet another cocktail. He watched the two women regard him nervously, causing him to glance between them several times before ultimately saying, "What'd I do?"

"Nothing," Hazel replied.

"Nothing at all," Elaine finished.

He stood and said, "I'm going to go get started on the cleanup."

"John!" they both yelped as he started to depart.

"What?" he huffed upon turning back to face them. "I've obviously done something to annoy you both. Might as well get some chores done around here while I await my sentencing."

"We were fucking with you," Hazel pleaded.

"Mostly," Elaine amended. "But you should still stay. Hazel has had a wonderful idea for the evening's entertainment."

He glanced between them several times, taking in their obvious inebriation and the naughty expression on Hazel's face, before saying, "I'm not playing truth or dare."

"Damn it!" his girlfriend huffed.

Elaine brightened and said, "How about the game where you drink if you haven't..."

"Or never-have-I-ever," John added. "Come on, ladies. We're not children."

"You're no fun."

"Ok, Mr. Smarty-Pants," Hazel retorted. "Then you come up with something."

"How about complete honesty?"

"Pass," Elaine grumbled.

"Come on," Hazel pleaded with her friend. "What if we say you've only got to say one sentence each turn."

"Fine, but no follow-up questions."

"That'll be an awfully boring game," John predicted. "How about a penalty for questions."

"Remove an article of clothing?" Hazel asked hopefully.

"The kids are right inside," Elaine pointed out.

"If you ask a follow-up, the person you question gets to ask you anything."

"Ooh," Hazel enthused, rubbing her hands together. "I like it. I'll start. I never loved Thomas."

"Who could?" John observed darkly. He then spotted Hazel's triumphant expression and added, "That wasn't a follow-up. Just an observation."

"Damn."

"I lied to him about my birth control," Elaine said softly. She sat quietly for a moment before adding, "Not because I was trying to trap him, but because he made me so unhappy that I thought my only escape was a baby. The greatest day of my life, other than the day Nick was born, was the day he divorced me."

"I...um...damnit," John muttered.

"No cheating," Hazel chided.

"Fine. I'm a serial philanderer," he huffed. "Every woman I've ever been with was in a relationship at the time we first had sex."

"Um...wow," Hazel finally replied after sharing a long look with Elaine. "Although I'm not sure I count. Thomas had served me with divorce papers."

"But you were still married."

"I just have to know," Elaine finally grumbled. "How many women?"

"Four," John replied openly. "Katherine was dating this total toolbox who was just after her money when we met. In the interest of transparency, I didn'tknowshe was dating him at the time. Before her was my long-time college girlfriend, April. She was dating my roommate, who I totally guy-code fouled when I started dating her. But he was a shithead to everyone, especially to her. I never regretted it for an instant. The first girl, however, I stole from my former best friend. We dated for three weeks before she turned me in for the newer model. But I never got my friend back. The things teenaged boys will do to lose their virginity."

"I'm not sure I agree with your assessment," Elaine replied. "All of those seemed pretty defensible."

"I only truly felt bad about the first one, and less so for each one that followed. But the truth remains. Your turn. What's the first irresponsible thing you'd do if you had fuck-you money? Not paying bills or setting Nick up for college or buying a house. I'm talking about the first really extravagant thing."

"Buy a sailboat and sail from Miami to Aruba. And pay someone to teach me how to sail it, I guess. I've always loved the ocean."

"That sounds incredible," Hazel said reverently. "I never knew you loved the water so much."

"It's hard to even get down to the beach some years, but that's always my go-to for vacations."

Hazel took a hefty swallow of her cocktail and said, "I once had sex with four different people in a thirty-seven-hour period."

"Thirty-seven?" John quoted.

"I'm officially counting that as a follow-up question," Hazel declared playfully. "Yes. Although it would also be accurate to say it happened over a one-hour time frame because we were all in the same bed."

"I've been had," John muttered.

"Two girls, two guys, about two dozen condoms and nearly a week of walking funny after I convinced the guys to DP me."

"No, thank you," Elaine interjected. "One penis is plenty."

"I'm forced to agree with your assessment because one of the guys, I think it was George, got a little too enthusiastic and, in a matter of seconds, my back door went from a single-wide to a double-wide. Naturally I screamed, because it fucking hurt. Add to that the fact that those two were skeeved out enough by being naked in the same room; the fact that they touched dicks sent them to their corners like chastened boxers. Let's just say the evening ended unsatisfactorily for all involved."

"Might be exactly what you all deserved," Elaine observed with a chuckle.

John added, "I'm just glad to hear she's learned her lesson. Who knows what this scheming, polyandering minx will come up with next."

Hazel smiled at John and said, "On that note, what's the most lewd or lascivious thing you've ever fantasized about doing to, or with, Elaine?"

"Hazel!" Elaine hissed.

"What? I want to know. And none of those sappy cop-outs like going down on her all night long."

John tried, but ultimately failed, to ignore the grunt of arousal that escaped Elaine's lips at Hazel's comment. Rather than embarrassing him, her reaction emboldened him, and he said, "The shower."

"You're going to have to be more specific, sir. And, no, that's not a follow-up."

"We're making love as the water streams down our bodies. She's bent over and I'm behind her. I'm fondling her tits as I slam into her and she's looking at me over her shoulder in a way which tells me she's about to cum. I finish with her, and we're so worn out that we fall to the tile. As we sit there panting, I look over to see her lazily playing with our combined release as it flows from what, in my fantasy, is her delightfully hairy pussy."

"God damn, that's hot," Hazel sighed. She turned to Elaine and said, "Don't you think, honey?"

"How did you know?"

"Pardon?" John replied innocently.

"About my...bush..."

"I didn't. It's a fantasy."

"Your fantasy is for a woman to have thick pubic hair?" she retorted disbelievingly, "despite the fact that your girlfriend is completely shaved."

"I wasn't talking about women in general. I was talking about you."

"You bastard," she grumbled.

"What?"

"How the hell am I supposed to make responsible choices when you say something like that?"

"I'm not sure. But that's not the most important question."

"Then what is?"

"Since you asked a follow-up, what's your fantasy? And it has to involve all three of us."

"But I'm not bisexual," she replied softly.

"I know. That's what makes me so curious to know your answer."

"We're on a private beach watching the sun set. We're lying naked in the sand as the water laps at our feet. John is between us and we're teasing each other. As things grow more heated, we take turns kissing him and going down on him. Next, we take turns on top of him, one of us straddling his face while the other rides his cock. Then he takes over. We lie side-by-side, holding hands as he takes us each in turn. After we both climax, John covers our breasts with his seed. After he snaps a picture of us so that we always have a memento of our perfect evening, we go for a midnight swim."

"That sounds incredible," Hazel sighed lustily. "You two are nominated as co-chairs for the fantasy committee."

"Oh, come off it," Elaine huffed. "We all know you'd never be happy if you couldn't be with both of us at the same time."

"Not true," Hazel retorted. "Oh, I'll admit I'm plenty attracted to both of you. But the fact that you wouldn't be as into it makes it a non-starter because it would be one-sided."

"I'd make a go of it, for your sake," Elaine said before chuckling and adding, "At least in this entirely hypothetical fantasy world we're discussing entirely hypothetically."

"You're a true friend," Hazel said warmly. "But that's not necessary. I just want us all to be happy together. I guess it's my turn now, so I'll freely admit that nothing would make me happier in this moment than to watch your first kiss."

"The kids are right inside," Elaine hissed.

"It's dark out here. They can barely see us. Besides, do you really think Nick would mind if he saw his mother kiss the best man she's ever met?"

"Maybe?" Elaine whispered morosely.

"Just kiss him," Hazel pleaded. "You both want to; I want you to; you know it will be magical. What's the downside?"

"What if I'm terrible at it?"

John took her hand and said, "We both know that's impossible."

"But I haven't kissed anyone like that in...well...a long time."

"Kissing isn't about technique," he said softly. "It's about the connection two people share."

"What makes you think we have a connection?"

John leaned toward her as he murmured, "The way your breathing is speeding up; the way your eyes are widening; the way you're licking your lips."

"But..." she whispered pleadingly.

He smiled as he let his eyes skim over her body. "The way the goosebumps are rising on the skin of your chest; the way your nipples are pebbling; the way you're clenching your thighs together."

"Oh, John," she gasped before surging forward into him and crushing her lips against his.

Twenty-Eight

John's entire world paused the moment Elaine's lips touched his own. Through her touch, he felt all her pain; and her strength; and her desire. But all of those emotions paled in comparison to the overwhelming goodness of the woman who was melting into his arms. His affection for her surged in perfect synchronization with his lust, and he groaned into her mouth as her tongue hungrily breached his lips.

Their kiss deepened even further as he pulled her onto his lap, and she felt his arousal throbbing beneath her taut ass. His hands slid up her body, memorizing each of her graceful curves as he went. With every movement that brought his touch closer to her breasts, her breathing quickened. As he paused his fingers' journey at the bottom of her ribs, she whimpered adorably in protest.

"Please touch me," she softly pleaded before claiming his lips once more.

His cock jerked beneath her impeccable ass the moment his fingers grazed her breast. He was amazed at what he found there. Elaine's breasts were comfortably D-cups, but unlike Hazel's massive tits which were breathtakingly soft and pillowy, they were firm while still retaining their feminine suppleness. He teased her, trailing his fingertips in an ever-shrinking circle in a lengthy journey toward her nipple. When his knuckle grazed her pebbled bud, she bucked in his lap and threw her head back in silent ecstasy. He kissed her neck and felt as though he could feel her racing pulse beneath her pale skin.

"Yes," she hissed, grinding her ass against his agonizingly hard manhood.

He abandoned his libidinous groping of her breast and slid his hand up to the back of her neck to pull her lips back to his own. Deliberately deepening their kiss while relaxing his body, he focused solely on the exquisite sensation of kissing her. She matched his slower pace, sighing into his lips as her tongue languidly slicked against his own. The relative calmness of their bodies stood in stark contrast to the emotions roiling within the couple. John reveled in the feeling of serenity that enveloped him in a way which surpassed relatively mundane concepts like lust or desire and leapt straight into the realm of soul-melding affection, if not outright love. This remarkable feeling was only heightened by the absolute certainty that her feelings matched his own.

John was brought back to the matter at hand by yet another soft sigh from his partner, and he resumed his careful memorization of her impeccable body. Her lips tasted like citrus and ginger, thanks in large part to the cocktails they had been sharing. He inhaled deeply, savoring the sweet scent of vanilla and honey infusing her hair. His hand slid down to her hip, but she was quick to push his hand lower and encourage him to caress her delectable derriere.

Their lips parted haltingly, with each partner taking turns reclaiming the other's lips rather than allowing their kiss to reach its inevitable conclusion. Her forehead dropped to his as their lips reluctantly parted, and they fought to catch their breath. He gazed into her eyes lovingly and knew with absolute certainty that he would do anything in his power to guarantee her happiness.

Hazel broke the silence by triumphantly whispering, "I knew it!"

"No one likes a sore winner," John replied softly without taking his eyes from Elaine's.

"I'm not bragging, silly," Hazel retorted without rancor. "I'm just so happy for both of you."

"Thank you," Elaine replied sincerely. "And now, you must kiss him. I'm not yet sure what this is, or what any of this means, but I won't allow jealousy to exist between us. If we're to share him, then we do it completely. Neither of us gets anything which is not offered to the other."

"Sounds good to me," Hazel replied as she stood to round the table.

Elaine stood as well and hugged her friend adoringly. John watched unashamedly, not because the sight was in any way lustful, but rather because of the beautiful, yet wholly platonic, love they shared. Their embrace lasted well in excess of a minute, and John knew his own eyes were not the only ones that were misty as they parted. Hazel flowed into his lap as Elaine took the chair beside them.

As soon as Hazel was seated, she exclaimed, "My goodness, you're hard baby."

"What do you expect? I had a hot-to-death MILF making out with me."

"Is that so?" she replied playfully. "Can I assume from your use of that acronym that you do, in fact, want to fuck her?"

"No," he replied with a smirk in Elaine's direction. "But I'd very much like to make love with her."

"Such a charmer," Elaine teased as she stroked his arm.

"Perhaps I should help her out and go down on you first," Hazel mused. "Just to ensure you're at peak efficiency."

"Hazel!" Elaine gasped.

"What?" the blonde replied in confusion. "It's wonderful. John is so gentle, and his cum tastes like salted caramel."

"Ok," Elaine said slowly. "That's good to know, but not really what I meant."

"I'm confused."

"I was just...never mind."

"Please tell me."

Elaine sighed and said, "There's no etiquette guide for sharing a man. Or harems. Or whatever this is called. Believe me, I checked. I know you were here first, so I guess that means you get dibs."

Hazel reached for Elaine's hand and said, "Nothing could be further from the truth. We're equals. In everything. I'm just not sure what I did to upset you."

"It's just...I wanted to go down on him," Elaine pouted.

"Oh!" Hazel replied brightly as she squirmed libidinously on John's lap. "I think he likes that idea. And so do I." She smiled before leaning towards him and murmuring, "But not before I get my kiss."

Their lips met unhurriedly, and she melted into him as their tongues slicked together. Her hands fisted in his hair, tilting his head so she could further deepen their connection. They swallowed each other's loving sighs as the unspoken declaration of love further strengthened their bond, and any lingering doubt he had about adding Elaine to their relationship evaporated.