Free MMF BISEXUAL ROMANCE: Phoenix Running by Nicole Stewart Page B

cashews. Wallace had left crumbs on the screen. He brushed them off, annoyed. Cee-Cee had texted him back. Phoenix couldn’t keep the smile from spreading across his lips as he opened the message and read it.
    I think that can be arranged, Mr. Mayor. By the way, Ashley told me to tell you hello. He’ll be sticking around in the area for a few weeks. Interested in hanging out with him again?
    Phoenix set the phone aside and leaned his head back on the couch, staring up at the ceiling. The ceiling fan circled lazy revolutions as the instrumental on the stereo filled the silence. Did he want to spend time with Ashley again? The answer was yes. He wanted to do more than see him, but Phoenix couldn't admit that.
    It took him a while to compose an answer that he was happy with. In the end, he kept it simple and noncommittal:
    Let me think about it.

Chapter 8
    G ina Lafitte opted to wear a daring red romper to the impromptu meeting with Briton’s council on Tuesday morning.
    When Cee-Cee slid into the room (five minutes late), the catty businesswoman was the first to catch her eye. Gina tossed her dazzling red hair and smiled. Then Cee-Cee noticed Uncle Bryan grimacing as she tiptoed to her chair, his gaze following her. Cee-Cee couldn’t help being late again. She had had to take over a class for her professor and wasn’t able to get away early enough to get to work on time, but what the hell could she miss in the first five minutes?
    Grumbling under her breath, she threw herself into her chair and dug out her tablet and stylus, ready to get to work. She had no idea why the meeting had been called. She had been in communication with Briton since the weekend, aimless texts that served to build their connection, but he hadn’t mentioned anything about a meeting today.
    After Briton’s team handled their portion of the conference, her uncle took to the podium to discuss his end of the business. “Fundraising,” he opened. “It’s a well-known fact Mayor Briton has a history of being the most giving politician ever to run our noble town. Last year alone, Mayor Briton gave away over a quarter million dollars of his money to worthy causes, but much of his charitable activity never makes it to the paper. Why is that?”
    “Because I’m a private man,” Phoenix answered the rhetorical question. All eyes turned to the charismatic mayor seated at the head of the table. Cee-Cee licked her lips as she took in the broad shoulders filling out Phoenix’s russet sweater. His dark hair fell across his high forehead, and he brushed it back in place. His chocolate eyes paused on each of the people at the table as he considered each of them in turn, but when his gazed reached Cee-Cee, he stopped and smiled.
    She ducked her head, unable to keep from smiling back.
    “It’s always been my belief that people who make a big show of how much they give or what they do to help others are only doing it to get attention. I give and do for others because it’s the right thing to do. I couldn’t care less about pats on the back for doing it,” he said.
    Bryan clapped. His applause elicited applause from others at the table, and Cee-Cee enthusiastically clapped along. An attitude like that was why Phoenix Briton would win reelection. Who wouldn’t want a man like that at the helm? She beamed at the mayor and turned back to her uncle to hear his rebuttal.
    “I like the way you think, Mayor Briton. That’s why as your public relations team, we seek to highlight your best works without grandstanding. We think your upcoming Children’s Tumor Foundation fundraiser should make the news, and there’s a way to do it without putting you in the spotlight.”
    Gina piped up, “For instance, we hire a celebrity appearance. We use the fundraiser as a soft endorsement. When Richard Gere endorsed Hilary Clinton, it was a boon for her campaign.”
    Cee-Cee looked aside, a thought forming as the conversation flowed around her. Phoenix seemed to be on