“You’ll see.” He tilted his head to one side as he usually did when he teased her.
Miranda found the gesture appealing. She knew that look. It was a sign he had something different in mind, and that was usually an enjoyable time. She settled back in the passenger seat of the BMW, looking out the window. For a car that had almost killed her, she’d strangely come to like it.
The Manhattan skyline gave way to low-cost buildings, and then to cheap inexpensive housing. Finally, the car came to a stop in front of what looked like a construction site. Wolfe ushered Miranda into an enclosed canopy leading to an open doorway where a flurry of activity took place. Workmen painted and assembled walls, electricians installed wiring, and masons put the final touches on floors.
Miranda looked around with interest. “What is all this?”
“Welcome to ‘Doorway to Hope’, Hawkins Pharmaceuticals’ very own outreach program.” Wolfe looked around with evident satisfaction. “This place will provide temporary housing for the homeless until we find something more permanent for them.”
Miranda was blown away. She wasn’t aware he had any pursuits in that direction. “That’s truly awesome!”
“Follow me.” He led her towards the back.
Entering a room, Miranda saw some men hard at work on a long table. A familiar face looked up and broke into a smile. “Hey, Miranda. Come to cook for us?”
Miranda’s mouth dropped open. “Ben?” She hadn’t seen her ‘hungry regular’ in weeks and had been worried something had happened to him.
Ben saw her companion and ducked his head. “Morning, Mr. Hawkins, Sir.” He presented Wolfe with a list. “These are the names and places they frequent as far back as I can remember.”
Wolfe cast a look at the list. “This is great work. Thank you, Ben.” He squeezed the man’s hand and joined the others at the table.
Out of Wolfe’s earshot, Miranda asked, “Ben, you’ve been here all this time? I was worried about you when you didn’t show up.”
“Nothing to worry about, Miranda,” the homeless man replied. “Mr. Hawkins has been taking care of us. Says he needs our help to get this thing going.” He shook his head. “I doubt a man like him could ever need anything from us. I suspect it’s just a front to give us back some of our dignity.”
Miranda teared up. “When did this all begin?”
“The night he came to the Center worried about the food boxes. You were busy cooking out back and we were out there waiting to be fed. He talked to us about it. Remember that night?”
“Of course I do.” How could she forget the night they first met?
“You don’t need to worry about cooking for us. Me and Mr. Hawkins, we talked to some of the ladies. They do most of the cooking now. Keeps them away from gossip and catfights.” Ben grinned and started detailing the similar projects Wolfe had planned. “This is only the beginning.”
As Ben talked, Miranda’s eyes strayed back to Wolfe. She watched him mingling with everyone, from the construction staff to those like Ben. He seemed to have a word for everyone, remembering their particular concerns and listening to their worries. Watching him pat an elderly man on his shoulder as he assured him that he wouldn’t be asked to give up the elderly terrier that had been his sole companion for years, Miranda felt she saw a new, compassionate side to Wolfe.
She sniffed, becoming aware of a tasty smell. “Something smells good.”
Ben elbowed her cheerfully. “When the ladies heard Mr. Hawkins was bringing you for lunch, they decided to pull out all the stops. You’ll be surprised.”
The ladies outdid themselves, preparing a simple but satisfying lunch for everyone. As Miranda savored the hearty stew, she watched them vie to make Wolfe smile. Everywhere he goes he has women competing for his attention. Miranda laughed as Ben shooed them away, scolding them for taking up too much of Mr. Hawkins time.
She was surprised to realize that it was getting dark. Evening already? The afternoon had flown by.
Wolfe appeared to share her realization. “We have to get going, I’m afraid. Thank you for your hospitality. You’ve given Miranda and me an afternoon to remember.” The group gathered round
to say goodbye, Wolfe assuring everyone that work on ‘Doorway to Hope’ was progressing nicely and he would be back to see them again.
Dusk had fallen when they reached the city. Miranda was silent, still digesting everything she’d seen that day. She felt strange, almost shy. Wolfe was not everything she thought. He is more—so much more.
Wolfe’s eyes met hers in the rear-view mirror. He looked at her with concern. “Tired? Want me to drop you off at your apartment?”
Seconds passed before Miranda replied. “No. I’d like to stay with you longer, if that’s alright.” She reached out a hand and intertwined her fingers with his. It was a blatant invitation that she was afraid to put into words.
From the way Wolfe’s eyes darkened, she knew he understood. “I have a bottle of Cabernet at my place.”
Miranda smiled. “That sounds great.”
As she entered Wolfe’s apartment, her confidence teetered. She ignored her fears, determined to overcome an issue that plagued her. She’d always viewed sex with disdain, an act done merely to satisfy the body’s craving, a necessity dictated by hormones. Her heart had always remained locked up tight, unable to connect with her lovers, leading to a string of failed romances.
With Wolfe, things were imperceptibly different. Miranda’s pulse quickened at her awareness of him walking behind her. She missed him when he was away, missed the sound of his voice. She even missed his teasing. She couldn’t wait to see him again. When they were together, the hours flew so quickly.
She looked out the window at the magnificent view below. But while her eyes were on the view, all her attention was on Wolfe. Seeing him at ‘Doorway to Hope’ triggered a yearning that was now the reason she was here with him. She wanted to know him and feel him. And maybe, just maybe, Wolfe could lift the mantle that had blanketed her heart for so long. She turned, accepting the wine glass he offered.
Wolfe filled her glass with all the aplomb of a sommelier. With Miranda attended to, he poured himself a glass and raised it to her. “To us,” he said seriously. “And to whatever the future holds.”
Miranda tapped her glass to his and took a small sip, watching Wolfe do the same. His face was devoid of his usual, charming air. Instead, she saw hesitancy in his movements — and a look in his eyes he couldn’t disguise.
Miranda put her wineglass down. She inched closer and rested her head on his shoulder. She heard him breathe in, long and slow, even as his arm encircled her waist. His hand settled beside her navel as he pulled her against him, her backside positioned against his front.
Miranda pressed her cheek against the side of his face, relishing the rough, stubbly sensation. His hot uneven breath on her cheek made her heart flutter madly, sending a signal it wanted more.
Her own breath came short and quick as she pressed harder against him. She heard a sharp intake of breath and he pushed back. Mere seconds later, she felt the slow awakening of his cock.
He maneuvered her so that she was now facing him. His eyes reflected the twinkling lights of the city behind her. From his breath emanated the aroma of Cabernet which Miranda found intoxicating. “Miranda,” he said, his voice filled with longing, “are you sure this is what you want?”
In answer, she reached out, splaying her fingers on the nape of his neck, lowering his head to hers as she offered her lips for a kiss.
His mouth landed gently on her lower lip, capturing it. Miranda sought and found his upper lip. It was a slow, sensual reintroduction even as Miranda measured her own feelings. There was no caution, no doubt, and no misgivings. Just the pleasant sensation of lips intertwined.
Miranda felt the wetness of his tongue as he searched, probing her mouth slowly, and then prodding her gradually until she responded with her own. He skillfully stroked the inside of her mouth with his tongue
. The attention affected Miranda’s body. Heat flared between her legs.
Wolfe traced the distance from her waist to her breast with his hand. His touch was warm and gentle against the fabric of her blouse before becoming more insistent and demanding.
“I want you in my bed,” he whispered in her ear.
Miranda didn’t need any further persuasion. She followed Wolfe to his bedroom, standing beside the bed as Wolfe discarded his shirt. He unzipped his jeans and slithered out of them. Then he attended to her, slowly unbuttoning her blouse. His breaths hitched as he pulled it open revealing her bra. He unhooked the bra expertly in one swift movement. He took a moment to admire her beauty before he stretched out his hands to explore.
Miranda squirmed from the pleasure of his palms caressing her bare nipples. Wolfe’s hands turned more assertive and persistent, making her nipples throb. The feeling spread.
She clawed at her skirt, pulling it away from her thighs. Her panties joined the heap on the floor. She had an overwhelming need to feel her skin against his. Her muscles tingled as he explored the depression at the base of her throat with his fingertips, skimming gently against her clavicle, and then moving down the side of her arms. There he made a detour, stroking the underside of her breasts before resting gently on both sides of her hips.
Wolfe guided her gently onto the bed. His mouth took command where his fingers left off, drawing patterns of wet kisses from her breastbone to her navel. Miranda felt a shiver down her spine knowing what was coming next. He pushed her thighs wide open. She let out a ragged sigh as his tongue made contact.
“You’re so wet, Miranda.”
Miranda didn’t need to be told. She knew she was dripping wet. It was like all the restrained emotions from her past were suddenly recognized and set free. Wolfe circled her clitoris with his tongue, gradually increasing the speed and pressure. A prolonged gasp escaped her lips.
“Hold still,” Wolfe ordered, a command impossible to obey as he changed pace, his tongue moving in the opposite direction.
Miranda felt her ass thrust towards him as he drove her to distraction by avoiding her swollen clit. It had the dual effect of making her feel wonderful and frustrated at the same time. She suspected Wolfe knew exactly what he was doing, making her as horny as possible so she became putty in his hands.
It worked. Miranda felt her whole body trembling with a crazy cocktail of desire coupled with fatigue. “You’re going to make me cum.” Her voice was so slurry she hardly recognized it as her own.
Wolfe fucked her even harder with his tongue, driving Miranda closer to her first orgasm. The sensation that began in her brain traveled in waves to her pussy. Her hips bucked wildly as she surrendered to the call. The waves were like undulating crests that sharpened her senses in a sweet agony until it ebbed.
“Good girl.”
Wolfe’s voice recalled her to reality. Her own satisfaction did not blind her to the fact that his cock was rigid, hanging just inches away from her.
At that moment something new took over her. A desire to give back the pleasure she’d just experienced. The desire was accompanied by a feeling of freedom that she’d never felt before. She eyed his engorged member and reached for it. “I’d like to continue, if you don’t mind.”
She knelt before him. Wolfe gently guiding her head to where he needed her attention most. She took him into her mouth. At first, he guided her, but as he realized she knew what she wanted, he let her take over.
He ran his fingers through her hair, caressing her cheeks He moved his hips in tandem with the movement of her mouth, and Miranda heard his breathing become strained.
Her lips grew firmer, pressed harder against his cock. He responded with thrusts that became more insistent. Primordial groans emanated from his lips and Miranda sensed that he was close.
She wanted him to come in her mouth. A token of appreciation for all the things he’d done for her. She’d never done it before. The idea repulsed her. But she was willing to do it for him to prove her gratitude.
As if he could read her mind, Wolfe pulled away slowly. “No. Not now. There’s something else I want to do with you.” He placed her gently on her back and straddled her. “I am going to make love to you now,” he whispered as he mounted her.
Wolfe lined his penis up against the opening of her vagina. Miranda was taken by surprise as he filled her slowly. She moaned gently as he pushed her hair aside. He smothered her neck with kisses, sucking and biting her tenderly.
Intense pleasure filled her as he slid his cock all the way inside. He pulled out slowly until the head of his cock was almost outside her pussy before sliding back in with a sudden thrust.
His mouth moved from her neck down to her nipples as his body formed an arc over her own. He sucked her nipples, swirling the sensitive buds with his tongue, alternating between her breasts, until she felt a familiar heat pooling between her legs.
Wolfe increased the intensity of every thrust, going harder and faster until Miranda thought she would surely fly across the room. He pumped her wildly. She arched her back and met his every thrust. At his urging, she raised her hips, giving Wolfe even deeper access to her vagina.
He thrust into her like a man possessed. “You’re mine, Miranda.”
As soon as he said it, Miranda felt it to be true. In that moment, she forgot the agreement, the kitchen, and the differences between their worlds. All that mattered was Wolfe and her. “Yes,” Miranda moaned in reply.
Finally, she was free of her past, no longer a prisoner of her own fears.
They were both sweating profusely when Miranda reached the peak of her own desires. She clawed his back and bucked wildly beneath him. It was all Wolfe needed to finally explode. Miranda felt the warm squirt of his cum inside her before he collapsed into a heap in her arms.
When his heavy breathing subsided, Wolfe raised his head, staring deep into her eyes. “You blew my mind.”
Miranda chuckled. It was exactly how she felt about him, judging from the bells ringing in her ears.
But that wasn’t the only reason she was in bed with him now. Lying with him, her body pressed against his, she couldn’t fool herself. She was in awe of him - in awe of how easily he could use his power and connection to make life so much easier for her. Thanks to him, her dream business was slowly taking shape.
But it was more than mere gratitude. It was the way he seemed to care, the way he looked at her, teasing and thoughtful as if he anticipated her every mood. It was the careful way he held her like she was made from Dresden china.
Against her will, Miranda opened her heart to him far wider than she intended. She recognized it for what it was. She had fallen in love with Wolfe Hawkins. The recognition made her feel both giddy and terrified.
Wolfe wiggled out of her arms. He reached for a box on his bedside table. He handed it to her. “I hope you’re ready for this.”
“What is it?” Miranda glanced at the box. She hoped it wasn’t a gift for sleeping with him. The thought made her cringe.
“Open it.” Wolfe sat up, watching her reaction closely.
She opened the box. Inside was a key.
Wolfe met her eyes hesitantly. “I know we talked about this. I’m just wondering if you’re ready to move in with me?”
Moving in with him was part of the arrangement. Miranda knew why he wanted that to happen. His mom had to be convinced they were really engaged before she handed her shares to him.
“Yes, of course,” Miranda replied.
Understanding the significance of the key didn’t necessarily make her feel all right with it—especially knowing that she had fallen in love with the man who was her partner in this deception.
Chapter Eight
Miranda looked up at the Hawkins Pharmaceutical building. The skyscraper reflected the gray of the overcast sky above. It looked grim, and Miranda shivered. But she promised Wolfe that she would go through with it. She was elated when he said she wouldn’t be doing it alone. He planned on
being right there beside her. That meant so much to her.
Paying his lawyer a visit and talking through the formalities for their agreement was a reasonable request. But delivering her side of the bargain didn’t remove the fear she felt about seeing Wolfe’s attorney.
She took a deep breath and walked into the lobby. The security guards recognized her now, and she made her way to the elevator to his office. But as the doors closed behind her, Miranda was conscious of the tension in her shoulders and chest. Wolfe is upstairs waiting for me. He always calmed her fears.
Since Wolfe had mentioned the appointment with his lawyer, she’d been plagued by memories of the small holding cell where she was brought by the immigration authorities. The lawyer assigned to her then was short and stout, with horn-rimmed glasses and a sweaty face. He was in a rush, muttering about the tons of paperwork he had to do. He’d looked at his watch as she told her story, barely listening to her pleas. To him, she was just another statistic, an irksome problem that had to be dealt with. He told her that hers was an open and shut case with no option but to suffer the humiliating experience of being sent back to her country, like some piece of unclaimed and unwanted meat. When will I get over this fear?
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