Jeannie Gallagher smiled, a sculpted face beneath a rolling mane of chestnut hair, long and wavy and flowing over her shoulders. “How is your lovely little daughter,” she asked?
“She’s … amazing, thank you.”
Griffin smiled. “I’m sure you two will work well together. Jeannie, you’ll see that Lorraine gets everything she needs. First thing, what kind of property do we hold in the boroughs?”
Jeannie flinched just a bit, but didn’t lose her professional smile. “Off-hand, I’m not exactly sure. There should be some, but, I don’t know, we had a pretty big sell-off before the bubble burst.”
“But we did 1031s,” Griffin said, adding, “of course.”
“Oh, of course, of course,” Jeannie said. “I just have to go through the files, see what we’ve got.”
“Make it job one,” Griffin said, checking his watch. “I’ve got an eleven o’clock with Douglass down in accounting. Okay,” he added with a knowing smile, “be careful out there.” He stepped toward the door, sharing a smile with Lorraine before she is turning back to discuss matters with Jeannie as Griffin slips out of the conference room and down the hall.
Lorraine went on chatting with Jeannie, but she couldn’t ignore the feeling that her new colleague, Ki Fong, was staring at her from behind, negative energy seething out of him before his own quick and quiet exit. Lorraine glanced to see him go, posture rigid, stride fast and certain. He was a man with somewhere to go and something to do. What that was, Lorraine wasn’t sure, and she wasn't sure she wanted to know.
“So,” Jeannie said, commanding Lorraine’s attention, “learning centers, eh? Let’s talk about it over lunch.”
Del Frisco’s Grille was just off Rockefeller Plaza, with a sweeping bar elegant fixtures. The kale and brussel sprout salad was cool and crisp, flavorful and peppery with just a splash of fresh lemon. It went perfectly with a cup of hot Earl Grey tea.
Jeannie leaned slightly forward over her own steakhouse salad, strips of red meat draped over a bed of lettuce and other fresh, colorful vegetables. “So, you’ve finally decided you've been cooped up too long?”
“I wouldn’t put it that way. We've managed to do some traveling, even with Kayla. Our manny is such a blessing. And I love spending time at home, raising the kids, watching Ashe come out of his shell.”
“I have to say, you have done wonders for that family. When I think about Ashe, three years ago he wouldn’t even talk. What happened, it was … I mean, don’t take this the wrong way, because I know you almost died and everything, but … it was kind of a miracle, don’t you think?”
“I suppose I do. You’re religious?”
“No, I didn’t mean miracle in a religious sense. I just meant, it was … it was just amazing, that’s what I meant. And it’s because of you, Lorraine, make no mistake. Only one person could have turned those two around, believe me.”
Lorraine paused, but didn’t wait long enough. “You mean, because you tried, too?”
After a stunned moment, Jeannie let out an exasperated chuckle. “No, Lorraine, no way, that’s not what I mean at all.” Lorraine just sat there, slowly chewing her salad and letting Jeannie go on. She knew she was the new kid on the company block, but she had to let them know she wouldn’t be intimidated or played for a fool, even if she was one. “I don’t drink from the company well, if you know what I mean. It never works out, and sometimes it can be absolutely disastrous.”
“You’ve done it before?”
“No, that’s … I mean, I’ve seen it happen, with colleagues and friends. But you, you’re above all that. You’re married to the CEO, owner and president. That’s his name on the door, and on you!”
Lorraine couldn’t deny that there was some truth in what Jeannie was saying, even if there was no truth in what she was insinuating. “I know I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for Griffin,” Lorraine said, “that’s for sure. But I do plan to do some good, and this was my idea. So I hope nobody has the wrong impression of me being here just playing house.”
“No, Lorraine, of course not, nobody thinks that.”
Hhhhmmmm, Lorraine had to wonder, how many lies is that just this morning? Not the first, that’s for sure; definitely won’t be the last.
“Anyway, we’ll get you all set up. Griffin’s taking a meeting with Dennis Douglass, he’s the head of our accounting department. He’ll be able to tell us how much money we can get our hands on, how soon, and I’ll set up the accounts, take care of the paperwork.”
“Wow, that’s … that’s incredible, Jeannie, thank you.”
Jeannie waved her off. “No need to thank me, this is my job. I put projects together like this for Griffin all the time; shell corporations, shadow companies, buying and selling things, it’s all part of what I do.”
“Head of operations,” Lorraine said, “that’s a lot of territory. Are you sure your plate’s not too full as it is?”
Jeannie shrugged. “Griffin wants me to do it, I’ll do it. I don’t question him. Anyway, it’ll be fun, and I want to make sure it gets done right.”
Lorraine knew why Jeannie felt that way, she didn’t need to clarify. It wasn’t Jeannie’s commitment to the idea of the learning centers. Jeannie must have known that to serve Mrs. Phoenix successfully, would be to serve Mr. Phoenix successfully, and that was her true purpose. Lorraine would be a means to that end, but she didn’t mind. She’d be using the eager Jeannie Gallagher to the maximum of her professional abilities, that was what mattered. That’s what would get the job done.
But Jeannie was also right about something else; Lorraine was privy to Griffin’s ear the way Jeannie simply wasn’t, not to mention the rest of him.
Chapter 4
Griffin peeled off Lorraine’s dress and let it fall to the floor. She stood before him, goosebumps rising on her naked flesh. He was the only man who’d ever had her, and he would be the only man who ever would . He would have her wholly and completely and with a mastery he brought with every kiss, every faint caress.
And that was just the approach he used, his hands flat, fingers outlining the curves of her body. But his hands didn’t touch her, not even the slightest glance of skin against skin. Instead, Lorraine stood there imagining that sweet sensation, yearning for it, desperate for it.
But she still was not getting it.
“You’re glorious,” Griffin said, “you’re a work of art, a masterpiece. I don’t even dare to touch you.” He passed his hands teasingly over her breasts and they heaved with her gasp, but Griffin wouldn’t be fooled and his hands pulled back, just beyond the realm of touch.
Take me, Lorraine silently urged him, throw me onto that bed and fuck me like crazy! Grab my tits, flick my nipples the way I love. His breath collected around her breasts and firm, taught belly, but he still didn’t touch her, and Lorraine’s nerves were beginning to jangle just from being so close to that anticipated anarchy of their lusty collision.
She wanted to reach out and pull him close, smother his face in her breasts, squeeze him so tight she might envelop him altogether, wrapping around him, ingesting him.
God, Lorraine thought, I want him inside me so bad!
Griffin hovered in front of Lorraine, nearly trembling to think of the pleasures to come. His face hovered near her crotch, lips flinching and twitching in hope that he might give them a little kiss, his tongue probing and seducing her clit to come out and play. Lorraine could imagine the depth and curvature of that flexible little muscle, wet and wandering into her innermost crevices, in front and behind. Griffin was fearless, and he delighted in delivering sensations she never could have imagined, would never forget, and could no longer live without.
Once at Lorraine’s feet, he began kissing her, lips pulling gently at her skin, the tops of her feet and ankles, slender and small. Her legs trembled as his lips found the bottoms of her calves, head between her legs as he kissed the strong curves of her calf muscles, giving her a playful little bite as he approached her knees.
She spread her legs just a bit, her balance threatened to give way but didn’t, despite her passionate distraction. As he ascended, kissing the backs of her knees and thighs, the top of his head was glancing against her pussy, the slightest touch sending waves of sumptuous pleasure through her. Just thinking about his huge cock plunging into her was enough to make Lorraine want to cum, her juices, her salty tide rising within her.
His mouth found her inner thighs, nerves twitching under her smooth skin as he kissed higher … higher …
She spread her legs a bit further, body lowering toward him. Lorraine had to put her hands on Griffin’s shoulders for support. She relied on him for so much, she knew: his love, their family, their lifestyle; and at that moment, just to remain on her feet.
He kissed her pussy and Lorraine was ready to burst. Her fingers dug into Griffin’s naked shoulders, muscles hard and unyielding beneath her clenched grasp. He gave each lip a kiss of its own, exquisitely gentle, the sensation registering straight up her body. She felt every little touch, his breath as he exhaled, breathing his energy into her. Lorraine’s fingers found his dusty blond hair, pulling at it, stalks rising up between her lusty fists. She wanted to push Griffin’s face into her crotch, push him in so far and so hard that his entire head would pierce her, that magnificent brain and gorgeous face, fucking her like some massive member all its own.
At least give me that tongue, Lorraine silently pleaded, stick it in there, waggle it around the way you do. Lick it up so long … lick it ’til it burns, you son of a bitch!
But he didn’t. Instead his kisses traced higher, her flat stomach pulsing in and out, Griffin’s patient tour of her naked body preceding around her lean waist and ribs like the waves under a heaving sea. Lorraine’s heart beat faster the closer his lips came to her breasts, finally kissing the dewy under curves, nipples rising hard, goosebumps rising around them. A little gasp rose up, squirming in her throat, wispy and delighted.
He took one nipple into his mouth, pulling at it just a bit, tongue circling around it and giving it a familiar little flick. Waves of teasing tension rising, her orgasm already fighting for release. But she held it down, knowing it would only be better, bigger, eventually a continuous roll of ecstasy passing again and again, bigger and bigger with every passing moment.
It shook her body, unwilling to be tormented any longer. But it had no choice, and Lorraine’s cum rebelled, her loins a battlefield, her pleasure the prize.
Fuck me, Griffin, fuck me now!
But he wouldn’t.
His kisses rose slowly above her breasts, her arms falling against the sides of his head. His breath was hot at the nape of her neck, her shoulders arching to meet his curious kisses, hard nipples lightly touching his muscular chest, his own nipples glancing off hers to explosive effect.
Lorraine’s head fell forward, the smell of his hair racing into her nostrils, his essence poured up and out of him and into her. She breathed deep, Griffin’s energy filling her lungs, fulfilling her soul.
His face meeting Lorraine’s, their lips meeting at long last, tongues probing, smashing and dancing in relieved reunion. His strong arms wrap around her, pulling Lorraine close with command and certainty, her own arms meeting behind his neck, chins, noses and foreheads rolling against one another.
There was no time to wait, not even time to lay down. Lorraine was overwhelmed with taunted lust, her orgasm possessing her, inhabiting her body, possessing her soul. She pushed Griffin backward, hands flat against his chest as she forced him against the bedroom wall. He smiled at her, devilishly. He knew what she was going to do and he was ready.
Griffin hit the bedroom wall with a loud thud. Taller than Lorraine, he lowered himself just a bit, his powerful legs splayed and bent at the knees. She climbed up on Griffin’s legs, hands gripping the back of his thick neck, the other pulling at his long, muscled arm. With her feet flat against the tops of Griffin’s thighs, Lorraine lowered herself down onto his huge, hard cock. She clung to him with one hand and guided him in with the other. His massive member was familiar to her pussy, the only cock she’d ever known. But each entry was special, every moment of contact between his hot hammer and her curling, waiting clit was like magic, like an impossible lie come undeniably to life.
Lorraine’s feet slid off of his legs and she slid down a bit, gravity doing its part to bring the two even closer together. She groaned as she descended, her legs shaking, feet pressing against the back of his calves to support her. Lorraine pushed up against Griffin’s legs, the wall supporting him as she went up and down, deep and slow, her legs and arms guiding her, hips adding the sensual detail.
A shake of her body, Griffin unyielding in front of her, Lorraine’s strength grew and her orgasm grew with it. Deeper and faster, She began to bounce on Griffin’s dick, circular rotations and a flutter of pumps released her orgasm at long last, the walls of her discipline crumbling as the waves of heat poured over and threw her. It pushed up into her throat, filling her ribcage to drown her heart, lungs filling with her own cum.
Lorraine pumped harder, her body shaking and cumming and that shaking made her cum even harder, her orgasm shaking her further in a cycle of energy and release that threatened to tear her apart. There was only one remedy; to pump harder and wriggle on that huge cock as it filled her. Griffin was leaning against the wall and looking at her in amazement, love overwhelming his eyes as he stared at her with an otherworldly lust. Pump and shake and cum and quiver, Lorraine couldn’t stop herself even if she wanted to, and she didn’t.
Griffin pumped, pushing himself from off the wall for the first time and Lorraine knew he was cumming. She could sense it, feel his long, thick dick flinching and spitting out that massive blast of hot, salty cum. Lorraine spilled out a cry of relief and release to feel that surge pouring into her, her own orgasm still bubbling and raging to mix with his own. She was a vessel of their energy, the center point of their colossal, earth-crushing desire for one another. Her eye sight went blurry, hearing dull, unable to breathe as she leaned back, clinging to Griffin, their naked legs pressing… a twisted statue dedicated to their passion and their love.
Chapter 5
“I dunno, Grif,” Lorraine said, just a touch of whine in her voice, “a press conference, really?”
“Absolutely,” Griffin said. “You were amazing at that press conference back in Denver, not to mention what happened at that rally.”
“I wish you wouldn’t.”
“Lorraine, why do you brush that off? Not only did you save my life, literally, but you were a national hero, your face was everywhere for six months.”
“Don’t remind me.”
Griffin smiled, resting his hands on her arms, gently stroking her smooth skin and inspiring goosebumps to rise up in the wake of his powerful fingers. “I will remind you. Our rally was a hit, the Springsteen show in New York, but there was no promising it would ever happen again. Now they call it Lorraine Devonshire Day! You’ve got a day named after you, Lorraine, you know how big that is?” Lorraine nodded, not wanting to admit the truth of what Griffin was saying. “That’s clout, Lorraine, that’s like currency. Now it’s time to invest it in your learning center program.” He paused, and although neither of them really thought it was necessary, he added, “I’m investing, we’re investing as a family, you need to throw in everything you can, Lorraine. And this is something only you can do.”
Lorraine knew he was right, but she dreaded facing the press for all the reasons Griffin had just made so terribly clear. “All right, well, I guess we’ll have it in the lobby?”
Griffin smiled. “Best spot for it. How’s tomorrow morning at ten?”
Lorraine tried to smile, but it wasn’t easy. “Sounds perfect.”
What was left of a free New York press corps came out to the lobby of the Phoenix Enterprises building the next day. Griffin and Lorraine had been pseudo celebs ever since the shooting, and even before that when their library rallies had become front-page ne
ws thanks to superstars like Bruce Springsteen. But after the shooting, the story of the lonely billionaire and the shy librarian reached epic proportions, getting coverage on broadcast television, cable, internet, and the tabloids.
Lorraine never liked the vulnerability, the sense that somebody could burst out of the crowd at any time with guns blazing, this time with better aim and better luck than Donal Roland had possessed. Fame was the last thing she wanted.
Griffin began the conference with, “Phoenix Enterprises is proud to announce a new and sweeping project, one we hope will continue our efforts to keep America well educated. Keeping the libraries open was a good first step, and of course we have Mrs. Phoenix here to thank for that.” The reporters clapped, Lorraine nervously surveying the crowd. But she saw no Tony Gardner creeping up with a murderous sneer, no old Mrs. B. coming back for her final revenge. Lorraine smiled and took a deep breath, only a bit less nervous as Griffin went on, “But, we’re embarking on a new venture, also my wife’s brainchild, so I’ll turn the mic over to her as she can better explain it. You folks remember my wife, the brilliant Lorraine Devonshire Phoenix.”
Griffin stepped back as the reporters clapped, and Lorraine knew it was her time to take the mic. Do it, she silently urged herself, don’t be afraid, not anymore. You can do this, you’ve done a lot more and been through a lot worse. Prove to Griffin he made the right choice, prove it to everybody in the room, Lorraine Devonshire Phoenix more than anyone.
Lorraine stepped up to the mic, memories of that violent day in Denver flashing in the back of her imagination: the terrified screams, the gunshots, the burning pain in her gut, bleeding out, lightheaded …
She cleared her throat and looked around at the faces of the reporters, men and women waiting to hear her speak, increasingly worried expressions on their faces. Feedback bled out from the mic and Lorraine ease back an inch or two.
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