“If they don’t, I will,” I heard Ward yell from the bedroom.
By the time I was done showering, he was dressed and ready to go.
“I’m about to head out, baby,” he said as he pressed a key into my hand. “This is my spare key. It’s yours now, so you’re free to come here whenever you want,” he said.
“But—”
“No buts. You’re my woman now, so you have the key to my place. End of discussion.”
“Okay,” I said, accepting a kiss on my lips before he walked out of the room, leaving me in shock.
***
Joe was still in a coma, and I had been by his side for over three hours. The nurses were getting on my nerves already, and I couldn't help taking them down a peg. They made so much noise whenever they came to check up on Joe, and I had even caught them gossiping when they should be working. I took it upon myself to remind them of what their jobs entailed, and they scurried away like frightened birds. Then, a male doctor walked in and asked to speak with me.
“Ma’am, my nurses feel harassed by you,” the doctor said.
“You need to tell them to do their jobs. They are not doing their jobs! They would rather gossip about each other and other patients than attend to their patients,” I said sharply.
“But your friend is in a coma….”
“So they are allowed to shout and be unruly because he is in a coma? I don’t think so. If they come back in here, they’d better come with some respect or be prepared to be put in their place,” I argued. “Now, what you need to do is saunter yourself right up to the nurses’ station and tell them to respect their patients!”
The doctor’s face turned beet red as he stuttered something unintelligible. About that same time, Ward walked in with two paper bags in his hands.
“Is there a problem?” Ward asked, noticing the bewildered look on the doctor’s face and the angry look on mine.
"N-no. Everything is fine, sir," the doctor replied then turned back to me. "I'll caution them, ma'am."
“That would be the best bet at getting some order on this ward,” I chastised. How dare he walk up in here thinking he’s about to check me?
The doctor scurried out of the room, and Ward’s eyes landed on me. “You criticized me about my treatment of my doctor, but that man almost peed his pants. What happened?”
“Don’t worry. I’ve handled the situation,” I said.
“That’s what I love about you, Mira. You get things handled.” He looked at Joe. “How’s he?”
“Still the same.”
“You look exhausted. I brought you lunch.” He pushed the paper bags into my hands. The delicious smell of baked chicken filled my nostrils, reminding me I hadn’t eaten anything since breakfast.
“Thank you. You’re always so thoughtful,” I said.
“You’re welcome, Mira. Eat something.”
I ate lunch, and Ward and I sat by Joe’s bedside until late into the night. Ward started to doze off, and I grabbed his hand and led him out of the room.
“What is it?” he asked.
“You should go home. You’re tired, and you need to rest,” I said.
“You need rest too. I won’t leave here unless you agree to go with me.”
Ward was right. We were both exhausted. I sighed and went back into the hospital room, picked up my bag, and kissed Joe on his cheek.
“Please be awake by tomorrow, buddy,” I pleaded with my friend. I hated seeing him this way.
Chapter Sixteen
Ward
I carried her into the bathroom and gently placed her on her feet as I turned on the shower. She purred as the water cascaded down her back. I trailed a finger along the ridges of her spine, and she purred loudly. I massaged her shoulders gently and worked on her upper back. A massage was what she needed after a long day, but Mira loved to give as much as she loved to receive. She went on her knees and gently wrapped her fingers around my shaft. She stuck out her tongue and licked the crown of my cock. She moaned and slid my cock into her mouth. She licked the sides of my cock down to the underside of my balls and used her tongue to tease the skin around my balls. She groaned as she bobbed her head, pleasuring me with her mouth. She sucked me until my orgasm erupted. I slipped out of her and shot my semen onto the shower floor.
She giggled as I scooped her into my arms and spread her thighs apart, leaning her back on the wall. My cock gently parted her labia, and I drove into her. She screamed out my name, her fingers scratching my back. She lowered her head and bit my shoulder. The sound of my flesh against hers was drowned out by the sound of the shower. I took one of her nipples into my mouth and gently gnawed it. She shivered, and her pussy walls clamped down on my cock.
"I... Ward!" she cried out.
She placed her face on my chest, sobbing softly as she had her release. I placed her back on her feet. She leaned her sweet derrière against me, and my shaft hardened again. I cupped her breasts and teased her nipples with my forefinger, tweaking and pinching them. I spread her legs apart and slowly thrust into her warmth, and she cried out. She turned her head around so she could kiss me. Our tongues met, and a bolt of electricity went through me. I rubbed my hands on her back as I moved in and out of her. Unable to bear the sensations coursing through my body, I turned off the shower and carried her into my bedroom. I kissed her feet, trailing kisses up her thighs until I got to the apex. I dipped my tongue into her sweet nectar, sucking on every crevice of her pussy while she moaned out my name over and over.
Her eyelashes dipped slightly when I glided into her. I planted my lips on hers, and she opened her eyes. I was stunned by the passion and emotions in her brown eyes. My heart sang a new song—joy. I had never seen that much emotion in a woman's eyes, and never ever had I felt these strong emotions coursing through me as I made love to a woman. Being with Mira made me question if I ever made love before her, at all.
"Mira..." The words I wanted to say stuck to the back of my throat.
I kissed her and continued to make love to her until we both had our release. Afterward, she slept in my arms.
***
Mira was the first to leave the house the next morning. I was doing some paperwork when I heard the doorbell chime. I thought she forgot the spare key I gave her and opened the door, expecting to see her. Instead, I found Rebecca on my doorstep. "Hi, Ward. May I come in?" she asked.
"What do you want, Rebecca?" I spat.
"Is this really how to greet an old friend? Especially one who has been so good to you in the past?" she asked with a raised brow. She was up to something that would make me want to snap her pretty little neck, that much I knew for sure.
"Rebecca, I’m busy at the moment, and you should have called before you came over. Especially, since the last time you were here, I made it clear I didn’t want you to come back."
"Don't worry, I won't tell your girlfriend I was here," she said flippantly.
"Whatever you have to say, make it quick." I stepped aside, and she sashayed into the room like she owned it. I closed the door and waited by it. “Talk!”
"Your little girlfriend accused me of arson," Rebecca said with a pout. “Me, an arsonist!”
"Well, did you burn down her building?” I asked, frankly.
“I most certainly did not, Ward Levine. How dare you ask me something like that?”
“Then, tell me this. Why do you hate her so much?"
"Ward, do you honestly believe I would do something like that?" She searched my eyes for the hidden truth behind them.
“I don’t know, Rebecca. At first, I was thinking no, but you keep showing back up.”
“Well, that’s not what I’m here to talk about anyway.”
My head started to throb. I rubbed my fingers against my temple.
"Why are you here then?" I asked.
"Ward, I’m here because I miss you, and I want you back. I never stopped missing and wanting you," she said, pouring her heart out. It sounded sincere, but I never knew with Rebe
cca.
"Rebecca, we’re both adults, and you are too old for these games you are playing," I began. "We had something in the past, but I’m with someone else now. You’re going to have to respect that." I walked to the door and opened it for her to leave.
"I know you still want me, Ward. Mira can't tame you like I can. I’m the best woman for you," she said with her head held high.
"Leave my house and don’t come back, Rebecca. And I want you to stay away from Mira,” I said in a raised tone. “Remember, you’re not the only person with high connections. I can bury you within the blink of an eye, and it's not a threat. It's a warning."
"I'll take that as a threat," she said.
“Take it however you want. Just stay away from Mira.”
"Ward, you can't commit to a woman, and she's the type that wants it all—a home, kids and all. Does she know that she's not your type? That she means nothing to you? Does she know you treat women like trash? You and I are the same; we both use people for our selfish reasons and dump them when they have satisfied that need. We belong together."
“Everything you’ve just said about me is the reason we’re not together. You don’t know me. You only know the man I showed to you because it’s all I wanted you to see.”
“Ward—.”
“Bye, Rebecca! And remember my warning.”
She walked out of the house, and I closed the door. She banged the door a few times before she walked to her car, got in, and drove away. Her words kept ringing in my head, making me question my feelings for Mira. Was this the real deal, or was I caught up in the moment?
***
I made dinner and set the table just like Aunt Maggie taught me. I made macaroni and cheese with roasted chicken and green beans. I burned my finger while trying to take the chicken out of the oven, and the green beans were soggy. However, the look on Mira’s face made it all worth it.
“Hm… this smells delicious and looks awesome,” she said. “I love the green beans… the mac and cheese… and the chicken.”
"Thank you, ma'am," I said, bowing like I was Chef Alexander.
“Where did you learn to cook?” she asked as she bit into the mac and cheese again.
“Aunt Maggie. She’s a wonderful cook.”
“Oh,” she said and paused. “You never talk about your parents, why?”
I humped my shoulders and changed the subject.
“How was your day, baby?”
"Hmm… it was okay," she answered with her eyes downcast as if she realized she’d hit a sore spot talking about my parents.
The topic shifted to work, and we enjoyed a conversation about high-rise buildings, construction permits, etc. When we were done eating, she pushed her chair closer to mine and slid onto my thighs.
“Did you put some aphrodisiac in the food?” she asked, teasingly. “Because right now I want to eat you up.”
“I think you just love talking about construction.” I laughed.
“Maybe so,” she said and nibbled on my ear.
“We need to talk, Mira.”
“Hmm… we can talk later.” She took a swallow of wine and kissed me on the lips. She reached for a cube of ice and trailed it down my chin. She popped the ice into her mouth and planted her lips on mine.
My shaft came to life, and she smiled as she pressed her buttocks against my crotch. Mira placed my hands on her dress, and I loosened the buttons. She wasn’t wearing anything underneath it. I thrust my fingers into her slit, and a moan tumbled out of her lips. She took off my shirt and kissed my nipples. She caressed my hard-on through my pants as she sucked on my nipples, sending darts of pleasure through my body. I nuzzled my nose against her chin and licked her lips. I pulled down my pants with one hand and groaned as she teased her moist pussy with my cock. I grabbed her hips, bucked my waist up, and rammed my cock into her. I stood up with my cock buried deep in her and placed her on the dinner table. I stroked her nipples with my fingers as I moved in and out of her. Her legs were wrapped tightly around my hips, her hands were in my hair, and she was moaning my name at the top of her lungs.
“I love you, Mira.”
“Oh, yea…” she cried out.
I fucked her with fast-paced thrusts, and she bucked her hips against mine, trying to control the pace. I relinquished the reins to her, and she started to tease me, slowly sliding off my cock and sliding down on it until it was buried deep inside her.
“Stop teasing me,” I groaned.
She suddenly cried out as her legs trembled around my waist. I took the reins from her and slammed my cock harder and faster into her. She buried her face into my chest, sobbing as she rode on the waves of pleasure. I continued moving in and out of her until my semen flooded her pussy walls.
“Mira… baby… we still need to talk,” I whispered against her ear.
“Can we talk tomorrow?” she asked. “I’m so tired.” She got off the table and scooped her dress into her arms.
“Okay, tomorrow.”
Chapter Seventeen
Mira
“I love you, Mira."
Did he mean those words?
I sighed as I navigated my car toward my apartment. I tried to push thoughts of Ward out of my head, even though what he wanted to talk about lingered all day. There was a black sedan in my driveway, so I had to park my car on the curb. I had an uneasy feeling as I picked up my paperwork and my handbag from the back seat of my car. I wasn’t expecting any visitors, so I was surprised to see the car in the driveway.
I opened my white picket fence and walked toward my porch. The car door opened, and Rebecca got out of the car. She wore all black; black leather skirt, a black blouse, and black knee-length boots. Her hair was pulled into a ponytail, and she wore heavy makeup, which made her look obnoxious.
“You are trespassing, and I have the police on speed dial,” I said.
She lifted up her hands, indicating she meant no harm. "I come in peace.”
“I’ll decide that. What do you want from me?”
"I came to talk to you, Mira," she began. "You are a smart woman, so I will get straight to the point. Ward isn't a good man."
“Oh, really? So you cared enough about me to stop by and tell me this, why? Because we are old acquaintances? Or best friends?” I quipped.
"You are right. I don't like you, and that’s no secret,” she said.
“I don’t like you either, so why the hell are you here?” I asked. “I mean, I can’t believe you were once my role model when you are such a bitch. It just goes to show that you never know who a person is until you know.”
“Even though we don’t see eye to eye, I won’t let you walk into danger. I’m trying to tell you that Ward is a bad man. He tried to ruin me, and he almost succeeded,” Rebecca said with a look of horror in her green eyes.
“What are you talking about?” I asked. Whether she was a good actress or being sincere, she had my attention.
“Ward and I used to have a love affair going on. One day, he told me he wanted to buy my company, and I refused to sell. Then, he threatened to ruin my company and broke up with me. The next thing he did was sabotage one of my building projects, and—”
I cut her off. “Is there a record of this? Did you go to the cops?”
“No.” Her eyes were downcast.
“Then, why are you telling me this now?” I asked. She had to have known I wasn’t going to take her at her word.
"So you can save yourself and your company." Rebecca’s voice trembled, and she bowed her head as tears streamed down her cheeks. She was a dreadful person, but her emotions seemed real. “I know you won’t believe me, and I wouldn’t either if I were in your shoes, but Ward is the devil. Tread lightly,” she said.
“To be clear, are you trying to say Ward started that fire at my building site?” I asked sternly.
"Darling, I didn't say that, but—" She touched my arm, and I resisted the urge to flinch. "Take care and always watch your back.”
“I always do,�
� I replied as she got into her car.
She drove off, and I went into the house. Rebecca’s words resounded in my mind as I poured myself a glass of brandy and curled up on my couch. I didn’t know the Ward she warned me about. The Ward I knew was protective and caring. He was annoyingly controlling and a little crazy, but he had a good heart. He stayed with me at the hospital and was by my side through this entire ordeal. He was a wonderful lover, and he said he loved me. And I loved him too. I was in love with him. But why didn’t he trust me to know his past? Why didn’t he like to talk about his parents?
I reached for my laptop and sent an email to my secretary, notifying her I wouldn’t be in the office tomorrow. If I wanted to know more about Ward, I would have to talk to his Aunt Maggie.
***
The ringtone of my phone woke me up in the morning. I checked the phone, and my heart skipped a beat. The call was from the hospital. My fingers were numb, and my heartbeat accelerated as I answered the call.
“Hello, Miss McBride,” a female voice said. “I’m nurse Bella…”
"Hello, how's Joe? Is he okay?"
“Yes, he’s awake now,” the nurse said excitedly.
“Oh, Sweet Lord, thank you! I’ll be there shortly,” I told the nurse and dropped the phone on the bed and ran into the bathroom.
Thirty minutes later, I was at the hospital, running down the corridor that led into Joe’s room. He was sitting up, but he looked very pale, and his leg was still in a cast.
“Joe,” I said.
He smiled at me. “It’s good to see you, boss.”
I went close to him and hugged him. “Don’t ever scare me like this again. How do you feel now?”
“My lungs still hurt, and my body aches, but I’m happy to be alive.”
“Do you remember anything?” I asked. “What happened at the site?”
He nodded his head. “I saw a woman running away before the fire exploded.”
“A woman? Can you describe her?”
“She was hot,” he said.
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