Alpha Crusher: A BWWM Romance Novella

by Shani Greene-Dowdell

  The elevator chimed, bringing my mind back to the present. Whoever said only red-headed women were feisty was wrong. I used to think that only redheads were trouble, and I always avoided them. A certain brown sugar-skinned woman with pretty brown eyes and dark ringlet curls spiraling from her head controlled my mind, had taken up residence in my heart, and put fire in my veins.

  Mira McBride was trouble. She did something to my mind. Thoughts of her kept me awake at night. And she stole my car and had been avoiding me. She hadn’t taken my calls or returned them the next morning.

  “Hello, Mr. Levine,” Georgiana said as I walked past her desk at M&M Construction.

  “Hi, Georgiana, how are you?”

  “I’m fine, sir,” she replied.

  “Is Mira in?” I asked. “I have to see her.”

  “Mr. Levine, you can’t go in now,” Georgiana replied. “She’s with someone right now.” She looked exasperated, and I felt pity for the poor girl who was only following Mira’s orders to not allow anyone in while she was in a meeting.

  “It’s fine,” I said, backing down. I walked out of the building with plans to wait until Mira’s meeting was over. Luckily, there was a florist shop across the street. I bought a huge bouquet of roses and came back in to sit across from Georgiana’s desk until Mira became free. Georgiana looked flustered when she saw me. I leaned in close to her and whispered into her ear, “Your boss and I are dating. I offended her, and I’m here to offer an apology.”

  She stared at me pensively as if she didn’t believe what I’d said.

  “I have been so lonely without her, and I’m sure she’s been miserable too,” I said.

  “She’s been a little more on edge than usual,” Georgiana offered.

  A woman emerged from Mira’s office, and I looked at Georgiana for the go ahead.

  She sighed. “Go on in, but if she comes out biting heads off, I’m going to tell her that you snuck past me.”

  “I’ll tell her I forced my way in,” I said, smiling as I knocked on Mira’s office door.

  “Come in,” Mira said without looking up.

  “Tim, is there any problem?” she asked in an authoritative tone.

  “Does Tim smell as good as I do?” I asked, combing my fingers through my hair.

  She looked up and frowned. “What are you doing here?”

  “You stole my car. I could have pressed charges, but a kiss will do.”

  She opened a drawer and handed my car keys to me.

  “These are for you.” I placed the flowers on her desk. “Don’t fire your secretary; I snuck past her while she was on the phone,” I said, moving closer to Mira. She was wearing glasses this morning, and they gave her a serious look that enticed every part of me.

  “I guess I should get a security guard to watch my door since Georgiana is letting people get by her, huh?” she asked, looking up at me. I removed her glasses, and she glared at me.

  “You look beautiful with the glasses, but you look stunning without them,” I said, ignoring her question.

  She folded her arms across her chest, and my eyes were drawn to her breasts. I remembered the way it felt to hold her in my arms and how hard her nipples were to my touch. She seemed to be remembering it too. Her cheeks lifted, and she licked her lips.

  “You have your car keys. What else do you want?” she asked in a raspy voice.

  How do you tell a woman like Mira you want her, but you’re not ready for a committed relationship? I wanted to be honest with her, and I wanted to know her better. When I first met her, I thought I could push her around in business by getting her to fall for me. I had heard about her being strong-willed, but I was Ward Levine, and I’d brought down the best of them. But I’d come to realize she's an amazingly strong person who I wanted to spend more time getting to know.

  "What's on your mind?" she asked.

  “When do we go for the site inspection?” I asked, noticing her hand was out of the bandages and no longer looking inflamed.

  "We can go now if you have the time," she said.

  “Oh, I have time,” I replied, taking her hand into mine. “Your hand. It looks a lot better today,” I told her as I surveyed her spread out palm.

  “Yes, it is much better,” she said then hesitated for a second. “Thanks,” she said quickly before she called her secretary and told her to reschedule her appointments for the day.

  When she stood up, I realized she was wearing pants. I was a bit disappointed because I thought I would get a glimpse of her perfect, sexy legs, but she still looked good in pants. And I watched her walk out the door with a huge smile on my face.

  Chapter Seven

  Mira

  The ringtone of my phone woke me up on a Saturday morning, and before I answered the call, I knew it was Ward. He had been the most demanding client I ever had. Work had started on his project, and we had already laid the foundation of the building. It took us a few weeks to get a building permit for the land because of Rebecca Rice.

  Rebecca Rice was a veteran in the construction industry, but her firm started struggling when it lost its credibility. A few years back, Rebecca had a contract with the government to build a state orphanage. I was just starting out at the time, but I also sent in my proposal for the contract along with other notable construction firms. However, Rebecca Rice won the contract. Rumor had it, she was having an affair with a politician, and he made it possible for her to get the contract. Rebecca's firm could have subcontracted the job to other firms, but they decided to do it all alone, and it flopped. The building literally collapsed before the day it was to be opened. It was the biggest news of the year, Rebecca's picture was on every television channel, and it was a miracle she didn't go to prison. Rumor had it, again, that Rebecca's politician friend made it all go away because overnight the media stopped talking about it. She lost many of her clients, and her firm was still struggling. People think I’m heartless, but I felt pity for her, so I reached out to her. It could have happened to anybody. Well, none of my buildings would collapse due to shoddy work, but I wanted to let her know I sympathized with her. She thought I was mocking her, and she sent me a lengthy email filled with threats. She said she would run my company into the ground and it wouldn't see the light of day. She bragged that she had many powerful friends who could bury my firm with the blink of an eye.

  At the time, I had just broken off a toxic relationship, and I needed a friend. My business was also young and struggling. Rebecca was someone I used to look up to as a role model, and I thought we could become friends. Before the incident occurred, I saw her at a fundraiser and tried to talk to her, but she walked away without saying a word. I thought she wasn't in a good mood.

  I was devastated when I received the email from her. I wrote back to her that I reached out to her because she was my role model. Ever since then, Rebecca did everything within her power to hurt me.

  She spread rumors about my firm and even stole some of my architects and masons by offering them higher salaries. Any project I bid for, she would bid against me. She was livid when I won the national awards.

  I had to get a restraining order against her, and that was when I realized she was broken. She had anger issues, and since I was doing well, she directed her anger at me. Rebecca tried to stop me from getting a building permit for Ward’s project, but everyone knew I was an honest person, and I wouldn’t build in a place that would be hazardous to the community.

  "Mira, are you there?" Ward's voice sounded at the end of the phone. The realization of his voice on the other end of the line made my toes curl as sensations sailed through my body.

  "Yes."

  “Good morning,” he said.

  “Morning. How may I help you?”

  “Do you always have to sound so formal with me?” he asked.

  "Ward, did you check the time before you dialed my cell phone?"

  “I received an invite to the State Building and Housing Committee Fundraiser,” he said, ignoring my question a
s usual.

  “Yes, I received it, too,” I replied. “Would you like me to call them and decline on your behalf? Don’t you have a secretary?”

  He laughed, and I felt a tingle in my spine. I took the phone away from my ear and let out a sigh.

  “Mira?”

  “Yes?”

  “I want you to go with me to the fundraiser.”

  “Ward, we—. I…”

  “I would love it if you would be my date,” he said, and a part of me had fully committed before I had a chance to object. The sincerity in his tone sucked me in.

  “Yes,” I heard myself say.

  “Great. I will pick you up. Be ready by six p.m.,” he said and disconnected the call, leaving me staring at my phone wondering what in the hell I’d gotten myself into.

  Chapter Eight

  Ward

  She made me wait outside her door. She could have invited me in for a glass of water or anything, but she made me wait outside. I fumed as I paced up and down her porch. My mind went crazy as I pictured her taking a shower then drying off and putting lotion all over her body. I felt my shaft grow hard, and I groaned like a wild animal. Was she deliberately teasing me, or was this the way she treated all of her dates?

  Finally, the door opened. Mira stepped out, and my heart melted. The anger inside me ebbed out immediately when I set my eyes on her. She looked enchanting. She wore a sparkling black gown with spaghetti straps with a black choker, and she had straightened her hair and curled it in a Victorian style. I shortened the distance between us and backed her against the wall.

  “Mmmm, Mira. You look so good. I don’t want to share you with anyone at the party. I want to keep you to myself,” I moaned the words out.

  "Ward, if you don't take your hands off me, you will find yourself in a hospital," she said, pushing me off her.

  I chuckled. "Is that a threat? Are you saying you will spank my ass? Is that what you want to do?"

  "No, I will rip off your balls," she said, and I felt immediate pain in my genitals even though she hadn’t touched them. I let go of her and stepped back.

  She laughed and winked at me. "You look so scared," she said.

  "I’m carrying precious cargo. I don't want to find myself in a hospital with my balls needing sutures."

  As her laughter lit up the night, I leaned closer to her and reached for the pins holding her hair together. She started to protest, but I took out the pins, and her hair cascaded down her back. She was beautiful with her hair long and wavy.

  “You are beautiful, Mira.” And dangerous.

  “Ward, you have no idea how long it took me to get my hair pinned up like that,” she said and sighed.

  “But I love the way it looks down,” I said of the curls cascading her shoulders and back.

  “Can we leave now?” she pouted.

  I didn’t make a move toward the car. Instead, I stared at her in awe. “You’re really beautiful, Mira.”

  “Let’s just go,” she said.

  “Why don’t you like accepting compliments? You deserve it.”

  “Thank you. Can we go now?” she replied, once again moving past my compliment as if it was never uttered.

  My eyes narrowed on her cleavage, and a wave of jealousy swept through me. The thought of other men ogling her bare skin did something to me. She narrowed her eyes too, her lips tightly pursed as she waited for me to say something. I relented and stepped away from her.

  When she took a step forward, I pulled her into my arms and bent her slightly as I lowered my head and captured her lips with mine. She kissed me back until she took control of the kiss. Wrapping her arms around me, her tongue sought out mine. My hands slid down her hips, mastering the curves of her body. She suddenly bit my lip, bringing the kiss to an end.

  “You don’t have the right to kiss me whenever you have the urge,” she said. “I’m not your girlfriend, so stop making me feel this way!”

  “I’m sorry, but I couldn’t help myself,” I said truthfully.

  She seemed taken aback by my apology. Hell, so was I.

  “It’s okay,” she replied. “But really, it’s not okay because we’re just… I don’t know what we are. Let’s just go.”

  “You may not be my girlfriend, but you can’t deny that we have chemistry.” A lot of it.

  “Whatever it is, it won’t work, Ward. I can already see how this will end. We are too different. Our worlds—”

  Will come together as one, was the thought that popped into my mind.

  “Fine,” I cut her off. “Shall we go?”

  I reached my arm out for her to take it, and I smiled when she did without any hesitation.

  Chapter Nine

  Mira

  All I wanted was to make my firm the number one construction company in the country, keep my clients happy, and occasionally take a vacation to any country of my choice. That was my plan before Ward Levine walked onto my site and turned my world upside down. I made a vow to myself that I would never fall for any man who would walk over me and take my love for granted. That was exactly what my heart was getting me into. I couldn’t deny that I felt something for Ward, but how would I fight this? Was he the type to commit to a woman and remain faithful to her? This question was rhetorical.

  It didn’t help that he looked devastatingly handsome. He looked so good in a black tuxedo with a white pleated shirt and a bow tie. His hair was slicked to the back, and I felt like running my fingers through it. There was a glint in his eyes whenever he looked at me, and I felt warm all over whenever our eyes met. A Nat King Cole song was playing on the stereo; I stopped the radio and turned to look at him.

  “Ward…”

  “Yes?”

  “Tell me something about yourself.”

  “I haven’t slept with anyone since I met you,” he admitted freely. “And my longest relationship lasted for only three months.”

  I looked away as angst filled my body. Ward might’ve been in his thirties, but he was a playboy through and through, and no woman could tie down a playboy. It was a losing battle.

  “I always compensate my women for their time with gifts and a lot of pleasing,” he went on, rubbing his hand over his chestnut brown beard. “Now, tell me something about you. Why do you keep pushing me away?”

  “There’s something about me that attracts jerks,” I replied. And everything he just said assured me he fit the jerk description.

  “Ouch,” he said.

  “The last man I dated tried to take my company from me, and I broke off the relationship,” I said through gritted teeth. “Sound familiar?”

  “I’m not your ex, Mira,” he said, his tone dropping off a little.

  After our moments of truth, we both kept silent until we got to the venue. A valet parked Ward’s car, and he led me into the hall. His hand on my skin sent waves of pleasure through me. I didn’t want to feel anything for a man who couldn’t commit to a woman. A man who “compensated” women for being with him. But my body seemed to have a mind of its own.

  I tried to distract myself with admiring the elegant décor of the hall. The decoration was done in a theme of deep red and black with white lights. The tables were decorated with sequins to give it a glamorous look. The centerpiece of the tables was the highlight of the décor, and I loved it. An idea occurred to me to have an interior decoration department in the firm. I sent a text message to Georgiana and informed her that we would have a meeting the following morning.

  “Don’t think about it,” Ward said.

  “Think of what?”

  “Don’t think of work,” he said, pulling me closer to him. “You’re here to relax and have fun.”

  I laughed. “Busted.”

  "I love the way you laugh. It's melodious," he said.

  I couldn’t help blushing. “Thank you.”

  “Miss McBride?”

  I turned around and saw Senator Michael Jimmy, who used to be my client. He was in his late sixties, and he was very stubborn and always want
ed to have his way. He was the first client I had, and he brought a lot of business my way. His wife, Maggie Jimmy, was a sweet soul as well.

  “Hello, sir,” I said.

  He kissed my cheeks, and I introduced him to Ward.

  "Senator, this is...."

  “Ward’s my boy.” The senator laughed.

  “Good evening, Uncle,” Ward said.

  “Senator Jimmy is your uncle?” I asked.

  “He’s my mother’s step-brother,” Ward replied.

  “How did you meet my nephew?” the senator asked.

  “He came to my firm and wanted to buy it,” I replied.

  The senator laughed again. This time, it came from a deeper place.

  “Ward has a good head for business, and so do you, but you are both headstrong. I hope you won’t burn down this hall before the night ends,” the senator said jokingly, not realizing how accurate his words were.

  Ward and I laughed along with him.

  “Ward, bring this beautiful woman to dinner this weekend,” the senator said. "You should give your Aunt Maggie a call. She's worried about you."

  I remembered Ward telling me on the first day we met that Maggie was the first beautiful woman he saw that day. So he was referring to his aunt, and the thought made me melt a little.

  “Senator…”

  “I’ll see you both this weekend. Enjoy the gala,” the senator cut me off and walked away before I could politely decline his offer.

  “Are all the men in your family this controlling?”

  “We’re definitely not pushovers. Shall we find our table?” he said, holding my hand until we located our table.

  The food was exotic and delicious, and the ambiance was great. We were entertained by a renowned pianist. When the event was coming to an end, I excused myself and went into the bathroom. On my way out, someone bumped into me with so much force that I almost lost my balance. I looked up and saw Rebecca Rice glaring at me.