"Watch where you are going," she said in a pressured tone, almost how a drug addict sounds when they want to get high.
Bitch! I rolled my eyes and brushed past her. I was tired of her coming at me any kind of way. She was trying to make me act a fool at this party, and I rebuked it wholeheartedly. I found Ward charming a group of old ladies, and he introduced me to them. They were still blushing and giggling like little girls when he excused himself, and we left the event.
“Are you okay? Did you run into an ex on your way to the bathroom?” he asked after he cranked the car, observing me like a piece of damaged China.
“Worse, I ran into Rebecca Rice. Do you know her?”
He blinked then nodded. “I do. Did she say something to you? What did she do to you?" Ward asked as he gripped the wheel tightly.
“She didn’t do anything that surprised me. She’s always been trouble,” I said, and my voice cracked a little. I could feel myself getting upset all over again. Rebecca had a way of taking me there.
Ward put the car in park and unbuckled my seatbelt.
"What did she say that bothered you?" he asked.
It’s that obvious, huh?
"Ward, I am fine. I can take care of myself."
“But I care about you, and I want you to know that if someone is bothering you, anyone, I will put an end to it,” he said sternly.
It wasn’t what he said; it was the passion behind it that made my throat suddenly hot. For the first time in years, tears stung my eyes. One minute Ward could be sweet and caring and be the perfect man, and the next minute, he would be his overbearing self. At the moment, he sounded so sincere that it tugged at my heartstrings.
“Thank you for saying that, Ward. But really, I can handle—”
Within seconds, I found myself in his arms with our tongues in each other’s mouth. We tried to embrace, but there wasn’t much room in the car. We both started to laugh as we pulled apart.
“Want to see a movie?” he asked.
“What? Isn’t it too late?” I asked. It’d been ages since I went to the movies, and the idea seemed appealing to me even though we were overdressed.
“There may be a midnight show,” he suggested.
“Yes. Let’s do it!” Doing something I rarely did, I threw caution to the wind and went along with the idea that wasn’t scheduled or planned.
Ward drove to a nearby movie theater. Since it was so late, only sappy romantic movies were available. I chose one, and Ward paid for the tickets and popcorn. Everyone was staring at us in our gown and tux, but we didn't care. Halfway through the movie, I dozed off on his shoulder, and when I woke up, Ward had driven me home and carried me to my front door.
“Mira, you have to wake up now.”
“How did we get here? Wait, what happened to the movie? Did you carry me out of the movies?” I asked as he eased me out of his arms to my feet.
“Yes, you fell asleep, so I carried you to the car and brought you home. I would have gone in your purse and gotten your key, but I didn’t want to get my head snapped off.”
I laughed. “I must’ve really been tired. Thank you.”
“For not going in your purse?”
“No, for a wonderful night.”
“Wonderful is an understatement,” Ward said and smiled. “You don’t know how romantic it was to watch people make out on the movie screen while you drooled on my chest.”
“Ha! Whatever,” I poked his shoulder.
He smiled, and I didn’t know whether it was the fact that I liked him that made my heart swell or just the feeling of happiness that did it, but when he inched closer to me and enveloped me in his arms, I came undone.
“Can I keep you?” he asked, breathing in the sugary scent of my hair.
My heartbeat increased its pace ten-fold, and I gulped.
Did he mean it?
“Mm-hmm,” I heard myself say. I was in a daze.
He tightened his hold, kissing my neck. I froze in surprise and became stiff in his grasp. He loosened his arms and looked at my surprised gaze. Brushing a stray lock of hair behind my ear, he caressed my face and held it in his hands, looking into my eyes with the purest affection.
He inched his face closer to mine so, sooo slowly that I thought I might die with the anticipation. I shut my eyes, awaiting the unison. His soft lips met mine, and I was in bliss. Only in my fantasies had I dreamt of feeling like this with a man again.
He pressed soft, quick kisses, and nibbled on my bottom lip, demanding entrance. I let him in, and it felt…heavenly. He parted my lips and slipped his tongue inside my mouth while pressing his lips to mine in a lingering kiss. His heart beat against mine, and I knew at that moment that what I felt was mutual. He sucked my lower lip and drew it as though he was sampling nectar. I began to give in, and my lips started to move along with his. We were in sync. His tongue explored every corner of my mouth, gliding with mine, and ran over my teeth to the soft flesh of my cheeks, leaving a sweet and tangy taste that made my mouth water for more and more.
My hands wrapped around his neck, deepening the kiss. He grabbed me by the waist, pulling me closer to him. I gripped his hair as his tongue massaged mine in slow and sensual circles. A desire coursed through my entire body, and I drew in a deep, staggered breath in response to the wave of heat I felt flushing through me. He tickled my tongue with his, cradling my face in his hands.
I sought him hungrily, unable to soak in enough of his flavor. My tongue worked inside his mouth deliberately, wanting this to never end. It was like it was only us, the world had ceased to exist around us. At that moment, only he was there, and he was all that mattered. We kissed each other dreamily, making soft, tender sounds as our lips moved with each other in harmony until he gentled the kiss with mere brushes of his lips against mine and ended it. He slowly drew away, exhaling deeply.
“Does our night end now?” he asked.
I pulled him by the hand and slowly walked him into my bedroom. He eased me to the center of my bed and lay on top of me, pressing his lips into the side of my neck. After what seemed like a forever kiss, he said, “We don’t have to move this fast if you don’t want to.”
“I—we can.” I let out a deep breath.
“We can just lay here together, Mira. I’ll wait for you,” he said, running his finger up and down the side of my face.
I looked into his eyes and blinked back the tear threatening to form in mine. When I didn’t reply, Ward rolled onto his side and pulled me close to him. My body ached to be taken right then and there, but I was glad he stilled the moment. He wrapped me up into his arms and held me tight for hours until I heard his light snores against my ear.
Laying there in his arms was better than making love. I felt alive, aware of every moment that passed, and I wanted more nights like this.
Chapter Ten
Ward
Mira took me around the site, showing me the tedious work being done. I was very impressed with the pace at which the project was going. She had the best team, the foundation was solid, and we had started making plans for the flooring, and tiles.
"We are going with raised floors to allow easy access to cabling and power distribution," Mira said. Her phone started to ring, and she slipped it out of her pocket. Today, she had donned work boots, pants, and shirt with a hard hat. "Excuse me. I have to take this call," she said, her brows furrowing together revealing her uneasiness.
Mira moved a few steps away from me to have some privacy on her call, and I immediately felt the loss. When she returned, I knew something was seriously wrong.
“What is wrong, Mira?” I asked, fighting off the urge to step into her personal space and pull her into my arms.
“I just received a call from Joe; he told me that the permit to one of our projects has been revoked.” She huffed. The look on her face was bewilderment. “I know who is behind this. I just don’t understand her motivation after we’ve nearly completed the apartment complex. We were supposed to build an eight s
tory complex, which we have done. The only thing left to do is the carpentry and finishing work, and this is the time that this serpent chooses to strike?”
“Who are you talking about?”
“Rebecca Rice! She’s the slime behind this!”
I swallowed hard as images of the hot, passionate nights I spent with Rebecca flashed across my mind. We used to have a love affair, and she was adoring and sensual. Our relationship lasted two months, but it never went beyond her bedroom. She became controlling and started to nag me, which was a no-no. She was the worst woman I slept with; she was a combination of self-centered, over-ambitious, and downright greedy. I found out she was with me to get closer to my uncle because of his political connections. Rebecca was five years older than me, but I didn't think of the age differences when we first met. I was attracted to her, she was mature, and she knew what she wanted.
She told me she loved my body and would like to spend the night with me. We met at a party, she invited me to her place, and that was the beginning of our affair. I spoiled her with gifts and pampered her, but it wasn’t enough for her. She wanted more.
I almost had a heart attack the night Mira mentioned her name. Rebecca was trouble. She could make life hell for whoever she considered an enemy.
“How do you know she’s behind this?” I asked though the idea wasn’t farfetched.
"Joe said the city is saying people in the neighborhood complained about the loss of light, disruption, and noise," she replied. "Believe me, Rebecca Rice is behind this. It has her name written all over it. I'm sorry, but I have to go. Georgiana has set up a meeting with the local building council, and we’ll have a community press conference after that meeting if I don’t get the response I expect. I need to go home to get dressed," she said.
“I’ll come with you. I’ll have my secretary reschedule my appointments.”
“You would do that?” she asked, looking slightly relieved to have me go with her.
“Of course, Mira. I would do that.” And so much more, I wanted to add but left that part off.
“Thank you, I appreciate it,” she replied.
She gave some instructions to Dave, her assistant foreman, and we both drove to her house in our cars. She invited me in and gave me a glass of juice. Despite her tough exterior, her apartment was feminine. It was decorated in a theme of purple, pink, and white. The first night I was here, I missed the décor for trying to get to her bed. The gold and blue wallpaper contrasting with lovely white sofas, pictures of her as a teenager on the wall, and the picture of her and her family had been a blur. Now, I could see that she looked adorable sitting between her father and her three older brothers.
She came into the living room in jeans with a tank top and a jacket. She had on light makeup which drew my attention to her luscious lips.
“I’m ready,” she said. “I want us to go in our own cars.”
“Alright,” I replied. It was a fifteen-minute drive to the office of the building council, and I’d rather spend them calming her, but I agreed.
When we arrived, I recognized Rebecca’s car in the parking lot, and I reached to wrap my arms around Mira to protect her. Rebecca had political connections, and she had buried many businesses. She spread rumors about me, and my reputation would have been tarnished if not for my uncle’s influence and my credibility.
Mira was just starting to like me, and she would hate it if she knew I had a past with her enemy.
“I’m fine,” Mira said, pulling away from me as we walked into the building.
Before we entered, we could hear voices. They were arguing, and a lot of them were not on Mira's side. Mira opened the door and took one step inside.
“I have something to tell you,” I decided to come clean before Rebecca had a chance to manipulate the situation.
“What is it, Ward?” she asked as the noise in the room died down, and everyone became silent. I could see fear and respect on the faces of everyone seated. I was awed at the way Mira commanded the room without saying a word.
“We’ll talk about it later tonight,” I said, and she nodded.
Many of the people in the room might have been against her before she came in, but now they were on her side. They struggled to make space for her so she could walk to her chair. The sound of chairs scraping the floor as people stood up for her made me have a new respect for her. Rebecca was seated with a smirk on her face. How could I have been attracted to that despicable woman? She looked older than her age, and there were now a few wrinkles on her face.
After we all took our seats, the minutes of the last meeting were read by the secretary. New issues were brought to the floor, and it was time for Mira to speak. Even the drop of a pin could be heard.
“Good afternoon, everyone. I stand before you today with a heavy heart,” Mira started. “My firm, M&M, never takes on any project that would disrupt the peace of the community or endanger society. Every project we ever had, a percentage of our income went into the development of the community and to charity. That is how much I love my community. So how am I supposed to feel when the community turns against me?”
A few people started mumbling. Others nodded their heads in agreement with Mira.
“I am heartbroken,” Mira continued. “And I’d like to know why the building permit to one of my projects was revoked today.”
Rebecca stood up and introduced herself.
“I’m Miss Rice, and as many of you know, I am the manager of the community welfare committee,” she said arrogantly. “It was brought to my notice that the noise from your construction site is too much and that it was disturbing the peace of the community surrounding it.”
“Why wasn’t I notified before the license was revoked?” Mira asked.
Rebecca started to speak, but Mira cut her off.
“Miss Rice, that question was directed at the chairman,” Mira said.
Rebecca’s nose flared up, and she jutted out her jaw, angrily.
The chairman stood up. “I’m sorry, Miss McBride,” he began. “I was informed that you didn’t take any measures to control the disruptions.”
“How would I know this when I wasn’t informed?” Mira asked.
“Miss Rice, didn’t you send an email to Miss McBride?” the chairman asked.
“I…..” Rebecca stuttered. “Well, I did, but—” She stopped abruptly. “She already knows she’s making too much noise, and the lights went out on the block last night, so what were we supposed to do?” she spat out angrily. “She knows these things.”
“But did you send her a written notice?” the chairman asked again.
“Well, we just got the complaints last night, so we—. We got ahead of the problem, so no. I don’t think we did a written notice. We did inform them, though.”
Even the chairman looked embarrassed as Rebecca struggled to put together her reasoning for terminating Mira’s permit.
“Given that the manager of community welfare can’t seem to recall sending a written notice to Miss McBride, we will take a vote,” the chairman said. “Please raise your hands if you want Miss McBride to continue with her office building permit that had been revoked.”
Rebecca started to mutter under her breath. The chairman threw her a cursory look, and she kept quiet from that moment on.
“Who is in support of Miss McBride getting her building permit back so she can continue her project?” the chairman asked again.
All hands went up except that of the chairman and Rebecca. She picked up her bag and stormed out. The chairman followed behind her like a schoolboy running after his lover. That’s when the setup had been clear. They were working together, but they’d clearly been outvoted.
Mira thanked everyone and assured them her workers would be careful not to disturb the peace of the neighborhood after 5 p.m. She was applauded and praised for her contributions to the community, and the meeting came to an end.
Chapter Eleven
Mira
The dinner at Senator Jimm
y's house went well, and I met Ward's family, his uncles, aunties, and cousins. Ward was from a big family. I also met his many nieces and nephews. All of his family members were in politics except for Ward who seemed to be the black sheep of the family. I hadn't seen my parents since they divorced when I became an adult, and my brothers were scattered across the country except for my older brother, Brandon, who lived in NYC. I’d be lucky if I got a phone call from any of them, and I had stopped trying to keep in touch with them.
My brothers also had construction firms. I read about their success in the newspapers which confirmed that they were all doing fine. Seeing Ward with his family softened my heart. Carrying his little niece in my arms awakened a maternal feeling in me. Ward was less abrasive when he was around them. He wasn’t his usual domineering self, and I was civil with him. We were vibing, and it was effortless.
“Do you want to go to my place?” Ward asked as we were leaving his uncle’s house after being laden down with baby kisses, hugs, to-go plates, and a few bottles of imported wine.
Tomorrow would be Sunday, and Sundays were my free days.
“Yes, I want to go back to your place, but this will be on my terms this time,” I replied.
"Yes, ma'am," he said with a smile.
My heart hammered against my chest, and my palms suddenly felt clammy. Earlier that evening, I decided to shave my legs and arms. I told myself I wasn’t doing it because of Ward. Deep in my heart, I knew I was preparing myself for him.
When we arrived at Ward’s apartment, he poured us two glasses of wine. The wine calmed my nerves, but it also made me bold as I made the first move. I straddled him, took off his shirt and kissed his collarbones. I trailed my tongue along his throat, and he let out a raspy moan. He nibbled on my earlobes as he slipped his fingers into my hair.
We kissed passionately, and he lifted me into his arms and carried me into his bedroom. I straddled him and pulled down his pants with his help. I slipped off my panties, pulled my dress up, and held it with my hands. He unbuckled my bra, and I pulled it up. Then, he just hovered over me, staring.
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