A Sentimental Heart Ch. 06-07

Peter had spent the last few evenings out with Amanda; who had been extremely upset to learn that her young escort was being sent away for a couple of weeks. She had been determined to see as much of him as possible, before he left, and Peter seemed just as keen to spend time with her...

But now he had gone, and Miranda, for the first time in ages, was truly alone...

The evening was quiet and peaceful, and more than a little bit lonely for Miranda, and she worried that it was a forerunner of how she would cope with Peter's absence.

Peter had always lived his own life, with his own friends and interests; pretty much as she did, but Miranda hadn't realised how much she had grown accustomed to his presence in the home -- even when he wasn't even there!

She realised that Peter wouldn't want to share this house with his sister forever, and the day would come when he would want to move out... move on.

She would be left behind, a virtual old maid before her time, dried up and washed out and left on the shelf!

"Oh for heaven's sake get a grip!" she snapped in exasperation.

She decided to go for a nice long soak in a hot bath, hoping to relax a little, she lounged in the water for much longer than she ought to, and so consequently stepped out looking something like a wrinkled old prune, which didn't do much for her gloomy thoughts.

She dried herself with a thick fluffy towel, and then dropped it into the laundry basket a she walked through to her bedroom.

Miranda studied her damp body in her full length bedroom mirror.

"You'll soon be too old to care!" she gave a depressed little sniff, as her eyes slid sightlessly over her reflection.

She couldn't see how tiny her waist was, only how wide her hips seemed to look.

She couldn't see how full, and inviting her breasts were; only that her back seemed too small to handle the weight of them properly.

Her legs were long and slender, but Miranda worried that her thighs were too thick, that her skin was too pale...

She looked up at the glossy mass of her dark hair, searching morbidly for those telltale grey highlights.

"I know that you're in there!" she mumbled petulantly, when she failed yet again to spot any.

She looked at her clear features dispassionately, not seeing the beauty which others saw.

Her eyes were her one vanity, her beautiful deep blue eyes, with the thick lashes and smoothly arched brows.

"Oh well!" she sighed with a little shrug, as she turned her back on her reflection and walked across to her bed.

She reached across for her nightgown, and then on impulse stopped.

With Peter away, she didn't need to worry about modesty, she could...

With another little shrug she climbed into bed.

The covers felt slinky and sensual against her naked flesh, and Miranda switched off her bedroom lamp, and lay back down to sleep.

Sleep was slow to come.

Thoughts were milling around, all jumbled up and confusing; the only constant in the chaos seemed to be one Marcus Phillips, boss and disturber of her peace of mind.

Miranda sleepily focused on her boss's image, and all of that other jumble seemed to just fade away...

"I want you Miranda... and I don't care if we do work together! I don't care that I am your boss... or that you are my employee... if I'm taking advantage of the situation... of you..." his dark eyes smouldered as he looked down at her. He stepped towards her, and pulled her hard against him. "If I'm taking advantage of you Miranda... I don't really care!"

His lips claimed hers in a heated kiss, and Miranda hung on to Marcus for fear of falling.

His lips felt so good against hers. His breath was warm and enticing, and as his tongue touched hers, she groaned weakly.

"Yes!" he growled against her mouth. "You want me just as much... Don't you!"

"Oh yes, Marcus I do!" Miranda whimpered in her sleep.

She arched her back and moaned as she felt his hand cupping her breast, the sheets, were his clothes -- brushing against her as he held her tightly to him.

He kissed her mouth and stroked her skin... her naked skin, as she stood before him with -- absolutely nothing to shield and protect her.

"Beautiful!" he declared huskily. "Amazing... incredible!"

"Yes Marcus!" she whispered sleepily. "I do want you... I love you!"

Her hands moved beneath the covers as she dreamt of Marcus touching her.

"I shall kiss and touch every part of you Miranda, I shall stroke and caress you until you are mad with desire... until I know every inch of you; and later you shall do the same to me, I will know every inch of you, and you shall know me as well..."

"Oh god Marcus... yes!"

**

Miranda awoke the next morning drenched in sweat and with an ache in her gut that cried out for fulfilment.

She dove under the shower, and came out shivering.

She dressed and munched her way through breakfast, aware of a vague sense of...

She gulped back her coffee and a short time later she left the house, and walked down the road to the bus stop.

*

Miranda stepped off the bus and tightened her coat around her.

The cold November wind cut right through her, and she shivered as she strode down the road.

She had barely taken a dozen steps when a car pulled into the kerb just in front of her.

"Good morning... Mr. Phillips!" she greeted the owner with a bright smile.

"Good morning Miranda... get in -- will you."

"Oh but..."

"Please Miranda -- don't argue."

Miranda hesitated for a moment longer as a dream drifted through her mind.

Marcus strode around the car with a little sigh and held the door open for her pointedly.

'Well at least she has the grace to look guilty!' he thought to himself as he saw the colour flood her cheeks, and her eyes avoided his awkwardly.

She glanced quickly up at him before scrambling into the car, only to have him close the door on her and then stride around the vehicle quickly -- almost as though he were afraid that she might try and exit it again!

Miranda gave a little sniff of annoyance as he climbed in beside her.

He buckled his seat belt and switched on the engine without saying another word to her, and a few minutes later they were pulling into the car park at 'Phillips Pharmaceuticals'.

'It would have been quicker for me to have walked it!' Miranda couldn't help the irritation that washed over her, and the look of reproach that she shot him, was more than a little bit over the top -- given the circumstances.

He smiled coolly at her and raised a brow in question.

Miranda's dream drifted through her mind again and the colour rushed to her cheeks -- he had looked at her in such a different way in that dream...

Marcus watched the blush as it came and went -- he wondered silently what had caused such embarrassment -- wondered if she was really as nervous of him as she seemed to be...

He frowned in concern and Miranda stepped away from him -- almost defensively, and the look she shot him...

And in the end it was probably that one look that clinched it for Marcus. He decided that by the time that this week was over he would have Miranda in his bed -- or hers! He would make it so that she would come to him -- she would make the final move -- even if he did all the seducing to get her there!

**

Miranda had been secretly... apprehensive, about working with Marcus, doubtful of her ability to cope with his demands... insecure about her skills...

She needn't have worried.

Marcus was truly professional and remarkably patient... and Miranda was actually very good at her job.

His needs were simple -- if numerous, and Miranda's first day working with him flew by.

"Well that didn't go too badly now -- did it?" Marcus drawled almost mockingly as Miranda shut down her -- Peter's -- computer with a little sigh of relief.

She shot him a slightly guilty look as the colour drifted into her cheeks.

Marcus couldn't remember ever having known a woman who blushed as much as Miranda did.

He thought it made her look beautiful, with that lovely pink in her cheeks and the way her blue eyes darkened and sparkled all at the same time.

He saw a little quiver of her lip and realised that he'd been staring.

"You're without a car this week -- aren't you?" he said standing up as though nothing untoward had occurred. "I'll give you a lift home."

"No please... that's not necessary!" Miranda exclaimed, clearly flustered.

He looked at her in surprise. "Maybe not Miranda... but I choose to -- so don't argue with me... please."

His tone was firm and unyielding and Miranda sighed in defeat.

'Pathetic fool!' she chided herself silently as she slipped into her coat. 'You're so weak all it takes is one look and you're at his feet in a heartbeat!'

She realised that he was watching her closely and shot him a questioning look.

His smile was all seeing, and all knowing and Miranda swallowed in horror that he might have been reading her thoughts.

"Ready when you are!" she declared brightly.

"Let's go then!"

They managed to reach the office door at the same time, and as Miranda's hand touched the handle -- so did Marcus's.

The static shock that shot up her arm caused her to jump back startled; and her gasp was clearly audible.

It was the final straw for Marcus who had watched her flitter around his office all day like a butterfly on speed! His decision earlier that day clicked in his mind and everything else became a foregone conclusion.

"I don't care that you're my employee!" he growled out softly, as he pulled her into his arms to kiss her on the mouth.

For Miranda, his words were so similar to the ones in her dream; that reality and dream world, merged for a second. And for a second she clung to Marcus as though he was a lifeline, and her lips matched his passion for passion.

But the second reality came crashing back, and her lips stilled against his; then Marcus pulled away.

"Come on," he murmured regretfully. "I'll take you home."

He was the perfect boss -- the perfect gentleman, he drove her home and he dropped her off at her front door, and left again immediately.

"I'll pick you up at seven in the morning!" he threw over his shoulder without giving her the chance to argue.

And so it went on, for the next few days, he picked her up in the morning and drove her to work, and they worked together all day, but at the end of the day, as they were about to leave the office he would take her in arms and kiss her.

And every time he kissed her, Miranda found it harder to resist him, their lips locked together for minutes longer each time.

Miranda found herself working with Marcus all day, and dreaming of Marcus all night; and all that the morning brought, was a cold empty knot in her stomach, and an ache in her heart.

She 'limped' her way to Friday thinking that maybe today, she would find the power to resist what they had both agreed would be a mistake -- but deep down inside she knew... she hoped that he would persuade her.

His kiss that evening was more demanding than any before. Almost as though he knew that this was his best opportunity to try to seduce her.

Tonight he didn't use just his lips to arouse her, but his arms and his hands, also moved and caressed her.

"I want you Miranda!" he groaned against her mouth. "I want you so very badly!"

She tensed and a little whimper escaped and Marcus moved away from her immediately.

"Come on... I'll take you home."

They were silent all the way to her house, but the tension that was building between the two of them was palpable.

Marcus got out of the car, and after helping her out of the vehicle; he walked her to her front door -- a gentleman to the last.

He waited patiently whilst she searched for her keys and then unlocked her door.

He thought that she was going to step inside without even a goodnight, but once over the threshold -- she turned back to him.

"Would you like to come inside for a drink?" she asked shakily.

He shook his head. "No not for a drink... but I would like to come inside Miranda?"

The question was implicit -- he demanded her acknowledgement and he waited for her reply.

Miranda licked her lips nervously, and her eyes fell away from his, before coming back suddenly and locking on, with a steely determination that totally threw him.

"Would you like to come inside, Marcus?"