Chapter 9

He couldn't quite believe it!

She always seemed so demure and passive...

Who would have thought that she would be such a...

It had not taken Marcus very long to realise that whatever he asked, whatever he could dream up ... Miranda was game for a go!

"I've always had this fantasy..." he murmured huskily and Miranda looked across at him eagerly, her eyes bright with anticipation.

He wondered just how far she was willing to go, and hesitated for a moment so that he could soothe his racing heart and control his breathing, she was just so damned hot! He could not get enough of her, and the fact that she seemed to be as hungry for him...

"I always wondered what it would be like to..."

Her eyes dilated, and her lips parted as she waited for him to finish.

"Never mind ... it's nothing," he looked away from her.

Marcus suddenly felt uncomfortable and ashamed of himself ... playing this game with her.

She was never anything but sincere towards him, and here he was treating her like some sort of sex toy!

His parents would be ashamed of him!

Miranda came and knelt at his feet.

"Tell me," she invited huskily.

"It was nothing," he insisted awkwardly.

"It was nothing that you always wondered about?" she mocked him lightly.

She wasn't going to let him off the hook; she would keep on at him until he said something.

"Let's take a shower together!" he blurted out the first thing that came into his head.

"Okay!" she was on her feet and tugging him to his, before he could even come to terms with what he'd said.

God she was just so damned sexy!

He realised then that he would never get enough of her ... would never be satisfied enough to walk away...

Marcus sat on the edge of the bed and fastened the cuffs to his neatly pressed shirt.

Miranda had insisted on washing and ironing his clothes before allowing him to climb back into them, and in truth Marcus had been more than happy to stay naked with Miranda whilst his clothes were in the washing machine.

They had had a lot of fun over the last couple of days, but he thought that the shower would be one thing, he would not quickly or easily forget.

He was smiling as he pulled on his trousers, his mind full of how she had looked with the water streaming down her flesh, how she had washed him, from tip to toe, and lingered in places that had him gasping and groaning, and pulling her to him to so that he could kiss her hungrily on the lips, even as he thrust into her with a slick wet slurping noise.

He held her against the cold tiles and screwed her senseless whilst the water poured down over them!

Miranda walked into the bedroom holding out his mobile phone.

"It's rung a couple times now, so I thought it might be important," she explained as he gave it to him.

Even as he took it from her, it began ringing and lit up with Amanda's name and number.

Marcus scowled impatiently as he pressed the button.

"Yes?"

"Oh god Marcus!" Amanda's devastated voice whispered down the phone, followed by a high pitched; "Where have you been, why haven't you answered?"

Marcus frowned as he tried to fight down the knot of panic.

"'Manda? What's happened?"

Miranda stood and watched helplessly as the man she had always thought of as strong, and in control – totally fell to pieces.

"What is it? What's happened?" she asked anxiously as she walked across to him, and cupped his face with her hands, forcing him to look her in the eyes.

"It's my father," he murmured in a strangled tone. "He's suffered a stroke ... and they're not sure that he's going to make it!"

Miranda's eyes filled with tears as she remembered a time when she had lost her own parents.

"Oh Marcus ... I'm so sorry!"

He pulled her into his arms and hugged her tight – seeming to need that contact ... as though he was drawing on her strength.

Then he pushed her away gently. "I have to go ... I'm needed at the hospital..."

She could see the mask as it slipped into place – covering his grief and anxiety and portraying the strength his family would need from him – but which Miranda knew was fake.

"Let me drive you to the hospital Marcus!" she begged. "You're upset and worried about your father and your family – you're in no shape to drive ... please Marcus ... let me drive you there!"

He didn't answer immediately – and Miranda thought that he was going to refuse her ... but in the end he sighed and his shoulders sagged.

"Thank you Miranda ... I would really appreciate having you with me," he told her huskily.

Miranda was not the most assertive of people; she was placid and easy going, inclined to let others make decisions if she thought them more knowledgeable.

She was however calm in a crisis, and a soothing presence to the man sitting silently beside her.

She was an excellent driver and handled his sleek little convertible, confidently and casually and he was able to concentrate on his concern for his father ... and his family.

She stopped at some traffic lights and her hand rested briefly on his thigh.

"I'm sure that your father will be okay Marcus ... they are so good at treating strokes these days..." she tried to reassure him gently.

His hand covered hers for a moment in mute gratitude, but as the lights changed to green she had to put it back on the steering wheel, and try to ignore the warmth from his hand, which left her tingling for the rest of the journey.

They walked down the silent corridor, and entered a small square waiting room.

"Marcus!" Amanda cried out as she ran across to throw herself at him, and sob hysterically into his shirt. "God Marcus ... I just didn't know what to do!"

As Marcus held his sobbing sister, in his comforting embrace, a tall elderly lady joined them.

She was slender to the point of being thin, with silver hair weaving through what would once have been a glorious head of raven locks.

Her eyes though red from weeping, were the same soft brown as Marcus's – and Miranda recognised the woman as being Marcus and Amanda's mother immediately.

"Marcus!" she exclaimed in a tightly controlled voice.

"Mother ... I came as quickly as I could." He moved Amanda slightly so that he could embrace his parent as well.

"I know that you did ... thank you." Miranda heard her murmur as she returned his hug gratefully

"Has there been any more word on how he's doing?"

His voice was as controlled his mother's and Miranda wanted to cry for them, since it seemed they were both determined not to, seemed to be determined to be strong!

"He's stable ... the doctor will be out shortly to give us an update."

"Let's all sit down then."

Miranda followed the little group as they sat back down in the waiting area, and as she sat just a little apart from them, Amanda suddenly seemed to realise that she was there.

"Miranda!" she exclaimed in surprise. "It's good to see you ... but why are you here?"

Miranda blushed awkwardly ... she did not want to lie to anyone ... and she didn't feel the need to lie to anyone ... but this was hardly the place and the time to admit to having a relationship with Marcus...

"Miranda was kind enough to drive me here ... she realised that I my concentration wasn't at its best so we both thought it would be safer if she drove." Marcus told his sister and his mother, expressionlessly.

"Oh," Amanda said vacantly, and then she opened her mouth to ask more questions, but was forestalled by her mother.

"That was very good of you my dear ... I'm sure that we are all very grateful to you..." she smiled warmly. "And I would be grateful to my son if he would be good enough to introduce us to each other – rather than forcing us to skirt around each other awkwardly."

Her tone was light and teasing, but her eyes didn't quite match the tone, and Miranda's heart filled for them, and her eyes met hers full of sympathy and understanding.

"I'm sorry mother ... this is Miranda Redmond she and her brother both work at 'Phillip's Pharmaceuticals' – with me."

"Ah yes her brother Peter..." Mrs Phillips nodded as she glanced sideways at her daughter. "Amanda has spoken of him ... but not..."

"Miranda only joined us recently..." Marcus cut in, "and Amanda has only met her once or twice – I believe?"

Amanda nodded in acknowledgement, and any further conversation was cut off by the arrival of the doctor.