After the Fall Ch. 08

Andy, Daniel, and Jack cheerfully accepted her thanks as they filed out. She waited until she heard them close the doors to Michael's wing before she turned to him.

"Michael, I told you I didn't need office furniture. None of you needed to do all this."

"I know you did. I think you are going to need it, though. You'll be surprised how much paperwork it takes to do anything, even without having people you have to submit paperwork to. Just look at the collection of paper you already have, and we haven't even gotten started."

He was right of course. The writing desk in her room only had a few shallow drawers. Still, she didn't like the fact that she said she didn't need it and he did it anyway.

"Don't frown, sweetheart. There are lots of areas where I'm willing to compromise with you. Having what you need - even if it's just something onlyI think you need - isn't one of those areas."

She rolled her eyes but decided that arguing the point was useless. The furniture was already in place.

"Why are there two desks?"

"I thought you might like to have a desk Sarah could use if you guys were working on something together. We can give Sarah her own desk downstairs of course, but I wanted to go ahead and get it up here since there's plenty of room for it."

"Oh." She thought about it. "That's a really good idea. Thank you."

"You're welcome. I'm going to take a shower and change before our meeting starts. I feel like I'm coated in years of dust."

Mariah caught sight of a smudge peeking out below a lock of hair that had fallen over his forehead. "I think maybe you are."

"Any chance you'd be interested in helping?"

"Helping you shower?"

"Mmhmm. You don't have to. I liked it when you did before, though."

She remembered the time he was talking about. It was her second day with him. After a day of touring the outbuildings and some very enthusiastic sex, they had snuck upstairs to avoid Mariah being seen looking "well-fucked," as Michael put it. They had taken turns washing each other in the shower. She did enjoy it.

She wanted to help him shower, but she was even more interested in seeing how he would react if she told him no.

"I liked it, too, but I want to focus on the meeting. Another time?"

"You're no fun." He kissed her cheek. "See you in a bit."

She spent a couple of minutes opening and closing desk drawers, but her thoughts were on her exchange with Michael. She wasn't sure exactly what she had expected, but it wasn't cheerful acceptance of her preference. It would have been nice to soap him up and run her hands over him, but it was more important to know that he wasn't going to make her do it. Still, it would have been nice.

One of the drawers stuck when she opened it. Maybe Paula would have some wax she could rub on the wooden slide. She sighed and jammed the drawer closed, then went to Michael's room to see if he still wanted company in the shower. She stopped at the door and mentally shook herself. Duncan came strolling out of Michael's room and rubbed against her leg. To his embarrassment, she scooped him up and cuddled him. Duncan was the kind of cat who comes and sits on a person, not the kind of cat that appreciates being picked up.

"Oh, don't give me that look, brat-cat." She kissed his forehead, adding to his discomfiture. "You're just too cute for your own good. You're much cuter thanhe is."

Duncan did not look flattered. She sighed and put him down. "You don't do much to earn your keep, you know."

He favored her with a trilling meow and followed her as she gathered her papers from the writing desk in her room and brought them back to her office. As soon as her papers were on the desk, he hopped up and sat on top of them.

"When I wanted a distraction, you were too cool for cuddles. Now that I want to concentrate, you have to plant your butt on my work? Go bother your sister. Better yet, bother your brother."

She called Henry over from his post beneath the second desk. A little praise had him wagging his tail enthusiastically. Unable to resist, Duncan jumped down to bat at it. A minute later, Duncan was chasing Henry up and down the hall. With no distractions, Mariah sorted through her papers and realized she had nothing more to do with them. She was just nervous about the meeting. No amount of preparation on her part was going to change the way anyone felt about it.

She was drumming her fingers on the desk and staring into space when Michael looked in.

"Busy preparing, huh?" He grinned.

"I thought so, but when I tried to get started, I realized there wasn't anything I need to do."

"You're just nervous, babe."

She nodded. "I know."

"Want to play poker until it's time for the meeting? It might help you get your mind off of it."

"Sure." She didn't really feel like playing, but she did want to stop thinking about how the announcement at the meeting might make everyone feel.

When she got to the doorway, he pulled her body into his and kissed her.

"I understand why you're anxious about it, but it's going to be fine."

She nodded. He tilted her chin up. "I mean it, sweetheart. I know these people very well, and I know everything's going to be fine."

She forced a smile, and he kissed the corner of her mouth.

"You don't need to pretend you're not nervous."

He kissed her again, tilting her head back with the press of his mouth against hers. She was tentative at first, but the restrained hunger she felt from him quickly ignited her own. Her lips parted and his tongue swept in. With a hand on the small of her back, he pulled her hips more firmly against his. His other hand slid from her waist up her side until his hand rested just below her breast. His thumb rubbed teasingly back and forth without touching her where she suddenly wanted to be touched.

When the kiss ended, she wanted more. Her cheeks heated when she realized he was watching her staring at his mouth.

"You're trying to distract me."

"Is it working?"

"Yes."

"Good." He rocked his hips so she could feel his erection. "You're distracting me, too."

He kissed her again with rising passion. It was the most demanding he had been all day, and she found herself responding to it. His hand fell from the small of her back to her ass. He squeezed her buttock, using his grip to pull her harder against him. When he relinquished her mouth, he saw the look he loved to see on her face: lips reddened and swollen, eyes dark and unfocused, and breathless anticipation.

"Still want to play poker?"

She shook her head wordlessly.

"Me neither. How about a little more distraction?"

He waited until she realized he wanted an answer.

"Okay."

"I was hoping you would say that."

He found the zipper and slid it down to her waist. The dress slipped easily off her shoulders and puddled at her feet. He lost no time ridding her of her bra and panties. He led her to the desk and put her papers in a drawer before he lifted her to sit on the edge. She reached for him and he stepped between her thighs, spreading them around his hips as he kissed her again, hard and deep. When he didn't linger, she whined in protest, but he persisted toward his objective, kissing and nipping his way down her neck and across her collarbone.

"Put your hands on the desk behind you and lean back on them."

She leaned back, watching him expectantly.

"Arch your back for me, baby, like you're offering your breasts."

The color rose in her cheeks, but she did it, pushing her chest out like he wanted her to do.

"That's so fucking hot, Mariah."

Her stomach flipflopped. She felt proud and embarrassed at the same time. It was a relief when he lowered his mouth to her breast, immediately taking her mind off the embarrassment of her wanton display. He nipped her already-hardened nipple, then laved it with several swipes of his tongue before he sucked it in. He drew on it deeply, varying the strength of his suction in a steady rhythm until she was squirming.

When he drew her nipple back into sharply, sucking it hard enough to leave it sensitive for hours, she heard herself moan and found herself arching her back further. He drew back, tugging at her nipple until it slipped free of his teeth.

"Such a good girl."

His words added fuel to the fire between her legs and she worried briefly that she might be getting her new desk wet. The thought fled when he turned his attention to her other breast and gave it the same treatment. She was panting lightly by the time her nipple slid free.

He brushed his lips against her ear. "Thank you for letting me do that, sweetheart. You have no idea how much I enjoy knowing that your nipples are still tingling later on in the day... just looking over at you and knowing you're feeling that..." He trailed off into a low, growling sound that made her shiver.

She leaned forward to nuzzle his neck and licked delicately, tasting the faint sweetness the soap left behind layered over the salty tang and familiar taste of his skin. He groaned softly and stepped back. "No time for that, kitten. Lay back flat for me."

The desk was wide enough that she could lay on it without her head dangling off the far edge. His hand followed his eyes down an appreciative sweep of her body. He pulled the chair between her legs and adjusted the height to his purposes. When he sat down, he hooked his arms beneath her legs and pulled her to the edge of the desk. She felt his warm breath across her pussy briefly before she felt his tongue running up her center.

He didn't tease her this time. He lapped the length of her pussy until she was flexing her hips, needing more. He gave her more, holding her thighs open while he tongue-fucked her. He kept it up until her restlessness drove him up to her clit. Her gasp when his tongue flicked across it was followed by her drawn-out moan when he sucked it. When he released her clit, it was only to lick it, moving his tongue faster with each lick, and then sucking it firmly. He alternated the series of licks and sucking her clit until she was panting.

Her hips arched when he slipped a finger into her, and her pussy clamped down on it immediately. He put a hand on her stomach to hold her in place as she began to buck against his mouth. When he slid a second finger into her and began thrusting in and out, she began begging incoherently. He heard her repeat "please" and "Michael" as his tongue sped upon her clit. He knew what she needed.

When she started to come, he drove his fingers in deep and curled the upward inside her while he maintained a steady rhythm against her clit. Her body tensed as she shook in orgasm, squeezing down on his fingers and straining against his mouth. As her climax broke, he shifted from licking her clit to sucking it, drawing out her pleasure. He didn't release her until she whimpered from her oversensitivity to stimulation. Light, slow licks eased her back to earth. He continued until her pussy stopped spasming with every movement of his fingers.

Finally, he drew back, smiling at her sigh when he withdrew his fingers. She raised her head just in time to see him sucking his fingers clean. She groaned softly, letting her head fall back again. He pushed the chair back as he stood and took in the sight of her. She had one arm up with the back of her hand resting on the desk near her shoulder. Her other arm was resting over her abdomen, a little below her breasts. Her nipples were stiff and deeply colored from her arousal and his attentions earlier. Her legs were splayed, thighs spread as he left them. The swollen lips of her pussy were separated enough to reveal the glistening pink folds within.

"You're beautiful."

Something about the simplicity of his words touched her in a way she couldn't describe. He had told her she was beautiful before, but at that moment, she truly accepted that he saw her that way. She had received her share of compliments from men—usually, men who wanted something from her—but this felt different. Before she had a chance to sort it out, he was pulling her up into a sitting position. She reached up to touch his cheek and he turned his face to kiss the palm of her hand.

Her eyes dropped to his jeans and before he could stop her, she was pressing her fingers around his erection through the denim. He bit back a groan and pulled her hand up to his mouth to kiss her palm again.

"We don't have time for that, kitten."

She looked disappointed, then confused. "But if there wasn't time, why did you...?"

"Because I wanted to and because you needed it. Don't you feel better now?"

"Yes, but what about you?"

He smiled and kissed her forehead. "Later. Right now, you'd better clean up and get dressed, unless you want to go to the meeting as-is."

He stepped back to let her down off the desk. She jogged off and had already disappeared into her room before he rounded the corner of the hall on her way to his. He washed his face, dried it, and tried to think unsexy thoughts. His efforts were undone as soon as he walked back down the hall to find Mariah, still naked, wiping the desk with a towel. She looked up sheepishly when she heard him at the door.

"When I have you that way on my desk, I don't think I'll let you clean it up."

She stared at him for a second, then shook it off. "You're terrible!"

"Thank you."

He watched from the doorway as she got dressed. She nearly forgot her papers and had to go back for them after they started down the hall. As soon as Henry heard their footsteps heading toward the end of the hall, he came tearing down the hall, not wanting to be left behind.

"Can Henry come?" Mariah asked.

"Of course."

Henry preceded them into the elevator, looking as important as a large, scruffy version of a Benji dog with one permanently cocked ear can look. Michael gave Mariah a reassuring smile when the door opened. Most of the security team was already in the conference room, seated on one side of the conference table. The lights were off in half of the room opposite the team, and Yvonne had set up a projector to display the video feeds on the darkened wall.

Ezra looked up when they came in. He gestured toward the wall. "I didn't want to take a chance on leaving the cameras unmonitored."

Michael nodded. "Good idea. I didn't even think of that."

Paula was already seated next to Seth. Henry went over to her to collect his ear rubs with the familiar air of a dog who knows he'll get the attention he's looking for. Mariah had a suspicion that Paula snuck Henry and the kitties quite a few snacks, but as long as they still ate most of their dinner and didn't turn into little butterballs, she was happy to let them have their treats and for Paula to bond with them. Sarah was seated near the end of the table, next to Ezra. She jumped up when Mariah came over.

As they embraced, Sarah whispered, "I've got stuff to tell you after this."

"You tease!" Mariah whispered back. From the look on Sarah's face, it could only be about something good. Mariah let her eyes drift to Ezra, then back to Sarah. Sarah gave her a little nod and sat back down, not trusting herself to look at Mariah again without grinning.

Trying to keep her own grin under control, Mariah sat down at the corner of the table next to Paula. Michael noticed and made his way over to claim the seat next to Mariah at the end of the table. Before long, the entire household had filtered in. Henry disappeared under the conference table and reappeared between the twins, getting pet from both sides.

When everyone had settled in, Michael started.

"Thanks for coming, guys. The reason I requested this meeting is that I wanted to let you know about a project we're going to be starting. We haven't had direct contact with anyone in Ashland since my father locked down the compound years ago. That isolation was intended to keep us safe, but it came at the price of not knowing what was really going on out there. We have the cameras of course, but they only show us what's happening in public places. Over the years, some of them have stopped working, or we have video without audio, or vice versa.

"Things are worse out there than I realized. Seasonal food shortages are a much bigger problem than I anticipated. We knew from the cameras hidden around town that gangs were a problem, but I don't think any of us knew the extent of it. The self-appointed 'mayor' of Ashland is nothing more than the head of a gang. So, basically, there isn't any government. There's no leadership, and without leadership, the only cooperative efforts come from small groups of people within the community. There's no town revenue or law enforcement or shared resources. Scarcity is driving people to compete rather than cooperate. We've learned that there's a widespread problem with people's crops being stolen before they are harvested. The town is still getting by on only an hour a day of electricity.

"I think there are things we can do to help. I'm not willing to jeopardize the safety of the compound to do that, but I do believe that we can create a controlled environment that will allow us to offer assistance. Some of these problems would be relatively easy to solve if people were offered access to a place where they and their crops would be secure, away from the influence and threat of gangs.

"I'm planning to build a wall outside the current wall of the compound to create a new enclosed area. If you were looking down on it from overhead, it would look like a bubble on the outside of the compound wall. We will likely put a heavily secured gate in the wall between the compound and the new area, but the gate will be as secure as the wall itself. I want to work with tradespeople from Ashland to construct the wall, and then to build houses for themselves inside the new area. With guidance from Seth, if he'll be so kind, the people who move in can establish crops in beds that won't flood. In a secure area, the theft of crops should stop. When the first group establishes themselves, they can build a new section for more people.

"As I said, I'm not willing to risk the safety of the compound. People who don't live in the new section won't be able to enter it without special dispensation. While I intend to encourage the people who move in to administer themselves, and hopefully set up the beginning of a government, we will retain control over the security of the entire area. I will be hiring more security personnel soon.

"I want to emphasize that this plan is flexible. I'd like your input. In many cases, we'll depend on your specific skill sets and knowledge to guide our progress. I think Paula may be the only one who already knows this, but this was a plan that I'd been turning over in my head for some time. My father certainly would not have allowed it. With his passing, this idea became a rough plan.

"I had intended to contact Mariah to get her assistance on this project, and not just because she kept rabble-rousing outside the compound gate. Although," Michael continued with a grin and a glance at Mariah, "since Mariah's been living in the compound, we've had no crowds outside the gate." Mariah kicked him under the table.

"The real reasons I thought Mariah could help with the project were the fact that she spent a lot of time helping people in town and knows what is needed, and the fact that she's someone people listen to and trust. So, my goal was to invite her to participate anyway, but then, as you all know, the self-appointed mayor of Ashland assaulted her right outside the gate, and our security team brought her in before she could beat him up." Mariah kicked him under the table again, but not as hard this time.

"I expect that Mariah will be managing a lot of the work done on this project. Now that Sarah's here, she can help as well. There will still be times when we need to turn to you guys for help, and I know the security team's job is going to become a lot more complicated. Before we get any further into it, I'd like to hear what everyone is thinking. Let's get everyone's opinions, concerns, and ideas on the table."