Thirty-nine

Mene.

It was too late.

Now those words were out of my mouth, thoughts of those red-painted lips taking my dick in and out of them barged into my mind like a truck that had gone out of control. My hand on her chin flexed as I fought the urge to move my fingers to caress those soft lips of hers. Lips I knew could give me a fucking glimpse of that heaven I'd been depriving myself of.

And I wasn't alone. I could tell from the way her eyes constructed and relaxed in a subtle dance of inner conflict that she wanted it to.

Fuck. This woman was perfect.

Then as if that wasn't enough, the disco lights at the club entrance landed on us, illuminating her face like a work of art. The yellow and blue hues highlighted her features, erupting a sense of marvel within me as I stared at her, utterly captivated by her beauty. Nothing else mattered at that moment. Not the music. Not the crowd. Not even her anger.

I was enchanted by the sparkle in her eyes, the curve of her lips, and the gentle glow of her skin. I was very certain if Beethoven had seen her before he went blind, he would have written symphonies that would have moved the heavens. He would have been inspired to create only music that captured the essence of her beauty, music that would have made the stars shine brighter.

My heart's pleasure was short-lived, as she wrenched her face from my grasp, breaking away the moment and storming away. I considered letting her go, knowing she had every right to be furious. I had messed up monumentally, asking her on a date only to air her and even ignore her concerned texts. If the tables were turned, I'd be just as angry.

I'd just started buying the idea of letting her go as the weight of my thoughtlessness sank in, but my eyes fell on her ass cheeks which were quite visible through the dress and I lost all sense of reasoning. My sanity couldn't stand the whole world getting a peek of those perky round and full cheeks wiggling as she walked and before I knew what was happening, I was already marching towards her.

I got to where she stood, ignoring her gasp when she saw me in front of her and in a flash, I picked her up and flung her on my shoulder.

I didn't even know why she always tried fighting me whenever I did this. She should know two things by now. One, I was way stronger than her. Two, once she was on my shoulder, nothing could ever make me drop her.

She finally grew tired of fighting me and went limp on my shoulder, which I appreciated as I could now walk to my car with ease.

Dogo opened the door immediately I approached the car and I dropped her in and then slipped in, sitting right beside her to prevent her from escaping before shutting the door.

"We're going home," I told Dogo who had rushed to take his place in the driver's seat. This is exactly why I loved this man. He knew his job.

"I came here with my friend. I can't leave without her," She announced. An excuse to leave this car, I recognized.

"Don't worry, Suka is here too."

Her eyes widened in surprise and I inwardly let out an exhausted sigh, knowing what was coming next.

"I hope Suka doesn't know about us," She stated, flaring up my irritation. I thought it was just my mother she didn't want to know about us. She was fucking best friends with Suka so what was she scared about? If only she knew how much I longed to climb the highest mountains and proclaim to every corner of this earth that she belonged to me and no one would be able to do shit about it.

"You're scared of Suka too?" My sarcastic remark was met with a subtle but palpable shift in her expression. Her eyes narrowed, and her jaw clenched, as the anger and hurt which had relaxed on her face, sat up.

"Yes, I'm scared of Suka because if he knows, there's a high possibility that your mother will eventually find out. I've told you countless times that I don't want her to know about us but you're just too selfish to care".

I moved my gaze to the window, sending my attention to the window in a bid to distract myself from those red-painted lips I wanted to kiss badly.

But then, she let out the words that almost ruptured my heart.

"I don't even know why I'm even bothered. There's nothing to find out. Nothing is going on between us anyway."

My eyes were back on her like a flash, the fiery intensity in them warning her to watch her mouth. "What does that mean?"

Her laughter was dryer than the harmattan breeze. "Are you even asking me that? Nothing is going on between us, my dear".

"A lot is going on between us, Tarila. And you know it." I deadpanned.

"You should have thought of that before ignoring me for days".

Guilt encased me in a bubble. This was where I should apologize. I'd hurt her and it hurt me that I hurt her. I was just preparing to apologize when she hit me with another question.

"Why did you ignore me? Tell me why or I swear I'll come down from this car".

"You're not coming down from this car". My words were final. Nothing was going to make me order Dogo to stop this car, not even the devil himself.

"Try me".

I wanted to hit her with another retort but I dropped it. I was in the wrong here. "I was busy with work," I told her. I practically winced at how insufficient my explanation was. I wanted to say more. I wanted to tell her everything. I wanted to hold her hand to my chest and spill everything to her but I couldn't. Not yet.

"Then why did you ask me out on a date to start with?!" She yelled before her face twisted in pain as her hands moved to rub against her head. I flew to her side that minute, placing my hand on her shoulder as I peered into her face, searching for any sign of discomfort.

"Are you okay?"

"I just want to go home". My heart fell as she pushed away my hand and I reluctantly moved away from her.

"You're coming home with me".

"I'm not going home with you, Mene. I have a house and that's where I'm going to".

"Suka doesn't have a house in Port Harcourt and he's going to be staying there with your friend".

"I have a room".

Damn, why was she being so stubborn? Did she want me to drop to my knees and beg, which I was very much close to doing? I was exhausted from the emotional rollercoaster but I refused to back down. I wasn't letting her go home, end of discussion.

"Please, come home with me. I promise I won't touch you. I'll give you your space."

A veil of confusion clouded her eyes. "Then why do you want me there?"

Because the world is much more bearable with you around, I felt like saying but I swallowed back the words.

"I just want that peace that comes with knowing that you're right there with me. I missed you these past few days, Tarila, and whether you believe it or not, it was never my intention to abandon you. I'm sorry for my actions, and I assure you it won't happen again."

Every fight died and vanished from her eyes and she held my gaze for a while before she finally nodded and relaxed into the car seat.

Oh, thank God!

"Fine but I'm leaving tomorrow morning".

Never. You'll be staying with me till your leave ends.

"Alright".

****

The image of her in this dress was going to haunt me to the grave.

As she scanned the room, I couldn't help but let my eyes carefully trace and digest every curve and line of her perfect body.

Tarila was stunning, with a slender neck, delicate shoulders, a tiny waist, and curves that rivaled a goddess. Her legs were straighter than a ruler. I wished I could capture this moment and have it painted, so I could cherish it every day.

She turned to face me, her mouth opened to comment on something but the words died the moment she saw the look on my face. There wasn't a mirror here for me to see my reflection but I knew I looked like a lion who was watching his prey carefully.

But how could I help it when she was standing before me looking like a five-course meal served for me to devour?

I shook my intrusive thoughts away and forced myself to speak, telling her that I would be sending Salome to get her food, clothes and some drugs from the headache I knew she'd gotten from all the drinking and partying.

She thanked me in a hushed whisper, her eyes batting in a way that glowed innocence and then my mind went back to how she called herself a slut. Striping was her past and wasn't who she was. She had no right to make that her identity. Not to anyone and not to me especially. I could think about so many other things that she was that didn't include that slut word.

Beautiful.

Smart.

Sexy.

My all-consuming infatuation.

I paused on my way out, too furious to let it slide, and addressed her with my back slightly turned to her because I couldn't bare to see her face now I just remembered that she called herself a slut.

"I wasn't joking about my statement earlier though. The next time you call yourself a slut, there will be consequences."

With that, I made my way out of the room, shutting the door behind her, and leaving her to consider my statement.

Salome was outside the door when I stepped out. The millions of questions she wanted to ask splayed across her face and I smiled at how she failed woefully at hiding her curiosity.

"Let it all out" I urged her with a chuckle as I walked over to my room which was two rooms away from Tarila's.

Salome trailed behind me, her careful steps exposing a lingering vulnerability. Five months had passed since her knee surgery, a grim reminder of the accident that had left her fragile and battered. Though her leg had healed, the limp remained. The news of the accident shattered me and I was ready to spend every penny I had to restore her wealth. Salome embodied the same warmth and kindness as Joy, our family's housekeeper - both women were beacons of love, patience, and compassion.

"Why is she dressed like that?"

"I annoyed her". I told her as I started unbuttoning my shirt.

Her brows furrowed in confusion. "That's why she's dressed like that?"

"Yes. I made her dress like that".

My further explanation only deepened her perplexed expression, wrinkles creasing her face like a puzzle map. I couldn't help it - laughter sprang out of me.

"Just forget it, Salome".

"All these children. I'm forgetting it, my dear".

"Thank you. Please get her some food, clothes and some drugs. I think she has a bad headache".

"Alright. I'll get your food too".

"Thank you so much. You're an angel. Have I told you that?"

A warm smile spread across her face as she waved off my compliment. "This boy please leave me". She started to leave but then paused and then swirled around to face me with something like hope in her eyes. "Do you plan on resting today?"

I shook my head in reply, and a deep understanding filled her eyes, her gaze soft with empathy. She knew the unspoken truth - that I drove myself to exhaustion to outrun the demons that haunted my mind. Yet, she never probed or pressed me about it and I was very much grateful for that.

"Thank you, Salome". She nodded at me before she left.

I dove back into work the moment the door closed, my focus laser-sharp. I retrieved the plans I had discussed with the Commissioner from my suitcase and put on my creative cap as I began sketching on my work iPad. I didn't delegate important projects like this because they didn't only represent my company but also me. The Commissioner's vision was ambitious - a hospital that would be a masterpiece, and my goal was to create something breathtaking, a building that would make people want to fall sick just to witness its beauty.

An hour later, I finally had a draft design for the grand floor, meticulously tailored to the Commissioner's specifications. I leaned back in my chair, cracking my neck and shoulders to release the tension. It was one a.m. and I was fucking exhausted. It had been forty-eight hours since I last had a decent sleep and my body and mind screamed for rest. I decided to give in to it. I saved my work, closed my eyes, and let out a deep sigh, deciding to take a few minutes break.

I'd just rested my head on the work table when something that sounded like a girly giggle pierced through the air followed by the splash of water.

Panic set in, setting all my nerves on alert.

Someone had fallen into the pool.

This was exactly why I had carefully positioned the balcony at the end of the last room on the floor to provide an unobstructed view of the pool, to prevent moments like this from going unnoticed.

I burst out of my room and sprinted to the balcony, my feet pounding the floor. As I reached the railing, the sight before me made every drop of blood in my body still.

Tarila was in the pool, her slender body gliding through the water as she played with it, her skin glistening in the moonlight.

But it was her complete and utter nakedness that left me breathless, my mind reeling with a mix of shock, surprise, and raw lust.

She was fucking naked.

It was as if time stood still as I watched the water dance across her naked body as she splashed and played with the water. Her laughter and smile were natural and her moves were carefree. I couldn't tear my gaze away, not even when she finally retired and made her way towards the end of the pool.

That's when she noticed me.

Her head darted up and even though I couldn't see her eyes, I could tell they were on mine, holding my gaze in the darkness.

Fuck.

She looked like Aphrodite, the way she pushed out that water stark naked. Her nipples were hard and her skin glistened with wetness, droplets of water streaming down her body as she slowly unweaved herself from the water's embrace till she was completely on the tiled ground.

She knew I was still watching her and that was why she walked with precision over where she dropped her robe before picking it up and wearing it over her body, disrupting my show. She was doing everything on purpose. Her every move was deliberate, a calculated seduction. Her eyes darted everywhere but mine, yet I knew she was acutely aware of my gaze, lingering on her. Each sway of her hips and flicker of her lashes seemed designed to tease and draw me in. And I was helpless to resist, my attention ensnared by her provocative scheme, till she finally disappeared from the pool area.

I tore myself away from the balcony, my heart panting in anticipation as I retreated to the front of my room, awaiting her arrival. I'd just gotten to the front of my room when she sauntered into the corridor, her head held high, her eyes fixed on some point ahead, deliberately ignoring me.

No way in hell.

I grabbed her hand, halting her movements when she started to pass by me and she stilled for a moment before she finally turned to me.

"You're going to your room?"

Of course, where else would she be going to, stupid? My subconscious cursed at me but I ignored the motherfucker. I was trying to stir up a conversation with this woman.

A crease formed between her eyebrows. "Yeah," She said and started to leave when I held her hand, ceasing her movements again.

I cleared my throat as she pinned me with a questioning look which I understood perfectly. I'd promised her that I wouldn't touch her and I'll give her her space but here I was.

"Stay with me". My statement shocked both of us, especially me.

What the hell? I still had tons and tons of work to do and was only taking some time off for recess.

The heart wants what it wants, Mene. I felt my subconscious rubbing its hands on my back as it said those words to me.

She opened her mouth and I detected from the uncertainty in her eyes that she wanted to say something otherwise.

"Please. I need you". I added, cutting her short.

We were a few steps away from each other but the tension sizzling in the air made it feel like our skins were touching.

"You said you won't touch me".

"I lied then". I admitted shamelessly and relief gripped me when she let out a small smile.

"You're a funny man, Mene". She shook her head at me before stretching her hand out for me to take. "Lead the way".

There was no form of hesitation from me. I grabbed her hand right then and led her to my room.