You're Mine ~ A Sweet & Steamy Romance

by Stella Eromonsere-Ajanaku

  Banjo licked his lips.

  “Good morning,” she greeted him with a shy smile.

  Swallowing the instant lump trapped in his gut, Banjo rushed forward. And when he stood in front of her, he lowered his head and brushed his lips across hers. It was a bold move, one he hoped he would not regret. She flicked out her tongue and tasted his lips.

  Breathing in harshly after he lifted his head, he chuckled. “Your scent of Lavender and Rose is awesome. Good afternoon, Gorgeous. It’s past midday in Monaco. Did you enjoy your rest?”

  Tucking one hand through the groove of his elbow, Rachael smiled up at him. Sharp bullets rattled his body as her tender skin moved against his frame.

  “Thanks for last night, Banjo. I’m sorry I coerced you into undressing me. I just fell apart.”

  Leading Rachael to the shaded spot provided by the parasol, he sat her down on one of the sunbeds.

  “Did you hear me complain? I’m glad I could help you feel more comfortable. Feel free to coerce me again.”

  Giggling with her fingers clasped beneath her jaw, Rachael whined. “I know I’m not a pretty sight. But I’m not ashamed of my figure.”

  Going to sit on the sunbed opposite hers, Banjo laughed. “I liked what I saw. Great body by the way. I’ve nothing to complain about.”

  Wobbling with laughter, Rachael covered her face with both hands. “Just stop, Banjo!”

  “Your beautiful images are going to stay in my head for a long time. Unless you wipe them away with new ones.” Although he sounded like he was jesting, every word he said was true.

  Giggling non-stop, she relaxed on the bed. “Fine. You said you’re a man who loves big boobs. I can understand that. What about a woman with a ballooned belly?”

  Taking her hand, he gave her a comforting grin. “I see a ballooned belly with a baby inside. It’s a precious sight. Even if the baby isn’t mine, I can still appreciate your curves. Stunning, in fact. And I saw the half-naked photo of you in a cute poise. You were seated on the rug with your pretty bump on display and a white cloth draped around your thighs and legs. It reminds me of the truly beautiful woman standing in front of me. It’s absolutely breath-taking!” While he watched her sleep last night, he placed the framed photo on his chest.

  “Thanks. You make me so happy, Banjo. You see things differently from all the men I’ve met.”

  “Because I’m special, huh?”

  Rachael carried on laughing. “I’m tempted to agree. By the way, I heard your phone chat. I shouldn’t have listened. But I did.”

  Warning her with a scowl, Banjo shook his head. “Now isn’t the time to talk about me. You need to eat something.”

  “I’m not hungry. Tell me about Tess and Olivia.”

  Banjo’s jaw almost dropped to the floor. “Not now, Rachael,” he dismissed, hurrying inside to the kitchen. He busied himself with making a plate full of sandwiches. Behind him, Rachael followed at a slower pace. From the doorway, she folded her arms over her belly and stared at him while he worked.

  “Would you prefer tea, coffee or a drink?” he offered, hoping Rachael would let him carry on with getting her meal together.

  “I’ll get myself a drink,” she answered, her eyes broody as she strolled to the fridge. “You’re not going to get away with not telling me about your family. How old is Olivia?”

  Grating his teeth, Banjo spread mayo on four slices of bread with the back of a tablespoon. Tomato slices, cucumber, lettuce and tuna chunks followed in layers.

  “Olivia’s six next month.”

  “I didn’t realize you had a daughter.”

  He shrugged, “There’s been no real need to mention my daughter.” When you are so often embroiled in arguments over your child, it is best to keep things private.

  After he added bread slices to the filling, Banjo cut each sandwich from end to end with a bread knife. When he made his way to the kitchen door, Rachael took out a can of malt drink from the fridge and tailed him outside.

  Before Banjo resumed his seat by the pool side, he placed the plate of food on the table. “Eat, Rachael and don’t ask questions while you eat.”

  Smiling at him, she took a sip from her drink. “Then I’ll have to wolf it down without chewing.”

  Honestly, he just was not ready to talk about Tess or Olivia. Trying not to stew too much, Banjo laid back and turned on his side to face Rachael. While she ate, he wondered how Rachael’s thoughts now took centre stage in his head most of the time, or all the time.

  “Do you swim a lot?” he asked, glancing at the pool.

  “When I’m not so tired. I might have a swim today, actually.” Breadcrumbs hung on one side of her lips. He stretched forward and brushed off the crumbs. A gleam entered her eyes and she kissed his arm.

  Bold currents weaved through his arm, sending hot waves to his spine. Sliding to his feet, he stared into her eyes. “Throughout the night, I prayed you would make it till morning.” Warmed by the openness in her eyes, he kissed her chin.

  Before he flew to Monaco, Olivia was his life. She meant the world to him and he worked hard so he could give her the kind of life he had and more. In the past few weeks, he’d become consumed with thoughts of Rachael, hardly remembering to call his daughter until later in the day. Last night, Olivia asked if he had met someone new. After a slight hesitation, he had told his daughter about Rachael.

  After his chat with Olivia, he worried whether Rachael would have recovered by morning. But her sexy images imprinted on his heart helped him cope with his fear.

  “You’re looking at me funny,” Rachael said, wiping mayo from one corner of her mouth with the back of her hand.

  Cutting short his sensual imagination, Banjo rushed to the kitchen, retrieved a napkin and handed it to her.

  “I don’t know if I can get used to having you almost collapse in my arms. It wrenches my gut with fear.” Voicing his fear was easy with Rachael because she understood how he felt.

  “I would be worried for me too,” she agreed, dropping a peck on his forearm. Slowly, Rachael batted her eyelashes at him.

  Hot fluid engulfed his chest and his breath hitched in his throat. Backing down, he paced around his recliner.

  Eating every bite of sandwich, Rachael shrugged, sipping her drink. “I’ll rest a lot more in the next couple of days. Will that make you less worried?”

  Pausing to take in her words, he faced her. “That’s a start. You’ve got to slow down.” Refraining from telling her what to do was tough. What he really wanted to do was shake her until she understood she needed to keep away from every activity that sapped her strength. Again, her argument that she could slide into depression if restricted entirely made sense.

  “I just agreed to slow down. I’ll stay indoors, relax and eat for the next few days. Okay?”

  For the moment, Banjo shook off the weight of worry on his shoulders. He sat back and relaxed.

  “Is Tess a major player in your life?”

  When he figured out her question, Banjo grinned, a naughty glint in his eyes. “By that are you asking if I’m sleeping with Tess?”

  Rachael’s eyes held his without blinking.

  “Yes,” he grinned, wondering why she was on his case to find out about Tess and enjoying the fact she was bothered.

  Eyes flickering with shock, Rachael purred. “It’s not funny, Banjo. I’m serious.”

  Vibrating with laughter at the surprised look on her face, he sat up. “Fine. I’m not sleeping with her. At least not in the last four years. If she’s pregnant, it’s not my baby.”

  Rachael threw the empty can of malt at him and he dodged the bullet. “Are you trying to make me feel awful?”

  Still snickering, he squashed the empty can. “You’re asking me about my love life.”

  “Just answer the question. And tell me about Olivia. Does she look like you?”

  Getting out his phone, he showed Rachael his screen. Poised on his neck, Olivia had a huge smile on her ruddy face. “Last night,
you refused to tell me if you were sleeping with Kelvin. So why are you on my case about Tess?”

  “What?” she snapped, a frown on her face.

  Arching his eyebrow, he wagged one finger. “Do I need to ask again?”

  “I know I was half-dead, but I don’t recall that chat at all. Are you playing tricks on me?”

  Shrugging, he grinned. “Maybe. Are you?”

  “Of course not. You heard me say we were done eight months ago. Weren’t you listening?”

  Asking about Kelvin was just to distract her. “Yes, but you haven’t told me whose baby you’re carrying.”

  Rachael tapped his knee with one finger. “That’s different. Stop being so annoying.”

  “I’m not going to ask you again.” And he intended to keep the thought out of his head.

  “Thank you.”

  Though he did not understand why she was tight-lipped about a simple question, he answered hers. “Back to Olivia. We had her almost six years ago. Tess and I had so many plans. To get married, have kids and travel to Australia. Out of the blue, we had Olivia and not in the order we planned.”

  Watching him with her eyes as wide as a saucer, Rachael nodded. “Then what happened to your happy ever after wish?”

  “Olivia happened. Although she has brought me so much happiness and comfort, in a way she also reminds me of my lost dream.”

  Arching her brow, Rachael positioned her fists beneath her chin, while Banjo started to do sit-ups on the lounger.

  “Having a child must be the best gift ever. So why did having Olivia split you up?”

  “Her family got involved. I can’t do this right now.” Shooting to his feet as memories, good and bad flooded through his head, he turned away.

  Straight up on her feet, Rachael pulled his arm. “Please don’t walk away. I didn’t mean to pry. I just thought you were over Tess.”

  Stopping to look at Rachael, he tapped her fingers. “I’m over her,” he denied strongly. “I was over her a long time ago.”

  “Then why are you so upset talking about what happened?”

  In his head, Banjo thought, oh so you can criticize me when you’re exactly in the same boat as me. But to Rachael, he said, “And why do you care how I feel about Tess?” Talking shifted his attention away from the fire shelling to his chest from her fingers folded around his arm.

  Clinging tighter to his upper arm, Rachael pouted. “I’m jealous and I’m shocked to my core that I’m feeling resentful at the thought you could go back to Tess.”

  A massive jolt bashed Banjo’s chest and he cuddled her, groaning as he kissed her lips. With tender strokes, he tickled the sweet insides of her mouth. Moaning in his arms, Rachael swept through his mouth with the tip of her tongue as she wrapped her hands around his hips. Quite unexpectedly, he tasted salt on her cheeks.

  “Why are you crying?” he crooned, bracing her face with his hands.

  Two lone tear drops peaked on her cheeks. With the tip of his tongue, he lapped up her tears.

  “I’m not crying,” she denied. “I feel ridiculous. As sexy and irresistible as you are, Banjo, you’re five years younger. Besides, I wasn’t expecting to fall so hard for you.”

  Tightening his hold around her body, he skimmed his fingers along her hips. Power surged through his body, but he bit on his teeth to calm the hot flood. “Are you upset you’ve fallen for me?”

  “Sort of.” Still, her fingers feasted on his skin, caressing his shoulders as she slipped her tongue inside his mouth, drinking from his hungry lips. As heat engulfed his thighs, he pushed his fingers straight into her hair. He held her head in place while he gulped juices from inside her mouth.

  Rachael moaned inside his mouth, the sound fuelled the flame licking his body. Swallowed by need, he cupped her breast with one hand. Tender and supple in his fingers, he squeezed and flipped her nipple with his thumb.

  Millions of tremors ripped through his soul and his breath came out in long gasps. Her moans deepened and she hugged him tight. Rachael trembled, panting. And he kissed her neck, trying to slow down their racing emotion.

  “We need to take it slow, right?” he muttered against her lips, grinning as his heart almost burst with joy. Not for one day, did he think she would fall into his arms or he would earn the right to caress her boobies.

  “My thoughts too,” came her soft words.

  “Was falling for me easy?” he teased, slipping one hand over her backside. “After all, you warned me not to fall for you.”

  “It was tough. I kept reminding myself of all the reasons I shouldn’t. But you made it easy for me to fall. Caring for me the way you’ve done and accepting my weaknesses has been a shock. Then fighting with me the way you have and generally being annoying worked in your favour.”

  Giving her an innocent stare, he joked. “How?” Meanwhile, pure heat took over his skin.

  “I think about you all the time. You’re sexy and funny. What’s there not to like?”

  Listening to her confession filled him with immeasurable happiness. Gently, Banjo skated his fingers up to her waist, while his eyes roamed her lips. “Do you know what drives me nuts about you, Rachael?”

  “What?” She giggled, fluttering her lashes in a way that got his heart hopping around his chest.

  “Avoiding me for two weeks and being so secretive. I wanted to grab you and kiss your lips a hundred times over.”

  “Then kiss me as many times as you want. As long as…”

  Clasping her backside with both hands, Banjo swallowed her comments in a harsh kiss. He drained every passion she had to offer from her lips until she melted against him, gasping for air. Worried he had overdone the kiss, he eased Rachael into a chair. Then he fanned her with both hands. “That kiss is for scaring me to death two days in a row. I need you to listen to me, okay?”

  “Uh-huh,” Rachael moaned, pulling him to sit beside her. Sluggishly, she leaned over and curled her tongue along the corners of his mouth.

  Swallowing to keep his lust under control, he stroked her cheek. “Is that a yes or a maybe?”

  “Before you ride into the sunset together, Bolu Ara is on the phone for you, Banjo,” Tinu droned, interrupting their sensual play.

  Bad timing, thought Banjo. His mum could have delayed the broadcast. Cuddling Rachael in his arms was the only thing he needed now. Within his grip, Rachael’s eyes glowed with affection and he returned her smile.

  “I love your smile,” he laughed quietly, grooming Rachael’s lips with his thumb, completely ignoring his mum’s gaze.

  “I love your lips,” she said on a sweet sigh. “But your mom’s waiting for your response.”

  Turning slightly to face Tinu, Banjo grinned. “Thanks Mum, I’ll give him a call back.” He made no attempt to let Rachael out of his hold. Instead, he clasped her waist with his fingers, dropping a kiss on her nose as he guided her inside.

  Wiping her face clean of any grin, Tinu strode ahead of them.

  Tugging his forearm with her face pressed against his skin, Rachael puckered her lips. “Do you think your mom’s cool with you and me getting together?”

  Caressing her hair from the root to the tips, he kissed her lips. “Did you see the smile on her face when she caught us kissing? She approves.”

  Rachael nodded. “Although I don’t want to do anything to hurt her, to my surprise, I want you more than I want to please her. Does that make sense?”

  Laughing at the frown on her face, he pasted small kisses on her nose. “Love me and Tinu Ricci will be happy.”

  “Banjo!” she protested, pulling his arm as they walked through the kitchen. “Slow down! Love is still faraway.”

  “You asked, and I gave you a great tip.”

  Rachael stood on her toes, held his jaw and pressed her lips to his mouth. A deep buzz floated to his backbone, ravaging him. He had to pull back to save himself from falling at her feet.

  “We still have so much to talk about,” he reminded her with a wink.

&nb
sp; “Do the talking and I’ll do the kissing, okay?” came her instant answer with a giggle. And Rachael slipped out her tongue, teasing him and murmuring, “Don’t stop kissing me.”

  Eleven

  Two days later, Sabrina showed up on Rachael’s front door with a huge smile on her pretty face. Excited at the opportunity to chat with her friend, Racheal ushered Sabrina to the side of the house.

  Inside the outdoor bar, Rachael poured a cold glass of pineapple and mango drink for her guest.

  “Add a dash of rum in that for me,” her friend whispered from behind.

  “Pour in as much alcohol as you want,” Rachael winked, handing over the bottle of rum. Then Rachael poured herself a chilled glass of strawberry and mint water, her favourite by far. When they were done, Rachael inserted two straws into their respective drinks before they made their way to the shaded area in the garden.

  “I thought you were working today, Sabrina.”

  “I took the day off. I’ve got plans,” her friend winked, hinting there was something brewing.

  After sipping from her drink, Rachael replied. “Okay. I’m listening. What have you got up your sleeve?”

  “Remember Damian, the guy who rode the bike to the community centre two weeks ago?” Sabrina bypassed her straw and took a long swallow from her drink.

  Rachael paused, trying to recall the man’s face in question. “Tall, white guy with long, curly hair in an all-black leather outfit?”

  “Exactly,” Sabrina said with a giggle. “He came around yesterday and asked me out on a date. We’re off to Monte Carlo tonight. Had to take the day off.”

  Hooting, Rachael stood up and did a little jiggle with her hips. “I’m happy for you, Sabrina.”

  “Good. I had to let you know. I’m going shopping, then I’m off to make my hair appointment and get my nails done.”

  “Go on girl. Have fun. Come back and tell me how your date went.”

  “Will sure do. Now to you, any luck with Mr. Tattoo? Tell me you’ve given him a hug at least.”