by Kiru Taye
Straining, she listened out for any indications of a car arriving. Nothing. She picked up her phone from the dresser. She’d wanted to go to the hospital and bring Felix home. He’d told her not to, and for the last few days, had restricted her visiting time.
One thing the knock in the head hadn’t taken away was his commandeering attitude. Man-in-charge had returned full force.
A smile played on her lips. Truth be told, she found the take-charge Felix irresistible. In a country where people dragged their feet without reason sometimes, Felix could get things done with a snap of his fingers. Being Mrs. Felix Essien had its perks. Doors opened even before she asked them to be opened.
What if he finds out the truth? What if he remembers?
She sucked in a breath and closed her eyes.
“I can’t dwell on it,” she muttered to herself. “Not now. I’ll cross the bridge when I get to it.”
A knock at the door made her jump, eyes flying open.
“Who is it?”
“Oga Felix is here,” Bisi said from the other side of the closed panel.
Thud. Thud. Thud. Her heart raced. He’s home.
Pushing aside her worry, she flung the door open.
Bisi stood on the landing at the top of the stairs with a shy smile.
“Make sure everyone else is out there to greet him,” Ebony said as she smiled.
“Yes, Aunty. They are already waiting.”
“Good. Let’s go down.”
Bisi raced ahead. Ebony tried for a dignified descent and quelled her anticipation.
Outside, the household staff, in smart, clean, and ironed uniforms, stood in a row to greet their master as the driver unloaded the boot of the car.
Felix straightened out of the car and Kola handed him a crutch.
She had been expecting him, but seeing him standing there, in loose cargo pants and a t-shirt, the handsome virile man she’d fallen in love with so evident, she couldn’t help the tears that pooled in her eyes, the last time he’d stood on this same portico a lifetime ago.
With a smile on his face that sent her heart tripping over, he held out his free hand towards her and she went to him.
Wrapping her arms around him, she inhaled the spicy mix of Felix and his aftershave. Relief skittered over her skin, joy curling lips pressed to his shirt.
“Welcome home,” she breathed against him. He pulled her even closer, giving her a firm squeeze before letting go. They hadn't seen each other in twenty-four hours. Had he missed her? She stepped back and looked up at him. The intensity of his dark eyes snatched air from her lungs.
“It’s good to be home.” He faced the staff. “Thank you, all.”
“You’re welcome, sir,” they replied in unison.
“Bisi, how are you?”
“I’m fine, sir.”
“Good. Your madam—”
Ebony elbowed him in the rib. “They don’t address me as madam. I prefer aunty.”
He beamed a charming smile and started again. “Your aunty tells me you are taking evening classes. Are you enjoying it?”
“Yes, sir. I love it, sir.”
“Great. Chima, how about you? How is school?”
Chima, the part-time laundry boy, studied at University of Lagos. The job earned him money to supplement whatever his parents gave him for his schooling.
“Great, sir. Everything is going great. Thank you.”
“Kwame, the garden looks fantastic. How is your family?”
“Everybody is fine. Thank you, sir.”
“How about you and your family, Abdul?”
Abdul served as the day watchman. At night, he was supplemented by Kola’s security team.
“Everyone is fine, oga. Na gode.” Thank you.
“Thank you, everyone,” Ebony said. “Chima, please take the bags in. Bisi, set up the table. I’ll be in the kitchen shortly.”
The staff nodded and dispersed to carry on with their duties.
“Come inside, out of the heat.” She tugged on his free hand. Since the moment he had woken from his coma, the rapport between them had grown stronger each day, which reminded her of the easy friendship they’d develop when they first met. He could read her with ease and knew her thoughts before she’d voiced them.
When they walked into the grand hallway, she stopped and turned to him. He still held onto her hand, lifting it and brushing soft lips against knuckles. A wayward shiver passed through her body.
Tilting her head to the side, she expected to see Kola following behind. Instead, the car outside headed back down the driveway to the wrought iron gates.
“Where is Kola going? Isn’t he staying for lunch?” she asked, eyes widening in surprise.
“I sent him to pick something for me from Apex Towers. He'll be back soon.”
“Okay.” She wrinkled the corners of her eyes. “I hope that doesn’t mean you’re planning to get back to work right away.”
“Not right away.” Amusement dance in his midnight eyes.
Cheeks flushed, a slow smile tugged her mouth.
“What would you like to do first?” She had to swallow to get the words out. “Have a rest, freshen up, or eat?”
“Does a rest involve you joining me?” The corners of his lips crinkled in teasing curve, the tone of his voice promising such decadent pleasure.
Gosh, she’d missed that smile. Her body pulsed to life, yearning for fulfilment, arousal beading her nipples.
Get a grip. Lady of the House, remember? Not Sex Bomb.
Swallowing, she swatted his arm. “Felix, stop kidding. You know we can’t. Your leg.”
“I know of ways we can—No?” He laughed when she fixed him with a no-nonsense look. “Okay, then. I’ll freshen up before we eat.”
“Good,” she said cheerily and started walking again. Her errant body would have to get used to being unfulfilled. “I had the downstairs guest suite prepared for you.”
“Why?” He stopped walking, a frown on his face.
“To save you from climbing the stairs, of course.”
“And keep me away from you for a few more days? I don’t think so, ima-mmi.”
“But—”
“No buts. I know you are thinking about my welfare but I need to think about our welfare, too.” He tugged her closer and fixed her with an intense, all-knowing stare. “Do you want to spend another night away from your husband? Honestly?”
How could he have known her deep thoughts?
She shook her head, telling him with her eyes and her entire being that she didn’t want to be apart from him any longer. “No.”
“Then it’s settled. We are not spending a night apart any more. And I’m sleeping in our bed.” He grinned wickedly at her and started walking towards the stairs, his crutch clicking on the marble floor.
He’d meant it. They were going to actually live together as man and wife in the true sense. As she watched him silently take the stairs one at a time, concern for Felix overtook all else. Though his facial expression remained intractable, it was obvious he felt pain as he navigated each step. When he reached the top of the stairs, he paused briefly by the balustrade before walking into the master suite.
She followed him into the room. He took a seat on the settee, his face looking strained, and sweat glistening on his forehead. Stubborn man! If he wouldn’t accept help, then she would have to find another way of helping him. He certainly wasn’t going back downstairs anytime soon.
“I’m going to arrange to bring lunch up. We can eat here,” she said, hands on hips.
“Not before this.” He took her arm and pulled her onto the settee. She fell onto his hard lap.
“Felix!” Stunned, she wriggled, trying not to sit on his injured leg. What was he up to?
“Stop wriggling,” he growled. She froze as his mouth descended on hers.
Resistance proved futile. Any thoughts about his leg fled her mind. She surrendered to his sensual assault, heat spreading through her body. With his hands on her
nape and holding her in place, the other roamed her body, leaving a trail of tingles in its wake. A quiver travelled through her. She arched her body closer to his, a moan escaping her lips as she got lost in sensation.
When he moved his lips downwards, his tongue licking the pulse on her neck, she tilted her head back to give him more access. Her core ached with need. Nobody else brought out this same level of awareness in her. He stopped, lifting his head up. She whimpered in disappointment, her hand moving to pull his head back down. She looked into his eyes. His stare of pure desire snatched her breath away.
“I haven’t been a good husband, have I?” he asked, his voice laced with sadness.
His question caught her by surprise. Where did that come from? Could he be having regrets about their marriage already?
“You haven’t had the opportunity to be a husband. You can’t blame yourself. It’s not as if you planned the accident.” She shrugged with nonchalance she didn’t feel.
“Regardless, I plan to start making amends straight away. The question is, do you want to remain married to me? I pray that you say yes because there are so many things about you I want to find out.”
Taken aback again, Ebony watched his face closely. His eyes confirmed his sincerity. There was nothing else she wanted more right now.
“Yes. I want to stay married to you.”
He pulled her back into his arms, his passionate kiss knocking the breath out of her body. When he released her, she remained panting.
“Now for lunch. Unless you’d rather we followed this through to its natural conclusion. I’m here to do your bidding, ima-mmi.” He winked at her, patting her bottom.
“Oh, you are such a rogue.” She smiled at him and took a step back, allowing him to get up and walk to the bathroom. When he shut the door behind him, she raced downstairs, eager to organise lunch.
Felix sat at his desk in his home office, scanning the laptop screen open before him while he caught up on his emails and the documents his executive assistant had sent him. He might be unable to physically go into his head office but there existed no reason he couldn’t keep in touch with activities via email and phone.
Moreover, the quarterly meeting of the Executive Board of Apex PB convened in a little over a month’s time. His ability to head the division would be back on the agenda if he didn’t demonstrate his capability as to lead the bank. According to the minutes of the last meeting in January, the vote to rout him from the position had only been deferred, and not squashed, due to his accident as they awaited his recovery.
An act that would seem merciless to outsiders. Still, he didn't begrudge the Board anything. Simply business. Nothing personal. Just accountability.
Billions of dollars worth of clients’ money flowed through the accounts of their clients. Ultimately, the buck stopped with him.
A knock on the door roused him from his reflections. “Come.”
He looked up from the screen and leaned back into his soft-padded oxblood leather chair.
The door opened and Kola stood at the threshold. “I'm just about to head home. Do you need anything else before I go?”
“Aren’t you staying for dinner?” Felix asked as he frowned.
Kola stepped in, shutting the door behind him. “I don’t think it’s a good idea.”
“Why not? Is this about Ebony?”
“No. Of course not.” His security chief stood before his desk, both hands behind his back, legs wide apart in a relaxed pose. “I just think it might be a good idea for the two of you to...you know...hang out together...alone. No disrespect, brother.”
He must have fucked up pretty bad for Kola to interfere. Usually, the man didn’t intrude in his private matters. Although he’d been raised with the rest of the Essien brothers, he’d had a rough childhood and had been rescued from the streets by their father. However, since Kola resigned his commission in the army, he’d been closed up and Felix was certain he fought some horrific personal demons left over from what he’d encountered in Darfur. Felix only hoped that one day, he would share his personal experience with him.
Felix nodded. “Before you go, I’ve been meaning to talk to you about the accident. Please sit.”
“Sure.” He sat in one of the leather armchairs in front of the desk.
He’d gone online to search for news quips about his accident. Sure enough, there were reports about it. Apparently, he had been travelling alone in his car at night when a heavy-goods vehicle had crashed into him at a junction, swiping his car off the road into a ditch. The truck driver had lost control of his vehicle. Kola, who’d followed him in another car, had been first on the spot. Felix’s car lay turned upside down, his foot trapped in the wreckage. From the pictures, he’d been lucky he survived the accident. His Bugatti Veyron had been mangled, a total write-off.
“I told you in the car that I don't remember anything about the accident.” He’d thought it important to tell him. The man was responsible for his security. “But I’d really like to know what happened that night. Why did I leave this house so late? Where was I going, for goodness’ sake?”
“I really wish I had the answers for you,” Kola said. “I’d just dropped you guys home after the wedding party. You were quiet during the drive back. I thought it was just exhaustion. When you both went inside, I was chatting with Freddy from the night team when I heard raised voices inside. I would’ve headed off home but hearing the two of you arguing on your wedding night and I just couldn’t leave until I was sure everything was okay.”
Felix rubbed the back of his neck as embarrassment heated his cheeks. Being a private man meant he hated others overhearing his conversations, especially a heated one as Kola described. But he needed answers so he asked, “What were we arguing about?”
“I couldn’t hear the sentences, just loud angry voices.” He lowered his head. “Then you came tearing out of the house in rage and yelled at the boys to open the gate for you. You drove that car out faster than I’d ever seen you do before. If that truck hadn’t hit you, you would’ve probably hit a ditch all by yourself or another road user.”
Felix swore out loud.
“Yep. You raised one hell of a shitstorm that night.” Kola’s jaw tightened. “I walked into the house to find Ebony crying her eyes out. Still, I had to leave her to chase after you. Luckily, the tracking device on the Bugatti showed me which direction you were headed. But by the time I got to you, it was too late. I can tell you it was no fun finding you unconscious. I had to put you in the back seat of the Range Rover and drive you to hospital myself. But the toughest part was calling Chief to say you were in hospital. I never want to do that again.”
“You saved my life.” He scrubbed a hand over his face, regret making him uncomfortable. “Thank you.”
“Don’t mention it. We are like brothers, after all, and your safety is my job.”
You’re supposed to protect me from others. Not from myself. The unspoken thought worried Felix, but he nodded.
“If that’s everything, I’m going to head off now.” Kola stood. “Freddy is on duty tonight and he’s happy to provide any extra help you need in getting upstairs.” Amusement glimmered in his eyes.
“What’s so funny?” Felix asked.
“Nothing.”
Felix raised a brow.
“Just that I overhead Bisi and Chima discussing the lack of use of the master suite bed. Apparently, Ebony hasn’t been sleeping in it.”
“What is that supposed to mean?” Uncomfortable, he shifted in his seat as anxiety knotted his shoulders. “Where has she been sleeping?”
“I had to tell them off for gossiping but Bisi revealed Ebony has been sleeping in one of the other rooms upstairs.”
“Oh. Okay. Thank you again.”
“Sure. If you need me tomorrow, just call and I'll come over.”
“It’s the weekend. Take a break. You deserve it.”
“No can do, bro. You know I’m shadowing you until you’re back on both feet,” Ko
la said as he headed for the door. “Good night.”
“Night.” Elbows on desk, Felix lowered his head onto his hands and rubbed his eyes.
Shouting and arguing with Ebony? Ebony sleeping in a different room? Gossiping staff. His home was disintegrating. Something he’d never wanted to happen. He’d lived through a disintegrated home as a child. He inhaled sharply as the raw pain renewed.
Arguing parents. Parents sleeping in separate rooms. Days on end when his father wasn’t home. His mother had claimed he had travelled. Yet, he’d caught his mother sobbing in her room.
Kola had found Ebony crying, too.
He reared back, fist clenched, and stared out of the window into the garden. Manicured lush lawn, trimmed purple hibiscus hedges, pink bougainvillea winked in the dusk light of the setting sun as the gardener watered the plants with the hose pipe.
Usually, he loved the outdoor space. Today, the view didn’t lighten his heavy heart. While he had a business to worry about, the affair with his wife needed his urgent attention. At least they’d started on the right road.
He’d had lunch earlier with Ebony. Her eyes had been lit up with what he assumed to be joy, passion, and something else. At the time, he’d just been happy to see her smiling and chatting, looking like she was enjoying her food. She had gone to what seemed like great trouble to make him comfortable and had fussed over him. He expected to feel uncomfortable, or even awkwardness, around her. But there lay none. They interacted like he’d known her his whole life. Knew what she could be thinking by the way her eyes sparkled or the tilt of her head. There existed a familiarity about her he couldn’t pinpoint. Like she was a part of him that had always been here. Each time she looked at him, he could see the love in her eyes.
That’s it! Ebony loved him! Had she always done so? Her daily vigils at his bedside certainly showed she cared about him. Did he love her in return? If love proved the overwhelming need to take care of her, to spend the rest of his life devoted to her happiness, then he did. He’d certainly never felt that way for anyone else. Could that be why they’d gotten married?