Keeping Secrets (The Essien Trilogy, #1)

by Kiru Taye

  She took a step towards him before realising what she was about to do and stopped herself.

  “Fine. I’ll be in the upstairs lounge.”

  She turned and walked out, going back upstairs.

  The doctor arrived not long afterwards. Felix showed him upstairs and left them together, closing the door as he departed.

  The medic gave her another pregnancy test kit which she used, checked her blood pressure, took a blood sample, and asked her several questions. The kit confirmed the positive result she already knew it would.

  He told her that once the blood test result got confirmed, they would book her into the hospital for an ultrasound scan. When she complained about her morning sickness and fatigue, he recommended foods to allay the nausea and plenty of rest. He also gave her some multivitamins. She asked about going back to work. He said it shouldn’t be a problem as long as she didn’t over-exert herself.

  Felix came back into the room when the doctor had finished, looking concerned. But the man soon reassured him all was well. He walked the doctor downstairs.

  Not wanting Felix to have to climb the stairs again, she went back down when she heard the doctor leave and met Felix in the hallway on his way up.

  “We can talk in the office,” she said as she walked past him.

  He nodded and followed her into the room. She sat and waited for him to sit down.

  Ebony didn’t wait for a preamble. “The doctor says it’s okay to go back to work and Mum says I can start next week.”

  “That’s fine. However, you need to limit the travelling and work from Lagos most of the time.”

  Felix’s prompt response gave her relief. She didn’t want her job to add to the list of things breaking up their relationship.

  “Suits me fine.” She nodded.

  “Good,” he said curtly.

  Ebony hated that their relationship was breaking down to the point they couldn’t even talk to each without it being stilted. Where had the man on the beach yesterday gone? The man she had bared her past to. The man who had made love to her as if she was the most important person on the planet to him. That man had gone, replaced instead by an unfeeling chunk of ice glacier.

  The Felix of the past few days had been warm, tender, and loving. This cold and aloof Felix reminded her of the man on her wedding night. Would she ever get back the passionate and tender Felix? Her heart ached for what she knew she was going to lose. However, she had one thing to look forward to. Her baby.

  “I’ll leave you to it,” she said calmly and walked out of his office.

  Felix walked into the master bedroom. Late shadows loomed in the room lit only by the dull glow of a little lamp on the nightstand. He inhaled the light, floral scent of his wife—her essence that seemed to fill any space she occupied—before he saw the small, curled up figure on the bed. Her knee almost touched her chin, her arm under her head, her coppery brown hair spread in waves like flames of fire behind her.

  She looked so fragile, so vulnerable. His heart seemed to stop for a moment as pain and guilt washed over him. What was he doing? To himself. To her. She was his wife. Surely, they could find a way forward somehow.

  He walked over to the settee and sat down as his leg threatened to buckle underneath him. He found himself mentally and physically exhausted. His ankle had been in excruciating pain all day. He’d tried to hide it from Ebony, not wanting her to worry about him. The less concerned she got about him, the better. She had to focus on her health and the baby.

  Thankfully, the doctor had said they were both doing fine, although the medic said he would book Ebony in for a prenatal scan as soon as possible. Felix knew he wouldn’t be able to relax until that scan carried out successfully. He knew from first-hand experience how tragically things could go wrong. He prayed history wouldn’t repeat itself. Although he couldn’t shake the feeling it already had.

  If he continued to respond to his instincts, then things would work out fine. That’s what he hoped, anyway. His instincts had never failed him before. They wouldn’t fail now. Yet, something else told him his wife wouldn’t lie to him about something this big. That the woman he’d known the past few days had been honest, loyal, and loving. What more did he need as proof?

  He took his clothes off and got down to his boxers. He usually slept in the nude but today, he chose to keep the boxers on. As he watched Ebony, his body stirred. He missed her. Missed the fun they’d had at the beach. He needed to keep things simple between them for now, until he resolved the issues between them. His body didn’t seem to get the message. It needed her closeness, needed to possess her, to be possessed by her.

  He was tempted to sleep in the spare bedroom. What would be the use in running? He’d promised to take care of Ebony. To spend each night with her in his arms. What kind of person would he be if he didn’t keep to his words? He owed her that, at least.

  In any case, she’d be returning to her job soon. This meant he wouldn’t be spending as much time with her as he done previously. He didn’t like it one bit. However, he had to live with what she wanted.

  He got into bed and lifted her closer, moving her hair out of her face. That’s when he noticed the blotches on her face. She had been crying again. In her sleep. His heart skipped a beat. His gut wrenched in agony. This woman meant a lot to him and yet, he turned into the one hurting her. He knew it but was at a loss. What was he going to do?

  Gathering Ebony, he held her tightly. In her sleep, she wriggled closer to his body and relaxed into his arms. He caressed her skin. As he listened to the gentle sound of her breathing, slowly, he drifted off to sleep.

  Chapter Twelve

  Ebony woke up feeling hot. Her eyes flicked open with shock when she realised she lay encased with a warm, hard, muscular body, a firm leg draped across hers.

  Felix!

  She attempted to wriggle out but he held her close, caressing her arm.

  “What are you doing?” she asked, surprised more than anything else. The last thing she’d expected was to wake with him holding her so warmly after what happened yesterday.

  “Waking up with you in my arms, like I promised. Good morning, ima-mmi.”

  He kissed her neck and her body responded as usual, melting on the spot. However, the events of the previous day were still uppermost in her mind. She wasn’t ready to shove them aside.

  “What promise?” She turned around and gazed at him warily.

  He had on his lazy, sexy smile that made his cheek dimple and his onyx eyes sparkle like diamonds. Those eyes slowly turned fiery with desire. She felt herself responding, nipples hardening involuntarily.

  “I did promise we would spend every night together.” He trailed his finger down her face, and she tingled from his touch. “And I promised to take care of you and now the baby, too.”

  “Even though you don’t believe the baby is yours?” The words tumbled out of her mouth even before she could think about them. Could she hope he’d changed his mind?

  “It doesn’t matter what I believe. The important thing is that you are my wife and I’ll do my duty to both of you.” His tone sounded indifferent, as if it truly didn’t matter.

  Instinctively, she stiffened her back. She knew this must be too good to be true. To wake up in Felix’s arms as if nothing was wrong. Of course he hadn’t changed his mind. She put her hands onto his solid chest and pushed him back.

  “I don’t care about your duty, you pigheaded fool. I want you to believe me, to trust me.”

  Even as she said the words, she realised that she might be preaching the words, yet not practising them. Felix had asked her if she trusted him a few days ago and she’d lied. She knew most things about him. Yet, she hadn’t been able to trust him fully. How could he trust her when he couldn’t even remember anything about her or their marriage? He was the one at a loss. Still.

  “I am trying to do the right thing here.” He looked wounded and frustrated.

  She took a deep breath and let out a sigh. “I know
you are. I was thinking last night. Why don’t we do a paternity test?”

  “No.” He sounded vehement, his body tensing as he let go of her.

  “Why not? It would put your mind at ease, as well as mine.” She looked at him, puzzled. She had thought he’d be keen to have proof of the baby’s parentage.

  “I still say no.” He growled in frustration, scrubbing his head with both hands. When he looked at her again, his gaze didn’t flinch. “Ebony, all I need is your word that this child is mine. I’ll ask you this only once more. Is the child in your womb mine?”

  “Yes!” Her turn to be vigorous. She didn’t have to think about it. She knew it to be true and hoped he’d finally believe her.

  “Good. That’s settled.” He moved towards the edge of the bed.

  He would accept her words just like that? What brought about the sudden change of heart? He didn’t even want a paternity test. Surprised yet again, she tried to decipher his motive and just stared at him, mouth agape, as he sat on the edge of the bed. He’d taken a step of faith in trusting her. It couldn’t have been easy for him. She had to return the gesture somehow.

  When Felix tried to stand up, she reached out to him. She took his hand and scrambled to her knees on the bed, giving him a hug.

  “Thank you for accepting my word, for believing me,” she breathed against his firm chest. Shutting her eyes, she inhaled his essence, loving his warm hardness against her body.

  Tipping her head back, the intensity of the longing in his eyes speared her.

  “You are mine. Never forget that.”

  Before his words could register in her mind, his lips crushed hers passionately, shutting off all train of thought, focusing her attention solely of the sensations he unleashed within her. Surrendering, she melted against him, her hands clinging onto his solid arms. Their tongues tangled and heat swarmed her.

  It wasn’t enough. Her thin silk negligee provided minimal barrier between her body and his. The need to be closer to Felix rose. Skin to skin. To feel his possession within and all around her. She glided her hands up his muscular chest and played with his hardened nipples. He groaned before breaking the kiss.

  “Please.” Was that guttural voice hers?

  He leaned his forehead against hers as he tried to catch his breath.

  “We can’t.” His voice came out hoarse and emotional. “I worry about you. You get sick in the mornings. I don’t think making love helps. Though the doctor said it would be okay, I’m still concerned about you and the baby. I won’t forgive myself if anything happened to either of you.”

  “I am fine. Our baby is fine.” She smiled at him lovingly as her heart ached. This man cared about her and the baby enough to deny himself. When he said things like that, it turned impossible not to love him. “The doctor gave me some vitamins and advice on foods to help with the nausea.”

  “I know, but I’d rather wait a few more days and make sure everything is fine for myself.”

  His smile struck her as a strange mix of compassion and yearning. He lifted her from the bed and stood her against him, kissing her again, gently this time.

  “But rest assured. It’ll be business as usual in the bedroom or anywhere else, for that matter, soon.” He straightened and his eyes twinkled with his usual mischief.

  Heat washed over her and she lowered her eyes as she smiled coyly. The thought of the two of them in varying positions all over the house twirled excitement low in her belly.

  “If you know what’s good for you, you better hurry up and make it soonest ’cause I, for one, am intrigued by the anywhere else possibilities,” she said shamelessly as she looked up at Felix.

  He laughed deeply and she smiled, too.

  “You are a gem,” he said, running his finger down her cheek. “I have to get out of here before I go back on my word. I have some calls to make this morning but I’ll get Bisi to bring breakfast up here for you. So get back to bed.”

  He kissed her one last time before heading for the bathroom.

  Felix sat upstairs in the private lounge of Reams bar, his and Mark’s usual nightspot, the first time he’d met up with his brother outside the hospital since his accident. Their kid brother Tony ran the joint, though they’d financed the venture.

  They’d been unable to catch up as they’d originally agreed on the phone whilst he was at the beach. His brother had been away for two weeks on business.

  Though Mark had volunteered to come over to the house, Felix insisted on coming out instead. Ebony was away in Abuja and the house felt strangely silent and lonely without her.

  “So, how are you finally settling into married life?” his brother asked him as he nursed his drink.

  Now that he found himself with Mark, reluctance to reveal what bothered him made Felix avoid the subject. They’d been discussing the upcoming meeting with the Apex board of directors to decide his future as Managing Director, the vote being only days away. Considering the weighty problems in his marriage, the possible business coup seemed insignificant in his mind.

  “She’s not wearing you out already?” His brother’s curious gaze turned into mischievous laughter when he saw Felix grimace.

  Felix glared at him. “As if.”

  Unnecessarily irritable, the old Felix would have laughed the joke off. However, he had some serious issues to deal with. He had to get to it and spill.

  “She’s pregnant,” he blurted out.

  Mark looked at him sheepishly. “Who’s pregnant?” He took a swig of his brandy.

  Felix gave him a who-do-you-think glare.

  “Oh, Ebony?”

  Felix shrugged in response.

  “She isn’t. How did that happen? Sorry, but you’ve been in a coma the past two months.” Mark looked like he was going to laugh, but held back when Felix looked murderously at him.

  “She says it’s mine. Conceived on the night of the governor’s ball.”

  “Don’t you know? Weren’t you there?” Mark spluttered his drink, his eyes sparkling with amusement, which infuriated Felix, but he bit his tongue. Mark didn’t know he had amnesia.

  “The thing is, I can’t remember anything between going to the airport to pick her up the day she arrived in Nigeria and waking up at the hospital bed.”

  “Are you serious?” Mark’s face froze in incredulity.

  Felix nodded.

  “Shit!” The one word expressed the current state of affairs eloquently. “You can’t remember a thing? So there’s a possibility the baby is not yours,” Mark continued, a frown marring his face.

  “She swears it’s mine.” How he wished it were true. Though he’d accepted her words, deep down within him, doubts still lingered. “She offered to have a paternity test done.”

  “Yes, we do know how reliable that is—a woman swearing the truth,” Mark said with disgust, rolling his eyes upwards. “A paternity test is a good idea. Of course, she could only be saying it as a diversion technique. To get you to think she wants one when she doesn’t.”

  He knew what Mark insinuated, but Ebony was his wife. He had to believe her word even when he didn’t have proof. If he couldn’t believe her, who could he believe?

  Felix turned to his brother and flashed him another withering look. “Watch your mouth. You are referring to my wife.”

  “Okay. Okay. But you do realise it’s only on paper. That’s what you agreed to—a paper marriage. Damn. Of course, you don’t remember.”

  Felix froze and the blood drained from his head as his brain tried to assimilate his brother’s words.

  He had a paper marriage! All he’d shared with Ebony the past few days had been just a temporary act for money and business?

  “What are you saying, Mark?” The words came out coldly as his heart became wrapped in ice.

  “Your marriage is a business arrangement between you and Ebony. You are paying her a lot of money to stay married to you for two years so you can have time to consolidate your position with the board at Apex PB.”


  Felix just stared at Mark in disbelief. He’d done that? Married Ebony just to please his board of directors? And paid her to do so? That would explain a few things. Why she’d seemed surprised when he’d mentioned being true husband and wife. Did that explain why they didn’t have a wedding night? Maybe. It still didn’t explain why he’d left his house that night and had an accident.

  So if they’d made a business arrangement, then surely, children wouldn’t have been part of the deal. He would have made sure of that, wouldn’t he? He wouldn’t have wanted to bring children knowingly into a temporary marriage.

  He needed to speak to his lawyer. As if reading his mind, Mark cut into his thoughts.

  “You need to read the prenuptial agreement. I think there is a clause on any children. And you need to make sure that child is yours, too. Make sure she agrees to a paternity test. Otherwise, this could get very messy.”

  Things are already messy, Felix thought as he downed his glass in one gulp. The marriage he thought he had didn’t exist. All a charade. The only other thought in his mind—he needed to protect his unborn child.

  Thinking it was Felix on the line as she headed towards airport exit, Ebony answered the phone with “Hello, gorgeous.”

  She expected “Hi, beautiful” back from her husband.

  Instead she got “Ebony,” from a disjointed male voice on the phone.

  Stiffening, she pretended she didn’t recognise the voice she'd been dreading and almost forgotten. “Who is this?”

  “I think you know who it is,” the reply came back harsh. “I haven’t read or heard anything about your impending divorce. I hope you’re not trying to back out of our deal, Mrs. Essien.”

  Annoyed, she snapped, “You gave me a month and the time is not up yet.”

  “Don’t play smart with me, woman. You only have a few more days to go. What news do you have for me?”

  She contemplated telling a lie to get the horrible man who had threatened her husband. It would get him off her case long enough for her to reach home and tell Felix everything. The last two weeks, he’d been the perfect husband despite everything going on between them. They hadn’t argued either about the baby or her work. Although she worked from Lagos most of the time, occasionally, like today, she travelled to Abuja. But Felix was always at the airport with the driver to pick her up on her return.