Engaged (Challenge series, #2)

by Kiru Taye

  “Well, since you’re on your own, try and get some sleep. Michael and I’ll catch up.”

  “I’m not on my own. I’ve got Ijay here.”

  “Ijay? You took a girl to the villa?” Peter sounded shocked. Paul didn’t blame him. He’d never taken a woman to his house in Enugu. Neither had he ever taken a woman to his village. So having Ijay here was uncharacteristic.

  “Ijay Amadi is the consultant from Havers & Child,” Paul said simply, not wanting to go into details on the phone, especially with Ijay not too far away.

  “She’s spending the night with you? How come Amaechi didn’t take her back to the hotel?”

  “It’s a long story. She wanted to stay and help.” He said dismissively, shrugging his shoulders though he knew Peter couldn’t see him.

  “Listen, before you go back to Abuja, I must see you and this Ijay. I want to meet the woman who bypassed Abuja and Enugu and ended up in Amori. Something no other person has achieved. I haven’t been invited to spend the night in your villa and I’m your best friend.” Peter joked.

  Paul had to laugh. If only his best friend knew how far Ijay had gotten under Paul’s skin. Ijay had already stayed in his family home in Enugu where no other woman had stayed previously. In truth the decision to let her stay there had been easy to make. That first night of seeing her sit at his dining table, had felt so natural. He’d wanted to see her there every day.

  Now that she was here in Amori, Paul knew he wanted her here on a permanent basis. And that thought frightened him more than anything he’d ever had to deal with before.

  Ijay had already taken residence in his heart.

  Chapter Nineteen

  “Where can I get—“

  The melodious sound of Ijay’s voice filtered through the boom of Peter’s words into Paul’s ears. He turned around. Ijay stood in the doorway, wearing one of his white t-shirts. It enveloped her body, skimming her curves and stopping mid-thighs. It revealed sleek long legs, buttery skin clear of makeup and long dark hair pulled back from her face in a ponytail.

  He’d never seen anybody sexier in that moment. In her simple appearance, she looked young, yet so full of life. Covered in his shirt, yet so feminine.

  The pulse of longing thumped to life within his body. Urgent. Undeniable. Compelled to look into her eyes, his intent gaze swept back up from her feet blue varnish-painted toes to her flawless face. He didn’t miss the prominent rise of her breasts when her breath hitched. Nor the heart-thudding nip of her teeth on her lower lip. Their gaze met, her brown eyes wide and flickering with desire.

  The fire in his veins spread quickly. For a moment, he forgot where he was. It was just Ijay—sweet Ijay—and the powerful, electrifying connection between them. He knew then he had to reach her. Touch her. Taste her. Nothing else mattered in that moment. He stood and took a step toward her.

  “Is that Ijay?”

  The voice halted his movement, clearing some of the fog of hunger from his mind. Paul nodded before he realised it was Peter talking to him on the phone. He inhaled a fortifying breath.

  “Yes, hold on,” Paul replied before pressing the on-hold button on his handset.

  “You wanted something?” he said brusquely, his voice was roughened with desire.

  Tell me you want me. Only me.

  Jealousy rose in his gut, leaving a bitter taste in his mouth and darkening his mood. He looked away from Ijay, seeking to hide the bitterness he felt from her.

  “Sorry, I didn’t realise you were on the phone,” she sounded hurt. Like she’d read his thoughts. He turned back to her but she turned away. “I’ll come back later.”

  “Ijay, wait.” He took several steps to her and took several calming breaths. He needed to stop taking out his frustrations on her. She looked back at him warily before turning to face him fully. They were only inches apart. He could smell her clean fragrance mixed with the scent of his soap. He reached out and clasped her cheek in his palm. Her skin was satiny and cool from her shower. He ran his thumb down her jaw line in a slow caress. “What was it you wanted?”

  She stared at him for a brief moment, her nose flared, her mouth slightly opened as if she was going to speak but didn’t say anything. Then she shook her head and lifted her hand showing him her top. “I wanted to wash this so I can wear it in the morning. I was looking for detergent.”

  Her functional request reminded him their relationship was purely platonic. He lowered his hand and stepped back.

  “There should be a pack in one of the kitchen cupboards. I’ll get it for you,” he replied.

  “No. That’s not necessary. I’ll find it myself. Don’t keep your friend hanging.” Her lips widened as she beamed him a gentle smile before she walked away.

  His rampaging heart rate took a little while to calm down. He returned to his spot on the sofa and pressed the button on his phone to speak to Peter.

  “Sorry about that,” he said and kept his voice jovial. He didn’t want his friends to sense the turmoil going on within his mind and body. It was unlike him to be this rattled by a woman. They wouldn’t even believe it if he tried explaining how he felt.

  “No worries,” Peter replied. “I’m putting you on speaker. I’ve just been telling Michael about the babe at your villa. He wants to call out the Special Ops team for a rescue mission.”

  “You guys are not serious,” Paul chuckled loudly.

  Paul heard Peter and Michael laughing in the background. They hadn’t even heard the half of his dilemma and they were laughing. They would think he’d gone mad when he told them he was in love with his brother’s fiancée.

  “We are very serious,” Michael said. “Just make sure we see you before you head back to Abuja. We have to make sure you haven’t been swapped with an alien.”

  He hadn’t really thought about how much flak he’d receive from his friends because of Ijay. Out of the three of them, he was the least likely to want to settle down. If there was any sort of pre-ordained order it would have been Peter first, then Michael and Paul never. Peter had always been the most open and trusting when it came to women and people in general. That was a trait Paul struggled with on a daily basis.

  The only people he trusted were those close to him—his best friends, Michael and Peter, followed by his family, Simon and his mother. Women generally lagged at the bottom of that list.

  However Ijay had climbed a few rungs on his trust ladder. He just needed her to break things off from Vincent before they could proceed further.

  His grip on the phone tightened as he quelled the rage bubbling in his vein.

  “I don’t know why you guys are so bothered. I’m more concerned about the factory right now than a woman in my villa,” he said in a nonchalant tone, he didn’t feel.

  “Yes, indeed.” Peter coughed in a mock serious manner.

  Paul shook his head. His friends obviously didn’t buy his casual attitude. He didn’t blame them. He wouldn’t buy it too. For now, he had to focus on getting through the night.

  “I have to go now,” Paul said. “I’ll let you know how it goes at the factory tomorrow.”

  “Catch you later,” his friends signed off and Paul switched off the phone.

  With mixed feelings, he walked to the kitchen. He was relieved he’d spoken to his friends and they knew about Ijay. Soon he’d have to tell them how important she was to him. Still, he was troubled about Ijay. It was going to be one long night.

  When his stomach growled with hunger pangs, Paul washed his hands. He took out plates and cutlery in preparation for their meal. He put them all on a tray including the food flask and a bottle of water and cups. He walked back into the living room with the tray and placed it on the table.

  “Ijay, come on. The food is ready. And I’m hungry,” he called out. The sooner he ate some food, the sooner he could get some sleep. All he’d have to worry about then would be dreaming about Ijay. That was relatively safer than watching her walk around in nothing but his shirt.

  “I�
��m coming,” her voice sounded from the hallway before she appeared at the doorway.

  Failing to find somewhere to look on her body that didn’t incite cravings he couldn’t fulfil, he turned his gaze back to the meal on the table.

  “That smells delicious,” she said when she came round and sat on the sofa. The action placed her creamy smooth legs in his line of vision. He swallowed hard. “Don’t tell me you just cooked that.”

  He heard the amazement in her voice and looked up at her face. “I would have to be some kind of magician or wonder chef,” he joked. “Amaechi brought it. His wife cooked it.” He took a plate and scooped food into it, distracting himself from staring at her.

  “That’s really nice of her,” she said and took the full plate of food he passed to her. “That means his family lives close by.”

  “Yes, just a few minutes’ walk from here.”

  “Okay,” she said hesitantly.

  He looked up. She bit her lip worriedly. He knew she wanted to ask something but was holding back. Inhaling deeply, he let out a sigh in resignation. He’d told her not to ask personal questions unless she wanted to get personal with him. She was adhering to her side of the bargain. He’d never met a woman who was as curious as she was. A smile played at the corners of his lips.

  To reassure her, he reached out and grazed her arm lightly with his hand. “Ijay, it’s okay. Ask what you want to ask. I won’t misconstrue its purpose.” He smiled encouragingly at her.

  Her lips parted in surprise, her eyes widening. “You sure?”

  He nodded. “I won’t bite your head off. If that’s what you mean,” he joked and smiled widely.

  Her eyes glittered with amusement, her lips uplifted in a glowing smile. The warmth returned to his heart and skin, wrapping around him like a blanket. He moved his hand back to his plate afraid if he didn’t move it now, he wouldn’t be able to later.

  “I wanted to know if you’re related to Amaechi,” Ijay said excitedly, her fork waving in the air. The pleasure of seeing her so happy relaxed his tense shoulders. “The two of you seemed much more than employer and employee. And you seemed to know quite a lot about his family when you were chatting on the way back from the airport on Monday.”

  “Yes, Amaechi is a distant cousin on my mother’s side of the family. We became close years ago when I had to stay with one of my uncles. He looked out for me,” Paul said practically.

  “It’s really great to meet all these wonderful people around you,” Ijay said cheerfully. “It’s so obvious that they care about you—Simon, his mother, Amaechi and his family, your friends. You are loved, Paul. Not many people get that much love in their entire life.”

  I would swap all their love for yours.

  His close gaze met hers filled with tender intensity. Yet he didn’t say the words that were at the tip of his tongue and swallowed them instead. He wasn’t ready to bare all to her yet. Not when he didn’t know what was in her heart. Was she telling him to make do with other people’s love and not look to her for it?

  Fighting the disappointment gnawing at his gut, Paul looked down at his plate breaking the spell being wound around them. He focused on eating the rest of his meal quickly and silently.

  Luckily, Ijay seemed to pick up that he didn’t want to talk any more. She left him alone in his mental solitude. Yet the silence seemed more torturous than the velvety sound of her voice. When they were done, he picked up the tray and took it into the kitchen.

  How am I going to survive the night?

  Suppressing a groan, he prayed that the weariness he felt earlier that evening would return and send him to sleep.

  “I’ll wash the dishes,” Ijay’s soft voice roused him.

  His grip on the worktop tightened in frustration before he swivelled to face her. She stood so close, her clean scent invaded his nostrils and her warmth surrounded him. His hand moved up toward her face. He snatched it back in time and swiped his head with it.

  “Thanks. I’ll go and have a shower,” he said and walked out of the kitchen in a hurry without looking back.

  ***

  Ijay stared at Paul’s retreating back and fought the urge to stop him. To walk into his arms and lift her lips up to meet his. To persuade him to sate the desire simmering slowly in her veins. From the moment she’d stepped into his villa, something had clicked between them. The intensity of the energy every time they were close to each other was growing.

  Each time he looked at her, her skin came alive. When he spoke, his deep voice resonated within her body. She was barely keeping it together.

  She inhaled deeply, drawing in a sustaining breath. The warmth from Paul lingered for a moment, his scent and spice still in the air.

  She turned to the dishes and focused on washing up. There was no point fantasising about Paul. He still wasn’t declaring undying love for her. She rolled her eyes heavenwards. Would that ever happen?

  However, it seemed his hard stance had thawed a little. He’d allowed her to ask him a personal question about his family. Surely that meant they were heading in the right direction.

  When she’d mentioned he was loved by so many people, the intense look he’d given her had arrested her breath. In that moment, she longed to trust him fully. To share her thoughts, her worries and her dreams with him. She longed to tell him that she loved him.

  The more time she’d spent with him had confirmed for her that he was the one. Was she the one to him? Would she ever be? She wanted to find out.

  When she finished washing up, she returned to the living room and sat tensely at the edge of the sofa. Tonight was really her last night to get through to Paul before the week was over. Once they returned to Enugu and subsequently Abuja, they wouldn’t have the quiet secluded space and intimacy of the villa.

  A prickling sensation on Ijay’s back made her look up. She swivelled in her seat. He stood behind her, just inside the doorway, watching her closely. She hadn’t heard him approach. Her breath died in her throat. Her mouth dried out, gluing her tongue to the roof of her mouth.

  He came closer to the sofa. He was dressed only in a pair of loose charcoal shorts. His biceps rippled as he moved his arm. His dark toned chest gleamed, some flecks of water shimmering on his skin from his shower. Suddenly, he seemed taller, larger, and sexier. So masculine.

  She remembered their one night together, when he’d stood above her, his arousal swollen and hard, his expression intense with desire yet filled with tenderness. Her core throbbed in tune with her heart. She squeezed her thighs together seeking relief.

  “I’m going to switch off the generator before we sleep. You can use this to light the room.”

  The casual tone of Paul’s deep voice brought her back to the present. She looked up at him distractedly. He lifted a battery-powered lamp in his hand and turned it on. His eyes twinkled with a knowing smirk.

  Heat travelled up to her face in a hot blush. He knew that she’d been remembering again. With indignation, she stood and took the lamp from him. “Thank you,” she said with annoyance. “I take it you don’t need me to come out with you to light your way with the lamp?”

  He shook his head still smirking. “No. It’s not necessary. I’ve got the torchlight.” He pointed to the table near the front door with a large black torch on top.

  “Good night, then.” She nodded and walked to the bedroom somewhat disappointed. She wasn’t sure what she’d been expecting. Whatever it was, she wasn’t going to get it from Paul. He had no intentions of relenting.

  She left the lamp in the bedroom and walked to the bathroom just across the hallway. She was still in the bathroom when all the lights went off leaving just the light from the lamp in the bedroom lighting the way. She heard the sound of the side door close and lock when Paul came in.

  Thinking he was now settled on the sofa, she returned to the bedroom and stood by the open window. The night was lit grey with a large full moon. Beyond the walls surrounding Paul’s villa was a densely wooded area. She watche
d the outline of the tall trees through the moonlight. She listened to the chirp of the crickets and other night creatures. The still air had cooled somewhat.

  “Are you okay?” the sound of Paul’s deep voice made her heart thud loudly in her chest. She turned to find him by the doorway. Her heart rate quickened.

  He came! Could she convince him to stay?

  “Yes...no,” she replied breathlessly.

  With quick steps he strode to her, his hands reached out and cupped her shoulders. A frown creased his features. “What’s the matter?” his deep voice was concerned.

  “I—I don’t want to sleep alone.” She lowered her lashes coyly as her cheeks stung in a blush. She looked at him through her lashes.

  “If you don’t like the dark, you should have said. I would’ve left the gen on.”

  “I like the generator being off,” she replied petulantly. Why didn’t he get it? Did she need to take out a billboard advertisement?

  “So what...?” his frown deepened as if he got her meaning for the first time.

  She took a bolstering breath and exhaled. “I don’t want you on the sofa. I want you in bed with me.”

  His eyes narrowed into slits as he shook his head and stepped back. His jaw tensed. He looked like she’d just hit him. Panicked, she reached out and gripped his arms.

  “Please...”

  “Ijay, if I stay in this bed we won’t be getting much sleep. Do you understand that?” His dark gaze was grave. There was no mistaking the dangerous determination in his voice.

  Heat flared from her pulsing core. Her grip on his arms tightened to stop her trembling legs from collapsing.

  “Yes,” she replied, her body quivering in anticipation.

  “And when that happens, you won’t be marrying my brother.”

  Chapter Twenty

  Paul held his breath waiting for Ijay’s response knowing that her reply would change the course of their relationship. Their lives. Their future. He couldn’t remember waiting for any other thing with such anticipation. Such excitement. Such fear. His heart hammered in his chest loudly, the whooshing sound of his racing pulse resounding in his ears.