Engaged (Challenge series, #2)

by Kiru Taye

  She closed her eyes and returned his kiss like her life depended on it for sustenance, surrendering her body to the feelings swamping her. Her arms clamped around his neck for balance and to pull him closer.

  She no longer recognised the sound of her heart except that she could hear two distinct drums playing in tune with each other. Just as her tongue danced in a tango with Paul’s. Their dance sensuous, thrilling and erotic.

  Her body came alive with each sinuous movement. She rubbed her nipples against his chest enjoying the sensations that shot through them without the restriction of her bra. She’d taken her bra off earlier seeking some coolness in the heat of the day. Now that decision brought her pure exhilaration.

  Paul lifted his head. She inhaled in short gasps, trying to get air into her starved lungs. Her hand slid down his chest. She felt his heart thudding rhythmically through his chest. A strong beat full of life and promise. She undid a button and then the next. She slipped her hand through the gap created under his shirt. He let out a throaty growl. It sounded like a wild lion stretching languorously in the shade.

  She glanced up at his face. He looked at her hungrily, like he was really the king of the jungle about to claim his mate. Excitement coursed through her. Her breasts became heavy with arousal and wet heat pooled in her core.

  Without a word he pulled his shirt out of his trousers, over his head and discarded it behind him on the sofa. She inhaled sharply in awe. She could never get enough of seeing his bare body especially his toned chest and arms. When he moved the sinuous muscles undulated like a flowing stream of water.

  She ran the tips of her fingers across his nipples. His breath hitched in response and he kissed her again. His hands roamed her body and pulled at her top. He broke the kiss to pull it over her head. It joined his shirt somewhere on the sofa.

  “I’m afraid we won’t be making the bedroom,” he growled before his mouth clamped on a bare breast and sucked hard.

  Letting out a long moan, she curved her back as more heat coursed through her body and held onto his head. Her head leaned back against the wall. The sensation of his wet hot mouth on her breast drove her crazy. She moved her hips against his, rubbing her already soaking panties against the bulge in his trouser in desperate motion for relief. The initial slow burning ache within her raged out of control now.

  “Paul, I need you now,” she said huskily, hardly able to speak with her dry mouth that was concentrating more on getting air into her lungs.

  In response he growled again and pushed her skirt up her thighs until it sat around her waist. Then he slipped his fingers between her thighs, hooked it onto her lace panties and ripped it. Cool air rushed around her sensitive lower lips.

  When she gasped at the damage, he looked up, gave her a wolfish grin as he unzipped his trousers. “I’ll buy your more of those,” he said with a wink and pushed his hardened shaft into her wet heat.

  She moaned as he filled her up. He slid out and rocked into her again, till she felt his blunt head hit the back of her womb wall, stretching her, filling her to the max. He worked up a fast rhythm, gripping her thighs and setting a ramming pace. Before long she was trembling with feverish heat, rushing off to her climax. He rammed into her a few more times and joined her in ecstasy.

  He held her tight for a moment, their hot skins clammy together, his chin on her head, before lifting her and carried her to the sofa. Good thing because her legs felt like jelly and she wouldn’t have been able to walk without his help. On the sofa he leaned back pulling her on top of him. Thankfully the overhead fan was blowing cool air and refreshed their hot skins.

  “Did you speak to Vincent?” he asked, his voice sounding distant and thoughtful.

  “I called. He didn’t pick up as usual. I left a message for him.” She shrugged.

  He lifted her head up and looked into her eyes. His dark eyes looked sad.

  “You do realise that you are making an enemy of Vincent by being with me. He’s a nasty enemy to have. He’ll never forgive you for this.”

  “He’ll have to. It's not the end of the world when a relationship breaks. Believe me I know. I was in a relationship with Frederick for three years and I got over the split. I’ve only know Vincent for six months. He’ll get over it too.”

  Paul shook his head sadly. “Unfortunately, you don’t know Vincent at all. He never forgives nor forgets.”

  “Why do you say that? It can’t be that bad.” She saw an opportunity to hear Paul’s side of the events from his childhood.

  “Just know that he isn’t a very nice person.”

  She leaned back and sat up. “Paul, don’t freak out okay. I have something to tell you.”

  Paul’s face wrinkled in a frown and he sat up too. “What is it?”

  “I know about the rape incident.”

  “How?” His eyes narrowed into suspicious slits, his lips forming a hard line. “Who told you?”

  He pulled his hand back. She held on, refusing to let go. She wasn’t going to allow him to withdraw from her. Not now that she finally had his undivided and loving attention.

  “You promise you won’t freak out, right?” She raised her eyebrow waiting for him to respond.

  “Yes, I promise.” He nodded reluctantly.

  “Vincent’s mother told my mum that you raped a girl when you were a teenager.”

  His body tensed, his hands beneath hers balled into fists. The muscles along his jaw ticked furiously. His eyes suddenly black pools of ice.

  “You believe her?” His voice was cold and flat.

  “If I believed her I wouldn’t be here. How could I believe her when I know differently?” she said.

  “I spent the night with you in London as a stranger and yet you were the most considerate lover I’d ever had. Last week I asked you to back off and you did, even when you knew I was yours for the taking. That is all the proof I need to know that you would never take a woman against her will. I’ve watched the way you deal with people around you and I know you’re a man of integrity.”

  His eyes searched her face, seeking answers only her heart could give.

  “Do you mean that?” he asked.

  “I do. I love you and I’ll stand by you no matter what Vincent and his mother throw at us. You’re not alone anymore.”

  He pulled her close and gave her a lingering kiss. When they broke apart, he told her about his tragic childhood; about his late father’s will and about finally walking away from his father’s home simply to keep his peace of mind.

  She got angry about all the pain he’d suffered at the hands of Vincent and his mother. Paul kissed her and told her to forget it. They had a future to work toward. That was the most important thing.

  She asked him why he'd never told her all of these things before.

  He looked at her intensely for a moment before replying. "I wanted you to love me, not because Vincent was bad and I was the next best thing. But because you loved me regardless of Vincent. I don’t want pity. I want your love, pure and simple."

  This time she kissed him as her heart swelled with affection for him. Later she fed him the Nsala soup she’d brought from Enugu especially for him. That night, they made love and talked more before finally falling asleep.

  Ijay woke up in the morning to the sound of loud banging on the door. She looked out of the window. The sun was high in the sky. They must have overslept.

  “I wonder who that is,” she said as Paul scrambled out bed and pulled on his shorts. She grabbed one of Paul’s t-shirt and followed him. She stood behind him in the hallway while he opened the door.

  Amaechi stood at the door with another man she didn’t recognise. He looked harassed.

  “Amaechi, what’s the matter?” Paul asked.

  “Paul, we have a problem at the factory,” Amaechi said.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  “What problem?” Paul asked, his voice laced with irritation.

  “There are some men from NAFDAC there to do an inspection.” Am
aechi said.

  Ijay’s face screwed up in a frown. NAFDAC was the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control. She knew they controlled the quality standards on food and other substances. What were they doing at POD Foods now?

  “We don’t have a scheduled inspection,” Paul said, answering her silent query. “Then again they can turn up for random visits. Tell John to open up and let them in. I’m going to get dressed and be there as soon as I can.”

  Amaechi turned to go.

  “You can take the car and come back to pick us,” Paul added. He waited for Amaechi to head to the car before he turned round.

  Ijay couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong. Paul headed back to the bedroom and she followed him.

  “Do they usually turn up like this for unscheduled inspections?” she asked Paul as he took fresh clothes from the wardrobe.

  He shrugged. “We haven’t had any of those. But it’s not totally unheard of.”

  He turned to look at her. He must have seen the concern in her eyes because he walked to her and lifted her chin.

  “Don’t worry about this. We have nothing to hide. So I don’t mind the inspection. It’s just a couple of hours of inconvenience and they’ll be gone and we can get on packing the consignment ready for shipping.”

  “Okay.” She nodded accepting his reassurance though the sense that something bad was about to happen didn’t leave her. “I’m going to the factory with you. So I’m going to have a wash and get dressed.”

  “And I wouldn’t have it any other way.” He smiled at her. “You should get in there quickly before I think about getting down and dirty,” he said in a deep teasing voice that had her core weeping with its suggestion.

  How she would’ve loved to get all sweaty. Yet, her concern about the factory didn’t leave her mind. They had to get there soon to know what was going on. Reluctantly, she turned toward the bathroom. He chuckled and swatted her bottom.

  She turned when she got into the bathroom and stuck her tongue out petulantly. When he advanced toward her with a wicked glint in his eyes, she shut the door quickly. The hallway reverberated with his deep laughter.

  “I’m going to get you for that bit of cheek, sweet Ijay. Very soon.” A warm shiver ran down her spine at his erotic threat.

  “Promises, promises,” she replied with laughter from the relative safety of the bathroom. His punishments were sweet torture. She loved defying him just for the pleasure she knew awaited her in the end. No other man had ever worshipped her body like Paul did.

  No other man had ever loved her like he did.

  She washed quickly. When she came out of the bathroom, there was a tray with a cup of tea and an omelette on the bedside table.

  “Make sure you eat it all.” She turned to find Paul by the door watching her. “I’m not sure when we’ll get time to stop for food today.”

  He walked to her, his stride confident and sexy, his smile even more so. He gave her a brief kiss, grazing his lips over hers and headed to the bathroom.

  Ijay dressed in a simple print Ankara sundress. She ate the entire omelette, drank all her tea, took the tray back into the kitchen and washed up. Paul came out pulling on a short-sleeved linen shirt. He already had his trousers and shoes on.

  “Are you ready to leave?”

  “Yes,” she replied.

  “Okay, you can head to the car. I’ll lock up and meet you there.”

  Ijay went to the bedroom, picked up her handbag and walked out to the car. When she got into the car, Amaechi glanced back. He had a worried expression.

  “Amaechi, what is it?” she asked curiously.

  “I’m worried about all the bad things suddenly going on at the factory. We’ve never had any incidents like this before. In the space of a few days we’ve had the place broken into, equipment damaged and now random inspectors. They’ve got policemen with them too. As if they’re actually expecting to find something wrong.”

  “Wow, I’m worried too. Paul seems to think there’s nothing to worry about, though.”

  “I’m hoping the same thing too because Amori can’t afford to have the factory close.”

  “The factory won’t close. Paul will make sure of it. It’s very important to him to sustain the community. Don’t worry,” she reassured Amaechi.

  Yet the knot of apprehension remained in her stomach and weighed heavily on her. When Paul got into the car. His presence soothed her for a little while until they arrived at the factory. Throughout the journey, Paul appeared calm, holding onto her hand and gently caressing it. She was glad he was unperturbed. She only hoped that his confidence would be justified.

  There were several marked vehicles both of the Nigerian Police and NAFDAC officials packed in front of the industrial warehouse building. Some of the staff were standing outside.

  Ijay followed Paul inside where they met Mr. Obi. He looked hassled, his brow covered in sweat beads. A man standing next to him flashed his NAFDAC agent badge and introduced himself as Mr. Savage.

  “Have you completed the inspection?” Paul asked calmly.

  “Yes sir,” Mr. Savage replied. “Unfortunately we have reasons to believe that food packaged in your factory is injurious to health. So we’ll be closing it down temporarily.”

  “What? That’s not possible. We run a clean and safe environment here. We adhere to hygiene standard as you can see for yourself,” Paul said waving his hands about.

  “Mr. Arinze, the issue is not with the hygiene but rather with harmful substances found in your packaging material.”

  “Our packaging was approved by your people long ago. The documents are in the office. John, did you show him the documents?”

  “I’m sorry I’ve searched for the certificates and couldn’t find any of them,” Mr Obi replied, looking even more worked up.

  “Your manager couldn’t produce any NAFDAC approval certificates for your packaging. However, we found these.” Mr. Savage lifted a sheaf of papers in his hand. “They show that your packaging materials have higher mercury and silicon content than is approved for packaging food products.”

  Paul’s expression was thunderous. “That’s impossible.” His gaze moved to Mr. Obi who was now visibly shaking. “You found that document where?”

  “In your office. Your manager gave it to us.”

  Paul levelled his gaze suspiciously at the factory manager. The man couldn’t meet his gaze.

  “Mr. Obi, how did that get in here.”

  “I—I,” the man stammered as more sweat dripped down his face.

  Paul shook his head furiously before turning back to Mr. Savage. “Listen all this can be resolved. I know my food and packaging meet the required standards. I have the original certificates to prove it at my office in Abuja. I can get them for you. So you don’t have to shut this place down.”

  “If you produce the items, then we can reopen the factory. In the meantime, we have to shut it down and you have to come with us to our offices in Enugu for questioning,” the inspector replied.

  “What? I’m not going anywhere with you.” Paul let out an angry growl, his hands clenched into fists by his sides ready to smash through anything.

  “Ensuring food safety is a grave issue for NAFDAC and we take any cases of violation seriously. The policemen are here to ensure that if you do not wish to accompany us quietly, you come along forcefully. Your choice.”

  “How am I supposed to bring the documents to you, if I’m in Enugu answering questions?” he raised his hands in exasperation.

  Ijay stepped forward, placing her hand on his back. It seemed to stop his agitation as he turned and looked at her.

  “I’ll go to Abuja and get the documents,” she said.

  “I can’t let you do that. I should go. I know where they are,” Paul replied.

  “Remember we’re in this together now. I’ll go. Just tell me where they are or I’ll ask Pamela. I’ll be back in Enugu tomorrow morning at the latest and all this will be sorted.
”

  “Okay,” he nodded and squeezed her hand. “Thank you. Call Pamela to arrange a flight for you. Amaechi will take you to the airport.”

  “Don’t worry about a thing. Just go and sort this out. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

  He gave her hand one last squeeze. She turned around and went out of the entrance, her heart heavy. Amaechi’s words from earlier came back to her.

  “...in the space of a few days we’ve had the place broken into, equipment damaged and now random inspectors...”

  All these things had happened since her arrival in Amori. Who was doing this? She couldn’t believe that Paul would have sub-standard packaging material for his products. He wasn’t that kind of a man. The factory was modern and clean. He didn’t cut corners with anything else. He surely wouldn’t with something like that.

  Were all the bad things happening because of her? Who would want to hurt Paul because of her?

  Vincent!

  It suddenly dawned on her. Paul had said Vincent could be vicious. Would he really go this far to threaten Paul’s business and employees?

  “I need to get to the airport,” she said distractedly to Amaechi who walked back to the car beside her.

  “I heard Paul,” he replied. “Do you want to get to the villa first?”

  “Yes, I need my carry on case, as I might have to spend the night in Abuja.”

  He drove her back to the villa. As she packed her things and headed back to the car, her mind was on Paul. She hated leaving him by himself. At least she was on a mission to help. When she got back to Enugu with the documents, hopefully everything would be resolved and she could get on with a life with Paul.

  She called Pamela and told her what was going on. Shortly after she got into the car on their way to Enugu, Pamela called back.

  “I’ve booked you on the next flight to Abuja which is in two hours so you should have enough time to get to the airport. I’ve also booked you a night at the hotel. The documents will be ready for you when you get into the office later.”