by Kiru Taye
Eventually he changed it up, making the kiss more demanding as his own needs took over. He nipped her lips, top and bottom. Nipped the line of her chin.
Her eyes were bright and twinkled. Her lips were lush and parted and she panted.
His basic urges took over and he lost control. He lifted her left thigh so he could deepen his thrusts into her as he drew a pebbled nipple into his mouth.
Her muscles clenched around him, her body hungry and yielding. She whimpered and shut her eyes. He felt the tremors that indicated she was close to a climax. He wanted to come with her this time around.
Sweat dripped down his back as he withdrew and pushed back into her clenching channel again and again until he felt the fire build up in his balls. She fell into her orgasm and pulled him right into one, clasping him in tight slick heat as she moaned again.
His mind spun and his eyes rolled back. He thrust one last time and spilled into the condom.
Chapter Twenty
“So you know I’m not going to be here next weekend,” Peter said as they sat in the large tub later.
“Why?” Tessa sat between his spread legs with her back to his chest. Warm water and bubbles that smell like coconuts surrounded them. He squeezed the sponge and rubbed it over her skin in a leisurely pace.
“Paul, one of my best friends is getting married in two weeks’. Technically he’s already married since he did a registry wedding already. But it’s his traditional wedding coming up. Anyway, his bachelors’ party is next weekend in Barcelona.”
Tessa smiled. “It sounds like fun.”
“It should be. We leave on Thursday and get back sometime on Monday.”
“You’re going to have to tell me all about it when you get back and take lots of photos. I’d love to see what Barcelona looks like. Apart from where we went yesterday. I’ve never been anywhere else.”
His mouth dropped open. “Not even to Aba or Owerri or Enugu?”
“Nope. None of those places.”
“We’re going to rectify that soon. You’re coming to Paul’s wedding with me.”
She twisted around to look at him with bulging eyes because he’d lost his mind. “You want to take me to your friend’s wedding? Are you crazy? Have you forgotten what I am?”
“You’re not that anymore and I want you to stop thinking like that. You and me, we’re trying out a committed relationship, aren’t we?”
A smile bloomed on her face. “Yes.”
“And that means we’re dating.”
“We’re dating?” her smile got wider.
“Yes, as of tonight. It’s official. You’re my girlfriend.”
“I like the sound of being your girlfriend.”
“Good. So as my girlfriend, will you be my plus one and accompany me to the wedding of Paul Arinze and Ijeoma Amadi.”
“Yes. I would love to be your plus one.” With a huge grin on her face she twisted around and planted a kiss on his lips. Her heart was full of joy it felt like it would burst. She couldn’t think of a time she’d been happier.
She caressed her hand over his pecs as she broke the kiss and slid her hand lower to cover his erection.
He gripped her hand. “Countess, I don’t want to make you sore. So be a good girl and sit back down so we can finish soaking in the bath.”
She huffed in a mock tantrum and he chuckled. She giggled and turned around to sit back down.
“Will you tell me how you met Anuli?” he asked.
On the journey back to Port Harcourt she’d debated about telling Peter about her past and had concluded that if she would earn his trust again she had to reveal some if not all of the details of her past.
Anuli was the only one who knew and since she’d also made the decision to cool her relationship with her friend and keep it platonic between them. With Anuli out of the way, she could focus her attention on Peter.
She’d hoped she would get some time to tell him if not this weekend then next time. But he’d already indicated he wouldn’t be in PHC next weekend, so this was as good a time to share some of her past.
Even with the decision, thinking about the past still left her uneasy.
She swallowed a couple of times and cleared her throat before speaking.
“I met Anuli for the first time when I was about fourteen years old. She was sixteen. A man I knew as Uncle Joe brought her to our house. I later found out that Anuli’s mother had married Uncle Joe but her mother died. Uncle Joe wasn’t Anuli’s father. At the time I found it quite difficult fitting in with children of my age especially in school. I wasn’t allowed to make friends. Anuli and I got along almost instantly. We were two misfits who seemed to understand each other and we fit well together. We’ve been inseparable ever since.”
It wasn’t the entire story but it was a start and she wasn’t keen to go into the rest.
“Did you grow up in PHC?” Peter asked, stroking down her arms gently.
“No. I was born in Okigwe and I lived there until Anuli and I moved to Port Harcourt seven years ago.”
“Just the two of you?”
“Yes.” She shifted uncomfortably. This was bordering on a topic she didn’t want to discuss.
“Hang on. That would mean you were sixteen years old when you came to live here and Anuli was eighteen. Just the two of you. What about your parents and her step father?”
She crossed her arms and uncrossed them. “I didn’t really know my mother. I was a baby when she died. It was me and my father for a long time.”
“Where you close to your father?”
She swallowed and pulled her legs up. Her voice shook as she spoke. “In...In a sense.” Her whole body started shaking.
Her must have detected something was wrong, because her leaned forward and turned to look at her face. “What’s the matter? If you don’t want to talk, you don’t have to.”
“No. Peter. You need to know this about me. You need to understand why I’m the way I am. I don’t want to ever disappoint you again.”
He pulled her into a quick hug. “Okay. Let’s get out of the water and get dressed. Then you can tell me the rest.”
“Alright.”
He stood up and helped her get out of the bath before they wrapped up in robes. He took her hand and they walked out into the living room. On the sofa he pulled her up between his thighs.
When she was comfortable, she started speaking again.
“The reason Anuli and I came to live in PHC is because we ran away from home.”
He froze for a few seconds. “Wow. Ran away? Why would you do that at such a young age too?”
She turned around to face Peter. She had to look into his eyes and see his reaction when he said this. Because she knew her future self worth would depend on his response to what she was about to say.
She sat rigidly, twisting the tips of the sash in her hand. “We ran away because we were being abused. Me by father and Anuli by Uncle Jo.”
He stiffened, eyes going wide. “What the hell? Hang on. By abused, you mean they were hitting you.”
Her scalp prickled as she shivered. She shook her head slowly. “Sex...sexually. It—it wasn’t just the two of them. But they were the leaders.”
“Your father? Oh my goodness.” The light in his eyes died and he pulled her into a tight hug and held her for long minutes. It was as if he didn’t want to let her go.
“I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry.” He sounded broken.
She lifted her head and looked into his eyes. She couldn’t believe he was apologising. He hadn’t done anything wrong. “Why are you sorry? You had nothing to do with it.”
His eyes were dull and his face downturned. “I wish I could’ve saved you from those men. I want to kill those men, Tessa. If I ever meet them, they are dead.”
Tessa shuddered and closed her eyes. “Please I’d like to forget about them. Is it okay if we don’t talk about it anymore?”
“Of course. Whatever you want.” He pulled her back into his arms.
Chapter Twenty-One
Peter stayed in PHC until Wednesday, working from his hotel suite. He had his meetings via video and telephone. The rest of the time he worked on his laptop.
Tessa had gone into school briefly on Monday, stopped by her residence to pick up her books and returned to Peter’s penthouse suite for the rest of the time. It was revision week as she had exams next week. While Peter worked, she studied. In between, they ate food from room service and made love any chance they got.
Like with everything else he did, Peter was an attentive, generous lover and he worshipped her as if she were the countess he nicknamed her. Afterward they would cuddle up and he would talk about his family and friends fondly. He was a man surrounded by love.
He also talked about his late fiancé. She had been his first love. His one love. Her death had devastated him so much he hadn’t been with another woman since. Until Tessa.
An ache bloomed in her throat for his loss. She squeezed him tight as he talked about the woman he’d loved, Tessa giving him comfort the way she could.
Surprisingly, he said that Naaza would have liked Tessa. She’d been a radical lawyer with a passion for human rights. She had advocated for awareness on women’s rights and issues.
Tessa admitted to him that she would’ve loved to meet Naaza. She would’ve liked to meet the woman who Peter had loved so she could learn what Peter loved in the woman and perhaps replicate it in some way.
As she listened to Peter she wondered if any man could love her the way Peter had loved Naaza. It was wishful thinking. No man could possibly love her totally and unconditionally, not with her past. Not with the things she’d done.
But as long as Peter cared for her a little, she would take it with both hands and cherish it. It was more than any man had done for her.
During her time with Peter, Tessa tried to chat with Anuli a few times and called her phone. Anuli hadn’t picked the calls. She even sent a text message which remained unanswered.
“While I’m gone, stay in the suite,” Peter said as he got ready to head back to Enugu on Wednesday afternoon.
“Here? By myself? It’s not necessary,” she replied, surprised he would suggest it and not keen on being in the spacious suite alone.
“I think it is. You’ve got exams next week and I would rather you stayed here to study and prepare. At least you won’t have to worry about power cuts and heat waves. You can study at any time you want. You also don’t have to worry about cooking food or spending your money buying food. I was a student once so I know the drill.” He grinned at her.
“You have a point. Okay, I’ll stay.” Her smile faded and she scrubbed her foot on the carpet. “Can I ask a favour, please?”
He was packing away his laptop and glanced up at her. “Sure.”
“It’s about Anuli. I’ve been trying to reach her all week but she’s not taking my calls. If I stay here alone, I’d feel as if I was abandoning her and I really don’t want to do that no matter what has happened.”
Sighing, he straightened. “Would you like her to stay with you?”
“Well, yes. If you don’t mind. I know she’s been difficult to you and I won’t blame you for saying no. She is still my friend. I don’t want to give up on her.”
He tugged her hand and pulled her into his arms. “I wouldn’t want you to give up on her either. But you have to know your limits and keep to them. Don’t let her push you into anything you don’t want to do. I will have to trust you to do what’s right in my absence.”
Tessa puffed out a relieved breath. “I won’t break your trust. Thank you. Honestly, I don’t know if she’ll come.”
“Oh, I’m sure she’ll want to get one over on me when she finds out I’m away. But I’ve got Christopher and Tope briefed and they know what to do if she causes trouble. If you need them, I’ve left their contact details on the table. Store them on your phone for emergency even when you’re out of the hotel. Okay?”
“I will. Thank you. But there’s no need to worry. All I’m doing is wake, bath, eat, study, sleep for the rest of this week. All my attention is on passing my exams. So you can be sure there’s no danger of me getting into trouble.”
“Yes, I’m hoping the week passes sedately for you. But I won’t discount anything where Anuli is concerned so the help is there if you need it.”
After Peter left, Tessa tried Anuli’s number again but got no response. She assumed the other girl was also studying in preparation for the exams so she chose not to disturb her again until she heard back.
When no response came by Friday afternoon she headed home. They were both doing one year pre-degree programmes at the University of Port Harcourt but in different courses so they didn’t sit in the same classes.
Tessa spent the night alone and was woken up on Saturday morning by Anuli as she stumbled into the room early in the morning.
“Where have you been all night?” Tessa asked as she sat up in bed.
Anuli gave her a disdainful look as she slumped into the wooden reading chair next to the desk and pulled off her shoes. “Where else? I went to work of course.”
“Work? You don’t clean rooms at night at the hotel,” Tessa countered. Peter had explained the work Anuli was supposed to do and it was a day job that started at eight in the morning and ended at four in the afternoon.
“Of course I didn’t go to do that shitty job,” Anuli said as she stood and shimmied out of her clingy red dress.
“You went to the night club.” Tessa’s heart sank.
“Not the one you think. I went to our old hang out in Woji. Bagged two white men. I’ve been with them all night long.”
She pulled out a wad of cash from her bag, waved it in the air before unlocking the small box they stored cash in prior to banking it. She locked the box and hid it under the dirty pile of clothes in the closet and put the key in her bag.
Tessa’s body went cold and her limbs became heavy. Peter had been right. Anuli hadn’t learnt anything even with her punishment. It seemed she was even more determined to ruin her life.
“Why are you doing this to yourself? Do you want to keep selling you body to men?”
“What is the alternative?” Anuli snapped. “That I lie down and take whatever a man will do to my body. That I give it away for free? At least this way I get compensated for it.”
“But it can be different.”
“No. It can never be different for me. Do you know how long men have been using my body? I barely had any breasts when Uncle Joe was lining them up to touch me up, damn it. Have you forgotten?” Anuli turned away and slammed her hand on top of the desk.
Everything on the table jumped. Tessa flinched at the loud noise as the back of her eyes burned. She wrapped her arms around her stomach.
“I haven’t forgotten,” Tessa replied in a constricted voice. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you.”
Anuli sighed and pulled her sleep shirt from the drawer and put it on. Then she climbed into the bed beside Tessa.
“Look, I’m glad you met a nice man. Although I give him a hard time, Peter isn’t all that bad. I like that he treats you well. And as long as he keeps treating you well, I’m happy for you.”
“You are?”
“Of course, I am. You more than anyone I know deserves some happiness and if Peter can give it to you then I have to let him. All I’ve ever wanted was for you to be happy. You know that, right?”
“I do.”
“Good. Now I need some sleep. You know these white men. They like to fuck every hole available. Mehn, I’m tired.” She pulled the sheet up over her body.
“Are you seriously not going to work at the hotel today?” Tessa asked, still hoping her friend would see the light.
“Nope.” She turned on her side away from Tessa.
“Peter won’t be happy when he finds out.”
“Like I care what he thinks.”
; “But I guess I can get you the time off since he’s away this weekend.”
Anuli lifted her head and glanced back at Tessa. “He’s away? Where’s he gone?”
“To Barcelona. One of his friends is getting married. It’s the stag party this weekend.”
“No wonder you’re here.” Anuli settled back in bed.
Tessa got out and took her phone from her bag. She dialled the number for Christopher that she had saved earlier.
“Hello,” the man answered.
“Good morning, Mr Christopher. This is Tessa.”
“Hi, Tessa. How are you?”
“I’m well, thank you. I’m calling you on behalf of my friend Anuli. I don’t know if Peter told you already but we have exams next week and we’re doing revisions at the moment.”
“Yes, Peter mentioned something about exams.”
“Good. I just wanted to ask for some time off for my friend Anuli. We’re both doing revisions. Would it be possible to give her some time off today and tomorrow? I’m sorry for the short notice but I’ll really appreciate it if you could help us out.”
“Of course, Tessa. I will get someone else to cover for your friend. I hope to see her back when the exams are over. My best wishes to both of you on your exams.”
“Thank you very much, sir. I appreciate it.”
“Don’t mention it. Have a nice day.”
“Same to you.”
Tessa hung up, feeling a bit better. She knew Christopher had only agreed because of Tessa’s relationship with Peter. Another positive impact of having Peter in her life. People willing to do favours for her.
“Nuli, the manager agreed to give you time off for your revisions and exams.”
The only sound that came from her friend was snoring. Tessa sighed.
At least Anuli would have time off with permission so she wouldn’t get into trouble. Hopefully Tessa will be able to persuade her to go back to work after the exams.
Chapter Twenty-Two
“Are you sure you don’t want to come along?” Anuli asked later that evening as she pulled on her purple platform heels. She was dressed in a strapless stretchy dress that showed off her curves.