A Valentine Challenge (Challenge Series, #1)

by Kiru Taye

  When they arrived, they were made to wait at the gates because her sister hadn’t been expecting her. The security man opened the gates and Michael drove in. Her sister, resplendent in gold and burgundy organza, stood in the portico to the large white colonial style mansion. The front garden had rows of chrysanthemums plants. Her sister’s husband was a senator and they owned houses both in Abuja and Enugu.

  Kasie stepped out not waiting for Michael to open the door. From her sister’s expression, Kasie guessed she wasn’t too pleased to see her.

  Anxious butterflies fluttered in her stomach and she tugged at her skirt nervously as she approached her sister. Kemafor was five years her senior, yet sometimes it felt like there was a millennium between them.

  "Sister Kem, good afternoon," she greeted her sister jovially.

  "Kasie, why didn’t you call to say you were coming? You’re lucky you found me at home," Kemafor replied abruptly, her irritation obvious on her face.

  "I’ve been calling your phone with no response so I decided to come down since I didn’t get a reply," Kasie said, hoping her sister would at least give her an audience.

  They hadn’t seen each other in months. She hadn’t been expecting a friendly welcome from her sister. Still, a civil one would be a good start. Her sister didn’t seem to agree.

  "So who is this with you? Is he your driver or what?" Kemafor asked malevolently, her insolent gaze focused on Michael who was now standing beside Kasie.

  Kasie cringed with shame. Her sister was the mistress of haughtiness. In fact Kasie had learnt everything she knew from her elder sister. Kemafor certainly didn’t think a driver should be standing beside his employer within hearing shot of conversations. Any chauffeur worth his salt would wait in the car. Not stand protectively close. Like an equal.

  She stole a glance at Michael. He stood beside her, like her champion. Her protector. Anyone would think she was stuck in the Middle Ages and he was a knight here to rescue her from the wicked step-mother or something. She nearly smiled. His expression masked his thoughts. She saw a vein ticking on his temple. Like a time bomb waiting to explode. He wasn’t as calm as he appeared.

  "This is Michael. He’s my friend... Michael, this is my older sister, Kemafor." She turned back to her sister who was studying Michael curiously.

  "It’s nice to meet you, ma’am," Michael said coolly.

  "Is he the reason you broke up with Anthony?" her sister asked, totally ignoring Michael’s greeting.

  "What?" Flabbergasted, Kasie’s body tensed up. "Anthony called you?"

  "Of course he called me. The poor man couldn’t believe your irrational behaviour. Is this what you want to do for the rest of your life? Flit from one man to another?"

  Kasie visibly flinched like she’d just been slapped by her sister. Kemafor’s words were the equivalent of a hot smack on her face. Still, her sister hadn’t finished her verbal attack.

  "Well, you know better than to just turn up at my house with strangers unannounced. You have to leave and come back another time," Kemafor continued.

  "Kem, come on. I’m here now. Can’t I just stay for a little bit longer, please? I’d really like to talk to you. I don’t know what Anthony told you but I’d like to explain."

  Kasie's stomach twisted with shame and fear her sister would throw her out without giving her a few minutes of her time. In front of Michael too. What would he think of her family?

  "No, you can’t stay because I’m on my way out. Call me and we can arrange a more suitable day for your visit," Kemafor insisted, shaking her head.

  "What about tomorrow? Are you free tomorrow?"

  "Tomorrow is not good. I have other arrangements."

  "Madam, I have to say your attitude stinks," Michael cut in before Kasie could plead further.

  "Your sister is here from Lagos. It’s obvious you haven’t seen each other for a long time and she’s come all the way out here to see you specially. The least you could do is offer her a few minutes of your time before you head off to wherever you’re going. I don’t know what kind of family you have here but this seriously stinks."

  Michael put his hand on Kasie’s shoulders and turned her toward the car. She went willingly, happy for his support, all her energy drained from her sister’s continued nasty behaviour. She’d really hoped they could get a fresh start. Obviously not.

  "I beg your pardon," Kemafor raised her voice. "Who are you to talk to me in that manner? You have no place saying such things about my family. It’s none of your business."

  "It is very much my business because you upset Kasie. And anyone who hurts her hurts me. You can be sure next time she comes back it’ll be because you begged her to come back."

  Michael opened the car door for Kasie who was silent and still appeared gobsmacked by her dismay, her skin now a pale colour. His anger rose in response.

  "And my name is Michael Ede in case you were wondering. You can take that to the bank too."

  He shut the door and left Kemafor seething from his words, her anger obvious on her distorted face. He didn’t care. He wouldn’t stand for anyone treating Kasie badly regardless of their familial connection. He got into the car, and squeezed her hand before driving the car out of her sister’s gates.

  Glancing over to Kasie, he noted she was staring out of the window away from him. He wondered what she was thinking. She probably wasn’t happy with him for what he’d said. Being acerbic to her sister hadn’t been the best. But he couldn’t have just stood there and allowed anyone to talk to down to her.

  Standing there beside her at Kemafor’s house, Kasie’s shoulders had slumped in dejection as she listened to her sister cruel words. Despite her glossy exterior, Kasie was sensitive. And she wanted to do the right thing by her family. Yet those same people were hurting her. There and then, it’d hit him. He’d do anything to protect her from hurt.

  He'd fallen for her.

  He didn’t know how it’d happened except in the space of two days she’d gotten under his skin. She meant the world to him. The discovery shocked him, giving him pause for thought. He didn’t even know what he was going to do about it. He just knew how he felt.

  She was the one for him.

  Giving her another glance, she was now looking out of the windshield still not saying anything. He looked closely. Her eyes were bright and shimmered with unshed tears. Feeling his heart ram into his ribcage, he growled deeply and pulled the car over on the grass verge.

  Snapping off his seatbelt with one hand, he pulled Kasie into his arms with the other, releasing her from her seatbelt. Gently, he caressed her back. Her head rested on his chest, his chin on her hair. He gritted his teeth to control his anger. He hated to see her upset. The urge to punch a wall swept through him.

  Instead he held her supple body as tightly as he could in the confined space of the car, soothing her with gentle words, her light fragrance tickling his nostrils. She didn’t sob or break down. He pulled back and looked at her face. She smiled sadly at him through her long black lashes.

  "I’m alright," she whispered. He had to strain to hear her words.

  He tilted his head to the side.

  "Really?" he paused watching her smile widen but still tinged with sadness. His heart contracted tightly. "Listen. Don’t worry about your sister. I’ll take you somewhere where I can guarantee you’ll be welcome."

  "Where?" Kasie asked, her voice barely above a whisper. He figured she was still trying to hold back from breaking down. He so wanted to go back and shake some sense into Kemafor. How could the woman be so insensitive?

  "Not too far away. But I can’t tell you. It’s a surprise." It was a surprise to him too. He’d just made the decision after seeing how upset she was. It was totally spontaneous. Unlike him.

  "Ok. Surprise me. The day can’t get any worse, right?" She shrugged as if in defeat.

  "It won’t. I promise," he replied and started the car again.

  He drove out of the city into the countryside. His hometo
wn was just a few miles from the Coal city, one of the reasons he’d come back to live in Enugu. One of the reasons he always felt at home here. They were there in thirty minutes. He drove into his family compound.

  "Where is this? Your hometown?" she asked, her facial expression awash with curiosity, her lips lifted in a tentative smile.

  "Yes, this is my family home," he replied, glad her sadness was gone.

  There were two buildings next to each other—a large modern two-storey building and a low bungalow both painted magnolia. His mother came out of the bungalow when they arrived. She’d refused to live in his newly built house claiming she wanted to stay in the house she’d lived with her husband.

  So he’d constructed an extension to the existing house his grandfather had built. Today it came in handy. He wanted to see how Kasie would cope without the luxury of mod cons for a few hours.

  Chapter Eight

  "Your mother is a great woman."

  Michael and Kasie sat in the car on their way back to the city. The afternoon had gone better than he’d expected. Kasie had amazed him. The decision to take her to his hometown had been made on the spot when he’d seen how her sister had behaved toward her. He’d wanted to take her somewhere to distract her and make her feel better.

  "She is. I wouldn’t be what I am today without her," Michael replied with a smile when Kasie glanced at him.

  When they arrived at his village, it had occurred to him it might not be the right place to bring her since she was a woman who was used to living in luxury. Being in his mother’s bungalow would be beneath the standard Kasie was accustomed to.

  He’d been wrong. Kasie got on with his mother brilliantly. She’d seemed so much at home, working and chatting with his mother in the kitchen while they prepared a meal.

  He couldn’t reconcile the snotty woman of the previous day with the humble one in his mother’s kitchen. Had she just been putting on a front? He’d watched her closely like he was doing now. She’d seemed natural.

  "She reminds me of my grandmother. I now understand your reluctance to leave Enugu," Kasie continued conversationally.

  "She’s the only close relative I have remaining, the only woman who’s ever loved me unconditionally. Because she’s getting old, I go to see her every week." Michael shrugged. His mother was the most important person in his life.

  Kasie turned to look at him with a curious smile. "She told me you’d never brought any woman home before. Why? Surely you’ve had girlfriends in the past."

  "Yes, I’ve had them." He shrugged and smiled sheepishly. "I guess I’ve never really thought about it. It wasn’t like I’d planned to take you there. It was purely spur-of-the-moment."

  "Well, she might be expecting wedding bells." Kasie laughed, the nervous tinkle affecting him in the most basic way. His gut tightened. "If she’s anything like my relatives."

  His laughter rumbled out confidently. He’d never had to worry about his mother badgering him. She was one person who believed when he met the right woman, he’d marry.

  "I think my mother’s given up on reminding me about a wife and children," he said instead.

  "Will you do it though?" she questioned him, a frown marring her flawless chocolate skin.

  "What?"

  "Get married soon. I can understand her concern. You are the only child. By default you are expected to keep the family line going. My grandmother was so excited when my sister gave birth. She’d lived to see her great-grand children. It was quite an occasion."

  "I’m sure it was. When I meet the right woman, I’ll marry," he said self-assuredly.

  He wasn’t one of those men who had sworn off marriage. He’d just never been ready before. Was he ready now? If Kasie was the right woman, then he was. He just had to find out how she felt first.

  "Out of curiosity, how would you know the right woman?" she asked as if reading his mind.

  "Why do you want to know? Are you interested in applying for the position?" he said in jest before stealing a glance at her. Her face lost its colour as she blanched in discomfort.

  "Of course not, I’m just asking. Just curious, that’s all," she stuttered, looking away from him. But he could read her so easily.

  "The truth is there isn’t a picture of the right woman in my head. I just know when I meet her I’ll know."

  "Okay."

  Kasie tried to hide the disappointment in her voice. It was obvious Michael hadn’t met the right woman yet. Embarrassed, she changed the subject.

  "I’m going to call the airline and see if I can change my flight to an early one tomorrow morning. I don’t see the point in staying on in Enugu since my sister won’t even see me."

  "Don’t rush to change your flight yet. She might still change her mind," Michael said, smiling encouragingly.

  "I doubt it. Didn’t you see her face? I can’t believe we’ve let things slide so much. I’ll just have to go and see my parents when I get back to Lagos."

  Kasie’s grandmother would be turning in her grave knowing members of her family weren’t even speaking to each other. She’d been the glue holding their family together. Shame it had disintegrated after her death.

  Michael took her hand. As always his warmth permeated her skin, calming her jangled nerves. "Don’t worry about your sister. If she’s too conceited to see you’re trying to make peace, then you’re better off without her."

  Kasie nodded but didn’t say anything. If only it was easy to ignore. Seeing Michael’s mother had made her yearn for the closeness missing from her family. It used to be there. Things had started going wrong after she’d refused to marry the son of a senator her father had set her up with. Her sister had married a member of the Senate. It had been expected Kasie would follow suit in marrying a man chosen by her father.

  When she didn’t, her father got angry with her. She didn’t have anyone for support. Her stepmother was of no help, concentrating on her own children. Her sister stopped talking to her. Her grandmother, who’d been like a mother to her since her own mother died, had passed on. She was alone.

  Except, when she was with Michael.

  It was ironical being with Michael sowed the seed to reconnect to her family. He’d given her a new upbeat outlook. She was learning new things about herself. Learning to live her life in full again despite what had happened. Just like learning to dance after it was all over. Her desire for him grew each day. Still, she knew it wasn’t possible to have him and her family at the same time. They would never accept someone like him.

  Moreover, he didn’t want her, at least not permanently. He didn’t see her as wife material. He’d said as much just now.

  "...there isn’t a picture of the right woman in my head. I just know when I meet her I’ll know."

  She obviously wasn’t the right woman. So there was no point in thinking about it. Was it possible to have a little more of him? Tomorrow she’d return to Lagos to begin to patch up her relationship with her father and the rest of her family.

  Today she had Michael. He was sitting right next to her. She needed to summon the courage to do something. She didn’t want him to just drop her off and leave. She wanted him to stay tonight.

  When he stopped the car in the car park and stepped out to open her door, she took a deep breath.

  Here goes nothing.

  "Michael—"

  He didn’t let her finish. He pulled her up and kissed her gently, deeply. Sighing, she leaned into him, opening up eagerly for his kiss. She’d wanted him to do it all day. She’d missed his warmth, his hardness, his power.

  "I’ve had a great day," he whispered against her lips, warm air tickling her cheeks.

  "The day doesn’t have to end yet. Come inside with me," she replied, her voice sounding husky to her ears.

  Michael lifted his head, his grey eyes, darkened to the colour of the night. Concerned. Intense. Smouldering.

  "Are you sure?" he replied, his voice low and rumbling deep like a growl.

  She nodded and smiled.
"I’m sure."

  How she managed to walk into the hotel she didn’t know. Her legs had turned to jelly. Luckily there was no one else in the lift. Michael held her close. His arms around her waist. Her head on his shoulders. She listened to the erratic beat of his heart.

  They quickly walked down the hallway to her room. He took her key, opening the door and allowed her to go in first. She walked to the table, put her bag down and stood, suddenly uncertain of herself. She heard Michael shut the door but didn’t turn around.

  "Kasie, you are strong, amazing and beautiful."

  The deep emotion in his voice made her swing around. Michael stood right in front of her. The dark hungry look in his eyes made her heart stumble.

  She wasn’t sure if she floated to him. All she knew was she was in his arms. He kissed her, like a man starving. She kissed him back putting all the passion she had into the kiss, knowing in this moment he was the man she loved. He was the man who had saved her, given her life a purpose again. The man she’d have to give up.

  But for now she had him. She’d love him without holding back.

  He lifted her and carried her to the bed, kissing her all the time. Her face, her hair, her neck. He laid her down, his hand running down her body. Heat searing a path through her. She’d thought she’d lost herself the first night he’d kissed her. Tonight she gave herself freely. Happy to lose herself. Knowing what she gained was immense. No one else had ever given her this much passion. This much pleasure.

  She moved her hands down his body unbuttoning his shirt. He leaned back letting her, his intense eyes held hers in a gaze connected to her soul. She couldn’t look away even if she’d wanted to. When she undid the buttons, he pulled the shirt off flinging it into a corner.

  Her eyes were fixated on the expanse of his broad shoulders and toned chest. She’d known from the first day she’d seen him how well toned he was. It hadn’t prepared her for seeing his bare dark skin, and raw masculinity. His muscles flexed as he moved his arms. She gulped in air. Her body flushed with heat.