Craving Temptation

by Deborah Fletcher Mello

  “I’m going to make us some lunch,” Troy said when he finally released the grip he had on her, allowing them both to come up for air. “And we need to talk.”

  Amina sucked in oxygen, fighting to catch her breath. “You kiss me like that, then change the subject to food?”

  “If I don’t change the subject, we’re going to do something we shouldn’t be doing. And after what we’ve already done, you have my head twisted. So I need food,” he said as he gave her the most endearing smile.

  “I just need to use your bathroom first,” Amina said.

  Minutes later he was clutching her hand as he guided her back to the kitchen. Pulling out a wicker chair he made her comfortable at the counter.

  “I want to talk to you about something,” Troy said as he pulled ingredients out of the refrigerator.

  “There’s something I need to talk to you about, too,” Amina responded.

  “You first,” he said as he reached for a large glass bowl out of the cabinet.

  Amina paused as she watched him toss pulled crabmeat, chunks of avocado, sprouts, baby lettuce, and dried cranberries with lime, chopped garlic, onion, cilantro, olive oil, and salt.

  “That looks great!” she said.

  “I’m an excellent cook,” Troy said. He winked his eye at her.

  She went back to watching him as he whisked the dressing, ensuring the flavors were just so.

  He lifted his eyes and gestured for her to speak as he plated their salads. “So what do you want to talk about?”

  She bit down against her bottom lip. “I have a second date tonight with Kareem Fayed.”

  Troy’s hand stalled midair as he was scooping salad out of the bowl. “A second date? I don’t recall hearing anything about a first date.”

  “Date is probably the wrong word because it’s not really a date. We’re just having dinner. And my brother will be there too.”

  “And you kept this first threesome encounter a secret from me because . . . ?”

  “Because I didn’t want you to be upset. You had that fundraising event and you needed to be focused on the election. Not on me. Especially since it was nothing.”

  “So now you’re going on your second dinner date and you figured I wouldn’t be upset this time?”

  “I figured that it was better for you to know than it would be for you to not know. We don’t keep secrets from each other, right? And like I said, it didn’t mean anything before and it doesn’t mean anything now. I wouldn’t be going at all if my father wasn’t insisting on it.”

  “So this is something you really don’t want to do?”

  “Not at all,” she said with a shake of her head. “But . . .”

  “Then don’t go.”

  Amina met the harsh stare he was giving her. “Are you jealous?” The first hint of a smile pulled at her mouth.

  “This has nothing to do with me being jealous.”

  “Yes, it does.” Her smile widened.

  He dropped the spoon into the bowl. “Then yes, I’m jealous and I don’t want you going on dates with other men.”

  “Even if I have a chaperone?” Her grin was canyon wide.

  Troy shook his index finger at her. “Don’t joke, Amina. You know what I mean.”

  She blew a deep sigh. “I know but I don’t have a choice here. My father and brother both are insisting and until this election is over and we can go public with our relationship I think I need to oblige them.”

  Troy passed her a plate of food and a fork. He moved to the seat beside her. He tossed her a look but said nothing. Taking her hand Troy passed a quick blessing over the food then proceeded to eat. The tension between them was suddenly palpable.

  “So you’re mad at me now?”

  Troy blew a deep sigh. He sat back against his seat, resting his fork on his plate. “No. I’m frustrated. I understand that with you running your father’s campaign and me running against him that we have a conflict of interest. Then we have the issue of your father’s religious beliefs going against us. We’re sneaking around like we’re in high school and now I’m supposed to accept you dating men your father would prefer over me. It’s just too much, Amina.”

  Amina didn’t know what to say so she didn’t bother to respond. She dropped her gaze onto her plate, savoring the delicious meal he’d prepared for them. The quiet was slightly unnerving and tears pressed hot against her eyelids as she struggled not to cry. As they both emptied their plates, Troy moved back to the other side of the counter. He pulled dessert out of the freezer.

  “That looks really good,” she said as he cut two slices of the frozen dessert for them to taste.

  “Quentin made it. It’s some kind of frozen berry cheesecake thing. I thought you’d like it.” He tossed her a slight smile, the wealth of it easing some of the tension between them.

  “So what was it you wanted to talk to me about?” she said. “Before I ruined our good mood.”

  Troy smiled. “Yeah, I actually wish I’d gone first now.”

  “Just make a girl feel worse, why don’t you!” She rolled her eyes, feigning attitude.

  Troy grabbed both plates and moved back to her side. He took a spoon and fed her the first bite of her dessert. She clasped her hand atop his as he guided the cutlery to her mouth. The heat from her touch warmed his spirit. He leaned and kissed her, his mouth dancing lightly against hers.

  “I’m sorry,” he whispered. “It’s just . . .” He sighed, knowing he didn’t need to say anything more.

  Amina kissed him a second time, her tongue tapping lightly against his closed lips. She pressed her cheek to his, a low gasp blowing past her lips.

  “Marry me,” Troy said, the words hot against her ear. “I love you, Amina, and I want you to be my wife. Marry me.”

  Amina drew back in surprise, astonishment shining in her eyes.

  Troy nodded, his tone emphatic, the words even more imposing. “I love you. Marry me.”

  “Troy, you can’t be serious.”

  “I am very serious. I’ve been thinking long and hard about it, Amina, and we can’t go on like this. I can’t imagine my life without you. I want the whole world to know how much I love you. Marry me. Today.”

  “What about my father? The election?”

  “I will give up the election if I have to. And I will go to your father and plead my case right now. I will do whatever it takes to be with you, Amina. You just have to want it as much as I do.”

  Tears were rolling down Amina’s cheeks. Troy grabbed her hand, entwining his fingers between her fingers. He pulled her from the seat, leading her into the living room. He sat her on the sofa, lifting an index finger for her to give him a quick minute. He disappeared down the length of hallway toward the master bedroom and when he was out of sight Amina took a deep breath and then a second. She couldn’t believe this was happening to her, her mind racing.

  Troy suddenly reappeared. He moved back to her side and dropped down onto one knee in front of her. He had a small velvet box in his hand, and held it out toward her. Lifting the lid he exposed a stunning three-carat, princess-cut, diamond engagement ring. He met the look she was giving him, their gazes locking tightly.

  “I love you, Amina Salman. Will you marry me?”

  “Yes,” Amina said, her voice a loud whisper.

  “Say it again!”

  “Yes!” Amina shouted louder. “I will marry you!”

  “Today,” Troy insisted.

  Amina’s eyes widened. “We can’t get married today, Troy. I made a commitment to my father and I can’t just walk away from that without talking to him. And we have to think about how this is going to impact your campaign. There’s just too much we have to consider.”

  “Okay then, we’ll do it tomorrow.”

  “Troy!”

  “Think about it, Amina. This is our future we’re talking about. And as you can see by the investment in my hand I didn’t just come up with the idea yesterday. I don’t plan to change my mind so doing it
now makes just as much sense as doing it later. If you marry me now then I don’t continue to run the risk of ruining your reputation every time I think about you. Marry me and I will do everything in my power to win your father’s respect. I’ll even consider converting to Islam.”

  Her eyes widened. “You would do that?”

  “I would earnestly consider it. I’ve already begun to do some studying and research to learn more so that I have some understanding about the religion and what your family believes. I would only ask that you do the same. Your mother raised you outside your father’s religion for a reason.”

  Amina nodded as she pondered his words. “What about the election?”

  “I’ll withdraw. I won’t let it be a conflict for us.”

  “Absolutely not! I refuse to let you do that. I know how much you want to win, Troy. I also know that you’re well on the way to doing just that despite my best efforts to help my father best you. I will not be responsible for your giving that up. Besides, I kind of like the idea of being the mayor’s wife.”

  “Then marry me now and if it’s what you want we’ll keep it our secret until after the election. Once the election is over, we’ll make the announcement and move you in here.”

  “But we will still be sneaking around, Troy.”

  He nodded. “I would much rather we tell everyone the minute it happens but if you’re not ready, then I’m willing to give you the time you need. But I would rather sneak around to spend time with my wife, than sneak around to spend time with some other guy’s preschool fiancée. And if we get caught, what can anyone say? We’ll be legally married.”

  Amina blew a deep sigh. She didn’t know what to think. On the one hand it made all the sense in the world. On the other it was the craziest thing she’d ever considered.

  Amina felt like the third wheel as Kareem Fayed and her brother chatted easily. Once again they seemed to discount her presence at the table. The restaurant was comfortable but there was nothing about the company of either man that had her feeling at ease. She couldn’t help but wish she were still with Troy back at his home. She took a deep breath as she looked from one to the other. Kareem tossed her a smile.

  “So, Amina, are you enjoying your stay here in Memphis?” Kareem asked.

  She nodded. “Memphis is beginning to feel like home.”

  “I was telling Basil that I’d enjoy taking you around to help you with the adjustment. It will give us an opportunity to get to know each other better. Basil was in agreement.”

  “You might want to consider asking me if that’s something I’d be interested in, not Basil,” Amina said.

  Kareem smiled. “Forgive me. I forget that you are a woman with a very strong will.”

  Basil shot her a hateful look. “Brother, I apologize for my sister’s rudeness. Amina is still learning our ways and expectations.”

  Amina bristled. “I am quite capable of speaking for myself, Basil,” she said.

  Kareem held up a hand toward her brother. “I admire your spirit, Amina. And I know your brother only has your best interest at heart.”

  There was a moment of awkward silence that dropped down over the table. Amina focused her attention on the serving of pasta before her, wishing she could be anyplace other than where she was. She looked up to find Kareem staring at her, the look in his eyes disturbing. Her heartbeat raced slightly and she suddenly felt like prey that was being hunted. She took a deep breath to ease the sensation.

  “So, Basil tells me that you two have done business together?”

  Kareem nodded. “I helped your brother acquire some property he was interested in.”

  “I was telling Amina that the other day. That I want that piece on the corner of Beale Street. With her legal connections she’ll be very useful to us.”

  “I’m still not understanding,” Amina said. “You said you already hold the title to some of that property. How’d you manage that? That area is prime real estate. I imagine that would have taken a significant cash investment.”

  Basil sneered, tossing Kareem a look. “Not necessarily.”

  Kareem smiled. “Basil utilized the adverse possession laws to his benefit. Most of the property he acquired was vacant or foreclosed and with no true claims of ownership he filed the appropriate paperwork with the register of deeds office.”

  Amina looked from one to the other, her eyes blinking anxiously. “You’re kidding me, right?”

  Basil tossed her a look. “Why would we be kidding?”

  “Because that’s illegal, Basil. You can’t just go claim other people’s property.”

  The two men tossed each other a look.

  Amina shook her head from side to side. “Don’t you know you can go to jail for that?”

  “For what?” Basil snapped. “For being creative? For being ingenious? For getting the job done in away that you can’t fathom?”

  “For obtaining property by false pretenses! What you’ve done undermines the entire real estate process. Why do we need mortgages and contracts when you can just go take someone’s property?”

  “Stay out of my business, Amina. You need to just do what you’re told. Now, I need some paperwork filed downtown for that corner piece on Beale Street. You need to get that done. Kareem will give you the details. It’s not your place to ask questions.”

  Amina leaned forward in her seat. She snatched the veil from her face, wanting to ensure her brother made no mistakes about what she was feeling. Her face was ice. She hissed under her breath. “Not in this lifetime or the next will I risk my legal license for you, Basil. There’s a family that owns that property. It’s theirs legally. You being deceptive, pretending you know what you’re doing, won’t change that fact.”

  Basil slammed his cloth napkin against the table. Kareem sat upright, looking from one sibling to the other.

  “Basil, I’m sure you and I can address all of Amina’s concerns and assure her that we’ve done nothing wrong.”

  Amina tossed Kareem a look as he continued. “Amina, all Basil has done is found a lawful way to work the system. People are millionaires all day long for doing that very thing. Essentially, Basil formed a private trust, made himself the trustee, filled out a deed, and had it recorded at the register of deeds office. It was all perfectly legal.”

  Amina tossed up her hands. “Just because you file a new deed and put your name on it doesn’t make you the exclusive owner! Does Father know about this scam of yours?” she asked, still staring at her brother.

  Basil suddenly lunged across the table. He grabbed her by the neck, his hand like a vice cutting off her oxygen. Amina’s eyes widened in horror.

  “If you breathe one word of this to Father, I will hurt you, Amina. Don’t cross me, little girl! I promise you, if you do, you will know hurt like you have never known hurt before!” he repeated before pushing her harshly back against her seat.

  Amina gasped for air, clutching both of her hands to her neck as she came to her feet. Tears misted her eyes. Basil stood upright, adjusting his suit jacket around his torso. He tossed a harsh glare around the dining room, eyeing the few patrons who were watching them. His stare was challenging. Kareem stood up as well just as the restaurant manager rushed to the table. Amina recognized the man from the mosque.

  “Is there a problem here?” he questioned.

  Kareem shook his head. “We apologize, brother. Our sister here was just having a moment.”

  “It won’t happen again,” Basil added.

  The man looked from the two men to Amina and back. He nodded, and said nothing, as he moved back toward the kitchen.

  Basil tossed Amina one last glare as he sat back down, his arms crossed over his chest. Kareem heaved a deep sigh, taking his own seat. He reached into the breast pocket of his suit jacket and pulled out his billfold. He dropped four twenty-dollar bills onto the table, then focused his gaze on Amina.

  “Sit down, Amina,” he said, his tone commanding. “And fix your veil.”

  He reach
ed for her arm and she snatched the appendage from his grasp. She hurled her veil to the floor. “Go to hell,” she spat. “Both of you go straight to hell!” Then turning, Amina rushed from the restaurant to her car.

  12

  When Troy had opened his front door Amina had thrown herself into his arms. Tears had been streaming down her face, her body shaking with rage. She’d been holding onto him for ten minutes and he still had no clue what had upset her. He tightened his arms around her torso and pulled her closer, wanting to ease whatever was paining her. He felt her body finally relax against his and he gently kissed her forehead.

  He gently cupped his hand beneath her chin and lifted her eyes to his. “What happened, baby?”

  She shook her head, her eyes misting again. She swiped at her face with the back of both hands. There was a sadness in the dark orbs that Troy found disconcerting but she seemed unwilling to let him inside.

  “I’m sorry,” Amina said, still rubbing at her eyes. “I just . . .”

  Troy led her into his family room and eased her onto a seat. He pulled the ottoman in front of her and sat down. Leaning toward her he clasped both of her hands in his. “Talk to me, Amina,” he commanded.

  She took a deep breath, her gaze locking with his. “Basil,” she said, her head shaking.

  “I don’t understand. Did something happen to your brother?”

  Amina slowly undid the pins that held her hijab in place. With methodical precision she unwrapped one side and then the other until she’d released her curls, her hair falling free against her shoulders. She laid the scarf on the table beside her chair. She took another breath then slowly lifted her chin, brushing her fingers across her skin.

  Amina’s neck was bruised, her pale complexion mottled black and blue. Troy bristled, the concern on his face shifting to something like rage. He stood up so abruptly that it scared her and she gasped loudly, her eyes widening.

  “Troy!”

  “Your brother did that to you?”

  Amina nodded, her tears dropping against her cheeks. She gestured for him to sit back down and told him what had happened. She told him all of it. How Basil was stealing property that did not belong to him. How he wanted her help in doing so. How he’d choked her until she felt like she might pass out from the infraction. She told him and when she was done Troy was angrier than he ever remembered being.