by Kiru Taye
"I don’t know," she said staring down at her hands, her shoulders slumped. "I think he’s gone off me. He’s hardly said two words to me all day."
"He’s just brooding. It’s an Essien trait. He needs an incentive to snap out of it."
"I don’t know, Ebony. Our relationship is not like what you have with Felix. The two of you love each other. You wanted to get married and stay together, in the end. Not like Mark and me."
"Oh, come on, Faith." Ebony leaned forward and took her hand. "I know you. Beneath all that ‘girls run the world’ façade, you still like what Felix and I have. And you can have it, too. If you loosen up a bit and let it happen."
"The truth is that I’m afraid. The way Mark makes me feel, no other man has made me feel that way. I lose myself whenever he’s around."
"That’s a good thing, Faith. You are usually so sure of yourself and where you’re going in life with all your five-year plans." Ebony laughed. "Perhaps it’s time you learned to just live life, without a plan, and see where it takes you."
"That’s a scary thought."
"And you’re a brave woman who’s not afraid of facing lions in a boardroom. You can certainly deal with Mark and survive."
"Yes, I can." She said it more as a pep talk to herself than as a response to Ebony.
"So, what are you going to do about it?" Her friend curled her lips in a teasing smile.
"Oh, I think I know a way to make him take notice. I just need some time alone with him."
"There you are." Felix walked into the room, carrying the baby. "Alex needs a change."
"Okay." Ebony stood and went over to her husband.
Faith’s skin prickled before she saw Mark had walked in behind Felix. She blinked a couple of times as she drank in the sight of him. He wore a taupe linen suit. In the fitted cut, he looked very striking, very masculine. Her chest tightened, butterflies fluttering low in her belly.
"Why don’t you help me change Alex," Ebony said to Felix but she looked back at Faith and gave her a wink.
"You need me?" Felix looked a little bemused.
"Yes, there’s something I want to show you in our bedroom." Ebony gave her husband a knowing look and nodded towards Mark and Faith.
"Ah, of course." Felix walked out of the room with one last glance at his brother.
Faith sashayed over to the mini bar in the corner, swaying her hips provocatively. Out of her league trying to be sexy, but there existed no other way for her to thaw out the cold Mark.
She leaned her hip against the bar and turned to face him. His gaze appeared heated and he couldn’t seem to take his eyes off her. Her heart pounded as she lifted her glass to her lips before taking a sip of the lemonade.
"Would you like a taste?" She tilted her glass towards him.
From the flare of passion in his eyes, he knew she was offering more than a sip of fizzy drink. He'd used the same phrase before he’d kissed her in her kitchen. Now, she wanted him to kiss her again.
Tension oozed off his body.
"You’re playing with fire," he said as he took a step towards her.
"I’m not playing," she replied, her gaze hooked on his.
"A taste won’t be enough," he growled, his tone husky as he took another step.
"Take as much as you want," she said, her voice now hoarse and low as the whoosh of rushing blood in her ears got louder.
"I want everything...I want all of you."
He stood in front of her but didn’t touch her. He shoved his hands in his pockets as if he fought not to reach for her. The arc of electricity between them sizzled. Body trembling, she didn’t know how long she could stand there, glad at least the bar propped her up.
"Okay."
She couldn’t believe she was agreeing to this. But as Ebony had pointed out, she only had one life and as lovely as it was, there seemed to be something missing at the moment.
Mark.
He smiled for the first time that she’d seen that day. His gaze swept over her from head to toes before returning to her lips. Was he going to kiss her now? Her body vibrated with expectation.
"Did you bring your car?" she asked, taking another sip.
"Yes. Why?" One dark eyebrow quirked up.
"Mine’s in for a service and I think we should get to your place. It’s closer." Heart pounding, she slipped past him to go pick up her bag. He grabbed her arm, his thumb brushing against her skin.
"Faith, there’s no reason to rush."
"Really? You’ve waited a year to have me, and now when I’m offering myself, you still want to wait some more?" She raised her brow.
"You’ve got a point there. I’ll tell Felix we’re heading off."
Chapter Five
Saying goodbye to everyone took a little longer than Faith anticipated. She got into a conversation with Mrs. Duru about the annual charity fundraising event for the NGO that Ebony’s mum oversaw. Mark stood not far from where she’d been made to sit, chatting with his father. She avoided eye contact with him, not wanting the others to know something went on between them. But her body buzzed with the anticipation and it was all she could do not to fidget in her chair.
Her skin prickled—he must’ve been staring at her. She always sensed it when his focus landed on her. From the corner of her eye, she saw Mark head towards the exit. He glanced at her and winked as he smiled. Her cheeks heated.
"Mum, I’ve really got to go now," she said to Mrs. Duru, trying to rush her. "I’m going to call you and arrange to come over so that we can chat about what we need to do this year for the fundraising."
"Of course. You do that." Mrs. Duru waved her on.
She bid quick goodbyes to Mark’s parents. Ebony walked her to the door.
"I see that whatever tactics you used on Mark worked," her friend said as they stepped into the dusky evening. "He looks like a cat about to get his cream."
Faith grinned. "Oh, I hope so."
Ebony giggled. "Have fun. We’ll catch up sometime during the week."
Mark held the door of his low, sleek Aston Martin sports car. As she got into the passenger seat, his palm brushed her back. The touch felt so light that, for a second, she thought she’d imagined it. But the heated gaze he gave her seemed filled with such promise. The anticipation in her belly knotted tighter.
Ebony and Felix stood outside while Mark started the car and reversed. Through the open window and above the soft purring sound from the car, Faith heard Felix say, "There is something going on between those two."
Ebony’s soft laughter floated into the car. "There will be, if my girl knows what’s good for her."
A smile played on her lips and she turned to see if Mark had heard the comment. His lips were curled in a sexy smile but he concentrated on the road as the windows slid up noiselessly.
They both sat silently while Mark manoeuvred through the early evening traffic out of Ikoyi. They drove down leafy avenues, past colonial style mansions behind high walls and gated properties that reeked of old money and elitism.
She earned good money but even on her income, she couldn't afford property in this little strip of Lagos without breaking the bank. Yet, her best friend and her husband lived in one of those houses. And now she was headed to another equally posh area in Victoria Island with Mark.
Relaxing back into her soft leather bucket seat, she watched the confident way he drove. Something incredibly sexy about seeing a man handle a powerful car so assuredly. His light grip on the steering wheel, flicking it one way or the other depending on the direction they were going, as if the car was totally under his command, obeying his every whim.
She now understood why some women would have sex in a car. Sports cars and powerful men were a recipe to get any woman’s knickers wet and hers were soaking. Already so turned on, sitting still in the car was becoming a problem.
"How long to get to yours?" she asked, suddenly impatient.
"Not long," he replied, giving her a quick glance. "Have you changed your mind?"
"No. I want you. I just don’t know if I can wait till we get there."
The quick, sexy glance he gave her before he gunned the engine and drove faster only added to her already aroused state of mind. Neither of them spoke again until they arrived at his apartment five minutes later.
As expected, the building was gated. The uniformed security man nodded as Mark drove in and down the curved driveway. He parked the car in the underground car park and got out before she could, opening the door for her. Rows of expensive cars doted the car lot.
The only people who could afford to live in these apartments being the young, über rich Nigerians or expatriates who earned in dollars and worked for international companies.
This time around, surprise filled her when he didn’t attempt to touch her as they walked into the marbled foyer of his apartment building, or even after they entered the shiny, brushed metal lift on the way up to the penthouse level.
Tension dangled heavy in the air as they stared at each other, his gaze never wavering while he stood barely inches away from her. Shallow breaths filled her lungs with his scent—spicy and masculine—calling to her to lean forward. But she took his cue and held her body still, though it vibrated with the need to be close to him.
The way he stared at her, her nipples pebbled, turning to stiff points, her breasts full and heavy with need, seeking his attention. She ran the tip of her tongue over her lips, reminding herself to breathe in and out.
She used the time to sweep her gaze up and down his body. He’d taken his linen jacket off, leaving just his white silk shirt with the buttons undone halfway down, his broad chest filling it out and tapering into his trousers.
Hunger radiated from him, his body coiled like a predator waiting for the right opportunity to pounce. Muscles tightened on his shoulders, his hands clenched and unclenched beside him, as if he struggled to keep his hands off her.
His gaze slid over her body in a slow caress and all her nerve endings tingled in anticipation of the promise that lay in his irises.
With her eyes, she followed the line to where a bulge curved his trousers. Her pulse rate sped up as she realised he’d grown hard and aroused because of her. She’d been used to having intellectual prowess over men and always suppressed her sexual side.
Her lips curled in a smile, knowing she had some sexual leverage over Mark, even if it would be temporary. A man like Mark never stayed with a woman for long, if the reports and pictures of him in the news media were anything to go by.
Then again, Mark wasn’t included in her five-year plan. He wasn’t part of her future. So it shouldn’t matter to her. Somewhere in her heart, a light dimmed at the thought. Sadness hovered over her shoulders, pushing them down.
At that moment, the elevator pinged.
Mark leaned forward and grabbed her arm, the first time he’d touched her since they’d left Ebony’s house, and practically dragged her through the doors. She barely had time to take in her surroundings. Her heart pounded so loudly, the rush of blood between her ears drowned out every other sound.
Before she knew it, he had shoved her against the wall of his apartment. The door hadn’t fully shut behind when he had her flat against the concrete, his body crushing hers as his lips slammed down on hers.
His hand grabbed the short strands of her hair and tugged her head back as he slanted his sensuous lips across hers. No finesse in this kiss; no gentleness, either.
Passion flared as soon as their lips connected and his tongue plunged into her mouth in a rhythm that mimicked the actions she hoped would be repeated in her nether region. Pure animalistic hunger, a result of the months of restraint between them that could no longer be held back.
Suddenly out of control, she clawed at his shirt, wanting some skin-to-skin contact with him. She managed to pull the hem of his shirt up and her hands made contact with solid and hot stomach muscles.
A loud groan erupted from Mark as he lifted his head, both of them panting to get air into their lungs.
"Sweetheart, you drive me crazy."
His voice thrummed thick with lust. He ran the pads of his fingers over her breasts still encased in her bra and blouse. More sensation zinged through her body. But she still wasn’t satisfied. She wanted more. More body contact without the clothes between them.
She was already going mad with lust. The fire burning within her needed to be tamed before it burned her up.
"I can’t wait, Mark," she managed to moan out in a breathless voice. She moved her hand up to his shoulders, clinging onto his neck as she climbed him with her legs. "Hurry."
He didn’t hesitate. He pinned her to the wall, stepping between her legs as he held on to her hip. His other hand slid up her thigh, pushing up her skirt to meet the lace edge of her underwear. His fingers brushed her sex through the damp lace, feeling the evidence of her desire.
"Mark," she cried out in pleasure, canting her hips into his touch, her body primed and ready to burst. The sound of his zipper sliding open drew her attention down his body again as she hooked one leg over his hip.
"Hang on," he said as he reached behind and pulled something out of his back pocket. He took a foil of condom out of his wallet and tossed the leather aside. Using his teeth, he tore the wrapper off and sheathed himself in latex.
Seeing his hard length ready for her reminded her she still had her knickers on. In fact, they were both still fully clothed, albeit in a state of disarray. Before she had time to do anything, he had his fingers between her legs. The sound of lace tearing ripped through the air and then he was spreading her thighs apart and nudging her wet entrance.
He thrust in. Her body bowed off the wall. The shock on her system came as both pain and pleasure. She hadn’t had a man inside her for a long time. Years. And Mark felt both alien and blissfully snug at the same time.
"Faith."
Her name sounded like a groan, a prayer, on his lips.
"Mark...please." She wriggled, wanting more of him.
"Relax, sweetheart. Otherwise, this will be over before we’ve started."
His hand invaded the little space between them and his fingers parted her lower lips. He caressed her nub, eliciting a cry of pleasure from her. She leaned her head on the hard surface behind and closed her eyes, savouring the sensations running riot inside her.
He slid out until just his broad head caressed her inner walls. Then he thrust back in, this time to the hilt, the metal buckle of his belt rubbing against her inner thigh.
She opened her eyes. Mark had his head tilted back, neck arched, shoulders straining, arms bunched, sweat glistening on his forehead and hands gripping her hips tightly. He looked magnificently beautiful in that moment, his raw passion glinting in his dark eyes. Her heart clenched just as her inner walls tightened.
They hadn’t even turned the lights on in the hallway. The only light came through the floor-to-ceiling window, from the outdoor lights and night sky.
Face wrung in a fierce expression, he looked down and started thrusting.
"Is this what you wanted?" he grunted, sliding out and thrusting in.
"Yes... Oh...Yes!" The words whooshed out of her with each of his thrusts.
The sound of their panting filled the air around them. He rolled his hips, stroking her insides as well as her outsides.
"I’ve wanted you for so long," he said as he brushed his lips on her chin. He nipped her flesh before soothing the sting with his rough tongue.
"Wanted this." He thrust in again, stroking her deeply. Perfectly. "Wanted more than this."
It was all she could do not to tremble with pleasure, her whole body primed and racing towards a climax within reach.
It seemed he knew how close she was. His lips caressed her cheeks.
"Give me all you’ve got, sweetheart," he whispered in a low voice close to her ear, the warm air stroking her already sensitive skin.
She dug her heels into the back of his thighs, matching his strokes with each cant of her hips, meeting h
im. Between the way his length loved her insides and his fingers massaged her outer sex, she climaxed in a slow, pained moan, shivering with pleasure as she whimpered his name, her body clenching in ripples after ripples of a totally overwhelming orgasm.
"You are the most beautiful creature," he said in a hoarse voice before kissing her roughly, his tongue marauding in her mouth.
He increased the speed of his strokes and she held on as his measured drives kept her hot and wanting again. Her core tightened, hungry all over for more of him.
"You feel so good," she said, loving his hot, hard, smooth glide in and out.
She couldn’t believe she’d held out so long from experiencing him like this. He felt more than good. Like he was made for her and her for him. Though their actions at the moment seemed to be based more on instinct than planning, unlike her usual activities. But she loved this spontaneity and the freedom flowing excitedly in her veins.
"It’s you, sweetheart." He kissed her, his left hand tightening on her hip while the other squeezed her left breast, sparking a new orgasm to life. He took her in long, deep plunges, dragging her climax to new heights.
"It’s all you," he said as he quickened his pace before his whole body tensed and he threw his head back and came in hot, hard spurts inside her, his body racked in powerful shudders. He groaned her name, his neck muscles wound tight, the intensity of his coming oozing off his bunched up shoulders and arms.
Both their rasping breaths filled the air and it took a few moments before the shudders in their bodies calmed enough. He leaned forward, resting his sweat-streaked forehead against hers.
"I’m sorry we didn’t make it to the bed." He tightened his hold on her, still braced against the door. "I’ve never lost control like that before."
"I’m not sorry." Thank goodness they had the concrete structure to prop them up. Otherwise, she would have slid to the floor. Her legs had suddenly turned into dead weights.
"I’m glad you lost control with me," she said with a smile. The first time she’d done anything like it. "It’s my first time of having sex against a wall. And I like it."