by Kiru Taye
In fact, he grew tempted to put his hand between them and release his erection, but remembered he promised himself he would take it nice and slow with her tonight.
Of course, this was no longer night but the early hours of Sunday morning. In a little over an hour, it would be dawn. And he would be on the return flight to Lagos and then onwards to New York later. He wanted to cherish the short time he had with Faith.
He braced them against the door to catch his breath, both hands caressing her bottom slowly as he slipped his tongue into her mouth with the subtlety of a stealth assassin at night.
She rocked against him, sliding her mound over his erection in a desperate motion.
A growl vibrated through him and he ripped his lips from hers.
"If you keep doing that, we’ll have a repeat of our first night together," he said as he stared down at her. Her eyes had grown hooded, blazing with lust.
"I told you I liked door sex," she replied and licked her lips in the sexiest manner he’d ever seen.
His arousal hardened and swelled even further, as if he wasn’t aching enough.
"Fuck!" He couldn’t stop the exclamation, a shout of intent as well as a prayer and a curse.
There suddenly seemed like no air existed in the room, his skin now burning with heat and need despite the air conditioner. His lungs burned and he panted as he wrestled to get back his control. Otherwise, he’d be exploding in his trousers like a teenager.
He did a quick recon of the room, found the bed, and moved in that direction while kissing the corners of her lips. He moved as slowly as he could, tracing every curve with his tongue, and then he nibbled his way down her cheek to her chin.
His leg bumped the edge of the bed and he unceremoniously dumped Faith on it and covered her body with his, not giving her time to catch her breath.
With her back pressed into the top sheet, she turned her head, giving him access to her neck. He groaned as he licked the pulse beating with the force of a marching band in the hollow of her throat.
The salty taste of her sent more heat sizzling on his skin and suddenly, he wanted to be naked, to feel her flesh against his. Sweat broke out on his skin, his heart pounding. Her hands moved to his back, caressing the firm muscles.
He leaned on one elbow and used the other hand to undo the buttons on her blouse. It fell apart revealing lush, flawless caramel skin.
"Did you know I love caramel?" He said the words in his head aloud before dipping down to swipe his tongue on the valley between the globes of her breasts. "Delicious."
He lifted his head. The brown aureoles peeked through the mesh of her lace black bra. He tugged the cups down until they sat beneath the flesh of her breasts, pushing them together as if presenting them to him, her nipples hard points he couldn’t resist.
He lowered his head again and sucked in a nipple into his mouth, latching onto a succulent breast, as well. The sound of a groan rent the air and he wasn’t sure if it came from him or Faith.
Her fingers clutched his shoulders as her back arched off the bed, pushing her breasts further into his mouth. He repeated the action with the other side and she did the same.
"Mark!" She gasped out his name this time.
Oh, he loved hearing his name on her lips, especially when she moaned it out in pleasure like this. He wanted to hear it again and again. So he continued his attentions. She rocked her body into his and for a moment, he lost control and surged involuntarily into her hips, grinding into her as if they didn’t have any clothes between them.
It reminded him he had to get rid of their layers. He wanted to see the rest of her.
Rising to his knees on the bed, he tugged her blouse off her arms and tossed it away from the bed. She reached behind to unhook her bra.
"No. Don’t." He shook his head. "I like the way it pushes and moulds your breasts like you’re wearing a cupless corset."
She dropped her hands to her sides and lay back as he unzipped the side of her skirt and pulled it down over her hips and off her legs to join the blouse somewhere on the floor.
As he suspected, she wore a scrap of lace masquerading as a thong, with a little triangle covering her sex while showcasing her bare hips and thighs in the most provocative way a piece of fabric could.
He groaned from deep in his chest before running the pad of this right thumb over the lace. His questing digit met hot and slick fabric even before he slipped his finger beneath and met flesh. Scorching and throbbing flesh.
Her whimpers travelled through him like electricity charging him to explore more. He caressed her folds until his finger found her button and she keened.
Hooking his fingers into the edge of the thong, he pulled them off, revealing her sex covered in trimmed hair.
Finally taking off her clothes became his undoing. No way he didn’t want to be between her legs now. In a rush of movement, he tugged at his clothes, divesting his body of them as if in a race.
Then he reached for the foil of condom in his wallet and sheathed himself.
Faith rolled her pink tongue over her plump lips and his need rose another notch. The smoky, glazed look of her eyes told him she wanted him as much as he wanted her, as much as the way she parted her legs when he climbed back onto the bed.
He positioned himself, nudging her slick entrance as he lowered his head to take her lips in a kiss that relayed his hunger as well as his affection. Then he thrust in, her tight walls of heat expanding and contracting around him.
She mewled as he groaned, both swallowing each other’s cries as he set a slow pace to start, but two strokes in and he was lost. It wouldn’t be long now, from the sounds she was making. So he increased the pace, wanting to keep up with her.
Soon, they were both cresting the waves of passion and she clung on to him and cried out his name.
Chapter Thirteen
"Have you seen this?"
Faith looked up to find Stella strolling into her office, her smart phone in her hand and her expression creased in a frown.
"What?"
"I’ve just been reading the latest update on the Lori Booth blog," Stella said as she plopped herself onto the chair in front of Faith’s desk and leaned forward, her voice lowered conspiratorially.
"You know I don’t read that gossip blog. The woman needs to get a life instead of gossiping about what celebrities are up to," Faith replied, not hiding her disdain for the very popular Nigerian gossip blog.
"Well, I know you don’t read it, which is why I brought my phone to show you. You wouldn’t believe whose picture is on it."
"I really don’t care, Stella." She had better things to do and, more importantly, an emergency board meeting to prepare for.
"I think you will care when you see the picture." Stella shoved her phone in Faith’s face. "Look at it."
Sighing in resignation, Faith took the phone from her friend and had to refocus her eyes on the small screen.
At first, the image just showed a couple in a half-embrace, with the hand of the man over the woman’s shoulder and the woman’s arm behind and around his waist. They looked like they were laughing at something or some joke somebody told. At first glance, they looked like a very happy couple as they glanced at each other.
Something about the dimple on the man’s face had her looking closer. She picked up her discarded tortoiseshell reading glasses from her desk and put them on before checking the phone again. The image cleared up and she saw their faces.
Her heart stopped and crashed.
No. This can’t be right. It’s not him.
With haste, she used her forefinger to slide the screen along so she could read the headline for the post.
IS THIS THE NEXT MRS. ESSIEN?
The headline seemed to leap off the screen at her. She dropped the phone on the desk as if it had just bitten her and shook her head.
"Yep, I had that same reaction when I saw that picture and headline," Stella said as she took her phone back.
I bet you didn�
�t, unless you’ve been sleeping with him, too.
Blood drained from her head and she didn’t respond to her friend. Instead, she pulled up the internet browser on her laptop and typed in the blog URL. Somehow, she needed to confirm it wasn’t true. She couldn’t believe what she’d seen. The image could have been doctored. Photoshop-ed or whatever.
"That Wumi is sneaky. She didn’t even tell us they were dating," Stella continued. "And there I was, thinking I might have a chance one day."
As soon as the page came up, the image popped right there on the front page. No mistaking the picture of Mark and Wumi in a bar or nightclub, strobe lights and people around them. They could’ve been dancing when that picture had been taken.
She scrolled down the page and gasped. According to the details on the column, the picture had been taken a few days previously, the same night she’d been in Benin with Mark.
How could that be possible? Had he crawled out of Wumi’s arms and straight into hers? She glanced at her handbag and the packet in it with the stick. Remembered the indicator that signalled she had a new life growing inside her.
This can’t be happening. Not now.
"Have you seen Wumi?" She needed some answers.
"No, she wasn’t at her desk when I came over. She could be in a meeting."
Faith glanced at her watch. "Shit. I have a meeting to get to, as well." She slammed her laptop shut and picked up her notepad.
"The board meeting. Do you know why there’s an emergency board meeting today?" Stella asked as Faith rounded her desk, the picture of Mark and Wumi pushed to the back of her mind.
She needed to be all business now. In a few minutes, she would be sitting in conference with the executive team at City Investments and she needed her bring her winning game, especially since their Managing Director had called this session out of the blue. Unusual but not unheard of, especially when he held an important announcement that would change the future of the firm. She would have to pass on whatever information she garnered to her team.
Confidently, Faith walked to the conference room where the meeting would be held. Kayode Dada, the Information and Technology Director, already sat there and greeted her when she went in. Always smartly attired and good-looking, he was one of the youngest members of the board and had returned from the United States to work for City. She got along well with him and pulled up a chair beside him as they chatted. The Director of Operations and HR, Nathaniel Maduka, an affable man in his forties, joined them next.
David Bode, the finance director, walked in with the managing director, Francis Okolo. They two men were close in age, both in their fifties. Faith tried to read their expressions but neither gave away whether the news would be good or bad.
After they had all exchanged pleasantries and helped themselves with the refreshments laid out for the meeting by personal assistant to the MD, Mr. Okolo began speaking.
"I know you are all wondering why I called this meeting. I won’t keep you waiting for much longer." He cleared his throat. "It had always been my intention when I started this firm to take things slow after a certain age. I built this firm from nothing with David. At the time, we both swore to each other that we would work very hard to build up the business and retire early. Well, the time has come."
He paused and a murmur passed between the attendees as they looked at one another. Faith glanced at Kayode and then back at the MD.
"I will be stepping down as MD of City Investment."
"But sir, you’re still very young to retire."
"Thank you, Faith." The corners of his eyes crinkled as he beamed a full set of white teeth.
"I will be sixty at my next birthday and there are other things I want to do with my time. Like visiting my children in the US and seeing my grandchildren while they are still babies. There is a time for everything, and I know this is the right time, especially when I know City will be in very good hands."
Faith’s heart pounded in her chest. Had he chosen a successor? Was he going to announce the person now? Mr. Okolo’s children had little interest in running the business, each with their own successful careers.
"Which brings me to the next point," he continued. "I value each one of you as members of my executive team and the great contribution you make to this firm. You have always been supportive, so I know you will continue giving the same support to the next head of the team.
"The person comes with extensive experience of running a successful financial investment business and I’m excited for the plans for the future." He turned to his personal assistant. "Florence, please show our guest in."
Another murmur went through the room as his PA stepped out. A slight disappointment passed through Faith but she straightened her shoulders as she struggled not to show it. She would’ve loved to be in the position where she would be considered suitable to head a firm like theirs. In a few years, she would make sure she got considered first. In the meantime, she just hoped whoever he’d chosen would be progressive and open-minded about having a woman in the leaders’ team.
"So it is with pleasure that I announce the upcoming merger of City Investment with Apex Financials."
It took Faith a long time for her brain to process the unexpected words from her MD because her gaze had fixated on the man who had just walked into the room. The air in the space shifted, as if displaced by a surge in electricity. A prickly tremor raced down her spine.
"Most of you will already know Mark Essien."
All the men stood and shuffled to introduce themselves or shake his hand, the effect of having an alpha among them.
Faith had to pick her agape jaw off the floor first.
When did he get back from New York? What was he doing here?
Drawing in a long breath to compose herself, she stood and walked to where the men gathered around Mark.
"And this is my protégée and our brilliant strategy and development director, Faith Brown. You will find her an asset on the team," Mr. Okolo said.
"Ms. Brown and I have met and I’m looking forward to working with her."
He held slight amusement in the eyes that stared down at her. Suddenly, the seriousness of what Mr. Okolo had said came crashing down on her.
"You’re buying City Investments?" The words came out of her mouth before she could stop them. Groaning inwardly at her loose tongue, she berated herself. Not the right time to let her mouth run away with her.
She stared at Mark, boldly trying to hide her embarrassment as he took her hand. His thumb caressed her knuckles as he released her fingers. She missed his touch as the back of her hand tingled.
"It is more a merger than an acquisition. Mr. Okolo is retaining some shares, although he’s not taking an active role in the future business." He stepped back as he addressed the rest of the group.
"I know you all have loads of questions. We will have plenty of time during the due diligence process to deal with queries and concern. For now, I want to reassure you all that I see an exciting future for us all with the merging of our two firms. City has the appropriate expertise in the oil and gas sector and provides a depth of knowledge that will take Apex years to achieve if we were to go into the sector organically. On the other hand, Apex has a reputation within the financial sector that will secure all our futures, no matter the turbulence in untested markets.
"I had promised Francis I would be here when he made the announcement, which is why I’ve just come over straight from disembarking on a long flight from New York. I’ve arranged for my PA to contact Florence about setting up one-to-one meeting with each director. I hope to be able to allay any concerns you may have in those sessions. In the meantime, I’ll leave Francis to wrap up the meeting."
"Thank you for joining us this morning. I appreciate you coming in, especially after such a long haul flight. I’ll see you tomorrow at the Ikoyi Club," the MD told him.
"Hopefully, if I’m not sleeping away the effects of jet lag. It was nice meeting you all," Mark said before stepping out of
the door, followed by the MD.
"Did you know this was going to happen?" the operations director asked David.
"He’s been thinking about it a lot since his last birthday," the finance director replied. "He always thought he would hand over to someone within City, but when Mark made him a great offer, he couldn’t resist."
"This is such shocking news. I wasn’t expecting it," Kayode said.
Tell me about it. What is Mark up to? Why was he buying City? The man knew how important this firm was to her and her career. Her shock slowly wore off, turning into anger. Had he used her to find out information about City? Had she let things slip during one of their pillow talks? This was exactly the reason she hadn’t wanted to date him in the first place. And if anyone found out she was involved with him, the press would have a field day.
Mr. Okolo returned and the meeting ended. Faith went back to her desk. The more she thought about it, the angrier she got. He hadn’t bothered to tell her about his plans, and then there were the pictures of Mark and Wumi making the rounds over the gossip press. And he hadn’t even bothered to tell her he was returning to Lagos this morning.
Her phone pinged with a message notification. She swiped the screen.
Meet me for lunch. The car is in the parking lot.
Mark’s text message flashed like a red flag before a bull, raising her anger even further. He had some balls. After what he just pulled in the boardroom, did he really think he would click his fingers and she would come running?
Go to hell, she typed out before pausing.
No. What she wanted to say to him, she would do to his face. She backspaced and started tapping the screen again.
I’ll be down in 5.
She grabbed her bag and stepped out of her office.
"Amara, I’m taking an extended lunch break. If you need to reach me, I’ll be on my mobile."
She didn’t stop to see the expression on her PA’s face as she headed for the lifts. Downstairs, she spotted Mark’s sleek dark Mercedes executive car, glad she didn’t have too far to walk under the blazing heat of the midday sun. His black and white uniformed chauffeur stood outside and opened the back passenger door as she approached.