by Nana Prah
“Why didn’t you tell me that you’re involved in fencing and that you used to compete and win at a collegiate level at Notre Dame?” Zareb asked.
Well, damn.
Turnabout was fair play, and her politically-savvy father had taught her how to rotate a situation to suit her.
She added an edge to her tone. “I told you that I used to fence. Why were you in my personal business, Your Highness? You could’ve just asked me. It would’ve been the more respectful thing to do rather than digging into my digital life.”
The open-mouthed, wide-eyed look of shock did not suit him. “You knew?”
“Of course. As you’ve discovered, I own an IT company that provides customized spyware for my clients. I got the alert as soon as you started using your advanced system. We do exceptional work at Quest Technologies. You may want to look into hiring us.”
Malika took advantage of his speechlessness to keep him on the defensive.
“Not mentioning my fencing skills weren’t a big deal to me.” She arched a singular filled-in eyebrow in challenge. “It’s part of the past, not the present.”
If there was a Hell, that’s definitely where she’d be heading with all of her lies.
As if catching on to her tactic, his stone face returned as he crossed his arms over his chest. “Then there’s no reason to know why I don’t train women. Something happened in the past to drive my decision. Let’s keep it at that.”
That hadn’t gone as planned. She doubted that anything with him ever would.
“I didn’t want you to look at me differently. Your reputation preceded you about not dealing with women when it came to fencing, and I thought you might shut me out if you knew.”
Silence lingered to the point of discomfort before he spoke. “I understand, but there were several opportunities to tell me once you realized that I liked you.”
Her heart fluttered as his honest charm sent heat creeping up her neck, bringing on a flush to her face. “There was no way to know for sure that you liked me.”
Zareb rolled his eyes. “Our kisses and me wanting to spend time with you didn’t give you a clue?”
Her cheeks ached from trying to hold back a smile. “Maybe a tiny bit, but I couldn’t be certain you wouldn’t turn on me. Men can be fickle sometimes.”
“Just men? Don’t take offence, but in my opinion, women are ungrateful, trouble-making liars who are out for themselves.”
“How can I possibly take offence?”
“Not all women are like that. I’d never put my mothers, sisters, or sister-in-law in that category.”
That didn’t help. Who didn’t love their family and try to see the best in them? Even the horrible ones. “What happened to have you despise us?”
The cold-eyed stare indicated that she wouldn’t get a full answer.
“Experience is the best teacher.”
How she’d love to hear that story. Maybe one day when he was ready to share. “What about me?”
“To be honest, there’s something I feel that you’re hiding.”
The dryness of her mouth made it difficult to speak.
“You’re right. I haven’t revealed a lot of things about myself.” She held up two fingers, waving them in his face. “This is the second time we’ve met as adults. Am I supposed to bare my soul?”
Tilting his head, he regarded her. “You just went on the offensive for the second time today. My gut is never wrong. You’re hiding something. Something big.”
Now would be the best time to come clean. She’d yell it to any character in a movie she was watching. But this was real life. Her future was a stake. Telling him the truth before proving herself at the competition wouldn’t do her any good. Afterwards, she’d reveal everything.
In the meantime, a limited honesty would have to serve. “I’m not ready to share yet, but when I am, I hope you’ll understand.”
A few of his locs bobbed forward with his nod. “I can’t promise that I will, but I’ll listen.”
That didn’t ease her stress levels, but at least, it wasn’t a straight-out no. Just the kind of authentic man he’d proven himself to be. She sank deeper into the trenches of guilt. Why did he have to be so good?
In an attempt to drive the topic away from herself, she asked, “What do treacherous women have to do with not training females in fencing?”
His eyes bore into hers as if he had the power to read her mind. To her credit, she held his gaze without flinching.
“I haven’t had the best relationships with women in the past. The one that I’d fallen in love with ended up cheating on me with one of my teammates.”
She rubbed her hands over the goosebumps that had erupted from the cold harshness of his tone.
“It was probably my fault for focusing so much on fencing rather than giving her the attention she wanted. Turns out I wasn’t enough for her.”
Malika’s fist balled.
“That’s nonsense.” She may be biased, but she knew without a doubt that he was more than enough for any woman. “Did you cheat on her?”
“No.”
“Then no matter how the relationship was going, she should’ve communicated it with you.” She sucked her teeth. Having experienced infidelity by an ex more than once and having come out the other side more jaded about relationships, she’d learned one lesson. “It wasn’t your fault. You’re worthy of someone who can appreciate you for who you are.”
And she did. Everything about him intrigued her, and she looked forward to learning more. One woman’s loss was her gain.
His smile was slight but present. “Thank you.”
She cleared her throat, not having meant to come off so passionate about the topic. “I hope she didn’t have the power to give all women a bad name.”
“It wasn’t just her. When I used to work with them—”
She pointed a finger with a sharp gasp. “You coached females? In fencing?”
“I don’t know what you’ve heard about me, but I’m not sexist or a male chauvinist. My mother would’ve punished it out of me by now. I believe in the equality of men and women.”
Other than his one rule, nothing she’d experienced when they’d been together had made her think otherwise.
“Many of the females who worked with me took more advantage of the opportunity to go after me than to develop in the sport with the invaluable fencing lessons I provided. When I didn’t reciprocate, they left.”
The false lashes she’d pasted on obscured her vision when she narrowed her eyes. “Putting aside having experienced the fickleness of a deceptive ex, that doesn’t sound like enough reason to stop training women altogether, especially since it sounds like you may have had some good ones. Did something happen?”
He scrubbed a hand over his face and released a long sigh. “One of them accused me of raping her. She’d been manipulated by her mother to trap me so they could become part of the royal family.”
Her head jerked back as she gasped. “What?”
His mouth tightened into a line as his locs scraped his shoulder with his head shake. “It wasn’t the first time a woman had attempted to capture me through nefarious means, and I was tired of it. And women in general. Both in and out of fencing. It didn’t take long before the truth came out that she’d lied, but by then, I was fed up.”
She leaned her upper body back to get a better look at him. “Oh, my goodness, that was you?”
“You heard about it?”
“Who didn’t? An adult prince accused of raping a sixteen-year-old is a big deal. They never mentioned which one of you was involved. I always thought it might’ve been Prince Zik. He’s known for his more rakish ways.”
The Royal House of Saene was a powerful entity of wealth and influence. If they wanted a controversy to disappear, they had the means to make it so. It was probably why no names had been mentioned when the travesty had happened.
The topic had trended for a day. Then there’d been no further mention of the incide
nt after the announcement that the accuser had lied about her involvement with a prince.
Mouth set in a grim scowl, he nodded once. “My family dealt with the situation and my accuser swiftly and thoroughly.”
“What was the punishment? Did you have her executed?”
“No. Not that it wasn’t suggested by my mother. She spent time in juvenile prison for the false accusation.”
Malika chewed the inside of her cheek while she contemplated how she’d ask the question she desperately needed an answer to. “Zareb?”
“Yes?”
Determined not to back down, she squared her shoulders and held his gaze, needing to know the truth from his own mouth. “What happened?”
His back straightened even further than his impeccable posture normally allowed. “Do you think I raped her?”
She flinched at his bluntness.
“You’re known as a virtuous man. Disciplined to the point of android levels, and protective of those you care about.”
Now came the part that may sever their burgeoning friendship. “With that said, it never happened to me, but I’ve heard stories from friends who have been attacked or manipulated by supposedly reputable, decent men. They never suffered the consequences of their horrific actions. The experiences made me furious at the impotence and pain the young women had faced. Of not being believed when they reported to a higher authority.”
She huffed out a breath into the tense silence. “It’s why I asked for your side of the story. With everything you have going for you, you’re still a man. Men are capable of destroying just as much as they are of building.”
His Adam’s apple bobbed with a heavy swallow. “You’re a remarkable woman, Malika. If you had experienced abuse at the hands of anyone, I’d hunt them down and do damage.”
How did someone respond to such a statement? “Okay?”
“I’m impressed that you don’t believe my innocence just because you know me. No one is ever aware about what a person is capable of until it happens. Keep your pessimistic insights about life, and doubt everything and everyone. It will serve you well.”
It didn’t sound like the most pleasant description of her, but he’d spoken with pride.
Zareb shifted forward and rested his elbows on his thighs. “As you mentioned, in many cultures, the older members prey on the young and vulnerable, especially the females just because they can. Child marriages have been abolished in Bagumi for many years and is punishable, but it still goes on in other areas of the continent.” Those intense eyes met hers again. “I’m not one of those people.”
From everything she’d learned, his nature was of stern kindness. It was the way he dealt with Sule. With respect, even though the boy held no ranking or status. Could he hurt another person? Definitely. It was his job to protect. A man like Zareb would take all necessary means to ensure that his people remained safe.
“I used to go to the local secondary school to give demonstrations in fencing,” he continued. “I wanted to introduce as many people into the sport as I could. Possibly find the next Olympic contenders from Bagumi. I’d then invite those who were interested to take lessons at the gym for free. I even threw in transportation.
“The boys would flock in, but the girls wouldn’t attend. I had a few women learning the sport, but they weren’t aspirants. They’d utilize it for exercise. Others had been there to garner male attention. Including mine.”
“Which you never gave.”
He snickered. “Correct. So, they dwindled out.”
“Are you telling me that not one female found fencing fascinating and tried to excel at it?”
“There were a few who had trained hard. Eventually, they ended up having to deal with other responsibilities and stopped attending. It was always a disappointment to see them go.”
The muscle under his eye twitched. “Fariah was a different story. I was so pleased about her enthusiasm and ability to pick up the skills that I trained her myself. She had the potential to be great. Until things changed. She started dumbing down her skills and tried to interact with me in a flirtatious manner.” His lids closed as he shook his head. “Such a disappointment.”
“Did you try to talk to her about it?”
“I sat her down in my office to have a discussion. I have no idea what possessed her, but she stripped off the dress she’d been wearing after practice to reveal her nakedness and then tried to kiss me.”
Her mouth dropped.
“I’m versed in self-defence, but hitting a female who isn’t armed, and isn’t physically trying to inflict injury, is beyond me. I gripped her shoulders and pushed her away, telling her to put her clothes on. I then stormed out of my office to give her privacy and get my anger under control. When she came out dishevelled, she was crying and hysterical. I tried to talk to her, but she ran off screaming that she hated me.”
Malika hissed in air through her teeth. “Not good.”
“No, it wasn’t. Things spiralled from there. She told her family that I’d raped her in my office. They came to the palace the next morning and insisted on seeing the king. In their threat, they claimed that they hadn’t mentioned my name to the media they’d already contacted, but they would destroy me and the palace if I didn’t marry their daughter.”
Hands fisted in fury over the injustice, she shook her head. “They didn’t report you to the police?”
He let out a short chortle. “They’d manipulated it. Fariah’s mother had coached the girl, setting her up as a pawn to capture a prince. If my name had been attached, the reputation that I’ve kept unblemished all of my life would’ve been obliterated, even though I was exonerated.”
“Have you always had cameras in your office?”
Stern eyes flicked in her direction. “How do you know?”
“Um. Well. Sule mentioned it.” She plucked at her skirt. “If he doesn’t make it in fencing, I told him that he should become a police detective. He notices everything. Anyway, back to the story.”
The interrogative glower he rained on her made her skin prickle.
“The video vindicated me.”
Malika fell back against the couch with relief that he’d believed her. “Good.”
“My family is powerful, but people have long memories, especially those who prefer to believe rumours rather than fact. I refuse to bring shame to the Saene name. From that point on, I decided not to train women personally, although they’re welcome in my facility.”
She didn’t completely understand. The saying about throwing the baby out with the bathwater came to mind. He’d lumped all women in a singular group and flung them out of his sphere. But then again, other than by her siblings when they’d been younger, she’d never been accused of doing something she hadn’t. For such a righteous individual, it had to sting.
“Then why did you offer to fence with me?”
A smile appeared as he rubbed his chin. “I had an ulterior motive.”
Her stomach flipped in the most delicious manner. “Which was?”
“To impress you. Get you to like me.”
The flirtation was making her lightheaded. “What made you think I wasn’t already impressed?”
His gaze dropped to her lips, but he didn’t move. Remembering his promise of not touching her, she took the initiative and scooted over, closing the space between them.
Those all-observing eyes rose to meet hers. “Are you?”
Temptation motivating her, she braced her hands on his cheeks and brought her lips within an inch of his. “Very much.”
Chapter Eighteen
If Zareb moved, it would be towards the woman filling his sight as her luxurious scent wafted into his nose. He wouldn’t allow himself to break his promise, so he held every muscle rigid.
His desire rose with each second that their breaths mingled. She leaned in and grazed her petal-soft lips against his. Their electric touch opened up a need that he’d held banked. He waited to make sure it wasn’t a simple kiss.
&n
bsp; When her mouth started moving against his, he gave himself permission to indulge in her. He teased her lips with his tongue. When she opened, he entered. Warmth suffused into him as the unique taste of Malika coated his tastebuds.
The uninhibited passion in her response was unmistakable as she explored his mouth. How could each kiss be better than the last? He wouldn’t be the one to initiate an end. There was no strength in him to make such an impossibility happen.
When she swung a leg over his and straddled his lap. The skirt of her dress exposed smooth thighs as she lowered herself in a way that left no question about what she wanted. She ground herself against the erection which had refused to die completely down since he’d kissed her at the airport. She pulled away and placed her hands against his shoulders.
Perky breasts beckoned to be tasted as she rotated her hips against him. He bent his head, found the peak, and suckled her through the cotton. She held his head in place as his hand slid up her ribcage and squeezed her other breast.
“Zareb,” she whimpered. “More.”
The tugging at the tie to her outfit emphasized her need. Then she grabbed the hem of her dress and jerked it up over supple thighs. He released her for the time it took to reveal the muscular flesh of her stomach as she flung the garment over her shoulder.
The light blue lace bra exposed the nipples he’d been indulging in. He palmed the perfect orbs while looking into the dark brown eyes which held fire within their depths.
She unhooked her bra, letting the straps fall while he sat in wonderment at the woman who held more control over him than he’d ever given anyone.
“Make love to me,” she said in a strong voice that held confidence. No hesitation.
He responded to the raw need that they shared by capturing her lips in a kiss that made him harder as his hands grasped her bottom and squeezed.
***
As Malika became wetter with desire, so did her need to be filled. Things couldn’t have gone any other way. His hardness encased in his trousers rubbing against her core wasn’t enough, so she’d asked for what she wanted.
Consequences would come later. Desperate pleasure was for the moment.