by Navi' Robins
She immediately got up as if to begin cooking, but Daniel stopped her and gently pushed her back on the couch. Kissing her softly, he handed her the remote to the television and whispered, “I got this tonight.” Ayana’s eyes and mouth were wide open as she watched him confidently walk into the kitchen. Before long, she heard him removing items from the bags and rambling through the kitchen cabinets. Two minutes later, he walked back into the living room with a wineglass and a bottle of wine. Standing next to her, possessing the demeanor of a waiter, he filled her glass with red wine and handed her a folded white cloth while she sat on the couch. The cloth felt cool to the touch and was filled with something round and smooth. When she opened it, four large, white chocolate-covered strawberries stared back at her.
My favorite! How did he know?
She looked up to find him already gone and headed back into the kitchen. She lifted the wineglass to her lips and let the exquisite taste of the fermented beverage fill her mouth. Ayana closed her eyes as the taste and sensation filled her head. She let the wine glide down her throat and then opened her mouth to receive one of the strawberries. The mixture of the wine and chocolate-covered strawberries sent a dizzying sensation through her, and she allowed her body to relax into the couch. By the time she had drunk her second glass of wine, she felt as if she were floating on air.
The aroma of Daniel’s cooking began to fill the condo, and it smelled amazing. Never in a thousand years would she have guessed the doctor could cook. She still needed to wait until she tasted whatever he was cooking, but from the smell, he was already winning.
After an hour of watching television and trying to sneak a peek in the kitchen from time to time with Daniel yelling at her playfully to “sit your ass down,” she was startled by the living room going dark. She turned to see Daniel smiling in front of an elegantly arranged candlelit dining table. She noticed that he placed their seats next to each other instead of on the opposite sides of the table.
“Dinner is served, my Queen,” Daniel said, smiling, while perfectly mimicking her native accent. Her face lit up like a tropical sunrise as she walked over to the table. He pulled out her chair, Ayana sat down; then she reached for his hand and kissed it gently.
“I’m really gonna miss you, Danny,” she whispered.
Not saying a word, Daniel began to serve her an Italian-themed meal that she soon discovered tasted better than it smelled, an amazing accomplishment in her book. The night progressed from the candlelit dinner to a hot bubble bath, and, finally, a full-body massage with warm, scented oils and heated rocks. By the time they were both lying in Daniel’s bed, Ayana was expecting Daniel to make love to her, but he had something else in mind for her.
While lying naked on her back, still relishing in the amazing massage she’d just received, Daniel began to move up her well-oiled and relaxed body with his lips and tongue. Gently kissing and licking her body, he caused the nerves on her warm skin to react. She squirmed and smiled as he moved up to her neck. Licking along the large vein on her neck, Daniel reached out and began to run his hands up her outstretched arms. Once he had her hands in his, he held them firmly against the headboard while kissing her passionately on her lips.
She was so entranced by his passionate kisses that she didn’t notice him slowly moving off the bed, still holding her hands against the headboard. When she felt the soft, smooth silk scarf being tied around her left wrist, her eyes sprang open, examining Daniel’s eyes, searching for the reason why he was tying her to his headboard. She wanted to protest, but Daniel placed his index finger on her lips, smiling seductively, not saying a word. Seeing the look of love and sexual desire in his eyes, Ayana relaxed as she watched him move over to the other side of the bed, securing another red and black silk scarf around her right wrist.
Gently taking hold of both her ankles, Daniel spread her legs apart until they formed a perfect triangle, made of the most exquisite dark chocolate the doctor had ever tasted in his life. Ayana lifted her head as she watched Daniel tie another pair of red and black silk scarfs around her ankles, securing her to the bottom posts of his king-size bed. Her body was screaming out from the fear of the unknown and anticipation of what Doctor Feel Great had in store for her. Daniel then reached for the remote control that controlled the music system, and the song “There You Go” by the soul singer Johnny Gill began playing throughout the bedroom.
Never taking her eyes off of Daniel, Ayana watched him reach for a tall, red bottle that appeared to be some kind of erotic lotion. Walking over to the side of the bed, he placed a small amount of the lotion in his hands, rubbing them together slowly. He then began blowing into his hands for a few seconds, before massaging the sweet-smelling lotion on her breasts and nipples, then moving down to her excited center and massaging the remaining lotion on her clitoris.
Ayana’s body immediately reacted to the warming sensation of the lotion, and she moaned in pleasure as she felt her nipples and clitoris swell. Reaching in the drawer on his nightstand, Daniel pulled out a large black feather, about thirteen inches long and four inches wide.
“Baby, what are you going to do with that?” Ayana asked, breathing heavily, feeling the erotic effects of the steadily warming lotion.
“Shhh,” he responded while looking over the feather with a mischievous grin on his face. Daniel then placed the feather on her breast and began moving it in a circular motion around her hard and aroused nipples, allowing the fine intricacies of the feather to titillate the sensitive nerves on her breasts. Ayana lifted her back off the bed as the sensation vibrated through her chest and back.
“Danny!” she moaned while trying to pull free from her restraints.
As if in tune with the music, Daniel slowly traced the feather down to her belly button, around her hips, and then her inner thighs. Ayana knew what was coming next, but Daniel made sure he teased her, moving the feather closer to her center and then moving it away. He continued to use the soft sides of the feather to excite her, driving her out of her mind as her eyes rolled in the back of her head. The heating lotion intensified each touch of the feather. Then she felt it—the feather slowly running along her excited pearl, and she moaned loudly, pulling down with her arms, attempting to free herself.
Daniel smiled as he watched her go insane, continuing to slide the feather over her clitoris. His motions were slow and attentive, allowing her to feel each and every strand of the black feather running across her now-overexcited clitoris. The sensation caused every nerve in her body to erupt in intense pleasure. Her restraints kept her in place, preventing her from stopping Daniel from doing anything he wanted. Breathing heavily and squealing, Ayana closed her eyes, beads of sweat forming on her forehead and chest as her body gave in to every stroke of the feather.
Each time Daniel would notice Ayana reaching her point of climax, he would quickly run the feather up her clitoris and stop. Then when the eruption would subside, he would begin his gentle assault on her pearl of pleasure again. He played this game with her until she began growling and jerking violently on the bed, the intense desire to come driving her insane. Daniel smiled, deciding it was time, and he used the feather to play the ultimate symphony . . . and her body erupted in a round of applause that nearly caused her to break free from her silk restraints.
Ayana began to bounce and twist as her body pushed out every desired orgasmic note it wanted to play.
“Oh my God!” Ayana screamed as Daniel watched with great satisfaction.
After freeing Ayana and allowing her body to calm down, the two lovers held each other with only the sound of Ayana’s labored breathing echoing through the room. Feeling the urgency of her departure the next day, Daniel decided to open up about his time in Sudan and the events leading up to his near-death experience.
“Before the village massacre, I’d been to Sudan once before.”
“Really? I had no idea.”
“Yeah, the first time I went was with a large group of doctors and a couple of celebritie
s. I’d just graduated and was doing my internship in Boston. It was scary at first, but soon, I really got into what we were doing there. Then something amazing happened . . .”
Daniel paused. Ayana could feel the muscles on his chest tense up as he turned his head away. Feeling that the conversation was going into very sensitive territory, she began to rub his bare chest and gently kiss him on his neck.
“It’s okay, baby. It’s just you and me here. Continue.”
Clearing his throat, he continued, “There was a baby that was abandoned in the bush and was bounced around from village to village. The people were very guarded about the parents of the baby, and no matter whom we talked to, no one wanted to go into details about this baby. Anyway, the baby was in horrible shape, starving, sick with malaria, and a slew of other diseases. I nursed the baby back to health. It took months, and I found myself staying longer than anticipated. Once the baby was well, I began to search for her parents, but as before, I found nothing. No one, and I mean no one, would take the baby in—not even the Catholic missionary school in the area.
“During that time, I found myself bonding with the baby, and so, I decided to adopt her. Usually, the process takes months or years, but it seemed like everyone was trying to get rid of the baby, and I obtained adoption rights within weeks. She was so beautiful, and I named her Victoria because she always carried herself like a queen. I got her papers taken care of and brought her back home with me. Because I was still an intern, she moved in with my parents while I was in Boston. Since my father is a pastor, I was certain she would have a great upbringing. Then things in Sudan started getting bad, and I decided to return to help the refugees and victims of the massacres there.
“I was there for so long, and I missed my baby, so I decided to send for her to be there with me during my last month. My parents and the people in Sudan warned me not to bring her . . . but . . . I wouldn’t listen . . . I was too arrogant, and I thought being an American would protect us both. But, I was wrong . . . I was so wrong . . . my God . . . Victoria . . . I miss her so much! They murdered her in cold blood in that village that day. Raped and shot her down like a dog! And I couldn’t do anything to stop them. They made me watch as they raped her repeatedly. Kronte . . . was the ringleader. He was the first to rape her, and the first one to shoot her. I should’ve listened . . . She would still be alive if I would’ve just listened.”
Daniel began wailing as the pain of his guilt ran down his face. Ayana reached over to hold him, but he pulled away, leaped out of bed, and ran over to the window. Ayana, terrified of what he might do, jumped out of bed after him, grabbing him from behind and wrapping her arms around him. During their sessions, she knew Victoria was a crucial part of the doctor’s pain, but she had no idea it was this bad. She wasn’t expecting it to be this horrific and devastating. While she held him in her arms, she wept along with him, feeling completely connected with his pain. There was something important she needed to talk to him about concerning her past, but after hearing his confession, she knew this wasn’t the right time. Actually, she didn’t know when that time would ever present itself. It was too bad to put in words.
“Baby, I’m sorry. I’m so very sorry.”
The two lovers remained at the window, holding each other, watching as the snowstorm continued to bombard the city below . . .
Chapter 16
Getting It Out in the Open
The next morning after having its fun with the city, the blizzard passed on, and the two lovers headed to the airport. Daniel stood at the security checkpoint entrance watching Ayana walk down the corridor toward her terminal until she disappeared around the corner. Sighing heavily, he pulled his leather driving gloves out of his black pea coat and turned to walk out toward the visitor’s parking lot. The frigid winds smacked him in the face with a burn that immediately caused him to swear aloud, startling a few people within hearing distance. He quickly lifted the collar on his coat and put on his gloves.
Daniel slowly stepped onto the icy walkway, gritting his teeth with each step, praying that his balance wouldn’t betray him. As the frigid air blew across his face, he regretted not bringing a hat along, as his ears immediately began to feel the bite of the below zero wind chill.
The airport was overcrowded with stranded passengers from the day before, so the drop-off lanes for departures were jam-packed with cars and traffic attendants bellowing orders for parked cars to move along or be ticketed. Daniel quickened his pace as he neared the crosswalk leading to the parking lot, but right before he stepped onto the street, a huge blacked-out SUV pulled directly in front of him. The SUV almost knocked the doctor back onto the sidewalk, and he swore loudly, kicking the side of the vehicle. The door of the SUV immediately flung open, and Satu’s smiling face appeared. Startled, the doctor took two steps back, trying his best to increase the distance between himself and the large, smiling man in the SUV.
“Doctor Bennett, please don’t make this more difficult than it has to be,” Satu said, still smiling while holding a gun with a silencer on the nozzle. “Get in the truck now! I promise you that I will not harm you if you don’t give me a reason. I’m here as a concerned friend and citizen of Sudan. I feel you haven’t received all the facts concerning the case against my general, Kronte.”
Daniel looked around to see if anyone was watching this exchange, but everyone seemed to be preoccupied with the chaos unfolding around them at the airport. Swallowing deeply, the doctor decided he had no other choice but to get inside the vehicle. As he moved toward the door, another large man opened the front passenger door and climbed out, waiting for the doctor to get into the vehicle, and then climbed in after him, sitting in the seat beside him.
Satu tapped the ceiling of the SUV, and it sped off toward an unknown destination with the doctor inside. Satu smiled at the doctor while never taking his eyes off him. Once he was sure they were out of the airport, he began to speak . . .
Three hours later, a black SUV pulled up in front of Doctor Daniel Bennett’s building. It sat there for about five minutes, and then the back passenger door opened, and Daniel stepped out. His eyes were crimson red, and he seemed burdened and subdued. He didn’t even look back as the door closed on the vehicle, and it sped off into rush-hour traffic. Daniel looked up at the top of the building and shook his head. He began moving toward the front entrance but decided against it. He turned to the east and started walking as if in a trance. The doorman, sensing something was wrong, called out to him, but the doctor seemed oblivious. Still concerned, the doorman walked out onto the sidewalk and called out to the doctor again, but Daniel kept walking without acknowledging him. The doorman watched in horror as the doctor walked right out into oncoming traffic, almost getting run down twice, and even with multiple blaring horns and swearing drivers, he never lifted his head or acknowledged anyone. He just continued to walk on the crowded sidewalk like his mind and his body were on autopilot . . .
Manhattan, New York. Three days later . . .
Ayana sat alone in her downtown Manhattan office, staring off into nothingness. Her eyes were glossy, and her body motionless as she just stared at her office door in a trancelike state. It appeared she had a tornado of things twisting inside her head, but actually, there was relative calm where chaos used to reign. The only thought she had was Daniel and how much she loved and cared for him. She’d only been back in New York for a few days, and she was already going through withdrawals. The first night was the hardest, trying to sleep in her own bed again. Although her bed was equipped with the latest in Tempur-Pedic technology, the bed felt like she was lying on bricks and gravel. Only the doctor’s warm, naked body and rhythmic breathing could cure her insomnia.
Suddenly, the phone on her desk began ringing, snapping her out of her daydream. She looked at the display on the phone and smiled brightly as she recognized the number that scrolled across the screen.
My baby!
She quickly answered, unable to stop smiling.
; “Hello, hey, baby, I missed you so—”
“I’m in New York. I’m staying at the Waldorf. Meet me at eight o’clock tonight at the Bull and Bear. I’ll see you then.” As quickly as she picked up the phone, Daniel ended the call, leaving Ayana sitting at her desk, completely confused and beside herself. Every nerve in her body went into panic as she felt something terrible had happened, and this dinner date wasn’t going to be pleasant at all. She slowly replaced the phone on its base and began rubbing her thighs frantically. Something had changed in Daniel, and she was terrified about what could’ve triggered that change. Suddenly, things began to take shape in her mind. Meagan called her back to New York because the UN Security Council had discovered that Kronte had several of his soldiers on US soil intimidating potential witnesses, including Dr. Bennett. When Meagan discovered that Satu, Kronte’s second-in-command, had been following the doctor, she placed security details on both Ayana and the doctor. So, Meagan knew all about their extracurricular activities.
She scolded Ayana, but she seemed to understand their attraction for each other. She called them “two damaged souls” drawn to each other. However, she warned Ayana that things wouldn’t end well between them once the doctor learned about her past, and now, somehow, she feared that time was upon them.
