by Imari Jade
“You can’t continue to hide from him,” Layla told her as she busied herself getting Charisma’s clothes ready.
“Oh, yes I can. This is a big palace.”
“I’m sure he’s not still angry at you. Shakir is a very forgiving person.”
“I just can’t face him. You should have heard the things he said to me.”
Layla cleared her throat. “I hate to be the bearer of bad news but everyone in the ballroom near the garden door heard the two of you arguing.”
Charisma blushed with embarrassment. “No.”
Layla nodded. “It was pretty intense. I’ve never heard Shakir so angry.”
“Oh my god, I’ll never be able to face his parents again.”
Layla laughed. “Don’t worry about them. I have it from a good source that they’re rooting for you.”
“The things we said. I don’t think I can fix this.”
Layla sat down. “Listen, it’s none of my business but Mr. Edwards is dead. You have to go on with your life.”
“Robert had nothing to do with this. I am not, nor have never been, in love with him. I went back home to graduate from college and to attend a memorial service for him. I did a lot of thinking while I was away…looking back at what Robert and I had and then I realized that we didn’t have much. We were never sexually active and all I was to him was a convenient date.”
“So you had to go all the way back home to find that out?”
“No, deep in my heart I already knew this, but I did owe it to his memory to say goodbye. I don’t think Shakir understands this. He thinks I’m mourning over Robert.”
“The man did propose to you.”
“And I didn’t accept. If I really wanted to marry Robert I would have told him so as soon as he proposed. He gave me too weeks, and I planned to use it to find a way to turn him down gently.”
“So why didn’t you tell Shakir all of this?”
“He didn’t give me a chance to. You know how he is. He jumped to conclusions.”
“Well at least he loves you enough to get angry. Amon has been hiding from me. I know he loves me but I think he was getting cold feet about our relationship.”
“What did he do?”
“It was nothing that he did. It was me. I refused to sleep with him until he made me a commitment.”
“What sort of commitment?”
“It was more of a promise that he would see only me. I’m not the kind to put up with a man chasing behind other women.”
“You go girl. So did it work?”
“Oh yes. I made sure of that last night. I intentionally accepted dances from all those other men to get him to see that other men are aware that I exist. Amon and I had a long talk last night and he has sworn to me that I am the only woman for him and that he plans to grow old with me.”
Charisma laughed. “Is that supposed to be a proposal?”
“Not exactly but at least I know where he stands. Amon is really quite shy when it comes to romance but I’m working on him.”
“Good for you.” She sighed. “Shakir, I’m afraid, is not so shy. He says what comes to his mind and he doesn’t hold back. Sometimes his honesty scares me.”
“Shakir loves you.”
“I know that, and I love him too, but his ass is so arrogant.”
It was Layla’s turn to laugh. “That’s Shakir. I don’t think that one is ever going to change.”
* * * *
Layla was right. There was no way she could hide from him. He was waiting for her to come down.
“I have given our little problem a lot of thought,” he began without even saying good morning. “And I have come up with a solution.”
“You have?” Charisma said as she sat down in the foyer. He was dressed in African garb instead of a suit and he was looking quite princely.
“Yes. I have come up with a test to prove that you are not still in love with Mr. Edwards.”
“What sort of test?”
“I won’t give you all the details just yet, but I will let you know tomorrow when we travel back home.”
“You’re going back to with us tomorrow?”
“Yes, I have to get back to the hotel to straighten out a few things, and since your folks plan on leaving tomorrow, I’ve decided to accompany you back.”
“Have you discussed this with my folks?”
“Yes. We had a long talk after you went up to your room last night. Your uncle, I’ve discovered, does not have a sense of humor when it comes to you.”
Charisma smirked.
Shakir cleared his throat. “But we have come to an understanding. I have asked him permission to court you and he has granted it.”
She felt like a side of beef. “Did either of you think to ask me how I felt about this?”
“No, we have both decided that you do not get a say so. You get into too much trouble when left to your own devices. See you tomorrow.” With that he walked out of the foyer and just left her sitting there.
“What are you going to do with him?” Layla asked as she came down the stairs.
Charisma shrugged her shoulders. “I have no idea, but I’m looking forward to tomorrow to see what he has up his sleeve.”
Chapter Eleven
“Are you afraid?” Shakir asked Charisma. They had made it back to the ambassador’s mansion and were outside the gates.
“No, but you know what happens to me when I ride a camel.”
Shakir smiled wickedly. “And it will give me sheer pleasure to know how wet you’re going to be at the end of the journey.”
Charisma blushed hotly under the collar. “You’re evil.” She should have suspected that he was not going to play fair with his test.
“Not evil, just desperate to get you flat on your back again.”
”Well, it’s not going to happen. I’ll show you. I’ll ride that camel and nothing is going to happen.”
”Want to make a little wager on it?”
He was so arrogant. “Okay, what’s the wager?”
“I bet you that you can’t hold on long enough to get to the Soniat hotel in town without having an orgasm.”
“What is the prize if I do?”
“Me and one hot night you’ll never forget.”
“What’s the prize if I lose?”
“I’ll walk away and not bother you again. You’ll be free to go on about your life without me.”
“How do you know I won’t lie?”
“You’ll have to bring your panties to me as soon as we arrive at the hotel.”
“How am I going to do that? The place will be teeming with guests.”
“You’re a smart woman. You’ll think of something.”
Charisma thought about it. She agreed. “You’ve got yourself a deal, old arrogant sheik of the desert. I’ll get to the hotel with dry panties.”
“Not so fast. I’m not going to fall for you bringing me panties that are in your pocket. I’m talking about I want to remove them from your body.”
“You think I might cheat.”
“Yes,” he smiled.
“You’re pretty sure of yourself.”
He bent over and whispered something into her ear.
“Ooh, you’re trying to torture me.”
Shakir laughed and left her in the gardens.
Charisma got on the camel. It was much easier than the last time, and she didn’t have Shakir in front of her. He was next to her on another camel, the evil one. Amon and Layla were also present on camels. “I’m going to break my damn neck,” she swore as they took off for the hotel.
“Why are you smiling?” Amon asked Shakir after they had been riding about an hour.
Shakir told him about his wager with Charisma.
Amon looked back at her. “She looks like she can jump the first man who stands before her naked.”
“And I plan to be that man.”“What happens if her panties are dry?”
“Then I’m going to be one deeply depressed prince.”
They made it back to the hotel. Shakir had booked their rooms ahead of time, and gave instructions to make sure that his room and Charisma’s room was on a different floor than everyone else and that their rooms were conjoined. He also instructed the people at the desk not to give out his room number to anyone but Charisma. There was a knock at his door a few minutes later. Charisma stood there looking flushed. He pulled her inside and locked the door. He slid the pants down from her hips and helped her out of them. He used a finger to touch the crotch. “They’re soaking wet.” He slid them off of her.
“I almost made it,” she said. “But then the camel went over a big salt dune, and you know.”
”Yes, I do know.” He brought them up to his nose. “You smell delightful.” He led her to the bathroom, removed the rest of her clothes, and put her in a waiting tub of bubbles. Shakir stripped away his clothes and joined her. He washed her hair and every part of her body, and then toweled her off and carried her into the bedroom. Afterwards, there was food and champagne for them to celebrate his victory.
“How did you do all of this? And when did the food arrive?” she asked as he wrapped her in a soft robe.
“I’m a prince.”
He fed her, wiped her chin and was a perfect gentleman. Shakir put her in the bed and began to dress.
“Where are you going?”
“To sleep in the other room.”
”Why? I thought we were going to...You won the bet.”
“I don’t want you to come to me because I won a bet. I want you to come to me because you want to.” He turned.
“Wait, please, don’t go. I want you because I desire you.”
”Desire me or love me?”
“Both,” she admitted.”
He hastily removed his clothes and then presented her with a small black box.
“What is this?”
“A graduation present.”
“But you already gave me a graduation present.”
“Is there some limit on how many presents a person can give?”
“No.” Charisma opened the box and gasped. “It’s a perfect, pear-shaped sapphire.” The sapphire sat between a cloister of diamond and it was set in a sterling silver ring.
He pulled her into his arms. “Charisma Romaine, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?”
Charisma wrapped her arms around him still admiring the ring. “Oh yeah.”
Shakir chuckled. “What about your life back in the United States?”
“I can still have a life here in Africa. Maybe the two of us can fly back to the United States for a visit if I get homesick.”
“I haven’t been to the United States since my own graduation.”
“It’s changed.”
“I can’t wait to see it with you.” He pressed her down on the mattress and parted her thighs. She was already wet and ready for him.”
“Now give me what you promised me before we left Nubia.”
“You remembered?”
She nodded.
“Gladly.” Shakir opened her up and drove every inch of him up to her G-spot.
Charisma screamed from pleasure as he rode her roughly. She scratched his back as the orgasm moved through her body. He shook and came right along with her. “Our children will be beautiful Nubian babies,” he boasted as he gathered her up in his arms.
“You can see that far in the distant future.”
“Maybe not too distant. We haven't been practicing safe sex. Can you handle that?”
She nodded. “I want lots of babies. Can you handle that?”
He moved her hand down between his legs. He was already starting to harden again. “What do you think?”
The End
