by Kiru Taye
He really wasn’t in the mood to argue with her tonight. He’d paid the first instalment of five hundred thousand naira each into their personal accounts via online banking tonight. The next instalment was due in three months, assuming neither of the girls backed out before then. They’d accepted his money. It was time to play ball.
Anuli seemed taken aback by his no nonsense tone and handed him the glass. He waited for her to sit down thinking she would disobey. She didn’t and lowered herself onto the leather couch with a huff.
He lifted the cool glass to Tessa’s lips. “Drink.”
She did so obediently. At least he didn’t have too much to worry about with Tessa. She could be meek sometimes. The problem was with Anuli.
When she emptied the tumbler, he leaned across and returned it to the table. He returned his left hand to Tessa’s thigh, caressing it lightly with his thumb.
“I was saying to Tessa that for the next three hundred and sixty five days the two of you are my responsibility. I take my responsibilities seriously. As such I work with rules. You keep to my rules, you get rewarded. You disobey them, you get punished.”
Tessa stiffened in his arms and turned her head. “Punished?”
“Yes,” he replied emphatically.
“What kind of punishment?” Anuli asked.
“It can be whatever I think is suitable for the offence. But I promise you it is best to avoid them.”
“So what are the rules?” she asked.
“The first one is about health. As was stated in the contract, you’ll both undergo physical screening and tests. Tomorrow morning I’m taking both of you to the clinic so we can all get tested for HIV and other STDs. It’ll give each one of us peace of mind. Next week, I’ll arrange for you to be examined by a doctor to make sure there are no other health matters that need investigation.”
Tessa nodded and Anuli didn’t say anything although she avoided looking at him. “What else?”
“The next thing is your appearances. While I understand that you needed to dress the way you did to attract attention, this isn’t necessary anymore. You have my attention. So from now on, you both need to tone down how you dress. I prefer the understated classy look.”
“Does that mean we’re going on a shopping spree?” Tessa asked with amusement.
“Yes, after the visit to the clinic I think you girls will need the retail therapy.” He stroked Tessa’s hair.
“That’s great. I have no problem with that,” Anuli said.
“Good. The other thing is the hair. You’ll need to get rid of the weaves and wigs. I want you girls to be as natural as possible. And that includes the fake nails too.”
“What? No.” Tessa twisted, her eyes widened.
“Yes.” He gripped her nape, holding her still. “I don’t want you hiding behind all the hair and nail extensions, all the loud make-up and clothes. I want to see the real you, Tessa. Same goes for you Anuli.”
Tessa shoved at him and he let her go. She stood up and hurried across the suite into the bedroom. He heard the door to the bathroom slam shut.
He looked over at Anuli. She glared daggers at him.
“What the fuck are you doing?” Anuli said, her voice raised as she stood, hands akimbo. “Why would you tell her you want to see the real her? What are you going to do when you see the real her? Do you even know what you’re asking for?”
Peter’s gaze on Anuli didn’t waver and he didn’t lose his temper at her raised voice or rude tone. He’d been expecting this kind of response from her at some point. It was interesting to witness it so early. Even more interesting that Tessa had gotten upset because he’d wanted to find out about the real her.
“Anuli, I know what I’m asking and I think it’s only fair. What you see of me is the real me. I don’t hide anything about myself. So I see no reason why either of you should be hidden behind masks. We’re going to be spending a lot of time together. The better we know each other, the easier it will be on all of us.”
She opened her mouth as if to dispute and closed it. She closed her eyes, tipped her head back and puffed out air before lifting her eyelids.
“Listen, I understand what you’re saying. But you need to let go of this thing you’re planning. Tessa is never going to trust you. She’s never going to be the kind of woman you think you want. This is not Pretty Woman. This is the real world. There isn’t going to be a happy ever after for the two of you. Don’t pretend like there’s going to be. I won’t let you mess her up.”
It suddenly hit Peter then. This protectiveness Anuli had for Tessa. It wasn’t just the protectiveness of a friend or sister. It was more. It was possessiveness, as if Tessa belonged to her. He recognised it because it was the same way he felt about Tessa.
This led him to one conclusion.
“You and Tessa. You’re not just friends. You’re lovers. You’re in love with her.” His body chilled as he spoke the words and they settled like heavy weights on his shoulders.
She didn’t say anything for several seconds that seemed like minutes. But her gaze didn’t waver and her expression was rigid. Eventually she said, “Yes. We’re lovers. But it’s not what you think. Yes, I love her and I will protect her with my blood. Even if it means shedding someone else’s blood.”
In his life no one had ever issued a threat directly to him to his face. But Peter knew a threat when he heard one. Anuli was being loud and clear.
His response was two-fold. Utter admiration for this woman who would stand up to him and intense jealousy for the relationship the two of them shared.
He understood the protectiveness. He’d felt it a long time ago for another woman. And yet he knew he felt it on another level for Tessa.
Despite Anuli’s threat he wasn’t put off. He was even more determined. He stood up. He wasn’t about to have anyone railroad him from his plans.
“You and Tessa are adults and you know very well this deal is just an arrangement. I haven’t made any promises that I don’t intend to keep. So back off.”
He turned to walk to the bathroom but swivelled to face Anuli. “And another thing. You don’t have permission to make love to Tessa again. If you touch her without my permission, be prepared to face the consequences. I promise you won’t like them.”
“You wouldn’t dare.” She eyeballed him.
“Well, dare me and find out, if you’re brave enough.”
He didn’t wait for her response and headed to the bathroom to find Tessa.
Chapter Twelve
Tessa sat on the cover of the WC bowl, her head on her hands, elbows to knees. The back of her throats hurt and tears built up at the behind her eyeballs. She had to squeeze her eyes tight so as not to spill them.
What had she gotten herself into? What was wrong with her?
She should be angry with Peter for making the demands he was doing. And yet a part of her couldn’t build up any anger at him.
She’d stormed out of the living room and taken refuge in the bathroom purely because she’d been afraid.
Afraid of what he was asking of her. Afraid of what he would find out about her. Afraid that if she allowed him to get a peek into her real life that he’d be disgusted with what he found out about her.
She didn’t know why she had this irrational fear but she did. He’d been the one man she’d met in almost forever who’d treated her with any kind of dignity. Who didn’t just want to use her?
And she was afraid of ruining it. Afraid that his reactions to her would change if he found out who she truly was.
It was best he knew her as she was. Tessa, the call girl.
Life would go on as normal. Him having no expectations or her and her having no expectations of him.
But it seemed that line may have already been crossed. Because Peter had expectations and so did she.
She liked—enjoyed—the way he treated her. She wanted to bask in his presence, to soak up his aura, to writhe beneath his touch.
What was she going to do
?
Now that she was here, she didn’t want to walk away. Not just because she’d accepted his money and would have to pay it back. But because she genuinely wanted to be here with Peter. And Anuli, of course.
A knock on the bathroom door made her stiffen. She lifted her head. Perhaps Anuli had come to find out if she was okay.
She cleared her throat and asked, “Who is it?”
“It’s Peter. I’d like to come in. Is that okay?” His gentle deep voice sounded muffled through the door.
A small smile curled her lips. This was the thing she couldn’t understand about this man. Sometimes he came across as hardnosed. And yet at other times he showed such consideration.
After all, he now owned her. This was his suite. He didn’t need her permission to go where ever he wanted in this space. Yet he was asking her. The door wasn’t even locked.
How could she hide herself from him physically or emotionally? He was tearing down her walls with very little effort.
She stood up and walked to the mirror, taking a wad of tissue to clean up her face.
“Yes, you can come in.”
The door handle twisted and the slab swung inward. Peter stepped in and closed the door behind him.
Her stomach flipped over and her heart thumped hard in her chest. She kept her head straight, staring into the mirror. Still, she couldn’t resist taking a peek at him with the corners of her eyes as she continued dabbing under them.
He stepped close, standing behind, close enough for her to feel his body heat but with no physical contact. He stared at her reflection, meeting her gaze.
Her hands trembled and she closed her eyes, afraid he would see how much she wanted his proximity. How much she wanted him to hold her right now.
Where did that come from? She’d never wanted this kind of contact with a man. Yet she yearned for him so much, she physically ached right now.
“I upset you. I didn’t mean to.”
Her eyes flew open and she gawped at him.
“You’re apologising?” When had any man ever done that for her?
“Yes.” He swept the hair off her shoulder and settled his cool hand on her nape, sending shivers down her spine. “I don’t want to hurt you, Countess. That’s not what this is about.”
Hang on. Did he just call her countess? As in a member of nobility. Her? No. She must have heard him wrong. He must have said Tess and she misheard him. Her imagination was certainly running away with her.
“This whole set up is meant to be fun for everyone,” he continued speaking as he caressed the skin of her neck making it sensitive. She barely suppressed a whimper. “But I’m afraid I’m not very good at light and flirty. I don’t do things by halves. It’s all in or all out for me.”
“Don’t I just know that?” She laughed. He was the most intense guy she’d ever met. From the moment she’d met him, he’d been profound, passionate and powerful. She couldn’t even imagine him any other way.
He smiled, his face lighting up and making warmth spread through her. She liked seeing him smile.
“I hope you’ll bear with me. I’m not trying to make life difficult for you or Anuli. I just can’t get involved with people I don’t know very well. It’s the same thing with me in my business dealings. It’s the reason I own businesses with my best friends. I trust them with life so I know I can trust them with my investments. Do you understand, Tessa?”
See, he didn’t call her countess. She mentally shook her head.
“Yes, Peter. I think I understand. You want to get to know me and Anuli better. It makes sense. And anyway, since we won’t be working—” she chose her words carefully “—with other people for the next year, it makes sense not to wear our work clothes or look like pros. I get it.”
“Good.” Smiling, he tugged her shoulder so she had to turn around to face him.
Her heart thudded hard. It was one thing to stare at him in the mirror. Now that she was facing him and he stood so close, the lust was even more pronounced.
She swallowed the hard lump in her throat. “Can I ask for something, please?”
He tilted his head to the side, his hands on her shoulders as if he didn’t want to let her go. “Sure.”
“I will answer questions about me and my life here in Port Harcourt. But please don’t ask me about my life before I came to live in this city. That life is dead and buried. I don’t talk about it. I don’t want to resurrect it.”
He stared at her for moments on end. She thought he would reject her request because it was taking him such a long time to respond.
“Tessa, believe me I understand about painful pasts,” he said finally, making her puff out the breath she was holding. “I understand wanting to bottle it all in, to block out the pain and not think about it. Believe me I understand.”
A shadow passed over his eyes and he looked tormented. She recognised that look. Something bad happened to him too. Her heart clenched for him. She didn’t know when she reached across and pulled his body to hers, wrapping her arms around him to offer him comfort silently.
“So if you don’t want to talk about whatever it was that happened, I won’t insist. But you should know that you can tell me anything in confidence. I won’t judge or criticise.” He pressed his lips to her forehead and held her tight.
She wanted to believe that he wouldn’t judge her. That he wouldn’t take offense to what had happened in her past. But she couldn’t trust him like that. He was still a human and humans were fallible. She couldn’t bear to see disgust or disapproval on his face when he found out.
No, it was best like this. The past would stay hidden as far as she was concerned.
She sucked in a deep breath taking in his scent into her lungs—musk and man. So arousing and so comforting at the same time. She could get used to this. She didn’t believe that she had a whole year of this man in her life.
A man who actually seemed to care about her at least on some level.
“Will you do something for me?” he asked in a low voice that drew her out of her musings and focused her attention back on him.
She leaned back and looked up at his face. His expression was still intense and her breath caught as her skin flushed. “Okay. What is it?”
“I’d like to wash your body in the bath. I want to clean away the scents and tastes and touches of other people on your body. It’s symbolic more than anything else. I want to make you pure for me. Will you let me do that?”
“Okay...yes.” She didn’t know what else to say. She was too flabbergasted. Too speechless. He was asking to bath her. He didn’t have to ask. He could command and she’d do it. It was what she’d signed up for. But him asking made her choke up. And him wanting to wash away her pasts made tears build up behind her eyeballs again.
She lowered her gaze. He couldn’t physically wash away her past. But she appreciated that he wanted to do so mentally. Psychologically.
“Good.” He pressed his lips on her forehead again before turning around. “You can get undressed while I run the bath.”
Watching him lean over the bath, she curled the long tress of hair into a tight bun at the top of her head and held it in place with a head band. Peter plugged the hole. She took her dangling earrings off and placed them on the counter. He reached for the bottle of bath cream by the side of the bath before he turned the faucet on. The sound of running water filled the space as she pulled the hem of her black dress up and over her head.
With dress in hand she looked up to find Peter staring at her with open desire in his eyes. She had doubted that he was attracted to her since they hadn’t had intercourse last Friday.
There was no doubt in the way he looked at her now. He wanted to devour her.
It made her surprisingly nervous. Her hands shook as she clutched the dress to her midriff. Why was she nervous? She got naked in front of men all the time.
Truth was, she wanted Peter’s approval. Wanted him to want her. To not dismiss her. To give into the lust between t
hem. Please. Wetness dripped down her thigh from wanting him. If he didn’t do something she would go nuts.
“Give me the dress. I’ll get it to the laundry service while you’re in the bath.”
“Okay.” She swallowed and handed it over, bringing her hands back to her midriff.
“Go on. Take the rest off. Unless you want to go in with those stilettos.” His grin was boyish and mischievous.
She smiled in return. “No way. I’m not ruining perfectly good shoes. They cost me a fortune.”
Reaching down, she tugged off the high heels before unhooking her bra, setting her heavy breasts free. Her nipples stood erect showing off her arousal.
He let out a low whistle as his gaze roamed her body, heating her flesh in a trail. “You’re beautiful, Tessa,” his voice was thick and guttural. “Get into the bath before I forget my resolve and fuck you here and now.”
He stood up and headed for the door. When the door shut behind him, she let out a sigh as she stepped into the warm water covered in bubbles and smelling of coconuts. She lowered her body and leaned back at the end of the curved bath. She let out another sigh as her body relaxed to the warmth and scent and feel of water on her skin. She’d never had a bath like this. This was another first courtesy of Peter.
She heard the door open. She lifted her eyelids and saw him re-enter the bathroom. He had rolled his sleeves up past to the elbows. Her heart was back to thumping hard as her breath quickened.
Smiling, he walked over and sat at the edge of the tub. “How are you feeling?”
“Great. I’ve never had this kind of bath before. It’s relaxing. I feel as if I could fall asleep in here.”
“I’m glad I was able to give you this first too. But don’t fall asleep yet.” He picked up a sponge and started rubbing it against her skin, using the bubbles and water. He started with her shoulders and worked his way down to her chest, over and around her breasts down to her stomach. Then he rubbed her left thigh and lower leg down to her toes and back up the right leg to her hip. He reached up and washed her face gently.
“Lean forward,” he said.
