by Keys, Sherie
After arranging everything and putting it all back in its proper place, Jacob and Almasi got undressed and headed to the master bathroom. They didn’t need any words as they stepped into the shower and turned on the hot water, kissing so much that they forgot about washing completely for a long few minutes.
When they finally did get around to it, they still couldn’t manage to get their hands off each other, instead lathering the soap on each other’s bodies and sighing in delight at the feeling of their hands touching each other’s skin.
Jacob gently massaged Almasi’s breasts with the lavender soap she had brought back from the other room, and she moaned, enjoying the touch of her husband’s gentle hands on her sensitive breasts. For his part, Jacob felt his arousal growing with every sound that escaped Almasi’s lips, and he delighted in the slickness of her beautiful dark skin under the water.
Almasi noticed that Jacob had become hard, and she brought her own hand down from his chest to his abs, teasing lower and lower as she went. Jacob moaned out loud, and she laughed a little, kissing his mouth and feeling the resonance of his moans get stronger and stronger as she worked her hand along his shaft from base to tip. They kissed hard as she stroked him, the tip of her thumb circling the head of his erection in a rhythmic motion that went faster and faster.
Eventually, just as his breathing had become labored, she stopped, and broke their kiss. Seeing the confusion in his eyes, Almasi smiled gently. “I want to finish this in bed,” she said. He smiled back and nodded, and so they rinsed off, kissing some more, and stepped out of the shower, shutting off the water and grabbing towels so they could dry themselves off as they made their way to the bedroom.
Jacob laid on his back on the bed as Almasi climbed gently over him. She reached down to stroke herself first, preparing to slide onto him. Seeing what she was doing, Jacob moved a hand up to touch her, gently sliding a finger inside her. She moaned quietly, and when she was ready, she took his hand in her own and gently positioned herself to move slowly onto his thick erection.
The pace was agonizingly slow for him at first, as he wanted more, more, more. Almasi could tell, and her grin was a little wicked as she languorously took her time, rocking her hips oh so slowly, as she moved herself up and down. She rested her palm on his chest, idly drawing swirly little patterns over his skin with the tip of one of her fingers. That motion itself felt so erotic to Jacob, so intimate, and it was not long before he was begging, pleading for her to go faster.
Almasi smiled. “Why didn’t you ask earlier?” she said innocently, and then before he could make his reply, she began to ride him hard, moving up and down his shaft quickly and roughly as he gasped in pleasure. It was not long before he came, shaking and spasming beneath her. She smiled as he cried out her name. She had rarely felt so powerful in her life.
Jacob was enjoying Almasi’s newfound confidence in bed as well. He sighed, wide-eyed, smiling up at her deliriously. “That was… ” He had no words for the feeling it gave him, that overwhelming sense of wholeness and completion, the feeling of being so safe and full of ecstasy. So instead, he simply said, “I love you.”
From the look on Almasi’s face, it was the right thing to say. She kissed him softly on the mouth, and then moved off him to lay down next to him. “I love you, too,” she whispered. “God, I am so glad I get to say it.”
The couple laid there in bliss, hearts pounding, fingers intertwining. After a moment, Jacob spoke. “Now, my dear, it’s my turn to tease you and drive you wild."
Almasi smiled, playing coy. “Is that so?” she said. “What are you planning on doing to me?”
Jacob loved the way she could be so strong and dominant in one moment and then play innocent the next. He grinned. “What would you like?” he asked.
“Well, I love everything you do to please me,” she said, “but right now, I really would like to have your face close to mine.” She leaned in to kiss him on the mouth, biting down on his bottom lip just enough to elicit a quiet little moan.
Jacob pulled back for a moment. “So,” he said, keeping his voice as steady as he could, “would something like this work for you?” He reached a hand down, maneuvering his fingers over her core ever so gently.
Almasi leaned her head back in pleasure and sighed happily. “I think you’ve found the perfect solution to our problem here, Mr. Adamson,” she said.
“Well then, Mrs. Adamson,” said Jacob, smirking. “Shall we?”
In response, Almasi kissed the smirk off his face.
***
The next morning, the couple woke up happy and peaceful. They cuddled for a long, long while, but eventually the maid came in and reminded them that they had to get up. It was going to be time for Jacob to sign the contract to finalize the Kumi Diamond deal. As they sat in bed together and ate their breakfast. Almasi complained that she didn’t want to get up.
“I think you should, love,” said Jacob. “We have a brunch planned right after.”
Almasi crinkled her nose. “Have you seen me? I am already getting fat enough with this baby in me as it is, and I’m eating breakfast now, so I don’t need more food inside me this morning. Besides, I don’t want to have another one of those boring meals with Mr. Arko Kumi and Mr. Kofi Kumi. Mr. Arko Kumi never pays any attention to me, and Mr. Kofi Kumi… Well, I don’t want to further injure your business partner’s brother, so I think I ought to stay clear of him.”
Jacob laughed at that last bit. “Well, you need nutrition if you’re going to carry this baby. He or she needs lots of healthy food to grow, and we want him or her to be a genius nerd like his or her mother, right?” He laughed again and dodged as Almasi swung a pillow at him. “Anyway, this brunch is not with either of the Kumi brothers. It will be just me and you, and I’m having it served in the garden,” he added.
Almasi perked up a little at the mention of the garden. “Whereabouts in the garden?” she asked curiously. She knew the place like the back of her hand, and she loved the entirety of it, but she was interested to know where Jacob had chosen for them to eat.
“In the spot right next to the stargazer lilies,” said Jacob. “The cook is going to pack us a picnic lunch, and we can sit on the grass with a wicker picnic basket and a white and red checkered picnic blanket and everything.” He saw the dreamy way in which she was smiling. “Are you still so full of ennui at the idea of getting out of bed now?” he teased. “Or will you grace me with your presence after all?”
Almasi made a big show of rolling her eyes, and said “Fiiiine.” She was full of excitement, though. What did Jacob have planned for them in the garden during brunch?
After Beatrice the maid took away the tray, Jacob stood up to get dressed. Almasi lounged in bed for a little while longer, enjoying the view while her husband strutted around, picking out clothing, dodging into the bathroom to neaten up his hair, and then reappearing all pressed and sharp looking. Seeing Almasi watching him as she was, Jacob gave her a lewd wink. She laughed, and sat up, motioning for him to come kiss her. They shared a brief, passionate kiss, and she ran her fingers through his hair.
“Hey,” Jacob protested. “I just fixed my hair, and now you’re mussing it all up!”
Almasi raised her eyebrows suggestively. “It looks sexier like this, though,” she said in a sultry tone.
“Somehow I doubt that Mr. Arko Kumi will care about whether I look sexy or not,” said Jacob, smiling a little in spite of himself.
“Oh, I didn’t say you would look unsexy with your hair all neat,” said Almasi. “It is just sexier when you have it a little less rigid looking, but I take your point,” she added, fixing his hair with her fingers as she talked. She also giggled a little to herself, but decided that it would be a bit too immature to make a “take your point” dick joke about the sex they had had the previous night. “There,” she said. “Now you’re all spick and span for signing the diamond deal.”
Jacob smiled and leaned down to kiss her one more time. “Okay. I have to get
going now, Almasi. Get up soon.” He walked to the door, but then had a thought and then turned back around to say one last thing. “I love you,” he added. It felt so good to say it.
“I love you, too,” said Almasi. She was smiling widely. “Now, go sign that contract.”
With a love-struck grin, Jacob nodded, and then promptly disappeared into the hall, shutting the door quietly behind him. Almasi smiled happily to herself. This was perfect. She looked down at the slight curve of her belly, and patted it gently. “And I love you, too,” she told the baby inside her. “I love you so, so much.” Then, with a sigh, Almasi got up and got herself ready for the day ahead.
Jeremy was already waiting in the study and reading a book when Jacob arrived. Jeremy looked up and saw that Jacob had a big goofy smile on his face. Because he knew the man well, Jeremy recognized the look as similar to his “got laid” grin, but there was something a little different about it.
More substance, maybe? More satisfaction. Although it was kind of gross to think about what his boss did in bed, Jeremy was happy for Jacob. Clearly, he had found a woman who loved him deeply. Jacob had been anxious and ashamed, but all the same elated when he had called Jeremy on the phone after talking to Mr. Arko Kumi and discovering the truth about Almasi and Mr. Kofi Kumi.
It hadn’t been much of a surprise to Jeremy. He had a feeling that it would all work out somehow. Jeremy didn’t have intuitions very often, but there was a sense of… some kind of rightness about the relationship between Jacob and Almasi, and, well, Jacob’s conversation with her had clearly gone well.
Jeremy shook his head. He could read Jacob like a book, but he was looking forward to passing the puppy of a man off to another skilled reader, and clearly, Almasi would be good for him. Jeremy would always bet there for both of them if they ever needed him, but he had a feeling that there were going to be fewer crises in Jacob’s life now that Almasi was in the picture to stay.
“So…” began Jacob. “Before the others arrive, I have some news for you. I think I should share it with you first, before anyone else, but I wanted to tell you in person instead of in a text message.”
Jeremy looked up curiously, closing his book. “I am all ears,” he said evenly.
“Well,” said Jacob. “Almasi told me… that she’s pregnant.”
“Oh,” said Jeremy. It took him a moment to register the new. “Wow!” he said. “Congratulations!” He discarded his book on the coffee table, and stood up to hug Jacob.
When they pulled apart, he continued to talk. “That’s fantastic, but there is so much to do! We will have to find a consultant on pregnancy matters. A professional to help out with food choice and nutrition supplements so that the baby stays healthy throughout the pregnancy, and someone to make her maternity clothes when she starts to show—is she showing yet?
No, it has only been a month at most, so she would not be showing much—and of course she will need a midwife to come visit, and perhaps a personal masseuse, as well as a decorator to turn one of the old guest rooms into a nursery, and a lactation consultant, and of course a nanny, and…” He trailed off, and saw that Jacob was smirking.
“What?” he asked him, a little defensively. “I want the next Adamson baby to go through life as easily as possible!” he exclaimed.
Jacob laughed, and patted Jeremy on the shoulder. “I know,” he said. “You’re always thinking of us, and I’m so grateful for your presence in my life, Jeremy. I know it sounds sappy, but it’s true. So, just… Thank you.” Jeremy nodded. “So,” said Jacob, “now we have to focus on the task at hand. What time are the Kumi brothers meant to be arriving?”
Jeremy checked his watch. “They have three minutes to get here,” he said. “Now. Do I have to brief you about not punching Mr. Kofi Kumi when you see him, or does that go without saying?”
Jacob shook his head, chuckling. “I think I can contain myself,” he said confidently. “And besides, I was told that my wife did a number on him yesterday.”
“Oh?” asked Jeremy, frowning.
“She got him right in the diamonds,” said Jacob, and Jeremy couldn’t help but laugh in spite of himself. Then they heard footsteps in the hall, and Jacob ran a hand through his hair and fixed his tie. “Okay,” he said, grinning at Jeremy. “Show time.”
The final touches to the contract and the signing went well, and Jeremy was very, very proud of Jacob for managing to refrain from beating Mr. Kofi Kumi to a bloody pulp. When all of the official business was done, they all shook hands with one another. Then, Mr. Arko Kumi handed Jacob a small box. Jeremy and Mr. Kofi Kumi looked at the two of them quizzically, but Jacob nodded. “Thank you,” he said.
“No,” said Mr. Arko Kumi. “Thank you.” He leaned a little closer. “And tell Mrs. Adamson that I thank her, as well.” Jacob smiled and nodded, and they shook hands again.
“Well,” said Jeremy. “I will be escorting Mr. Arko Kumi and Mr. Kofi Kumi to the limousine and accompanying them to the airport.” He looked at Mr. Arko Kumi. “I trust that you all have everything packed up?”
“Yes,” said Mr. Arko Kumi. “The maid came to our rooms earlier this morning to bring our bags down.”
“She was very obliging,” said Mr. Kofi Kumi with a smirk. “And not too hard on the eyes, either. What was her name? Brianna? Bridget?”
“Her name is Beatrice,” said Jacob in a harsher tone than he intended to use. He saw that Jeremy shot him a warning look, so he took a breath and counted to ten. Turning to Mr. Arko Kumi instead, he said, “It’s been a pleasure doing business with you. I look forward to our continued correspondence via telephone and the internet.”
Mr. Arko Kumi nodded and thanked Jacob again for his hospitality. Then he turned to Jeremy and nodded, and with that, Mr. Arko Kumi and Mr. Kofi Kumi were on their way to the foyer and out the door of the mansion. Jacob sighed once they were out of earshot. He would miss his conversations with Mr. Arko Kumi, but as far as Jacob was concerned, if he never saw Mr. Kofi Kumi again it would be too soon.
Jacob looked at his watch. It was a little past a quarter to eleven, so he had less than fifteen minutes to get ready to meet Almasi for brunch. He took off his formal suit jacket, leaving it on the desk chair where it could be collected later. He also began loosening his tie, but then he just decided to remove it completely and even unbuttoned a few buttons at the top of his collar, since the hickies from a few nights before when Almasi had tried biting him had mostly faded away.
He blushed a little as he remembered that night. Then he mussed up his hair in just the way he knew Almasi liked it, and grinned a little to himself. The last thing he did before he left was to check inside the box Mr. Arko Kumi had handed him. His grin widened to a beam. This was going to be perfect. He was so looking forward to seeing Almasi’s reaction to this.
Meanwhile, Almasi had been slowly getting ready all morning. She took a hot bath, and then she did her hair and makeup, going for a somewhat dramatic ombre of light to dark pink with her eyeshadow. Then she donned her fluffy bathrobe and made her way to the dressing room, where she went through the racks of dresses, looking to find the perfect one for her brunch date with Jacob.
Her favorite pink dress was going to be a little too tight now, since it was in a 1950s style that cinched at the waist, so she opted for a more flowy dress that was in a slightly paler shade. She smiled, knowing that she would match perfectly with the stargazer lilies where the picnic would be set up. Then, after putting on a splash of perfume and smiling at herself flirtatiously in the mirror for a moment, Almasi declared herself fit to go out, and she slipped into some comfortable white shoes and made her way down the stairs and out toward the garden.
It’s a spectacularly beautiful day outside, she thought as she strolled down the path to the familiar place. There were birds chirping around her, and a cool breeze offset the heat of the brightly shining sun. As she walked, Almasi began to hum, and soon she was singing out loud, not caring if anybody could hear her. It was an old jazz
tune, and she snapped her fingers along to the rhythm as she sang. “Never saw the sun shinin’ so bright, never saw things goin’ so right… Noticin’ the days hurryin’ by, when you’re in love oh my how they fly…” She smiled widely as she sang. “Blue days, all of them gone. Nothin’ but blue skies from now on!”
She finished her little tune just as she turned the corner, and she saw that Jacob was already waiting for her there, sitting next to the wicker basket he had promised her with a white and red checked picnic blanket, just like a dream of a beautiful day. She waved, and he waved back and stood up as he saw her walking towards him. She walked faster, running now, and they crossed the last few feet between them and crashed into each other quickly, laughing happily and holding hands and smiling and kissing.
Jacob’s shirt was unbuttoned a little bit, and Almasi could see just the faintest hint of the marks her teeth had left a few days ago.
Jacob noticed where she was looking, and he blushed lightly. “I figured, now that Mr. Arko Kumi is gone, I no longer have to conceal the fact that I enjoy being bitten hard by a woman once in a while,” he said. “Somehow, I have a feeling that he wouldn’t approve of signing a business partnership with a man who gets off on being dominated.”
Almasi laughed, stroking his chest gently and outlining his collarbones with her fingertips. “I suppose not,” she said. “But luckily for us, he’s halfway to Ghana now, and we’re still here.” She leaned in to kiss him, making sure to reward him with a little bite on his lower lip. “Now, scandalously submissive husband mine, shall we have our picnic?”
Jacob laughed. “I thought you said this morning that you didn’t want to eat more than once before lunch,” he remarked.
Almasi swatted at him. “I’m pregnant, so I have permission from Mother Nature to be as irrational and inconsistent as I please,” she said, slapping him lightly on the rear. From the little gasping sound he made, Jacob seemed to enjoy it, and Almasi made a mental note to remember to do that again sometime. She let him take her by the hand, and together they walked to the picnic blanket and sat down.
