Spending Mommy’s Money #13

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CHAPTER THIRTEEN – All is unfair in love and war

In Kofo’s private sitting room, Habib waited for an explanation to what he had just witnessed between her and Rain. Kofo was hesitant to speak.

“Alma?”

“I told her what we both already agree on, that Tari is not good for her.”

“And did you tap his phone, as she accused you?”

“I did. So?”

“You did. So?”

“Habib, please.”

“It’s time to get your meddling hands of that grown woman’s life.”

Kofo gave him a sharp stare. “I beg your pardon?”

“I am not fighting over this. So, take your time and let my position on the matter sink into your mind. Rain deserves happiness, and if Tari is the man who gives that to her, who are we to take it away from her? We do not even have the moral high ground to have a say on whom she should be with.”

Kofo was aghast. She kept her eyes on Habib until she could no longer match his brutal stare. He returned to their bedroom, as if he had not just dropped a bomb. She went in after him, blocking him from sitting on the bed.

“Tari is a Trojan Horse. You know that.”

“Alma, this is not a war—”

“Don’t tell me it’s not! It is a war! It has always been! Sunny has always gotten what he wanted—”

“So have you. And last I checked, you’re winning on all fronts. Sunny is still your boy, collecting salary from a company you built in your name.”

“In my daughter’s name! A company he wants to take from me, using his son!” Kofo’s voice thinned in frustration. “How can you not see it?”

Habib shifted away from her and sat on the bed. “Your daughter is in love—”

“That’s the problem! She’s always in love! And they always do her dirty because she’s an incurable romantic.”

“That’s why you brough Nwanneka’s son and became your parents who cared nothing for what you wanted and gave you to a man for their own selfish reasons?”

“I—”

“You want Rain to be this perfect picture of a daughter in your head. You don’t care what she wants, do you?”

“She doesn’t know what’s good for her.”

Habib’s expression went hard. “Let’s end this talk.” He stood again.

“I want the best for her, Habib.”

“You think you do, but you’re killing the fragile relationship between you two. If she eventually ends up with Tari, who do you think is going to be the sweetheart parent to her, asides me? You or Sunny? You’re clearly not thinking.”

He walked to the closet and Kofo followed him.

“Everything I did, I did for her. Hara, all the other companies, abandoning her siblings…” Kofo stopped to breathe, feeling a rush of despair fill her. Habib picked a sweater off a rack and looked at her. “I don’t want Sunny to win.”

“Then, stop acting like you’ve already lost!”

“Habib, you don’t understand—”

“Come to think of it, this whole thing of inviting them here was all about him, right?”

Kofo was silent.

“Or was it an ‘in your face’ thing to your late husband? I know you sent the invitation since the middle of this year while he was still alive.” Habib sighed. “Alma, I hate that you act like your success isn’t enough. Take the Olumese gaze off of you.”

“You don’t understand.”

“Enough! Look, you should be calling your PR company to fix the mess that’s on the internet this morning, not stressing your daughter. After that’s done, look for her and apologize, no matter what it takes, because all this talk of her not wanting Hara is not good, Alma.”

“She wasn’t serious about it.”

“Not serious? Call Dora and let her tell you about when Rain makes up her mind on a matter.”

Kofo gave up. “I have to shower,” she whispered, walking toward the bathroom. When she got in, she shut herself in and leaned against the door, letting out the build-up of bad energy in her. Afterward, she filled the tub with water. She lit aromatic candles and slipped into the tub. When the warmth of the water covered her skin, she allowed it soothe her.

Habib was right. Rain was right. But she was also right, and she wouldn’t give up this time. It was war, and Sunny had to raise a white flag in the end or die trying to.

xoxoxo

Tari was restless. Seated in one of the hotel’s lounges, he wondered what Nadia wanted with him. She already left a bad first impression, and he didn’t think he wanted to have any sort of connection with her.

While waiting, he received a message from Rain. She invited him for Jaya’s birthday dinner. He could come with his friends too. He promised that they would show up.

Nadia walked into the lounge. Tari looked up and saw a smile on her face as she approached him. He imagined that Kofo looked exactly like this in her younger years, maybe a little plumper. Nadia was slim, but not so much that her curves weren’t visible. She was a beautiful woman without trying. Even now, her makeup free face arrested the attention of a man who was seated by the bar. He stared after her as she walked past and headed toward Tari’s table.

“Good afternoon, Atari,” she greeted, pulling out a chair.

“Hi.”

She sat.

“Do you want something to drink?” he asked.

“No, I’m good.”

Tari sipped some of his Mai Tai mocktail. “So, what is this about?”

“Hmm… Cousins, yeah?”

“According to DNA.”

“Do you trust Uncle Sunny? Because maybe he just wants to use this DNA ish to plant his roots forever in Hara. What if you’re truly my brother?”

“Does it change anything?”

“First, you’ll lose your claim to whatever Sunny has as a partner in Hara, which isn’t much, seeing as this whole Rain as a shareholder thing unsettles him. Secondly, you can’t have a place at all in Hara because you’d only be seen as the sidechick’s son. A sidechick who is dead, by the way. Trust me, Kofo, who had no qualms abandoning her legitimate kids would forget you exist.”

“What makes you think I’m interested in owning Hara?”

“You’re not?” She looked irritated. “That’s disappointing. I thought you were more ambitious.” Leaning in, Nadia placed her elbows on the table. “That being said, I want to inform you that my mom has been invading your private life. She has you followed and keeps photos of you and the women you’ve been with. She also has your calls and messages bugged. All because of her precious Rain. She still strongly believes you’re a gold digger, and that Uncle Sunny is using you to destroy Rain.”

“Who told you this?”

“I eavesdropped on her conversation with Rain. She told her what she was up to behind your back. Won’t be surprised if Rain says nothing to you about it, especially the fact that her arranged husband is here, in this hotel with her.”

“Arranged husband?”

“You don’t know about Yuri?” Nadia snorted. “Oh boy.”

“Why are you telling me these things?”

“You should know that I have no issues with you. You’re family, and I think we should get to know each other better, don’t you think?”

“Why?”

“Because it’s what family does. The Kareems and my mom are formidable. They built Hara empire, and trust me, they will protect their interest and wealth, no matter what it takes. As far as Kofo Aboderin is concerned, you are Sunny’s son. She hated my dad too. When she looks at my siblings and me, she sees him. That’s why she abandoned us and has no plans for us in the future of Hara.”

“Do you blame her? Your dad did her dirty. So did Uncle Sunny and other Olumeses.”

“Look, I can’t tell you what to do with what I just told you. I only want to let you know that on your own, you can’t win in a war against my mom. If she says you won’t have anything to do with her daughter, you best believe that she means it. By the way, everything she’s doing now to Uncle Sunny has revenge spelled on it. If I were you, I wouldn’t get in her way.”

“Noted.” A thought came to Tari. “What do you know about this shareholder business? What are your thoughts on Rain acquiring those shares under everyone’s nose?”

Nadia looked at him suspiciously. “You didn’t know?”

“No.”

“Well, Hara chose a listing without an IPO,” she explained. “Which basically means that there are no new shares sold to the public. Shareholders can sell directly to anyone at any time. And they don’t need to let other shareholders know what they are up to.”

“Basically, anyone can plan a hostile takeover without the major players knowing.”

“Exactly.”

“Is Uncle Sunny planning a hostile takeover?”

Nadia jumped over the question. “The moment the acquisition is announced, if Rain and her parents take that route, there would be an immediate scramble for the shares of the company because…”

“Investors are going to swarm in like bees, seeing a massive buying opportunity.”

“And the share price will be doubled in a wink.”

“That means, it’s a win-win for Hara and the shareholders. So, what’s the issue here?”

Nadia frowned. “Can’t you see that in the end, it’s not good for us? Or are you that pussy-whipped to think that you’d be immune from the fallout?”

“Here’s my solution to you, Nadia. Force your mom to get you shares as well. Of course, you won’t get what Rain has, but Kofo has that much money to do anything you ask of her.”

“And you? You think greedy Uncle Sunny will transfer your shares to you?” Nadia asked.

Tari chuckled. “Let me put it for you in perspective. Rain purportedly has 7.3 percent of the shares. This makes her the highest stakeholder and gives her more power than anyone else, save for the current major shareholder. If she goes ahead to purchase more, she can own the entire company. Sitting here, trying to form an alliance with me, won’t help you, Nadia.”

“Will the board let her own the company? Won’t they implement that poison pill thing?”

“Why are you asking me?”

“You would betray family over pussy?”

Tari laughed.

“I understand that your emotional attachment to Rain won’t let you see things objectively. But you’re not thinking smartly, dude.”

“Nadia, you don’t win all wars by fighting. Some are won through peace and alliances.” Tari stood. “Always have the bigger picture in mind. Enjoy your day.”

As Tari left, he blocked out all thoughts as he returned to his hotel suite. Thinking about what Nadia just told him would push him to jump to conclusions and make decisions without hearing from Rain first.

He checked on Joko, who seemed stronger than earlier. He was watching a movie with Bara and ready for another night out. Tari had a bottle of beer, then allowed his mind unfettered access to thoughts, which he had stopped earlier. When he became overwhelmed, he sought counsel from his friends. Together, they had the most difficult discussion he had ever held concerning his future. Afterward, he fell asleep out of mental exhaustion.

At exactly 6pm, Bara tapped him awake. He mumbled something about being hungry and found his way to his suite. Almost an hour later, he and his friends arrived at the restaurant where Jaya’s birthday dinner was to hold, each with a gift for her. The venue was a five-star hotel, booked out by tourists. Tari recalled how he was desperate in the past for a life of lodging in world class hotels and trips to different countries. Now, it was just a chapter out of his existence, as his job allowed him such privileges to a large extent. These days, he could only reminisce about a life where he once wished for the things he presently had.

“Isn’t that your babe?”

Tari was chatting with his boss on the phone when Bara’s question dropped. He looked up and saw Rain, taking photos in front of a rose-pink sequins backdrop on which Jaya’s name was written. Tari stopped moving at the sight of Rain. She was a revelation in a mini feather dress with a deep neck cut that ran to her waist, cinched by a satin band. She looked red carpet worthy, perfect in her outfit, hair and makeup. Even the little purse she held added to her exquisiteness. No woman had ever looked so sophisticated and oozed of sex at the same time.

The sight of her sparked memories of how she smelled. She had different fragrances but his best was Playing with the Devil. There was something about the perfume on her skin that made him think impure thoughts.

Rain’s eyes strolled into his, and she took them away and back to the camera for a second. She posed for a last shot and looked in his direction again.

“Hi guys!” she greeted, walking toward them. “Hey, Joko. Heard you had a small case of food poisoning?”

“I’m good now.”

“Great to know. Thanks for showing up.”

She gave him a welcoming hug and turned to Bara. They exchanged warm pleasantries and she showed them the entrance to the restaurant. Only then did she look at Tari.

“Hi.”

“I want to tell you how insane you look, but you already know.”

“Tell me, Tari.”

He opened his mouth to speak but Jaya burst into the scene.

“Tari!”

He looked at her, donning in a rose-pink dress that was short in the front and had a flowing tail at the back. She was glitzy and stunning. Bara had been talking nonstop about her. He was going to lose his mind if he saw her now. But to Tari, she wasn’t worthy to lace Rain’s shoes when it came to beauty. Ms. Kareem was the standard.

“Thank you for coming.” Jaya hugged Tari. “Where’s Bara?”

“They just went in.”

“And the other one? I always forget his name.”

“Joko.”

“Yes, Joko. Let me say hi to my guests.” She turned toward the restaurant. “Rain, free him let him come and eat.”

As she walked off, Tari’s eyes found their way back to Rain.

“You were saying?” she asked.

Just then, Yuri walked in. Tari noticed the smile disappear from Rain’s face. He looked at Yuri and saw Nadia behind him. Wearing a white dress with feathers, much like Rain’s, Tari picked out the first hint of resemblance between the sisters.

“Let’s go in, Tari.”

“Hey, cousin!” Nadia waved, brandishing a wide smile that didn’t look real. “And dearest sister!”

Rain didn’t respond, but she returned the smile with a cold one as the couple approached them.

“You look lovely, Rain,” Yuri complimented. He rested a hand on Rain’s waist to give her a hug and a kiss on the cheek, speaking inaudibly into her ear.

“You guys can go in.” Rain stepped back and removed his hand from her waist. “Dinner is ready.”

Nadia hooked her arm in Yuri’s, leading him toward the restaurant.

“I hope to God she didn’t come along with the rest of her kin,” Rain muttered and Tari smiled.

“Let’s go in.”

xoxoxo

Rain was a little tipsy when Tari walked her to her hotel suite. But she was lucid enough to ask him in. With the sexual tension between them, Tari was ready for anything. The mood was right, and they had enjoyed each other’s company during dinner, chitchatting like old friends. While Jaya kept her guests entertained with stories from her childhood years, Tari and Rain built a cocoon and almost forgot that they had company. Neither of them had brought up their relationship as they chatted; they also hadn’t ventured into feelings. Just great vibes and a door opening to friendship they had both not seen coming.

Using a car Bara rented for their stay in Bahamas, Tari brought Rain back to the hotel and walked her to her door where a kiss nearly happened. He confessed that it was taking him a lot of willpower to keep his hands to himself.

“I have to take a shower,” she said in response, “to clear this highness. And you will watch me while I do it.”

“Rain, stop seducing me.”

“Dude, come in.”

Tari entered the suite after her. She removed her heels and stopped in front of him, showing her back. “Help me with the zip.”

Her perfume filled his head as he moved toward her. He slowly ran her zip down.

“Thank you.”

She stepped out of the dress and left it on the floor. As he had suspected, she had no bra underneath, just a g-string.

“Follow me.”

Like a robot, Tari tailed her to the bathroom. She took off her g-string and went into the shower cubicle. He stayed out, sitting on the toilet seat.

“You’ve been trending on Nigeria’s dirty internet all day,” he said with a concerned voice. “I wish whoever sold that story to the blogs told only your parents’ love story and left you out of it.”

He picked the g-string off the floor.

“You being a lovechild and resurrecting the Noah scandal is really unfair. I hope you didn’t go online to see the tweets.”

“No.”

He knew she was lying.

“So, did you ever date a married man?” he asked.

There was a pause before she answered. “Don’t judge me.”

“I won’t.”

“Yeah, I did, but he was almost divorced and…”

“You don’t have to explain yourself to me, Rain. It’s clear that the angle they aimed for was to slut-shame your mom with the adulteress tag. Then, you as a spoilt, privileged child who lives on Hara wealth, taking after her ways. Nigerian Twitter is a mad place, man.”

“Even that your useless Charles friend did an entire thread on me. Wow.”

“Charles is not my friend.”

Rain went silent, as did Tari. His thoughts were back on what Nadia had told him about Kofo. He disappeared into the details until Rain came out of the shower cubicle, wrapped in a towel. He didn’t realize she was staring at him until she asked, “What are you doing?”

He was holding her g-string against his nose. “There’s something about your smell, Rain. It’s intoxicating.”

“You’re going to give yourself an unnecessary hard-on.”

“I suspect Uncle Sunny is behind what happened online,” he said.

“I don’t want to talk about it.”

Tari got off the toilet seat. “He has the power, money and motive to dig up anything he wants about you. And this seems pretty strategic, considering your stake at the company right now.”

“Please, don’t bring up that shareholder talk. The moment the gist gets out, my life as it is now, is over. I never wanted to be in the limelight. Tari, I’m ready to walk away from Hara and everything, just to have peace.”

Tari focused on her eyes and saw sadness. He longed to comfort her, but he needed to level the mountains between them.

“Who’s Yuri?” he asked. “The guy with Nadia earlier.”

“A friend from my childhood. We were crushing on each other way back then. I was fourteen, he was fifteen. Twenty-two years later, our mothers want us to get married.”

Tari picked a silk kimono off a self-adhesive hook on the wall. He held it out for Rain. She turned around, dropped her towel, and slipped into the kimono.

“Is your mom spying on me, bugging my phone?”

Rain turned around. Her forehead creased in unease. “How did you know?”

“Is she?”

“Yes.”

“Were you going to tell me?”

“I was going to—”

“Same way you were going to tell me about Yuri?”

“You’re not my boyfriend, Tari. Or are you now?”

“You’re right. I don’t particularly care if you don’t want to talk about Yuri but what your mom is doing should not be something you keep to yourself.”

“Tari, I would never keep anything like that away from you. I didn’t plan to tell you today, though.”

“I’ll take that.”

“Do you want to cry?” he asked.

“Cry?” Rain looked confused.

“About everything.”

“Nope.”

Her phone buzzed with an incoming call and she checked the screen.

“Nzamo.”

“You want to answer it?”

“No. Look… I’m going to be a soft target for a while. From my siblings to your dad, to Noah, to the whole world… I need to get used to being hated. I guess it comes with the territory.”

“You don’t have to bear it all alone.”

“I have Jaya.”

“And me.”

“You come with a hard-on, Tari.”

Tari raised her g-string. “And…you’re ovulating.”

“What?” Rain whispered, embarrassed. She reached for the underwear, but he held it higher, away from her grasp. She jumped to catch it without success.

“Tari, stop. Give it to me.”

She tried a second time, causing Tari to move away. When she went after him, he ran to the other side of the room. She climbed the bed and tried to catch him, but he moved out of reach.

“Tari, stop nau.”

He held the underwear with both hands to his face, inhaling it with relish.

She pointed at his midsection. “Boner coming in five, four, three, two…”

Tari dove for the bed and grabbed her. He sat astride her, detaining her. She didn’t struggle with him. He gazed at her as she panted, trying to steady her breath.

“I don’t want to let you go,” he confessed. “But it would be the smart thing to do, Rain. A few years from now, you’d be married with kids, I’d be married with kids, we’d come across each other and smile. Maybe we might even have a brief affair…”

“Let’s dance,” Rain said.

“Dance?”

She lifted her weight off the bed, bringing her lips to his. Tari drew back and got off the bed. She stood, reaching for a Bluetooth speaker on the nightstand. She switched it on and played a song from her phone.

“Come, let’s dance.”

“To that song? Do I look like a white man to you, Ms. Kareem?”

Rain laughed. “Did I tell you that I went to a dance school because I was such a terrible dancer? Now, I just want to show off my skills.”

“Change the song.”

“Fine. Alexa, play me…Altar by Kehlani.”

The present song stopped playing and Kehlani’s Altar came on. Rain thrust out her hand to Tari. “Come, baby.”

“You know I can’t dance.”

“Don’t let the song waste. It’s one of my favorites. Come on.”

Tari took her hand and she drew him up.

“For this dance, we’ll simply move our bodies but in a very sexy way.”

“I like sexy.”

“I want your hand on my waist like this…”

He allowed her hand guide his to rest on her waist.

“That’s good. Now, take my other hand in yours while I keep this one like this on your shoulder.”

“Basically, white people’s dance?”

Rain giggled and pulled closer to him. His body touched hers and he caught a whiff of the fragrance that hadn’t been washed off by soap. It conjured memories of the countless moments she had spent in his arms.

“Now, to the tricky but sexy part.”

She looked down and placed a thigh between his. He looked down as well, then lifted his eyes to hers.

“Just sandwich my lap like this… That’s it. Now, let me lead.”

Tari was familiar with the dance, but he was content with letting her be in charge. When she started to move, he followed her. She was neither too small to hold nor too much to handle. He also wouldn’t say she was perfect in his arms because she was not his to have right now. But he had missed her carefreeness and the utter lack of shame it bore.

“Do you really not want to be my boyfriend anymore?” she asked. She was staring at him with sincere eyes as the dance intensified.

“Why are you asking me this now?”

“Because I miss you, Atari. Let’s go away again. This time, let’s not come back. We’ll find one lovely country to live in. We’ll get married, have kids and forget all the toxicity here.”

Tari almost missed his step as the import of her proposal sought and found the part of him that had chosen escape as the solution to their problem.

He felt his weight dropping on her, but he was fast to catch her with both hands on her back—and she grasped his neck, bringing her body into his.

But he didn’t stop moving, even when his eyes found hers and he had a moment, a sudden awareness that something was going to happen between them now if one of them didn’t have the commonsense to break away from the other.

“Don’t stop,” she said. Her eyes showed that she saw what he saw. She broke from his hold and took a couple of steps away from him but held on to his fingers, still moving. Then, she made her way back, brought one side of her face to his body, and gently laid it on his shoulder.

He led the dance this time, flowing with the rhythm of a new, slower song. He loved how it soothed him to hold her this way. Maybe it was his stress seeking relief. Or he was just plain horny.

“You want to cuddle?” he asked, stopping the dance when the song ended.

“Cuddle?”

“You’re in pain. You’re keeping it in, and it’s not healthy. I’m not asking you to cry, but I need you to start being in the moment of things and not run from them, hoping they disappear.”

“You sound like my therapist.”

“Rain, let’s cuddle.”

Tari took off his sneakers and moved into the bed. Rain lay on her side and he spooned her from behind. Her body easily relaxed into his, letting him feel the rhythm of her heart.

“What’s your mood?”

“Mood?”

He didn’t need to explain his question to her, she knew what he meant.

“Windmills of Your Mind,” she answered, calling out a song title by Diana Springfield. “I feel Unsure of my life. I don’t know if this is something I have to fight for or just walk away.”

“Well, every decision you take is valid, but you have to be sure that in the end, your motives are honest. You can’t be sure of the outcome, though.”

“Am I an obstacle to your success?”

“Either way I answer this question wouldn’t look good on me, so, no comments. All I can say is that despite everything, I’m here, holding you and holding on to you in whichever way I can. Smelling your skin that’s fresh out of the shower, becoming intimate with your heartbeat, enjoying the softness of your body, and fighting so hard to keep a wayward boner down… I wish we didn’t have Hara between us, Rain.”

“Right now, we don’t.” She took her hand off his body and turned. “It’s just me and you, and I could really use a kiss.”

Tari blushed.

“I missed your shy smile.”

“I don’t have a shy smile.”

“You so do.”

“Shut up.” Tari’s breath danced over her mouth before he put his lips on hers, parting them slightly to taste her after a long time, sliding his hand across her waist. The sheer softness of her lips crushed him with guilt, judging him for having other women in her absence. Nobody tasted like Rain. She had imprinted her scent in him, and he doubted that it would ever go away.

His hand grazed over the swell of her bum as the kiss got intense. He wanted to touch all of her at once, but he needed to follow her pace, as he sensed that this was a moment of comfort to her, more than anything else.

At some point, they stopped together to catch their breaths. It made them both laugh.

“Let’s have a baby,” Tari said, at the same time Rain told him, “Let’s get married.”

“What?” Rain chuckled. “A baby?”

“Yes.”

“Dude, why?”

“A child is the only way our parents can stop being enemies. Secondly, everyone leaves us alone.”

“Marriage accomplishes the same thing, Tari,” Rain held.

“Marriage scares me.”

“Me too, but it comes with a baby.”

“And if we divorce? The baby gets tossed back-and-forth between us?”

“Tari, wait…” Rain sat up. “Is this your solution to what we’re going through right now? Of all the selfish reasons to have a baby, this is the most selfish.” She playfully punched him.

“I know, but I don’t want to have a baby with anyone else but you. Now, tomorrow, in ten years… It’s you, Ms. Kareem.”

“What are you saying, Tari?”

“Yes, I still want to be your boyfriend. But we have to move this relationship forward, farther than sex, above family adversary.”

Rain’s face melted into a warm smile. “I think the best way to start is to pack up our things and spend the rest of our vacation somewhere else.”

Tari sat up and kissed her. “You know why I love you? You’re always in my head and it’s scary.”

He kissed her again, his body falling over hers. When his hand slid up her thigh and caressed her, her whole body quaked. He was dying to feel her bare flesh, his hard length filling her. But she was hungrier, pushing her hand through his waistband, searching for his penis as she spread her legs apart. She found it and let out a grateful sigh, touching every part of it before taking out her hand to deftly unfasten his belt.

Tari helped her remove his jeans entirely. As he did this, he kept his eyes on her, noting the look of desire she bore that was mixed with a look of something affectionate.

He lay over her again, taking her lips in a soft kiss. She unbuttoned his shirt and slipped her hands beneath his t-shirt. He flexed under her touch as she brushed her fingers teasingly across his nipples. Then, her fingers trailed lower to caress the hardness in his boxers.

Taking her breast, Tari pressed teasing featherlight kisses around the nipple before sucking it into his mouth. Rain moaned and pushed her down to find his hardness again, grabbing it, stroking it. He shoved his boxers lower, giving her better access. When she grabbed his shaft and tightened her grip around it, he bit on her nipple in appreciation, causing her to moan out.

He moved to her more sensitive breast and covered the nipple with his mouth, whisking it with his tongue in a different manner than he did the other. Rain moaned out his name and her thighs clench around him. But he freed himself and moved downwards, leaving a trail of his breath on her tummy until his mouth found her clit. When his tongue touched it, Rain shook.

“Tari, don’t. I’m going to cum so hard, and it would be a waste without your dick inside me.”

He had no intention of making her cum with his tongue, but he teased her with it, enjoying how her warm thighs clamped around his head. With each movement of his tongue, he asked a question.

How badly do you want this? Did you miss me? How hard do you want me to fuck you? Or should I be gentle? Should I cum inside you? Do you want my baby?

Every question was answered with a ‘Yes!’ Tari laughed to himself, enjoying how much he tortured her. But this was more of a thing of pleasure to him. He loved the way she smelled and enjoyed the tanginess of her wetness.

“Tari, don’t make me cum,” she begged. He slipped a finger into her and felt her g-spot. She vibrated without control. “Stop nau,” she pleaded.

He listened to her this time, rising up, pulling down his boxers completely.

“You want to do this?” he asked. “Go bare?”

Rain grabbed his t-shirt and brought her body to his. When he sank down and guided his dick into her, she bit her tongue; but she screamed out as he pushed in, her eyes moistening in pleasure. One of her weaknesses during sex was the moment of entry. They once had a session where she kept asking him to pull out and go in again repeatedly until she came.

Right now, she was digging her nails into his butt cheeks, telling him the pace she wanted to go as he repetitively went in deeper and pulled out, rubbing against her g-spot. But it was torturous to keep the pace because he wanted to go hard and wild. He paused to explain in detail how he was going to fuck her. Again, every answer to him was a strong yes.

So, he pulled out, tapped his throbbing dick on her clit and laughed with her because of an inside joke—and while she laughed, he went back in without warning. Resting both hands on the bed on either side of her, Tari lost himself and went wild.

“You feel so good,” he said breathlessly.

“Is that what you tell the other women you fuck?”

Tari’s answer was a deeper thrust that made her shriek and squeeze him.

“Don’t do that,” he pleaded. But she squeezed him again. “Fuck.”

He lifted his weight off her body and drew her legs up to bend them at the knees for deeper thrusts.

“You’re crazy,” Rain said to him. “Don’t blame me if you cum in the next five seconds.”

He shut her up with a kiss and pushed in harder. He began pounding into her, grinding against her g-spot again. Rain screamed out his name and couldn’t shut her mouth from then on. He wasn’t silent either. If he wasn’t moaning, he was telling her how good she felt and how mad he was going to get if she had sex with another man. He could feel her wetness spilling out, smearing all over his groin area.

“Oh, fuck,” Rain muttered.

He saw it in her eyes before she came. And she did cum insanely, which was a feat for them because it was only the second time it had happened in this manner.

She begged him to stop to catch her breath, but Tari ignored her. She had gone wetter and softer, driving him insane.

She moved her hips in tempo with his. Her hands were on his ass again, urging him harder and deeper inside her. He lifted his body, pressed her thighs down with his hands and slowed his pace with longer but deeper strokes.

Rain began to moan again, calling his name in-between breaths. The way she said it, the way her dripping walls gripped his dick with each stroke, the way her breasts bounced, the way her eyes adored him… He felt his body tensing with release, pushing him over the edge. He didn’t fight it.

He abandoned himself to the most insane orgasm he had had in a long time. It was sublime, pulsating pleasure, twisting him into odd shapes and angles, as he spilled into her.

He let go of her legs and kissed her, covering her body with his.

“You have to marry me, Rain. I’m not letting you go. Nobody can stop us.”

Rain caressed his cheek gently until he caught his breath.

“Why are you still hard?” she asked.

“I only just got started.” He remained in her. “So, what now? Are we doing this? You and I?”

“Yes.”

“No ghosting, no breakups?”

“No.”

“No exes you want to marry?”

“No numerous women waiting around for you when we have a fight? Or that one ex with her kid that you can’t get rid of?”

Tari laughed and smacked her bum. “Jealousy.” But his smile faded and he regarded her with a serious look. “Ms. Kareem, I’m head over heels. And I don’t fall in love easily. Please…” He dropped his face in her neck and spoke into it. “Please, don’t break my heart.”

“I won’t. But why are you still hard?”

He pulled out and stared at his dick and at her.

“Turn around, Rain.”

Smiling, she obeyed. She lay on her tummy and placed a pillow underneath it.

“You’re asking for trouble,” he said as he went down on her and pushed in slowly. Once he was fully in, he lay on her and kissed her ear.  

xoxoxo

By 9am in the morning, they were both packed and on their way to the airport. Bara, who was their driver, thought they were crazy to just get up and decide to spend Christmas at Cayman Islands.

“Then, you’ve not met Rain,” Jaya said. She was seated in front with him while the lovebirds shared the backseat. Foreheads pressed against each other’s, they were laughing over something of which their friends were oblivious.

When they got to the airport, Jaya drew Rain aside and asked her if she was sure of her decision to stick it out with Tari.

“I am.”

Jaya held her face, concern in her eyes. “I can’t stand to see you heartbroken ever again. This has to be the one.”

“I want to take this risk, Jaya.”

Jaya hugged her. “Please, don’t get pregnant on this trip, I bed you with God.”

“I won’t.”

“Did you take the pill I gave you?”

Rain nodded. She and Tari had agreed that though unprotected sex was bliss, they were going back to condoms until they were ready to have a baby—which wasn’t soon, as they had decided they would enjoy their honeymoon phase for now. Earlier, Rain asked Jaya for emergency contraception, which Jaya happily gave. “I knew one of us would do something stupid on this trip,” she had said.

“Call me when you get in,” she told Rain now.

“I will, boo.”

Jaya looked at Tari with warning eyes.

“I will take care of her with my life,” he promised.

“Please, o.”

Tari grabbed Rain’s hand and they proceeded to the check-in counter. They had bought their tickets as early as 5am and booked a hotel suite in one of the best resorts in the world, according to Rain. Being that it was the holiday season, getting a suite at that resort would have been almost impossible if she hadn’t contacted the resort manager.

After their check-in, they waited two hours before boarding their flight. Another two hours and they were in George Town, Grand Cayman. Rain explained to Tari that Cayman Islands was more laidback than Bahamas, although more expensive. It also had a lazy night life, with less activities for tourists to engage in; which was perfect for them, as all they wanted was to stay in, have endless sex and eat food until they both added weight.

And they did this for ten days, stepping out to see a few sights and to shop. But the time felt too short for Rain when she sat and watched Tari pack up their stuff to return home.

“Will we be stopping at yours? Do you want to drop off some things?” he asked.

They had decided to move in with each other. A week at his, another at hers, and two weeks alone. They were starting with his place. It had been Rain’s idea, as she wanted to make sure Didi was banished from his life.

“Yeah. I’m dropping that box,” Rain said, pointing at a suitcase.

“Okay.”

She watched him pack. Something about the way he did it was sexy. Heck, everything about him turned her on. But what she felt was beyond sex. She was in a familiar place where she would usually let herself fall and forsake all else. She was scared.

Almost twenty hours later, while in a plane headed to Lagos, she told him of her fears. Tari didn’t say anything. He took her hand, instead, and pressed it to his lips. Back home, she was making the news about being the highest shareholder in Hara. As she and Tari had predicted, the consensus was that she hadn’t earned the right to be where she was—and this bugged her a great deal. Rain had always wanted to pursue her own dreams. Hara wasn’t what she wanted. Yet, she understood why it was important to hold the fort for her parents. But when was she to start seeking the things she wanted?

They got into Lagos, exhausted and hungry. After dropping a few things at Rain’s house, they proceeded to Tari’s, where they had a meal and fell asleep. Sometime in the night, when Rain got up to pee and returned, Tari spooned her and began to caress her nipples. She didn’t need foreplay. She wanted him but in a slow and quiet way, as she was still tired.

They made love at her pace, but she was loud, so much that Oscar stood outside Tari’s bedroom door, barking.

Tari covered her mouth and released it only when he wanted to kiss her. It made them both laugh each time he did it but heat up the moment even more.

They were wasted after the session and drifted off at the same time. Rain woke up six hours later, finding out from Tari’s housekeeper that he had left for work at 7am. She called him, and he told her to sleep in.

“You mustn’t be at work, Rain.”

“I must. Let’s meet at the executive lounge for lunch?”

“All right.”

She had a shower and dressed up. She planned to stay overtime at the office to catch up on the workload on her desk. But first, she would see her gynecologist to prescribe the best contraception for her.

Rain called her favorite Uber driver who came over and took her to her house, where she was to pick her car. She found her gate open and saw no sign of her gateman. The sight left her stunned, as she noticed that her front door was left open as well.

“Please, give me a second,” she told the Uber driver and hurried in. Her car seemed untouched, of which she was grateful. She called out to the gateman and got no response. His room held his belongings, even his bathroom slippers were left arranged on the foot mat outside the door.

After calling his name several times without response, she proceeded into her house with caution. She didn’t think she had been robbed. Her suspicions fell on the gateman himself, whom she supposed had a wild night and was passed out somewhere in the house.

Still yelling his name, she searched the rooms. At this point, she began to worry. She tried his number thrice and it rang unanswered.

Then, she heard a sound in the kitchen. Though a little scared, she advanced toward the kitchen. She pushed the door in slowly, looking around with caution. The only thing out of place was the gateman’s phone on the kitchen counter. She called his name one last time, but the response she got was the backdoor opening and Naomi walking in.

Rain jumped back in fright. “Jesus! Naomi, you scared me!”

Naomi was holding on to the door handle, staring at Rain with cold eyes.

“Welcome back, madam. Why have you refused to pick my calls or answer my texts?” She smiled and it was the scariest thing Rain had seen in a long time. Naomi used to look beautiful to her, with the right type of curvy that she had always envied. In retrospect, she could see that Naomi had always been her brother’s standard for female beauty. Back then, Noah used to tell Rain to get her body sculpted.

“You need more ass and boobs.”

“Your security guard told me you’d be here to pick your car up this morning, so I showed up and sent him on a little errand,” Naomi said, walking toward Rain. She didn’t have a weapon in hand. “I need us to talk.”

“I’m late to work, Naomi.”

“Work can wait jare. Besides, you can decide to not show up and you’d still be fine. Aren’t you like the owner of Hara right now? I can’t believe I was with greatness this whole time and I thought you were just the average rich kid. Anyways, me I sha want money. I lost my job and business because of you. I even lost a fiancé.”

“A fiancé?”

“Rain, I got engaged a week before that day. Noah didn’t like him, so I was taking my time to come out with the news. Well, he dumped me and completely ghosted me.”

“I’m so sorry.”

“You know you could have just walked in and asked to join us? Babe, I would have given you the best head ever.”

“Disgusting.”

“That one concern you. As I said, I want money.”

“Or what? You leak my nudes or sex tape.”

“Annoyingly, no. My stupid brother didn’t have the commonsense to do that.”

“Naomi, you’re wasting my time. How much do you want?”

Naomi looked at her in surprise. “You’d give me the money?”

“Yes.”

“Five million?”

“Yes.”

“No, five million is too small for me and Noah. Make it ten.”

“No. I don’t owe you guys anything—”

“You do! That sex tape was revenge sex!” Naomi clapped her hands with each word. “And I swear to God, I can sue you for it and win!”

“Fine. Ten million. Is that all?”

Naomi chose her next words, seemingly surprised at how easy she had gotten what she wanted.

“There might be more.”

“No more, Naomi. I really feel bad for what happened. Yes, I was hurt by Noah, but you didn’t deserve to be shamed for what you did. And I swear, I didn’t put that video up online.”

“But you shared it with your friends.”

“I’m sorry.”

Rain genuinely felt remorseful. Naomi had been sweet and kind to her. They had been like sisters.

“Send the money abeg.”

“I’ll do five-five from different accounts because of daily transfer limit.”

“Hurry up. You have my account number and his.”

As Rain began to facilitate the transfer process, she asked, “So, is it a love thing?”

“Love?”

“You and Noah.”

“Yes, sibling love.”

“I meant the sex?”

“No, it’s just perverted sex, which makes it amazing and addictive.”

“You guys were really molested by an uncle?”

“Yes. He made us touch each other, and we couldn’t stop after he died.”

“He died? So, he didn’t get punished for his crimes?”

“Oh, he did. I set him on fire.”

Rain looked at her.

“I was cooking outside, using this charcoal stove. He came and told me to pour fuel in the gen and switch it on. He always did that whenever he wanted to rape me. He stopped molesting us when we turned ten but he started raping me.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Forget this sorry thing and transfer the money, Rain.”

Rain went back to her phone.

“So, I walked to the back of the house to pour fuel into the gen, and as usual he came to raise my skirt. I don’t know what entered me. I lost it, poured the fuel on him and ran. He was screaming and rubbing his eyes because he couldn’t see. Again, I don’t know what got over me, but I saw the charcoal stove, picked it and stoned him with it.”

“Jesus.”

“And he died a week later. He was telling everybody I set him on fire, but I was only thirteen and quite smallish, so nobody believed him. Plus, Noah told them it was a lie, that he had taken a lamp to the place we kept fuel and it caught fire.”

Rain heard a beeping sound and Naomi checked her phone. “Got it.” She smiled. “Noah’s own.”

Rain initiated the second transfer.

“I didn’t peg you as someone who could kill another person.”

“I don’t forgive,” Naomi stated with a smile. Something in that smile unnerved Rain.

“Done.”

“Let me see.”

Rain flashed her phone screen at her.

“Noah’s so going to be happy. He’s been mad depressed since losing his job.”

Rain wasn’t going to apologize to him. “Naomi, can you go now?”

“Yes, I can. One more thing sha…”

Rain was about to ask her what it was when she saw her take out something from behind her and aimed it at her face. It took seconds before she realized it was a can of pepper spray.

Naomi squirted it in her face and she screamed out, covering her eyes.

“You think you can just use your money and smear over what you did? Have you any idea the trauma you caused me? My entire family, my friends, my colleagues, my neighbors, everyone knows! You ruined my life, Rain Kareem! And you have the guts to just move on and be winning in everything while I can’t get back up?”

Rain’s eyes felt like someone had set them on fire. She tried to move to the sink but Naomi grabbed her by the collar of her suit and slammed her against the fridge.

“Please, stop…” she begged

“YOU MUST BE MAD!”

She grabbed her a second time and pushed her to the floor where she sat on her and began to pummel her. The punches felt to Rain like someone was hitting her face and head with a hammer. Noah once told her how ghetto Naomi could be. He said she had anger issues, of which Rain disagreed, as she had never seen her angry, no matter how much one pushed her.

Her thoughts began to fade, as did her hearing. Her eyes were already blinded by the pepper spray, but she felt a different type of darkness take over. She couldn’t fight it.

From afar, she heard Tari’s voice… Or was it Noah’s?

Everything went dark.

©Sally Kenneth Dadzie @moskedapages