False Pretenses 26

Kite knew she was using Ise, she needed some sort of distraction, anything to take her mind off the turbulent feelings she was going through. Feelings of insecurity and inadequacy that were threatening to choke her, she needed to reaffirm herself that she was wanted, that she could be desired by someone. Why hadn’t she been enough for Izu, why had he gone to Brenda? She’d never held anything back from him, she’d thought she’d been enough for him. She’d given him everything but it hadn’t been enough for him.

These were the thoughts going through her mind as she hungrily kissed Ise, needing to feel secure, needing to feel wanted by someone, needing to feel loved.

They were in his room now, how they’d gotten there she couldn’t recall, she was buried into his King sized bed that felt feathery soft and warm against her back, the satin sheets so smooth against her skin. His tall frame was over her, he had such a firm wonderful body. His mouth was on hers, kissing her senseless while his hands had been working wonders on her body, her bosoms, back and presently, her inner thighs, working them up and down, he caressed her thighs so close to her crotch but not quite, teasing her and it was having the desired effect on her.

She wanted him badly, she wasn’t sure how much longer she could take it as the familiar pleasurable ache below her belly was getting really intense.

Her hands found their way under his T shirt, roaming over his firm sinewy back, this guy definitely worked out for his body to feel this firm, he felt so good to touch.

He’d just began unbuttoning her shirt which was her only piece of clothing left, trailing kisses down her cheek to her neck, he also placed small love bites along the trail. Kite’s toes curled and she let out a moan as she felt giddy with pleasure. Thinking she could stand another minute without him inside her, She pulled his shirt off making him pause his ministrations upon her body but as her hand reached for the waist band of his pyjama bottoms, he stopped.

“Kite!” He said sharply as he broke off contact with her.

“What?” She looked up at him with eyes heavy with arousal.

Their eyes met and he searched her face looking for something she wasn’t sure about. She wondered what he saw because he let out a sigh and dropped down beside her. She frowned as she turned to him “What’s wrong?”

“Everything. This.. this is very wrong.” He ran a hand through his closely cropped hair “What was I thinking?” He asked himself.

“I don’t get it,” she said “its just sex.”

He turned to her getting up on one elbow to look down at her. He gave her a wan smile as his other hand came out to gently smoothen her hair from her face, stroking her cheek in the process.

“Precisely my point.” He said.

“What do you mean?” She frowned.

“Kite, I’m not a ‘just sex’ kind of guy, not with you. I want more than just sex, and it seems you just want me physically, besides you’re not thinking straight at the moment and as much as you’re so tempting, I can’t take advantage of what you’re going through at the moment.” He began to sit up when she pulled him back.

Climbing on top of him she said, “No, I want this, I want you, I …I need you….I need..I need to feel wanted” she stuttered.

He looked at her “You are wanted, trust me I’m hard as a rock down there and it took all of my self control to come to a halt.” She must have looked like she still didn’t understand why he’d stopped because he continued, still caressing her face lightly “ I do want you Kite, just not like this. I want you to be in a right frame of mind when you come to me, you’re not thinking straight.” He said placing his hands on her hips and moving her aside as he got up.

“Where are you going?”

“The other room, you can have mine for tonight.” He picked his shirt about to move when she held him back again.

“No, please I don’t want to be alone tonight. I promise not to jump your bones or anything, I just need a friend beside me.” She said, when he started to shake his head she added, “please?”

He sighed “Okay.” He sat down on the edge of the bed about to pull on his shirt when she tugged it off from him. “hey!” He protested

“What? You don’t need the shirt.” She said “I like you shirtless.”

He shook his head smiling at her “You’re something else, you know?”

She couldn’t help the smile that touched her lips as she replied him “And you are such a gentle man, always doing the right thing.” She mocked

He got up and took a bow “ At your service, my lady.” He said just before he headed off in the direction of his walk in closet, disappearing behind the door.

Kite relaxed back on the bed still in her half unbuttoned shirt and underwear, she wasn’t sure when her pants (Trousers) had come off. They’d been moving so fast, after she’d kissed him back in the living room, the rest of what happened had been a blur. He was probably right that she wasn’t thinking straight at the moment, she was consumed by emotions, insecurity, doubt in herself and also anger. She was so angry with Izu that she wanted to do something that would hurt him, hurt him just like how she was hurting.

Izu was selfish, he’d never cared about her or he wouldn’t have done what he did. He’d given in to his desires without thinking about how hurt she would be when she found out. She needed to hurt him in return, he needed to feel what she was feeling.

Sleeping with Williams would do it, but she was sure that wasn’t happening, Ise was such a perfect gentleman. He had an iron clad self control and so much self restraint over everything, unlike Izu who had none. She hissed as she nestled herself deeper into the soft sheets and pillows, the bed felt so cozy and warm, where did one get a mattress and sheets like this? She wondered knowing they must have cost a fortune.

“As much as I love looking at you in your matching underwear, I think you should have this.” He threw her a shirt that landed on her face.

She’d not seen it coming and when she had, it had been too late to dodge “Hey!” She said as she removed it off her face, he chuckled lightly as he approached the bed still shirtless. “Sorry, my bad.” He told her.

Sitting up, she removed her shirt, threw it to the floor, then pulled on the shirt. “Thanks.”

“Welcome.” He was sitting on the edge of the bed. “Are you feeling a bit better now?” He asked.

She shrugged noncommittally “ a bit maybe but I would feel even better if we continued where we left off.” She tried again but he laughed and shook his head “ that’s not happening trust me, when you’ve had time to simmer down a bit you’ll be glad we didn’t.” he said as he lay down at the other end of the bed, picking up a remote control, he pointed it up and the lights dimmed.

She found herself moving closer to him, she snuggled into his warmth, his hand automatically went around her back to pull her close to him, her head on his chest.

“I’m glad you came to me tonight.” He told her “ but you know this doesn’t change our work relationship, right? I’m still going to yell at you when I’m pissed and maybe even make you run into the bathroom” He joked and she burst into laughter.

“No way! You are never getting me to cry again.”

“You sure about that? I can be very mean when I want to be.”

“Very.” She she agreed as a yawn escaped her “But you’ll never get me to cry, I was just caught unawares that day.”

He rubbed her back “You’re tired, you need to sleep, no more chit chat. Good night.”

“Yes boss,” She replied drawing another chuckle from him. “ But before I drift off, can I know something?”

“What?”

“ What got you attracted to me?” She asked him, she needed to know why he was so into her.

“ You.” He stated

“ Me?” She asked with a frown

“Yeah, everything about you.” He started. “ Remember the first time we met? In that Jewellery store?” She nodded “I was so attracted to your beauty, I was stunned, mesmerised, for a few minutes but after I managed to get over it, I wanted to know who you were, there was just something about you that had registered in me. I was looking forward to knowing you more until it turned out you were a thief and had played me.”

“Hey,” She protested “ Not exactly a thief! The word is so harsh, I prefer con artist.”

“ Thief.” He continued “ When I found out you’d played a fast one on me I couldn’t belive it. You looked too good to be a thief but I still thought you were sexy anyway.” He said and she smiled.

“ Only a billionaire can loose a million naira worth of Jewellery and think the person who’d stolen it was sexy.”

“But you were sexy, what else can I say? Anyway,” he continued “ I thought I’d lost you until I saw you at that restaurant where you were being arrested that evening and I knew I had to seize the opportunity to get my stuff back and I have to say, I admired your stubborn, fearless attitude. You were being arrested and you didn’t even blink an eye, how come?”

She shrugged. “I knew I would get out of it one way or another, I have a pretty face, I know how to use my looks to its full potential. I knew they’d feel bad handing a pretty girl like me to the police over such a little amount, I knew I could beg my way out of it by concocting a sob story or worst case, I would give them their money but then you came on the scene and I didn’t need to beg anymore.

I was more scared of you anyway,” she confessed “ I didn’t really know you and I’d stolen something worth a million bucks off you and for a second there, especially with your menacing bodyguard, I was scared what you were going to do so I had to play to your game until I saw my way out.”

“ It still baffles me how in the world you got away from Sal?” He asked.

She smiled “ I’m not going to tell you that, I don’t give out my tricks, besides you’re not done yet, so could you go on with your story”

He shook his head “ loosing you the second time, I thought you were gone for good and I was not happy at all because of my phone you’d stolen off me again and wallet. One minute I was being mesmerised by your eyes and the next I found my things were off me, really smooth but not funny at all.”

“I returned it.” She said

“Oh please, the only reason you returned it was because you needed me to get you out of another situation.”

“Yeah.. but I still returned it anyway.”

He continued “ I thought I could make you return everything by seizing your stuff, then you followed me to Olamide’s party and then caused a scene and I knew it was time to let you go. You couldn’t be tamed and you wouldn’t give me back anything you didn’t want to.”

“The girl asked for it, with her fake American accent.” Kite said spitefully, remembering the nasty girl whose weave she’d pulled.

Ise chuckled “It wasn’t fake, you’re just jealous.”

“Oh please, I can fake it even better.”

“Alright, fake it , let me hear you.” He urged her

“another time, just get on with your story.” She told him but she knew she could definitely fake it better.

“Okay, so I decided to give your stuff back hoping to get you off my back for good, I did like you a bit but I was beginning to think you were really far gone and there was no hope for you so it would be better to just let you go but then, that wasn’t going to happen. You got the phone call and news about your mother and that was when I saw the real you.

Every other thing I’d seen before had just been a façade, you were really fragile and not as tough as you liked to look, I felt bad too, because I could relate with your pain. I Knew what it felt like to have a sick parent, I saw how the news hit you and had to help out. “He paused for a second before adding “This might seem silly to you but I also came to the realisation that maybe fate was trying to throw us together.”

“You believe in fate?” She asked as she looked up at him.

He shrugged “Yeah, I feel everything is premeditated, as in meant to happen, for me there are no co incidences or mistakes in life. People who come into your life are meant to impact you in one way or another.”

“Wow, that’s deep, bro.” She joked “Were you high on weed when you came to that realisation?”
He laughed “are you mocking my deep insight?”

“No, it does make some sense, I do believe in fate too, only that its usually not too fair to me, anyway go on,” She was enjoying this, him baring it all for her.

“Anyway, I decided to throw it into fates hands and see what would happen, I let you leave without saying anything, I didn’t bother with asking for your contact details and then the next day you were in my offices again, and that was my confirmation. I decided to go in, I told you how I felt over lunch but you blew me off, and then I had to travel. All through the time I’d been away, I’d had you on my mind, planning to woo the hell out of you till you agreed only to return and find out you had gotten back with your boyfriend. You can’t begin to imagine how I felt, especially as you’d spent the whole afternoon with him doing God knows what.”

“I spent only an hour out, I don’t know where your P.A got the idea that I stayed out three hours.” She defended herself.

“Okay, I believe you now but that day it got me so angry and jealous…..and then I saw you in the parking lot some days after, kissing him, I thought I would explode with envy. I kept wondering why you were with him, didn’t you know it was
only a matter of time before he would do betray your trust?”

She sighed, she’d never even thought about that for a second, Izu had been there for her all the time, why in the world had he gone and messed up like this?

“Anyway,” Ise continued without waiting for her reply “You’re a rare gem, Kite, right from the first time I saw you, I knew you were different. When you step into the room its like there’s a spotlight on you, I don’t know if its just me but there’s just something about you, something I would definitely like to explore.”

He turned to look a her now, their eyes met as she’d been staring at him all along, he wasn’t done yet “I know its still soon and you’re not settled at the moment but I’m willing to go as slow as you want, I wont rush or force you into anything, but I’ll always be here for you and you can definitely trust me.”

She’d listened in silence but now it was time to speak “Mr. Williams-“She started and he gave her a bad eye making her correct herself “Ise, sorry, Its not you that’s the problem here, its me, you don’t know me, I’ve done things I’m not proud of, my past is really colourful, I’m not the kind of girl you should be with. Guys like you …..”

“I don’t care about your past, the past is just what it is…its past, gone.”

“Still we’re from different sides of the tracks; your friends will call me a gold digger.”

“That’s the least of my problems, anyone who spites you, spites me also, anyone who treasures their friendship with me will accord you the respect you deserve or they’ll have me to contend with.”

“Still…..”

“Still nothing, stop fighting it, just take some time out to think about it, will you? I trust that you’ll make the right decision, whatever you decide, I’ll respect it. Even if you turn me down, we’ll keep working together like nothing ever happened, but promise me you’ll think about it, will you?” He looked at her, his eyes pleading and she wondered what she’d done to have a guy like him so into her.

“Okay, I will.” She said knowing within her that she wasn’t going to accept, they were just too different, from different ends of the tracks. Being with him would be too much for her, the crowd he mixed with looked down their noses at people like her. He was a really nice guy but she would have to turn him down. He was too much for her, overwhelming, rich as sin, Ivy league graduate and perfect in every sense of the word whereas she was from a village, had committed lots of petty crimes in order to survive and aside from her pretty face and good intellect she had not much going for her. They were so wrong for each other; she knew she wouldn’t be able to endure the knowing stares from people who would think she’d latched onto him because of his money. She was sure she would embarrass him a lot of the time and he would finally come to the realisation that they weren’t meant for each other.

She would save him all the embarrassment by not consenting to his request. She would politely decline, pick up the pieces of what was left of her heart and move on but for now she would enjoy his embrace and company. He’d successfully gotten her mind off her sorrow and she did indeed feel much better, flattered that a billionaire was begging for her affections. What did it feel like being a billionaire, she wondered. Maybe she should ask him but as she turned to look at him she saw he’d dozed off.

She smiled, he looked so adorable, not like the bossy take control guy she was used to seeing at work. She snuggled into him and sleepily, he turned to his side, pulling her back to him, burying his face in her hair, she felt his breath fan across her neck. They were spooning and they weren’t even dating, how in the world would they get back to work and act like nothing had happened between them, she wondered.
**********

Izu heard the car drive in and rushed to the window to confirm that it was Kite coming back. He let put a sigh of relief as he saw it was her, his eyes went to the wall clock. It was six a.m, he’d been so worried he’d not had a wink of sleep. When she hadn’t come back that night, he was scared that something bad might have happened but he was now really relieved to see she was well. He was also scared, really scared he was going to loose her. He deserved it but he couldn’t bring himself to accept it, Kite meant so much to him, they had so much history together, she was the one he’d seen spending his future with.

What had he been thinking? That she would never find out? He’d been foolish and weak and now he was on the verge of losing such a rare gem.

The door opened and she came in, he was already waiting in the hall. She looked up, saw him but ignored him, moving past him, she went into the living room.

“Kite.” He called her, she didn’t reply, she just continued on her way to the room. “Please talk to me,” He begged as he followed behind. She went to where her bag which she’d brought in just a few days back was kept and picked it up. Izu understood she was about packing her things.

“No!” He said sharply going for the bag “No!” He dragged it from her hands but she held on tight to it, pulling him back.

“Izu! Leave my bag or I swear to God I will leave here without my things.”

“Kite please, let’s talk about this, you can’t leave me, what would I do without you?”

“You should have thought about that before you slept with that bi’tch. I‘m leaving Izu, there’s nothing you can do to stop that from happening. Now hand me my bag.” She was determined, he could see.

“Where are you going? Lucky and Di’s place? I gather you’ve not told them about it yet.”
Her eyes widened as she looked up at him “Did you talk to them?”

“I was scared last night when you didn’t come back and I called them, you were not there,” he said holding her gaze “ Where did you spend the night?”

“What? Oh please, are you really asking me that? I don’t owe you any explanation, you disappear for months no word, sleeping with one bit’ch and now you come back to ask me for explanations? I owe you none!” She spat angrily “None!”
His eyes narrowed “Where did you spend the night Kite ?” he asked again

“You know what?” She asked folding her arms over her chest “ I‘ll tell you where I spent the night, just so I can gloat in your face! I spent it in Ise Williams’s house, in his room and on his bed! There, are you satisfied.”
His felt a squeeze on his heart, “That’s a lie.” She was just saying it to hurt him.

“A lie, why? Do you think a billionaire can’t be attracted to this? For your information, he is, remember that lunch you saw us having together at the Hilton? It was more than just a business lunch, Ise Williams has a thing for me but unlike you I didn’t just up and give it up but then yesterday, I suddenly became free of you and his house was the first place I went to.”

Her words hit him like bricks, he’d suddenly become so weak he wondered how he was still standing, he wanted to faint. What was this she was telling him?

“Did you sleep with him?” He found himself asking calmly, he needed to be sure.

“We spent the night together, what do you think we did? Ofice work?”

Izu clenched his fist needing to hit something “goddammit Kite!” He screeched, “Why?”

“Because I want you to know how I hurt, I want you to feel it too, to feel the pain, Izu.”

Izu was feeling the pain, his heart literally was clenching, aching, how could she have acted like that? “Don’t put this on me Kite, you slept with him because you’ve also had feelings for him. That was why I felt something amiss! Whenever I kissed you it wasn’t like old times, have you been seeing him behind my back?”

“Oh please! I have more restraint than you ever had! Last night was it and although he asked me for a relationship, I’m not going to agree to it. He’s such a great person, he doesn’t need someone like me and besides I think I need a break from men generally, for a while.”

Izu watched her as she got back to packing her things. He was raging with anger, he needed to let it out somehow. Finally he was coming to terms with it, they were officially over. She’d given herself up to another man so easily, she’d made her point crystal clear but he’d be damned if he was going to let her off so easily. She’d started this and she would finish it.

“Kite.” He said her name coldly and without feeling, she turned “You want to play games, right? Well lets play, but you’ll play to my rules.”

She paused what she was doing frowning she asked, “what are you talking about?”

“This thing with Williams you’ve started, you’ll finish it!” He told her eyeing her.

She hissed going back to packing her clothes together. “You think I’m playing?” He asked grabbing her by the arm, he pulled her away, placing his hands on her shoulders, he pushed her not too gently down on the bed, forcing her to sit down.

“Owwww!” She protested.

“ You slept with him right? Well, you are going to keep sleeping with him and in the process you are going to get me my thirty million I need to pay off Brenda.”

Her eyes widened “Are you crazy?” She screamed “I will do no such thing!”

“Yes you will, not if you don’t want me to expose you to him for who you really are! I have a list of names of the people whom you helped me with, the ones you helped swindle. I could direct him to them or better still I’ll just send him those pictures we blackmailed your former boss with. You remember them? those ones are sure to get his attention.”

“You wouldn’t!” She gasped unbelievably

“Wouldn’t I? I’m a hurt, desperate man right now and I’ve seen my life line, I’m going to pull on you Kite, you’re either coming down with me or you help me , okay?”

“Have you lost your bloody mind?” She yelled.

“Yes, I’ve lost whatever is left of it!” He yelled back at her “You took what was left and burnt it. I hate you so much right now kite, you wanted me to hurt? You have your wish but you are going to pay, I’m not letting you off just like that.” He gave her a murderous look.

She gave him an incredulous look “You’re crazy , Izu. I wont do it, not in a million years!”

“ You’re sure right?” He gave a bitter laugh “You’re sure that’s your decision?, because If it is, all I need to do is deliver the envelope containing those pictures to the reception.”

She’d paused and was looking at him with a bewildered frown on her face, “You would really do that to me? You would really blackmail me?”

“Yes! I’m hurting too Kite! You got what you desired, I’m hurting but I wont hurt alone, I’ll take you along with me. You are going to do this or I’m going to him with your pictures.”

She shook her head “So, you’re finally unravelling, Izu?” She said quietly, as if just seeing him in a new light “You would really blackmail me? Just yesterday morning you were whispering sweet things to me and now-“

“Oh please, spare me! And how about you? If you had really loved me, you wouldn’t have run into another man’s arms so easily! That only shows you’d been looking for some reason to sleep with him since and once you got it, off you went” He snapped his fingers for effect “So don’t talk to me about love, its not a button you can switch on and off just like that.” Suddenly he felt a moisture coming down his cheeks, his hand went up to it wondering what it was.
Tears! What? He was actually tearing up without knowing it, that was the depth of pain he felt, he’d also been betrayed by the girl whom he’d thought had loved him. He wiped his eyes more angry that he was wasting tears on her.

“You are going to get the money for me, you have three weeks to do it, ten million every week. Cash or otherwise, any week you fall behind, I’ll send a picture every hour, since I have so many!” He laughed, a dark mirthless sound.
She was seated on the bed now, still with that bewildered and hurt expression on her face as she looked at him.
He was done with talking, he would leave her to pack her things and let herself out of the house. “Sweetie, don’t worry your pretty self too much. The money won’t be a problem with your rich boyfriend, you’re a pro at using people so I have faith in you.” He told her as he took his leave. “When you’re done with your things, let your self out, babe!”
She was still on the bed, hadn’t said a thing or moved since, acting stunned. He didn’t believe any of it, Kite could be such an actress, she’d never really loved him anymore since he’d returned. He should have known, it had been in the way she kissed him these days, how she held herself back from him whenever they made out. He was foolish, he should have read the signs.

The tears were coming down freely now, she would pay for making him feel this way. She’d wanted him hurt and she’d succeeded but she’d not counted on him lashing back at her. Well, that was just too bad.
**********