AMBER ROMANCE

AMBER ROMANCE

WHEN THE HEART KNOWS

CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR


“What’s so funny” Uche asked puzzled
“Your friends, they are so unpredictable, especially Stanley he is so naughty” she laughed
He smiled at her “Naughty but good, I hope he ties the knot this time around”
“Is he seriously dating someone?” she asked
“Hard to believe but he is dating my receptionist, they seem serious. He brought her to my wedding. That looks like a sign” he explained leaning back. “But as you said my friends are very unpredictable and Stanley is a typical player”
“Just like you” Nma wanted to say but caught herself in time. “Where are we heading? She asked instead
“I thought we should stay the night at one of our hotels, it is our honey moon after all and a honeymoon suite has been prepared for us”
“Uche this is not a real wedding, it is a sham, why do we need honeymoon suite”
“I thought you understood the man at the court. Open your eyes babe; this is as real it can ever get”
“The circumstance we got married under…”
“The fact still remains that we are now husband and wife and I will demand and have all my conjugal rights. So don’t start getting funny ideas”
She stared at him, what was going on? She knew all along that he wasn’t getting married to her because he couldn’t bear being separated from her.  But it didn’t lessen the pain of finally accepting that he married her to get what he had set out for in the first place, her virginity. The thought alone was chilling and scary but she was not going to go down without a fight. She vehemently vowed
“How am I supposed to get ready for my show, my bag and clothes are all in your house?
“You will have time enough, your exhibition is in the evening and it is not as if we are miles away”
She kept quiet and watched as they drove into the five star hotels. A door man opened the door for them ushered them into the hotel.
“Congratulation sir” the man greeted them. It was the same greeting they got as they walked through the hotel and into their suite, a cold shiver ran through her spine and it dawned on her what was going to take place here. Nervously she turned to Uche; he was tipping the bell boy who had carried their luggage. As soon as the boy left she glared at him.
“Uche what is the meaning of all these? She asked angrily “Is it not bad enough that we have to come here and stay when this is not a real marriage, do you have to deck the whole place up as if we are still in love?”
Uche’s eyes lazily followed the deck up from the flower filled and scented room to the Champaign sitting in a bucket of ice, to the dinner waiting in silver dishes and complete with candle light. Yes, he agreed, she was right the place was meant for newly married couple who are in love. But he did it because he was hoping that they would recapture the love they once shared. He looked at her angry face and answered “it is our honeymoon we have always wanted it be like this”
“That was before…when I was in love with you” she shouted at him
“So you are saying you are no longer in love” asked Uche calmly.
“If you really love me in the least way, you would not have helped me without blackmailing me into this marriage” she said in a whisper
“Maybe one day I would explain it to you and you would understand but right now I would just be wasting my time”
“…because you know I won’t listen to any more lies from you!”  She shouted and ran towards the bedroom but she stopped when she opened the door. What greeted her eyes was a big double bed with pure white satin sheets. There were rose petals scattered all over the top of the bed. She stood there transfixed and watching dumbfounded.
“The dinner is getting cold, you should use the bathroom” he touched her and she jumped away from him looking at him with wide confused eyes.
“I won’t do anything you don’t want to do, but let us at least pretend for this single night that we are happy as happy as we once were. I’ll sleep here in the living room, you can have the bedroom” he smiled to reassure her “but hurry up, the dinner is getting cold and I am hungry”
“Promise me you won’t touch me, not tonight, not ever”
He could see the fright in her eyes and his heart went out to her. “I promise I won’t touch you tonight or ever unless you want me to”
Reassured she walked into the bathroom to take her bath, she sat beside the bath tub running the bath, a light tap came on the door and Uche came in bearing an overnight bag in his arms, “I guess you’d be needing this, Tessy helped me pack it” he dropped the bag and left.
After that Nma took her time in taking her bath trying to calm her nerves. Then she realized that she was more afraid of losing everything to him than she was angry with him for setting all these up. Already she has lost her heart and mind and her body was the only part of her she could still call her own, she thought. Who was she kidding, she lost her body a long time, if she didn’t ever sleep with him, then she would die a virgin. She could never bear the thought of being touched by another man. The thought was not a satisfying one, she reasoned as she came out from the bathtub and began to dry herself.
She brought out the only clothing in the bag and shook it out. It was a white night gown. Where did Tessy get this? She asked herself puzzled and her eyes widened as she saw the style of the gown. How could Tessy do this to her? She asked, how was she supposed to wear this before Uche after all she had said to him? She wore the night gown experimentally and faced the mirror, she wouldn’t. She couldn’t possibly wear this before Uche. She turned and looked at pure white silk gown. The slit at both sides ended at her hips and it dipped so low at the back that it left nothing to be imagined. Her worst problem was the front; it was made of lace and bared all. Where did Tessy get this? This wasn’t one of her design, though she seemed to recognize Helen style in the design. There was no way she was going to wear this.
“I can’t” she said aloud, shaking her head. And it had no coat to cover it. Well face it, a voice said in her mind, it is either you go back to Uche in your wedding gown or wear this. Wouldn’t it be childish and ridiculous if she came out in her wedding gown? As she was thinking a bang came on the door, Uche was growing impatient.
“It is time you come out, you know I am not going to jump you and besides you can’t hide in there forever” he shouted through the closed door.
Reluctantly she opened the door and stepped out in the night gown. “I wasn’t hiding” she snapped at him to cover her embarrassment and walked straight to the table set for two without waiting to see his reaction.
Uche gaped at her, he was dumbfounded. This woman was really out to torment him, he thought. Was this her way of punishing him for forcing her into marriage? How was he supposed to keep his hands off her when she was wearing that that flimsy excuse for a night gown? Dazed he went to sit opposite her and that didn’t help at all because through the lacy cup of the night gown, he could see everything. He prayed for strength but he wondered how his prayers were going to be answered with the kinds of thoughts that were going through his mind. Didn’t she realize what a bundle of temptation she was to any warm blooded man and here she was wearing practically nothing and expecting him to be a saint.
Nma ate in silence, the food was quite delicious but in her mouth it tasted like dust, she prayed for time to fly so she could escape to the sanity of the bedroom.
When they were done with eating, Uche took her hands and led her to the couch where he opened the Champaign. It was a non alcoholic brand, she didn’t take alcohol and he knew it. She watched as he poured the wine, she was mesmerized by the mood. It was complimented by the sound of soft love song coming from the musical set. How was she going to say no to him if he made a move towards her, not when she had to link her hands together to keep them from reaching out towards him? She wanted relax on his body, she wanted close her eyes and feel his heart beat with his powerful hands around her. How she wished she hadn’t gone to his house and found him with Angela? This could have still been the honeymoon of her dreams. She could hardly control her overactive imagination which has been conjuring pictures of what it would feel like to be loved by him. Without being aware of what she was doing, she raised her cup as Uche made a toast.
“For us tonight and ever” he toasted and she echoed him and sipped from her cup. She smiled boldly at her husband who was looking breathtaking handsome. How did she ever think she would be able to resist him, when she was dying with disappointment at the thought that he might stay true to his promise. He only needed to look at her as he was doing to melt all her defenses if she had any left.
“It would be a waste not to dance to this song, it happens to be my favorite” it was another of west Life songs. It was also her favorite from their latest album. He stood up and offered her his hands. And she put her hands in his and stood up. As they danced, the lyrics of the music wafted from the set and sipped into their bone marrow. Uche said a silent thank you to west life for helping him to say the very word he couldn’t say but wanted desperately to say because he wanted Nma to hear. As the music expressed his feelings, he drew her closer into his hands, she tightened her hands around his neck and he felt her shiver from the sheer closeness and he couldn’t resist planting a kiss on her head and her neck, instinctively she raised her face for his kiss. He couldn’t hold himself back, at the back of his mind was the promise he made to her, and he didn’t want her to wake up beside him in the morning with anger and hatred but she wasn’t helping at all as she raised her lips for his kiss and he couldn’t resist. As he placed his lips against hers, they both sighed with pleasure simultaneously and he kissed like he had never before. And just then the music changed to Whitney Houston “HOLD U” so he remembered, Nma thought, she had always wanted to play this song on her wedding night and she sighed her pleasure as the kiss continued. All thoughts of why Uche shouldn’t touch her flew out of her mind. How could she not want this? She reasoned and when he lifted her in hands and started striding towards the bedroom not one single protest escaped her mouth. Not even when he laid her down on the white satin bed covered with red rose petals but she knew a moment of panic then but it was momentarily, this was her husband and she wanted him and there was no way she was going to deny herself. She watched impatiently as Uche joined her on the bed and all her reasoning ability went to the winds.

Nma woke up in stages; she felt Uche’s hands tighten around her waist and that brought her back to the events of the past day. She was now Mrs. Okoha, Uche’s wife and this was her honeymoon. Last night came back to her, she couldn’t count how many times his searching hands woke her during the night. What beautiful experiences it was, she sighed with smile. It was everything she had imagined. The gentle way he had loved her, taking his time to please her without frightening her and drawing her out of her shy inhibition to match his pace. She could still remember his passion laden deep voice as he told her
“I will hurt you only this first time and never again” she smiled happily, thinking how lucky she was to be his wife. She wondered if she pleased him as well. She was shy and nervous the first time but thinking of the things she had done subsequently out of her own volition, she cringed inside.
She never knew she was that passionate, she never knew this wild side of her nature until last night with her husband. Without meaning to, she began to feel jealous of all the other women who had been touched by him. Those women who must have felt the way she was feeling now, like Heaven was breath away. She remembered Angela and the satisfied look she saw in her eyes that morning and her happiness crumbled.
Angela was the only other woman she knew who must have felt like singing just like the way she was feeling now, she thought hurt and angry. She looked at herself lying naked beside Uche who was sleeping soundly; he looked relaxed and a bit exhausted. She remembered Angela telling her how virile he was and how high his libido was and she sighed in shame. Angela couldn’t have known unless from experience and experience has shown her that indeed Angela was right.  And she wondered angrily what happened to her resolve not to let things come to this.
Then she remembered the sophisticated way he had seduced her with wine, flowers, good food and soft music after he had promised he wouldn’t touch her. Angrily she slowly removed his hands from her waist and stood up; she picked up his robe from the floor and belted it around her. She walked over to the window feeling like a fool. He once told her that if he wanted to sleep with her, he only needed to use his experience to overwhelm her and get her to do what he wanted her to do and the fool she was she fell for it, but never again she vowed. But could she honestly say it was entirely his fault? She reasoned. She wanted to be loved by him desperately and he didn’t have a prayer not with that night gown. She had thoroughly enjoyed it and still wanted to be with him again, her eyes widened in surprise at the thought of still wanting him. she was not in denial that she loved him and wanted him but she didn’t want to make it easy for him after he cheated with Angela and didn’t have the guts to own up to it. It would be after he had owned up to his sins that she would give in to her own desires and passion to make love to him once again.
She felt a gentle pressure on her shoulders “Good morning” Uche breathed drawing her into his arms. Without meaning to she relaxed on body and sighed with pleasure, enjoying the warmth and comfort his body represented.
“Did you sleep well?” he asked
“I can’t say for sure, someone woke me up every time I tried aside from that it was wonderful”
Uche turned her around and peered into her face as if to make sure she was alright. Nma smiled up at him a bit shy with his intense gaze and he smiled relieved and then he kissed her softly and slowly deepened the kiss. She was lost again and she gave herself up to the pure pleasure she was feeling inside. He loosened the robe and kept kissing her. “Come back to bed” he urged her in a whisper.
At that instant reality set in and she remembered what she had vowed to do, never to give in to her desire of being held in his hands again till he proves to her that he wouldn’t cheat on her again.
“No I don’t think so” she replied and stopped kissing him.
Taken aback, he asked “Why?”
“I don’t have the time, I need to get to my boutique very early this morning” she turned away from him and began walking towards the bathroom.
“But the sun hasn’t risen yet it is not even day” his words stopped her and she stood at the bathroom backing him turgidly, you have to be strong, she said to herself. Don’t allow your treacherous body or the love you have for him to bring you down.
“There is still time but I don’t want to waste it lazing in bed with you. I have better things to do with my time” and she walked into the bathroom, leaving him there standing with awe.
Uche sat down hurt and angry. It was no use, he told himself. It was high time he stopped loving this woman. She was never going to love him or forgive, he thought. Who was he kidding, did she ever loved him at all, if she did, she would have believed him that he never cheated on her and she wouldn’t ever say things that would bleed his heart. Never again would he open himself to be hurt by her action. End of fantasy it was high time he took some serious decisions. He was ending the marriage, he would not take this anymore. He wondered what he did to deserve this uncaring woman who didn’t understand the meaning love. If you love somebody, you would not deliberately hurt that person, he thought. Nma didn’t love him and he would never live with a woman who didn’t. But you forced her to marry you, a voice taunted inside his head. He stopped and considered that and brushed it aside, it was obvious to everyone that he loved her. Though he forced her to marry him, it was so they could be together and learn to trust each other but he was through loving her if he wanted some peace.
Nma came out of the bathroom in her wedding attire, Uche was already dressed in wedding trouser but he rolled up the shirt revealing powerful biceps. At that moment she wanted him more than any other thing in the world and regretted her earlier attitude and decision. She has been censuring herself since then. She took a deep breath and walked to him to apologize. He raised his face when he heard her and the anger she saw in them shocked her and she stopped in her tracks.
“Breakfast has been served that if you have enough time for it” he added sarcastically
“Are you not hungry?” she asked quietly, searching for the opportunity to apologize and breakfast seemed a good one.
“what would you care if I was, all that matters to you is your show, you even got married to a man you didn’t care for just for it” he told her “And don’t ever make it look as if I seduced you because you would have given it as a price for your show if I had asked”
“Uche…I…” she began
“Please” he cut in “If we can hurry through this breakfast thing, we have wasted enough time as it is” he walked away into the living room.
She stood there perplexed and confused, she tried to blink back her tears “what have I done?” she cried silently. She had never seen him like this before. “I have chased him away but oh... she gasped for breath. How were they going to live together after this, or has he decided against that too. How could she have been so stupid, without this man her life would come to nothing, without him there will be no her. Now she had gone and blown up the only chance at happiness they had. Feeling hurt and dejected she left the bedroom. She found Uche facing the window and nursing a mug in his hands. She was torn between going to him and not going to him. This was a side of him she had never seen before. Where did the besotted guy go?  This Uche standing there would not listen to her, she thought. She would wait for a more convenient time to talk to him. With that decision she surveyed the contents of the tray with little interest and no appetite rather she poured herself a mug of chocolate drink. As she drank she watched his rigid posture and wondered if it would not be too late if she left off talking to him till later. She took a deep breath and approached him. He didn’t acknowledge her presence but she was determined to talk.
“Uche…” she waited for him to turn but when he didn’t, she continued. “I am sorry I talked that way, I wasn’t thinking at all”
Slowly he turned and walked over to table to drop his mug, only then did he look at her and she was frightened by the lack of emotions in his eyes. “I am sure you were thinking of your exhibition, I won’t keep another minute” he picked up the car keys
“I…just….
“Please I have things to do, things I have neglected these past days chasing shadows”
“I know I have hurt you, please forgive me. I wasn’t only thinking…” she began
“I am sure you were also thinking of how expertly I used your body but I assure you that as desirable as you are, you won’t find me camping outside your room, you are free of my unwanted attention, and shall we leave”
She had to blink back her surprise and she stood up after that “I’ll get my bags” she started towards the bedroom.


If you love this blog, subscribe to it, add me on google+ or in ur circle. share on Facebook, Twitter, bbm etc, tell some one about it today. 

Thanks so much for reading