The Marriage Ultimatum – 19

Dominic could not comprehend the quiet contentment that had been cursing through him the last couple of days. Once he’d realised that in his heart he believed Kaine incapable of cheating on him, a quiet peace had slid into him and with it a tender renewed passion to win her over and make her completely his.

He’d always, from the moment they’d gotten to Lagos after their wedding, enjoyed her company but now he found himself yearning for the close of his working day when he would go back home to her and spend time with her. Even without s3x yet in their relationship, he felt a closeness to her that surprised him. He’d never felt that kind of closeness to anyone, not to anyone outside of his family, and not even in the manner he felt it towards her.

It surprised him. Sometimes worried him but he couldn’t help it and wasn’t entirely sure he wanted to do anything to help an emotion that kind of fulfilled him. He was longing to make love to her though. That was another thing he couldn’t help and didn’t want to help. He wanted to have a taste of her beyond kisses. Sometimes he was almost tempted to push her—to seduce her into yielding to him. He didn’t doubt that he could. He’d done it before. But he wanted Kaine to come to him willingly. That need sprang from that inexplicable feeling he was beginning to have towards her.

He will have her soon though, of that he was certain. He could see the passion growing in her eyes. Daily they were becoming more glaring, more potent. Soon, she will succumb to it and to her powerful attraction for him.

Positive and suddenly eager to be on their way, he strolled out of the closet room to find her ready and smiling in a brown, button-up print dress, flat-soled shoes and an over-night suitcase in her right hand. Her hair was pulled up and away from her face and neck. She had barely any makeup on and was the picture of innocence and tempting femininity.

“I see you’re ready, minha querida.” He said, coming towards her. He wanted to taste her glossed-up lips.

“I am.” She said, her eyes widening when he raised his hand and framed her face.

“We will have us a good time that I can promise you. It’s a pity I have to attend a meeting first and won’t be able to pay attention to you once we get there.” He caressed her cheek.

“I don’t mind. I’ll be fine on my own until you are true with your meeting.”

He saw the anticipation in her eyes. She knew he was going to kiss her and she wanted it. That kindled his desire for her and he leaned down and kissed her, a deep slightly possessive stroke. She leaned into him and responded with the quiet eagerness she did these days. The temptation to linger, to push, tugged but he let it slid off as he pushed back.

“Maybe we shall have better than a good time.” He decided.

“I hope so.” She responded, her voice husky.

He smiled. “Then let’s not waste further time.” He took her suitcase from her and waited as she walked back to the bed to retrieve her handbag. “After my, my sweet wife.” He gave a flourish bow which got a girly giggle out of her.

Downstairs, Mia, Catia and a grinning Tobi bouncing in his grandmother’s arms were waiting to bid them goodbye.

“You two have all the fun you can.” Mia instructed as she kissed them both soundly. “And you make sure you don’t allow that meeting to take up all the time. A good husband must always keep his wife a priority.”

“Kaine is always my priority, Mama, you need not remind me. Which is why we must go if I’m to have a little time with her before I get into the conference meeting.” Dominic pulled Kaine forward, impatient to leave.

“Mama, if Tobi is restless for me and can’t sleep…” Kaine began.

“Oh, shush with you, girl!” Mia shut her off. “The little boy can spend a night or two without you. And don’t you two hurry back. Take a few days extra if you like. We’ll all be just fine over here, you hear me?”

“We just might do that.” Dominic grinned, helping Kaine into the backseat of the Mercedes even as Jamar took her suitcase from him to go put it in the trunk.

“Oh, but I only brought along just three change of clothes.” Kaine protested.

“A wife don’t need clothes on when on romantic trip with her husband.” Talkative Catia parroted.

“Catia!”

Kaine’s shocked exclamation was drowned by Dominic’s and Mia’s laughter.

“She’s right, you know.” Dominic teased as they went down the driveway. “If we were in Brazil and on a beach, we might not bother with clothes at all.”

“I’ll always bother with clothes no matter where I am.” She retorted primly.

He grinned. “I know. That is what makes it so much fun to tease you.” Then because the thought just struck him, he said seriously. “We could travel to Brazil as soon as I can get away, you know. Or maybe to Paris… the city of lovers.” He sent her a wink. “Or we could take a European tour, stopping in all the great cities in Europe and all of that. What do you think?”

“I think I will like that.” Her smile was a little shy though.

“Then we will do it.” He took her hand and entwined it with his own. “I’ll start working on my schedule to make time for this. There are so many beautiful places to see, querida, and I want to see them with you.”

“You must have seen many of these places.” She murmured.

“I have. But I want to see them again with you.” He stroked the back of her hand with a finger, felt her involuntary quiver. “Mama was right; you’re now my priority and will always be.”

For the briefest second her hand went immobile in his, then she looked at him and smiled. “I hope so, Nick. For you too are now my priority.”

Something moved in him and he lifted their joined hands and kissed the back of her own. “You don’t know how much it gladdens me to hear you say that, querida.” And because the temptation to lean in and kiss her lips was so great and he knew how that will embarrass her with Jamar present in front, he adjusted in his seat and changed the topic to something more mundane.

Jamar dropped them off at the airport and they boarded their flight. Within the next fifty minutes, they were exiting the airport in Sal and getting behind the chauffeur-driven vehicle that had been pre-arranged. They checked into their room and with promises to return soon, he left her to attend his conference at another hotel.

Dominic spent the next three and half hours, struggling to keep his concentration and not allow his growing impatience to show. He felt so distracted as his thoughts kept returning again and again to Kaine. Finally, the meeting came to an end and after necessary pleasantries with Participants, he rushed off and got back into the car, instructing the chauffeur to drive back to their hotel.

He found her watching her usual English channel. “I’m sorry, I took so long and left you here bored stiff all by yourself, querida.” He apologised, dropping down beside her and giving her a quick kiss.

She smiled at him. “You didn’t take too long. And I wasn’t even bored. I went out and took a personal tour of the hotel and even browsed its stores. I just came back only minutes back. So, you don’t need to apologise.”

“I’m glad you found some form of entertainment.” He gave her another light kiss. “But I’m here now and with nothing more stealing my attention away, so unless you’re really into this movie, I suggest we take advantage of the remaining part of the day and see something of this beautiful Island.”

“No, I’m not into the movie, so we can go.” She got up. “Let me just slip on my shoes. Or do I need to change into something else?”

He shook his head. “You look beautiful as you are. But it is I who must take off this stuffy suit and wear something simpler.”

He changed into a Polo shirt and jeans trousers and they left.

Dominic took her everywhere time could permit. From the beautiful coastline beaches to spectacular arrays of shops, bars and restaurants and then they made stopovers at glamorous hotels. Through all of these, Kaine, obviously charmed by the unspoilt natural beauty of the Island, chatted happily by his side and even eagerly bought a couple of trinkets he’d pointed out.

Back at their hotel, Dominic found he didn’t want the day or the fun to be over, so he suggested dinner out in the hotel’s beautiful restaurant. She agreed without argument. And after they both bathed and changed, he led her down to their dinner date.

“I love that soft music playing in the background.” Kaine said, as they lingered over their dessert. Neither of them in hurry to end the lovely night apparently. “It is kind of soulful, yet captivating.”

“Do you want to dance?” He wanted her in his arms.

“Here? Before all these people?”

Dominic chuckled at her mildly horrified expression. “There are two couples already dancing over there, so it won’t be strange if we do too.”

She cast a glance over her shoulders at the couples dancing with their arms about one another close to the singer and the pianist. “Ah… I don’t know how to dance like that.” She prevaricated, returning her gaze on him.

Dominic knew she was only making excuses. Maybe she didn’t really know how to dance to waltz, but he sensed she mostly didn’t want to dance with people around. Or was it that she didn’t want to dance with him? The thought brought with it an indistinct sting of jealousy but he squashed it and re-focused on her.

“I can show you. It’s not hard… quite easy as a matter of fact. As this is not a dancing school and we are not professionals, we are allowed to improvise.” He curved his mouth in a tantalizing smile. “Want to go back to our room and have that dance you promised me just days back, querida?”

She bit her lower lip, hesitated and then finally smiled. “Yes, let’s go back to our room. But I warn you that I’m bound to steps all over your toes with this close-body dance steps.”

“Then it will be my pleasure to have you step all over my toes, querida.” He chuckled, gesturing to the waiter for their bill.

Her hands were faintly jittery in his as they entered their room. He knew she was nervous and something told him it wasn’t just the anticipated dance that was making her nervous. The atmosphere between them had changed all through their dinner. The all-gaiety, chatty mood that had accompanied them all through their Island tour had given way to an ambiance buzzing with a perceptible s3xual undertone. They couldn’t keep their eyes of each other for longer than a minute and the air around them seemed to cackle with the sizzles of the passion that was smouldering inside them.

“I think I saw just the right music for this earlier.” He said walking to where the television and DVD player were standing. He found the CD he wanted, slid it in and clicked play.

A song, almost akin to the one being played in the restaurant, filtered out.

Dominic turned and walked back to her. “Will you dance with me, minha querida?” He asked, opening his arms to her.

She nodded, smiling as she moved forward and held out her right hand. He placed his right hand on the small of her back and joined his other hand with her own. “Move your left foot first, while I move my right.” She did and he moved with her. “Then moved the other. Do a one-two-three count and return.”

“Maybe it’s easier than I thought.” She murmured as their feet started to flow in unison to the music a few minutes later.

“I told you it wasn’t hard and we can even improvise.” He pulled her closer and fitted her against his body, guiding her hand to his shoulder. “We don’t have to stand so afar off. We can stay close to each other. I always want you close.” He lowered his head to the crook of her neck and breathed in her scent. “I’ve been wanting you this close all day long. Even at the conference I couldn’t stop thinking about you.”

“I thought about you too.” Even though her heart was beating fast against his chest, her voice was steady. “You are always in my thoughts, Nick.”

“As you are always in mine.” He pushed back a little and looked down at her face. The desire he could feel from her slightly quivering body was reflected in her eyes. “I’ve been longing to feel your lips again all evening.”

“Me too.” She whispered.

The artless confession inflamed his desire, Dominic let out a soft groan and bent his head to take her lips. He kissed her slowly, tenderly, soaking in the taste of her and giving her a taste of himself. She moaned, softly, long and whispery. And the sheer pleasure of her response drove him insane.

“Minha querida.” He murmured against her mouth.

When her response was another moan, he kissed her again, prodding open her lips this time and delving inside. He flicked his tongue along hers, trailing the tip of his own with hers. And when she let out a deep groan and her hands dug into his side, he tilted his head and deepened the kiss.

He kissed her with a fervency he hadn’t before. His entire body was throbbing with mad need for her. His mouth couldn’t get enough of her as it explored her own. He wanted her—all of her.

“Oh caro… minha querida, I can’t even begin to put into words how much I want you.” He murmured against her mouth, pressing the evidence of his need throbbing hard between his legs against her. “Let me have you, querida. Please, let me have you. Don’t say no this time.”

“Yes.”

The single syllable word came after the briefest hesitation and it surprised him. He hadn’t been expecting it… at least not without further cajoling. He had been prepared to beg—to seduce—but she’d simply given in. Surrendering to the tripled desire that the pleasant surprise elicited, he covered her mouth again and kissed with all the passion that had been building and boiling inside him since their wedding night.

Then needing to satisfy the hunger that was roaring in his groin, he pushed out of her gripping arms and proceeded to undress her. His fingers were quivering yet full of tenderness as they loosened the knotted belt that held together her cobalt-blue wrap dress. Belt off, the dress tilted of her shoulders and slid to the floor.

“Beautiful.” He murmured at the sight of her full, firm breasts filling-out with pride the ocean-blue lace bra.

Her mouth quivered with an uncertain smile and she slid out her tongue to lick her lower lip. The gesture sent a punch of need into his groin. “Querida, you slay me.” He groaned. And not wanting to wait any longer, he tugged of his shirt and his trousers.

When his boxer shorts came off, his eyes were on her and he saw the quick wonder before her mouth rounded and she whispered. “Oh my!”

Dominic grinned. He was man enough to delight in that expression of awe. He knew himself to be well-endowed but having her express, with no pretence whatsoever, her awe delighted him.

He moved closer and drew her to him. As their bodies touched, hers trembled. “I will give you pleasure you will never forget, querida.” Dominic promised, kissing her neck and shoulder before bending swiftly to lift her into his arms and carrying to the bed.

He gave her another long kiss before unclipping her bra and sliding off her panties. Then for a long moment he simply gloried in the sight of her gorgeous naked body. Her nipples were taut as strings and as enticing as ripened fruit. He stretched forward his hand and teased one dark brown nipple. She moved her body, as if tingled, but her eyes burning with passion remained locked unflinchingly with his. He cupped the pulsing mound, enclosing the round fullness in his palms before he gently squeezed.

Her moan came this time and he felt the vibration of her body. Lowering his head, he closed his mouth over the other nipple, himself groaning when her hands gripped to his side in a sudden convulsive movement. He teased, sucked and bit gently. Then unable to resist, he let go off the left breast and trailed down his hand until he found her already wet centre and slid a finger inside.

She gasped. He felt the shock and the instant stiffness. He raised his head to look at her. Her eyes met his, lust, bliss, flickers of awe shone in their dark brown depth. Dominic became lost. He’d never seen such mix of innocence and passion.

“Oh querida, how much I want you…need you.” His desire burned hotter at the sight of her own. He wanted to lose himself in her—to have her lose herself in him.

She stared into his eyes for a moment, then she raised her hand and touched his face with almost-shy tenderness. “I love you, Nick.”

The simple confession left him momentarily stunned. But when he saw the truth of it blazing from her eyes, Dominic exclaimed. “Meu amor!” And gathered her into his arms, kissing her with unrestrained passion.

When their needs could no longer be satisfied by the pleasures of their hands, mouths and tongues, Dominic heaved up her hips and guiding his throbbing shaft, slid into her. Her gasp rumbled against his mouth even as her entire body tensed. He felt the breaking of the unexpected hymen and even in his own shock, he was too driven by his own passion and desire for completion to withdraw, so he plunged on.

**TRANSLATION: Meu amor—my love.**