Boma remained silent, thinking she would rather be anywhere than there.
His free finger reached for her cheek, softly caressing it. She resisted the urge to flinch or reject his touch.
"Do you understand me?"
She nodded. "Yes."
He studied her face for a few seconds. She maintained eye contact for those few seconds. At that moment she was lost in the beauty of his eyes. Then she reminded herself that his beauty was just a perfect cover he was blessed with to hide his badass side.
"Tell me something. I mean, tell me the truth, how many boyfriends have you had?"
His question was direct but still plunged her into an ocean of confusion.
As he continued to wait expectantly for her response, she had to answer.
"Many."
She forced a smile. It had been a joke. She didn't even know why she was responding that way. An inner voice told her it was a lame attempt at putting in some confidence. She agreed with the inner voice.
A frown furrowed his brow.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"I cannot count."
"Meaning you've been jumping around?"
She couldn't tell if he was taking her seriously. His tone was not cold, just a bit brash.
His eyes remained focused on hers.
She lowered hers.
"You're asking a personal question."
"Yes. Raise those pretty eyes and answer. No joking this time."
She brought her gaze back up to his.
"Why do you think I am joking?" She asked surprising herself because she was still scared of being in his presence. He was scary.
He smirked at her. "You don't look like that sort of girl."
The smirk disappeared and his daunting look replaced it, keeping her on her toes. When was she not on edge around him anyway?
"Answer the question. I want a number."
"How many girlfriends have you had?"
"You are four, five seconds away from getting a slap. Is that what you want?"
She froze for a few seconds before shaking her head.
"Good. I'm asking the question, not the other way around. Okay?"
She nodded. Then she shook it immediately.
"What was that?"
"No boyfriend."
"Hmm. Since we met, you have been lying to me. I understand your reasons but I want that to end right now that you're out with one truth. Alright?"
"Okay. But how do you know I am telling the truth?"
"Your naivety the first time I kissed you. Yes, you didn't expect it. You didn't want it. Still, I could tell."
Her eyes fell again.
"Mr. Donovan."
"You can call me D."
"D."
"Uh-huh. Look at me, will you?"
She met his gaze again.
"I don't want to be your girlfriend." She said.
His smirk returned. "You think I don't know that already? See, the thing is, I don't care. The choice isn't yours. This is not up for debate. And please-"
His pause caused her a great deal of worry as he took her chin in his hand, pinning her with an austere gaze. "Do not say that again."
Her eyes immediately watered.
"Am I clear?"
She couldn't utter a word, so she nodded and he released her chin.
"What are you going to eat? It's about time we made our order."
She sniffled as her clammy eyes filled and spilled tears. He simply took out a neatly folded handkerchief and dried off her tears.
Then he signaled a waiter and without waiting for her opinion, ordered some Chinese fried rice and peppered chicken.
The aroma of the inviting food hit her nostrils and the sight of it called to her taste buds despite her broken and helpless state.
Still, she managed to compose herself. Yes, with her student allowance, she could not afford such a decent meal. Maybe once a week, but that would mean, she would have to skip breakfast or dinner or both. Her meal for the month had been calculated. Her budget was thin. This should be a treat for her, but because of her situation, she held back her desire.
He picked up his utensils and began to eat.
She folded her arms across her chest and looked away, indicating her disinterest and unhappiness with the situation he was putting her through.
He noticed her resistant mood and proceeded to finish a couple of bites. Afterwards, he set his utensils down, sipped some water, dabbed a serviette over his lips and neatly tucked it beside his plate.
She observed his table manners briefly with interest. How could a rough bad boy have such table etiquette, she wondered.
She became aware of him looking at her, so she set her gaze on the few other guests and students in the restaurant.
"Boma." She heard him say her name, one firm palm, gentle on her shoulder.
She gave him her attention, but said nothing. Her heartbeat was gradually escalating.
"Start eating. And don't let me finish before you."
She froze again, even as he returned to his meal.
She picked up the spoon, ignoring the other utensils. She didn't know how to eat in that cultured manner.
He paused and looked at her. "What are you doing?"
"I want to eat?" Boma's voice sounded unsure because his question confused her.
"You don't know how to use utensils?"
"No."
"You will learn. Because you have to know how, should we attend a function that demands it. Alright?"
He planned to take her to functions? She wondered, but didn't dwell on the thought as he awaited her response.
"Okay." She responded and started eating. She missed this kind of food. She missed it a great deal, so she found herself eating and enjoying it.
She didn't look up from her plate, but just started consuming her meal. And she found, she was not doing so out of the fear of him, but because of hunger. And not just hunger, but hunger for good food. Despite her situation, how could she resist the delicacy before her?
When she finished her food, she realized that Donovan had his eyes on her and had paused his eating.
He must have been watching her for a while.
Donovan didn't understand why he liked watching her eat. He just did.
He couldn't wait to find out more about her, at least from her. His guys did some digging and he had the basic knowledge already about her parents and their residence back in town. They lived not too far from his family home. He wondered why he had never set eyes on her before.
She took a sip of water, embarrassed as he studied her.
"Do you want more?" He asked. "I can make another order."
She was full for now and wished she could ask for a take away so she could store it in the fridge for the next day. That way, she would save her meal money. The school didn't allow cooking in the hostels.
Sometimes, she and Hilda would make noodles using a boiling ring. Sometimes they would make Quaker oats. Then they would spray enough perfume or air freshener to hide the aroma, especially if the warders or porters were around. It was the only meals resembling cooked meals that they could make in the hostel.
She was aware of other girls doing it. And no one ratted anyone out because almost everyone was guilty of the act.
"Do you want more?" He repeated, tearing through her thoughts.
She politely shook her head. "Thanks." She had to have some dignity.
Infact, she would look for some side hustle soon, so she would not suffer lack in the school, or start depending on boys like some girls in the school were doing.
The wonderful meal she had just consumed was enough to set her in a hustling mode.
"Are you sure?" He asked.
"Yes."
"Okay." He said and went back to finishing his meal as she continued sipping water from her glass.
A waiter walked over to their table and cleared it after they were done. He left their waters for them, since they were still drinking.
"Thanks." Boma said to Donovan. She was reluctantly grateful for the meal.
"You're welcome." He replied. "Now, let's move onto romance business." He signaled one of his guys who reached into a back pack and brought a sheet of folded paper to him.
Without opening the note, he handed it over to her. "Go through it. I may leave one or two things out, so the note is better. If you have any questions, feel free to ask." He instructed and lazily sipped his water. He absently switched between observing her and messing with his phone as she went through the note.
Boma was not too shocked or surprised that the note contained the rules he wanted her to follow. He had mentioned it over the phone, so she was somewhat mentally prepared for that.
Still, her heartbeat raced with nerves as she took in his rules with her eyes.
They read-
Lateness is not allowed. ( Example, lateness to dates or meet-ups).
2.No Skipping of Class Without Genuine Reason. Academics is your sole purpose here.
Maintain a C.G.P.A of no less than 3 points. I'm a 4 pointer. My girl must be at least, above average.
She lifted her eyes and stole a fearful look at him as he typed something into his phone. For Heaven's sake, she was an average student, maybe even less than average, hence she was happy with a pass. God, she was in trouble.
"If you're not done, keep reading." He told her without lifting his gaze from his phone and she went back to taking in his dreadful rules.
Boma's eyes lingered on the last line of the rule she had just read - My girl must be at least, above average.It increased her anxiety. She managed to control herself as her eyes traveled down to continue reading.3.No unnecessary closeness with any guy. No flirting either.No clubbing or partying without my knowledge or permission.If you're traveling for the weekend to be with your family, I must be aware.Don't even think of bagging an extra year in school. That means you can't fail an exam. Consider a C score, a fail. I will go through your test and examination results.She slowly lifted her gaze and stole a glance at him. He was relaxed on the chair and engaged with his phone.Unexpectedly, he lifted his eyes and met hers. She returned hers to the rules and continued reading.All-night reading at the theater is highly prohibited. Do your reading at the library or in your room.Wear your ring at all times, especially around campus. That is one error you want to pray that you ne
The kiss went on for a few more seconds. Boma didn't know how long she could keep still under his arousing onslaught. She could barely move, anyway. He had her immobile.Donovan had no intentions of letting her go until he got what he wanted. A small moan of surrender escaped her lips and when he heard it, he released her with satisfaction. That was what he had been waiting for.She looked at him with dazed eyes again, her breathing fast from being thoroughly kissed.She set her eyes on his chest, her face colored with embarrassment."Are you a virgin?" He asked, wanting verbal confirmation.She started to nod, decided against it, and stayed silent."I asked you a question."Her eyes remained on his chest."Do not make me repeat myself."She snapped out of her silence and nodded."I want words.""Yes.""Hmm. Even though I suspected correctly, it's still a bit surprising in this era. Nonetheless, I like it."She didn't say anything. She pressed her lips together, wishing she was anywhe
As he caressed her hand, she held her breath. She could feel her hands trembling in his."I've told you to relax," he said, his eyes fixed on the road."I am relaxed," she replied."You're not. I can feel your hand shaking. Relax. I won't hurt you. Never without reason."He squeezed her hand gently in his palm. It felt warm and pleasing. It helped her let go of some jitters."That's it. Relax." He encouraged. Then he raised her hand to his lips and kissed it before releasing her.She immediately covered it with her right hand again."Is there something on your mind that you will like to share?""No.""Is there something you need to tell me?""No.""Okay. Perhaps, it's something you need to confess?"She have him a furtive glance, wondering if he already knew and was just acting like he didn't. She didn't believe he knew. With his temper, he wouldn't be sounding this cool if that was the case."Nothing." She said."Hmm. Okay."She held onto her stand. It would be bad to draw attention
After a few seconds of silence, her fear prompted her to voice her immediate concern."Please- D, please where are we going?""You'll return to your hostel in the morning. Don't worry. Tomorrow is a lecture-free day, so congratulations on picking the right time to test me.""I didn't mean to lie." Her words came out in a rush due to her heightened state of anxiety."Oh, now she admits the truth." He said mindlessly. "How honorable. I'm impressed.""I won't do it again." She fervently promised."Yeah. After I'm done with you." He declared.Her mouth began working a mile a minute to explain herself."Please, I'm sorry. I forgot the ring on my bed. I was going to wear it before getting out but I was running late and forgot it in my haste. It wasn't intentional.""A point one's girl must always wear her ring. You need that driven into you.""No. Please, it won't happen again." She pleaded. "I promise it won't." God, she was so scared."You're right, it won't. " His tone was uncompromising
After shedding tears for a while, Boma managed to put herself together and sat down on the immaculately tiled floor. It felt cold because of the air-conditioning.At the same time, the burning ache on her bum intensified, so she quickly rose to her feet.Her eyes scanned the ornately decorated bedroom. She was looking for nothing in particular. She had nothing to do and had no choice but to observe her environment.Nothing in the fancy decor interested her. She wanted to return to her hostel but she knew she was stuck there. Slowly, she let herself wander around the room.She saw his engineering kits stacked neatly on a large table. She saw his books occupying a shelf with enough room left for more books.She saw his timetable plastered on the wall before his reading table.She saw pictures of him posing with his friends on the wall. She saw a family portrait with him, a little girl and boy of about 10 who had his eyes and a pretty girl around her age. This one had brown eyes. They m
Donovan watched her, observing her fear as he kept beckoning her forward."Boma," he said. "Yes." "Come here." Boma remained still, frozen by fear. "I said come here." He beckoned her again. "Are you angry?" She could not tell. A dark glint in his eyes made her suspect that he was angry.The confusion scared her more than the assurance. It would have been better if he was clearly showing his anger. At least, that way, she would have an idea of what to expect. "I'm not angry. Just come closer." He urged. "Come on, scoot yourself forward." She shook her head. "I didn't mean to say- I didn't mean to say what I just said." "Draw closer, Boma. Don't make me repeat that." His tone was stern now. She carefully scooted herself close to him, struggling to control a threatening uprising storm of jitters. "Now, repeat what you just said to me a few seconds ago." "I said that... that if you're free to see others, then I am also free to...to do the same." she stuttered. "I see. And her
His lips met her neck, kissing, sucking, and licking. His fingers gently caressed her ears. To her surprise, she started to feel pleasant feelings dancing across her skin.He gently nipped the skin of her neck with his teeth and a soft moan escaped her lips.Before she could dwell on the shame that flooded her as a result of the moan, he claimed her lips with a kiss.She clamped her mouth shut, pressing her lips together to fight off his kiss. His mouth came to her ear immediately and his hoarse voice filled her ear with a whisper. "I don't expect you to respond to my kiss. After all, you've not even known how to kiss, but I expect you to keep your lips steady and available for me. Do it now."She obeyed and released her lips. "Good girl." He praised and claimed it again with a gentle kiss. He gently nipped at her bottom lip, brushing his lips against hers, teasing the surface with his lips until finally, he invaded and started exploring her lips with his tongue, stopping when a slig
He left her in the room and she lay tensed up on the bed, expecting his return. As time went forward with no sign of his return she managed to fall asleep.She woke up in the morning to his hand caressing her face."Good morning, sleepy head." He greeted, sounding good-natured."Good morning." She responded, not returning the favor. She knew she sounded begrudging. He didn't seem to mind as he kissed her forehead."Get up. You need to prepare for breakfast.""I need to go home.""Home or hostel?" He asked."Hostel.""Good. Your hostel is not your home.""I know, but that's my home here.""Don't we all feel that way?""So it's not a problem if I call it home, right? Since you agree with me?""No, it's not. But I got what I wanted. You fell into conversation mode."Her brows furrowed at his jibe and he smirked at her and she took the moment to observe he was wearing a night robe over his PJs because of the cold."I want to go home." She declared and gasped as he pulled her up roughly t