After eating all that we could fit in, I asked, “What are we going to do with all of this stuff, Azmir?” He wiped his mouth, indicating he was done as well. “I can’t believe I cooked all of this food. What a waste of your money. I’m sorry,” I sighed, now feeling even more frustrated with myself. “If you can tell me who to write the check to, I’ll pay for the next round of groceries.”
Azmir didn’t speak as he reached for the wall phone from his seat and dialed a few numbers. I waited, wondering what in the world was he thinking about instead of the wastage issue at hand. “Yeah, Manny. I don’t know who’s all on duty, but Rayna has cooked for an army and there’s a feast in my kitchen for anyone interested. Yeah. I’ll leave the door unlocked…help yourselves. Just lock up when you’re all done. Yeah. No problem. Indeed.” Azmir ended the call.
I waited for his next set of instructions. I felt so fragile. Like a trained dog, I was afraid to move out of turn. Azmir could sense it, as his next words were, “Next is a hot warm bath for the morning beauty.” Huhn? That was unexpected. His tone was firm, but his direction was endearing. His eyes bore into mine as he uttered, “I’ve desecrated your body. My Neanderthal behavior over the past fourteen hours were brutal. I need to make nice with your heart as well. I can’t have your mind and body’s natural inclination not yielding to me after recent activities. I need to care for you.”
My cheeks heated up and I slowly dropped my eyelids. Even after sleeping with Azmir for months, I am still taken by his attentiveness to my body. Yes, he’s handled me with little care, but the more I think about him branding me with his creamy essence, the less angry I feel. I’m not sure if that was his intent, to make it another sexual excursion in our relationship. But I’m secretly—and surprisingly—turned on every time I think about his scorching liquids against my skin. Does this make me sick?
“I won’t do that again…unless you ask me to,” Azmir’s stern tone interrupted my ruminative thoughts. My eyes rose to meet his knowing gaze.
“Wha-huhn?” I felt my heartbeat increase and my mouth went dry, immediately embarrassed by the prospect of him reading my thoughts, something he’s done accurately in the past.
“It was not intended to please you, rather to level you and to serve as a reminder as to who you belong to. I was extremely…irate and acted with very little thought, but there was rationale. I’m sure you were affected by it. But if you liked it, maybe it’s something we can do again…only under better circumstances.” His penetrative gaze seared me. My mouth hung open in sheer shock. “Did you enjoy that?” He eyed me with caution, lasciviousness gleaming from his smoldering eyes.
Did I? I hated the circumstances, that’s for sure. Hated that his soul was missing went he handled me intimately. But I’m not sure there was anything Azmir did to me sexually that made me uncomfortable or left me anything short of wanting it again. Wanting him again. How do I tell him this?
Abruptly, Azmir shakes his head, clearing his mind of the direction that answer could have taken us. “No. Don’t answer that. It doesn’t need to be addressed right now,” his tone sobered. “I’ve overworked your body and I’m sure your mind. Right now I assuage and then we get ready for our luncheon meeting with Taylor & Bacote.
“Taylor & Bacote?”
“Yes, Rayna. We have to meet with my public relations team to manage the aftermath of yesterday. It’s not something that I can ignore or wait to play out. With my status and Brian Thompson’s legal savvy, I have to position myself offensively perhaps.”