"I've missed you Esther," he whispered looking into her eyes as they reflected hurt. "You look lovely," he whispered.
"Benjamin please leave me alone and go back to your wife," she said turning away from him as he ran a finger down her arm in a manner that always told her he wanted to kiss her.
"Is that what you..." he said before someone cut him off.
"She asked nicely," a handsome man stated as she turned to face him a smile gracing his face.
He looked at Ben with a daring eye as he backed away.

"Thank you for that Mr...." Esther said as the man smiled at her.
"Call me Brian. None of that formal nonsense," he said taking her hand in his as he brought it to his lips.
"Very well then. Feel free to call me Esther."
"Hmmmm a biblical name, I like it." He said with a smirk.
"Would you care to join me for a drink," he said as she pointed at her glass before he said something that made her laugh.
Chatting away she forgot about her encounter with Benjamin earlier on. Looking around she found Jake nowhere in sight as she felt tired.

It was as though he had sensed her need for him as he walked up to them. Smiling at her she could smell the alcohol on him as he frowned at Brian.
"Who the hell are you?" he asked before shaking his head in annoyance ignoring Brian completely. "Ready to go home?" He asked as she apologized to Brian before leading them towards the house.
"You really look stunning Esther," he said with a smile as she pulled him away from the party afraid he would do something embarrassing in this state. Man usually did when intoxicated.
"Vince," she sighed in relief as she saw him talking to one of the chefs.
"What the hell happened to him?"

"A few too many drinks it seems," she said as Jake leaned on her before Vince removed his friends' weight from her. "I'll help you," he stated as he directed her to his room.
Making their way down a hall they came up to the master bedroom.

Helping him into bed Vince sighed saying he was going to get a glass of water for him. She looked at him worried as he tried to sit up. Placing a hand on his chest she stopped him pushing him back onto the bed. Moving away from him she stopped as he kept her hand over his chest gently caressing it.

"I'm sorry," he whispered seeing the hurt in her eyes.

"You promised," she said turning away from him.

"I...I don't know what happened," he said closing his eyes just as Vince walked into the room.

Giving his friend the glass of water they both watched as he drank the glass of water before Vince took it to return to the kitchen after saying his goodnight. She rose to leave the room but stopped when he whispered words that made her stop in tracks.

"Please don't leave me," he whispered. There was a vulnerability to the way he said that simple statement that pulled at her as she looked at him. He moved aside creating space for her as she looked at him in question. Sitting on the bed she looked at him as she told herself she would leave once he was asleep. Removing her shoes she gathered her dress and lay beside him as he looked intently at her a small smile on his lips.

"Get some sleep Jake," she whispered as he smiled before closing his eyes.

-------

He opened his eyes to find Esther sleeping peacefully in his arms. This he knew he could get used to as he listened to her steady breathing. She lay on his chest as his hand was secured around her waist. Gently removing her from him he got out of bed heading to the bathroom to take some pain killers.

He had no intention of touching alcohol the previous night but when he saw her speaking to Brian and looking more than happy, jealousy took over. He knew who Brian Pike was but chose to ignore the man for he was a known womanizer.

Dismissing his house-help he wore an apron and quickly prepared breakfast and set a tray for her. Carrying the tray to his room he placed the tray on the bed before he gently woke her up.

"Wake up love," he whispered touching her arm.

He smiled as she opened her eyes with a frown. "Not a morning person I see," he stated as she buried her face into the pillows. "I have something for you," he said as she sat up looking at her attire relieved to find her dress still intact. She looked at him as he held the tray in his hands before placing it on her lap as she looked in wonder.

"You cooked?"

"Yes," he smiled before he reached for a cup pouring her some tea. She watched as he took a sip making sure it was not too hot for her before he handed her the cup. "Eat up whilst I freshen up love," he smiled. Walking away from her she watched as he removed his shirt revealing his well-toned brown skin. A black man who could actually cook was a goldmine in her hometown. Most men expected the woman to handle the kitchen affairs.

He looked back catching her as she stared at his back before giving her a wink that had her looking down as she smiled shyly. She knew that there was no way she would remain friends with this man. He was everything she was a sucker for when it came to a man. Too good to be true he was; that she was afraid of actually opening up her heart to him. He had a possessive side he couldn't even conceal which made her laugh as she recalled how he had asked Brian who he was.

Sipping her tea she closed her eyes savoring the taste before she had her breakfast. Everything was to die for as she finished her food just as he finished showering. Walking past the bedroom with only a towel around his waist she felt he was doing this on purpose and he stopped to make sure she was okay. His skin glistened from the soap and the coco-butter scent invaded her senses as she stared not responding to his question.

He moved towards her sitting on the bed he smirked as she looked into his eyes. Moving towards her he stopped as he heard her breath hitch.

"You've got a little something here," he said with a mischievous smile as he pointed on the corner of his mouth. "Just a tad bit of drool," he said before erupting into laughter as she grabbed a pillow swinging it in his direction. "My my, a feisty little one you are," he said quickly moving away from the bed. "Now, now you would want this dear towel to become loose," he said holding onto the towel around his waist as he asked her with a raised eyebrow.

"Go get dressed and come back and face the consequences of your words," she said with a laugh.

She watched him walk out in jeans and a polo shirt barefoot, looking like a runway model. In his hand he had pieces of clothing which he handed to her before showing her the bathroom.

"Call me if you need any help," he said with a mischievous smile making her roll her eyes.

Thank you for reading 😃