Ike sat on the bed, feeling like he was carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders. His body ached all over and a faint headache seemed to be building up around his temple. He must have overworked himself that day. Coupled with the fact that the new baby girl cried almost every night, making it hard for them to sleep. He wished his wife’s mother had stayed longer. The baby usually sleep in her room and she had a way of making Ifunanya to sleep throughout the night. Lianater hasn’t been able to learn that magic since her mother left.
He groaned inwardly. He wished the baby’s cot was elsewhere by their room. They couldn’t possibly put it in their other children’s room. They needed their sleep too. Or else, they might start dozing off at school. They couldn’t leave the cot in the guest room either. Mmesoma needed her rest too, after working all through the day.
The thought of the maid made him feel angrier. It’s being eight weeks since the incident and he hasn’t told his wife about it yet.
He closed his eyes and pressed his lips together. That girl needed to leave his house asap. The more he sees her, the more he felt like strangling her.
Once his wife was done with putting the baby to sleep, he would call her aside and tell her everything the maid had been doing to him. From the very beginning. She might be angry that he didn’t say anything earlier, but…
“You look tired.”
The voice startled him.
“Are you okay?” Lianater crossed the room and sat by her husband.
Ike mustered a fake smile. “It’s work…”
“Awww… my sweet baby,” she wrapped her arms around him.
He sighed heavily, enjoying the warmth of her embrace. He didn’t mind, even when she smelled like she was drenched in baby oil and powder.
“Let me warm your food, so that you can eat.”
“Hmm…” his hold tightened around her waist.
Lianater started to laugh. “Mr. Man, let me go.”
He started to nibble at one ear. “I want to eat you first…”
The seductive whisper made her warm all over. “Ike wait…” she tried to pull away.
“Hmmm…” He kissed her neckline, then buried his head in between her cleavage.
“Ike… the children are still awake and I haven’t fed the baby her last meal for the day. Once I am done, I am all yours.”
He groaned loudly. “When it comes to Ifunanya, there is nothing like last meal.”
Lianater started to laugh again.
“That girl eats and eats… she will end up sucking you up, leaving me with nothing,” he eyed her.
She couldn’t control herself. She laughed till she landed on the floor.
Ike hissed. He didn’t find the situation funny at all.
“I will make it up to you,” she winked at him.
Unexpectedly, the door burst open and in came the twins and Adanne.
“Daddy! Daddy! Daddy!” their screams rent the air.
Lianater pulled her weight off the floor and tiptoed out of the room.
“I am an hungry giant and I am going to eat you!” he pointed at them, one after the other.
“Nooooo!” they squeaked and fled in different directions.
Ike chased them. “I am going to break your bones!”
Mmesoma stood by the doorway, watching and laughing.
He halted when he saw her.
“Good evening, sir.”
He glared at her.
The girl cleared her throat and faced the children hiding under the bed. “Your mummy said it’s time to take your bath and turn in for the night.”
“Nooooo!” they began to grumble.
“We will continue the battle with the gentle after I have taken my bath and eaten, okay?”
“Fine…” the twins capitulated. He stared at the maid angrily and came out.
“Okay,” Adanne crawled out from under the bed.
Mmesoma led the children out of the bedroom and shut the door. Why was he always angry at her these days? Since the day they had fun together, he kept her at arms’ length. She hadn’t been able to approach him at night because Lianater’s mother was around. But now that she was gone, maybe, she would have the opportunity to seduce Ike again. Maybe this time around, he wouldn’t be able to resist her. Maybe luck will favour her and he would make her his lover. A sly smile formed on her face.
“Can we watch the television for thirty minutes before we take our bath?” Nonso asked.
“Aunty please, just thirty minutes,” Dozie pleaded.
“Please, aunty,” Adanne made puppy eyes at her.
Mmesoma chuckled. “Okay, fine… you have just thirty minutes.”
The children squeaked and ran down the stairway.
The girl thought of picking out their pyjamas, then her attention was caught by the melody coming from the master bedroom. She moved closer to the door and heard water running. Ike was singing in the bathroom. A smile tugged at the corners of her lips. She went in, locked the door and tiptoed to the bathroom’s entrance. The door was opened and she could see her employer’s husband dancing while he bathed. He was covered with soapy foams from hair to foot.
Ike sensed that he was no longer alone, but he couldn’t see because of the soap in his eyes. “Who is there?”
The girl giggled. This was an opportunity she wasn’t going to miss. She got rid of her clothes and joined him under the dripping shower.
“Lianater?”
She wrapped her arms around him and shivered slightly. His stark nakedness turned her on in ways no one else had ever done before.
“Is the baby asleep?”
The girl remained silent, knowing fully well that if she opened her mouth to speak, he would know that she wasn’t his wife.
“Lian…”
She sealed his lips with a kiss before he could utter another word.
Desire washed over him, but deep down, in his heart of hearts, he felt something was not right. He had been kissed by his wife a million times and he has touched her countless times before. This kiss was different. And the feel of her body was equally strange. He tried to reached for the shower tap, so he could increase the pressure of the water. He needed to see!
Mmesoma pushed him against the wall and merged her body with his.
Ike lost his senses for the next few minutes, consumed by the liquid fire erupting in his loins.
Many moments later, while panting for breath, he turned the shower tap knob.
The girl stepped away from him the second he opened his eyes and saw her.
“Jesus!” he gasped.
