Page 59 of Serenity
“The same way I acquired your passport. I’ve had it the entire time we were in Italy,” he laughed, dodging a neck pillow I tossed in his direction.
“Seriously, Duke? Do you know how much stuff I could have been working on?”
“Baby…” He shifted in his seat to face me. “The work ain’t going nowhere, and neither is the bag you desire to obtain from it. Don’t work too hard.”
Grinning, he reached forward into one of the small pockets of his bag and handed me my blue light cat-eye glasses.
“I‘ll try,” I smirked and rolled my eyes, opening my laptop and immediately pulling up my work email.
One busy entrepreneur became two in the backseat as we made our way through the crowded streets of Accra. The metropolis city was a hub. Fast-paced and slightly Westernized, I was reminded of home.
Finally, we made it to Kempinski, the hotel we were slated to stay in. With Duke busy on Zoom calls with members of his board, I tried to focus on my own burgeoning tasks. It proved fruitless. Too distracted by the thrill of being in a new country, I directed my focus on absorbing our new environment instead.
I shut down my laptop and slid back into my sandals. Paired with the midi D&G jean dress, it highlighted my body’s assets perfectly. Waving at Duke, I headed for the door to exit the hotel room.
“Hold on,” he said, speaking to the people on his Zoom call. He muted his computer and turned off his camera. Standing, he headed in my direction.
“Where you going?”
“I was just gonna explore and have a stroll around the hotel.”
“Give me a second.”
A few taps on his phone and an answered call later, he was ordering someone to escort me around the hotel grounds.
“Duke, that’s not necessary,” I fussed.
“You let me be concerned with what is and isn’t needed. Stay with your security detail, Bee. If you aren’t back once I wrap things up here, I’m putting out a BOLO for your ass.”
“Okay,” I chuckled.”
“My name is Biram. I will guide you through the grounds of Kempinski and anywhere else should you desire.”
“Nice to meet you, Biram.” Smiling at the black-as-night gunman with flawless white teeth and even richer skin awarded me a curt nod and huge grin. I’d never seen skin so immaculate. Africa was king of all things melanin.
Biram and I walked through the beautiful Kempinski lobby. A fully stocked bar and lounge area with flat screens comprised the space. During our stroll, a server approached us, offering complimentary drinks. While my henchman declined, happily, I accepted.
We breezed through the central courtyard and returned inside, where I learned an art gallery existed. Gallery 1957 featured beautiful African art in the form of tapestries, a host of sculptures, and paintings. I spent most of my time perusing the space, admiring the different works, and thinking about Duke.
Our expedition together had been frighteningly swift. Six weeks ago, I was lamenting over a depreciating dating scene. Now, without a doubt, I’d found my person. And while twelve years my senior, he was anything but old. Duke loved adventure and spontaneity as much as I did. His fervor and ardor for life ran as deep as his dick in between my walls. Our similarities were in excess despite our age difference.
He’d heightened the bar, making it impossible for anyone to compete where he was concerned. He was the bar. The overwhelming sense of safety in his presence, his thoughtfulness, his gentleness which never competed with his firmness, his sage advice, the healthy masculinity he wielded… It was all I wanted from the man of my dreams. He’d been all that and more.
Duke’s presence in my world taught me that home wasn’t a place but undeniably a person. The warmth felt between his arms left me homesick each time I was away for too long.
Thinking of him fretfully caused my thoughts to shift to his ex-wife. Considerable anger and jealousy rode me, but I couldn’t place why or where it had come from. Instead of dwelling on it, my thoughts shifted to the man who’d brought me to Accra. He was becoming my greatest and latest session. In the short half hour away from his presence, I missed him.
“I think I’ll return to the room now,” I informed Biram.
He followed closely behind, granting me enough space for privacy with my thoughts. My feet were speedy. Down the halls and up the elevator, I hurried in a race to return to my man. In a flash, I was at the door outside of our room.
“Thank you for the escort, Biram. You were great company.”
At the door of our room, I bid my hospitable henchman goodbye and reentered the room to find Duke’s Zoom call had ended. Sprawled across the bed, his arms covered his face. Assuming he was asleep, I sat at the desk with my laptop, prepared to busy myself with work.
“Did you enjoy your tour of the grounds?”
The velvety baritone wafted across the room, serenading my ears, elevating my cheeks, and reviving a pulse between my legs.