Alternative scene for Princess of Zamibia (Part 2)

This concludes the excerpt of alternative scenes for Princess of Zamibia. If you missed the first part, start here. Enjoy!

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(Unedited)

Kofi returned to the palace later than he planned. The negotiations did not go smoothly, and he had been anxious to return to Dahlia. At one point his mind wandered, and he was brought abruptly back to the present by his aide, who looked curiously at him through his glasses.

Wrestling his thoughts under control, Kofi refocused and gave his attention—as much as he could—to the visiting chieftain and his council. He was already irritated that he even had to be in this meeting. Other villages had made concessions and his presence had not been needed to ensure that changes progressed smoothly. However, this particular man was obstinate, and it was clear he was trying to hold out for as much money as possible.

In the end, they agreed to reconvene the next morning. Kofi informed them all that regretfully, he would not be able to attend because of a prior engagement, but he assured them that he would stay in close contact with his aide.

It was no one’s business that the prior engagement would be spending time with his wife. A new chapter in the relationship with his wife was unfolding, and he could not wait to see what would happen next. He looked forward to waking up with her in his arms the way they woke up this morning. She was warm and soft, her brown body snuggled up against his, her lashes gracing her smooth cheeks as she slept soundly next to him. It had taken every ounce of discipline he’d garnered through the years to leave the warmth of her sweet body and get up to get ready for the meeting.

After the meeting, he tended to some other business while he was in the office, and as quickly as he could he left the office behind and headed back to the outskirts of the capital.

It was mid-afternoon when he arrived back at the palace, and once there he stopped at the vault to remove a piece of jewelry. The diamond and ruby necklace glittered in his palm, as if letting him know he had made a good choice. Each ruby was encircled by diamonds. He would present the gift to her, and then later they would make love while she wore only the necklace. That thought hastened his steps to the apartment he shared with Dahlia.

He entered his room, but she wasn’t there. Then he entered her bedroom, but it was empty, too.

Where is she? he thought.

He was as excited as a child on Christmas morning, except instead of opening a gift, he wanted to give one.

Then he heard her enter from her bathroom. He turned, and his eyes drank her in. She wore a green silk robe that was flattering against the color of her skin, and she had undone the twists and pressed her hair straight, so that it lay against her shoulders in a silky curtain.

“You’re back,” she said softly.

In two strides Kofi was at her side and swept Dahlia up into his arms and kissed her soundly. “I stayed away too long,” he murmured against her lips.

When he allowed her to catch her breath and set her back on her feet, Dahlia asked breathlessly, “Are you hungry? The cooks prepared your favorite dishes.”

“I would much rather eat you,” he whispered fiendishly, nipping at her neck. She had obviously not too long ago taken a bath, and the fresh clean smell of her skin filled his nostrils with every breath he took.

She laughed and pushed away from him, although she seemed reluctant to do so. “You have to eat something that will give you energy,” she said firmly.

Grasping one of his hands, she headed toward the balcony with him in tow. He watched in appreciation as her luscious hips swayed beneath the silk of the robe.

Once outside, the spotlight of the early afternoon sun illuminated the entire courtyard, but the overhang above the balcony protected them from its rays. It was a warm day, but it was still too early in the season for the stifling heat that could blanket the country in the tropical climate.

“I checked with the servants, and you didn’t have breakfast before you left this morning. And I know you, Kofi, so I’m sure you spent all those hours in your meeting and never stopped to take a bite. You get so caught up in your work that you don’t eat. You need to take care of yourself.”

His face softened as he pulled her close to nibble on her ear. “That is why I have a wife—to keep me in line and help take care of me.” He found her lips briefly again, and then sat in one of the chairs. “Of course, I must now question the loyalty of my servants, since they seem to have no qualms about divulging my eating habits to my wife.”

“Only because they love you,” Dahlia said saucily, “like—” she looked shocked for a moment, as if she were about to say something she shouldn’t, then caught herself and finished in the same light, teasing voice. “Like they should. Their loyalty is to you, and they have your best interests at heart.”

She went inside, and he heard her call down to the kitchen to have the meal brought up.

He reached for the velvet case inside his pocke, but decided not to remove it. He would wait to surprise her. Part of his excitement was in knowing that as his wife, he could give her anything he wanted. When they were lovers, she wouldn’t accept any of his gifts, though he tried numerous times to shower her with jewelry and clothes. She refused them, telling him over and over again she didn’t need anything from him. It only made him want her more and want to give her more.

Eventually he gave up, but he never stopped wanting to shower her with presents, and now he would, starting with this necklace. She had never seen it, refusing to open the box at the time. He’d been sorely disappointed but had accepted her decision.

One of the servants brought up the large meal on a rolling cart. The domed, gold covers were removed and everything placed on the table.

They were presented with a large bowl of chicken yassa, a tasty, lemon-vinegar dish. Mounds of jollof rice, cooked beans, and fried sweet plantains were also placed on the table. Homemade wheat bread, a spicy seafood stew, filled with fragrant herbs, potatoes, and green bananas, and warm, sweet banana bread for dessert rounded out the large meal. The food was washed down with bottles of a beer brewed locally for him, and pawpaw juice for her, made from the juice of the papaya fruit.

He hadn’t realized how hungry he was until the food was placed before him, the familiar aromas of his favorite native dishes stroking his nostrils and inflaming the hunger to the point of making him ravenous. He delved into the meal with gusto, appreciative that Dahlia took such care to ensure he not only ate, but that his favorite meals were prepared.

The thoughtful gesture warmed him in places that had long been frozen solid. She seemed to really care about him, and it took him back to the days when he toured the country, with her by his side. The joy he felt during those days were never duplicated again, until today.

Even she looked happy, and he was pleased to see her so relaxed and comfortable around him, as opposed to the cold welcome he was used to receiving.

Her eyes were shining and her beautiful skin glowed. She chattered away excitedly about Noel, but she could have been talking about the weather and he would still be enthralled by what she said. Her voice was like music to his ears, and he enjoyed the soft lilt and watching her expressive eyes as she carried on the conversation with only minimal contribution from him. Nodding his head at something she said, Kofi tore off a piece of wheat bread and sopped up the gravy from the chicken yassa, wiping his plate clean before popping the tasty morsel into his mouth.

He had no doubts now that they could make their marriage successful. The agreeable meal they were sharing demonstrated that they didn’t have to be cold to each other or fight and argue all the time like cats and dogs. Like every marriage, difficulties would come, but they should be able to work through it. In fact, he was certain they could work through it.

When the meal was complete, Kofi sat back and groaned, patting his six pack abs.

“I cannot eat another bite,” he announced.

The sound of her giggling tinkled toward him on the air, one of the most beautiful sounds he had ever heard. “You ate too much,” Dahlia accused.

“Why didn’t you stop me?” he shot back, reaching for her.

She squealed, trying to move away, but not really. He easily pulled her onto his lap.

“You do whatever you want. You know I can’t stop you.”

Having her on his lap made his body come to life. “You have more power than you realize,” he said solemnly. He kissed her tenderly. She tasted like sweet papaya and smelled like heaven. “I have something for you.” He removed the square velvet case with the jewelry inside. “Open it.”

It was the first gift he’d given her since their marriage, and she gasped when she saw it. Just the reaction he wanted.

“Kofi, I love it. But why?” she asked.

“Because you are beautiful, and you should have beautiful things,” he replied, stroking a gentle finger down the side of her neck, making her shiver in response. “And because I want us to start new.”

He had had plenty of time to think about this in the car ride back, and he wanted them to have a fresh start to their marriage. They could make it work if they could both forget the past and begin with a clean slate.

“Do you mean it?”

Before answering, Kofi snapped the necklace around her neck, and it rested against her skin, looking as if  belonged there.

“Of course I do,” he said gently. “I want us to start over, as if we just got married. We need to take some time to get to know one another again, to talk, to share.” He stroked her hair, allowing his fingers to play in the soft strands. “I think we should take a trip together, the three of us, and get away from here.”

Her eyes lit up with excitement. “A trip? Where?”

“I will wrap up all my business this week, and next week I will take you to Paris, and we will spend a few weeks exploring the city so that you can have a proper honeymoon. We will walk through the Jardin des Tuileries and stroll down the Champs-Elysees with our son. We will eat dinner atop the Eiffel Tower and climb the steps of the Sacre Coeur cathedral to look out over the entire city. Would you like that, mon amour?”

It had been a long time since he had used the endearment, but it seemed appropriate at this time. The last time he used those words was long ago, during their brief, but hot affair. Today they rolled off his tongue with old familiarity.

“I would love it,” she whispered, her voice thick with emotion. Dahlia pressed her face against his neck, and his body trembled with the current of desire that suddenly coursed through him.

His lips covered hers, and when she sighed sweetly into his mouth, his groin tightened as the blood pumped rapidly through his veins.

“Unzip me,” he groaned. He could no longer resist the urge to possess her.

He knew she didn’t like his possessive streak. She accused him of treating her like an object. He couldn’t help himself, though, he was so proud to claim her as his own. No other man would ever know the pleasure of her body. No other man would ever know what it was like to have her soft lips trickle tender kisses across his chest. He had made sure of that by binding her to him for good. She was his—his woman, his wife, the mother of his son. He couldn’t wait to get her pregnant and this time have the pleasure of watching her body swell with another child.

He could see the dark desire in her eyes. There was no more hesitation as he unzipped his own pants and pulled open her robe to his searching fingers. She straddled him on the chair and their coupling was slow, sweet, tender. Her body trembled and her gentle moans changed to soft cries.

“I’m the luckiest man in the world,” he whispered in her ear, just before he joined her over the precipice into blinding ecstasy.

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Hope you enjoyed the alternative look at Kofi and Dahlia’s story. Enjoy the rest of your day! ❤️

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** Find out how Kofi and Dahlia meet in Love on the Brain: a short fiction collection **