i refused to comment


upload more fast fast before i will comment

Mutaino7: This aint enof to quench my thirst but i must say diz u're d best romance writer here on nairaland.

Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thanks muchos

bola-dex:
i refused to comment


upload more fast fast before i will comment

Ayaf your time today! I'd upload two more episodes soon

Omolola1:



Ayaf your time today! I'd upload two more episodes soon

Thank God oh! GOD u are great. Oya am wetin 4 ur update.

Episode 17

Demola drove down the sloppy road with his Power Bike, the hot air surrounding him. The night was quiet. The moon full. The atmosphere peaceful. A late-night unprotected ride usually calmed him.

But not tonight.

A river of acid poured through his gut. His chest fell like several strands of barbed wire were cutting it in half. And no matter how fast he chased over the terrain, he couldn't get the picture of Tomilola out of his head.

When she'd stepped out of the big house tonight with the other girls, he'd just about had a heart attack. What the hell had she been thinking, putting on something that made her look as sexy as that top had? Every man at the bar would be drooling over her. He sure as hell had been, standing in his house in the dark, hiding so Tomilola wouldn't see him spying on her. And the thought of some other man drooling over her sent a white-hot surge of rage through him. It had taken every ounce of his willpower not to stalk across the road, toss her over his shoulder and lock her in the nearest closet. Or drag her to his bed.

Unfortunately, he couldn't do either. Not unless he wanted to pull Tomilola down to his level. So he'd gritted his teeth and watched her crawl into the car with her friends and drive off to the bar. A bar he knew would be filled with music, booze and Hot men.

Men who wouldn't know she wasn't dressed for them.

He swore into the night. She might not be dressed for them tonight, but sooner or later she would be. Sooner or later she'd go home with one of them. Or bring one of them home with her. Sooner or later another man would kiss her. Take her.

He swore again, long and hard, as he pulled to a stop. He fully intended to sit here, all night if necessary, and wait for Tomilola and the girls to come home. Stupid and sophomoric, like driving by a girl's house to see if she was there, but here he was.

The moonlight washed everything in a quiet, silvery light, making it easy to see the lone figure walking down the wide, dity road. He squinted into the twilight.

"Tomilola?"

The figure startled, a surprised squeal bursting from her lips as she looked up toward him. But once she spotted him, she relaxed a bit. "Demola?"

He nodded, "What are you doing walking out here?"

Her lips twisted ruefully and she waved a hand down the road. "Here's a little bit of irony for you. I got a flat."
He smiled, relief flowing through him. It wasn't much past ten; if they were heading home this early, they obviously weren't having much fun romancing the men. "I can fix that for you. How far back is the car? I take it the other girls are there, waiting for you to bring help."

She shook her head. "They were having too much fun at the bar. They were going to close the place, then hitch some of the Big W men there. And if the tire were fixable, I'd have done it by now. But the spare was flat, too."

He looked at her feet. The pretty leather sandals looked new. She probably had blisters on top of blisters already. He could hardly leave her here to finish the walk home. Although with the full moon overhead, only one Power bike to share and his nerves already drawn tighter, it would undoubtedly be the safer decision. Steeling himself for the ride ahead, he swung off his bike. "You can call the rental company in the morning. They can send someone to get it. In the meantime, let's get you home."

Her brows went up as she gave the bike a good look. "With this?"

"Any problem with it? Actually, considering your skirt, it'll make things easier." He assisted her onto the bike.

"I'm not sure I can stay on this way once we start moving."

"Don't worry. I won't let you fall." And putting her on would require rucking her skirt halfway up her legs. A display he was pretty damned sure he wasn't up to. He swung onto the bike and started it.

He gritted his teeth. Okay, this was every bit as bad as he'd imagined. And then some. But there wasn't much he could do about it, except do the best he could to keep his mind otherwise occupied. They were moving.

"So how come you left the bar early?" Despite himself, he wanted to hear that she hadn't found anyone who interested her as much as he did.

"I wasn't having much fin, and there was this guy there, Chris Aigbe. Know him?"

He blocked out the feel of her hip snuggling into his back and tried not to notice that her perfectly plumped breasts were hitting him at the back. "Yeah." Great, he sounded like he had a ton of gravel in his throat. He cleared his throat. "He considers himself quite a ladies' man."

"No kidding. He was all over me." She shuddered. "The guy must have ten hands. And he kisses like a leech."

Shock ran through him. "You kissed him?"

She bristled indignantly. "He kissed me. And don't take that tone with me. If you didn't want other men kissing me you should have come when we invited you."

His brows shot toward his hatband. "Let me get this straight. I wouldn't play, so you went looking for the first guy who would?"

"No," she snapped, her expression turning downright peevish. "But if I had, you couldn't possibly complain about it."

"The hell I couldn't."

Her gaze snapped, her eyes going wide and then narrowing to a sly, dark slits.

Dammit. He'd blown it now.

They had turned into a very quiet environment, very close to the estate. Demola pulled to a stop, climbing down and gazing into the sky.

Tomilola followed him, stopping right in front of him. Her expression turned positively wicked. "What's wrong, Demola? Did it bother you thinking I was at a bar with other men? Men who, unlike you, would have no qualms about dragging me down to their level?'

He looked away, refusing to take the bait. "Let it go, Tomilola."

But it didn't take more than a glance at her sly expression to know she had no intention of letting it go.

"You know. . ." her voice dripped . . ."Chris wasn't really my type. But there were a lot of other cute men there."

He pictured her checking out the men at the bar. Pictured them checking her out. He drew a deep breath, reining in his jealousy.

"Amaka pointed out this one guy who was giving us the eye. He was pretty cute, dressed up in his Friday-night best, with his dark, wavy hair and these rather startling brown eyes."

"Shut up, Tomilola." He'd just spent the last three hours thinking about how much he wanted her, aching with that want. No way would he stand here calmly and listen to her talk about other men.

But she didn't even pause. "His shoulders weren't as broad as yours, but the rest of him wasn't bad. Great. . ."

His control snapped.

The day would surely come when he had to watch her walk into another man's arms. But, by God, today would not be that day. He slammed his lips over hers.

She didn't hesitate. She leaned into him, wrapped her arms around his neck and opened her mouth to his.

He deepened the kiss. She tasted hotter than he remembered. Sweeter. And he couldn't get enough. He pulled her closer.

Somewhere in the remotest part of his brain, he knew he was making a huge mistake. Knew he had no right to touch her. But no one knew they were here. No one would ever know what happened here under the moonlight. And he couldn't stop himself. He had to touch her. Had to taste her. Had to have her. Now, if not forever.

She pressed closer, moving really closer so she was more toward him.

Had anything ever felt this good? He cupped her breast, her soft fullness filling his palm. But a touch wasn't enough. He pulled his lips from hers. "I want to see you."

A slight blush colored her cheeks, but she made no move to stop him when he lifted her breasts from the skimpy, strapless top. The moonlight glinted off her, shimmering through her curls cascading over her shoulders, shadowing the space between her breasts and highlighting the full luscious globes and her pebble-hard nipples. He sucked in a hissing breath. "Gorgeous."

Desire darkened her eyes, and she reached for his shirt. "Let's level the playing field, shall we?' She pulled the plackets of his shirt apart, the sound of popping snaps reverberating around them as she bared his chest. She ran her hands up, starting at the bottom of his ribs and progressing up over his pecs. "Gorgeous doesn't cover it."

The fit of his jeans became downright painful at her look of admiration. He wanted to pull her off the floor and take her right then and there. But he resisted the urge.

This was a stolen moment. There would be no repeats of what happened tonight. He wanted it to be special. He wanted to be able to look back and remember every second. He wanted Tomilola to remember every second.

Ruthlessly ignoring the need pounding through him, he pushed a curl back from her face and ran his finger over her delicate collarbone, savoring the silkiness of her skin, memorizing the delicate lines of her neck and shoulders and the seductive swell of her breasts. "Open heavens, a good power-bike and a half-naked woman. Every man's dream."

"I don't want to be a dream. I want to be real. And I want this to go on. Every night." Her sultry voice floated through the warm night. "Every second of every day."

His heart squeezed. "Shh. Just because you want something doesn't make it possible. Tonight is what we have. Let's not spoil it."

Pain flashed in her eyes. "I'm not going to spoil it, but I'm not going to give in to your martyrdom, either. I want more than tonight and I'm going to do everything in my power to convince you that you do, too." She pulled his lips back to hers.

He drank her in, savoring her taste, her heat. It wasn't about what he wanted. It was about what was best for her. But he wouldn't waste another moment arguing about it. Not tonight. He ran his hands up her back into the silky mass of her hair, angling her head just so.

She opened her mouth wider, allowing him deeper access, her tongue squaring with his. A frustrated sound vibrated in her throat, and she broke the kiss. "Let's find somewhere better."

"I have a better idea." He pulled Tomilola to a pavement and with a few quick adjustments had Tomilola facing him, her legs over his, the very core of her snuggled up tight against his aching need, her hair streaming down her back, her skirt spread wide over her legs and his lap.

Her eyes went wide and then she chuckled, low and sexy. "You're a wicked man, Demola Adeyemi."

He liked the sound of his name on her lips. Far, far, more than he should. Pushing the thought away, he concentrated on the moment. "Just wait. It gets better."

He fingers bit into his shoulders. A hard shudder ran through her. "A wicked, wicked man." Her voice was rough and smoky as she leaned forward and delivered a love bite to the base of his neck.

The stinging sensation shot straight to his groin. He pulled her hips forward, rocking into her.

She shivered in his arms. "Too many clothes." She leaned back just enough to get her hands between them. With shaky fingers, she went to work at his silver buckle.

"Good idea." He slid his hands through under the hem of her skirt and worked his way slowly up her thighs, exploring, memorizing every inch of firm muscle and silken skin along the way.

As he pushed her skirt over her hips, a tiny triangle of red silk lace came into view. He groaned softly. "You're killing me here."

She smiled, a woman's smile, one filled with confidence and desire and something else he refused to put a name to. "I thought you might like them."
"Very much. But they gotta go." He hated to ruin the sexy garment, but he didn't see any other way to get it off her beyond tearing one of the tiny bands of elastic slashing across her delectable hips. And the thought of some other guy enjoying them at a future date. . .

With one quick pull, he broke the elastic and slid the other half down her leg, out of his way.

She chuckled softly. "I don't know if I should be offended by that move. . .or flattered. Although, considering the evidence before me. . ." she ran her fingers over the bulge of his arousal . . . "I'm thinking flattered."

"Definitely flattered," he said through gritted teeth. "Do you need some help there?"

"Nope, I'm doing just fine." Her teeth flashed in a sexy, teasing smile as she carefully slid his zipper down.

He sprang free.

She inhaled softly. "Forget flattered, let's move straight to purely impressed."

Fire raced through him. He'd never wanted anything as much as he wanted her, right here, right now. "I'd like to drag this on for hours, but I can't wait any longer." He lowered his head, crushing her lips beneath his. Sliding his hands under her thighs, he lifted her, adjusting her position until the head of his arousal nudged at her soft folds.

She pulled her lips from his just long enough to whisper, "I don't want to wait, either."

A silent prayer of thanks whispered through his head. Slowly, deliberately, he lowered her. Her wet heat wrapped around him like a tight fist. He gritted his teeth, holding on to his control by the breast of threads.

For several steps they clung to each other.

She ran her hands over his chest, looking up at him, her eyelids at half-mast. "Do you see how good this is? Do you realize how good it could be?"

His heart squeezed again. He couldn't give her what she wanted, but he could give her something to remember. "Shh. Just feel." He buried himself deeper in Tomilola's warmth.

"Ohh." She breathed the exclamation, her fingers closing around his arms, keeping herself balanced as he kept their hips locked together. Another moan whispered from her lips as she rocked back a bit, adjusting her position, taking him deeper.

Demola strained a deep, stabilizing breath through his teeth as he struggled to hold on to his control and stared down at the woman in his arms. The woman wrapped around the most intimate part of him. The moonlight glinted off her hair, her breasts, her wet, swollen lips.

So beautiful.

And so damned dear.

She looked into his eyes, letting him see her desire, letting him see how much she wanted him. She hid nothing from him, held nothing back as she took him into her body. Her heart was in her eyes. And she was offering it to him.

The fire blazing through him turned into an inferno. What little control he had slipped away. He wanted all of her. Her body, her heart and her sweet cries of ecstasy echoing in his ears.

Her fingers tightened as he pushed deeper, sharpening her pleasure. His pleasure, Her inner muscles tightened around him, caressing, demanding. But he held on. Waiting. Waiting.

A soft groan slipped from her lips. She snapped tight as a bow, a low, keening wail bursting from her lips as she came apart in his arms.

He followed her with a hard shout of his own, the world exploding around him.

With a single command, he gathered Tomilola close, holding her tight. Holding on to her like a dying man holding on to his last, precious breath.

Had he thought he could steal this one night, these few moments and then go back to pretending there was nothing between them? That she was no more than his boss?

Fool.

more plssss

Wow I give it Åℓℓ too Ɣ☺u. Omolola Ɣ☺u re JƱڪτ̲̅ too good ώĩ†̥ђ romance.

lapagegirl: Wow I give it Åℓℓ too Ɣ☺u. Omolola Ɣ☺u re JƱڪτ̲̅ too good ώĩ†̥ђ romance.

Pls tell her.

Finally, they don do the tin...

Mutaino7:
Pls tell her.

*shy*

@omolola... 4 ya sake & dis luvly romantic tale, am no longer a guest on NL buh an onlyn user & follower of ya page. Yu ROCK babe...kip rolling d suspense cos yu gat mi rapped round ya finga's. Can't wait 4 d nxt chapter...plsss dnt take 2 long!!

Sasha089: @omolola... 4 ya sake & dis luvly romantic tale, am no longer a guest on NL buh an onlyn user & follower of ya page. Yu ROCK babe...kip rolling d suspense cos yu gat mi rapped round ya finga's. Can't wait 4 d nxt chapter...plsss dnt take 2 long!!

OMG! Sasha, like seriously? Seun must hear this! I actually brought someone to Nairaland

Thanks dear...promise to update tomorrow, because of you

Omolola1:

OMG! Sasha, like seriously? Seun must hear this! I actually brought someone to Nairaland

Thanks dear...promise to update tomorrow, because of you

Hahhahahahhahha...nat kidding. Colour mi excited & impressed...cnt waiiiitttt!!!

Oh! Mehn! I'm feeling dis.... where is my vaseline? ... Lolz

Rap maestro: Oh! Mehn! I'm feeling dis.... where is my vaseline? ... Lolz

bad pikin no carry ur vaseline come here jor.

@omolola, u re too good, infact u re to bestestest (an english word created only 4 u). U re superb, and dont mind dat demola jawe, im think say e easy, na confirm jew man,real fool. And thanks 4 ds wonderful story. Superb story kind from a superb writer,omolola(omosexy)

Damex333: bad pikin no carry ur vaseline come here jor.

@omolola, u re too good, infact u re to bestestest (an english word created only 4 u). U re superb, and dont mind dat demola jawe, im think say e easy, na confirm jew man,real fool. And thanks 4 ds wonderful story. Superb story kind from a superb writer,omolola(omosexy)

Yaaaaaay blushing.

Really hurts me to break my promise...was so busy today. Hopefully tomorrow

Omolola... Dis is a comment of confession.
Dis is the 4th tym hav read episode 17... Am alread havin a crush on ur ryt up. *wispering* #hnstly evn you#.

Jst keep it up nd rollin cuz ur gud.

abdulmaliq: Omolola... Dis is a comment of confession.
Dis is the 4th tym hav read episode 17... Am alread havin a crush on ur ryt up. *wispering* #hnstly evn you#.

hey guy common stop that i heard that whisper, dont let me declare e-war on u o.

abdulmaliq: Omolola... Dis is a comment of confession.
Dis is the 4th tym hav read episode 17... Am alread havin a crush on ur ryt up. *wispering* #hnstly evn you#.

Jst keep it up nd rollin cuz ur gud.

looool. . . thanks dear!

Am sure you all want to see my face! *that is if you already havent seen it on my blog*

Damex333: hey guy common stop that i heard that whisper, dont let me declare e-war on u o.

Damex333 if its e-war am in alwrdy o... I will be glad if u retreat now or else....

Omolola my queen at the top dn't mind hm... I hnstly saw ur pic, God gav u mor dan 1 gift... Ur rily beautiful, i knw is an understatemnt 2 u cuz ur mor dan dat word. *tripping alwrdy*

still waitin patiently 4 d nxt update.

abdulmaliq: Damex333 if its e-war am in alwrdy o... I will be glad if u retreat now or else....

Omolola my queen at the top dn't mind hm... I hnstly saw ur pic, God gav u mor dan 1 gift... Ur rily beautiful, i knw is an understatemnt 2 u cuz ur mor dan dat word. *tripping alwrdy*

still waitin patiently 4 d nxt update.

lets omolola decides wen d e-war will starts, cos am already gathering my troops.

Episode 18

Last night had been the most incredible night of Demola's life. And it was destined to remain that way. He stepped outside onto his small wooden porch, carrying his duffel. It was early. Not much after five in the morning. But the estate was already starting the new day.
The sun was half up the horizon. After years of living here, he was intimately familiar with the routine. He drew in a breath of the hot, dry air, savoring the combined scent of dust and livestock. It was a sweet fragrance. A fragrance that was uniquely the Big W's. Breathing deeply of it, he shifted his gaze to the big house.

He'd dropped Tomilola at her front door a bit after one last night. The four hours since had been the longest of his life.

He couldn't get her out of his mind. She was everything he'd ever dreamed of. Everything he'd ever wanted. Sexy. Caring. Giving. And so damned tough.

Across the way, a light went on in the big house. Through the big picture windows, he could see her making her down the stairs, her soft, stonewashed jeans hugging her feminine curves, her tank top accentuating her tiny waist and the tantalizing shape of her breasts.

His fingers tingled. His body readied. His heart ached. If he needed proof the decision he'd agonized over all night was the right one, the need pounding through him right now was it. He drew a deep fortifying breath, took one more look at his surroundings and forced his feet to move.

He tossed his duffel into his car and strode across the road to the big house, his movements heavy and stiff, as if his legs didn't belong to him. As if they didn't want to go where he was pushing them.

He'd felt this way once before. When he'd walked into the state prisons all those years ago. He'd thought walking through those big iron doors had been the longest, hardest walk of his life.

He'd been wrong.


**************************************************

Tomilola walked into the kitchen in the quiet house. The other girls were still asleep, thank God. She wasn't up to facing them this morning, any more than she had been at 3:00am when they'd finally wandered home. She'd stayed hidden in her room to avoid them then, but she was glad such measures weren't necessary this morning.

She needed coffee. It had been a long, anxious night. She wanted to believe making love to Demola last night had been a breakthrough. That she'd convinced him there was something between them worth fighting for. But she didn't think she had.

There'd been something about his lovemaking last night. A desperation in the way he'd watched her and touched her and loved her that made her think it was a onetime deal for him. A thought that had been reinforced when he'd dropped her at the door instead of coming in with her or bringing her to his house.

Measuring coffee into the filter, she tried to calm the nagging sense of dread. She might be misreading the whole thing. He might have dropped her at her door because he didn't think the best way to announce their relationship was to have the entire estate population find them in bed together. He might think it was better if the hands saw them dating first.

Except he hadn't said anything about future dates. About future anything.

She closed the coffee basket, flicked the machine on and took a deep steadying breath. If he was trying to close her out, she wasn't going to let him. Not after what they'd shared last night. It had been too good. He was too good to let get away. And she was going to let him know it. Just as soon as she bolstered her nerve with a little caffeine.

A knock sounded on her front door.

She startled. Who on earth was knocking on her door at five o'clock in the morning? She hurried to the door and pulled it open.

Demola stood on her porch, hat in hand.

His expression was an unreadable mask, but she didn't think she'd ever seen such desolation in a person's eyes. Her stomach plummeted, and a cold sweat broke out on her palms. "Is there a problem on the estate?' Please, let there be something wrong with the estate.

He shook his head. "As far as I know everything is running smoothly."

Oh, God. She swallowed hard, the fear she'd been fighting all night swamping her. "Then why are you here?" It obviously wasn't to pick her up where they'd left off last night or he wouldn't be crushing his hat in his hands. He'd be reaching for her.

He looked away, a muscle along his jaw working.

Her stomach crashed to her toes.

Finally, he looked back, meeting her gaze. "I came by to let you know I'm leaving. I know this is short notice, but with roundup behind us, there isn't anything crucial going on. I've left a list of men on my table I think are best qualified to be in charge of the estate. Have Charles help you make a decision. He won't steer you wrong."

She could barely make sense of the words. "You're leaving?"

He nodded. "Tell Charles I'll get in touch with him for my last paycheck once I'm resettled."

She shook her head, panic racing through her. "Oh, no. I am not going to just let you walk away. Not after last night."

"After last night, it's the only thing I can do."

"What the heck does that mean?"

His lips thinned into a hard, uncompromising line. "You know what it means."

"No, I don't. And you're not leaving until I do."

"We've already had this conversation. Nothing's changed."

"Have you lost your mind? Everything's changed."

He shook his head. "All last night did was prove I can't keep my hands off you. It didn't change who I am. What I am."

"Oh, for. . .we're back to the stupid ex-con thing."

"There's nothing stupid about it. I won't risk your reputation by having your name linked to mine in anything other than a working relationship. And after last night, it's pretty clear to me I'm not capable of keeping my hands to myself where you're concerned."

"I don't consider having to face a few bigots a risk worth noticing. And the fact that you can't keep your hands to yourself around me isn't a bad thing. It means you're as attracted to me as I am to you. And in my book, that's a good thing. A very good thing."

"If I was any other man in the world, it might be a good thing. But I'm not any other man. I'm a man who tried to kill another man."

She tossed a hand in frustration. "Thirteen years ago."

He shook his head. "Time doesn't negate some things. Having a prison record is one of them. I'm leaving, Tomilola. End of story." He turned on his heel and strode toward his car.

She grabbed hold of him and pulled him back. "You're being ridiculous. I don't care what other people think."

"You might not. But I do. And your father world have cared, too."

"What does my father have to do with anything?"

"A lot. Before he died, he made me promise I'd make sure you had everything that was good and wonderful and bright in this world. And, by God, I'm going to keep that promise." He pulled out of her grasp and strode away."

She stared after him, her heart shredding into a million pieces. She wanted to run to him, make him listen to her. But it wouldn't do her any good. She had only to look at the stiff line of his back to know he'd made up his mind.

He was leaving.

She watched him walk to his car, crawl in and drive away, tears pouring down her cheeks. Would she never get this man thing right?

Oh no, demola has shattered tomilola's world right in front of her. Kini o wa she?(meaning wetin she go do.)

Is dat all Till wen, next week friday.... After leavin us dry wif empty promises....

Lovely story all d same, i jux wish u'd stick to promises or better, not make dem @ all...

IzyLuv: Is dat all Till wen, next week friday.... After leavin us dry wif empty promises....

Lovely story all d same, i jux wish u'd stick to promises or better, not make dem @ all...

My bad, am really sorry! I know I suck @ fulfilling promises. So I'd just keep my sorry mouth shut on the next update
It'd be soon though

Wow i luv Demola's antics, his realy a man worth waiting 4.

Omolola ur doing a great job here, just take ur tym. But am angry wit u 4 not keepin 2 ur words.

Damex333: Oh no, demola has shattered tomilola's world right in front of her. Kini o wa she?(meaning wetin she go do.)

its a guy thing... I think he is doin it cuz he is way out of her league.

A good plot and good writing style.
If you continue at this pace, the sky will be your limit.

But please, I don't want to wait too long for the update.

Keep it up!

wow

Episode 19

Tomilola sat listlessly on the sofa in the living room, staring out at the Big W. It was almost noon. The sun was approaching its zenith, its heat busily baking the Lagos oil. The hands were flocking to the bunk house, coming in from the barns and the closer ranges for lunch. She shifted her gaze from the daily hustle and bustle and stared at the little house across the road.

The house that had been Demola's.

Pain clawed at her heart and the numbing sensation she'd been battling since he'd left two weeks ago got a little deeper.

Rose came into the room, pouting as she spied Tomilola on the sofa. "You're not sitting around brooding again, are you?"

Pulling herself from her stupor, Tomilola mustered what energy she could and shoved it into an expression that hopefully made her look cheery. "No. I'm just sitting here. . ."

"Brooding," Rose filled in with a knowing look.

What energy Tomilola'd managed to gather leaked out of her like air from a balloon. "Yeah."

Tomilola dropped down onto the sofa beside her. "This is pitiful. You realize that, don't you? You're acting like an idiot. Quit lying around mooning over this guy. Go out and learn how to chase cows or something."
"Cattle. Learn how to chase cattle. And there's no point in that."

"Why not?"

"Because I'm not going to stay." There, she'd said it. She ought to be glad the only person she had to say it to was Rose. Amaka and Yemi had headed back to their own homes last week.

Rose's brows crumpled in confusion. "You're not staying? Are you all going to sell the place then?"

She shook her head. "I still want to use it as a base for the charity. But I'll get someone else to run it. Charles, maybe. As the financial man, he knows better than anyone what it will take to keep the place going. Once I'm gone, he can hire someone to keep the day-to-day operations running smoothly." She hadn't been able to hire anyone to take Demola's place. It just seemed. . .wrong, somehow.

"But if you leave, where will you go?" Concern filled Rose's voice.

"Back to my place in Port-Harcourt."

"Oh, no, you're not going back to that godforsaken hole-in-the-wall where your only company will be the cockroaches living under your sink." She pushed up from the sofa and paced away. When she turned back, her eyes crackled with stubborn determination. "This is ridiculous. You can't walk away from the most decent home you've ever known just because Demola did. The man is gone. Snap out of it and get on with your life."

Fresh pain slashed through her. "You don't have to tell me he's gone, Rose. I'm well aware of that fact."

"Then stop acting like a thirteen-year-old with a broken heart and get back into the game. Think about some of the fund-raisers we talked about using the estate for. The auction. The rodeo."

Tomilola thrust up from the sofa. "I don't want to think about those things. They both require being here. And I don't want to be here anymore, period. It's too painful. Everywhere I look, I see him. I look at the flowers and I remember the day he took me to dad's study. Yesterday I took a ride out to the bar and. . ." Her voice broke and tears flooded in her eyes. She spun away, swiping at the tears. She wasn't going to break down in front of Rose, never.

"Oh, my God." Rose whispered, dropping back onto the sofa. "You love him."

Tomilola spun back, shaking her head. "Don't be ridiculous. It's just. . ."

"Just what?" Rose demanded.

Tomilola's heart raced. She'd already lost too many people she loved. Her mother, way too early for a child to be saying goodbye to a parent. Her father, before she'd even known him. She didn't want to add the man she loved to that list.

She strode over to the window, panic pushing at her. She didn't love him. She didn't. She stared out at the window looking for a distraction, anything to keep her from thinking about the words pounding through her head, the emotions squeezing the air from her. But the yard was quiet, everyone had gone to eat.

She tried to concentrate on the cattle standing nose to tail and gently scratching each other's rumps in the nearest corral. But her gaze slid sideways until she was staring, once again, at Demola's favorite cattle. She dropped her head against the cool pane of glass with a defeated groan. She could deny the words all she wanted, but there was no denying the pain in her heart.

She loved him.

God help her, she loved him. She turned back to Rose, her shoulders slumping as she leaned against the glass. "Now what?"

Her expression sympathetic, Rose came over and put her arms around her. She held her quietly for a minute, then pulled back just far enough to look into her eyes. "If you love this guy, you can't give up this easy. You can't give up on this estate and you can't give up on him. You've got to go after him. Fight for him."

She shook her head. "He's not going to give in, Rose. He's too damned stubborn. Too damned. . . honorable."

Rose waved away her comments. "Honor, you're not buying that nonsense about him tainting you, are you?"

"I've never bought it and you know it. But that doesn't mean he doesn't buy it. And in case you haven't heard, it takes two to tango."

"I'm not asking you about the tango. I'm asking you if you believe he's not worthy of you."

"Oh, for pity's sake. He is the most decent man I've ever met. Any woman would be lucky to have him in her life."

"Well, then, pardon my bluntness, but you need to quit sitting here like some sorry quitter. You need to pack your bags and go out and get him."

Quitter.

The word caught in her mind, jogging another memory.

. . .I can't believe Wole's daughter is this much of a quitter. . .

Demola's words echoed in her head, followed by others, equally pointed.

. . .From what you said, leaving at the first sign of trouble and never looking back was a habit of hers. Before you decide to walk away from the Big W, make sure this isn't one of your mother's traits you're glooming on to. . .

She'd made up her mind that night she wouldn't give up easily again. But she had. Not on the estate, but on something far, far more important.

Shame on her.

She straightened her shoulders. "You're right, I wimped out. And. . .that's enough of that. Come on, you can help me. . .oh geez, major problem."

"What's that?" Rose asked.

"I don't know where Demola is. Even if I wanted to toss a rope around him and tie him down until he listened, I don't know where to find him. He called Charles right after he left, told him he'd let him know when he'd be staying some place long enough to have his cheque sent, but so far he hasn't made that call."

"Okay, that's going to be a tricky roadblock. But we can get around it."

"How?" Desperation froze her brain.

"I don't know, but we'll think of something. Maybe you could put an ad in the paper, threatening to burn the place down if he doesn't get his cute little behind back here."

Tomilola shot her a disparaging look. "What paper would that be?" For all we know, he's in Dubai somewhere. Or South Africa."

"I see your point."

"Wait a minute." Hope surged through her as her idea began to take shape. "The Angels always get international press. . .and air time."

Rose nodded. "We do, but we can't go on TV and threaten to burn the estate down."

Tomilola laughed, feeling more alive than she had in days. "No, we can't. But Demola's not wild about the Angel stunts. I think a risky one might bring him running."

Catching on, Rose smiled. "Got one in mind?"

An article she'd read in a travel magazine a few months back popped into Tomilola's head. She smiled wickedly. "As a matter of fact, I do. Let's go call the other girls."


********************************************************

Demola strode into his hotel room in Maitama with the bag of burgers and fries he'd picked up across the street. The last three weeks had been the longest of his life. Longer than the five years he'd spent behind bars.
He missed the Big W.
He missed Tomilola.
Swearing softly, he set his dinner on the small table by the bed and toed his boots off. "Get over it, fool. You made the right decision." The only decision he could make if he was going to keep his promise to Tomilola's father.

Which didn't make him stop missing her. Didn't make him stop wanting her.

He propped the bed pillows against the headboard, sat, kicked his stockinged feet out in front of him and grabbed the white paper bag, wishing to hell it was a bottle of Red Label instead. The last thing he felt like doing was eating. But nursing a bottle of red label until he passed out. . .that had definite appeal.

Too much appeal for a man who didn't have anything in his life to stay sober for. So he'd forgone the bottle for the bag of food. Pulling a burger out, he stared at the ugly painting tacked on the wall above the TV. God, he was sick of motel rooms. He needed to get back to work. If he had something to occupy his time, his hands, maybe he'd stop thinking about Tomilola.

Stop thinking about how beautiful she was. Stop thinking about the way her breasts had filled his hands. Or the way she'd looked at him the night they'd made love. He closed his eyes, trying to ignore his body's response.

He definitely needed to get back to work. The problem was, he didn't know anyone around here. He decided to catch the end of the news while he finished his dinner and then he'd strategize on how to go job hunting.

The national news reporter, his gray air perfectly styled, stared out at the audience with a smile on his lips.

"The Angels are at it again. They've scheduled a fund raiser for a young girl with leukemia. Martha Okon's family lives on the outskirts of Lagos, and is in need of funds to help pay for their daughter's chemotherapy. The Angels are stepping outside their usual venue for this stunt and heading towards the borders. They're having a shark rodeo off the coast of the Benue River, feeding and riding the sharks in those waters to raise money. They've got the Dangote Group of Companies on the hook for a thousand dollars for each fish the world's most deadly eating machines take off the Angels' spears. Five thousand for each fish they take out of the Angels' hands. And ten thousand dollars for each "ride" the Angels take holding on to the sharks' dorsal fins. It promises to be quite an event. For those interested in adding to the pot, an e-mail address will be flashed at the end of the program."

Demola stared at the TV, his blood running cold, the burger in his hand all but forgotten as the commentators moved on to the next story.

Sharks.

They were going to feed sharks? From their hands? And then they were going to blithely grab hold of their dorsal fins for a little ride?

Over his dead body.

Tossing his dinner aside, he stood and snatched the phone from its place on the bedside table. He punched the estate's number in, stabbing each button with the anger building inside him as he paced away from the bed - until the short hotel cord brought him to an abrupt halt. Dammit.

The phone rang on the other end.

Once.
Twice.

"Big W." Charles' voice.

"What the hell do you think you're doing, letting those girls head down to the border to feed sharks, for crying out loud?"

"Ah, you must have just caught the news. CNN did a good job, don't you think? The girls should make some good money with this stunt."

"Good. . .have you lost your damn mind? They'll probably get eaten alive."

"Tomilola says not, though I imagine they could." Charles' voice was amazingly calm considering the words coming out of his mouth.

"Then stop them, dammit."

"I'm not their mommy. And neither are you. In fact, you don't have any say at all over what they do. More to the point, what Tomilola does. You're out of her life, remember?"

He stilled. There was something far too smug in Charles' tone. "Is this a setup? Is Tomilola just trying to lure me back within her grasp?"

"She hasn't said so. She's playing it straight, hasn't mentioned she has any other motivation for the fundraiser beyond Martha's need."

"But. . ." Demola pushed.

"But there's a calculating gleam in her eyes that's pretty hard to miss." There wasn't an ounce of empathy in Charles' voice.

"And knowing that, you didn't stop her."

"Like I said, not my job."

Anger raced through him. What the hell was Charles thinking? He knew the man hadn't been happy at his leaving. Charles had made himself clear on that subject when Demola had called right after he'd left. But when all was said and done, he thought his friend had at least understood that he didn't belong in Tomilola's life, that his leaving was the only option available. Apparently not. "Anything happens to any of those girls, Tomilola in particular, I'm coming after you."

"You know where to find me."

"Count on it. In the meantime, where and when is this little shindig taking place?" His gut clenched as he realized he'd have to chase after her. Have to put an end to this nonsense himself.

"Day after tomorrow off the shores of River Benue. Their final meeting with the press before they head out on the boat is 7:00am. You'd best get a move on if you want to get there before Tomilola feeds her arm to a shark. Have fun. Say hi to the girls and. . ."

Demola slammed the phone down and paced away, struggling for a calming breath, glad he was as far from Charles as he was.

Say hi to the girls?

Sure.

Right after he wrung their necks.

Tomilola's first.

Ladies and gentlemen, it's my pleasure to say this story is gradually coming to an end
Thanks to you all for coming this far with me . . .a journey of over 3 months is finally coming to an end

At this point, I would really love your critic and also how you think this lovely story should end Even though, the end of this story is already known to me, you my lovely readers, could also determine the end

Gracias all!