Chapter 22 Temptation

"Oh yeah?... But I could make you forget about him in a minute and you'll start singing my name instead." He drawled, his facial expression daring her to doubt him so he could make good on his threat.

"Yeah right... In your dreams," Abby replied, realizing too late that she had challenged him when she saw his narrowed eye and lascivious smile.

"In my dream huh?..." He asked and smiled, advancing slowly towards her with an arched brow. Every calculative step he took says 'I got you where I want you, let's see if you won't scream my name and beg for mercy.

"You should know I love a good challenge. I will make you forget your boyfriend right here and now, so much so that you would even beg for more. So shall we begin... Say with a kiss?"

Abby gasped and backed up as he advanced. "See I know you are crazy, but will you please stop messing around already... and don't come any closer!"

He laughed "I'm crazy?" He asked with his head cocked aside "Okay if you say so... but I'm not messing around with you... and why don't you want me to come any closer? Didn't you just challenged me?... or are you a coward?"

"I am not a coward. I just want you to respect the fact that I have a boyfriend... a-and stay away from me"

"I should what now?..." He chuckled "shouldn't you have thought about respect before you start daring me Abby?" he said with a deep voice, looking down at her with that sexy eyes of his.

"I...I meant to say..." She trailed off as she forgot what was on her mind that she was about to say.

'Dear God, if you help me get through this temptation in one piece then I will serve you forever more' she thought.

"What?... Cat got your tongue, Abby?" He scoffed, his brown eyes looking deep into her beautiful black once.

Abby swallowed and leaked her lips 'How could a man's lashes be this long and thick?' She wondered, he was now so near to her, pressing her against the cabinet. Her heartbeats quickened as she struggled not to lose her mind due to their proximity.

"I love the shade of lipstick you wore this morning... With your lips looking so soft and succulent like a plum. I love the way you bite them when you're nervous..." Just as he said, Abby unconsciously bit down on her lips as if he commanded her to do so.

"Yeah just like that..." He commended and smiled. His voice had gone low and magnetic, his brown eyes that looked like it was seeing deep into her soul was mesmerizing.

Abby was lost in his eyes and lost for words. Her heartbeats quickened. Its erratic beats were so strong he could hear it.

"Why is your heartbeat is so strong?... I can hear your heart slamming against your rib cage..." He chuckled "and damn girl! Why do you have to smell so nice."

He bent down closer to her neck and inhaled sharply "you have these milky, floral smell about you..." He trailed off and inhaled again. "It's messing with my thinking ability cos I can't think straight right now."

Abby's throat went very dry when she felt his hot breath tickled her neck. She was still in the state of temptation-induced muteness and couldn't think straight too. Unconsciously, she bit down on her lips again.

"You might draw blood if you continue to bite down so hard and I might be forced to lick every drop-off." He said and chuckled.

If you love him so much then why are you scared of my touch? Shouldn't the love you feel for him be strong enough for you to be able to resist the temptation? Shouldn't my touch be repelling to you?." He continued his deep voice teasing.

"Tunde please..." Abby who had now found her voice pleaded weakly, trying to push past him.

"That's more like it... I love the way you say my name baby" he whispered and lightly bit her ear before moving to kiss the corner of her lips. Leaning far back on the cabinet, she tried to wiggle out of the small space between them.

"You're such a little coward and I won the challenge" he laughed at her before giving her enough space to wiggled out. In the process, her hand mistakenly knocked the stockfish she had earlier soaked, the water poured down the side of her dress.

"Now see what you made me do," she said furiously as she looked down at her drenched dress, ...wringing out the excess water, her eyes flashing with anger. How could he just call what she went through right now a challenge?... Something that nearly made her loose her sanity!

He rolled his eyes upwards "I didn't make you do anything. It's not my fault that you're so silly-livered... Chicken!

"Don't call me chicken... Goat!" She retorted.

"Yeah, I'm the G.O.A.T" He flashed her a bright winning smile.

"I didn't mean it as the Greatest. Of. All. Time... I meant the kind that bleat" she frowned angrily "stop with the stupid smile please, it's annoying"

"Yeah, whatever" he smiled some more "Just stay where you are, lemme grab the mop. I'll be right back" he ordered, went out, and came back inside with a mop and bucket to clean up the mess.

"Come let's go get you a shirt to change into, you need to wash your dress if you don't want to smell like stockfish all day." He said after he finished cleaning the floor.

Following behind him, she noticed he had a huge tattoo of a kind of bird covering the whole visible part of his broad back, the tattoo looked fierce despite being partly covered by his shirt. 'What kind of a bird does he have on his back?' She wondered, very attracted to it.

She followed him to the foot of the stairs, then asked out of curiosity...

"What kind of bird do you have on your back?"

"Hawk. Wanna see?" He attempted to remove his tank top, partly exposing his tight abs.

"No, no, no... Don't!" Abby nearly shouted while saying no. She swallowed as it feels as if something was stuck in her dry throat

"Oh, okay. You don't have to shout you know, my ears are working just fine." He chuckled before continuing up the stairs.

When he saw her still standing by the foot of the stairs, not willing to go any further, he sighed and sat down on a step.

"Up there, down here is there any difference? Whatever your silly mind is telling you I would do to you up there, if I do it to you down here, nobody is coming to save you, you know." He said his face showing amusement.

"Abby... Just as I promised, if anything is going to happen between us, it's going to be out of our mutual want and not out of force" his voice gets lower as he made the last part known to her

"I've never forced myself on a woman and it's never gonna happen with you... so please quit being silly and get that into your thick skull. And you need to get out of that dress 'cos you're beginning to stink." he said wrinkling his nose.

"It's you that will stink. You will be as stinky as a skunk you rude monkey."

"Rude monkey!?" He laughed with an arched brow "how childish!"