Bands of the Unpaid Dowry

Chapter 19

The orange hue from the rays of the morning sun warmly sought to vitalize the face of anyone who came into contact with it. Especially in the area of East Legon, where the home of Manuela Boateng was buzzing with untold excitement. She moved all around her home packing and awaiting the arrival of her friends for the buoyant weekend ahead. Ignorant to her was the couple who now stood outside her home with one sulking.

"The entire weekend?" An anxious Jace questioned even though he had known about the plans the girls had about a week ago. He couldn't tell why the idea of Millicent being away for those days irked him.

Millicent faced him and saw the almost invisible pout lurking on the bottom of his face. She stood up on her tiptoes and grabbed his face between both of her hands while his hands automatically settled on her hips. They had gotten so comfortable with each other that the previous rule had become all but empty words. Jace's face settled with a smile when she pushed some of his curly hair away from his face when he failed to style them back.

"I'm going to be back before you know it on Sunday. Take care of the house hm." She tapped his face in an affectionate way which caused that discomfort in Jace's heart - the same that he had grown used to and craved. He was not unaware of the current situation which was that he was growing a liking for the lady in front of him, but no matter how hard he tried to desist from the feelings that plagued him, they never left. They seemed to be growing faster and stronger by day. He gulped thickly as his eyes drifted from her wide, bright, excited eyes to her perk nose and then her plump full lips. Even in that daze he responded to her statement.

Millicent felt the hands that held her hips tighten, and she watched in amusement when he responded, "You trust me with your kitchen." Jace whispered, pulling her closer causing her heart and body that was not immune to him to thrum in excitement. She was trying to understand his thick and lush eyelashes when they swept each time he searched her face.

"You avoid that place like it was a plague." They both chuckled, still lost in the bubble that their proximity had created. Each could feel the other's breath fanning an area of their face. She felt his eyes lower to her lips again while she was engrossed in his addictive smell- a little forest and woody smell bumped with some notes of sweet spice.

"Can I kiss you?" His dense, husky voice breathily questioned. Millicent's chest rose and fell in angry successions when she noticed where his eyes were focused, and her eyes caught off-guard widened at the request.

"No touching, remember?"

"We've gone beyond that rule, little M." He squeezed her waist and his lips broadened at her expense when she had no response alongside her abashed face.

"Well, enjoy your weekend which could have been even more fun with me." Before she could respond, he had dipped his head, anchored her head with one hand and planted his lips at the corner of her lips. It was not an actual kiss, but it still sent her body heat and her heart in an overdrive.

When Jace lifted his head, he chuckled under his breath at her flustered look. Gently placing his hand on the supple skin of her cheek, his eyes found her disgruntled ones, but they still shone with an intrigued look.

A pup barked from their car, startling Millicent and letting her jump apart from the enticing man in front of her. She cleared her throat and then croaked in an uncertain and coy voice, "Yeah, take care of mi - um the pup too." Jace was tempted to laugh at her inability to use her name to refer to the little dog, but he held himself back.

They walked to the house unconsciously holding onto each other's hands.

"Mimi!" Manuela called when her friend entered. Her eyes shifted to her cousin who held her. She was not surprised at the development between the two but that did not mean that she was not wary of him because he was a man.