CHAPTER 6: Dangerous Obsession

Tariro made her way to the kitchen in her sleepwear. She couldn't even control her smiles. She was happy. Last night was different. The way he was so gentle with her, like she would just break at any moment. He handled her with care like she was his priceless possession, and she loved it. How can she not fall for him? He was everything she had ever wanted. He didn't care about her profession. He didn't judge her about the night she slept with him for money. He wanted her, just the way she was. And he slept over! She squirmed with excitement. He was there, in her small room, sound asleep.

She hummed happily, opening the fridge and taking out ingredients. She was going to make him breakfast. She switched on the stove and placed a pan on top, still humming, then poured some cooking oil.

"Someone is in a good mood." Anashe said, downing a glass of milk.

Tariro blushed. "What can i say. I'm sexually satisfied."

"Is it the same guy? You guys were so loud. I had to play some music to try and block your moans, but still, that didn't help. Did you even sleep at all? You were at it the whole night. I need to see this man -"

Tariro quickly covered her mouth to stop her from talking. "Shh, he is sleeping." She couldn't risk Victor hearing them. She broke an egg and tossed it in the pan, then sprinkled some salt and let it cook.

Anashe's eyes widened. "He is inside? Since when do you allow a guy to sleep over."

Tariro smiled. "He is...different. i like having him around." Her smile faltered for a second. She didn't know if he felt the same. Did he feel the same way? She sighed, shaking her head. She wasn't going to push or put a label to whatever this was. She was going to take it slow. She flipped the egg, clearing her mind of negative thoughts.

"Now i really need to see him. I'm so happy for you, friend. You deserve this. You deserve to be happy."

She smiled. "Thank you." She took out the egg and tossed in another one.

**

Tariro placed everything in a tray along with a cup of strong black coffee. The coffee was a guess. It just suited his personality. She picked up the tray and went back to her room, where Vic was still sleeping. She placed the tray on the dressing table and stood beside the bed, admiring God's work. He looked so peaceful and... innocent while sleeping. He was snoring soflty with his lips slightly parted. Her gaze lingered on his lips as her mind took her back to how those lips kissed her the previous night. She could still feel them, the soft kisses he planted on her. How can someone be so effortlessly beautiful?

Victor turned in his sleep, feeling someone watching him and slowly opening his eyes. The smell of coffee hit his nostrils just as he sat up straight.

Tariro smiled. "Hey." She said softly. "Good morning."

Vic closed his eyes briefly. "What time is it?"

"A little after 9."

He quickly snapped his eyes open. "What? Why didn't you wake me up?" He quickly got out of bed. How the hell did he manage to sleep until that late? He had a meeting with a client at exactly 8 o'clock. He got out of bed and picked up his briefs on the floor, and put them on.

"I..i made you breakfast." Tariro said softly.

Vic paused and stared at her. He didn't want any breakfast. He was late, and he needed to get his ass at work, but he also didn't want to be rude. Now that he was thinking clearly and was no longer angry and in his feelings, he regretted last night. It was a big mistake from his side. The last thing he wanted was for Tariro to catch feelings. Their relationship was strictly sexual until last night. He crossed a line, and he didn't know how to fix it. He wasn't the vanilla sex type of guy. He just fucked and released but Tariro was changing him and he didn't like it.

He sighed putting on his clothes thinking of a gentler way to turn her down.

"Its okay if you...um its okay if you don't want to eat. I will just take it back."

Victor exhaled feeling the hurt in her voice. He mentally cussed himself. He led the poor girl on and gave her the wrong impression.

"Its okay. I will eat." His sentence was accompanied by a loud sigh. He sat back down on the bed and Tariro brought the tray and handed it to him. He muttered a thank you and dug in. It wasn't close to what his chef's cooking but it was edible. He took a few bites and downed the coffee then pushed the tray away.

"Thank you. I have to go. I'm late for work."

"Its okay." Her voice came out low.

Victor could feel the change in her voice but he didn't have the time to nurse her feelings. Heck, he wouldn't even know how to. He quietly put on his shoes then took his phone. He stared at her contemplating on whether to hug her or not. Maybe a kiss on the cheek? He shook his head. He had already complicated his life enough. He didn't need to complicate it further.

"Bye." He finally said and walked out.

Tariro sighed, disappointed, and then followed behind him. She thought that maybe after last night he would be different, less cold maybe but she realized that she was just fooling herself. He was even more detarched than ever.

They found Anashe sitting on the couch, a cup of "tea" in her hand. Victor stood awkwardly in the middle of the room. He didn't know if he should greet or not.

Tariro, sensing the tension, intruduced the two. "Ana, this is Victor, Vic, this is Anashe, my friend."

He nodded his head, acknowledging her. Anashe stared at him, her eyes wide. She recognized him, and damn! He was even more handsome in person. She had always had a crush on him and wouldn't mind if she found herself under him, even for just one night.

"I will see you." He said to Tariro and walked out. Anashe's gaze was making him uncomfortable. It was clear that she knew him.

Tariro watched as Victor walked out of her apartment, feeling a pang of disappointment and hurt. She had thought that after the intimate night they shared, he would be more affectionate, more warm. But instead, he seemed distant. She sighed and closed the door, wondering if she had misread the situation entirely. Maybe last night didn't mean as much to him as it did to her.

She cleared her throat, pushed back her thoughts, and glared at Anashe. "What the hell was that?" She snapped.

Anashe blinked and turned to her. "What do you mean?"

"Don't act clueless, Ana. I saw you drooling over him like he was a snack."

"Well, he is one." She mumbled under her breath. "Do you even know who Victor Dube is?"

Tariro frowned. "How do you know his surname?" Were they exs?

"Who doesn't know Victor? Everyone in this country knows him. He even got engaged to the governor's daughter. It's all over social media. Their engagement party was last night."

Tariro's heart skipped a beat. "W..what?"

"Don't tell me you didn't know. When you told me about your new man, i never thought it would be Vic. No offense, my friend, but you are not his type. Have you seen the women he hangs out with? Models, CEOs, women with class. You should see his fiance, she is so beautiful like a goddess. Her skin is so flawless that you would swear she uses milk to bathe. You don't even compare to that, which makes me wonder why he is with you."

Tariro swallowed hard as Anashe's words hit her like a ton of bricks. Victor was engaged? So he really was using her, that's why he was so cold to her. He only saw her as a sperm dish, someone to fulfill his dark fantasies because he couldn't do it to his fiance? How could she be so stupid? She should have known better. Why did she let her guard down? Why did she allow him into her heart? Why the fuck did it hurt so much?

Tears blurred her vision as she stumbled back to her room. She locked the door and broke down crying, her whole body shaking. She should have known.

**

Victor loosened his tie before opening his office door. It was already after 10 but at least he made it. He raised his eye brow when he came face to face with Elijah sitting on his chair.

"Father."

"Is this the time to come to work? You see why i was against you moving out? You are slacking! Do you want to run my company down to the ground? Do you know how many meetings i had to attend while you doing god knows what?" Elijah yelled on top of his voice.

Victor sighed rubbing his forehead. "Are you done? Im really not in the mood."

"Do you realize that you are engaged to someone? What image -"

"You are the last person to preach to me about image. I'm engaged, not married, and i never promised to love my so-called fiance. You are married, but you dont respect your wife. You go for girls my age, and you are here talking to me about image. How many children do you have out there?" He spoke with a low voice that made Elijah feel stupid.

"You are my son and -"

"Please, father, i have work to do. Will you please excuse me."

Elijah quietly moved from the chair and walked out of the office. How he missed the obdient Victor. He hated this one, the one who always challenged him.

**

A knock on the door woke Tariro up from her deep sleep. Her head ached so much from all the crying she had been doing. She couldn't believe that this was her, crying for a man. She had vowed that she would never waste her tears on a man, but there she was, crying her eyeballs out.

She yawned and then got out of bed. She rubbed her puffy eyes as she made her way to the door. She frowned, seeing an unfamiliar face on the other side.

"How are you, sir? How can i help you?"

Elijah smiled, pushing her aside as he made his way inside. He looked around the small apartment in disgust.

He snorted. "I wonder what he sees in this little hell hole."

"Um, excuse me, sir? You can't just budge inside my house like that."

"Little girl, you call this a house? This little shit hole?"

Tariro gasped as she stared at him in disbelief. What the actual fuck? "Being rich doesn't mean you have to look down on people. This little shit hole as you call it is my home, and i would appreciate it if you left immediately. "

"I have no desire to stick around. I just want you to stay away from my son." His cold glare landed on her face, and a small smirk formed at the corner of his mouth. "Now i understand his obsession with you. He never went to the same girl twice, let alone spend a night. You are appealing to the eye." He stepped closer to her and trailed his fingers softly on her face. "You are a pretty little thing, aren't you? I wouldn't mind having a taste of you." The smirk remained on his face.

Tariro stood frozen on the same soft as confusion masked her face. "W..who are you?" She finally managed to speak and took a few steps back. She could feel her heart racing.

"Victor's father. I know you are beautiful and all, but i can't have you ruining my plans. I won't have you standing in the way of my goals. So, how much do you need to stay away from him? 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 million? Pick your price."

Now, she was more confused than before. He would just throw away so much money just for that? How rich were these people? "I don't need your money. Please leave."

"Think about it. You can start over in a different country. Have a whole new life. It's not like you have a family to think about." He shrugged.

His words broke her so much. All her life, she had wondered about her parents, about why they would just dump her at an orphanage. The topic was a sensitive one to her.

"Please just leave." She tried so hard not to break down in front of him. Today wasn't her lucky day.

"Alright then. I will give you some time to think about it. Don't take too long because i will be forced to take some....drastic measures." He planted a soft kiss on her lips and walked out.

Tariro released a breath she didn't know she was holding. What the hell just happened?