Leila fell asleep on the flight home. She woke in Kelvin's arms but didn't move for fear of him asking her to walk. They got into the car and he cradled her to his chest like a baby, dishing out orders to the driver. She fell asleep again to the sound of his heart.
The next time she woke, they were inside their room, on the bed. The lights were too dim for Leila to tell what time of the day it was. How long did she sleep? She darted a worried look at Kelvin and he smiled.
"Hey," she said. Her voice was scratchy like it had been out of use. She pulled the cover over her leg and rolled to the other end of the bed. "What time is it?"
"No idea," he replied. He propped his elbow on the pillow, taking in every move she made. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah. Just tired, I guess."
Her clothes were still intact unlike last night and she was glad he didn't change her. The memories from that night were blurry. She remembered leaving Lily's room, knocking on a door. Nothing more after that.
Did she do something weird to warrant this look Kelvin was giving her? He looked like he wanted to gobble her. Somehow, the thought of that excited her. Her belly knotted and heat pooled between her legs.
Leila got out of the bed before something happened. Kelvin followed suit. "What is it?" she asked with a forced laugh. Her body was reacting differently to his presence. For the second time, she asked, "Are you sure I didn't do anything funny or crazy last night?" Kelvin shook his head. But she couldn't shake off that feeling he was lying to protect her. "If you say so, Kev."
"I do say so, Leila."
In silence, they both went about their business. She returned to the room later to find it empty. A quick look around the house and she found Kelvin in the living room, dressed in casual clothes. Her brain went blank when he flexed his arms, she licked her lips dry when he motioned for her to come forward. There was a pack of cards on the coffee table. On instinct, her eyes sought the booze.
If there was booze, she wouldn't play.
"Don't you have to be somewhere doing what bosses do?" she teased as she settled down on the couch.
Kelvin laughed. The corners of his eyes crinkled and she drowned in them. She preferred him without his glasses. And he only took them off when they were alone.
"I'm spending the day with my wife." A colony of ants attacked her belly. My wife. Coming from him, those words sounded too intimate. She liked it. Kelvin picked the card and shuffled it. "I was thinking," he said casually, like it was common for them to be indoors by this time of the day. "Since the others will be at the hotel for the rest of the week, we can do something fun." Kelvin held her gaze and her cheeks warmed. "Just me and you. No distractions."
"Oh."
Those words promised more. She wanted to find out his plans for them. Leila's heart started a slow dance. She was ready for the next step in their relationship. To be one with him as a man should be with a woman.
"Yeah." He pointed to the card he already arranged on the table. "Do you know how to play poker? It's easy."
So easy her friends whooped her ass too many times to count. She had to send them a text to explain her sudden absence. Her head jerked up to Kelvin and she bit her lips in worry. It was too much of a coincidence that they left the hotel at the same time. People might notice. If they noticed, they would talk about it.
"Go on, say it," he urged. "Let me hear your thoughts."
Leila smoothed the invisible lines on her shorts. If she had known he would be home with her, she would have worn something sexier and maybe a bit more edgier. Her underwear were a mismatched colour.
"I was just wondering since we left the hotel at the same time." He nodded in a way that encouraged her to continue. "People might notice and it would raise suspicions. I know you don't care but I do, Kev."
The room was silent after that. She worried she might have annoyed him with her statement. She was always worrying about people's thoughts and opinions on her life and choices while Kelvin focused on gifting her flowers.
"No one knows what room I'm staying at the hotel, they wouldn't know where to look." He paused and she tried to smile when he smiled. "Amara came up with an explanation for your absence. You're sick."
"Thanks."
"Don't thank me yet, Leila." Her cheeks flushed when he winked. She fanned herself with one hand and bit her lips. His attention returned to the card and he picked a small pile. "The rules are pretty easy for this."
"Rules?"
He was beginning to sound like Lily. She was the one who introduced the stupid rule of losers must drink. Fully aware she might have done something stupid that night, something Kelvin was keeping away from her, Leila didn't want a repeat of that incident. She didn't want any rules.
"Yeah." Her mouth dried up at the intensity in Kelvin's eyes and his gaze scrolled over her body. That tingling between her legs started again. Only Kelvin could undress her with a look. Leila created more distance between them, she sat on the floor with her legs folded under her. "There's only one rule." Leila knew she wouldn't like it but her competitive spirit was determined to see the game till the end. "The loser must take off an item of clothing or kiss the winner."
"Come again."
Kelvin couldn't mean that, right? Those options were dangerous. She was between the devil and the red sea. Kelvin smirked.
She was in big trouble.
"The loser must take off an item of clothing," he dragged the words out slowly. "Or kiss the winner. Those are the rules."
Her hands swept over her clothes. A top and a pair of shorts. There was a pair of socks in the drawer, a beanie too. She needed more clothes.
"Can I change?"
Kelvin's deep laughter greeted her. "Sorry, Leila. No."
A thick lump formed in her throat, she swallowed hard. Kelvin was wearing nothing but a shirt he unbuttoned to reveal his chest and a pair of sweatpants. This was a set up.
They started the game. The first two rounds were a draw. Her nerves interfered with her sharp thinking and Leila lost the third round. She shot out of the bed and took out the elastic band holding her hair in place.
"Leila, that doesn't count as an item of clothing."
Disappointment was boldly written across his face, his eyes darkened with annoyance as she sat with her hair cascading down her shoulders. She ran her fingers through her hair, conscious of her husband's smouldering gaze.
"It is." Her jaw set in defiance. "You didn't specify where the item should come from."
"I would have preferred a kiss," he said more to himself but she heard.
She would have preferred a kiss too. But the idea of initiating it scared her too much. What if she kissed him wrongly? It had been a while since she was with any man.
"Are you ready?" She nodded and he smirked. "This time, the winner decides the punishment."
In that case, she must not lose. "Okay."
Again, they went at it two more times and Kelvin lost both rounds. Her hands were slippery as she shuffled the cards. Her husband was down to only his briefs. A mischievous glint danced in his eyes when she placed his cards in front of him. He couldn't lose again.
The next round, Leila lost.
She squeezed her eyes shut when Kelvin placed his cards down beside her poor stack. When her eyelids fluttered open, his cards were open. He won. Fair and square. Her insides were in a knot, her lips trembled as she turned to him.
"A kiss," he said before she thought of striking a bargain with him. "I want a kiss from you, Leila."
His reply didn't surprise her but her heart was a mess. She would have chosen the second option, taken off her shirt. It was less vulnerable than this. A kiss could change everything about their current dynamic.
"A kiss?" Her voice trembled. "Are you sure?"
Her breath snagged in her throat when he knelt in front of her. His hand slipped behind her neck and his breath warmed her face. She wanted to kiss him too.
"More than I have ever been, Leila." His thumb brushed her lower lip and tingles erupted all over the spot. Kissing him no longer seemed so bad and she leaned forward to show approval. "I want to kiss my wife."