 
## Her Seducing CEO

## Volume #1, Pleasing Xavier

## Sable Rose

Copyright 2018 Sable Rose

AUTHOR'S NOTE

This book is a work of fiction by Sable Rose. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author's imagination or are used solely for entertainment. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

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" _And the angels, the children of the heaven, saw and lusted after them, and said to one another: 'Come, let us choose us wives from among the children of men and beget us children."_

The Book of Enoch

### Introducing the Adoring Angels Chronicles

It has been many years since the Nephilim, beings who are part human and part angels, revealed themselves to humans. Now, the human and Nephilim races struggle to live side by side, both believing that all angels have left the earth forever.

But, unknown to many, a group of angels are trapped on earth, unable to return to heaven, hiding from their many enemies.

They hide in plain sight, in human form: male, six-foot-seven and taller, and extremely handsome.

For the select group of women who sleep with angels, sex is transcendental, life-changing. Angels are well-endowed, much more than human and Nephilim men, with wonderful tricks up their sleeves that transforms their lovers into lifetime groupies.

For these women, this saying is truth: _when you go angel, you're a groupie for life_ ...

### Xavier, Master Angel of Seduction, Works His Magic on Tamara

"You haven't been with a big man? Tamara..." Xavier's hot breath fanned her ear. "I'm very big and thick. Over ten inches long and seven inches wide."

At his words, her juice gushed out and drenched her panties.

Tamara licked her dry bottom lip. Ten inches long? Seven inches wide— _what_? How did that look? She didn't even know that they made penises in that size.

"I need to know if you can take me in... all of me..."

Now her breasts were straining against her bra, aching to be released from their confines. She licked her lip again and said, "I don't know."

"Would you like to try?" Xavier pushed her hand down on his thigh.

"Here?"

His laughter was deep, throaty. "No, not here. So you haven't been penetrated by a big penis. I'm not surprised. There's something virginal about you."

"I haven't seen a big penis before," she confessed, eying his mouth. "And anyway, size isn't supposed to matter."

"In some cases, believe me, I think it does. There have been a few men with long penises. Like the Russian monk, Rasputin who had a size eleven penis."

She shook her head. How did they end up here talking about sex and penis sizes?

"Would you try to take all of me in? After all, the vagina can take a full-term baby. I want you to try, Tamara."

Xavier continued, "And how did your former lovers take you?"

"We tried different positions—"

"I'm not talking about sexual positions, Tamara..."

Beneath her palm, she felt his muscles bunch.

"Do you like it sweet, gentle and always slow? Or do you like it first, slow and then, fast? Or do you prefer, hard, rough and primal?"

Her harsh breathing resonated with his. She spotted a muscle flexing in his jaw.

"I like the third option, Tamara. Which do you like?"

"The second..." she gasped.

Get all Sable Rose's books in one spot. Click on  Sable's Romance Book List

### About Her Seducing CEO

A paranormal erotic romantic suspense story of manipulation and sexual surrender...

For most of her life, soft-spoken and naive Tamara Abbey has known that angels once were on earth and they impregnated human females who gave birth to the first Nephilim. That was years ago.

Now, there are no more angels left on earth. Now, Nephilim and humans try to live in peace, side by side.

But, at a job interview, the HR Manager offers Tamara a job as executive assistant to the conglomerate's CEO, instead of the job she applied for, and it's almost as if he needs her to say yes to the job offer.

Strange.

She's never done the job before but just before she can reply, she sees a man walk past. Tall, mahogany-skinned, sharp-cheekboned and magnificent.

And of all things, he stops to stare at her. _Her!_

Soon after, she comes face to face with Mr. Magnificent. He's Xavier Osagie, the CEO. The man she would be working for.

If she accepts the job, that is.

Tamara is hooked. Of course, she'll take the job.

Her new boss is dreamy. Xavier. Wolf-eyed with cheekbones sharp enough to cut glass.

But, it's strange.

She's never seen him eat. He only sips from a flask.

And, he carries around a gold-bladed weird dagger. What kind of CEO needs a dagger?

Xavier is an enigma. Now he wants to have sex with her. But the catch is...

He's offering life-changing sex and nothing more.

Life-changing sex. She didn't know such a thing existed!

But her dark and sexy boss with the most appealing amber eyes she's ever seen is not the only thing on her mind.

She's been recruited by a shady group who call themselves the Soldiers for Unity.

A group with a compelling message:

There are still angels on earth...

_Her Seducing CEO_ is Volume 1 of Pleasing Xavier. Read  Volume 2, Her Supernatural Affair and Volume 3, Her Sensuous Rebirth

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She thinks she's going on a first date with a handsome stranger. Only, he's not a man. He's an angel who also happens to be a secret agent and he's out to get her!

In the world of _Captivating Angel Jonas_ , humans and Nephilim (beings who are part angel, part human) co-exist on earth but both races are unaware that angels yet live among them, in hiding, passing as men.

Even though two months ago, Tomi Sawyer's boyfriend took off to places unknown, she's moving on with a man she met through a dating website, Jonas Dije, six-eight with eyes the color of fine whisky. But, on her first date with Jonas, this insecure beauty discovers he's not a man at all but an angel.

That's not all he is, however. Jonas is also an agent of a top-secret angelic agency, on a mission to find out if Tomi is involved in trafficking in manna with her AWOL boyfriend. Manna is the food of angels, of Nephilim, but for humans, it's addictive and sometimes fatal.

From the first day, Tomi and Jonas can't keep their hands off each other. They revel in exploring each other's bodies. Tomi, especially, is drawn to this sexy angel and falls in love with him almost immediately. Jonas resists the pull of her attraction for a time, struggling to focus on his investigation and find out if she's the culprit selling manna illegally to humans. But, somehow, she manages to get under his skin.

Now, Jonas is scared. All she knows of him is that he's an angel, passing as a man and working as a personal trainer. What will she do when she finds out he's an agent and she's the subject of his investigation?

_Captivating Angel Jonas_ is a companion book to the Adoring Angels Chronicles, a paranormal erotic romance series featuring a group of super-desirable and well-endowed angels, living on earth, in hiding from their many enemies.

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### Chapter 1

Tamara Abbey plopped into the dining table chair to her father's left. She glanced at him, in his faded pajamas, peering shortsightedly at the newspaper in front of his face, despite the black-framed eyeglasses swinging on the lanyard around his neck.

She sighed. "Dad, good morning. You're reading without your glasses again."

He glanced at her, a sheepish smile on his face. "Good morning, sweetheart." He dumped the paper on the table and pulled the glasses over his eyes. "That's one of the many reasons why I need you here," he added.

Tamara rolled her eyes and laughed. "You don't miss an opportunity to remind me that you like me living with you."

"Of course. Why spend money to get your own place when there's more than enough space here? You have your privacy in the guest quarters downstairs with free breakfast, lunch and dinner. Why would you ever want to move out?"

She pursed her lips. "Yes, yes, dad. I know I have everything here. But, dad, I'm twenty-eight, a grown woman. I need my space."

Her father, Professor Kurokeme Abbey, shrugged. "Well, when you get another job, you can afford your own place. For now..."

Tamara shook her head from side to side. The same argument, day after day. But now, with this job interview, maybe the change she'd been waiting on for close to two years was finally here.

Hopefully. Fingers crossed.

Although her dad and grandmother were the last people to stick their noses in her business, she needed to be able to earn her way. How long could she keep living with them and eating their food? No, she had to do well tomorrow. She had to!

She glanced at her father. His face was buried in the newspaper once more. Reading and writing were his passions, his pleasures. As long as she could remember, he was never without a book or paper in his hand or right beside him.

Her gaze traveled to the stacks of books at the other end of the dining table, competing for space with a tray of plates, mugs, saucers and cutleries and another carrying instant coffee, powdered milk, granulated sugar and a box of Lipton tea.

Tamara sighed. Dad would always be dad. As for her, the only sign that she had inherited some bit of his writing ability was her blog, _A United Stand_.

"Daddy... well, about that... I have a job interview tomorrow morning."

Professor Abbey glanced up again from his paper.

"Did I hear my favorite granddaughter say something about an interview?" Tamara's grandmother strolled into the dining room from the kitchen, dusting flour-covered hands on her apron. She grinned and planted a kiss on Tamara's forehead.

Tamara gazed up into her grandmother's face. Even at nine A.M., she was made up; lips glossed, cheeks rouged and eyes lined. "I'm your only granddaughter. Good morning, Granny O."

"Good morning, darling. Are you hungry? There's bread and boiled eggs in the kitchen. I'll bring them out in a minute, unless you prefer cake?"

"Um, bread, for now."

"Okay." Granny O placed her hands on her hips and grinned down at Tamara. "What is it you were saying? A job interview?"

"Yes." Tamara's eyes swept from her grandmother to her father. "I applied a few months ago. As Health and Safety Manager to Neteru Mills."

Professor Abbey's eyebrows jumped almost to his hairline. One hand fled to his already disordered grey curls. He shrieked, "Neteru Mills... isn't that where manna flour is produced? Is that wise, sweetheart? I mean, with everything that's happening."

Granny O hissed and shook her head. She muttered, "What's wrong with working there? It's as good a job as any."

Tamara's father lifted the newspaper into the air and shook it. "The papers are full of it. See... see..." his finger punched at a section of the paper. "Two Nephilim found dead. Decapitated."

Tamara raised and lowered one slim shoulder. "There'll always be haters, dad. And, anyway, they're in the minority. We can't let them hold us back."

"I'm not saying that..." Professor Kurokeme groaned and scratched his head. He continued, "Remember when the League of Humans picketed the plant?"

"The police chased them off." Granny O snorted.

Tamara smiled at her dad. "It's a good place to work, dad. Etim is the plant manager there."

"Is he?" Granny O cut in. "That boy is crazy about you. Why do you push him away? Is it because he's Nephilim?"

Tamara's forehead crinkled. "No, Granny O, of course not. I'm not racist."

"You know what they say about male Nephilim? They tend to have big you-know-whats..." Granny O winked at her granddaughter.

Professor Abbey hid his face behind the newspaper.

Tamara chuckled. Oh, Granny O. Unbridled. Blunt. Bless her heart. "Still, he doesn't move me, Granny O." Etim only reminded her of her previous boyfriends. Wonderful guys who were all crazy in love with her. Good men, all of them. And yet, she'd never been in love. She'd cared for them, liked them but love? No. And for her, for now, dating had been relegated to the background. Thank God her dad and grandmother were not pressuring her to get married. Bless them both.

"I get you, darling. We Odili women, we need unique men, ones who can make us sweat between our legs."

Tamara shook her head, chuckling. A man who could make her sweat between her legs... did such a man exist? Sex with her former boyfriends had always been bland; something a woman sometimes did when she was dating a guy. Nothing earth-shaking.

" _Please_ ..." Tamara's father groaned behind his paper at his mother-in-law's comment.

At her father's reaction, Tamara laughed, falling back in her chair. Oh, this two. When Granny O moved in to live with her widowed son-in-law and granddaughter nine years ago, Tamara had wondered how long it would take for her straight-laced father to firmly but politely ask his mother-in-law to find her own place. But to her surprise, even though they were as opposite as fire and ice, they seemed to somehow enjoy each other's company.

"So, dad..." Tamara sat up in her chair. "My interview is at ten tomorrow. Will you be using your car?"

"I have a meeting at three P.M. But I'm at home until two forty five. What's wrong with your car?"

"I need new tyres. That's an expense I can't afford right now."

Granny O reached out to knead her granddaughter's shoulder. "You'll get the job, darling. I know it."

"Thanks, Granny O." Tamara bit her bottom lip. It had been two long years since her retrenchment from Flour Mills Plc and her savings were dwindling fast.

"Yes, you can use it." Professor Kurokeme Abbey lobbed a smile at his daughter.

"Thank you, dad," Tamara said. She grabbed a black mug and a teaspoon.

Granny O returned to the kitchen. Tamara extricated a tea bag and plunked it in her mug. She poured hot water in from the flask that had been half-hidden by the pile of books. Her right hand stretched toward the plastic container of powdered milk and her glance fell on this month's issue of _Female and Proud_ , a magazine to which her grandmother subscribed.

Tamara read out the front page headlines. " _Ten sexiest Nephilim celebs..._ Granny, how do you read this?"

With a tray containing a loaf of bread and a bowl of boiled eggs in her hands, Granny O emerged from the kitchen. Setting the tray on the table, she laughed and said, "It's thrilling. My old bones need it. You should read it, Tammy baby."

"It's trash," Professor Abbey interjected.

Granny O swatted the air in his direction. "Don't listen to your boring old father."

Tamara heaped milk into her cup, still reading, " _An angel gave me the best sex of my life... I'm an angel groupie and proud of it..._ "

Granny O rubbed the back of her neck and whistled. "I can never forget that one night stand I had decades ago with an angel. It was... _heavenly_. He did things to me no man had ever done, even your late grandfather. And his eyes glowed when he came."

"A story we've heard a thousand times," Kurokeme Abbey mumbled, "And a work of complete fiction."

Granny O ignored him. She focused on her granddaughter. "A pity he used a condom. See, I always knew there were angels on earth, well before the Nephilim revealed their existence twenty years ago."

"But they're all gone now, Granny O. Some are dead and some returned to heaven. That's what everyone says." She lifted an eyebrow. "Don't tell me you wanted a Nephilim baby."

"Not really. Maybe. Anyway, so you think those women's stories in the magazine are fabricated?" Granny O stared wide-eyed at Tamara. "There are still angels on earth, Tamara. They're in hiding, that's all."

Tamara's father turned a page of his newspaper. With his eye on the print, he muttered to his daughter, "You'll never convince her otherwise so stop trying."

Tamara grinned as she added sugar to her tea. Stirring the contents, her mind raced back to the past, almost twenty years ago, to The Day. She had been eight years old; unable to totally understand what was going on.

The first inkling that there was something different about that day was her father's strange behavior. He'd huddled in front of the TV and then the radio for hours, excitement radiating from his eyes, his hair and his manner.

After, he'd raced to the home telephone and spent another couple of hours, calling various people and arguing stridently with them.

She remembered watching him, wondering what was going on. Then, her mother had come home, accompanied by Granny O. Granny O had been dancing around the house, declaring that she'd been vindicated.

Tamara had tried to find out what was happening from her parents and her father had started to tell her, in his absentminded fashion, but her mother had put a stop to his explanations. Tamara hadn't given up, though. Her father had always treated her more like a grownup than a child. So, when her mother had retired to bed, she'd questioned her father again and after she'd promised to keep it a secret from her mother, he'd told her.

For the first time ever, in major cities all around the world, the press had been invited to attend conferences orchestrated by groups of people. At those meetings, these people had suddenly announced that they were Nephilim; beings descended from the first original Nephilim that had been born of the mating of angels with human females many, many years ago.

The members of the press had laughed off these assertions until they compared notes across the globe and noticed that all these people had midnight-black irises, black enough to render their pupils indistinguishable from the surrounding irises; irises that were rimmed with gold.

She'd asked her dad, "These beings would have had friends, neighbors, teachers, schoolmates... how come no one noticed their strange eyes?"

Her father's answer had been, "well, some claimed to have worn contact lenses to hide their eyes. For others..." Kurokeme had shrugged. "...we already know that humans have a variety of eye colors. Maybe, people merely assumed that the Nephilim black and gold eyes were just another normal human eye color."

Her dad had carried on with his story. That, the main news hadn't been their eyes but the DNA tests for non-human DNA that these people had voluntarily subjected to. Before the release of the results, there had been a flood of news stories. Some had called them insane. Some had labeled them deluded crackpots. Until, of course, the tests proved the existence of this never-before-seen genetic material.

Forgetting that he was speaking to his eight year old daughter, her father had gone on and on, enlightening her about these beings. _Nephilim._

He'd started with the Book of Genesis. "I'd always thought it was fantasy. I never believed it was really true. That, according to what was written there, the sons of God, angels, saw the daughters of men and noticed their beauty. They lost their heads over these women and made them their wives. These women gave birth to giants or Nephilim, otherwise called 'mighty men of old, men of renown'. God didn't like what was going on and therefore he decided to destroy everything alive on earth, with a flood, except, of course, for Noah and his family and the other creatures in the Ark."

She'd glanced up at her father, confused and yet willing to hear more. "Why did God want to destroy them just because they got married?"

Her father had sighed. Then, he'd added, "Because that wasn't part of the plan and also because, according to the Book of Enoch, the Nephilim later began to 'devour one another's flesh, and drink each other's blood.'" He'd then proceeded to quote these words. " _These giants, who are produced from the spirits and flesh, shall be called evil spirits upon the earth... the spirits of the giants afflict, oppress, attack, do battle, and work destruction on the earth..._ "

"I don't think I like the Nephilim," she'd muttered, with a shudder.

"We shall see, Tammy baby. Time will tell," he'd said and then wandered off.

That night, she'd slept with all the lights on in her bedroom.

Years later, she had read through every article and report she could find detailing people's individual experiences on that day. A lot of people had at first thought it was a prank, a massive-scaled and world-spanning prank. How was it possible that there had been part-human beings living among them for years and no one had known or even suspected? Beings with a mix of human and inhuman DNA and a slightly lower than normal body temperature. Beings that looked just like humans—apart from their odd eyes. How had they managed to keep their existence secret for this long?

Her father's voice sliced through her thoughts. "Another human teenager dead from eating manna. When will they ever learn that manna is harmless to only Nephilim? How many more need to die before they understand that?"

Tamara sighed. "That's a point I keep harping on in my blog. I have to believe that the word is spreading." Twenty years after The Day and humans and Nephilim were still struggling with the day-to-day nuances of living side by side. Writing her blog was something she could do to promote peace and, possibly, save lives. It was better than folding her hands and expecting the government to do everything.

She sipped at her sweet, milky tea. Once she was done with breakfast, she would go and hang out with her best friend, Ezi, at her shop. For about an hour though. She planned to spend most of the afternoon and evening preparing for her interview. This job was vital.

Tomorrow would be the first day of her new life.

### Chapter 2

Tamara pushed open the glass door and entered into the air-conditioned interior of Ezi Ozobia's shop. After the scorching heat of the tropical sun outside, the chilly room was a gift from God.

"Tammy!" Ezi screamed and launched her small body into Tamara's. "You're here."

Tamara grinned down into her friend's round face and bright eyes. "I am. How are you, Ezi?" At five foot nine inches, she was eight inches taller than the petite Ezi.

"Busy, Tammy, very busy. Come, let's sit."

Tamara followed Ezi through the fluorescent-lit shop, past shelves and display boxes packed with various brands of make-up and hair products.

The two shop assistants sitting behind the counter smiled at Tamara. "Good afternoon, ma."

"Good afternoon, girls," Tamara replied, falling into a black leather seat next to her friend. She glanced at Ezi. "You're doing well I see." Ezi had always been the lucky one. She had known right from university that she was going to open a makeup shop. She had fallen in love at first sight with a wonderful guy that she had met in school, they had dated for years and finally three years ago, they had sealed the deal.

Ezi's gaze zipped forward to the four women and the lone man browsing the shelves, shopping baskets in tow. She replied, "Business is okay, I guess."

"Good to hear."

"What's up with you?"

Tamara grinned. "I have a job interview tomorrow. With Neteru Mills."

"It's one of those you applied to months ago, isn't it?"

Tamara shrugged. She said, "I applied to a lot of companies. Neteru Mills contacted me yesterday afternoon."

"You'll get the job, by God's grace. I know you're tired of living off your father's generosity."

Tamara blew air out of her mouth. "Very, very tired, Ezi. It's bad enough that he houses and feeds me. On top of that, I have to use his car tomorrow for the interview. The tyres of my car are begging me to replace them. I've patched them as many times as I can. It's over for them. The end of the road."

"How did you get here?"

"I took a taxi. Anyway, Ezi, I don't know much about Neteru Mills. One thing I know: Etim is the plant manager."

Ezi clapped her hands together, laughing. "That guy will do anything to get you to be his girlfriend. He's obsessed with you."

"I didn't tell him before I applied for the job."

"But he may have seen your CV and put in a good word for you."

"He hasn't mentioned it all this time. But I don't want his help."

Ezi grinned. "That's because you're not into him. Why? You don't want to make little Nephilim babies with him?"

Tamara rolled her eyes. "Oh shush. And you know very well that it's not a hundred percent certain that the mating of a human with a Nephilim will produce a little Nephilim baby. So that's not the issue."

"So, what is?"

Tamara sighed, forking the fingers of one hand through her very short, brunette-dyed curls. "He's a good guy but I love him only as a brother." She chuckled and added, "If you listen to Granny O, I need a man who can make me wet between my thighs."

"Your grandmother is hilarious. It's hard to believe she's seventy years old, the way she acts and the things that come out of her mouth. But seriously, though... you need to irrigate that wilderness between your thighs—"

Tamara nudged Ezi in the side. "Shut up."

Ezi laughed harder, grabbing her knees with her hands.

"I know it's been a while—" Tamara said, her mouth curved in a smile.

"If you think four years is a while."

"Shut up." Tamara cut her eyes at her friend. Wow. Had it been four years ago that she had ended her last relationship?

Ezi tapped Tamara's arm. "That reminds me... guess who I saw last week?"

"Who?"

"Cecilia Bakare, of all people!"

"Cecilia... it's been a long time since I thought of her. In fact, after we left university, I pushed her from my mind."

Ezi laughed. "She hated you. It was jealousy, of course. She always believed she was the most beautiful girl in school, the idol of every horny undergraduate in the University of Port-Harcourt. But you always managed to catch the attention of the hottest guys in school. She absolutely hated that."

Tamara hissed. "I kept out of her way. She was mean. Anyway, how did she look? Still stunning?"

"Yep. Married and now pregnant... with her third child. She asked about you... wanted to know if you're married... I dodged the question. I know she only wanted to compare notes, your life with hers."

Tamara's mouth twisted. "As insecure as ever..."

"Remember her ex... what was his name? He adored you. You two dated for a while."

"Eight months. Jerry."

"Yes! Jerry... I remember he was a fine-looking guy."

"He was."

"He was head-over-heels in love with you. But you weren't feeling him, were you? Left to him, by now, you two would have been married."

Tamara shrugged.

"You're tall and curvy, with those sexy come-hither lips that I've always envied. From our time in Uni till now, men have buzzed around you like bees to a flower. Open, open up, little flower..."

Tamara wagged her head from side to side. "You need help." Her friend could tease as much as she liked. Yes, men had always flocked to her. Men like Jerry. But each time she had been _their_ choice. Was there a guy out there that could arouse in her something no man had ever done? One that would be her choice? Who knew?

But one thing she did know was that she was tired of boring guys. For now, she had no interest in starting a new relationship or even in having sex. She wasn't looking for just any bee to enter between the thighs of this flower.

***

"How was work today?" Tamara asked, shutting the door to her flat behind her visitor.

Etim Coker answered over his shoulder as he strode straight into her kitchen. "Good."

Tamara smiled. Two years ago, he had walked up to her while she was buying household items in a supermarket and had introduced himself. He had been polite and respectful and so she had given him her phone number.

Now he wanted something more. She only wanted to be his friend.

She returned to her position on the brown sofa opposite her flat screen TV. Beside her on the couch sat her laptop. On the dark wood centre table in front of her seat rested a half-full can of Heineken beer and a sheaf of printed papers.

Etim came into the sitting room, a small bottle of manna beer in his right hand.

She glanced up at him. Etim Coker. Nephilim. Five-eleven and smooth-faced. Twenty-seven years old, but he looked at least four years younger. It was those cheeks of his. Baby cheeks, she called them.

He perched on the sofa, next to the right arm-rest.

Tamara said, "Every time I go to the shop to buy your beer, the clerk at the counter gives me the usual disclaimer: Manna is fatal to humans. I don't know how many times I have had to explain that I'm buying it for my Nephilim friend."

Etim stared at the label on the bottle in his hand. "There's a disclaimer on the bottle too."

"All the things I do for you," she teased. Tamara's eyes dropped to her CV, the topmost paper on the pile. She raised her eyes back to him. "I have a job interview at Neteru Mills tomorrow morning. I applied months ago."

Etim's head swiveled to face her. "You did?"

"Yes, as health and safety manager."

"And that's the job you'll be interviewing for tomorrow?"

Tamara peered at him. "Of course. That's what I applied for." She tilted her head to the side. "Did you come across my CV?"

His eyes skittered away. His fingers scratched at the hair under his chin. "No. Why?"

Tamara bit her lip, struggling to hold back a smile. He was a bad liar. She could always easily tell when he was lying. Especially when his hands dived under his chin. Ezi was right. Etim had somehow gotten a hold of her CV and had used his influence to get her the interview. He was lying because he was probably too embarrassed to admit it.

She replied, "Just wanted to know."

Etim gulped down the last of his beer. "Okay." He stood up. "I'm off. I'll leave you to prepare for tomorrow."

Tamara rose to her feet and trailed him to the door. He opened it, paused and then glanced at her.

"Once you're done tomorrow, send me a text or something so I can meet up with you."

"Sure." She watched him walk to his parked car in the fading daylight. Most women would consider him a catch. He was polite and generous, educated and a gentleman. He had a good job, a decent flat and a posh car. And he loved her, she was sure of it.

But she was also sure that he wasn't the one.

***

In the driver's seat of her father's cream 2006 Nissan Pathfinder, her hands on the steering wheel, Tamara shook her head. Aside from his books, his car was his pride and joy. He maintained every streamlined inch with love. She enjoyed driving it, relaxing in the soft leather seat, breathing in the lavender scent from the air freshener stuck in the air conditioner vent and feeling the heavy car respond with ease to the pressure of her shoed foot on the accelerator.

Her gaze touched the electronic clock on the dashboard. Eight forty-five. She was going to make it well before ten.

She glanced out her side window. The car was moving through a patch of heavy traffic on Oba Akran road, heading toward the plant at the end of the long road.

Her eyes caught a third billboard proclaiming the message: _ANGELS ARE AMONG US_. Tamara rolled her eyes. A conspiracy theorist with too much money for his own good. Why was it so hard for some people to believe that angels had left the earth? People like Granny O, this conspiracy theorist and many more like them. People who believed angels were still here, hiding in plain sight.

She pressed down on the accelerator. The vehicle crept forward, compressed on either side by rows of cars, motorcycles and tricycles.

Tamara sighed. Her right hand patted the file on the front passenger seat containing copies of her CV, cover letter, references, certificates and other documents. She had spent hours yesterday studying, researching the Neteru Mills' Health and Safety practices, rehearsing sample questions and reviewing and updating her CV and cover letter. She was determined to do her best today.

Her gaze descended to her outfit. A black fitted jacket over a white shirt and a pencil skirt that had somehow grown smaller in the two years since she'd last worn this suit. And black block-heeled pumps on her feet.

A horn blared behind her. She jumped and stared ahead. The path in front was clear. Good.

Her foot shoved down on the accelerator. The car leaped forward.

It took less than thirty minutes to arrive at the gates of the factory. The security men at the gate directed her to a parking spot and from there to a glass door on the ground floor of a three-storey building to the left of the gates.

Her handbag dangling off her left shoulder and her file underneath her right armpit, Tamara stepped into the busy reception area. More than half of the white chairs in front of the wide reception desk were occupied by visitors. Beyond the seating area and opposite the doors was a bank of three elevators. People, some in suits, some in white coveralls and coats, streamed in and out of the elevators, chattering, laughing. Two of the three receptionists behind the desk were surrounded by inquiring guests.

Tamara approached the only one available. "Good morning, I'm Tamara Abbey. I have an appointment with Mr. Wole Adio."

The woman's eyes smiled through her orange-framed lenses. "Good morning. Have a seat. Wole will be here in a few minutes."

Tamara returned to balance on the edge of her chair, her eyes on the receptionist as she picked up the phone in front of her and spoke into it for a few moments. A group of women in coveralls poured in through the entrance doors into the room, making straight for the lifts.

Tamara's eyes followed the human traffic through the reception area. Surely Etim would be somewhere here in this vast building. It would be nice to run into him. A familiar face in this sea of strangers... he had joined this company about four years ago.

With branches in every major city of the world, Neteru Mills had monopolized the entire manna flour production market. A market of roughly four million Nephilim. Wow. Even though Nephilim also ate normal food, just like humans, for some reason, they were mad about manna.

The elevators pinged again. Tamara glanced up as one of the elevator doors opened. A man in a dark blue suit and a black shirt walked out and up to the desk.

"Tamara Abbey!"

"Yes, yes." Tamara bounded to her feet.

At the reception desk, the man was waiting for her. Offering her a polite smile and a handshake, he said, "I'm Wole Adio, Senior HR Manager of Neteru Mills. Welcome, Ms. Abbey. Sign in and follow me."

_Okay. Here goes._ She shook his hand, smiled and quickly signed in, received her temporary visitor's badge and followed him into the lift to the third floor, through a white-walled corridor to a steel-gray door marked Conference Room Five.

He turned around to glance at her. "I don't really have an office here. I'm in the Head Office. I just came here for the interview." He pushed the door open and strode inside, switching on the lights as he passed.

Tamara glanced around. A mid-sized conference table sat in the centre of the room, surrounded by black office chairs. On the table, rested a desktop computer and a desk phone. The wall parallel to the steel-gray door was made of glass. It had another door, also of glass. Through it, she could see another corridor and beyond, white-painted balcony rails.

He told her to take a seat and then moved to a chair across the table.

Dropping her handbag beside her chair and her file on the table, she settled in her seat, her gaze sighting a copy of her CV lying by the desktop keyboard.

Then her eyes rose to the man himself. Dark-skinned and thin-faced, smart in his well-cut suit.

Wole's eyes flicked across the paper in front of him. "So, Tamara Abbey, I see you previously worked as Health and Safety Manager in Flour Mills." He glanced up at her. "And you applied for the same position with us."

"Yes sir." She lifted her head, meeting his eyes head-on. She had to show him that she was the best person for the job.

"Hmm." His gaze skipped to the ceiling. His right hand caressed his grey-streaked goatee. His left fingers tapped the table. "I'm sorry to tell you that the health and safety manager position in Neteru Mills has been filled. The only position vacant is that of executive assistant to our CEO."

Tamara gaped at him, speechless. Executive Assistant to the CEO. What? She came all the way for this? Why didn't he mention it in the mail he sent two days ago?

Wole's gaze lowered to hers. He said, fingers still tapping. "If you're interested, the job is yours. I know it's a disappointment but..." he shrugged.

Frowning, Tamara stared at his tapping fingers. There was something strange about his behavior. Even though he was acting as if he didn't care whether she took the job or not, she somehow sensed that he needed her to say yes.

_Strange_.

No, she wasn't going to accept the job. She opened her mouth to say so but at that moment, the phone on the desk trilled.

Raising an index finger up toward her, he picked up the receiver with his other hand. "Yes? Okay... really?"

From the corner of her left eye, Tamara noticed movement.

She swung her head to the left. Two men and two women, corporate types, trouped through the corridor beyond the glass wall. The other three appeared to be tagging behind the one in front. He towered over the rest, at probably six-foot-six or seven inches tall.

Suddenly, he stopped. Behind him, the other man and the women skidded to a hasty stop, averting a collision with his back just in time.

He glanced toward her direction, head cocked.

Tamara gasped. Lord, he was a hunk of finely-hewn, mahogany-colored marble. Chiseled clean-shaven face, cheekbones high and head shaven of hair. It seemed like her heart stopped for about a second and then started up again.

And was he staring at her? Was that why he stopped? To stare at her?

### Chapter 3

From far, far away, she heard Wole's voice on the phone. "Yes, I see him. _Mmhnn_. On one of his surprise inspections, I guess... right, right..."

In about five seconds, it was all over.

The hunk of brown marble had whipped his head forward and was striding past, trailed by his minions.

She inhaled air. What had just happened? _Who was he?_

Wole ended his call. "Ms. Abbey, sorry about the interruption. As I was saying, if you want the executive assistant job, it's yours. We don't have to go through a lengthy interview. It's up to—"

"Who was that?"

"Who?" Wole's forehead creased.

"The very tall guy that walked past. In a bright blue suit."

"That's Xavier Osagie, the CEO of the Neter Group. Neteru Mills is one of the Neter Group's subsidiaries. If you say yes to the job, he's the one you'll be working with."

That was the CEO? Wow. Tamara sat up in her chair. This was a good opportunity, wasn't it? She needed a job and this one had been offered to her on a platter of gold. Plus, she would get the chance to work very, very closely with the most devastatingly handsome man she had ever seen in her life. But what did the job entail?

She cleared her throat. "What will I be required to do? What's my job description?"

Wole tossed her a smile. "I'm sure you'll be able to handle it, based on your skills, abilities and qualifications mentioned in your CV. You'll handle things like... responding to his emails, answering his phone calls, taking dictation, organizing his travels, attending meetings with him and on his behalf, preparing presentations, working with high-level clients... It's a much better job than the health and safety manager job. For one thing you'll be working out of the head office in Victoria Island. But if you don't want the job, then I'll have to give it to someone else."

"No, no. I'll take it. Thank you for the opportunity."

Wole sighed in relief. He nodded, his smile broadening. "Very wise, Ms. Abbey. Welcome to the Neter Group." He slapped the table with one hand. "I think now that he's here on a facilities inspection, he might want to briefly interview you and see if you are a good fit with him. I'll check. But you may have to wait for some time, are you okay with that?"

"Sure, sure. It's okay."

"Good." He picked up the phone receiver and hefted it in one hand. "I'll have Etim, our plant manager, drop in and keep you occupied for a few minutes. He can give you a brief walk-through and offer a short history of our company and the work we do."

"Thank you." Tamara linked her hands over her lap and waited as Wole made the call.

Minutes later, the glass door opened and Etim sauntered in.

Wole rose from his chair. The two men shook hands and Wole exited the room.

Etim grinned down at her. "Ready, Tamara? I'm supposed to keep you busy for a few minutes. You can leave your bag and file here."

She stood up and walked out with him to the second corridor. "He said the health and safety manager job had been filled. I accepted the job as executive assistant to the CEO."

"You're going to be Xavier's executive assistant?"

"Yes." Maybe this was a chance to learn more about her new ultra-sexy boss. Without alerting Etim to her less than professional motives, of course. "I saw my potential boss pass through here some moments ago. What do you know about him?"

With her at his side, Etim moved down the corridor, toward the left. The balcony bordering one side of the corridor overlooked a spacious bull-pen.

He raised and lowered one shoulder. "Not much. He's thirty-nine years old. He was appointed Chief Executive Officer by the board of directors of the Neter Group about seven years ago. He's been doing a good job so far."

Tamara scowled. That wasn't the type of information she was seeking. She tried again. "He must be too busy with work to have a personal life."

Etim nodded. "He's single, as far as I know."

Single. _God is good_. Tamara's lips curved in a smile.

"He doesn't have children. I know he has two brothers. He calls them brothers. But I don't think they're his blood brothers."

She eyed him. "Why?"

Etim smiled. "Because one, Augustine, is Latino and the other, Dominic, is white South African. Anyway, that's all I know about his personal life. He's very private. And I'm supposed to be talking to you about the plant."

"Yes, of course." _I'll find out more about Xavier later._ "I read on the company website that the Neter Group owns Neteru Farms, Neteru Mills and Neteru Foods."

"Under Neteru Foods, there's the Neteru Bakery and the Neteru Breweries. The brewery produces the manna beer you buy for me. But the company has many more interests... in pharmaceuticals, private security, TV broadcasting and even film production."

"Huge."

"Yes. I learnt that before my people made our existence known to humans, for years, we had been milling the manna grain and running this factory and other businesses on a small scale, keeping them secret from humans. But ever since we came out, the Neter Group has expanded its operations."

They passed an office and then another. Eyes on the endless expanse of corridor ahead, she asked, "Is Xavier Nephilim?"

"No. He's human." Etim stared down at her. "The Neter Group employs both human and Nephilim."

"Of course I know that. That's why I'm here."

One of the glass doors on their right swung open and a man in his early fifties marched out. His bearing and build reminded her of a soldier.

He stopped and smiled at Etim. "Etim. How are you doing?"

"I'm fine, Peter." Etim inclined his head at Tamara. "This is Tamara Abbey. She's to be Xavier's assistant."

"Tamara, welcome to Neteru Mills." Peter extended a hand and shook hers. His dark eyes scanned her quickly, subtly.

His iris was jet-black with an outer rim of pale yellow. He was Nephilim. Although touch was one way to detect a Nephilim from a human, sometimes it took a moment to register the slight coolness in body temperature. But the eyes were the easiest. All it took was an instant. She replied, "thank you."

Etim added, "Peter Dodara is the MD of the plant. He's the man to go to if you want to know anything about our work here."

"Good to know."

"You're a writer too, aren't you?" Peter asked. "You write _A United Stand_."

Tamara stared at him. "You've read my blog?"

"Yes, I have. Anyway, nice to meet you, Tamara." Peter shot her another appraising look and then moved on in the opposite direction.

_What's with the looks?_ "Is there something special about this executive assistant job?" Tamara asked.

Etim shook his head, his gaze on his watch. "No, it's just a job. Why do you ask?"

She shrugged. "No reason."

"I think it's time I take you back to the conference room. When you're done with Xavier, let me know, okay?"

Tamara nodded. Maybe it was only her imagination. There was nothing going on.

***

She flicked a glance at her watch. Two minutes after twelve. This was taking longer than she had expected. She needed to be done with this and back home with her dad's car before three. How long did she have to wait for—?

Without warning, Xavier swooped into the room through the glass door.

Tamara stared up at him, her heart flying into her throat. Lord, he was better-looking close up. His tailored bright blue suit served to define his muscled arms and lean body. With the suit, he wore a matching waistcoat, white shirt and brown tie. His scent sneaked into her nostrils. Something strong, manly and exotic. And his eye color was... unusual. One she hadn't seen before in a black man's eyes. They were a shade of amber. What some people referred to as wolf's eyes. Were they real?

Real or not, his quick glance in her direction just sent a laser burst of energy into her blood.

She gulped, rising to her feet. This interview was going to test her in ways she hadn't prepared for.

He dallied at the other end of the conference table, two sheets of paper in one hand and the other hand splayed out on the table.

Tamara's eyes left his face and stayed on his hands. What slender, brown hands. He could make a fortune working as a hand model—

"Tamara Abbey..."

"Sir—" She stuck her hand out.

His eyes sank to her hand and then narrowed. "Call me Xavier. We call each other by our first names here."

Xavier's hand darted out and shook hers.

It only lasted a second but the touch of his soft palm against hers remained ingrained in her mind.

"Sit, please."

She dropped into the chair behind her, her heart thumping like a praise-singer's drum.

"You've never been an executive assistant before, have you?"

Tamara glanced up at him.

His gaze skipped over her face and was away to the wall behind her. He was determined not to make eye contact. He didn't seem shy, so, for some reason, he just didn't want to look at her.

"No, sir—Xavier, but I'm a quick learner. And I know I have the prerequisite skills to do this job effectively."

"It's a high pressure job. Is it something you're prepared for?"

"Yes, I am. I'm no stranger to working in high-pressure situations. I love such situations because they challenge me and force me to grow." She tried again to pin his gaze. Succeeded only for about two seconds. Why was he still standing? Poised, like a magnificent statue.

In the uncomfortable silence that followed her words, Tamara plodded on. "I'm also very experienced in using Microsoft Word, PowerPoint and Excel. I have taken courses on—" she crashed to a halt as she stared into his face.

What was he doing?

His eyelids covered his eyes and his long lashes fanned his cheeks. His nostrils flared. "Pardon me," he said and opened his eyes and, for the first time, focused those amber orbs on her face. "Jasmine, orange blossom... sandalwood..."

Tamara's mouth twisted. _What?_

He threw her a brief, warm smile. "Your perfume. It's Dior's _Pure Poison_ , isn't it?"

Wow. Her eyes widened. A man with knowledge of women's perfumes. _Hmm_. Did his girlfriend use the same perfume?

Tamara replied, "Yes, you're correct." What a question to ask during an interview. He didn't appear to be flirting, though. Had he smelt it on her and just wanted to confirm the label? Who knew...?

He grinned. "I'm sure you're thinking I'm crazy."

She zoned in on his smile. Whoa. Potent. Seductive.

She managed to blurt out, "No, I'm not."

"It's okay. It was inappropriate." The smile vanished. He strode forward to loom over her. "I'll give you a trial period of three months. You'll start next week in the main office."

"Thank you, Xavier." She gazed up at him. Lord. How would he look naked? As the thought flashed through her mind, her vagina tightened and a flood of her juice gushed onto her panties.

Xavier gasped. His eyes expanded and a wrinkle marred his smooth forehead. In a swift motion, he spun around, presenting her with his back.

Tamara bit her lip, frowning. It was as if he knew what had just occurred, between her thighs.

But that was impossible. It couldn't be.

But then why did he gasp and turn away?

No, it couldn't be. There had to be some other explanation.

Her stomach roiled with embarrassment.

He muttered, "I'll send Wole to you," and stamped out of the conference room.

She clapped her hands over her mouth. _What had just happened?_

***

Whew. She had made it home with ten minutes to spare. Tamara slammed the door of her flat, tore off her jacket and flung it onto the nearest chair. She kicked off her shoes and stamped to her fridge in the kitchen.

Pulling out a can of Heineken beer, she sighed. What a day. A good day, mostly. Today she got a job. Not the one she'd applied for but one that promised to be nerve-tingling and panty-wetting.

After Xavier's exit, Wole had come back in. Another interview. She had then filled a series of forms and received an orientation package.

Tamara stalked to the sitting room and collapsed into the couch. She lifted her legs onto the centre table and sighed again. With one hand on her beer, she reached for the TV remote and switched on the TV. The late afternoon show, _Today's News with Habiba Sanni_ , came on.

Habiba, the host of the show, was making a point to her two guests. "...the riot that broke out at today's pro-human rally at Freedom Park ended in the death of six people..."

She groaned. Always with the bad news. Taking a swig of her beer, she let her thoughts wander once more to her new boss. Did he know she had creamed her panties? He couldn't know. But his reaction was instantaneous. Shock. Was it her face? Did her expression reveal something of her lustful and utterly inappropriate thoughts? Oh Lord. She was both excited and mortified at the thought of working with him. He definitely was not boring.

This was the first time she had experienced such a stark and immediate reaction to a man. Only yesterday she'd reminded herself for the thousandth time that sex and dating were both in her rear-view mirror. And the moment she'd met Xavier Osagie, her past resolutions had vanished like a wallet of money forgotten in a _Danfo_ bus.

She had never dated a man like him before, accomplished and successful, the epitome of TDH; Tall, Dark and Handsome. The Chief Executive Officer of a major corporation with looks that could easily place him on the front cover of national and international magazines.

Xavier Osagie. Prim, maybe even a little reticent. Sexy to the power hundred.

But a bit weird. His sudden stop in the corridor, like he had sensed her somehow. And he had stared at her, through the glass, for a few seconds though, but it had happened. Plus that question about her perfume in the middle of a job interview, while she was speaking, for goodness sake. And the way he behaved, eyes closed and nose sniffing. Inhaling her scent?

Tamara grabbed her jacket and pushed it to her nose, inhaling. She could smell some residue of the fragrance she had applied in the morning. But she wasn't the kind of woman who loved to douse herself in perfume. And how come he was the only one who had noticed?

_Strange_.

There were a few things that seemed off today at Neteru Mills. First, Wole, then, Peter, and most of all, her boss, Xavier.

Next week she'll make sure to keep her eyes open and find out all she could about her job.

### Chapter 4

She woke with a start. Her glance caught the empty beer can on the floor. On the TV, Habiba Sanni was still on, debating another issue with her guests.

"...later on in the show, I'll call on ex-political correspondent and current political activist, Salim Atiku, to join this discussion... but for now, I have to ask: what about the families of the two Nephilim men whose heads were severed from their bodies...?

Tamara blinked. Good. She had only dozed off for a few minutes. She yawned and stretched.

Her mobile phone rang.

She answered. It was Etim.

"How did your interview with Xavier go? You didn't inform me before you left."

She pushed the fingers of one hand through her curls. "Sorry. The interview was fine. I'm starting next week for a probationary period of three months."

"That's good, isn't it?"

"Yes, yes." Tamara nodded. "After two years of unemployment, I finally have a job."

"We need to celebrate."

"Oh, we will."

"What are you doing right now? Wait, I can picture you... feet up, TV on, cold beer by your side, am I right?"

She chuckled. "You know me well. But the beer is finished and I've barely been watching this talk show on TV."

"Let me guess: _Today's News with Habiba Sanni._ "

"Yes, correct."

"About two months ago, she was doing your job."

Tamara straightened, eyes narrowed. "She was Xavier's former assistant?"

"Yes."

Tamara's gaze whizzed to the woman on the screen. Fair-complexioned, skinny, with a strikingly pretty face. Glaring at the TV, she asked, "Why did she leave?"

"I don't know. But the two of them were very close."

Her lips curled. "Were they dating?"

"I don't think so. Anyway, Tamara, I'm on the road now. I'm driving. I'll call you later, okay?"

"Yes, it's fine. Bye, Etim." She bit her bottom lip. Earlier in the day, Etim had mentioned that Xavier was unmarried. No wife, yes, but there may be a girlfriend or girlfriends... One of whom, maybe, was Habiba Sanni.

Tamara snatched her phone, launched the Facebook App and did a search.

A few other Xaviers popped up. No Xavier Osagie, CEO of the Neter Group. The same with Instagram and Twitter.

_What?_ Not a trace of him on social media. Not one.

Wow.

***

Eight-thirty two, Monday morning. Heart thudding, Tamara leaned forward in her chair, her arms wound around her chest.

It was finally here. Her first day as Executive Assistant to the CEO of the Neter Group. Whew.

She was at her desk, in a square enclosure bordered by short white walls. On her right stretched a bull-pen of chairs, desks and partitions. At this hour, more than half of those compartments were already occupied. A few feet away, on her left, Xavier's dark office took up most of the room. The polished wood door stood almost directly opposite the entrance to her enclosure. The walls of the office were part concrete, part reinforced glass.

According to his itinerary she had received from a HR person some days ago, along with her job description, her boss got into the office at nine 'o' clock. She had been here for about an hour. Waiting. Her stomach churning and her pulse dancing. Some of it was the novelty of starting work again after a long absence, yes, but most of it was because of her new boss. What type of a person was he? Would she enjoy working with him? Was he dating Habiba Sanni?

Tamara inhaled air in through her nose as her gaze snagged a tall, regal figure striding toward her.

He had arrived.

Today he was in a grey suit, matching waistcoat, white shirt and white pocket square and a burgundy tie. Dangling off one wide shoulder was a grey knapsack.

She jumped to her feet, almost banging her leg against a drawer beneath her desk.

He reached her and paused. Cool, amber eyes rested on her face.

"Good morning, sir."

Xavier frowned. "I thought I told you to call me Xavier."

"Yes... I'm sorry..." she gulped more air into her lungs.

He unlocked his door and with one switch, turned on the lights and the air conditioners.

Tamara scooped up the bundle of today's newspapers that had been dropped off on her desk and trotted into his office after him.

She took a few steps in and halted, her glance surveying the enormous room. It was the largest office she had ever seen. At one end, sat a gigantic black desk and chair. Two grey long couches with grey throw pillows and one grey armchair dominated the middle of the room. Tucked in at the other end were a conference table and a set of white, chrome-plated chairs. Green plants in stainless steel tubs dotted every corner of the room.

Her gaze swung from the huge TV mounted on one tan wall on the right of the desk, to the glass-fronted wood bookcase behind one couch to the combination printer and photocopier machine sitting next to the table and chairs. The machine was even bigger than the one resting right now in her enclosure.

Tamara yanked her eyes from the room to Xavier. She watched as he deposited his knapsack into a cabinet and shut its doors. Next to the cabinet, on the wall behind his desk, she sighted a door. What was behind it? Could this already humongous office be any bigger?

He glanced at her, an amused twist to his lips. Pointing at the round table encircled by the couches and the armchair, he said, "You can drop the papers there."

"Oh, yes... sure..." she moved forward and set the bundle down on the table. He must be wondering what kind of village girl he had employed as his assistant.

She hovered by a couch. What to do now? Should she return to her desk?

Tamara wandered over to the bookcase and her eyes scrolled through the books crammed in it. There were books on manna production, various business and management books, a few books on human psychology and Nigerian history, as well as language instruction books in English, Mandarin, French, German and Russian. Wow, where did he find the time to read all these books and practice the foreign languages?

_What to do now?_ She thought, mopping her sweaty palms on her skirt. Or... yes, she could make him tea or coffee. On another table on the right side of the table and chairs, she had spied an espresso machine, a stainless steel kettle and packets of teas, milk and sugar, a can of coffee plus teacups, saucers, mugs and cutlery.

Tamara walked to the table. Then, she glanced at Xavier. He was in his chair behind the desk, a small silver thermos in one hand.

Their eyes met.

She cleared her throat and asked, "Coffee or tea?"

"Neither." He relaxed in his seat and then added, "Thanks, Tamara."

Oh Lord. Her name spoken with that soft, kind tone from his mouth had just pushed a shot of adrenaline into her blood. She concentrated on the kettle.

"You don't have to make me tea or coffee. This..." he raised his thermos, "is enough for me. So you're going to be the one doing all the tea and coffee drinking. And you can come in any time to read the papers, if that's what you like."

She smiled at him. "Thanks, sir—Xavier." Eying the abundant choice of tea before her, Tamara grinned again. So far, he seemed nice.

"Your first name, Tamara. It's abbreviated, isn't it?"

She nodded. "Yes, it's short for Tamarauemi. In Ijaw language, it means—"

"—there is God," Xavier said, his eyes watching her hands play with the kettle.

Wow. Did he speak her language? A pity she didn't know how to speak his. Osagie was a popular Edo name.

Tamara lifted the lid of the kettle. There was water in it. Was it fresh or did she have to refill it?

As if he could read her mind, his voice interrupted her thoughts. "The kitchen staff replaces the water every morning but you can refill it at any time from the sink."

"The sink?" she stared at him.

Xavier nodded. "Right. You don't know." He inclined his head to the door behind him. "There's a sink, shower and toilet in there."

Was there anything this office didn't have? Maybe a bed. For nights when she and Xavier worked late. _Stop, stop, Tamara_ , her mind warned. She had to focus on her job. Her boss was off-limits. And anyway, he wouldn't want someone like her. Not when he could have any woman he desired.

She switched the kettle on, forcing her breathing to slow. Quickly, she selected a teabag and mug, feeling his gaze on her back.

The water boiled and Tamara sucked in a breath of relief. She poured the hot water into the mug and prepared her tea.

The mug in one hand, she turned round.

He was staring at the screen of his iPad, one hand playing with the Bluetooth headset in his right ear.

"Do you need anything this morning, Xavier?"

He glanced up at her, a small frown on his forehead. "What? Oh, right. Did HR send you a copy of my itinerary?"

"Yes, sir—Xavier."

His amber eyes thinned. "Did you get the clothing allowance HR paid into your account?"

"Clothing allowance? Yes, I did. I got some money three days ago."

"You need new clothes that befit your new position." His lips tightened. "Your skirt is too tight."

Tamara's eyes expanded. What? Automatically, her glance dropped to the skirt of her black suit. Her wardrobe of corporate wear was over two years old and maybe she'd added a few pounds. But he didn't have to mention it. He wasn't nice. Yes, he was still very, very hot but he wasn't nice at all.

"Give me two hours and then you and I can have a chat about my requirements for this job."

"Of course."

"And after lunch, we have the phone conference."

"Yes, I remember."

"Okay, that's all."

Tamara stalked out of his office.

***

Aside from the fifty minute phone conference and the almost two hour 'chat' with Xavier, she had spent the better part of the morning of her first day scanning the company intranet and learning as much as she could about the Neter Group.

The Neter Group opened its doors for the very first time in Great Britain in 1920, operating then as Neter Pharma. The Neter Defense Academy followed soon after. Two years later, the company branched into the construction business, Neter Construction, bidding on and winning contracts to build schools, roads, bridges and homes. Their next acquisitions were a TV and a radio station.

By the time the company made its way to Africa in the late 1950s, it had become the Neter Group. In Nigeria, it started its operations just after Nigeria's independence from Great Britain in 1960. Currently, it had offices in twenty-two African countries and in more than a hundred countries in Europe, North and South America, the Middle East, Asia and Australia.

The Neter Group commenced its foray into the manna production business a year after The Day, setting up first the Neteru Farms, then the Neteru Mills and finally, the Neteru Foods.

Now, she glared at her computer screen. He had basically said she was fat, hadn't he? Inferring that her skirt was too tight meant it was too small for her, didn't it? And what were his eyes doing down there? _Humph_. Acting like he was above such basic emotions like attraction and lust.

Someone tapped the top of her computer monitor. "Hello, Tamara."

She glanced up and then smiled. "Etim! What are you doing here?"

Propping his elbows on the wall in front of her desk, he grinned down at her. "I had to see you on your first day."

"That's sweet. You came all the way from the factory."

Etim shrugged. "How's your day going?"

"So far, so good."

"It's lunch time. One P.M."

Tamara eyed her watch. Wow. Already.

She stared toward Xavier's office. He was striding down and up, yammering to someone on the phone via his headset.

"Lunch break is mandatory for every Neter Group employee, you know."

She stared at him. "Really?"

"You haven't read the orientation handbook?"

"It's over five hundred pages long, Etim, and I only started today."

He straightened up. "Well, I'm here to take you to lunch at the ultra-modern company cafeteria on the first floor. The first course, dessert and drinks are free. I'll pay for your main course."

Tamara flicked a glance toward Xavier.

Her pulse jumped. He was staring at them. As her eyes caught his across the distance, he pivoted around and continued pacing.

She returned her gaze to Etim. "I think I have to check with my boss."

"He'll agree. You're on lunch break now."

Tamara stood up. "You know what? I'll meet you there. It's the first floor, you said?"

He nodded. "Yes, it occupies most of that floor."

"I'll see you soon."

Etim nodded again and then strolled away.

She moved toward Xavier's door. She still had to confirm with him.

"Tamara Abbey."

Tamara stopped. She glanced around.

With his hands in the pockets of his trousers, Wole Adio sauntered up to her, an uncertain smile on his face. "Hi."

"Hi, sir."

"Call me Wole."

Tamara smiled and said, "I forgot. Company policy, isn't it?"

"Yes, you're correct. Are you enjoying the work?"

"Yes, it's... interesting."

"Good. I'm glad."

Tamara stared into his face. Despite the grey in his short hair and beard, he had a youngish face. Maybe late thirties. "Is your office on this floor?"

He answered with a short laugh. "No, I'm only on the third floor. I came to find out how you were."

Tamara's eyes opened. _O-kay._ "Thanks, Wole."

"Did you get the money my people sent you? The clothing allowance?"

"Yes, I did."

"I know a good place where you can get quality suits at affordable prices. Xavier's former assistant, Habiba, shopped there. I have the address. I can send it to your phone after lunch."

"Thank you." Was she dreaming or did it seem like he was working up the courage to ask her out?

"Are you ready for lunch? We can go together, if you don't mind."

Tamara stared at her feet and then up, through the doorway into Xavier's office and straight into his eyes.

For the second time.

Like she had nothing else to do except gist with men.

This time, she tore her gaze away from his and smiled at Wole. "Maybe another time. I have a friend waiting in the cafeteria."

"Etim, right?"

She nodded. "Yes. But first I have to tell Xavier I'm leaving."

"Lunch break is mandatory."

"Yes, but still." Tamara stepped into the doorway and knocked on the wooden door.

Mid-stride, Xavier glowered at her.

"I only came to ask if I can go to lunch."

Still listening to someone on the other end of the phone, he waved her off with a flick of his wrist.

_Right_. Tamara's lips pressed together.

She stepped back out into the corridor. "I'll go down with you, Wole."

He smiled. "Okay. And we can do lunch tomorrow?"

She sighed. "Yes, okay."

### Chapter 5

"He actually said that?" Etim asked, eyebrows up.

"Yes, he did. And now all I can think of is running home, ripping this skirt off my fat ass and burning it up."

Etim chuckled. "It's not that bad, Tamara."

Tamara scoffed. "You can't understand. You're not a woman."

He tipped across the table to whisper, "and I happen to like your ass."

She rolled her eyes. "Don't start, Etim. I thought we'd discussed this. You know, we're just friends."

He stared down at his plate of white rice and beans, forehead rumpling.

Tamara sighed. Why couldn't he get it? She would only ever be his friend. Nothing more.

Etim's eyes darted up to hers. "I saw you coming into the cafeteria with Wole. You met in the lift?"

"No, he actually came up to the ninth floor to see me."

"For what?"

"To give me an address to a shop."

"What?"

Tamara flapped a hand in the air. "It's not important." She glanced around the hall and up to the serving booth at the end that was manned by servers dressed in white. The cafeteria was jam-packed with people and as one set came in, another set drifted out. She couldn't see Xavier anywhere. "He doesn't eat here?"

Etim gazed at her. "Who? Wole?"

"No, Xavier."

"He's rarely here, except he has guests."

She cut into her tender flesh of the chicken thigh on her plate. The food here was good. Well-cooked, spiced just right and smelling scrumptious. And heavily subsidized too. Etim had paid only five hundred naira for her plate of fried rice and barbecue chicken. Plus she had dessert to look forward to. Black Forest cake. Yum.

"So when do you plan to go clothes shopping?"

"Maybe this evening. Maybe. The shop's not too far from the office." Tamara chewed on a morsel of chicken.

"You can wait till the weekend, can't you?"

She snorted. "So he can call me fat ass again?"

Etim grinned. "Did he call you fat ass?"

Tamara gave a sharp hiss. "Sort of. I didn't tell you about the stuff he did during my interview. He interrupted me in the middle of my recital to ask me what perfume I was wearing."

Etim scowled. "He did?"

"I mean, not in a flirty way, of course. It was just strange." She bit her bottom lip. Of course, she didn't plan to ever mention the embarrassing wetting of her panties and Xavier's even stranger reaction. "And when I was in the conference room with Wole and he was passing by, he stopped to stare at me."

"He stopped to stare at you? Why?"

"I don't know."

"And you're sure the CEO of the Neter Group would suddenly halt in his rounds to stare at you."

She narrowed her eyes at Etim. "You don't have to make it sound like it's something impossible."

Etim stabbed at the steak on his plate with a fork. He mumbled, "You think he's handsome, don't you?"

Tamara stared at him. "I think he's good-looking enough."

He glowered. "Tamara, don't lie."

"What? He's very handsome, okay? Etim, what? He's my boss."

"Is that why you took the job? Because you saw him?"

_Yes, mostly_. Tamara shook her head. "Have you forgotten I've been out of work for two years? I couldn't afford to say no."

Etim smiled, his brow smoothening. "I forgot about that. I'm sorry for sounding like a jealous boyfriend. After all, I'm only your friend."

Tamara rolled her eyes. "Etim, please."

He chewed on a forkful of fried fish, swallowed and then asked, "Okay, okay. Are you still writing your blog?"

She nodded. "Oh yes! In fact, there's a new post I'm intending to write and I'm very excited about it. One of Ezi's salesgirls is marrying a Nephilim man. Apparently, she met him on _Nephalover_."

"Ah. _Nephalover_ , the online dating site for those seeking some Nephilim love."

Tamara tossed him a glance. "Have you ever used _Nephalover_?"

Etim stared down at his food. He muttered, "A long time ago."

She laughed. "You must have met a lot of women who wanted to sample your offerings."

Etim clicked his tongue against his teeth. "I'm not going to talk to you about that."

"Oh, he's shy. Anyway, I spoke to her about putting her wedding on my blog. She's going to send me photos."

"Hmm. That's good. She's not afraid of any backlash?"

Tamara's forehead wrinkled. "No. Her folks and friends are in total support."

"I'm referring to those few close-minded strangers in the League of Humans."

"She's not worried about them and neither am I."

"That's okay then. Now that you have a job, are you still planning to move out of your dad's place?"

Tamara sighed. She said, "I am, but not now. I'm thinking in two months' time, I'll start looking at places."

Etim laughed, pointing his fork at her. "You're not serious about getting your own place. You're too comfortable with your grandmother and father."

"Who says?"

"I say. You forget... I know you. You enjoy being with people. You're not a loner."

Tamara smiled. "Maybe. But I will still have to move out. At some point."

"Of course, at some point," Etim teased. Then he added, "So, how did you come in to work this morning?"

"My car. I used the last of my savings to buy new tyres."

"Tamara, you know I'll be happy to loan you the money you need. Why didn't you ask me?"

"I didn't want to bother you. It's fine, Etim."

"It's good you have a car, then. There's something I'd like to invite you to. It's sort of a group of like-minded people meeting together after work and sharing stories."

"Stories about what?"

Etim shrugged. "We're passionate about peace between humans and Nephilim. And I know you are too. There's a meeting tomorrow evening at six-thirty. We meet twice a week."

Tamara frowned. "I don't think it's my thing."

"Don't say no yet. Come to one meeting and see if you'll like it. We meet at a hotel two streets away from this building."

"Is it a Neter Group thing?"

"Not really. I told you; it's just a group of like-minded individuals. Will you come?"

She exhaled air. "Alright. I'll think about it."

***

Standing in front of the coffee and tea table in Xavier's office, Tamara glanced down over her chocolate-brown suit and light pink sleeveless chiffon top. Everything she had on was new, down to her chocolate-brown peep-toe pumps.

She had stopped over at the shop on her way home yesterday and had spent over two hours, selecting and trying on various suits and dresses. She had paid particular attention to the fitting of the skirts over her forty-four inch hips and large ass. And then she had driven home through traffic for over two hours. At home, she had emptied her wardrobe of all her old suits and tossed them in a bag to be given to charity. That had taken another one hour plus. And so, by the time she had showered and fallen into bed, it had been almost two A.M. and then, right on time at five A.M., her alarm had beeped.

Tamara yawned and then clapped one hand over mouth. She glanced over at him.

Xavier was at his desk, on the phone again, his silver thermos on his desk. He had been on this call ever since he had come into the office and she had only been able to mouth him a good morning greeting. He was in another suit with—of course—a matching waistcoat. This time, he was in all black except for his white shirt. How many waistcoats did the man have?

Using a teaspoon, Tamara mixed the milk and sugar into her tea.

"Don't say things like that..." he murmured in a husky drawl, "I'm in the office..."

Tamara froze, the movement of the spoon halted in the mug. It sounded like he was talking to a woman. A girlfriend?

Then, Xavier chuckled quietly, obviously to something the woman had said in response.

Tamara's nostrils flared. It wasn't her business. She was only his executive assistant. She flung the teaspoon on a saucer, grabbed the mug and headed toward the door.

"Hold on..." Xavier said to the person on the other end. "Tamara."

She paused and swung to face him. "Good morning, Xavier."

"Good morning, Tamara. Peter asked to meet with you this morning to discuss a tour of Neteru Mills and I agreed. We don't have a lot to do this morning and I will be heading out for a few hours later."

_To see her, the woman on the other end of the line?_ Tamara nodded. "Okay, Xavier. When do I need to be at Peter's?"

"Now. Take a car from the pool."

"Okay, I'll do that." She moved again to the door.

"Oh, by the way..." Xavier grinned. "You look good."

Tamara's heart gave a thump. Oh, his words... and that arresting smile... She muttered, "T-Thank you, Xavier."

With a tilt of his head, he dismissed her and returned to his call.

She got to her desk and picked up her handbag. Her eyes flickered to him. He was still talking to her, whoever she was. What a _long_ phone call.

Sighing, Tamara walked away.

***

"Are you enjoying your new job?" Peter Dodara asked, glancing down at her with a smile on his lips.

Shifting uneasily on the chair in front of his desk, Tamara replied, "Yes, I am." _Why is everyone asking how I'm doing as Xavier's assistant?_

"Good. Very good." Peter rested his back against a window next to his desk and folded his arms over his chest. "I spoke to your boss about a tour of the factory. Every new employee must understand what we do here at Neteru Mills."

She nodded. "Yes, Peter." Her eyes slid to the three framed photographs on his desk. A woman in her middle forties and two teenage boys. His wife and sons, evidently.

"I'm sure you don't know much about this manna we're all crazy about..." he said, with a chuckle.

Tamara shrugged. "Not really, no."

"Etim will give you more details but what I can tell you is that manna was grown first in the kingdom of Nubia. Then, the Nubians were invaded by Egypt. Do you know what the Egyptians used to call the Nubians? _Miserable Nubians._ What a terrible name! For a few centuries, the Nubians were their slaves. They paid a tribute to Egypt of gold, ivory and cattle. Nubian wrestlers fought as gladiators there. But, finally, the Nubians got their revenge on the Egyptians. Years later, they invaded Egypt. They controlled Egypt for a hundred years."

"Wow, I did not know that."

Peter smiled at her nonplussed expression. "Forgive me for rambling. I'm an avid student of African history."

A young woman strolled into the office.

"Ah, Sophia." Peter said, smiling widely. "This is Tamara, Xavier's new executive assistant." He glanced back at Tamara. "Sophia is my assistant."

"Hello, Tamara." Sophia smiled with her lips but her eyes were chips of ice. "Would you like some tea or coffee?"

Tamara's eyes constricted. _What was her problem?_ "No, I'm fine. Thank you."

"Okay then. Welcome to the Neter Group, Tamara," Sophia said with a smile, her eyes furious.

What was vexing her, for goodness sake? Tamara took in a breath. Whatever. She didn't care about her.

Sophia sashayed out of the office.

Peter said, "So, Tamara... I'll arrange an appropriate time with you for the tour. Of course, Xavier will make the final decision on when you're available."

"Of course." Was that why she had come all the way here? Just to talk about when she would be available to tour the factory?

Peter nodded. "Fine, that's it. Just remember this... you can come to me if you have any problems with anyone in the company."

"I'll remember that, Peter." She didn't know him well enough to do that but it was nice of him to say it.

He trained his dark eyes on her face. "Did Etim speak to you about our small group meeting?"

Tamara stared up at him. "You're also a member of the group?"

"Yes, I am." He threw her a smile. "I would really like you to join us. Has Etim sent you the address?"

"He did. Yesterday." Tamara's lips pressed together. Was this invitation to the meeting the real reason for her being here?

"Well, we have one this evening. So I can expect to see you there?"

"Yes." Nothing would keep her from attending this meeting. It was obviously very important.

For some reason.

### Chapter 6

From the reception area of the head office, Tamara entered the lift and pressed the button marked nine.

Just before the elevator doors closed, three women in snugly-fitting skirt suits bounded in, giggling.

One of them moved forward to depress the button for the fifth floor. The doors closed and the lift began to climb.

"Hi," a second one said, smiling at Tamara. "You're Xavier's executive assistant, aren't you?"

Tamara nodded, smiling. "Yes, I am."

"Tamara, right?" the third added, her glance washing over Tamara from head to toe.

Tamara's smile faltered. "Yes, that's right."

"Hmm. Is it true? What I've heard?" the first asked, her eyes glinting with malice. "That you got the job with Xavier because you're sleeping with Peter?"

" _What_?"

The third lifted and lowered a slender shoulder. "Xavier's assistants have always come from the Neter Group PA pool. Habiba Sanni was from the pool."

"Let me guess..." Tamara's glance whizzed from one pretty face to the other. "You're all from the pool."

"Yes," The first woman said. "And we're all wondering why this time Xavier decided to choose someone from outside the company."

"And then we heard that Peter did the choosing," The third one added.

"And Xavier agreed," The second woman said, glowering at Tamara.

"We also heard that you were offered the job. You didn't even apply for it," The first said.

"So?" Tamara asked, her head pounding as the blood roared in her ears.

"You slept with Peter so he could link you with Xavier, didn't you?"

Tamara muttered through stiff lips. "For your information, I met Peter Dodara for the first time last week during my interview."

"You expect us to believe that?" the second woman asked. "Peter convinced Xavier to employ a complete stranger? Why? We all know what any woman will do to get close to Xavier."

Tamara's lips twisted. "You mean what you all will do."

"Don't talk like you don't have your eye on Xavier," The first woman said with a disbelieving sniff.

Tamara closed her eyes and then opened them. She inhaled air, struggling to hold on to her temper. "Xavier is my boss."

"You see? You can't even deny it," The third one said, chortling.

"And it's common knowledge that Peter has a weakness for young women," the first muttered. "Just like Xavier tends to get involved with his executive assistants."

Tamara's head flew up. What?

"Ah, I see. You didn't know that..."

Tamara stared at the first woman, unable to reply. At that moment, the lift door zinged open.

"Bye, Tamara," The first woman said as she walked out.

"Watch yourself," The third woman murmured as she followed the other two out of the elevator.

The doors closed, leaving Tamara standing there, her head whirling. Xavier tended to have affairs with his assistants? How many had he had? Wait a minute... that meant he had been involved with Habiba.

So, would she and he...?

She couldn't lie to herself. Yes, she was strongly attracted to him. If he came on to her, would she reject him?

Tamara sighed. She wouldn't. Just like none of those catty women from the PA pool would.

The lift arrived at her floor, the last floor.

Tamara stepped out, her forehead creased, her eyes staring ahead sightlessly. She marched toward her office.

No wonder Peter's PA, Sophia, had given her the evil eye. Did everyone in the pool believe that she had actually had sex with Peter just to get close to Xavier? Wow. Her second day at work and she was already the topic of the latest office gossip.

"Tamara, watch it!"

Xavier's hands gripped her upper arms, forcing her to a halt.

A spark of raw electricity whizzed from his fingers through the cloth of her jacket into her skin. From there, it amplified and penetrated underneath, deep into her nervous system.

Was this what it felt like to be struck by lightning?

She gazed up into his face. Her eyes fused with his amber orbs.

Something awoke in his eyes. She watched his pupils dilate.

_Xavier_ ... her mind breathed, intoxicated. Her gaze sank to his perfectly-shaped coffee-brown lips.

His eyes fell too, drawn to her mouth.

But then, he wrenched his gaze away, released her arms and moved back.

Xavier cleared his throat and muttered, "I'm on my way out."

Tamara blinked and then said, "Oh. Will you be back soon?"

He scowled at the elevators behind her. "In a few hours. I'll be back long before we have to go out to the meeting at two."

"Okay."

He strode away, a black backpack hanging off one shoulder.

***

Tamara entered the hall, Etim at her side. He had been driving into the hotel car park just as she was parking her car. The time was six-fifty two. The meeting must have started. She and Etim were almost thirty minutes late. At least he had an excuse; his office was over two hours away, on the mainland.

For her, it had been a five minute drive. She had left her boss in the office, on another endless call. On his return to the office in the afternoon, he had reverted to the reticent, slightly standoffish Xavier. It seemed like the moment between them had never happened. Then he had proceeded to ignore her throughout their journey to and from an ISP company situated on the mainland.

Tamara blinked. There was no denying it. His behavior had hurt her.

She had finally met him; the man who, for the first time in her life, was able to inspire in her such an intense physical longing that only seemed to increase with every day that passed and as her luck would have it, he was unobtainable, out of her league and an expert in blowing hot and cold. How come the ones you don't want are the ones who stalk you and call you like fifty times in a day and the ones you do want act like you're a nuisance?

"Let's find somewhere to sit," Etim murmured, moving forward.

She shook the depressing thoughts away and glanced around.

It was a long room filled with rows of chairs that faced a stage. Ninety percent of the chairs were already taken. Wow. There were a lot of people here. Small group, indeed.

Peter was on the platform, speaking. Below him, faces stared up with rapt attention.

"Peter is the head of the group?" she whispered to Etim.

"He's our Vice President."

"What's the name of your group? I don't see any banners."

Scratching his bearded chin, he muttered, "Soldiers for Unity."

"Okay..." she stared at him. "Then, if Peter's the VP. Who's the president?"

"Questions, questions... can we sit down first?"

She sighted a hand waving her forward. Wole, sitting in the front row. Wow. He was here too?

"I think he has free seats," Tamara said to Etim.

Etim nodded. They made their way through the aisle up to the front row.

Wole grinned at her. He patted one empty seat on his right. "That's for you."

"Thanks," Tamara said and slid into the seat.

Wole eyed Etim. He whispered, "There's a chair to my left."

Jaw clenched, Etim headed to the free chair that was two seats away from Tamara and Wole.

She whispered to Wole. "I didn't know you were going to be here."

"I've been attending for nearly six months now. Peter mentioned that he invited you."

She smiled and then turned her attention to the platform.

Peter was saying, "...we can all agree that relations between humans and Nephilim are worsening. Fear has taken over. It's no longer humans killing humans. Now, its humans killing Nephilim, Nephilim killing humans. We do what we can here, working with schools, churches, NGOs, the police and hospitals. The programs we put in place are helping to change things... slowly but surely..."

"Is this what happens? Peter giving speeches?"

Wole shook his head, a smile on his lips. He whispered, "Not just this. First, he gives us a view of our journey so far, then there's a question and answer session. On Thursdays, the team leaders also present their reports."

"You have teams?"

"Yes. There's a list of teams with Etim. You may decide to glance through and pick one to join. It's up to you."

Shoulders and head up, Peter marched across the stage, his eyes blazing with zeal. The wall behind him lit up to reveal a slide. In bold letters, the phrase, _Our Programs_ headed a bulleted list.

Peter tapped the index finger of his right hand on the pinkie finger of his left. "First... we have the pro-peace marches we do. Thrice a year, hundreds of humans and Nephilim march through the major streets of the nation demanding unity between the races. Second..." he tapped the third finger. "We have taken the issue of that most offensive law to the House of Representatives, to the Senate... we mean for that law to be scrapped. The law that insists that couples who are about to get married must be tested by the government to determine if any one of them is Nephilim. Is the government trying to monitor the Nephilim population or what?"

Voices murmured in the audience.

Peter continued, "We've been working with the Police. The funds we've managed to raise have been put to good use, thanks to our law enforcement advancement team."

A bout of loud clapping erupted from a section of the audience.

Peter grinned down at them. "Only five days ago, our president and I presented six police stations in the state with brand-new cars, sports bikes and surveillance equipment to help in their fight against the League of Humans. Good work, team."

Tamara's eyes widened. Wow. This was serious business. This could be another, more concrete opportunity for her to do something to help, aside from writing her blog. Coming to this meeting had been a great choice. She would definitely talk to Etim later about joining a team.

"Thanks also, to the IT team working with the cyber units of our country's police force and with other units across the world to track the activities of that terrorist group."

More clapping. Tamara glanced around the room. By now, it was filled to capacity. Some people were even standing at the back.

"To our communications team made up of bloggers and newspaper, radio and TV reporters and those liaising with student unions in universities, we say thank you. Thank you for carrying the message of unity and peace everywhere."

He interrupted another spate of clapping to declare, "The League of Humans believe that the Nephilim are an aberration, a crime against nature. They believe we don't deserve to live. But my response to this is: are we not all God's children?"

"We are!" the crowd roared in reply.

Peter tapped his chest. "I, for one, am proud to be Nephilim. We are children of angels; we are mentioned in the Bible. In Numbers 13, Joshua, Caleb and ten other men from the twelve tribes of Israel were sent by Moses to Canaan to spy out the land. After forty days, they returned. The ten men complained about the giants they saw in the city. These giants were Nephilim, also called the descendants of Anak."

Wole tilted sideways, to Tamara. "I hear you write a blog promoting peace between the human and Nephilim races."

"Peter told you."

"Yes, he did. He also said that your father, Professor Kurokeme Abbey, has written a lot of papers on this same issue, in support of co-existence."

Tamara's gaze whipped to Peter. Were her pro-Nephilim sympathies the true reason behind her getting hired? If so, what did that have to do with being Xavier's assistant? She couldn't wait for this meeting to end so she could get answers to her questions.

***

In less than thirty minutes, it was over. Snubbing the plates of meat pies, biscuits, cakes and sausage rolls placed on a table next to the door, she rushed outside.

Her eyes scanned the crowd of people flowing out of the hall. Peter stood in the car park, surrounded by a small cluster of people, one of whom was Etim.

She walked up to him. "Excuse me, Peter?"

He glanced around. Smiled. "Thanks for coming, Tamara. But..." He wagged a finger at her. "You came late. Next meeting, try to be on time."

"I will. I wanted to ask you a question. In private."

Peter peered at her. "Okay." He told the others around him. "We'll continue our discussion after the next meeting."

They scattered toward their cars. Etim paused to wave goodbye. She grinned at him in response.

"Did you enjoy my talk?" Peter asked.

"Yes, I did. Very much."

"That's good."

Tamara concentrated on him. "I heard from some people that you were instrumental to my getting my job."

"Which people?"

"It doesn't matter. I'm only wondering... why me?"

"Do you think you don't deserve the job?"

"No, it's not that." Tamara sighed. "I didn't even apply for it. It was offered to me."

"So?"

Tamara shook her head. "I don't understand why. I've heard that Xavier's former assistant was selected from the Neter Group PA pool."

"You heard from someone in the pool?"

She didn't want to get the ladies in trouble. "I just need to know why. Because during my interview with him, I felt like Wole really needed me to say yes."

Peter frowned. "He did, did he?"

They seemed to be going round in circles. _Just answer my question, will you?_ Tamara muttered, "I only want to know... why me?"

Narrowing his eyes, he replied, "Xavier wanted someone external. Your friend, Etim, came across your CV. He spoke to me, and to Wole. Said you would be an asset to the company. We couldn't offer you the health and safety manager job so we thought you wouldn't mind being the CEO's executive assistant. I mentioned to Xavier that I'd found someone for him. He said he would interview you. And that was it."

Tamara breathed in air. "Yes, yes. He interviewed me. So it was because of Etim that I got this job?"

Peter's smile did not reach his eyes. "Yes. You need to thank him."

"Thank you for telling me this, Peter. He told you about my blog and about my father, didn't he?"

"Yes."

"I get it now. Thank you."

### Chapter 7

They had just returned from a three-hour meeting with the Minister of Science and Technology and the time was twenty minutes past five in the evening.

Tamara strolled into Xavier's office right behind him. He plunked his knapsack inside the cabinet and shut the doors. Then he shrugged off his jacket and hung it on the coat rack on one side of his desk.

She lifted her wrist to glance at her watch and her eyes fell on a bold caption from the topmost newspaper that screamed:

Nephilim Family Found With Jars of Human Blood in Their Refrigerator

What? She leaned forward to read the text beneath the gory headline.

"Tamara..." Xavier's voice came to her ears. "Why don't you just sit down and read the papers?"

"Oh." She glanced up. He was smiling. Her pulse quickened. "Yes, thanks."

Tamara sank onto the couch and picked up the newspaper.

"What has you so intrigued?" he asked, walking over to her.

" _Um_ ..." she raised her eyes to his towering frame. "For years, a Nephilim family, a father and his two sons, had been kidnapping humans, slicing their throats and draining their bodies of blood."

Xavier puffed air out of his mouth. He tipped over to stare at the print, one hand on the backrest of the couch, almost touching her neck. His warm breath caressed her cheek.

"Hmm... well, you have good and bad Nephilim, just like humans. You know, Adolf Hitler believed he was Nephilim..."

Tamara's nose latched onto the rich, sensual scent of his cologne. The hairs at the back of her neck stood up. Lord, this was torture. Being so close to him and yet, unable to touch him. She stared at the paper, unseeingly, knowing that between her thighs, she was wet.

Her lips moved. "I didn't know that..."

"A lot of people don't know this too but apart from eating manna and other human food like rice, fish and potatoes..."

She looked up. Straight into his eyes.

Xavier's gaze slithered to her mouth. And stayed there. He murmured, "...some Nephilim swear by human blood."

Her mind battled to assimilate his frightening words and at the same time, to register that he was gazing avidly at her lips. Like he wanted to kiss her...

"That's... horrible..." she breathed, ogling his mouth. What would happen if she moved closer and pressed her mouth to his?

Someone coughed.

Tamara sprang away from him. The newspaper dropped from her lap to the floor.

Xavier rose and strode over to his desk.

Stomach churning, Tamara met Wole's shocked eyes.

"Am I disturbing something?" he asked, glancing from her to Xavier.

"No, of course not," she shifted her head from one side to the other. "We were... just discussing the news."

Wole lingered at the doorway, still unsure.

Seeming completely at ease, Xavier rested his backside on the front of his desk and wrapped his arms around his chest. He nodded at Wole.

"Anything I can help you with?"

"I wanted to speak with Tamara, actually."

She stared at Wole. "Oh. Any problem?"

"No." Wole forced his hands into his trouser pockets. "I only wanted to ask you something."

"What is it?"

His eyes swept to Xavier and then back to her.

Xavier lifted his eyebrows. "What's up, Wole?"

Wole sighed. "Tamara, I wanted to find out if you're free Friday evening. I'm planning to watch a movie and I wondered if you'd like to accompany me to the cinema."

Instinctively, she glanced at Xavier. Annoyingly, he was grinning. What was so funny about that?

"Do you need his permission?" Wole's voice had an impatient strain to it.

Tamara smiled at Wole. She said, "No, it's just that... Friday evening... I don't know if he'll need me to work late on Friday."

"No, you're available," Xavier said, grinning even wider.

Fighting to keep from scowling at her boss, Tamara said to Wole, "You know I started last week and I still have a lot of reading to catch up on. I'm sorry." He was a good-looking guy but he wasn't Xavier.

"Okay." Wole nodded but his forehead furrowed. "I'm about to leave. Are you ready to go down or...?"

She snatched the newspaper off the floor and replaced it with the others. What had just happened between her and Xavier? He'd stared at her mouth like he wanted to kiss her and the next moment, as usual; he was pretending like that moment had never occurred.

Tamara focused on Wole. "Yes, in about five minutes. Maybe we can go down together?" She hadn't yet received her parking pass for the ninth floor car park and her car was in the ground-floor parking lot.

"Yes, okay." Wole nodded again and left.

Into the uncomfortable silence, Tamara moped at her hands and asked, "I take it you want me to date Wole?"

"Tamara," Xavier's voice was sober. "I'm not going to tell you who to date."

Of course he didn't care. Why would he? She'd only been fooling herself.

Tamara jumped up, mouth puckering. "Well, then... goodnight _sir_."

He pushed away from his desk and stepped toward his chair. "Goodnight Tamara. Remember that you're to report to the mills for your tour tomorrow morning."

Her back to him, she muttered, "Yes, I remember," and stamped to her office. She grabbed her handbag and stomped toward the lifts.

Wole waited in front of one elevator. He glanced into Tamara's face. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine." She drew air into her lungs. Was Xavier teasing her because he knew that she was into him? Playing her like the puppeteer with his marionette?

The doors opened and they stepped in. Wole punched the third and then the ground floor buttons and the doors shut.

He cleared his throat and then said, "Can I ask you something?"

Tamara nodded.

"Are you dating Xavier?"

She stared at Wole, eyes wide. "No!"

"Okay, okay." Wole raised his hands, palms outward. "I was only asking." He paused and then his voice hardened. "Peter told me what you said. That during your interview with me, you sensed that I was hoping that you'll take the executive assistant job."

She glanced at him. He stared down at her with angry eyes, the ends of his mouth turned downward. "Did I do something wrong?"

"I know you're new here but you have to remember that Peter is the managing director of the Neteru Mills. You don't just tell him whatever you feel like."

Tamara frowned. "I didn't mean anything by it. I only wanted answers to my questions."

Wole blew air out of his mouth. He shook his head. "I don't know why you think I wanted you to take the job. It was an interview, plain and simple."

Tamara held up both hands. "Okay, okay. I'm sorry. It was just something I sensed—"

He glared at her. "—something you sensed? That I was begging you?"

"What? Did I use that word, begging?"

Wole gulped in a breath, clearly fighting to control his temper.

She watched him, a frown on her forehead. This guy... his anger seemed a little out of proportion. He didn't have to act like she'd committed a cardinal sin. And anyway, she'd apologized. Was he really annoyed because she'd refused to go on a date with him?

In a milder tone, he said, "Tamara... You didn't know. Next time, just be careful what you say to Peter or Xavier, for that matter."

She narrowed her eyes and muttered, "I will."

Wole sighed. "I'm sorry to snap at you like this."

"It's fine." Good that she had said no to going to the cinema with him. He was someone that she would have to keep at arms' length from now on.

They reached the third floor, the doors opened and Wole left the lift.

Tamara blew out a sigh of relief.

***

The tour of the Neteru Mills began when Etim placed a handful of manna seeds into Tamara's palm.

She gazed at them in wonder. They were oval-shaped and white in colour. A seed of manna was smaller in size than a grain of wheat.

Etim smiled at her awed expression. "More than nine thousand years before Christ, the practice of cultivating barley, wheat and rye began in the Middle East. Manna cultivation may have begun around the same time. You do know, I assume, that the manna you're holding is not the same as the one mentioned in the Bible in Exodus 16," Etim said. "That one was from heaven. This was grown here on earth."

"How?"

Etim replied, "Before I get to that, do you remember the bible story about the Israelites and manna?"

"Sure. The Israelites were wandering around in the desert after their exodus from Egypt. They had no food to eat. They were starving. They complained to Moses. He complained to God and the next morning, manna fell on the earth."

Etim nodded, grinning. "Very good. They saw a 'small, round substance on the ground'. That manna was like white coriander seed. To these ancient Israelites, it tasted like wafer made with honey, of bread made with oil. They were overjoyed. They ground it, cooked it. They made cakes with it. They ate it for forty years until they arrived at the boundary of Canaan. Some pieces of manna, the Showbread, were kept in a pot in the Ark of the Covenant. Do you know what the word 'manna' means?"

Tamara shook her head, a smile garlanding her lips. His face, his entire body almost seemed to tremble with the undeniable passion he felt for this subject.

"Well, in the original Hebrew, the word manna is actually _mon_. _Mon_ is an Egyptian word literally meaning _what_ or _what is it_. They didn't know what it was! Now, back to the planting of this manna seed... according to history, when angels first came to earth thousands, maybe millions of years ago, they brought with them many secrets, among which was this seed. As an experiment, they planted it first in North Africa over seven thousand years ago, specifically in a kingdom in Northern Sudan called the Kingdom of Nubia. It flourished. At that time, the land was green and lush. The angels passed on the knowledge of the farming of the seed to their Nephilim descendants who took up the cultivation and spread it from kingdom to kingdom. Now, it's everywhere. Though, for many years, the farming of the seed had been kept from humans until, of course, you know—"

"Until the day the world learnt of the existence of Nephilim." She deposited the grains on a table in his office.

Handing her a white coat and a net covering for her hair, Etim said, "You know that manna is poisonous to humans. But for us, it's very nutritious."

She collected the items and put them on. Then she asked, "Why is it poisonous to humans?"

Etim shrugged and shook his head. "I don't know. It just is."

Tamara cocked her head and asked, "So the Nephilim get to eat our food and drink manna while we don't even know how manna tastes."

He chuckled. "It tastes like a mixture of rich milk and sweet honey but, so much better."

"Xavier said some Nephilim drink human blood, is it true?"

Etim crossed his arms and stared into the distance. He muttered, "It's not common knowledge but yes... some do."

She gaped at him.

"You don't have to look like that! Very few Nephilim practice that barbarous act."

"Well, I hope not."

"Come, Tamara. It's time to head down to the factory floor."

***

For more than an hour, she trailed Etim around the cavernous space, her glance taking in white-painted staircases rising up to the ceiling and the balconies overhead. Below, rows and rows of white-painted machinery and huge metal tanks stood at different points along the area. Intent on their jobs, white-garbed workers barely glanced at her and Etim as they progressed through the mill.

Etim had explained that the grain was cultivated in the Neteru Farms and then sent here to be milled to flour by steel rolling machines.

He'd added, "Manna is similar to every other grain because it's made up of three parts: the outer layer called bran, the reproductive part called germ and finally, the endosperm which is the inner core. In Neteru Mills, we grind all the three parts together to make manna flour."

Then he had taken her to a point where bags bearing the Neteru Mills brand were stacked up to the roof. Finding one open bag on the floor by his feet, he scooped some out and poured it into her right palm.

With her left fingers, Tamara rubbed the fine, white powder. She said, "So it's harmless to touch, right?"

"It's only harmful if you ingest it."

"This was really interesting." She emptied her palm into his. "So, what next?"

Etim grinned. "We're done. Let's go back upstairs, to my office."

### Chapter 8

She settled in the leather chair opposite Etim's desk. His office was roughly a quarter the size of Xavier's. The papers in his inbox and outbox trays on his desk were neatly piled. On the wall to the left hung a calendar. Directly in her field of vision, above and behind his seat, she could make out sheets of factory floor diagrams and staff rosters pinned on a corkboard.

Sitting in his chair, Etim angled forward and put his elbows on the desk. He smiled at Tamara. "Do you want something to drink?"

"No, thanks."

"Did you have fun at the meeting on Tuesday?"

"I did." She smiled. "You're all doing very good work."

"I'm happy you think so." Etim glanced at her from under his lashes. "So... you and Wole are getting closer, I see."

She hissed. "Not really. We had lunch together once. Oh—and then he asked me out."

"He did?"

" _Unhnn_. Yesterday... to the cinema."

"And what was your answer?"

Tamara lifted and lowered a shoulder. "I said no."

"Why? He's a divorcee, no children."

She eyed Etim. "Are you suddenly in favor of my dating another man?"

He laughed and then replied, "there's a point when I have to move on, isn't there? If I can't have you, then Wole's someone I'll endorse for you." He gazed at his hands and muttered, "Not Xavier."

"What? Where did you get the idea that I want to date Xavier?"

Etim's eyes leaped to her face. "So you don't want to date him?"

She hissed. "I'm not going to go through this again with you."

"Fine. It's only because I care about you but... if you don't want to talk about it now, then we can talk about something else."

Tamara glanced away, to the window on her right. Her gaze spotted Peter in the corridor, marching past. She turned back to Etim. "I didn't tell you... some days ago, some of the women from the PA pool accosted me on my way to my office. They accused me of sleeping with Peter, of all people, to get the job with Xavier."

"Did you tell them it wasn't true?"

"I did but whether they believed me is another matter. Anyway... I don't care. All I know is that I didn't sleep with anyone to get the job." She stared into his eyes. "According to Peter, you are the one I should thank for my position."

Etim ducked his head. He murmured, "Peter said that?"

"Yes, he did." Tamara stretched out a hand to grasp one of his. "Thank you, Etim. You're a good friend."

He sighed and then said, "I'll do anything for you, Tamara. Tell me, which job do you prefer? Health and Safety Manager in Flour Mills or Executive Assistant to the Neter Group's CEO?"

"I'm barely one week in but... I think this one. I mean, Xavier is a great boss and working with him has shown me exactly why he's the CEO of such a large company at thirty-nine."

Drawing a circle on his desk with an index finger, Etim muttered, "Like what?"

Tamara slipped the fingers of one hand into her short curls. "Like... No matter how angry the client is, Xavier never loses his cool. And when the directors come to him with problems to me that seem impossible, within minutes he has a solution that works. I just can't understand how he does that. He's very wise, no doubt. And..." she tipped her jaw at Etim, "You've heard him speak. He's very eloquent and can speak on any topic related to the Neter Group and its subsidiaries, most times without preparation. I respect that."

Scratching the side of his face with the fingers of one hand, he said, "It sounds to me like you think he can do no wrong."

Tamara's mouth puckered. "I was only answering your question."

"Well, I actually asked about your job—"

"My job involves working with Xavier."

"I understand that. You're right, I'm sorry. So, is there anything new with the Envy of Every Man and the Gift from God to Every Woman, our CEO and your boss?"

She rolled her eyes at Etim. "The Envy of what? Etim, stop this. To me, he's just my boss and there's nothing new with him. Well... except that he drinks from this silver thermos almost all the time. Except when he's drinking water. Then..." she leaned forward. "He has no social media profiles. Not one. I didn't know that was possible in this age."

Why though? He was the young, dynamic head of a major conglomerate, known to many people. He must have friends, former schoolmates and classmates and even former colleagues. He wasn't even on LinkedIn! He was a private person, that she knew, but this was a little odd.

Xavier Osagie, _who are you_?

***

Tamara sauntered into Xavier's office, glancing around. The huge office was empty.

"Xavier! I'm back from the tour."

Silence. Had he stepped out, leaving his door unlocked?

Her gaze swept the room again and then locked on his navy blue jacket lying on the couch.

Without thinking, she moved forward and grabbed it. Her hands stroked the material. Soft and cool. Hands trembling, she lifted the jacket to her nose and sniffed. Lord, it smelt like him. Rich, exotic, masculine. Her mind whispered: _Tamara, what are you doing? What if he comes in now and catches you inhaling his jacket like an obsessed fan?_

Jerking the jacket away from her nose, her eyes spotted something in the silk inner lining. The gold handle of a dagger stuffed in a leather sheath. Series of weird symbols had been etched on the handle.

Tamara gasped. Why was he carrying this weird-looking dagger in his jacket? Another out of character behavior. Maybe it was decorative. It certainly looked like an ornamental piece. He couldn't be using it to, say, hurt someone, could he? Questions and more questions.

She returned the jacket to the couch and at the same time, the door behind his desk opened and Xavier stepped out.

His eyes flew to his jacket and then to her face.

Tamara's heart hammered. Thank God she had dropped it when she did. How would she have explained his jacket in her hands, especially with the dagger inside it?

Walking up to her, his eyes fastened on her face, he murmured, "You're back early."

"Yes."

He stopped in front of her, his gaze descending to his jacket again. "Did you call out my name?"

Tamara nodded. "Yes, I did."

"I thought I heard you." Xavier bent over and snatched his jacket off the couch.

He strode away to hang it on the coat rack. His hands patted down the front of the jacket and then paused. His amber eyes zoomed in on her face.

He knew she'd seen the dagger. She could read it in his eyes.

Xavier flashed a warm smile. "Did you enjoy the tour?"

"Yes, I did." Tamara breathed in air. If he thought her seeing it was inconsequential, that meant it wasn't being used for a nefarious purpose. Of course, it wasn't. He was a CEO, for goodness sake, not some assassin.

He relocated to sit behind his desk. Steepling his hands, he looked at her.

Tamara let her eyes run over his face. The afternoon sunlight streaming from large ceiling-to-floor windows on one side of the room played over his sculpted, princely nose and those razor-sharp cheekbones. God must have spent a _long_ time creating him.

"Have you heard the gossip?" Xavier asked. "That the founders of the Neter Group were angels?"

She shook her head slowly. Her eyes fixed on his. There was something indefinable in his stare.

"Do you believe angels are still here, Tamara?"

She offered a short laugh. "No, I don't."

"Why?"

Tamara shrugged and said, "If they were really here, won't we all know by now?"

Xavier's teeth glimmered white in a grin. "So you think you would know an angel if you saw one?"

"Yes." She lifted her jaw toward him. "And you... do you think angels are still here?"

He reclined in his chair and then raised his arms above his head. Linking his fingers behind his neck, he grinned again. "Anything is possible, Tamara."

***

"Apologies to our new members... I didn't think to call attention to the name of our group on Tuesday." On the podium, Peter stood, feet apart. "We are Soldiers for Unity. We fight for all God's children with our words, our time, our money... whatever we have to give." He paused to join the fingers of his hands together, his thumbs flicking off each other. "What I'm about to say may be surprising to our new members..." his dark gaze landed on Tamara for a moment. "But bear with me and listen carefully to my words. _There are angels on earth right now_."

Tamara laughed, glancing from Etim on her left to Wole on her right. But their faces were unsmiling. They didn't seriously believe that, did they?

Peter smiled and continued, "I know it sounds unlikely. But believe me, there are. For probably hundreds of thousands of years, angels have been coming and going. Their purpose was to transfer some of their esoteric knowledge to the human race. Now, it's common knowledge to all, humans as well as Nephilim, that angels had once visited the earth. But we, Nephilim, were taught by our ancestors that a second set of angels, displeased with the fact that some of the first set were revealing things to mankind that went far beyond what was initially intended and also that they were impregnating women, swooped down to earth and destroyed them all. None survived."

He wagged a finger. "Or at least, that's what the stories say. But that's not true. You see... a large number of this second set of angels, middle order angels from the Second Heaven, _stayed behind_. Very, very few of us know this. They call themselves the Pure Ones."

"This can't be true," Tamara whispered to Etim.

"It is. Just listen."

"They are murderers, the enemies of both humans and Nephilim. They believe that humans are killing the earth and that Nephilim are an aberration, not human and yet not angels. The Pure Ones fund and pass intelligence to various terrorist groups around the world... Boko Haram, ISIS...etcetera. They fund the manufacture and sale of weapons, including biological weapons. They are heavily involved in the production and distribution of methamphetamine, heroin and cocaine in every city of the world. But their main purpose is... the creation of a virus that will wipe out all Nephilim and the humans who deserve to fall under, according to them, the Great Wrath of God."

Tamara shook her head. This seemed like something from a science fiction movie. Angels on earth working behind the scenes to kill everyone on earth? Peter was beginning to sound like a conspiracy theorist. What did that say about Etim, Wole and the rest of the Soldiers for Unity?

"For those who find my words hard to swallow..." Peter's gaze yet again touched Tamara. "I add that we have members of our group monitoring the dark web. For those who don't know, the dark web is a portion of the internet that's not accessible by the general public. Our members have located many chatrooms, moderated by those we believe to be angels. We are tracking the messages posted and the issues discussed in these rooms and we are convinced that the Pure Ones and their supporters are secretly already carrying out their manifesto."

Peter stared at something only he could see. He muttered, "Many of you know that I was once a soldier, when I was younger. Even then, among the soldiers, there was talk of beings with wings and glowing eyes appearing on the battlefield. I didn't consider it. I too believed that angels had left the earth until the day I saw one... in Darfur."

Tamara gawked at him. He'd seen an angel?

Peter's voice was low. "He was a man, six-foot-nine inches tall and his eyes glowed with a golden light. Before he attacked us, vast wings rose out of his back. It was the most frightening sight I've ever seen in my life."

Her head thumped. She could feel the force of his belief reach down from the stage and seize her around the throat.

Peter cleared his throat and went on, "From the intelligence we've gathered so far, we know that most of the time, they appear as men. They're over six feet five; they eat only manna; they have golden eyes; their senses of sight, smell, taste, touch and hearing are superior to those of humans and Nephilim and they have retractable wings that they can deploy when attacking. And..." Peter paused and chuckled. "Women have reported that they're very well endowed, much more than we Nephilim men..."

The room burst into laughter. Tamara smiled.

"And that their eyes glow when they come. I, for one, have only seen their eyes glow when they're eager to kill. They are killers, all of them. One of the reasons for the formation of our group, the Soldiers for Unity, is to maintain a watch list of the Pure Ones among us so we could better monitor their actions and be able to contain a threat before it happens."

Etim tilted sideways to whisper, "Are you shocked?"

"Momentarily speechless," she said. "I thought this was just about peace between humans and Nephilim. Now, we have angels to contend with as well."

"I get you. That's how I felt when Peter first told me about angels."

She whispered, "Have _you_ seen an angel? Or is it because Peter said it therefore you believe it to be so?"

Etim gaped at her. "Didn't you just hear him? We also have evidence from the chatrooms and more." He paused and threw a glance to a silent Wole. "With our own eyes, we have seen humans that we know with a hundred percent certainty are actually angels."

"Like who?"

Etim glanced up at Peter and then shook his head. He murmured, "You will find out when the time comes."

She eyed him. "What do you mean?"

For a moment he didn't answer. Then he scrubbed his face with one hand. "Are you aware that the founders of the Neter Group were angels?"

"Is that true? Xavier mentioned something like that earlier today."

"It is." He shook his head. "Just be careful, Tamara."

Tamara folded her arms over her chest and stared at him. Careful? Because the Neter Group may have angels on staff? That's what he meant, wasn't it? Maybe they could all take the word of the Vice President of the Soldiers for Unity, but she... she would need to see an angel with her own eyes to believe that they were still on earth.

She muttered, "If there were tall men with golden eyes walking around the earth, people would have noticed, don't you think so?"

Etim glanced up into the ceiling and back to her. "They wear contact lenses, of course. Just like some Nephilim did before humans found out about us."

"That means they look like normal men." Tamara laughed. "By that reasoning, Xavier could be an angel. He's over six feet."

He scowled at her. "Stop joking about this."

"Excuse me, Tamara..." Wole whispered.

She glanced at him from the corner of her right eye. "Yes?"

He sighed and then said, "I know it's not the right time but it's been weighing on my mind... I'm sorry about the other day. The way I snapped at you. You didn't intend to cause trouble."

She shrugged. "Apology accepted." _Still doesn't mean I'll ever go on a date with you._

He exhaled air and said, "That easy?"

"Yes. It's already forgotten."

Wole stroked his goatee, his gaze on her face. "I'm not trying to start up any trouble but..." he hesitated.

Tamara flapped a hand at him. "Yes, yes, what is it?"

"Okay. So there's nothing between you and Xavier?"

Her lips compressed. "I thought I answered that question."

"It's just that the way you two were staring at each other..."

Lord, this guy. "I already told you. We were discussing the news in the paper..."

Wole raised and dropped one shoulder. He muttered, "Okay, if you say so. Just, you know, remember why you're here, in the Neter Group... to work. Xavier is your boss. That means he's supposed to be a no-go area."

Tamara swung her head from side to side slowly, anger rising in her chest. One minute he's apologizing and making nice, the next he's making stupid comments. Now he talks about her being here to work. He'd conveniently forgotten that fact when he was inviting her to the cinema as his date. What with the talk of angels and the presence of this annoying man, she didn't think she would be attending any more meetings. A pity. She had really wanted to be a part of their organization.

Tonight would be her last night with the Soldiers for Unity.

### Chapter 9

Tamara rubbed her stomach. Thank God the pain in her belly had reduced to a dull throb, helped by the painkiller she had taken with her breakfast. This was the second thing she disliked about having her period. The first being, of course, the blood.

Her period had started late last night and by this morning, the pain had settled into a rhythmic thumping, accompanying her as she showered, dressed and drove to work. Fortunately, today was Friday and she had managed to get through most of the morning. In a few hours, she would be done and then she'll have the whole weekend to rest.

On her computer, Tamara clicked on the presentation she was preparing for Xavier and another slide appeared. Almost done. Just four more slides left.

She stroked her belly once more, pressing her lips together as another wave hit. Thankfully, not as strong as it was earlier. Maybe in about two hours, she'll be due to take two more tablets.

"Tamara..."

Her eyes flew up from the screen to the tall man with his hands in the pockets of his charcoal-black trousers, posed by the entrance of her enclosure. Xavier.

She started to get up. "Is there something you need?"

White teeth flashed in his brown face. "I just realized that I don't really know a lot about you. Apart from the meeting with the legal team in ten minutes, I don't have any pressing matters for today. Why don't we talk?"

"Talk?" she eyed him.

"Yes. In my office." He turned to walk away but then stopped. Grinning at her, he added, "You can also ask me the questions that you've been dying to ask."

Then he strode into his office.

_Now, I definitely want to have that talk_. Tamara closed her laptop and trailed him in.

He sat, legs apart, in the armchair between the two couches.

She moved to the couch on his left and lowered her body into it. Crossing her arms over her chest, she glanced at him.

"Tell me about your father, your mother... what do they do?"

"My mother is dead. She died when I was ten."

"I'm sorry," Xavier said. "What was the cause of her death?"

"She was sick. Ovarian cancer."

"It must have been tough to grow up without your mother. But your dad is alive, isn't he?"

"Yes. He's a university professor. He has multiple PhDs but his favourite subject is anthropology." She ran one hand up and down her other upper arm and added, "After my mother's death, her mother, my grandmother, stepped in almost immediately to help raise me. I was lucky. My grandmom is like a mother and a friend to me."

"Your siblings?"

Tamara shrugged. "None."

"You have no brothers or sisters?"

"Yes."

Xavier shook his head. "Wasn't that lonely?"

"It was, a little. But my best friend, Ezi, has always been in my life. We practically grew up together. We lived in the same neighbourhood. We attended the same university. I think of her as my sister. I tend to listen to her and take her advice."

"You graduated with a second class upper degree in pharmacy from the university. You're clearly very intelligent."

The bright smile that jumped onto her lips surprised her. His words were familiar. She had heard words and compliments like this for most of her life from her teachers and lecturers, her dad and her grandmom. But this time it was different.

It was different because it came from the lips of her crush.

He said, "It's obvious in your work. You've never done this kind of job before and yet, in such a short time, you've managed to impress me. And I'm not easily impressed. For instance... your skill in preparing presentations... you're much better at it than my former assistant ever was."

Tamara sneaked a glance at him from under her lashes as she asked, "Habiba Sanni, right?"

Xavier aimed a wolfish stare at her. "Yes."

"Didn't you have other assistants?"

"No." He shrugged and added, "But I've had a temp or two from the pool to fill in for her when she had to attend a training course. So what have you heard, hmm? That I had an affair with her?"

She tossed him a shocked glance. _How did he know?_ What should she say?

"That's what you've heard, isn't it? That I sleep with my assistants..."

Tamara's mouth opened. Nothing came out.

Xavier glanced at her face and he chuckled. "Don't worry. It's old gossip. I did not date Habiba or any of the temps. Relax..." Then he cocked his head and murmured, "...unless you were hoping that that's what would happen between us."

"I didn't—"

He laughed and said, "Don't deny it, Tamara."

Lord, he was so annoying. So sure that she desired him. Maybe she should ask another question and talk about something else. "What about your parents?"

"What about them?" he asked with a glint in his eye that told her that he knew she was deliberately changing the subject.

"What do they do?"

"They're... dead."

"I'm so sorry," she murmured, gazing at him.

"It's fine. But I have two brothers. They both work in the Neter Group."

"They're your adoptive brothers, right?"

His eyes bored into her face. "Only one week here and already you've heard quite a lot."

Tamara gave a nervous laugh.

Xavier said, "Not really. We have the same father..."

"Three different mothers?"

Xavier laughed at the expression on her face. "Something like that."

So, his brothers were not really adopted but they all had one father who may have impregnated three different women or something like that... Tamara shook her head. This line of questioning wasn't yielding much fruit.

She said, "You're not on LinkedIn..."

"Ah, Tamara, did you run a search on me?"

"I only wanted to know a little bit about the person I would be working for."

" _Unhnn_. Did you plan to friend me on Facebook too?"

She rolled her eyes. "Everyone's on social media. I thought you would be too."

"Not everyone. I'm flattered that you researched me on social media..." he said, with a grin.

He was doing it again.

Making her feel like a sex-starved stalker.

Xavier continued, "But I don't like using it. To me, it's a huge waste of time. Any more questions?"

"Last one, I promise. What is it that you're always drinking from your thermos flask? You don't like tea or coffee so I'm just wondering what you like."

He shrugged and replied, "It's a special tea. A... _um_ ... family recipe. Maybe, one day, if you're up for it, I'll let you have a taste."

_What did that mean?_ She said instead, "That'll be nice," and then shot a look at her watch. Wow. They had spent a lot of time talking. She had only five minutes to get to the toilet and change into a fresh pad before the meeting.

Tamara rose. "Excuse me, Xavier. I need to visit the ladies."

His gaze soared to her hips and stayed there. "It's your menses, isn't it?"

How did he—? Did he guess because he'd seen her touch her stomach earlier? Or was she...? _Oh no_.

Instinctively, Tamara patted the back of her skirt with a hand.

"You're not stained, don't worry."

This was more than she could take. Blood rushed to her head. Her mouth opened and her jaw slumped.

Xavier stared up at her face. "I'm sorry, it was a personal question."

"You're the boss so you get to ask the inappropriate questions when you feel like it and then when you don't, you can simply be the professional Chief Executive Officer of the Neter Group, the commander-in-chief."

She snapped her mouth shut and glowered down at him, her heart knocking against her ribcage. _Tamara, what is the matter with you?_ Her mind yelled. _Have you forgotten who you're talking to?_

Xavier straightened slowly, his full, black eyebrows about to fuse into one straight line. He loomed over her, a devastatingly handsome—and angry—giant.

Tamara stared up at him and for the first time her eyes noted the ten inches height difference between them.

"I sense a little frustration," he muttered. "Anything else you want to say?"

"Nothing else. For now."

"You're trying to say that you don't like it when I flirt with you and then pretend as if nothing happened."

She folded her arms over her breasts and scowled at the floor. _So you know what you've been doing..._

He stepped closer. "I'm supposed to be your boss. I'm supposed to be the one who should know better. And yet..." his voice softened as he added, "there's something about you that draws me in and no matter how hard I fight, every once in a while, I slip up and make mistakes. That's why I flirt."

Tamara gaped at him. She whispered, "Are you saying you like me?"

Xavier laughed and the tension in his face eased. He murmured, "I'm saying that I'm attracted to you."

"Oh. Wow." She couldn't look into his eyes. He was too close to her. The heat radiating from his body galvanized her skin. This wasn't the right place for this conversation. They were standing in the middle of his office, for goodness sake. Anyone could walk in.

He whispered, "I know you like me."

"Xavier..." she shook her head. "Why are you saying these things to me? What'll your girlfriend say?"

"If I had one, I guess she wouldn't like it."

"So you don't have a girlfriend."

"No, I don't. I don't have relationships."

Tamara tilted her head to one side to stare up into his face. "What does that mean?"

Xavier smiled. "I have... friends."

Ah. She should have known. It had been too good to be true. "You mean... lovers. Is that what you want from me?"

"Yes, I want to have sex with you." His amber eyes glimmered as he tossed her a wide smile.

"Just like that?"

He crossed his arms over his thick chest. "Is there a problem? You're twenty-eight, an adult. And you want me too. Why don't we please each other?"

_Because, foolish me, I want to be your girlfriend_. Tamara exhaled and then replied, "But we work together."

"So? We can both handle it. Or..." one eyebrow climbed. "Or you want more? I can't give you more. I can offer you life-changing sex but that's all."

Life-changing sex. Lord. All she had to do was say yes and in a few days she would be making life-changing love with Xavier. _How long would that last?_ Her rebellious mind cut in. _What if he tires of you? Would you be able to continue working with him?_

Tamara glanced up into his eyes. The hungry gleam in their depths socked her in her belly. Lord, her body ached for this man. Her thighs yearned to spread themselves under his long, lean frame. But she had started this job only on Monday. A job she needed. What was the guarantee that having an affair with her boss would end well? She couldn't afford to lose her job because of that.

He narrowed his eyes. "I see you have a problem with my offer. Maybe it's for the best. Having sex could complicate our relationship."

He seemed a little upset. What did that mean? Would he take it out on her later? Fire her? After all, he was her boss, the CEO of a corporation and she was a lowly executive assistant.

"It's just that you took me by surprise," she said. "Can we talk about this later? You know that I like this job. In fact, I need it."

Xavier nodded and stepped back. "I know. You're right. Forget I said what I said."

They gazed at each other.

Into a sudden and uncomfortable silence that descended over the room, four people entered. Three men and one woman.

Xavier yanked his eyes from Tamara and tossed a polite smile at the woman. "Sasha, you're back. Welcome."

"Thank you, Xavier." She extended her hand and shook his. Her eyes left his and pounced on Tamara. "This must be your new assistant. I heard you got her last week."

"Yes." Xavier glanced at Tamara. "Tamara Abbey, this is Sasha Dacosta, Senior Legal Counsel for the Neter Group."

Tamara smiled at the woman. Wow. This small, yellow-skinned woman in her early thirties was the company's senior legal counsel?

Tamara stretched out a hand.

Through clear lenses of brown-rimmed eyeglasses, Sasha's faux-lashed eyes washed over Tamara. Then, with a warm smile, she took her hand. "How are you, Tamara?"

"I'm good, thanks," Tamara responded. Wow. The woman looked every bit the executive in a beige fitted jacket, a white V-neck blouse and a black pencil skirt. Strings of white pearls decorated her slim neck. Her hair was in light brown dreads which she had brushed and neatly gathered into a tidy bun. So young and yet so accomplished. Wow.

Sasha took charge of the introductions, presenting the other members of her team to Tamara.

Then she glanced at Xavier. "Now that's done. Can we start, Xavier? We have a lot to discuss."

Xavier lobbed a glance at Tamara. "Tamara needs a minute."

A quick smile brushed Tamara's lips. He'd remembered that she had to go to the ladies. Maybe he wasn't angry with her after all.

"Of course," Sasha said, nodding at Tamara. "We'll just take our seats then and wait."

Xavier pointed to the table and chairs near the other end of the room. "Over there."

Tamara left the office as Sasha, Xavier and the three members of the legal team walked over to the conference table.

### Chapter 10

Granny O flicked the mauve polish over her granddaughter's right big toenail. "You're enjoying your new job?"

Perched on her grandmother's king-sized bed, Tamara watched the up and down movement of the brush and sighed. "I am. Though I don't know how long I'm going to have it."

Her grandmother's head flew up. Her hand with the brush froze in mid-air. "Why? Are you in trouble?"

_My boss wants to sleep with me and I'm confused. Should I give in or should I resist him?_ Either way, her job was at risk. Tamara shot her grandmother a reassuring smile. "It's nothing, Granny O."

Granny O resumed her painting. "Are you sure that you want to stop attending the Soldiers for Unity meeting?"

Tamara said, "Yes. They're a bunch of conspiracy theorists."

Wielding the nail polish brush, Granny O moved to the next toe. She arched one eyebrow. "Like me, you mean?"

Tamara flung her head backward and groaned. Bringing her eyes back to her grandmother, she said, "That's not what I meant, Granny O. I mean... it sounds fantastic."

"As fantastic as discovering that we've had Nephilim living among us for... well, forever... and we just didn't know it?"

Tamara shrugged. Yes, Granny O had a point. Everyone now knew that angels had once come to earth. Was it such a stretch to believe that they had never left?

She glanced around her grandmother's bedroom, at the photos lining the walls. Old photographs of her late mother and late grandfather. As usual, the thick brocade drapes were drawn to the sides of the two windows and the net curtains were down, muting the bright sunlight pouring in from outside.

"Won't you want to find out the truth? What if they're right, hmm? Wouldn't it be better to know for sure?"

Tamara glanced down into Granny O's gentle brown eyes. She said, "Tell me again about your one night stand with the angel."

Granny O grinned and said, "Your dad would be rolling his eyes right about now, if he was here."

"Well, he's not. Tell me, Granny O."

Tamara's grandmother capped the bottle of nail polish and rested her back against a pillow. She glanced to the ceiling, remembering. "It was a long time ago. I was, maybe, around twenty-one. A friend of mine invited me to a wedding. I didn't want to go because I had broken up again—for the third or fourth time—with my fiancé, your grandfather. But she convinced me and we went." Granny O shook her head and added, "I didn't know anyone there and soon after we'd arrived, my friend abandoned me to dance with a man. I couldn't leave because I had come in her car. I thought I've told you all this before, Tammy."

"You've never really gone into details before. You just say 'Oh, we met at a wedding and then he took me back and we had great sex. It was the best I've ever had.'" Tamara said in a less-than-perfect imitation of her grandmother's voice.

Granny O scoffed and said, "I don't sound like that. Do you want to hear the story now or what?"

"The story now, please." Tamara pulled her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around her legs.

"Anyway, where was I?"

"At the wedding!"

"Okay, okay, take it easy. Anyway, I saw this very tall guy, standing alone, talking to no one. He was just standing there. He was a looker, the most beautiful man I'd seen in my life and then he looked my way." Granny O clutched her chest and whistled. "I almost fainted."

Tamara laughed.

"He came to talk to me. To me! He asked me why I looked sad. I said I didn't know anybody here. That my friend left me alone. He told me that I didn't need my friend. That he would keep me company. And so we talked for hours. I didn't notice what was happening around me. I was focused on him. He was a wonderful conversationalist. He knew so many things. He was funny. He was thrilling. And then when he asked if he could come home with me that night, there was only one answer. Yes."

"Granny O!"

"And so he did. And..." Granny O held up a finger. "This is the good part. Before we had sex, he told me that he had something to confess. He told me that he was an angel."

Tamara jerked her head back. " _What_?"

"Yes, he did."

"And you believed him."

"Yes. Because he made his eyes glow. He'd already said he was wearing contact lens but to convince me, he would make his eyes glow through the lens. And he did! Tammy, his eyes became like balls of golden fire. I nearly peed on myself."

"So what did you do?" How come she'd never bothered to ask her grandmother for the details of this story before? This was interesting.

Granny O's eyes twinkled. "He stripped naked and when I saw his penis, I fell to the floor."

Tamara clapped her hands over her mouth. Then she said, laughter staining her voice, "Granny O, you're something else."

"Then he started to kiss me and I forgot about his eyes. When he penetrated me, I thought I would explode."

"Okay, TMI."

Granny O huffed. "You asked for the story, stop behaving like you're a virgin."

"I know the ending. His eyes glowed again when he climaxed, right?"

"Yes. We made love throughout the night..." Granny O shook her head. "It was—"

"—heavenly, yes, I know."

"Then he had to leave the next morning. By then, my friend had arrived at my place, frantic, looking for me. He told me I was special and that he wouldn't forget me. Then he told me that I should get back with Timothy, your grandfather. That we'll have a daughter."

Tamara stared at her grandmother. "He said that?"

Granny O nodded. "And so I did. I married Tim and later I gave birth to your mother."

"Wow, Granny O." Tamara blinked. Her grandmother had actually had sex with an angel.

"So don't pay attention to everything the Soldiers for Unity say. Not all angels are bad."

Someone banged on the door of the bedroom.

"Who's that?" Granny O shouted.

"Ezi, ma."

"Come in, then."

Ezi opened the door and stepped into the room.

"Good afternoon, Granny O."

"How are you, my daughter? How are your husband and son?"

"I'm fine. They're doing well too."

"Good, good."

Ezi said, "Tammy baby, your dad said you were in here."

"Well, my gran was helping me paint my nails."

"You're spoilt."

Tamara shrugged. "Maybe. What's up, babe?"

"Let's gist. I missed you throughout the week."

Granny O said, "Take her to your room, Tammy, and let me have some peace."

"Okay, Granny O." Tamara kissed her grandmother's rouged cheek. "I enjoyed the story. I'll tell dad that he's wrong."

"That one..." Granny O sniffed. "He'll never believe."

***

In her bedroom in the guest quarters downstairs, Ezi dallied by Tamara's wardrobe, her eyes inspecting the new suits and dresses hanging in a corner.

"I love your job!" Ezi crowed. "They actually gave you a clothing allowance?"

"I think it's because it's a high-profile job. You know... working with the CEO of a multinational company."

Ezi lifted a jacket and eyed the material. "How's he? Your boss."

Tamara fell onto her back on the bed. "He's.... I don't know what to say."

Ezi twisted around to eyeball her friend. "What's going on?"

"He's nice, easy to work with and he's good at his job."

"Is he?"

Tamara nodded. "He's such a gifted public speaker and he has, I think, hundreds of these anecdotes at his fingertips that he uses to make his point. And he can tell you everything you want to know about each company in the group."

"So you like the work even though it's not what you planned to do?"

Tamara sighed. "Yes, I do. I like it. A lot."

"That's good then."

"How's your sister? She must have completed her dissertation by now. Is she aiming to remain in the safety of the nest for the rest of her life? She should leave the east and come join us in Lagos."

"Don't mind her. Whenever I bring up the topic about getting a job here, she comes up with various excuses. She delights in being the baby of the house. Anyway, enough about my younger sis. Tell me more about your boss. I sense a story there."

"My boss's name is Xavier Osagie. He's thirty-nine, unmarried and... I think he's the one Granny O was referring to."

A tiny frown settled on Ezi's brow. "What?"

It burst out of Tamara's mouth. "He makes me sweat between my thighs, okay."

"Oh. Yes, I remember. He does?" Ezi deserted the clothes and dashed to the bed. She grabbed her friend by the arms and pulled her up. "You can't tell me something like that and then just lie there like nothing happened. More. I need more."

Tamara sat up slowly and reluctantly. Shoving her hand in her hair, she mumbled, "He's so perfect. Everything about him is perfect. From his smooth skin to his beautiful hands to his fit body, his long legs, his amber-coloured eyes...Oh Ezi, I can go on and on."

"And he's your boss. The CEO of the Neter Group."

Tamara glowered at her friend. "I know, don't you think I know that? On one hand, I like the job and I don't want to do anything to ruin it. On the other—"

"You want him." Ezi shook her head. "I hope you haven't had sex with him yet."

"No, not yet. But he admitted he's attracted to me. His very words."

Ezi gawked at her friend. "He said that?"

"Yes, just yesterday. But before that, we've been somehow flirting with each other."

"How do people somehow flirt?"

Tamara hissed. "Flirting without words, that's what I mean."

"Go on."

"I didn't tell you but at my first interview with him, I wet my panties."

"Tamara!"

"He was just standing there like a majestic bronze sculpture and then I started to imagine him naked and the next thing, I felt it ooze out."

Ezi laughed.

"It's not funny."

"I hope he doesn't have a girlfriend."

"He says he doesn't."

"Hmm, he says. I hope it's true."

Tamara puffed air out. "He has lovers. More than one, Ezi. And he wants me to join the harem."

"What did you say?"

"I didn't know what to say. I want him, Ezi. I want to be with him. But I'm fooling myself. Someone like him wouldn't want to date someone like me."

Ezi's eyes glinted. "And why not? You're beautiful, intelligent, kind and loyal. He's the one with the problem. You could report him if you fear for your job."

"To who? HR?" Tamara snorted. "Anyway, I don't want to report him. He only stated his desires and then when I didn't respond in the way he expected, he said that I should forget about his offer. That it was better we keep our relationship professional."

"Very wise." Ezi tugged her phone out of the side pocket of her black skinny jeans. "What did you say his name was again?"

"Xavier Osagie. He's not on Facebook or Twitter or LinkedIn."

Ezi glanced up from her phone, mouth pursed. "You don't say. Hmm. But at least he should be on the company website, shouldn't he? He's the CEO after all. I need to see this paragon of perfection with my own eyes."

Tamara rolled her eyes.

"Ah. Here's the Neter Group webpage... and here's the executive team... okay... Ah-ha. Found his photo."

Tamara glanced at her friend.

Ezi's eyes skipped from the phone screen to her friend's face. She grinned and murmured, "I can see why you're salivating over him. I didn't know there were still men like this left on earth."

Tamara laughed. "Look who's exaggerating now."

"He's fine, sister. I agree. God is good. If he wasn't your boss, I'll tell you to go ahead and get in there before another woman snatches him up. But he is and you need this job. You've been out of work for two whole years. Having sex with him is very risky."

"I know all that, my sister. That's why I'm just going to concentrate on doing my job. And try not to look at him directly or meet his eyes."

Ezi chuckled. "Maybe you should wear sunshades at work. And how's the other one, Etim? Do you get to see him?"

"He came to my office on my first day to take me to lunch."

"That's sweet. That guy is nice."

Tamara crinkled her nose and said in a dry voice. "He is. And all he wants is to please me. _Ugh_. Boring."

Ezi wiggled a finger in front of her friend's face. "That's the problem you have with him. He's boring. Deep inside, I know you crave excitement. That's part of Xavier's charm apart from that alluring chiseled face but... you have to remember, Tammy baby, that excitement could also mean dangerous, painful and heartbreaking. Have you heard the saying: _May you live in interesting times?_ It's actually a curse."

"So what are you trying to say?"

"That interesting can mean both good and bad. That excitement could bring with it a hint of danger."

"I don't know about that. To me, dangerous sounds more like the HR guy there who's after me."

Ezi clapped her hands together. "The men are buzzing around you. Number three. Tell me about him."

Tamara sniffed and said, "His name is Wole. One minute he's asking me on a date, the next he's accusing me of something and then giving me stupid, unsolicited advice. I think he has temper issues."

"No wonder you weren't enthusiastic about reporting to HR. Stay clear from this Wole, sister."

"I intend to."

### Chapter 11

As Tamara walked into Xavier's office, Ezi's words returned to her mind. _Interesting can mean both good and bad_. Throughout Monday and Tuesday, she had kept her word to maintain a safe distance from her beguiling boss. She'd avoided gazing into those hypnotic wolf eyes. She had put a stop to coming into his office just before closing time to read the newspaper. She had even forgone her usual mug of tea in the morning to minimize the amount of time spent alone with him in his office.

As luck would have it, they'd both been extremely busy for the first two days of this week. He had been the old Xavier, business-like, polite. She'd spent countless hours organizing numerous conference calls with him from the heads of the other Neter Group subsidiaries reporting in with their first quarter figures. She hadn't even had time to attend the Soldiers for Unity meeting on Tuesday.

Now, in a tan waistcoat over his pristine white shirt, one hand behind his back, he leaned against the front of his desk.

"You asked for me..." Tamara mumbled, her gaze on his crimson-red tie. Was she in trouble? Had he only been pretending to be fine with her refusal?

The hand behind his back jumped out. "Here, for you."

She raised her head carefully to the small white paper bag in his hand. "What's this?" she asked.

"It's a gift. To say that I appreciate all the hard work you've been putting in."

Tamara glanced up, into his face. He had a wide smile on those coffee-brown lips. Lord, would they taste as good as they looked?

She swung her head from left to right. _Stop thinking about his mouth_ , her mind warned. " _Um_. It's my job. You don't have to give me a gift."

"Take it, Tamara."

She accepted the bag and stared into it. Perfume. _Black Opium_. What's it with this man and perfume?

He was saying, "I don't know if it will be a good match with your natural scent, but I'd like you to try it."

Her eyebrows jacked up. "Now?"

Xavier smiled and shrugged. "Yes, why not?"

Tamara sucked air into her lungs and then unwrapped the perfume box to reveal the black bottle. She opened the bottle.

"No, let me do it," he murmured, reaching out to take the bottle from her hand. "You can drop the bag on the desk."

She did so as her stomach began to roil. What was about to happen?

"Stretch out your arm, palm up."

Tamara obeyed. Now her stomach somersaulted. She gave a short cough and then mumbled, "What do you want to do, Xavier?"

His voice was smooth and syrupy. "To test it on you, of course."

A frisson of alarm crawled up her spine.

He sprayed the perfume on the inside of her wrist and whispered, "It's better to apply perfume on your pulse points, did you know that? It helps to magnify and intensify the scent. Here... the inside of the wrists, as well as behind your ears and... the base of your throat are your pulse points..."

Using his thumb, he massaged the scent into her skin with slow, sensuous strokes.

Tamara's stomach went into freefall. Wow, the feel of his skin on hers, coupled with the strong floral aroma was activating nerve endings she didn't know she possessed. What was he doing? Hadn't they agreed to be just employee and boss?

Xavier continued, "You can hear the heart beat at the pulse points." Then his head dropped and his nose latched on to her wrist. He breathed in and exhaled.

Her eyes fluttered shut as the warm air from his nostrils seeped into her blood and set off tingles all over her body. Wow, what he was doing... so erotic...

She groaned. "You're flirting with me again. I thought we agreed to... you know."

Still rubbing her skin, he lifted his head and replied, "Did we?"

"You said it," she panted.

"Only because you didn't seem convinced that we could have sex and still work well together."

"Xavier, I haven't made up my mind about... about... why are you doing this?"

Xavier flashed an innocent look. "What am I doing? I'm telling you about perfume. Did you know that the constituents of perfume are split into three parts: the top note, the heart note and the base note?"

His thumb drew circles across her heated flesh.

Tamara murmured, "No." What had she been saying only a moment ago? She couldn't remember. All of her being was centered on his voice, his touch and the scent. Everything else was unimportant.

"The top note is what you smell instantly..." Xavier inhaled her wrist again.

_Oh god_. Her knees buckled.

"Give me your other arm," he ordered.

She held it out. Sweat materialized under her armpits.

Xavier sprayed another burst of perfume and then replaced the bottle on his desk. With his thumb, he repeated the massage on her left wrist.

His head descended once more. His mouth hovered over her burning skin. He said, "You can smell the heart note three to four hours after applying the perfume..."

"I—did—not—know—that," she managed to grunt out as her nipples stiffened. _You need to end this_ , her mind screamed.

"And the base note adheres to your skin and can stay for up to seven or eight hours..."

"Good—to—know," she burst out.

In a shaky voice, Xavier said, "you smell... like... heaven. A mixture of vanilla, black coffee and your unique, _utterly captivating_ musk..." he groaned. "Why do you smell so good, Tamara Abbey?"

"That's a question you should ask her in your bedroom, brother. Don't you think?"

Tamara's eyes sprang open as her stomach crash-landed. She spun her head around.

Two men loitered by the entrance of the office.

She gasped and then wrenched her arm from Xavier's grip.

She heard Xavier chuckle as she took two steps away from him.

Her gaze returned to the men.

They were both clean-shaven and both around the same height as Xavier. One was olive-skinned and his ink-black hair was arranged in a man-bun, the front and part of the sides bunched up together behind his head while the rest flowed to his wide shoulders. He was as impressively built as Xavier and was wearing a black suit, black tie and white shirt.

The second man's body in a blue and white striped shirt over dark blue trousers was slimmer. His skin was pale and white. He wore his short blond hair slicked back, the sides cut low.

"I hope you don't hate us for interrupting," The one in the black suit said in a deep, rasping voice as he moved toward Tamara.

Xavier said, "Tamara, meet my brother, Augustine Cruz. He's the Director of the Neter Defense Academy."

She glanced up into penetrating amber eyes. His stare plunged into her, stripping her of flesh, bone and muscle and reaching into her soul. It seemed like his hands had stretched out to dig into her head and rip out her thoughts and feelings.

"Hello," Tamara said, shaken. How could one look from him make her feel this way?

"The new assistant," Augustine grated. "You're a beautiful young woman."

" _Em_ ... thanks." It was obvious from the way his eyes traveled over her. This one was a ladies' man.

The blond man approached them. With a serious expression on his face, he extended one hand to her.

Xavier continued with the introductions. "And that's the youngest. Dominic Kotze, Head of Neter Pharma, our pharmaceutical division."

"It's nice to meet you," Tamara said as she took his hand and shook it. Brothers of different races. What was the story there?

With keen eyes, Augustine and Xavier watched Dominic and Tamara shaking hands. None of them spoke.

Then, suddenly, Dominic grinned. A grin that spread from his lips to his warm, hazel eyes and to the rest of his face.

Xavier smiled.

"Nice to meet you too, Tamara Abbey," Dominic said with a slight Afrikaans accent and then released her hand.

Unable to help herself, she grinned back at him. She liked this one.

"You know she studied pharmacy in the university," Xavier said to Dominic.

Dominic spread both hands, gazing down at Tamara. "Is it? Why didn't you come to Neter Pharma? You would have gotten a job with us there. I'm always looking for good people."

Tamara shook her head. "After leaving the university, for a long time I couldn't get a good job as a pharmacist and so, finally, I got fed up and found a job as health and safety manager."

"And now you're my executive assistant," Xavier said, a proprietary tone in his voice.

She glanced at him. A playful smile adorned his mouth and highlighted the boyish, carefree gleam in his eyes. Wow. The smile softened the hard planes of his face and made him even more enchanting. In the company of his brothers, he had shed his typical veneer of civility and restraint.

She liked this Xavier.

Augustine said, "Sometimes you know what we call each other? The good, the bad and the kinky. Guess who the bad is."

Tamara said, "You?"

"Beautiful and intelligent." Augustine tossed a grin at Xavier. "Good choice, brother." He looked back at Tamara. "Who's the kinky?"

She shrugged her shoulders and pointed at Dominic.

The three men roared with laughter.

Augustine's mouth curved in a cunning grin as he said, "No. It's him." He tipped his head at Xavier. "Don't be fooled by his prudish waistcoats and quiet demeanor."

Tamara's gaze switched to Xavier.

His white teeth bit down on his bottom lip as he returned her stare with an enigmatic glance.

She should have guessed. What he'd done with the perfume only minutes ago should have been a clue. And anyway, hadn't he offered her life-changing sex last week? Before he said it, she hadn't known such a thing existed.

"I'll leave you three to talk alone." She hauled her eyes away from his. It was time to get far away from that voracious gaze.

She sped to the door, aware of three pairs of silent eyes watching her exit.

"Tamara..." Xavier drawled. "Don't forget this." He held up the bag.

"Oh. Yes." Did she have to go back in and then walk back out one more time? She swallowed and then retraced her steps.

"Thank you," she said to Xavier as she grasped the handle of the bag.

He clung to it for a moment longer than necessary and his fingers brushed hers.

Tamara ignored the spark of lightning racing through her veins and was out of the office in seconds.

Behind her, she heard the men chuckle.

***

Hours later, on the ninth level car park, she slipped into the driver's seat of her 2003 cream-coloured Toyota Camry and dumped her handbag on the front passenger seat. Thank God that even though she had been able to complete only one-fifth of the stack of minutes of meetings she had to write, Xavier had allowed her to leave. It was nearly seven and she had about two to three hours driving in rush-hour traffic before her.

She glanced at her handbag. Today Xavier had given her a glimpse of two new aspects of his character. The lighthearted, mischievous brother and the skilled tempter with a kinky bent... both very different from the reserved, taciturn boss who had interviewed her and then, days later, had berated her for wearing a tight skirt. And different even from the one who'd calmly stated on Friday that he wanted them to have sex. Which one of them was the true Xavier Osagie?

He was a puzzle, unfolding its secrets one by one. First, he'd hit her with the sex proposal. Then he'd stepped up the tempo with the perfume and the aromatic wrist massage. But she'd refused his _be my lover_ offer, hadn't she?

Had she?

But she appreciated his gift. Tamara zipped open her bag, removed the perfume bottle and sprayed a burst of scent on the inside of one wrist. She rubbed her wrists together and then inhaled the skin. Lovely. He had a good nose. He was obviously a perfume connoisseur. Maybe he had years of experience in giving perfumes to his friends-slash-lovers.

Thank God his brothers had walked into the office this afternoon and interrupted them. Would it have ended with her begging him to take her there and then? Well then, thanks Dominic. Thanks Augustine.

Dominic. Augustine. Xavier. Three brothers, all giants, all handsome, all important. Xavier had mentioned that they had the same father. He had to be their adoptive father. After all, Xavier was black, Augustine Latino and Dominic was white.

They had spent two hours with Xavier, talking in low tones, before departing. Augustine had tossed her a lusty grin. Dominic had stopped to say goodbye. Were they unmarried too, like Xavier? She hadn't spotted a ring on either of Dominic or Augustine's fingers.

Tamara shook her head. No more thinking of Xavier. Or of his brothers. It was time to go home. She inserted her key into the ignition and turned it.

The engine clicked. Nothing happened.

She tried again and again.

The car stayed dead.

No, no, not now. Her mechanic had warned that the battery was weak. But she hadn't been able to afford to buy new tyres and a new battery. Now what was she going to do? Look for someone who could jumpstart it? There were only a few cars left on the ninth level. Or she could just leave it, take a taxi home and come back tomorrow to sort it out. And how much would a taxi to her house cost at this hour? More than she was prepared to spend.

Tamara pushed her face into the steering wheel.

Headlights glowed through her back windscreen. Another car.

She lifted her head and twisted around.

A shiny black Lexus jeep glided by and then rolled to a stop. The tinted left passenger window floated down.

"You're still here," Xavier called out.

She wound down her passenger side window. "The battery's dead. I didn't know you were planning to leave so soon."

He grinned. "I have a date."

"Oh." Tamara shrugged. "Well, don't let me keep you." The words sounded sharper than she'd meant them to.

Xavier laughed. He said, "In a few hours. So, are you intending to sit in your car all night? Come, we'll give you a ride."

"I live in Yaba and I'm sure you're on the Island."

"Forget about that. Lock your car and come around to the other side."

She seized her bag, slammed and locked the doors and went round the big black car, to the right passenger side. She pulled it open and climbed up into the shadowed plush interior.

Xavier pitched a grin that shimmered white in the dark car. "Give the keys of your car to my driver, Eric. He'll arrange for one of the company's mechanics to get you a new battery."

Tamara stared at him. "A new battery? Wow, thanks, Xavier."

The man in the driver's seat twisted around to glance at Tamara. He said, "Good evening."

She smiled at him as she passed him her keys. She'd never met him before but there was something familiar about him. Their fingers brushed. "Thank you, Eric."

"Where do you live in Yaba?" he asked.

She told him as her eyes scoured his face. What was it? Was it the shape of his face? Or was it the way his mouth moved when he spoke? He reminded her of someone. Who was it?

He nodded, turned back to face the dashboard and started the car. The engine awoke, silent, sleek.

Now, this was her idea of a car. Not her old, tired and battered one sitting in the ninth level car park.

She balanced on her seat, heart ping-ponging in reaction to Xavier's closeness. _Lord, let me not cream my panties this time as I did the first time I saw him._

### Chapter 12

They cruised out of the car park, through the gates and into the main road.

Separated by a section of soft black leather seat from her boss, Tamara clutched the straps of her handbag and stared ahead.

"You re-applied the perfume." His voice reached her ears from his dark corner by the window.

She swung her head to gape at him. "Is it that strong?"

"No. I'm just... very good with smells."

"I've realized that."

Without warning, his hand gripped her left arm. "May I?"

"What?"

In answer, he grasped her wrist and brought it to his nose. With deliberate slowness, he exposed the inside of her wrist and inhaled.

Tamara gulped in steaming air. Being here with him in this confined, shadowy vehicle was much more intimate than in his open, afternoon sunlit office.

She tugged at her hand. "Xavier, please."

"What is it?" He murmured, still holding onto her wrist. "Am I—what's the Nigerian expression—tapping current?"

Tamara laughed. "I didn't expect to hear that from your mouth. And anyway, a man taps current from a woman when he touches her in dangerous places."

He lowered her wrist onto her thigh. Xavier's hand crawled from her wrist to her hand and onto her bare thigh peeking out from the hem of her skirt. "Like here?" he asked.

The heat from his hand scalded her skin. She glanced at him. Her throat seemed to be stuffed with cotton wool.

She struggled to get the word out. "Yes."

"Have you finished your menses?"

Her head vaulted upward. "Why do you want to know, Xavier?"

A deep chuckle escaped from his mouth. "You know the answer to that."

"But we hadn't come to a conclusion."

"Tamara, you want me. I want you. It's as simple as that. And as for the job, we can handle it, can't we?"

She shook her head. Her body was moaning a yes but her mind was muttering a no.

"Answer me, Tamara. Are you done with your period?"

"Yes."

"Good." He snatched her hand and then placed it on his thigh. With her fingers splayed on his granite-hard thigh, he stroked the back of her hand.

Lord, his thigh felt so firm, so thick. She clamped her legs together, battling to rein in her desire.

"How many men have you been with?" he whispered in her ear.

Her eyes tangled with his. She hadn't noticed when he moved. But now their arms were touching and his face was next to hers.

"Not many."

"How many?"

"Why do you want to know?"

His wolf's eyes pinned her to a spot. "You ask a lot of questions. I want to know because I plan to be one of them."

She shut her eyes, feeling her nipples harden. Opening her eyes, she murmured, "three."

"Only three? Or is it something like the joke that says: ask a woman how many men she's been with and then multiply the answer by two?"

"It's three," she snapped. "Aren't you the one with the many friends?"

Pressing his arm into her side, Xavier laughed, his eyes dancing. "I warn you; I plan to ask more questions. You can ask me whatever you want. This is a relaxed place, a place where you can be real with me. We're both adults."

"Okay. What do you want to know?"

"Are you seeing anyone now?"

"No."

"How long has it been since you've had sex?"

Tamara wriggled in her seat. "Four years."

Xavier gusted air from his mouth. "That's a long time. What size penis are you used to?"

She flung a worried glance at the back of Eric's head.

"Don't worry about him. He's very discreet. I think of him as my nephew."

She lifted and lowered one shoulder and whispered, "Um... average-sized."

"You haven't been with a big man? Tamara..." his hot breath fanned her ear. "I'm very big and thick. Over ten inches long and seven inches wide."

At his words, her juice gushed out and drenched her panties.

Tamara licked her dry bottom lip. Ten inches long? Seven inches wide— _what_? How did that look? She didn't even know that they made penises in that size.

"I need to know if you can take me in... all of me..."

Now her breasts were straining against her bra, aching to be released from their confines. She licked her lip again and said, "I don't know."

"Would you like to try?" he pushed her hand down on his thigh.

"Here?"

His laughter was deep, throaty. "No, not here. So you haven't been penetrated by a big penis. I'm not surprised. There's something virginal about you."

"I haven't seen a big penis before," she confessed, eying his mouth. "And anyway, size isn't supposed to matter."

"In some cases, believe me, I think it does. There have been a few men with long penises. Like the Russian monk, Rasputin who had a size eleven penis."

She shook her head. How did they end up here talking about sex and penis sizes?

"Would you try to take all of me in? After all, the vagina can take a full-term baby. I want you to try, Tamara."

She stared straight through the front windscreen, bereft of words. The road ahead was blanketed with the dark blue colours of night. Inside the car, the only lights came from the dashboard and from passing car headlights splashing onto the windscreen and the front windows.

Xavier continued, "And how did your former lovers take you?"

"We tried different positions—"

"I'm not talking about sexual positions, Tamara..."

Beneath her palm, she felt his muscles bunch.

"Do you like it sweet, gentle and always slow? Or do you like it first, slow and then, fast? Or do you prefer, hard, rough and primal?"

Her harsh breathing resonated with his. She spotted a muscle flexing in his jaw.

"I like the third option, Tamara. Which do you like?"

"The second..." she gasped.

"I'll teach you both. You'll learn to enjoy it."

"Won't it hurt?"

His laughter was low. "It may, initially. But we'll take it slow, okay?"

She nodded, staring blindly at the tinted glass window on her right. What had she gotten herself into?

"I can't wait to stick my nose in your vagina and smell you." He groaned. "You have no idea how tantalizing you smell, Tamara."

She shut her eyes and prayed her panties hadn't soaked through to her skirt. This guy was a master seducer.

In just a few short minutes, he had gotten her to say yes to sex with him.

***

"This is the place. Do you need me to drive in?" Eric turned to ask Tamara.

His golden-rimmed black eyes declared that he had heard every word she had said to Xavier.

_Oh my goodness_. Tamara muttered, "No, I'm fine here," as she grabbed her handbag and switched her gaze to the man beside her. He was on a call. The same one he'd received moments after he'd pronounced that he couldn't wait to smell her vagina. The phone call had given her space from his verbal and physical sensual onslaught. For about an hour, she had been able to once more breathe easily and attempt to re-organize the jumble of thoughts in her head.

She tugged at the door handle. The passenger door opened and she dismounted from the car just as Xavier whipped his head around to stare at her.

As she shut the door, she heard him say into his mobile phone, "Hold on for a moment... you know what? I'll call you back in a few minutes."

On unsteady legs, Tamara moved over to stand by his window.

It glided down and Xavier thrust his head out. His eyes rose to the white gate at the front of her father's house.

His gaze dipped to her. "You live here alone?"

"No. I stay here with my father and grandmother. But my place is separate from the main house. I'm downstairs, behind theirs."

"Good." His eyes travelled down her frame. "Perhaps, one day, I'll spend the night with you at your place. Will you like that?"

She shrugged, smiling. "I don't know. Will I?"

Xavier grinned. "Yes, you will." His eyes flitted away from hers. "Is that your grandmother?"

Tamara twisted her head to the side to glance down the quiet, house-lined street painted with the dark blue colours of the night. Lit by yellow light pouring down from the street lamps, a familiar shape approached. Granny O on her customary late evening walks around their estate. She called them walks but Tamara suspected that she was rendezvousing with an eighty year old widower who lived six houses away.

She stared back at Xavier. "How did you know it was her?"

"You look alike."

"Do you want to meet—?"

"—I'll see you tomorrow at the office, Tamara. Good night."

Her mouth clamped shut as his window zipped back up. Eyes wide, she watched as the car shot away.

"Tammy, who was that?" Her grandmother joined her.

Brow rumpling, Tamara shook her head. "My boss. He dropped me off."

"He must have been in a hurry."

"Yes. I think he had somewhere he had to get to. I wanted you to meet him. Anyway, some other time." She chucked a grin at Granny O. "How was your _walk_? Was Pa Simeon happy to see you?"

"Who?" her grandmother's eyes twinkled.

"Granny O's getting her groove back."

"You better get yourself a man before you lose yours."

Tamara glanced in the direction the Lexus Jeep had gone. "I plan to, don't worry."

***

Tamara crossed one leg over the other and wrapped her arms over her taut and swollen nipples poking through her aqua-coloured sleeveless dress.

She slid another glance at Xavier in his office, through the glass and bit down on her bottom lip as his eyes caught hers yet again.

High-voltage electricity leapt from their two bodies, merged and crackled. She fought to hold back a moan.

This was how it had been throughout the day. She and Xavier trading ravenous glances. Her skin prickling whenever she came close to him. This was his fault. Yesterday he had struck the match and today she was on fire.

She had had a dream last night. An erotic dream of Xavier tonguing her greedily between her legs as she clutched his head with both hands and pushed his face deeper into her sex. She had woken up, moans spilling out from her mouth.

Tamara uncrossed her legs and jammed her thighs together. Lord, this was agony. What was taking these people so long? It was past eight P.M. The handful of people left on their floor were packing up their stuff and preparing to leave. _Hurry up, hurry up_.

A group of them halted by Xavier's office to say goodnight. She heard the impatient tone in his voice as he responded.

"Goodnight, Tamara," they called out, one after the other.

"Goodnight," she replied, smiling and bobbing her head.

One of them disengaged from the group and came to her enclosure. Tony. He peered down at her.

"Aren't you leaving yet?"

"In a few minutes."

"Xavier's working you late tonight."

" _Unhnn_." She squeezed her arms tighter over her bosom.

"Are you okay? You're sweating."

She glanced down at the drops of sweat lacing her neckline. "I'm fine, Tony. Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Tamara," he said and departed.

The minute the entire floor emptied, Tamara sprang up from her seat and made for Xavier's office.

He glanced up at her, his eyes giving off sparks of amber fire. His voice was a rough murmur. "Shut the door."

She did so and then, with slow, purposeful steps, got to him.

Xavier lounged in his chair, behind his desk, his gaze boring into her.

Tamara bent over, her hands grasping the arms of his chair and brought her mouth down on his. The contact sent a dose of adrenaline right into her blood. She had wanted to kiss him from the very first day.

Their mouths opened.

She took the lead with her tongue, pushing it in and exploring his mouth. Tamara savoured the taste as she sucked his tongue and then pounced on that lush bottom lip, rolling it between hers. This was better than she had imagined.

Xavier's hands forked through her hair as his tongue took over, kissing her back with gusto. He plundered her mouth in a blood-heating kiss.

Tamara's skin sizzled.

He dragged his mouth away and his hands dropped from her head to grip her arms. He spun her around so her back faced him. His warm fingers seared her skin as he found the zipper of her dress.

He murmured, "I've been watching you all day."

She smiled and said, "I've been watching you too." She felt her dress part. The cold, air-conditioned air of the office wafted onto the skin of her bare back.

His anxious hands yanked the cloth down and let it pool at her feet.

Her pulse galloped. She turned to face him in her bra and panties. "Do you think we should be doing this?"

Xavier's wolfish gaze inched over her breasts, down her belly and to her pubis. "Are you having second thoughts?"

Tamara glanced around the large, empty office and out beyond, through the glass wall. "Someone could come up and see us. There's a glass wall."

Eyes glued to her body, he replied, "No one will come."

"You sound very sure of that. Have you done this before, with someone else?"

Xavier sighed. "Do you want to talk about that now or do you want me?"

In answer, she unhooked her brasserie and tossed it to the floor.

Xavier grinned. "That's the answer I was hoping for." His stare examined her, from breasts to hips.

He added, "Your skin is the beautiful earthy colour of terracotta... I have to confess, though... the curve of your hips was the first thing that drew me to you, aside from your smell."

Before she could reply, he raised his head and his mouth thrust forward and caught one stiff nipple. The liquid heat from his mouth zoomed straight to her core.

Tamara trembled.

In a ragged voice, she muttered, "My hips... my-my smell? I still don't understand why my smell is so appealing to you."

Xavier plucked his mouth from the damp, brown nipple. He shook his head. "Everything about you is appealing. Your smell... your hips... Do you know that wide hips on a woman are considered to be a sign of fertility? But for me, I prefer to think it's a sign that she has a deep vagina."

"Ah. Confess. The real reason you noticed my skirt was tight that first day was because you were scoping my hips."

Xavier chuckled. "Yes, you're right. I couldn't tear my eyes away. But now, Tamara, I want to look at you. Remove your panties."

Stomach churning, Tamara tugged her pink and white striped knickers down over her legs.

"Give it to me," Xavier muttered, his chest heaving. He took the underwear and stuffed his nose into it.

Her eyes widened, watching as, with his eyes closed, he inhaled her scent off her panties. It was most enticing thing she had ever seen.

He lifted his head and stared at her. "You smell incredible. I want more. Spread your legs."

### Chapter 13

Balancing her buttocks against his desk, she straddled his chair, her feet on the arms. He loved her scent. No man had ever told her that.

Xavier's fingers caressed her pubic hair and then slithered lower to part her labia. His eyes followed the movement of his thumb and the fingers of one hand over her enlarged clitoris. His gaze probed into the depths of her secret place.

What was he looking at? None of her ex-boyfriends had been focused on studying every inch of her vagina, not the way Xavier was. She felt vulnerable like this... her thighs spread, his eyes inspecting her folds and the thick, swollen muscle between them. He was looking at her in a way no one had ever done.

Then, his hands fell away as he darted forward to push his nose and mouth inside. He inhaled her musk for a long, pulse-ratcheting moment and then, when she thought she would burst with anticipation, his mouth annexed her lips and clitoris.

She let out a tiny whimper and her juices squirted out.

Grunting with pleasure, Xavier worked on her. His tongue circling gently over the head of her clitoris, his mouth sucking each inflated vaginal lip.

Tamara's back arched as her whimpers increased. Her ejaculate spewed forth like a geyser and flooded his mouth.

Xavier lapped up every drop, taking his time, like a hungry cat feeding on a saucer of warm milk. His tongue sucked and licked every part of her within reach, probing her slit and her clit.

Wave after wave of heat whooshed through her body. Eyes closed, Tamara writhed and twisted on the desk. He was killing her with his mouth. She was dying. How much of this pleasure could she take before she lost consciousness? She had never had orgasms like this.

Never...

She sprawled on the desk, her limbs quivering.

"Tamara..." Xavier whispered.

With difficulty, she pulled apart her eyes and raised her head to glance at him. His nose, lips and chin were wet, smeared with her slippery waters. It was a sight she would never forget.

"You're one of the rare women who come hard and wet... no wonder..."

Tamara's gaze fused with his.

She knew what he wanted. She wanted it too. Very, very much...

Tamara came to him.

Her hands touched the smooth, solid tree trunk of his chest. With fumbling, ardent fingers, she peeled off his shirt, waistcoat and tie but when she started to yank his white singlet off, he gripped her hands.

"Leave it on," he said.

She glanced down at his hands over hers. She had wanted to gorge her eyes on his naked chest.

"Take off my trousers," he ordered, releasing her hands.

Her eager fingers complied, unbuckling his belt and removing his trousers.

Her gaze swooped on his powerful thighs and the _thing_ between them.

A mammoth, engorged snake in his white briefs.

Tamara gaped down at it, pulsing behind the white material. He'd warned her, hadn't he? Her hands froze.

" _I'll_ do it then..." Xavier murmured with a laugh. He took off his briefs and freed his penis.

She gazed down, transfixed by the length and girth of his monster penis. Surely he had meant ten inches flaccid because right now, gorged with blood, it looked much, much more than ten inches.

There was no way it would fit.

Xavier said, "The middle drawer on the left, open it."

She did. Packets of XXXL condoms and bottles of lube were stacked neatly on one side. Wow, this guy was prepared.

Wait a minute... XXXL... that meant extra, extra, _extra_ large, didn't it?

"Don't be scared, Tamara. Just relax. I'll be gentle."

He pulled on the condom and then lathered it with lube. It glistened like a huge, wet, horse's member. Rising from a base of smooth, hairless mahogany skin.

He poured lube into one hand and then slipped his fingers in between her legs, coating her insides with it.

Next, he grabbed her, hauled her up and positioned her astride him.

"Xavier..."

"Relax, Tamara." His large hands gripped her ass and balanced her over his thighs.

They moved together; he, up and she, down.

Tamara gasped, her heart jack-hammering, feeling the heavy pressure of his penis. He was thick, from tip to base. Barely in and he was stretching her, massaging every part of her vaginal canal, flicking the switch on her G-spot.

Involuntarily, she began to slide, back and forth. Her eyes shut and soft moans flowed out from her mouth. Her initial fear that he would hurt her had disappeared. All that remained was the sweet, moist stroking of his huge organ.

He wasn't all in, she could tell, and even with that, his lube-drenched penis strummed her strings in a new and entirely different way. She had faked orgasms before, on occasion, with her exes. Shouting words that made them feel like kings. But with Xavier, oh... her lips were speaking an unknown and unscripted language.

He grunted, his fingers digging into the flesh of her buttocks.

Tamara shuddered and thrashed, giving into her climax, over and over and over again.

***

She lolled on a sofa, legs sprawled, breathing like she had just scaled a long jump hurdle. Xavier squatted in front of her, one hand in between her legs, smearing her with more lube.

From under her lashes, she ogled his colossal erection, clothed with a new condom and drenched with lube.

Her heart jumped. She was still recovering from the round of orgasms he had generously bestowed on her only a few short minutes ago, with both his mouth and penis. She hadn't expected to perform again so soon.

"Are you okay? Do you want to go on?" he asked, his eyes scanning her face.

Tamara smiled. Her gaze descended to his organ. "You didn't come. I feel bad about that. After all you did for me..." she bit her bottom lip.

"I didn't ejaculate. Doesn't mean I didn't have an orgasm." Xavier withdrew his hand.

He stood, gazing down at her. "But now I want to come."

"Okay." She stared at the thing in front of her, between his chunky thighs. Now it didn't seem as scary. Not after all the joy it had brought her.

Xavier knelt between her legs and aimed his penis at her entrance. His gaze hooked hers and he asked, "Do you remember what we talked about in the car?"

Tamara looked into his face. Into the golden-brown eyes, framed by black eyebrows and remembered.

He liked it rough.

She didn't speak. Somehow she knew.

This time was going to be different.

He eased into her vagina.

Tamara gasped, feeling herself expand. It was okay... fuller than she was used to but she had been able to take him, some of him, only some minutes ago.

Xavier started to move, shoving the tip of his penis in and out.

She closed her eyes, accepting him. Her hands clutched at his rippling upper arms that straddled her body. Lord, he felt phenomenal.

His hips mashed against her groin in slow, sweet motion.

He swelled inside her and his thrusts deepened. His hips flexed, giving his penis access to more of her inner wall.

Tamara moaned. He had filled her up. There was no space left.

And, unbelievably, once again, her body began to hum. The contractions awoke in her vagina and started to mushroom through the rest of her body.

Her inner muscles hugged him, pleading for more. She groaned his name and rolled her hips.

Xavier grunted, overcome. He bared his teeth and rammed into her, deep.

She opened her mouth in shock. Pain, sharp and undiluted, elbowed pleasure to the background. Her eyes dampened.

But he was still ploughing into her, cramming almost every inch of his horse's organ into her vagina.

"Xavier..." She whispered shakily and grasped his arms, digging her fingernails into his skin.

But his arms were like concrete. He didn't even flinch.

Pleasure and pain embraced each other. She couldn't distinguish one from the other.

Tears collected in her eyes. She couldn't bear it. Either she would climax and be blown high into the sky or he would rip her into a million pieces.

At that moment, Xavier plunged into her with a loud grunt and the couch tumbled over and crashed to the ground.

Tamara screamed.

She felt her body fall back. Her arms flapped upward and her legs tightened instinctively around his thighs.

She was going to hit her head on the floor.

But then his arms encircled her waist and drew her up.

Just in time.

Her heart thundered in her chest like a herd of stampeding elephants. She held onto him, a part of her aware that his penis was still plugged into her vagina. How was that possible? And was it her fear-induced vision or were they hovering over the floor?

But no, it couldn't be.

Xavier pulled out of her. Then he set her on the second couch.

Tamara inhaled and exhaled through her mouth and nose. She couldn't speak. All she could do was shake her head, stunned and scared by what had just occurred. The sofa had overturned... _overturned_! How forceful had his thrusts been? Her stomach and vagina throbbed in painful unison, answering her question. This night was a night of firsts for her.

His hand rubbed her sweat-soaked back. "I'm sorry about that. I lost control. You must be hurting."

_Yes!_ She wanted to scream that word. But all she had strength to do was to nod weakly and blink.

"Do you need painkillers?" his voice drifted to her from far away.

Tamara swirled her tongue all round her mouth, counting her teeth.

Xavier squatted before her and stared into her face. "Hey, Tamara, did you hear me?"

She cleared her throat and muttered, "Yes... painkillers... I heard..."

"Good." He straightened up and moved away to re-arrange the fallen couch. "Do you need Eric to drop you off at home?"

Tamara's head shot up.

He was back in his trousers. With one hand, he tossed the condom into the bin below his desk.

"Home?"

"Yes." He glanced down at her, something silent and unknowable in his eyes. "He got you a new battery, didn't he? For your car?"

"Yes."

"Do you want him to drop you off? Are you in too much pain to drive?"

"Home?" She sounded like a parrot.

"Yes, Tamara." Xavier lobbed a stiff smile in her direction. "Was there somewhere else you wanted to go?"

_My place or yours_. "Did you come this time?"

He strode behind his desk. "Yes. But that's all you can take. Maybe we should stop."

"Stop?" her forehead crumpled. "Stop with what?"

Xavier sighed, his gaze averted. "With us having sex."

Tamara gaped at him. _What?_ Was he disappointed in her? He sounded like it. She was the one in agony, not him.

This could be a good thing. He was presenting her with an opportunity to end this thing between them and resume their totally business-like relationship.

She got to her feet and walked toward him, pausing to pick up her discarded clothing.

Her eyes zoomed in on him.

His shirt was on, buttoned and tucked into his trousers. His eyes were on the cell phone in his hands.

The pain receded for a moment as memories of the pleasure spilled into her mind. The way he had eaten her... the deliciousness of his slick organ bringing her to climax...

"Xavier..." she said, stepping into her underwear.

He glanced up, a slight frown on his brow.

Like he had forgotten she was there...

Tamara's eyebrows jumped to her hairline. Was she that insignificant? Did what they shared mean so little to him?

"Did you want the painkiller?"

"I have some in my desk."

"Okay." His glance brushed her breasts and face. "Have you decided? Eric or your car."

"I'll drive myself home." She didn't want anything more from him.

He nodded and then blew out a sigh. "Are we okay? To work together, I mean?"

Tamara squeezed her trembling lips together. He was dumping her a few hours after their first sexual encounter. How could she be okay with that? For her, the sex had been historic. For him, it had just been a blip.

She said, "We will be." Quickly, she put on the rest of her clothing, impatient to get out of his office. Lord, tomorrow. How could she face him tomorrow? How could she act like the perfect executive assistant?

Xavier leaned back in his chair and stared at her. "Take tomorrow off. You need to rest."

She blinked. She hadn't expected that but it was exactly what she needed. Three days away to re-orient herself.

Three days to forget about the best and most memorable sex she had ever had.

###

What's the next step for Tamara?

Continue her story to find out in  Volume 2, Her Supernatural Affair

Or read the _Pleasing Xavier_ Omnibus (Vol. 1-3) at a discount.

Write a review for _Her Seducing CEO_ at whatever retailer you purchased it from. I love you. Thanks for your support!

Go back in time to the previous books of the Adoring Angels Chronicles...

Have you read _Hooking Alexander_ , Book 1 in the Adoring Angels Chronicles?

One encounter with her and this angel is hooked...

Despite being an erotica author, the owner of a trendy magazine and the hostess of several famous elite erotic parties, Renate Giwa is bored and in need of stimulation and inspiration.

And, right on time, a stranger walks into the venue of one of her parties. All it takes is one look at Alexander Nasser's hot eyes and smoldering body and Renate knows this night will be a night to remember...

_Hooking Alexander_ is an erotic interracial romance fantasy and it's FREE!

Click on any of the links below to download it.

<https://www.books2read.com/u/b6r960>

<https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/808208>

 https://okadabooks.com/book/about/hooking_alexander__adult_only_18/18049

Have you read _Five Stars in Danger and Debauchery_ , Book 2 in the Adoring Angels Chronicles?

Keep turning for a sneak peek of _Five Stars in Danger and Debauchery_

Three angels up to no good in a five-star hotel...

Three devastatingly hot angels, Xavier, Dominic and Augustine, attend an unveiling of a five-star hotel.

At the party, they're gifted with a couple of gorgeous female companions, escorts from an agency dedicated to entertaining angels, women groomed to please and satisfy these exceedingly well-endowed beings.

But, these delectable morsels are not the only things on the menu for the three angels.

They stumble onto a group of blood-drinkers responsible for the recent spate of missing girls in the city, and, in the process, are plunged into a confrontation with a deadly foe.

A confrontation that could lead to the resumption of a cataclysmic war...

Excerpt from _Five Stars in Danger and Debauchery_

Dominic swung the door shut behind her, his heart thumping in a staccato rhythm. His nostrils twitched at the scent of lavender that trailed her. _What had he gotten himself into?_ He should have made up an excuse. He should have come up with something! How had he allowed this to happen?

His eyes tumbled toward her. She was tiny. Probably, five-foot-three or four. From his lofty six-foot-seven height, he could see down to the part in the middle of her straight black hair, to the clean yellow-brown scalp.

Dominic gulped.

He could also see the bends of two creamy-yellow breasts through the vee-neck of her hot-pink dress. At the top of the vee was a gold zipper crowning a stretch of gold zip that ended at the bottom of the dress, just an inch above her knees.

If he tugged on that zip, he could peel her dress open, like a banana...

"Hello." She smiled up into his eyes.

"Hi." His voice sounded odd to his ears. Her features were fine and small. Cute eyes, snub nose, narrow lips. Was it just this stranger's size that reminded him of _her?_ The woman he was in love with. The woman who was, at present, dating someone else. The woman who could never be his.

She stepped forward, arms wide, as if she intended to hug him.

Dominic stuck out a hand. She froze, a frown rumpling her brow.

Then, she put her smile back on and shook his hand. "Hello, I'm Chika."

"I'm Dominic."

"It's nice to meet you, Dominic." Her gaze coursed from his face to his body. A pink tongue flitted out and licked her glossy hot-pink bottom lip.

Not knowing what to do with his hands, he thrust them into the pockets of his trousers. He couldn't deny it. She was exceptionally pretty. A too tempting package. Already, he could feel his penis wake up and hump his trousers.

Dominic, don't give in.

They stared at each other awkwardly.

Dominic willed his dick to shrink. He had made a commitment to himself. If he couldn't have her, the woman he loved, he would remain celibate.

Forever.

His stubborn penis paid no attention. _You idiot!_

"I suppose we better..." Chika murmured, one hand dragging her zipper down.

His eyes opened in shock and before his mouth could protest, he sighted black lace covering the nipples of her round breasts.

" _Stop!_ " Dominic lifted a hand and took a step back. His cock spasmed.

Chika's hand halted. She stared up at him, eyes wide and confused. "Have I done something wrong?"

"No." He shook his head, wishing his erection could vanish. He shouldn't have agreed to have a girl in his room. "It's not you... Ur, do you want to..."

Dominic careered to the bed and crashed onto it. His engorged organ tented his grey trousers. Damn. Damn. Damn.

Waving at the damask-covered chair by the bed, he muttered, "...do you want to sit down?" Sweat prickled his collarbone.

She inched forward, uncertain. "Is everything alright?"

"Yes, everything's fine."

Chika landed beside him on the bed.

Dominic's throat dried up. Her left thigh rubbed against his right. This close, he could watch every swell and fall of her breasts.

He vaulted off the bed and fled into the armchair.

"Don't you want me?"

He sighed. "I just think we should get to know a bit about each other."

"And it's not because you don't find me attractive."

Dominic pinched the strained fabric of his trousers above his throbbing organ. "Does this look like I don't find you attractive?"

Chika laughed. "No, it doesn't. Dominic, I think you've very handsome."

"Thank you." His balls were stiffening. This was torture!

"And I want to make love to you... do you want that?"

_At this moment, more than anything._ "You're very pretty, Chika, but, I prefer to just talk."

Her lips trembled, displaying her disappointment. She focused her gaze on his face. "Would you have preferred another girl? Is that the problem?"

"No, I assure you. You're... Ur... very nice."

"But you don't want to have me."

"I want to!" He blinked. Had he just said that? "What I mean is... maybe some other time."

"Then... do you want me to leave?" Her mouth puckered as she yanked her zipper back up. "But, my time with you has been paid for."

"No, don't leave. Just tell me about yourself."

"Okay..." her soft voice hummed with dissatisfaction. "My name is Chika and I'm an escort. What else do you want to know?"

"Your family. Tell me about them."

"I'm the last born. I have three elder brothers. My dad and mom are separated and live in different cities."

"Who in your family are you closest to?"

She ogled the lump in his trousers. "I could help with that. At least, let me suck you off."

Dominic's heart jack-hammered. Was her giving him a blowjob any different from the many, many handjobs he'd given himself?

Maybe not.

But, once he'd opened the door... would he have the strength to stop at just oral sex?

He threw her a patient smile. "Chika, answer my question."

She wrinkled her snub nose. "I only want to make you happy."

"I'm happy, Chika. Talking to you makes me happy."

She breathed out a doubtful sigh and then continued, "We're not a very close family."

"That's sad."

"The one person I was closest to in the world was my best friend, Kate."

Dominic frowned. "You said was..."

Chika's shoulders drooped. "She's missing, presumed dead."

"How long has she been missing?"

"Nine months. I've complained to the police, to our manager, but no one seems to be doing anything to help."

"Was she an escort too?"

Chika nodded solemnly. Her eyes had left Dominic and were now staring unseeingly at the window directly opposite. She replied, "Yes. As a matter of fact, she was the one who introduced me to the business. I was struggling, earning peanuts as a customer care personnel in a telecoms servicing company. Once I graduated from university, I was basically alone. My parents and brothers left me to fend for myself. "

Still gazing forward, she chuckled. "I was always borrowing money from Kate. She was... She _is_ such a darling."

Dominic watched her young face momentarily age. "What happened to her?"

"One evening, she went on a call to _Bright Morning Hotel_ and never returned."

Bright Morning Hotel. He'd heard that name only a few hours ago.

Chika said, "For two months after her disappearance, I tried unsuccessfully to get our manager to send me to the hotel. Then, one day, I heard the hotel had closed down and that one of its previous owners was constructing a new hotel. This hotel. And, luckily, this night, I got the chance to come here."

Dominic slanted a quick glance downward. Thankfully her sad story had deflated his prodigious erection. _Whew._

He asked, "So, what did you plan to do once you got here?"

She glanced at him and licked her lip. "Make love to you..."

He grinned. "Aside from that."

"Ask around. Find out if someone knows something. Some of the staff from _Bright Morning_ are here."

An idea dropped into his head. Dominic said, "Why don't we, you and I, pay the owner, Isaac, a visit and ask him if he knows anything about what happened to your friend? I guess he's on the same floor with me and my brothers. All I need to do is to call down to reception for his room number."

Chika's eyes watered. "Are you serious, Dominic?"

"Yes, I am. I want to help you find out what happened."

"You're sweet. I want to kiss you."

He chuckled. "No kissing necessary. It's my pleasure to help."

And it would help take my mind off sex.

***

"What do we have here?" Augustine husked as one hand shrugged off a sleeve of the first girl's dress, revealing a naked caramel-colored hand-size breast. Using his thumb and forefinger, he fondled the dark nipple. It peaked, reaching for his touch.

The girl giggled, pushing her chest toward him.

"And you..." He glanced at the second girl, on his right. His free hand snaked to her back and grabbed a buttock. "What do you have for me?"

"Everything," said the second girl with a laugh.

His fingers roamed over the taut flesh, through the clingy material, probing, seeking. Hmm. Yum. She wasn't wearing any panties.

Augustine's eyes flicked from one girl to the other. Identical twins. Both naked under their clothing. Horny. Gagging for it.

Don't you worry, ladies. I'll give you the time of your young lives.

He glanced over their faces. Kohl-rimmed Nephilim eyes, upturned lips. Not so young. Maybe early twenties.

"Are your parents both Nephilim?" he asked.

"No," replied the second girl. "Just our dad. Mom is human. Dad is also Nigerian but our mother is African-American."

"Do your parents live in this city?"

The first girl giggled. "No, thank God. They live in Lagos. We're students close by, in Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria."

The three of them stood near the door of Augustine's suite. The girls had arrived five minutes ago to discover he was ready and waiting.

He'd answered the door completely nude.

Augustine tugged at the first girl's thick nipple. She moaned in her throat. "What's your name?" he asked.

"Daisy." One hand dived to his groin, stroking the hairless skin just above his partly erect cock.

"Daisy..." He repeated, smiling at her hand easing down to his growing member. Her touch was slightly cool. Something else, apart from the eyes that broadcasted the fact that she was Nephilim.

"And I'm Lily," her twin sister murmured, tracing the fingers of one hand in circles on his hard, muscled chest and belly.

"Named after flowers..."

"Unhnn..." Lily's fingers counted out the packs in his six-pack torso. "What's your name, handsome?"

"Augustine."

Daisy patted his burgeoning organ, watched it jerk upward. "You're a beast, Augustine."

He lifted an eyebrow at her. "Does my cock frighten you, Lily?"

"I'm Daisy. No, it doesn't frighten me. In fact, I can't wait to ride it." She giggled. " _Eish,_ it's like an anaconda."

"Then, what are we waiting for?" he growled.

They moved, almost in synchrony. Stepping out of his clutches and pulling their dresses down to the carpet.

Augustine's gaze strayed over their slender, boyish-shaped bodies and paused at the black, curly pubic hairs covering their mounds.

"I like this." He pushed his hands through one girl's curls. Springy, soft. He wasn't a fan of waxed or shaven pubes. Burying his nose in a woman's pubic hair was a delight. "I can't wait to eat you."

She tossed a glance at the wide bed. "Let's take this to the bed."

Was she Daisy or Lily? Even though they'd told him their names only moments ago, he couldn't tell them apart. Ah, yes. She was probably Lily. Daisy giggled a lot.

"Have you girls taken manna?"

"Yes, in the car, on our way here," Lily answered.

"We're ready to receive your sweet angel cock," Daisy said and giggled. "You can do to us whatever you want."

"Music to my ears." Augustine's voice rumbled.

He bent forward—at five foot six, they were fourteen inches shorter than him—and scooped them up, one on each hip.

The girls hooted.

"You're so tall and strong," Daisy cooed.

Augustine carted his bundles to the bed and then, offloaded them onto the teal and white bed sheets.

Laughing, they rolled on their backs, legs up.

Between their thighs, two dark-brown, almost black lips, dotted with curly hair.

Two greedy vaginal mouths hungry for his stiff dick.

He hustled into the bed, squeezing in between their two warm, naked and ripe bodies. _This was going to be a fantastic night._

Augustine kissed first one girl and then the other, roughly, stabbing his tongue into their willing mouths. Lily arrested his face with her two hands, her small mouth open, suckling on his tongue. Daisy jammed her hands through his black hair, unknotting his ponytail, as his tongue delved into her moist mouth.

Then, he was flat on his back, his hair splashed on the bed sheet beneath his head. Daisy was now on her knees, her tongue zipping back and forth over his nipples. Lily's wet tongue was below, kissing the inside of his thighs and licking his balls. Her mouth gobbled one large ball, lathering it with her tongue. Then, moved to the next one. Daisy's tongue slithered downward, circling around his navel.

Augustine shut his eyes, feeling his penis leap upward, toward his belly, a thudding steel-hard rod. These girls were driving him mad. His damp balls seemed to weigh ten times their normal size.

He heaved his body upward, capturing the nearest woman in his arms. Daisy. Below, Lily let go of his balls.

Augustine spun Daisy around and pushed her to her knees. Her ass bobbled. A smear of her white juice oozed from her slit.

Augustine lifted his cock in one hand and pointed the massive mushroom head at the gaping slit. Daisy's buttocks danced.

He hadn't even entered and she was already going crazy. _I like this!_

With a harsh grunt, he pressed his cock into that well of moisture. Inch by inch. Stretching her. Pulling the thick lips apart.

He could hear her whimpering. Her ass shuddered and rippled.

Augustine pulled out his penis, already layered with her thick fluids. She bucked, shoving her ass toward his groin, as if pleading for the return of his cock.

He plunged his organ back inside. Again, filling her slowly. Taking his time.

" _Eish,_ Augustine! Oh, yes... oh yes..." Daisy murmured, rotating her hips and slamming her backside into his groin. "You're a beast!"

She reached her hands behind, grabbing her cheeks and yanking her hole open wider.

_You want more. I'll give you more._ Augustine steered more of his cock into her dripping-wet muscular canal. More and more and more. Cramming her with his eleven-inch-plus penis.

Daisy let out a string of groans that turned into guttural whimpers as he started to machine in and out.

Augustine's head sagged backward, letting his body take over. Hips grinding and rolling, cock gliding in and out. _Yes._ She had a deep vagina. Deep and hot. _Oh yes._ Fuck, his cock felt incredible.

His head tilted forward and his gaze snagged his hefty organ banging in and out of Daisy's succulent cavern.

Her thighs wobbled. The fingers holding apart her gash dropped and clutched at the bed sheets. Her whimpers increased in volume.

He pounded harder into her and, all of a sudden, her juices overwhelmed his cock. Her ass cheeks bounced insanely, uncontrollably. Daisy screamed a long-drawn-out _eish._

Beside him, Lily grunted, while her fingers worked on her clit and on her fattened nipples. Augustine eyed Lily's trembling thighs and shoved deeper into her twin sister's drenched pussy. _I'll get to you, don't worry._

His super-sensitive, phenomenally heightened sense of sight honed in on the colorless globules of sweat springing up from Daisy's heated skin. Reflected light from the bulbs in the room bounced into his eyes through a thread of sweat drops lingering on her right buttock. Black hair follicles with pointed tips surged in one direction, moving like a wave.

Augustine unplugged his cock from her throbbing vagina. Daisy collapsed onto the bed, face down. _I'm not done with you yet._

He flipped her onto her back and then drew her legs up and inclined them over her torso at a forty-five degree angle.

He ran his tongue over the hidden knobble at the top of Daisy's hole. It pulsed and fattened. In response, her creamy fluids seeped out of her vagina. _Yes, I want more. Give me more of your juice._ Augustine jammed his tongue into her steamy sex. Her waters streamed down her thighs. _Yes!_ With his tongue, he slurped at the deliciously salty liquid.

Augustine added a finger into Daisy's wetness, digging deep. She moaned.

He slid the juice-plastered finger out and rammed it into her asshole.

" _Shiiit!_ " Daisy's groin crashed upward.

He rotated the finger, plying it deeper into that puckered anus. Her waters gushed out from her vagina, into Augustine's waiting mouth.

Lily shoved her body on his back. Her hard nipples poked into his skin. Her wet pubic hair brushed against his sweaty buttocks. "I can't wait to have you," she whispered into his left ear.

Augustine lifted his head, lips smothered with Daisy's liquid, at the same time as Lily wrapped her arms around his waist and snatched his enormous, throbbing cock. Her warm palms massaged his rigid shaft and sent a wave of heat throughout his entire body.

_Fuck!_ He was close to the precipice.

He stabbed his finger into Daisy's asshole again and, instantly, yelling, sweating, muscles tightening and relaxing, she exploded.

###

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Excerpt

Jonas Dije ambled into the living-room of Tomi Sawyer's upstairs apartment, trailing her. He shut the door behind them and glanced around.

Three large windows opened into a wide space bordered by cedar-brown walls and furnished with cedar-brown couches and armchairs, an eight-sided coffee table and a red shag carpet.

He raised his eyebrows. "Your place is cool."

She turned to face him, shrugging. "Thanks. I think it's too big, though. Three bedrooms... what am I doing with three bedrooms?"

"You could have gotten something smaller..."

"Yes, but my ex got me a sweet deal on this place and he was here most of the time so..."

_Her ex, Sanusi._ "A sweet deal?"

Tomi smiled. "I pay rent monthly."

Jonas whistled. "I didn't know that was even possible in this part of the world... wow, you're lucky. For everyone else, it's twice or thrice-yearly rent payments."

"I know. I guess it's because the landlord is my ex's friend."

"And he's still okay with you paying every month even though you're no longer dating your ex?"

"He hasn't complained. Yet. Um..." She funneled a hand through her hair. "I feel sticky. My whole body must smell of cum. I wonder whose fault is that."

A smile tweaked his lips. "Yours? For being too appealing."

"I see." Tomi returned his smile. "Anyway, I need to shower." _Say you'll join me._

"Shower, eh?" Jonas's eyes lit up. _This would be a wonderful chance to search her flat._ "Good idea."

She licked her lower lip. "Um... do you want to shower too?"

"You go first. I'll take one after you're done."

Tomi's lips pursed. She swerved away from him and aimed a finger at an arch straight ahead. "My bedroom, and the shower, is through there."

"Okay." He nodded.

"Right." She marched off.

The instant she disappeared, Jonas lodged his hands on his hips, eyes zipping around the space. _Where is the manna?_ Hmm.

His gaze snagged an average-sized refrigerator standing to the left of the living-room, in the dining area.

He went toward it, dragged it open. The light came on, revealing eggs, milk, butter and—ah yes!—a few plastic bottles of a frothy, creamy liquid. He snatched one of the bottles, opened it and sniffed.

Manna. Watered down. Probably for her personal consumption. Where was her stash? The stuff she sold to her weak human clients? The kitchen! People liked to hide stuff in their kitchen.

Jonas returned the bottle to the fridge and slammed it shut. Her kitchen... Through a doorway to the left, he caught sight of cupboards and a cooker. Yes.

He veered into the room. Dark wood cupboards hung above and sat below, separated by marble walls. Quickly, quickly. He yanked open the overhead cupboards. Packets of cornflakes, noodles, tins of coffee... Argh, no.

Jonas moved down. Bowls, a bag of rice, a large bottle of vegetable oil... and underneath the sink, two dustbins. Two dustbins? Shit, who needed two dustbins at the same time? Unless...

He opened the first one. His nose wrinkled at the smell. Yes, this had rubbish in it. He tried the second one. Bingo!

Jonas heaved the fifteen-liter white jerry can out of the bin. He unscrewed the top. It contained less than half-full of an off-white powder. He decanted a bit of it in his left palm. It looked like manna.

He licked it off his palm. Smacked his lips.

Yes. Definitely manna. The potent, undiluted one.

He'd found her stash. _Great work, Jonas._

***

Tomi switched off the water and stepped out of the shower cubicle. "I'm done!" she yelled, seizing one of the towels hanging on a rail and wrapping it around her wet body.

"Hey, Jonas! I'm through!" she yelled again, directing her face toward the open bathroom door.

_Can't he hear me?_ She tugged the shower cap off her hair, replaced it on a hook and strolled into her bedroom.

It was empty. What was he still doing in the sitting-room?

Clasping the towel closer to her breasts, she headed toward the living-room.

"Hey, watch it!"

Jonas appeared in the doorway, holding up both his hands.

Tomi stopped, smiled. "I thought you wanted to take a shower."

"I do. You're done?"

"Yes."

"Great. Just give me a few minutes."

He undressed, abandoning his clothes, shoes and watch on one of the two armchairs in her bedroom. Two teddy bears took up a small region of her queen-sized bed. One was beige and five foot long; the other was a tiny white one wearing a pink bowtie. _Teddy bears, really?_ On the bedside table by the right of the bed, a pile of Cosmo magazines rested. _Women and magazines._

He shook his head and walked into the bathroom.

By the time he re-entered the bedroom, a towel around his waist, she was in a bathrobe, standing by an opened jar of cold cream on the bedside table.

She glanced at him.

He clocked her gaze crawling from his face to his torso. _No more of that._ He had to know more about the manna he'd found.

Tomi dipped her fingers into the cream and slathered it on her arms and neck.

Jonas's nose captured the yummy scent of cocoa-butter. He shook his head. _Stay on point, Jonas._ "Hey, can we talk for a moment?"

"Sure." She yanked the robe off her body. It sank to the carpet.

He swallowed saliva. _Shit!_

Her hands massaged cocoa-butter into round, full fat-nippled breasts. She gazed up at him. "What do you want to talk about?"

His penis nudged the towel, coming to attention at the sight. Oh, man... the words had fled from his mind. _What did I want to say?_

She pinched one nipple. It stiffened, swelled. "What is it, Jonas?"

Jonas could only shake his head. His eyes were riveted on her hand.

"Did I tell you my ex left me about three months ago?"

His head shifted from one side to the other. Her hand was palming her right nipple. His turgid cock spanked the towel.

Tomi giggled, eyes on Jonas's face. "I hate being alone."

"Do you?" At last, words. From his lips.

"Yes, I hate it. I have needs." She laughed. "My body needs loving."

"So what do you do when there's no man at hand?"

"I touch myself."

"Do you?" He eyed her hands. They were now kneading her flat belly. "Show me."

***

Her sauce was pouring out of her, dribbling onto those butter-colored wide-apart thighs. She was on her back, on the bed, two fingers of one hand manipulating her clit and gash. Her other hand played with her breasts, fondling the heavy, jiggly orbs.

He couldn't tear his gaze away. He watched, transfixed, as she brought the juices back up to her swollen clit, rubbing the stiff, brown muscle in circular motions. It rose higher.

Jonas's cock felt like it was ten times its normal size. It throbbed relentlessly, slapping at his belly. His balls were so fucking humongous. Shit, this woman. _What are you doing to me, Tomi Sawyer?_

"Uh, uh, uhhhhh...." She thrashed on the bed, arching her back, twisting her head from side to side.

As she cleared her crest, he tore the towel off his body and fisted his dick with one hand. His glance tumbled to his penis. It was as stiff as steel. A drop of pre-cum loitered at the hole on top of its head.

Her eyes opened and fell on his cock. "Hi..." she whispered, smiling. Her wet fingers ascended from her cleft and glided into her mouth.

She sucked.

Jonas whimpered, feeling his knees shake.

"Do you want a taste?" Tomi asked, dipping her fingers back into her hot, steamy cave.

In answer, he pounced on the bed, ripped her fingers back out and crammed them into his mouth. Mmmm. Creamy, smoky-tasting. _Utterly delicious._

She giggled.

He stared into her black eyes. "You taste like heaven, do you know that?"

"Is heaven a taste?"

"You know what I mean..." the fingers of his right hand snuck into her willing vagina. Stroked the fluttering clitoris. Jabbed into the dripping-wet, muscular canal.

Tomi moaned. "Yes..."

Jonas withdrew his fingers. Sucked hard on them. Licked his lips. Closed his eyes. Feeling his tick-tocking penis responding to the captivating aroma and flavor of her succulent pussy.

Supporting his weight with one hand, he raised her left thigh, twisted her to the side and—yes, yes, oh my goodness, yes—jammed his stiff-as-wood cock at her vagina.

She mewled, savoring the feel of his wide cockhead pressing against her clit and then, he was in. Thrusting his mighty shaft into her vagina. Fuck, the exquisite friction of his balls slapping against the back of her thighs was almost too delicious to bear. _Jonas, you feel so good!_

Tomi folded her leg around his waist as he pounded into her. Slamming into her pussy with varying silken strokes. Slow and gentle. Then, hard and angry.

She balled the bed sheets in her fists, eyes rolling in their sockets. "Jonassssssss...."

Her next climax took her by surprise. A great rushing stream of sensuous madness. She thrust upward, her breasts swinging out of control. Oh god, oh god, oh god....

He rolled his hips, gasps flying from his lips, as her tight muscles held on to his cock for dear life. He couldn't hold it for much longer. His prick, filled with his juice, pumped harder inside her.

"Oh, oh, oh, Jonas..." That thick, meaty penis was attacking every corner of her wall. Oh god, she was having another orgasm.

He pinched her thigh, moving faster. Knowing he was almost there. His warm dick was about to explode.

Tomi pushed up at him, legs quivering, muscles tightening and Jonas let her have it.

Ears ringing, he ejaculated.

Jonas groaned, giving her everything he had.

Emptying all the spunk from his balls.

She stroked his thighs, his arms, his god-like gloriously handsome face. Thank God for _Nephalover_ and thank God for Sanusi's disappearance. _I like you, Jonas. A lot._

He eased his fluid-coated spent prick out from her vagina and dropped beside her. "Wow..."

Tomi grinned, sneaking forward to huddle at his side. "I couldn't have said it better myself."

###

Who else wants a romance novel that will keep you hooked till the last page? Go for the panty-wetting _Tutoring the Queen_ , an erotic interracial romance fantasy.

Tutoring the Queen

In a kingdom where repression is celebrated, a sexually inexperienced queen meets a handsome slave who happens to be skilled in the art of delivering sensual pleasures...

Queen Atania is a woman torn in two directions: on one hand, she strives to follow the example of her late mother, the bottled-up former queen, by enforcing Divine Law in the kingdom over which she rules. Divine Law demands that anyone worshipping any other god but the state-sanctioned one must be punished.

On the other hand, there's a part of her that's more like her progressive father. In secret, she enjoys reading erotic poems and banned material that would surely land her on the wrong side of Divine Law.

Having grown up under a law that promotes sexual repression, Atania's sexual experience is limited. Although, there's that part of her that hungers for more.

When she receives the gift of a slave taken from a neighboring kingdom named Roka, the absolutely most delicious-looking man she's ever seen, Atania realizes that it's her chance to explore the depths of that deep inner hunger.

Unimpressed by her royal status, Roka sets about teaching her the joys of sexual liberation. Atania is swept away in an avalanche of desire by his kisses, touch and taste.

But then, Roka challenges her to take a stand: to choose him. What to do?

But before she can make a decision, something calamitous happens.

Having learnt that she has broken Divine Law, a faction of nobles seeks to depose her.

Queen Atania is facing a desperate situation; one she's never encountered before...

One that could lead to the loss of her throne, her liberty and her man...

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Read on for an excerpt from _Tutoring the Queen_

Excerpt

Propping her elbows on the iron balustrade, Atania's eyes inspected the greens, pinks, reds, purples and yellows in the expansive garden six stories below. Even though night had fallen, burning torches inserted at various spots in the wall illumined the garden.

She sensed, rather than heard him step onto the balcony.

"You sent for me?"

_Ay, that arrogant tone._ Atania spun around, mouth set in a thin line. "You're late."

"I have other duties... my queen. After all... I'm only a slave."

She scowled at him. He was trying to provoke her. She would rise above it. "Go and wait for me in my bed."

Roka lifted his head, eyes constricting. "No."

Atania's eyes popped out. "Are you refusing to obey me? How dare you?"

He shrugged wide shoulders, black eyes glinting.

"Go to my bed now!" She aimed a finger in the direction of her bedchamber.

"Make me."

She rocked back on her heels, stunned. This has gone too far. "Do you know I can have you whipped until the flesh peels off your back?"

He shrugged once again.

"Do you know I can have you torn limb from limb by horses?" Atania twirled around, arms extended. "What do you want from me?"

Roka's voice was gruff. "Swallow my cock."

"You're crazy!"

"If you want me, first you must swallow my cock."

She slapped him on his left cheek with all her strength.

His eyes widened, and then narrowed.

How dare he ask her to swallow his cock? Atania slapped him again.

On the right cheek.

His head rolled left.

She took a moment to breathe, to calm the fire burning in her chest.

Then, without knowing how she got there, she was on her knees in front of him, tugging down his trousers.

Atania gazed at the shuddering organ: thick, partially erect and straining at her mouth. She'd never swollen cock before. Any knowledge she'd gained had been gleaned from Nobo's poems and Seneso's graphic stories. She couldn't believe that she, Queen Atania, Mistress of the Moon and Lady of the Fearful One, was on her knees, about to suck a slave's cock.

She fastened her mouth on the tip. Ay, he was too big. Maybe she could start with sucking just the head. Her wet mouth attacked it, lashing it with her tongue.

Roka groaned. "Yes..."

Atania's nipples stabbed at the cloth of her dress. His scent filled her nostrils. Hot sand, soap, sweat... and the taste... ay, the taste was something else.

She suckled that throbbing head. Roka's hips shot forward. She must be doing something right.

Opening her mouth wider, she pushed down, cramming some of the chunky shaft in.

He groaned again and his hands grabbed her head, smashing her face closer to his groin. "Swallow it. Everything."

Complying, Atania forced more of the huge shaft into her mouth. Saliva flowed from her mouth, bathing his cock.

She began to move up and down, sucking and pressing with her lips and tongue.

Roka's hips writhed. "You're a natural."

She glanced up at him. His eyes were shut. The muscles in his belly rippled. So men enjoyed this too? Ay.

His cock pounded into her mouth, the head reaching her throat.

Atania's eyes watered. Saliva gushed from her mouth. He'd filled her mouth and throat. She could feel him becoming harder and warmer.

Roka's fingers fanned into her hair, scattering some of the pins that were holding it up. He grunted, hips banging into her face. "Atania... your throat is so soft..."

Her hands seized his balls, kneaded them gently.

The rocking of his hips intensified.

Reveling in the pleasure she was giving him, Atania drew her mouth off his cock. A trail of saliva was left dripping down his shaft. Her tongue drifted below. To suck his hairy balls.

Roka's moan came from deep in his throat. "Atania, Atania... you're driving me mad."

His heavy organ thumped against her cheek. Her nose pressed into his pubic hairs.

"You do it so well..." Words spurted from Roka's lips.

She lifted her mouth, leaving her hands to carry on. His stiff, distended cock was slathered with her white, gooey saliva. Ringing her fingers over it with one hand, she massaged him to extinction.

Roka exploded, spraying her face and chest with his hot spunk.

Atania blinked, shocked, as his semen pummeled her.

"Yes... yes... yes..." he was trembling, hands splayed on her hair.

She shoved his hands away and got to her feet.

Glancing down, she sighed. Some of his cum had splattered on the top of her dress. She frowned. "You're going to have to clean my dress."

He laughed and secreted his cock back into his trousers. "I should make you swallow my cum."

"You're insane." Atania lodged her hands on her waist. "Now, will you go to my bed?"

Roka stared into her eyes.

Ay, what was it about this man? One gaze and her knees were shaking like those of someone with a fever. She hissed and twisted away, heading to her bedchamber.

"Where do you think you're going?" One hand streaked out, seized her right arm and dragged her to the railing.

"I'm going to have you whipped!" she yelled.

He crushed her with his big body. Thrust two fingers under her dress. Into her ripe and ready cunt. His mouth landed on hers, shutting off her screams.

Atania devoured his mouth, ass bumping on the railing, legs widening...

Roka's fingers circled her clit once more and then, her hands were clenching, whole body tensing. She grunted into his mouth.

His mouth parted from hers. He kissed her cheek. Licked the spunk off her skin.

Atania clutched his arms, eyes closed, sucking lungfulls of air in through her mouth.

"I love you, Atania," Roka said.

Have you read the four heart-thudding, knees-melting books in the _Unhinged Romance Series_ by Sable Rose? No?

Read on to find out more about these four delicious erotic romance books...

UNHINGED ROMANCE SERIES

Two gorgeous, dangerous hunks, security agents and best friends, both hiding a dark secret; one swaggering, soccer-loving stud. Three feisty, black and beautiful women. A home invasion. Family conflicts. A kidnapping at gun-point in a foreign country. Plus, lots and lots of hot, passionate sex...

Book 1, _Unhinged by his White Heat_

An Erotic Interracial Romantic Suspense

What if you finally meet the perfect guy who treats you the way you want to be treated but the catch is that he can leave town at any time, and even worse, he has a dark secret?

Rebellious web developer, Kema Ekwueme is nursing a broken heart. A year ago, the man she loved, cast her heart to the ground and stomped on it. Now, here she is, at thirty, a virgin and alone.

While she awaits his return, she dreams of a life like in the movies where heroes always defeat the bad guys. And when she hears of terrible incidents in her former high school: the death of a young female student, she thrusts herself into the investigation.

In the process, she meets Oliver Constantino. Tall, green-eyed and white-skinned. Staring at her like she's the first woman he's seen in years. He's co-owner of Olympus Security and his best friend and business partner, Steven Braithwaite, is uncle to the accused young girl.

Thrown together by the case, the intense attraction between Kema and Oliver grows and explodes. But Oliver is not ready for anything serious with a new woman. His focus is on caring for his eight year old daughter, Lisa, abandoned by her mother, his ex. He also has plans to return to the States soon.

And most of all, he has a secret. One that would surely ruin any relationship with Kema.

Kema is all for commitment; a relationship with someone stable. That's why she saved herself. So nothing can happen between her and Oliver. He's a foreigner, a man with an unknown past...

But the heat between them doesn't seem to care one whit about the obstacles. Oliver and Kema find it harder and harder to resist its pull.

And just as Oliver realizes he has feelings for Kema, her ex waltzes back into her life.

Kema is confused. Should she go back to him or move forward with Oliver? Her elder brothers remind her that she doesn't know much about Oliver. And it's true; she has no clue about Oliver's dark past.

All Oliver can do is pray she never finds out about his past sins.

Because if she were ever to discover Oliver's dark secret, any chance of their being together would be destroyed.

Unhinged by his White Heat is FREE! Click any of the links below to download and read.

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Book 2, _Unhinged by his Dark Fire_

An Erotic Romance Novel

You're a young woman. Your younger brother is pissed with you because you're sleeping with his best friend and room-mate and your billionaire dad who controls your purse strings has given you an ultimatum to end the affair or else...

Wumi Osoba has always lived a nice, perfectly planned—and a teeny bit _boring_ —life. To please her father, the twenty-eight year old easygoing, former model, daddy's girl, Wumi is going to marry a man chosen by good old dad, a man she doesn't love. Her father, billionaire businessman Tunji has always provided her with a good life. He's always been right. So he _can't_ be wrong about this.

Working as Senior Producer in a media company, with an eye on the News Director Position, twenty-five year old amateur crooner and closet romantic, Dare DaSilva wants more from life despite the fact that he's sharing a flat with his best friend and his soccer-themed online merchandising business is taking off.

But then, one day, he bumps into her. Wumi. Sister to his best friend and roommate, an unrequited teenage crush. Everything within him tells him to walk away. She's never paid him any attention before.

One look at this swaggering, soccer-loving hunk and Wumi's practically salivating. But she knows she should ignore the incredible attraction between them. After all, he's her younger brother's pal. She should do the right thing.

Or should she?

Before long, Wumi is surrendering to this feral hunger. She's never been impulsive but now being in close proximity to him makes her do crazy things... like having sex with him at a party, with her brother in the next room!

Once her brother and stepmother learn of the affair, they make it their mission to end it. Torn between romance and family, Wumi spirals even more and— _OMG_ —ends up punching her baby brother in the face.

Things get worse and now her family is even threatening Dare's job and expected promotion.

But rather than come clean to her father, Wumi prefers to continue to keep their affair a secret. But when she gets embroiled in a brawl in Dare's name, _#BillionaireDaughterSmackdown_ , it becomes public knowledge.

Enraged, the patriarch of the Osoba clan gives his daughter an ultimatum: marry Gbenga in two months or else...

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Book 3, _Unhinged by his Fiery Touch_

An Erotic Interracial Romantic Suspense

You know you shouldn't fall for him. He's a bad boy, maybe a killer, and he appears to have slept with every attractive woman in your city. But, gosh, he's so hot, you can't help yourself.

All commitment-phobe Tari Johnson wants is to be the first female boss in Glow Force Media, Nigeria. To get the top job, she needs to put herself above other candidates and so she hires the best in the business, Olympus Security, to manage the media conglomerate's security.

The CEO of Olympus Security, tawny-eyed bi-racial Steven Braithwaite is dangerous and plays by nobody's rules except his own. Former marine and ex-mercenary, he does women. He doesn't do relationships and the women always take whatever he offers.

At first sight, Tari is thrown by him, this beautiful man, and now she's in lust.

But Tari's definitely not in the market for a man. There are always men courting her, men she can easily control and that's all she needs. And anyway, Steven's also the most annoying man on the planet... playing games, teasing and frustrating. Every instinct in her is telling her to run away, screaming.

But she can't.

Because Steven is irresistible, unforgettable and different from any other man she's been with.

Steven knows she wants him and he wants her too. On his terms. And he's ready to do whatever it takes to make her submit to him, even if he has to employ methods that are slightly underhanded to end her affairs with other men.

But then something happens, something neither of them is prepared for, something that turns both their lives upside down...

Just as Tari's struggling to wrap her head around this new development, an old enemy from Steven's past shows up and now, she's in danger, caught in the crossfire...

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Sequel (Book 4), _Unhinged by Him_

An Erotic Romantic Suspense

Three gorgeous couples. A fashion show. A suicide bomber. Lots of scorching sex scenes.

Welcome our sexy heroes and heroines from the _Unhinged Romance_ novels as they come together for the very first time in one book for a heart-pounding and pulse-racing adventure that makes for one steamy, un-missable read.

A one-of-a-kind fashion show in Nigeria's capital city, Abuja, is targeted by suicide bombers and the elite agents of Olympus Security have only a few hours to save the day and foil the terrorists' dastardly plans.

But this potentially explosive situation is eclipsed by the fiery heat our three passionate couples manage to generate all on their own.

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### About Sable Rose

Sable Rose is Africa's No. 1 Romance Writer. She writes M/F erotic contemporary romances about dreamy, swoon-worthy heroes and sexy independent women, filled with plenty of thigh-clenching moments.

She's the author of the popular four-book _Unhinged Romance Series_. She also writes erotic paranormal action adventures in the _Adoring Angels Chronicles_ about scorching-hot, super-desirable and well-endowed angels and the strong sassy heroines that fall for them. These books will make your heart beat with anticipation and will definitely take you on a wild and naughty ride.

She revels in being different. Her passion is writing and she writes only what her characters tell her to write. She writes morning, afternoon, night. Who needs sleep?

She adores traveling and has visited over 15 countries. She uses these experiences to craft her stories.

Sable Rose lives in Lagos, Nigeria. No dogs yet. Definitely, no cats.

### Books by Sable Rose

Adoring Angels Chronicles, Book 1: _Hooking Alexander_

Adoring Angels Chronicles, Book 2: _Five Stars in Danger and Debauchery_

Adoring Angels Chronicles, Book 3: _Pleasing Xavier_

Three Kingdoms Romance, Book 1: _Tutoring the Queen_

_Unhinged by his White Heat_ , Book 1 in the Unhinged Romance Series

_Unhinged by his Dark Fire_ , Book 2 in the Unhinged Romance Series

_Unhinged by his Fiery Touch_ , Book 3 in the Unhinged Romance Series

_Unhinged by Him_ , the Sequel to the Unhinged Romance Series

### Contact Sable Rose

Mailto: adoringangelschronicles@gmail.com

Check out the  Pleasing Xavier Books

Stop by the Adoring Angels Chronicles site

Like my fan page: <https://www.facebook.com/SableRoseRomances/>

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Get Sable Rose's Books at:

 Sable's Romance Book List

Or at Sable Rose Romances Page

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