Hidden Motive

ChapterTwo

The Secret Kiss

Days slipped by, and Mma was finding herself further entangled in the web of Eze's world. If anything, every occasion with him seemed to be another thorn pierced into this swirling tension that slowly simmered between them.

At the office, business was correct. She would be rather among the most significant legal minds of the Kainos firm, whose sheer brilliance in sighting legal issues and resolving them in a commercial context never ceased to amaze Eze. He kept pushing her, making an integral part of Kainos's most important cases, the outside world being something else entirely.

It was about a week now after their dinner at Churrasco. The thoughts of their quiet little conversation and the silent understanding formed in between those moments just kept haunting her, refusing to be washed away by their mundane day-to-day dealings in the office, which never really went beyond the niceties of pure business. And then one of those days turned to evening.

Mma, being the last to leave work just past midnight, could hear nothing except the soft swish of her heels on the marble floor. When she reached the elevator, her pleasant surprise was that Eze was waiting there for her.

"It's late," she uttered indistinctly, surprised to see him almost submerging any sense of shock that might have existed within her.

His was a heartbeat smile, smirking of warm and intimate feelings, no longer distant and cold. "I could say the same for you."

The automatic doors of the elevator opened meanwhile, and they hopped in together. Instantly, the atmosphere began to crackle with life, charged, practically humming with a buildup of unspoken words that were becoming more tangible with the course of the day.

Downward in the gliding rocket, Eze looked at her and said, "Mma, you've been avoiding me."

Mma felt blood rushing to her face. "I haven't been avoiding you," she said with an apparent evenness of voice, fighting her thundering heart. "Both of us have been busy."

He stepped toward her, warmth rising to greet her own. "Don't lie to me, Mma. I can feel it. You're afraid."

Air lodged in her throat as he bent down and lightly brushed his lips over hers in the softest kiss.

Everything around her came to a standstill. Soft and sweet, with promises laced with longing, the kiss traced well-trodden paths that had never been crossed by either of them in all the years of their acquaintance.

But in that fragile moment of promise when she would have rounded the corner into his arms to recognise their dreams, the elevator doors slid open, and just as suddenly as it had begun, the illusion shattered. Eze set himself apart, his visage once more inscrutable.

"Goodnight, Miss Chukwuma," he said, assuming an air of icy formality once more before stepping out of the elevator and leaving her rooted to the spot, still spellbound while a buzzing current of thoughts raced through her mind.

The days after their kiss were a blur as always, packed with official meetings and tense situations full of professional engagement; it was pretty much an action of "nothing happened", first appearing at the workplace with their steely demeanour as cold as before – just about the only time with walls lowered. For both had to send each other's explosive signal – they were boiling with a desire inside.

Mma immersed herself in work as a means of keeping her focus away from the confusing feelings she had for Eze. However, there were times Mma would steal glances at him across the boardroom, and voila – the sweet memory would come rushing into her mind. This is in spite of his dominance over Kainos.

These two weeks following that night had already started infusing tension in Mma. He would not allow her to breathe; most of the time, he summoned her into his office for private discussions or after-hours meetings. It was apparent that he had set his sights firmly on her, but it was equally apparent that he would take no further steps along that line.

The day at Kainos that he had in mind did not seem to be the best possibility for her to respond to the slew of such summons.

"Miss Chukwuma, a word?" came Eze’s voice over the intercom.

He made her stomach tumble – in fairness, it was not something she could refuse, but a gnawing sense of the storm brews. Sitting up at her desk, she opened the door and walked towards the office as excitement thudded in her heart.

As she entered, Eze stood near the large windows with his back to her and his hands clasped behind him, gazing outside at the city view.

"Come in," said Eze without turning.

The clicking of the door when she entered created a deafening silence that almost made the room tangible. Although not visible yet, she already sensed that he was staring boldly and directly at her back.

"You called for me, sir?"

Finally, Eze smiled and turned to face her. "I was thinking of you."

Mma’s pulse sped up, but she remained steadfast. "May I ask what you have been thinking about me, Mr. Okoye?"

He smiled slightly. "About your potential and about what more you can do for this company."

"Oh," Mma breathed. She had known he thought of her as more than a resource; in quite a shocking manner, her confidence knocked the question into her mind: Perhaps the fire of his stare held a little different affinity for her?

"Your work has been outstanding," he told her, stepping a little closer to her. "I think it's time for a more substantial role within the company."

"More substantial than head of legal?" she enquired, flabbergasted by the unexpected offer.

Eze did not answer, rummaging through a drawer in his desk for a file, subsequently sliding it across the table toward her. The moment she opened it before her, there lay great detail on international expansion plans for Kainos.

"This is your next project," he said quietly. "I want you to oversee the legal angles of the expansion."

Mma’s heart raced. It was a lifetime opportunity. But something in the way Eze spoke, something in how he looked at her, disconcerted her.

"Sure. I am honoured." Her voice was tremulous, though just slightly.

Eze kept his gaze glued to her. "I know you can do it. But I need something to be understood from you, Miss Chukwuma. This is not about business. I am watching you—every move you make."

Mma gulped hard, her head spinning. She had thought this would be a challenge to her professional dignity; it was now becoming impossible to ignore the current of something much more personal. She was already in Eze’s web; the way out was through Eze.

Mma was at it day in and day out, making new business plans and working towards them with a frenzy that even surprised her. Kainos had lofty aspirations in terms of the international scene, and Mma would be laying claim to the most influential figures in the company should she successfully oversee the legal dimension.

But, no matter how hard she concentrated on her tasks, Eze’s eyes bore down on her with a strangely permanent gaze. He would stroll into her office just when she needed the distraction or advice and suddenly make a passing comment or statement regarding her handling of the project. But always, it was amid this tension that they found themselves, unable to ignore the recent exploits that had drawn them toward one another.

Around nine o'clock, while she was going over legal papers in her office, Eze’s silhouette appeared, framed right at the doorway.

"You are still here," he said, the warmth of his voice contrasting with the intensity implied in underlying tones.

Mma looked up, startled. "I have a lot of work to get through. The expansion is going faster than we anticipated."

His words, "Obviously, you have a long way to go," came as he walked inside her office and silently closed the door. "But it is sometimes important to take a break."

Her heart skipped a beat as he gently leaned forward. She had not prepared herself for such an advance—had not anticipated the force his presence exerted on her.

Rising in a hurry, she grabbed her coat. "Really, I'm fine. Thank you. I have it all under control."

Eze, however, stood his ground, holding her gaze. For the briefest instant, it seemed to her that the universe forgot to exist beyond their glance. The tension was there, and in dismay, Mma felt herself somehow being drawn towards him, almost against her will.

"This is how you manage the burden of power. By pushing yourself until there's nothing left."

His statement brought about an almost shallow intake of breath after a pregnant pause from the side of Mma, who had no idea what she would say in reply, if anything, after his bold words. Before she could collect her thoughts, Eze was already leaning in, his lips against hers. The kiss was far from professional.

More like fire and melt. For one seemingly unfortunate moment, she succumbed to its very hot intensity. The kiss ended just like that. She bent backward, gasping for air, some slight tremors on her chest, her face slightly bewildered as she stared at him. "What in the world was that?" She stammered.

Eze gave her a lazy, calculated smile. "That, Miss Chukwuma, is the price of power."

Mma’s head was spinning with what her brain tried to sort out from what had just happened. Another little game or something much deeper?

But before she could fully enquire, he was done there and gone out of her office, leaving her questioning everything.