Facade (Romola 1)

47: Hot Rice

"Where is yours?"

She took a step towards the plate rack but his hand curved around her sides.

"Have you had breakfast?"

"Your food is getting cold and I want your chicken." She faced him, her eyes locking with his.

"Come on Romola. Have you had breakfast?"

She shook her head.

"You shouldn't cook. The doctor said you need to rest. In fact." He carried her in his arms fireman style.

She clutched his shoulders for fear that she would tumble out of his hands but his hold around her body was firm.

He carried her to the dinning table. "You shouldn't be walking."

He placed her on one of the black velvet high back chairs that surrounded the polished wood table. She pushed her feet towards the floor but he narrowed his eyes at it, pointing an index finger at her. "Don't even think about it."

She settled into the cool feel of the chair and watched him walk to the marble counter. Her eyes roamed every inch of his back landing on a dark blotch of skin just below his waist and above his shorts. It marred the very perfection of his body. How had he got that mark?

Olumide returned to the table with his meal. "Here, breakfast."

"But it's yours." Her stomach growled with desire.

"Ours." He settled into a chair adjacent to her and pulled it to her side of the table. The metal legs of the chair scraped against the blue kitchen tiles.

"This won't be enough. Besides, there is only spoon."

He stuck the spoon into one side of the mountain of rice. "You don't need a spoon."

She turned her palm upwards. "How would I feed myself?"

"Who said anything about feeding yourself?" He raised a spoonful of rice to her lips.

Her eyes flitted from the spoon of plain white rice to his face and back again.

He dropped the spoon, scooped some sauce unto the rice, and raised the spoon to her lips again. "Eat."

She opened her mouth and he placed the food in her mouth. The rice seared her tongue, causing her to inhale air while grains of rice tumbled out of her mouth.

"Hot. Hot. Hot." She chanted.

Some grains went down the wrong pipe, transcribing her chants to a throaty cough. She hit her chest with her right palm, hoping to dislodge the rice.

"Shoot." Olumide abandoned the spoon on the table, fleeing to the fridge.

He returned with chilled table water and handed it to her. She flushed the offending rice down, coughing a few times while Olumide remained at her side, running his palm down her back.

Her coughs subsided. She collapsed into the chair, raking up deep breaths through her mouth.

"I'm so sorry. I was just trying to..urgh." He rubbed his face with his palm.

"That was a terrible idea."

"I'll just get you a spoon."

She watched him walk away, nursing a frown on his lips. Why hadn't she thought to blow the rice? And she had snapped at him. Now, she had ruined Olumide's mood. She uncapped the table water and drew another sip to ease the burning on her tongue. He returned with another plate of food.

"You can eat that food. I'll eat this one." His gaze remained glued to his plate.

She reached across the table and brushed her fingers across his lightly, enjoying the thrill that powered her heart to beat faster. "Olumide?"

He stared at her.

"I wouldn't mind... if you...you know..fed me."

"Are you sure?"

She stared at her food, then placed her index finger on the table, swirling it around as she stared into his eyes. "Cooking is a lot of work and I'm verrrryyy exhausted. Also the doctor told me to rest."

Olumide beamed, pushing his chair back. He carried the chair to her side of the table and sat facing her before picking the spoon. He raised the spoon to his mouth and blew air unto the rice before taking it to her mouth.

She closed her mouth and allowing the taste of the rice and sauce to mix in her mouth. "Hmm. This tastes so good."

"Of course, you would say that. You cooked it."

She opened her eyes and saw Olumide smiling at her. Her lips spread in a snile as she stared into the pools of honey that had captivated her entire being.

"Is there something in my eyes?" His scratchy voice raised goosebumps on her skin.

"Yes, me." She found herself leaning closer to him as his eyes dropped to her full plump lips.

"Well, that's good." She watched his baby pink lips draw close to her. He whispered. "You belong there."

Her body cells shivered in anticipation of his lips meeting hers. She shut her eyes. His warm breath fanned against her face. She could feel the heat of his body invading her space and she didn't mind one bit.

Author's Note: 

My exams are coming up next week so I'll post next week's update today also.