Kira flared up widely at Derek. "I know you don't want me and I equally try every single day to keep the tempting thoughts of sliding into the same bed with you, at bay". "If you think I'm one cheap....." . Her words were lost when Derek's lips came crashing down on hers and his hands gathering her crushingly to him.
Kira had always convinced herself that that instantaneous attraction she now constantly feels for Derek Manchester is nothing but a mere infatuation. Side effects of constantly having to be with him, work with him, to have once dated him.
Kira has a background of deeply rooted Christian, starting with her family especially her mom, Mrs Jones who made sure the family never had a moment without submitting it all to God Almighty. And she was picky with Kira's friends since she was the only daughter of three kids.
As the last child of the family, Kira was her mother's main priority during childhood days and even up till now that she's come of age, Mrs Jones still treats her with the same tender yet strict way of moral training.
Kira, a quick witted young lady in her early twenties secured a job as the personal assistant to the branch manager of Think Trust Corporation, Derek Manchester. She has been made for this job right from the very onset. The smarty pants of her family, her father would say, often laughing as he teased her with such words.
Derek has always been nice to Kira and she's been grateful for his gentlemanly nature. She got too attracted to the calm sweet talker but he was a total "NO" as long as her mother was concerned. He didn't know God as Kira thought, as she expected, as she wanted and even though he held God, he didn't show any sign of it at all.
Derek's good looks could turn Kira cold and hot almost immediately and that lazy grind he gives always made her feel giddy. Once, in her early days as Derek's PA, he has spoken to her so sensationally with smiles inbetween conversations that she felt she was sitting in the clouds of sweet happiness.
The Corporation was to hold a dinner party in two days time and all hands were needed on deck especially Kira's. Derek as the branch manager, dished out orders quickly like a sergent calling out to lined-up soliders on their way to defend their city.
After all the arrangements and nonstop bustles into and outside the central hall of the skyscraper which contained offices and rooms of all staffs working in the Corporation, only a handful of workers plus Kira and her boss were remained to put in place final touches in the hall for the day.
It was late and Kira always took the bus since it was convenient for her and she was quite saving up for a car. Derek pulling up his gentleman streak, came through with an offer of lift to Kira's apartment. She was left with no choice than to accept even though it kept ringing in her head to decline.
All through the 10-mins drive, Kira's emotions and thoughts were in a total disarray. In person, she sat as still as she could beside Derek who handled the car's steering, mindful of her, giving her glances with smiles of calmness inbetween yet he was mindful of the road. Still, it was a jungle behind that mask of Kira's cool stillness.
How could she not resist him? How could she fall so hard? What sort of attraction is this that always set her on edge when ever she was with Derek? Even though she sat at arm length beside him, it still made her feel vulnerable in neat Venza car they rode in.
Finally, they were at Kira's apartment. She literally jumped down out of the car with a sigh of relief. She could breath now. Derek was well aware of Kira's discomfort in the car but he decided to do nothing about it. It's still fresh in his memory how the other scene ended.
A very similar night of overtime work with Kira in Derek's house. His handyman, Mr Donald wasn't available because he had his sick aged wife to take care of. Their kids were all currently indisposed which left Mr Donald a nanny to a sick woman.
Derek nicely made some hot cocoa to ease them both after the work since Kira was looking all worn out, then a conversation of courtship and marriage ensured. Kira gave her description of her kind of husband. He was very keen to all her statements as he only nodded and smiled, making little or no effort to distract Kira as she blabbed on.
Derek gave Kira a ride home and on their way home, he commented on the previous convo they had. Then he went on, "Kira I'll be as sincere as I can now and I might lose this opportunity forever if I don't utilize it so I'll be out with it".
"I like you. I want to court you, Kira. This isn't one love-at-first-sight confession OK?. Since you walked in through that door and confidently sat opposite me, I knew it was you I needed, it had to be you". "Be my girlfriend", he said as he pulled over at her house.
Kira was struck but deeply, she was overwhelmed. She liked him too. Before she could give an answer to the question lingering in the air, Derek already sorted her lips, brushing his to hers then opening hers to his. She was willing, very willing she shut her eyes to the drugging sensation of Derek's warm, gentle lips giving her sweet pleasure.
They officially began dating. It was magnificent how Derek loved her, cared for her, checked up on her almost every hour. She felt queenly. It was all good while it lasted until that tragic night when Kira found Derek in a compromising position with another girl she'd not seen before. As she stormed out of the room shocked to see Derek as he was with that girl that didn't seem like family, she was caught up by Derek who raced after her.
He offered an explanation but she wasn't interested in listening to his "cooked up story". She was too heartbroken for that. Looking at him for another couple of minutes was like twisting a knife in her chest and she was deaf to all he said.
Oh it was hard for him just as it was for Kira. Derek remembered vividly, the pain of losing one he liked, one he really liked and thought of keeping her to himself alone. It was like a bad dream. And even as they did try to move on, they were left without a choice but to see each other as purely work mates.
Kira didn't give a back glance at Derek after he pulled over at hers. Instead she just walked straight towards the door, hoping and wishing he could come after her and shake some senses into her for the sake of his love for her.
He didn't do such which saddened her. With tearful eyes, she hated her self for loving an immoral man. A man who didn't love God. A man who would never be accepted by her mother even if wanted to marry her. A man who loved women like one who loved wine. "A man like Derek", she last sighed to herself, "is not worthy of my tears". Then she began to undress for a cold bath to make her fall asleep quickly.
A knock came on the door. She thought to herself, whoever it was should leave as she wasn't interested in speaking with anyone. The knock came again, this time more urgent. Reluctantly, she strode to the door and was almost thrown back on the sight of Derek. He definitely looked determined to succeed in whatever he had come to talk about.
"Kira, we have to talk", he said. The reply that came back was what he expected more or less. "I don't have any thing to say to you Derek and I'm stressed out. I need to be off to bed. Whatever you have to say, go ahead or leave".
"How selfish can you be Kira? "You've been my role model when it came to respect for others feelings. When did you change this much?".
"Respect for one's feelings you say?" "Really Derek"? "You think you care about what others felt? How God feels with all your immoral acts?". "Please, if you don't have any thing tangible to say, leave". This time around, Kira was angrily holding the door open for him to leave.
Shutting the door and holding her arms firmly, Derek forced her to look straight up at him. "I know you're still cranky about what happened that night but I'm telling you, I wasn't doing anything with her. Isabella was just a girl that wouldn't accept it that I didn't want her", he said firmly.
"Oh please Derek, you don't want anything but only your selfish desires fulfilled". "You would never love anyone sincerely neither will you ever truly want anyone", Kira flared up at Derek. "I know you don't want me and I equally try every single day to keep the tempting thoughts of sliding into the same bed with you, at bay". "If you think I'm one cheap....." . Her words were lost when Derek's lips came crashing down on her's and his hands gathering her crushingly to him.
He was forceful yet she was willing. She longed for him to kiss her this much. She has always believed he loved her and she saw sincere changes in him, in his newly found nearness to God. She believed all he said about Isabella but was only adamant. Her stupid pride having everything bottled up inside of her.
When he finally released her from his grip, he cupped her face and said, "I don't think you're cheap and I can't rest till I have you as mine forever. These past days without you has been hell. Studying the Bible has lost it's taste to me. I read a chapter and my mind is back to where you are".
"I want to be that man that will fulfill those requirements of a worthy husband. I don't want to be a temptation to you. I don't want you to ditch your morals because of me. I'm ready to follow that path you wish I trail". "I am willing to do all of these and more if you choose to trust and stay with me, Kira".
These last words settled in her like a warmly welcomed guest into a home. With happy tears brewing in her eyes, she said, "Alright Derek, let's both be a work-in-progress" and he drowned her in his kisses.