Alhamdulillah I feel much better...
*

Jannah's dainty fingers caressed Adnan's chest from one edge to another watching his sleeping face still managing to look intimidating and disturbed in his slumber. Like the moon, Adnan is distant, cold, lonesome but breathtakingly beautiful and exudes light that never seize to make her toes coil, her heart warm, her stomach quiver and her core constrict.

Tilting her head to study his face at the only moment that should make him vulnerable but he still manage to outgrow that, she gazed without blinking. Why is she awake while he was still asleep? One could wonder. She had to go bring her daughter back to bed and she hasn't forgotten how intimidating he had looked before making love to her.

She is starting to seriously cede, this is a game she is not going to win. He is used to the game while she is a novice through and through, a newbie from the village. She will come clean and tell him it was all a plan then they can go back to the way they were before. She was too stupid to have thought she could win a battle with Adnan Ibrahim Attahir, she is not meant for this.

How is he going to react after she tells him the truth about her entire plan? Is he going to send her packing back to her hometown or forgive her so they can make more babies without inconveniencing anyone? That sounds like a whole movie. Adnan won't forgive her causing so much trouble. From his reaction earlier, he is not one to forgive, at least not easily. Maybe for the sake of their daughter.

Her stomach groaned protesting against the hollow emptiness. Then Imara should also be hungry because the last meal they had was in the afternoon together but the girl is comfortably sleeping with a pink teddy bear in her arms, her favorite. Jannah is all alone to fend to herself. What should she do now that she is not sleepy and it is just three in the morning?

She slid away from the bed, took Adnan's dress shirt and close her body with it. She's bought a few junk day before yesterday when Mariam insisted that they take Imara out to a park. She can feed on that before morning when the hotel is up and running again.

Opening the medium Samsung fridge inside the room, she brought out a frozen yoghurt, wrapped chocolate fudge and some cookies. She stumbled out to the balcony and sat down on one of the chaise lounges there, relaxing her back and allowing the cool breeze to warm her open skin, legs to thighs then her unveiled chest.

In between her meal, she heard the sound of the sliding door behind her opening, she quickly meandered to see who was there only to meet a shirtless Adnan lighting a cigarette between his lips making her frown. That is really dangerous for his health and she won't say he doesn't know that, he does! Maybe he wants an early death? Leaving her with their daughter.

His eyes scanned the sea ahead of them looking a little lost in the beauty of the cerulean colored water around them. It was a minute later when his eyes settled on hers, he hadn't expected to see her there, it was written all over his face. Where did he think she went to then? Bathroom? Or left the country entirely after the little fiasco?

She smiled at him beamingly, her rabbit teeth on display stretching her bifocals up to her eyes away from her nose. "Hey there, Dracs! Missing me already?"

With that insouciant suave swagger of his, he ambled to where she is and occupied the other chaise lounge chair that is vacant. He sat down unconcerned, folding his enormous body into a royal position. Feeling the heat of his body so close to hers, her chest risen on instinct, her mouth yawed dry at the thought of what had taken place hours ago. It shouldn't scald her but it does, too much.

How his sinful lips devoured her with a repertoire she would've sworn he lacks. She felt everything they explained in those books she had read, the emotions, debonair sophistication, the withering abandon and carnal need. She tightened her legs together as her eyes sashayed to his strong arms. The ones that held her like she was just a doll and had his way with her.

Forcing her eyes back to his face, she found his still on the water as he smokes on his second cigarette making her grimace. How does he do that? The cigarettes he smokes are enough to start an arson and isn't there a policy in this resort that says no smoking? He will purge himself out of it one way or the other, like he always does.

He is Adnan Ibrahim Attahir!

"Why do you smoke?" She inquired when she couldn't hold the silence in her. She is curious about this man in front of her. His mysteriousness and enigmatic nature is dangerous, it keeps dragging her in.

A shrug was sent her way which she frowned at before he took his gracious time to reply. "Because it makes me feel free."

She wont ask that ever again but she found herself grumbling beneath her breath; "I don't like it. It is not healthy."

Adnan caught that but didn't say anything. Slowly Jannah stood up from the lounge chair and sauntered closer to his chair offering her hand to him. "Let's swim...with my consent today, of course."

He stared at the offered hand with a raise brow not knowing whether to trust her hand this time around or not. After that stunt she had pulled earlier, he is now wary of this Jannah, she could do anything. An enemy or a foe? No in between when it comes to his situation.

In a swift movement that shocked her, he scooped her in his arms and raced to the water below the wooden deck just few feet away from where they were sitting. They got inundated in the water, Jannah's piercing outcry tearing the obsidian sky down. She didn't expect that! Heck, she thought he was not going to accept the invitation.

"You little motherfucking reptile dragon rich fucking reptilian mammal pillock bollocks asshole..." They rolled down her lips like a sailor's making Adnan grimace. Where did she learn all those curse words from?

Wordlessly Adnan swam to where she is slowly trying to get ahold of the water. His hands waltzing to rest on either side of her. Jannah inhaled sharply, her heart lurching it's way to her throat in both shock and pleasure. What is he doing? Is he now obsessed with her body after rounds of sexual shimmy and cavort?

Caged by his hard warm body, she couldn't move or think properly as she felt his mouth touch the back of her neck. She closed her eyes, senses mesmerized by the vital masculine strength of him. The heat of his breath stirred a stray wisp of her dry hair that lay on her nape, the feeling so exquisite that she trembled.

He closed his eyes at the way her scent cloaked his senses, her soft, pale skin, the fluff dark hair that lured his fingers to dive beneath his shirt which she was wearing. She couldn't possibly understand how desperately he wanted to taste her, touch her, bite, devour, suck and kiss every inch of her body. His muscles were as stiff as iron, not to mention the battering callousness that surged against the tight fabric of his wet slacks.

"Turn around." He half whispered and half grumbled in her neck.

When she turned around to look at him, he nearly exploded. He took his hands away from her wet breasts and turn away hastily. This cannot be happening. What nonsense is this?

Jannah watched in utter dismay as he swam away from the water and into the suite. She wrapped her arms around herself begging the emotions within her to stay in check. He is just going through stuff and everything feels new to him, she excused.

Jannah decided to visit Adnan's tent the next day to see what he is up to this time around. He has been working tirelessly since he came to Maldives now she wants to see whether there is any upgrade there. She's found out about all he wants to do there from Alim, he is going to succeed like always, it is just a feeling she's got.

She got herself dressed in a mustard yellow dress that fell down to her toes in straight line, cuff sleeves that held her wrists with a matching veil in muffler and frost white kitty heels. She got Imara dressed in a jumpsuit, rearranged her hair and called the ferry out front like Alim taught her. He is heaven sent, that is without an atom of doubt.

She held her daughter close to her chest so she wont see them zipping out inside the water and panic yet again. They got to the mainland and started trekking, stopping twice to get something to eat, junk of course since they've had their breakfast not long ago. They made it to the exact location only for her brows to scrunch.

Is this the place?

The empty land with beach sand she's once visited is now oppressed with so many hefty stuff that made her eyes bulge. She's been accept for how many days? Five or six? And they are already starting the constructing and everything? They also look to be far into their work everyone appearing busy.

There are support columns and rebar sticking out of cement, sheets of plastic and tarps covering supplies while walling up dangerous areas at the same time. Plethora of worker in flak jackets and steel-toed boots, wearing safety glasses, ear protection and hard hats. More construction stuff ladened the place leaving little to no space for just anyone to pass. Wheelbarrows, sanders, ladders, windows with scarlet stickers attached, table saws, air compressors, safety signs, fence and myriad others she cant name.

The cacophony in the air filled everywhere with grating raucous noise. The chug of heavy equipment machine, a back-up sensor beeping, whine of air compressors and drills, hammers banging on metal and wood, a nail gun methodically thudding, awful clang of metal to metal, inharmonious sound of jack hammers busting concrete...

She held her daughter closer to her bosom contemplating whether she should call Alim to help them get inside safely. She is not sure if the workers there can see their tiny modicum figures amongst gargantuan machines surrounding them. It is better to be safe than sorry, her daughter's safety first.

Taking out her phone from her half moon Gucci bag, with great difficulty because of the girl her arm, she scrunched her nose. The air smells like fresh cut lumber, dirt and dust, burning plastic or is it metal, sawdust, chemicals, the chalky scent of cut plasterboard, body odor, cement and whatnot.

A man came to stand in front of her removing his huge safety glasses reminding her of her own cute one perched on her nose. She squinted her eyes then it clicked, he was amongst those two men that brought her husband back home yesterday.

"Good morning, Mrs. Attahir." He greeted eloquently with a slight bow she flushed at, not used to it.

Beholden, she compiled a smile on her face. "Good morning. How's it going?" she asked briskly gesturing the chaos around them with her free hand.

"Hectic but great. I gather you are here to see Mr. Attahir?" He guessed just as an antitrade swooshed around them rising some dust seasoning the machines.

"Oh, yes. Your colleagues look too busy so I don't want to take chances. They might pour cement on us." She joked, removing a lint-like something from Imara's hair.

He gave a small smile filled with understanding. "Follow behind me." Right then he called out in a loud voice; "Watch out! The boss's wife is here clear our path!"

And miraculously they heard him over the discordant noise, everything stilled. All the beatings of hammers, metal against metal, cement machine coming to a cessation, it was soundless.

"Aye aye, Captain!" the chorus came from God knows where but she blushed from head to toe and followed closely after the man.

They arrive at the familiar ebony tent, she suspired. "Thank you so much."

He gave a tiny curt nod, turned around astutely and got swallowed into the mass. Jannah entered the tent without asking for permission. Seems like she is still feral after all, what happened yesterday didn't tame that part of hers. Oh, she is going to get herself annihilated one of these days. She keeps renewing her craziness like a daily dosage.

Adnan knew she was there after the loud announcement made outside. He raised his head to give her one of those surveys he's saved only for her. Jannah blushed beneath it like always but trudged inside the room looking unbothered. Alim is the only one there, no other person.

Imara struggled out of her mother's grasp and jumped on her father with a pout. "Dada, my baby fell out."

He furrowed his brows, not understanding what she's said. Jannah jumped in. "Where did it fall, darling?"

"Out." She pointed outside the tent with her small forefinger.

"Why didn't you tell me about it when it fell?" Jannah inquired with a frown of her own. Imara is becoming more mutinous day and night. Maybe seeing her father is causing this?

Imara made a face ready to start crying when Adnan's hand went to her head to sooth her. "Don't worry, I will get you a new baby."

"No!" She punctuated with a loud tone throwing her head back mutinously. "I want pink baby. Only pink baby."

Jannah won't have that shenanigan under her watch. Maybe all these isn't a good idea after all. The girl is changing her entire attitude because her father has been spoiling her routine. She is gong to become malignant if this keeps proliferating, this isn't how she is raising her. They are going back to Nigeria.

"Imara, don't start this nonsense tears here. Pink baby is missing I'll get you bigger pink baby so don't start it! Wipe your eyes now." She ordered coming to stand in front of her beside the executive chair Adnan is sitting on.

Confused, Adnan frowned at the way she just raised her voice at his daughter. He's never heard her use such tone on her so why today? Is she in a bad mood and wants to drop everything on his daughter?

He stood up, Imara still weaved in his arms hiccupping quietly so her mother won't hear. "We'll go find your pink baby outside, stop crying." He murmured soothingly in her ear then traipsed out of the tent purposefully.

Jannah stared after him with her mouth hanging open. Narrowing her eyes, she followed them grumpily. Imara might decide to make him go crazy if they don't find that baby but with her there, she won't do some things. She was tempted to go back and wait for them but something told her to follow.

They searched around everywhere without any sight of her pink baby doll. Then Jannah's eyes fell on the tent, it has a back. "Let me look for it here."

She thoroughly ransacked everywhere behind the tent. It was empty with bushes and tall trees. Just when she meandered around to leave, she got halted by the sight of a grotesque bestial cobra, her eyes rounded and her lips let out a piercing outcry which she isn't sure whether or not she'll be heard over the harshness and loudness of the machines.