A Labyrinthine Affair: The World of Taboo

The Hunter - Part 6

“I want you to forget everything. Just for a little while.” James said those words while kissing above her lips, kissing her nose, teasing her cheeks and making a feast of the tender spot just below her earlobe. The warmth of his mouth on her skin made her feel, momentarily, as if they’d known each other for a lifetime.

Akuba opened her eyes and looked at him, surprised by the persistent tingling between her legs. Maybe because of the way he so directly expressed his desire. Or maybe because after losing her little family, she finally wanted to feel something again.

In truth, in the short time since they’d come together, they were still learning one another; their likes and dislikes, moods, sense of humor and vulnerabilities. Their sensitivities found them entwined in a slow and deliberate dance; James gently peeling back her delicate layers while cleverly disguising his own and Akuba intuiting the unspoken parts of him as she allowed him to come closer.

Up until now, he’d felt and shown a reverence to her. She wasn’t like the whores in Cabinda who had no care for how he handled them, as long as the drinks flowed freely and money poured from his pockets. She was starting to become home and comfort for him. So far, he’d been gentler with her, not having learned the reins of her limits. Now he felt himself wanting to truly fuck her. Not out of anger or disrespect. But from pure raw desire. Her body was strong yet soft, fragile yet sumptuous. And for the first time, he wanted to taste her in ravenous fashion.

Akuba had taken great pride to cook hearty meals for him and make sure their hut was as comfortable as possible. What troubled him was the notion of her knowing what Prah knew. How he’d come to Yasi in the first place. If she knew what he’d done in the name of profit and conquest, he wondered if she would close herself to him forever.

James certainly wasn’t her husband, but he was her companion. Akuba didn’t mind sharing her body with him as he was clear and certain, leaving very little doubt what he wanted on a daily basis. She was shocked at the strength of his appetites. Sometimes she could hear him, in the dark, stroking his organ, his bare hand yanking at his flesh so ruggedly that she shuddered to think how vigorous he might be with her the next time.

However, when a cloud of melancholy settled over her or when the week of her moontime came, he watched her knowingly and waited. If she expressed a desire for company he would oblige her. Otherwise he gave her space and privacy to embody her own layered thoughts and feelings. That was but another clue of his emotional breadth, allowing her a peak behind his stoic curtain.

She could feel his rage and lust and a deep pool of heartache there as well. There was much more to his own story and in time, she wanted to learn every detail. She was certain the loss of his mother had deepened his concern for women. It was evident in the ways he looked after her, respected her. These small measures of care and sensitivity endeared him to her. They propelled her to him now.

James brought his mouth to hers again, savoring the suppleness of her lips. Akuba’s skin was warm and slightly salty from her tears and he savored the tanginess seeping onto his lips. As her mouth parted, he eagerly flicked his tongue against her own, then drew back to kiss the bridge of her nose, her cheeks and nibble her plump bottom lip.

He stopped to catch her chin with the fingers of one hand, bringing his eyes directly down to hers. “Do you want this? Now?” He truly wanted to know. Something she wasn’t accustomed to. Her husband never questioned what she wanted. He expected her to fulfill her wifely duties and she never questioned this arrangement. He had taken her in anger, in joy, in frustration, in whatever mood he currently occupied. But never once had he asked her what she desired. Or how she felt. Up to this point, neither had James.

Akuba nodded her head a few times, then averted his gaze and as it brought a fresh wave of heat to her loins. She moved her hands down to try and untie her robe but he stopped her, whispering in her ear, “Let me do this”, before sucking on the tender lobe below.