In spite of Jacob's insistence that she should just relax, and that her contribution was enough just by being there, Almasi did what she could to help in the household. She took over organizing some of the servants' duty lists, and she helped Mrs. Nettle plan for the diamond dealer's arrival. She also helped where she could with the paperwork on the Adamson Jewelry finances, and she hoped desperately that her comments to Jacob were not coming off as annoying or self-centered.

When Jeremy was around, he always seemed annoyed that she was in the room during business, but from what Almasi could tell, Jeremy was annoyed by pretty much everything. And besides, Jacob seemed honestly impressed by her efforts, so she continued, figuring that the opinion of her husband mattered far more than that of his grumpy a.s.sistant.

Two days before Mr. k.u.mi's arrival, Jacob asked the cook to have dinner served outside on the patio. The weather was beautiful, not too hot out but warm enough to dine outdoors. Almasi was wearing a flowing floral dress when she stepped outside. It was orange like the sunset, and the fabric clung to her body in a way that made Jacob want to moan the moment he saw her.

This was so ridiculously unfair! He wanted so desperately to sleep with his wife, his own wife, and he did not know how to initiate things. He suspected that she would respond favorably if he made a romantic advance to her-he had seen the l.u.s.tful glances she gave him when she thought he was looking away, and he had felt the fervor in her kisses as it had grown day by day.

And that dress, d.a.m.n, that dress. The way it hugged her ample b.r.e.a.s.t.s and hips, the way the straps sat on her shoulders like they were begging to come off-he wanted her in his bed so, so badly. He was certain that she wanted him, too. So it was worth a try, right? It wasn't as if they were breaking the contract of their arrangement, right?

"Jacob?" he snapped out of his thoughts, and realized that Almasi had been talking to him. "Jacob, why are you staring at me like that?" She looked a little bit confused, but mostly amused. He swallowed.

"I... you look beautiful tonight, darling," he said, recovering his composure. "No, actually, you don't just look beautiful. You are beautiful."

The way Almasi smiled made him know he had said the right thing. "Thank you, my dear," she said. They sat and chatted, ate their four course dinner that was topped off with a mango gelato. It matched the color of Almasi's dress, and watching her eat it in the sunset made Jacob feel as if his head was spinning with dizzying arousal. He shifted in his seat. The trousers he was wearing were beginning to feel a smidgen too tight.

Almasi noticed all of the signs of Jacob's fidgety arousal. She did not show it on her face, but inside she was laughing. She was turned on as well, though, and she suddenly thought to herself, Tonight. Tonight, that is when this is going to happen. She shivered a little, overwhelmed with antic.i.p.ation, and maybe a little bit of nervousness. It would be her first time, but she knew he would be gentle. He was always gentle. And, although his past reputation as a ladies' man had its drawbacks, it also meant that he probably knew a thing or two about pleasuring a woman.

Jacob saw Almasi's shiver and mistook it for being cold. "Here, do you want my suit jacket?" he asked, standing and taking it off for her. "I wouldn't want you to be..."

"Shh," she said, standing up and meeting him halfway. "That's not it."

"Then what's going on?" It couldn't be... could it?

"I want you." Her soft and quiet words were simple and she looked into his eyes honestly. His confusion faded, and then his expression mirrored hers. He took her by the waist and pulled her close, and they kissed, hard and long.

When they finally stepped apart breathlessly, Jacob had an intense look in his eyes. "Bedroom?" he asked.

Almasi smiled. "Yes. Bedroom."

Not another word was spoken as they walked away other hand in hand and ran up to their bedroom.

When they finally reached the bedroom door, Jacob opened it and led Almasi inside, beaming like a thousand suns. He began kissing her again, starting at her mouth and then planting soft kisses all over her face, down her neck and across her chest. He slipped the straps of her dress down off her shoulders and ran his hands all over her beautiful skin.

Her own hands were working at the buckle of his belt, and then the small white b.u.t.tons of his shirt. She ran a hand across the wall of his muscled chest. His skin was so smooth, and so, so warm. His muscles were well defined, but not so much that it was intimidating. She sighed dreamily. He was perfect.

"Help me get out of this dress," she whispered, and she turned around for him to undo the carefully concealed zipper in the back. The dress fell down, collapsing around her ankles, revealing that she was wearing no bra, and only a small red thong panty made of lace.

Unable to contain himself, Jacob cupped her b.r.e.a.s.t.s in his hands, feeling them fervently, and leaning his head down to kiss across her shoulder and neck from behind. Almasi moaned. She could feel how hard Jacob was as the front of his trousers pressed against her back, and his own moans were unmistakable as she felt him humming against her neck while he kissed her.

Suddenly, she was turned around by his strong, warm hands, and they were facing each other again. Jacob smiled, and Almasi smiled back at him. Carefully, tenderly, he lifted her up in his arms and laid her down on the bed. The softness of the duvet beneath her was like a cloud. Almasi felt like she had died and gone to heaven. As Jacob divested himself of his trousers, she took a deep breath. This was it.

Then she felt his hands on her hips, pulling the last of her clothing, the dainty red thong (which Yifeng had picked out for her a week before and handed to her with a suggestive wink) and tossing it aside. She was fully naked now, and based on the expression of awe on his face, Jacob loved what he was seeing.

Almasi's body was absolutely perfect to Jacob. Although Jacob had been sleeping in the same bed as her for some time now, he had never seen her naked. Her b.r.e.a.s.t.s were soft and round. Her waist tapered in, and she had just the slightest bit of tummy that came with being such a curvy woman. Her hips curved out wide, and her long, beautiful legs with soft thighs were absolutely enticing.

Jacob began to stroke one of her thighs, his hand moving up slowly and gently, arousing her as her hips began to buck subconsciously upwards, desperate for his touch. His warm hand came closer and closer to her center, and she moaned louder and louder as he finally touched her directly between her legs.

He explored her body, listening to the sounds she made, eventually finding the perfect spot that made her eyelids flutter in ecstasy. Working slowly and steadily, kneeling on the bed between her legs with his other hand stroking her hair, her face, her b.r.e.a.s.t.s, he worked his way up to a pace that made Almasi feel like she was going to explode inside.

Eventually, she cried out and sank back into the bed, her chest heaving up and down as the shock of her o.r.g.a.s.m removed all of the tension from her body. She opened her eyes and smiled up at Jacob. He was kneeling over her, his handsome face so sincere, his blue eyes gleaming with pa.s.sion and desire.

Jacob leaned down and kissed his wife full on the mouth, and then whispered, "One second." He got up and opened a drawer, removing a condom and opening the wrapper with a quiet crinkle. Once had had it on, he went back to the bed, and Almasi spread her legs for him to enter her. She leaned back in antic.i.p.ation, her heart beating hard again.

She had never done this before, but she trusted Jacob with all her heart. She knew she could open herself to him. As he positioned himself at the outside of her, her eyes grew wide and he looked at her in surprise for a moment.

"What is it?" he asked in a husky whisper.

She bit her lip and said softly, "I haven't done this before."

He stared at her unblinking and said, "You've never ever done this before? You're a virgin?" The idea was almost alien to him, but his heart swelled at the knowledge that this incredible woman beneath him had chosen to give herself to him for her first taste of physical love.

He leaned over and kissed her mouth tenderly. "I'm going to show you things you have never imagined, and I promise to be careful with you. The best thing you can do is to tell me what you like the most, and we can learn to be good lovers together."

She kissed him back, and as his tongue was tracing over hers, he slowly pushed himself inside of her, inch by inch. At first, there was a sharp pain, but then as her body acclimated to holding his within her, the pain dissolved and intense pleasure took its place. He began to move back and forth inside of her slowly, and she gasped, and let him take control of their rhythm and pace.

Somehow in the course of things, the couple ended up rolling to change positions, and suddenly Almasi found herself on top of Jacob. She was surprised at her own comfort with this, as she moved her hips and watched him moaning beneath her. She felt affection and pa.s.sion, and a little bit of mischief as she used her power over him to make him cry out in pleasure. With a roll of her hips, his eyes, which had been closed, suddenly opened, and his pupils were more dilated than she had ever seen them as he shuddered to his climax and cried out her name.

This sight put her over her own edge, and she came for the second time that night, the two of them gasping and crying and laughing together as they reached their o.r.g.a.s.ms together. They rolled over, lying side by side, listening to each other's heartbeats and sighing in each other's arms.

They would go at it again, and again, many times that night. And the s.e.x was really, really good. Jacob lived up to his reputation and then some. Later, the maids would be whispering to each other about the cries of pleasure they had heard from the new lady of the house.

Almasi was new to all of this, but she learned quickly, and Jacob was proud of his beautiful, smart, and now evidently talented wife. They spent the entirety of the next day in bed, and Jacob put his phone on silent, ignoring any calls from Jeremy or whoever else might want his attention.

This was the first time he had ever slept with a woman and stuck around afterward. He wanted to make it special for this special woman, and that meant giving her his undivided attention. Almasi absolutely basked in his devotion. She truly was born to be a queen. But inevitably, after a slow, languorous day of hot touches and soft moans, there was work to be done. So they reluctantly donned their clothing and exchanged one last, slow kiss before heading downstairs to get to work.

Jacob checked his phone messages-there were twelve from Jeremy (typical!)-and finalized his preparations for Mr. k.u.mi's visit the next day. Almasi wrote more in her diary and then discussed the meal menu for the upcoming weeks with the chef. They met up again at 7:00 for dinner, and then, after another bout of lovemaking, they both fell asleep early, this time wrapped in each other's arms with her head resting on his chest.

Eventually, the morning came, and there was lots and lots of work to do for the big arrival. Mr. Arko k.u.mi and his younger brother, Mr. Kofi k.u.mi, would be arriving at the airport at 11:00 and at the mansion no later than noon. While Jacob went over his business proposal speech, Almasi was busy with Yifeng, selecting a dress that would be flattering but appropriate for greeting the notably conservative guests.

"This is so exciting, M--Almasi!" exclaimed Yifeng. Almasi had finally gotten the young woman to stop using such formal terms when she spoke to her. Almasi had not really had many friends when she left to live with Jacob, and now she was completely alone except for her husband and the service staff. Talking to another woman around her age was a relief, and the last thing she wanted was to spoil it by having the other woman show such unnecessary, and frankly, unnerving deference to her.

"That it is, Yifeng," said Almasi. Truth be told, Almasi was more nervous than excited. She fiddled with the engagement and wedding rings on her hand. Of course, Mr. k.u.mi would believe it was real ... right? There were still knots in her stomach as she stepped into her dark blue dress. Deep breathing. In, out. In, out. She caught Yifeng's eyes in the mirror and smiled. She would be okay, she knew it. She had her own wardrobe a.s.sistant, for crying out loud. And her husband was clever, and apt, and charming, and... Yes. It would all be completely fine.

When the doorbell rang and a maid hurried down the hall to answer it, Almasi and Jacob were in the foyer. Jacob could tell that Almasi was frightened. She'd had a fitful sleep the night before. He reached for her hand and squeezed it. She turned her head to look at him, and he smiled. She smiled back. "It is going to be okay," he whispered. She nodded. It would be.

"Mr. Arko k.u.mi and his brother, Mr. Kofi k.u.mi," announced the maid, and the two men entered the foyer. Mr. Arko k.u.mi was tall and slim, and wore a very fancy suit. His curly black hair was cropped short, and he had a severe expression on his face that reminded Jacob a little bit of Jeremy.

Mr. Kofi k.u.mi was dressed a bit more casually, wearing a white shirt with rolled up sleeves and dress pants. His hair was also cropped short like his brother's, but his facial expression was a little more relaxed. He was the first to speak.

"Mr. Adamson. I am Kofi k.u.mi, and this is my brother, the man who is here to meet with you, Mr. Arko k.u.mi. Thank you for welcoming us so generously into your home," he said, reaching out to shake Jacob's hand. Then he looked at Almasi. "And this must be the missus! It is pleasure to meet you, Madame." Almasi shook his hand and gave him a small smile.

"The pleasure is mine and my wife, Almasi's, Mr. k.u.mi," said Jacob. He reached his hand to Mr. Arko k.u.mi. "Thank you for coming so far to do business with Adamson Jewelry Incorporated. I promise you will not regret it."

Mr. Arko k.u.mi took Jacob's hand and shook it firmly. He had a very tight grip, Jacob noticed. "We will see about that," he said, but his tone was not unkind. He nodded to Almasi. "Madame."

Almasi reached out to shake Mr. Arko k.u.mi's hand, but he didn't seem to notice. He turned back to Jacob. "Our luggage is in the limousine. I trust you will have your servants carry it up to our rooms." He did not pose it as a question.

"Yes, immediately, sir." Jacob called for a maid, and detailed Mr. Arko k.u.mi's request, and the she disappeared into the hall again. He turned back to Mr. Arko k.u.mi. "Now, Mr. k.u.mi, my cook has prepared some hors d'oeuvres and other refreshments. Shall we sit on the back patio and talk, sir?" Almasi hid her amus.e.m.e.nt at seeing Jacob call another man "sir."

Around here, he was the top man in town, and so it was very strange and rather hilarious to see her husband talked down to by somebody else, especially someone who was staying in Jacob's own home. However, Jacob, who was always gracious, took to it very well. It just showed what capable hands she was in, Almasi reminded herself.

"Yes," said Mr. Arko k.u.mi. "That will be very satisfactory." And so, with Jacob leading the way, the party made their way to the patio. A large spread of all kinds of different foods awaited them there: samosas, spring rolls, spanakopita, little cheese with olives, caviar, deviled eggs, dips and breads and vegetables, and a whole other a.s.sortment of various kinds of delicacies were served on beautiful china.

Almasi made a mental note to praise the cook later; he had really outdone himself. Maybe she would even suggest that Jacob give him a raise. The selection was breathtaking.

"We have a few different wines available," said Jacob, addressing Mr. Arko k.u.mi again. "Would you prefer white or red?"

"White," said Mr. Arko k.u.mi. He did not seem unhappy, but he was terse, and did not use more words than he needed to.

Jacob seemed unfazed. "And you, sir?" He was addressing Mr. Kofi k.u.mi now.

"White as well, please," said Mr. Kofi k.u.mi politely, and Almasi smiled. At least this one had manners, unlike his stuck-up brother.

They talked business over this afternoon feast. Almasi quickly became bored, as Mr. Arko k.u.mi clearly had no time for her. The only question he asked her was whether or not she'd had any children. She replied that she had not. "Soon," he said in response. Almasi did not know what to make of that answer. Was it a suggestion, or a prediction? Either way, he said nothing more to her, and she had to amuse herself by imagining all of the various things she could be doing if she weren't stuck outside with these boring people and their boring boys' club.

Eventually, Almasi excused herself from the patio, saying she had to attend to something and that she would be right back. She snuck up the stairs to her lounge and retrieved her diary. After pulling the necklace with the silver key out from under her dress, she quickly unlocked it, and then grabbed a pen from her desk and began to write.

She was rage scrawling, talking about how bored she was and how irritating men and their stupid exclusive deals were and making that note to reward the chef and writing about Mr. Arko k.u.mi and his annoying, lifeless face and, and- Oh, no. Oh no, oh no, oh no. Somehow, in her rush of words, Almasi had broken her pen, and now the ink was bleeding across her hands and onto the lap of her dress. She stood up quickly, cursing quietly to herself. She couldn't go back out like this. And to get to her room from the lounge would mean walking across the main hall and going up the stairs. Praying that n.o.body would see her and that her absence had gone unnoticed, Almasi walked out into the hall and turned the corner fast and- -and b.u.mped directly into Mr. Kofi k.u.mi.

Almasi swore loudly and then looked up at the man in front of her. He was tall. Not as tall as his brother, but taller than Jacob, and most definitely taller than Almasi. She took a deep breath. "H-hi," she began. This was not going well. She breathed in again. "Mr. k.u.mi."

The man smiled down at her. "Please, Mrs. Adamson," he said. "Call me Kofi."

She didn't bother to correct him by saying that technically she had kept her maiden name and was therefore Mrs. Quinn.

"If you would just excuse me-" she began, but just then he noticed her ink stains and interrupted her.

"Ah, sneaking off to go writing, are you?" Mr. Kofi k.u.mi asked. "Letters, perhaps? A grocery list? A secret diary?" He was teasing her now, but he had also hit a little too close to home. She frowned. "You might not want to make it so obvious," he continued. "My brother does not approve of impoliteness."

That was rich, to be saying this of the man who had not even bothered to greet her properly. "I suggest you clean that up. I can escort you, if you would like." His smile was charming, and his dark brown eyes danced playfully, with laugh lines crinkling around the sides.

"No thank you, sir," she said. "I will be back out in a few minutes. Just enjoy your wine and food." As she turned to go up to the washroom, she paused. "Oh, and Mr. k.u.mi?"

He looked back at her "Yes?"

"Please don't tell them you saw me like this."

"I will not. I am a man of great discretion." He smiled at her. "And it is Kofi, Mrs. Adamson."

She smiled back at him in relief. "Thank you, Kofi. And call me Almasi."

"It is no trouble at all, Almasi." And with that, Mr. Kofi k.u.mi was gone.

It only took Almasi a few minutes to scrub her hands clean, and a few more to pick out a dress that looked similar enough to the first one that it wouldn't draw too much attention. She left a quick note for the maid, Beatrice, writing in pencil so as not to risk another ink accident. The she slipped downstairs, and fortunately didn't b.u.mp into anyone else on her way back to the patio.

The others barely seemed to notice when she came back and sat down in her chair. Jacob was deeply engrossed in a conversation with Mr. Arko k.u.mi about the pricing of diamonds versus rubies, emeralds, and sapphires, and as she sat down, Mr. Kofi k.u.mi made eye contact with her and winked. Her secret was safe with him, she was certain. So Almasi breathed a sigh of relief and took a sip of her wine, tuning out the conversation and listening to the sound of the light breeze rustling the leaves of the nearby trees. It will all be over soon, she thought. Soon.

The next morning was the first shop tour of the visit. The idea was that Mr. Arko k.u.mi and his brother would visit all of the nearby shops that Jacob owned to get a sense of the spirit of the company. Almasi would come along to show good form. Although she was clearly of no interest to Mr. Arko k.u.mi, Jeremy had insisted that this was the best way to incorporate a sense of family values and loyalty to tradition.

Jacob had agreed, and, well, Almasi couldn't really argue. She was being paid for this, she kept reminding herself. Pretty soon, that million dollars would be hers. As for her relationship with Jacob... well, she would cross that bridge when she came to it. If all he needed her for was her presence, and some convenient s.e.x for a month, she could take it. She refused to admit to herself how much that could break her heart. Now was not the time for her to have a woman's heart. This was business, not pleasure.

The morning of the first shop tour, Almasi was in such a rush that she didn't even have time to think about writing in her diary, which she had left on the table of her lounge. Instead, her mind was focused on selecting her "shop viewing dress," and getting into the shoes, the jewelry, putting on the makeup and doing her own hair-Yifeng still had yet to master how to tame natural black woman curls the way Almasi could-and then of course, getting into the limo with everybody else.

Once they were on their way, all the men did was talk of business. Although Almasi knew plenty about commerce -- she had a university degree in it, after all,-she knew that Mr. Arko k.u.mi would not value her input the way Jacob did, so she stayed silent and looked out the window. Jacob was too transfixed with his business deal to pay her any attention, but Mr. Kofi k.u.mi made eye contact with her a couple of times, showing sympathetic expressions and occasionally rolling his eyes when his brother wasn't looking.

While Mr. Arko k.u.mi embodied the spirit of business, with his brusque, to-the-point att.i.tude, his brother Kofi was the very spirit of pleasure. Oh, he sat obediently through the meetings, and showed feigned interest at the jewelry shops, but it was evident that all he really wanted was to get this over with and have some fun.

Almasi was not so sure that she approved of his lackadaisical, even hedonistic att.i.tude, but her frustration with the situation was enough that she could certainly sympathize with his boredom. At least he had the chance to be included in the conversation, though, which was far more than could be said for Almasi.

While Jacob paid her due attention every night, and seemed thrilled to be around her and to kiss her and love her, he also knew that he could not risk upsetting his client by letting it seem like his wife was involved in his official company business. After a few days of the Ghanaian guests' visit, Almasi found that she was growing tired of this arrangement. She kept pushing through, though, for the sake of the money, and also... also, maybe a little bit for Jacob's sake.

He had no time to see that her fondness had grown into love, so she was becoming a little less careful now. If he was completely consumed by thoughts about the diamond deal, perhaps he wouldn't notice the way she whispered "I love you" to him when she was sure he was asleep, and perhaps he wouldn't notice the way her smile grew soft and sappy whenever he gave her a bit of his time in his busy, busy day.

The one person who did give Almasi time from his day was Mr. Kofi k.u.mi. Ever bored with his brother's financial plans, Mr. Kofi k.u.mi had taken to talking to Jacob's young wife whenever he had the chance. Between meals, in the limo, and if they saw each other in the hallway by chance. Almasi was beginning to find that he always turned up in the same hallway as her as if by chance in a way that really seemed like it was planned. A week into his and his brother's stay at the Adamson mansion, Almasi confronted him about it after he mysteriously turned up in the hall near her bathroom as she was walking to the master bedroom in a big fluffy bathrobe and towel from her shower. He gave her quite a fright when he appeared, so much so that she nearly dropped her towel.

"Mr.Kofi!" she exclaimed. What in G.o.d's name was he doing here?

"Ah, Almasi," he said, his eyes gleaming as he looked her up and down. "Caught you at a bad time, perhaps?"

Almasi was in no mood for Mr. Kofi k.u.mi's games. "Clearly," she said, gesturing to her bathrobe. "Now, if you will just excuse me, I'm-"

"Wait one moment, Almasi." Mr. Kofi k.u.mi was leaning in the doorway now, leering at her. "I have a proposal for you."

"A proposal?" What was on earth was this man talking about? Evidently, he was deranged, or else he would not have even thought about stepping into Almasi and Jacob's private hallway.

"Well... more like a proposition." He smiled at her again. "You see, I have noticed a certain... lack in your interest in your husband's affairs since the beginning of our visit here at Adamson Mansion."

"What are you talking about? You know that I'm invested in this diamond deal just as much as Jacob is." Even more than he was; she was the one whose life had been completely turned upside down by this scheme.

"Yes, but you know that my brother has no interest in women being in his workforce. He says a lady's place is in the kitchen and the bedroom, not in the study." His tone was mocking now, and Almasi took the bait without thinking.

"Listen, if you think for one second that Jacob believes-" she began angrily.

"Oh, Almasi, no. I know that your dear Mr. Adamson treasures intellect equally in both of the genders," interrupted Kofi k.u.mi. "It's obvious that he is simply playing along with old fashioned misogynistic views for my brother's benefit. I am sure that he normally loves, cherishes, and values you very, very much. Why else would such a rich and prosperous man have taken you for his wife?"

This last sentence sounded somewhat doubting, a little insincere. Almasi was suddenly reminded of how, at the end of the day, this really was just a p.a.w.n in this business game to Jacob, too. She frowned. She could tell that he was playing her, but she couldn't for the life of her figure out what he was getting at. "So, what's your point?"

"I just think that a woman such as you, a woman so brilliant, so beautiful," he reached out to touch her cheek with the tips of his fingers. "Well... she deserves attention. More attention than you are receiving from your husband."

Almasi froze. He could not be serious. Was he joking? This man, coming to her in her and her husband's own private hallway, and waiting until she was vulnerable so he could pounce on her?

"No. Absolutely not. I would never betray my " She moved her face away from his hand and took a step back. "I would never betray my husband like that. Ever."

Mr. Kofi k.u.mi shrugged and stepped back, raising his hands in a gesture of faux innocence. "I am sure that you'd like to think that," he said. "So I'll give you some time, and you can mull the idea over." He seemed to have another thought. "Think about it," he added. "Rich men take mistresses all the time.

Don't look at me with that face, you know it to be true. So, Ms. Gender Equality, why can you not take a lover of your own for a short while? One who will pay attention to you?" He leaned in closer. "One who will give you all of the pleasure that your husband denies you when he sits all day negotiating diamond trades?"