Chapter 74 - In His Arms

Jasmine

I cried for the longest time. My eyes felt thick and my throat hurt from sobbing.

Benjamin kept wiping away the tears, but the constant flood of tears continued. It was like all the emotions I had been piling up, these last weeks were finally being released.

"Benjamin I am not ready to come back to you." I said looking up at him. Benjamin sighed and ran his hand through his hair. "I know, but you will be in time." He said scrutinizing my face.

"Could you please move back my stuff?" I asked him feverishly.

"No." Benjamin's voice was strained.

"You will sleep in my arms, every night from now on." He said in authority.

"What?!" Was he being serious? He did not say anything and only held my gaze. It did not seem it was a subject that was up for discussion. "In your arms?!" I repeated in disbelieve.

"Yeah, exactly." He said in seriousness. I pinched my eyes shut and counted to sixty.

"WHY!" I shouted much louder than I originally intended to do so. I saw several expressions cross his face. Shock first, because he probably did not expect my unwillingness to his command, and then I saw humor. He found my reaction funny.

"Our laws state that a woman cannot deny her husband relationship." He began. If my eyes could set him on fire, he would go up in flames! Benjamin chuckled. "But a man can never force a woman to do so." I saw a hint of a smile linger on his lips.

He took my face into his hands again. "I have promised you and I will promise you again; I will never force you, or hurt you." Benjamin said trying to calm me down.

"Still, there is a wisdom behind these laws." He pouted his lips. He sighed. "Men are defaulted by the way they are hotwired." He said.

"What in God's name are you talking about." I said raising one eyebrow. Benjamin glanced at his watch. "I don't have much time." He sighed.

I made an irritated sound and Benjamin chuckled again. He closed the distance between us and kissed me with force. With his lips against mine he spoke; "I'll see you at dinner and I can't wait for the night to fall."

My eyes grew wide. I heard him roar with laughter, as he darted back inside the palace and left me under the willow.

I lingered in the garden for a while. Going back inside, meant going back to Benjamin's, or I suppose our wing. I was not ready for that. The man had nerves. 'Spending the nights in his arms'. What the heck was he trying to accomplish?

I got out from under the tree and I laid on the damp grass. I closed my eyes and thought about everything the future held. Benjamin was becoming Sultan. Would he gain the support of his family?! I was afraid of the possible rath, this new position would bring us.

"Jasmine." I heard someone say. I immediately opened my eyes. "Naïma!" I exclaimed. I stood up and ran towards her. We flew into each other's arms. "Let me look at you." I said creating space between us.

Her cheeks seemed fuller and so did the rest of her. "Turn around." I said smiling at her. "You seem different." I told her.

"Yes." She said as joy overwhelmed her. "I am different." She cheered. "I am no longer only me." Naïma said. "I am us." She said meaningfully.

It took me a while to grasp what she was saying. "No? really?" I shouted. Naïma nodded enthusiastically. "How?" I asked in plain shock.

"You know how." Naïma said flushed. "But is hasn't been that long right?" I calculated in my head. "It only takes once." She said sheepishly.

"Are you not pregnant yet?" Naïma questioned. No, I was definitely not. I shook my head. Naïma's face looked pitiful.

"It's good to have a nine month break of marriage duties." She smiled. "What do you mean?" I questioned. I was well aware of the fact that I should really watch my words. I was a married virgin and that was not something people took lightheartedly.

"You know." Naïma said. Nope, I did not. "Yeah sure." I bluffed. "How is our father?" Naïma asked. "He doesn't want much company." I said I looking at the two birds on a branch. "Besides, Saeed visits him a lot." I turned to look at her.

"Did he ever harass you again?" Violent images of the past sprang to mind.

I shivered.

"I haven't seen him once." I said relieved.

Naïma came to sit next to me on the grass. "How was your honeymoon?" I said curious. Benjamin and I would go on a honeymoon in two months because of his studies. Or at least, we would before we had that fight.

"He took me to Spain." Naïma said rubbing her belly. "How do the two of you get along?" I wondered. "Daniel tries." Naïma simply said. "What do you mean?" I said as I touched Naïma's stomach. "I don't know, it's hard to get to know someone and already having to be his wife." She said meaningfully.

"Did it hurt?" I couldn't help myself for asking. "Of course it does." She shrugged. "Weren't you in pain?" I thought of Benjamin kissing me and his hands that kept pressing our body's together. I thought of the way a tenderness inside me had built up, and the release I felt when my body started to shiver.

"No." I breathed. "Benjamin says it is not supposed to hurt." I remember him saying that. Naïma seemed confused. "Does he not please you as well?"

"What do you mean?" Naïma said. I felt a little awkward. "Uhmm… I started."

"Does he give you a release as well?" I said blinking a few times.

"You mean like how a man releases?" Shoot… I had never really seen how that happens. "Yes, I guess so." I told her, hoping I said something that made sense.

"Have you ever?!" Naïma asked, disbelieve coloring her tone. I nodded. Naïma was quiet now. "How?!" She demanded to know. "I don't know really how it works... but is feels as if you explode." I shrugged.

"I see." Was the only thing Naïma said. "My class it about to start." I said looking at the watch Benjamin had given me for my birthday. "You can come if you want?" I invited her.

"No, I think I'll take a nap." Naïma said rubbing her belly again.

My lessons went by in a breeze. The sultan had been so kind to me, for arranging daily classes in every subject I was interested in.

I sat at my desk, that had been moved to Benjamin's chamber, when he walked in. Benjamin loosened his tie and walked up to me. He groaned a little and pecked my cheek from behind my chair.

"How was your day?" I asked as I stood up. Benjamin poured himself a drink. "Do you want one?" He asked. "That's alcohol right?" I almost whispered.

Benjamin grinned. "You are laughing at me!" I said. "I'm sorry." He chuckled. "I just remembered the first time you drank. You were being so brave." He smiled again.

"I didn't feel so brave the next day though." I said flushed. Benjamin burst out in laughter and I joined him. "Here." He said as he handed me a crystal glass. "I'll show you how it's done without feeling bad the next day." His eyes were dancing.

"Did you know you were committing a felony that night?" I asked him while I took a sip of the brandy. "What do you mean?" Benjamin said as he played with one of my curls.

"We were all drinking under age." I said. Benjamin smiled his crooked smile. "How did you even manage to do that?" I shot him a glance.

"The perks of being the owner of the club." He smiled brightly. "You own that club?!" I asked incredulous. "Yeah, I do and many more across the country." He said as he tilted my chin, so he could look into my eyes.

"Naïma is back…" I trailed off. "How is she?" He cocked his head to the side, looking at me. "She is pregnant." I said in horror.

"Oh." He mouthed. "That was fast." He said with pouted lips.

"She said it only takes once." I cringed by the idea. Benjamin stroke my lower lip. "Fair enough." He smiled. "Why are you looking at me like that?" Benjamin mumbled with humor in his eyes.

"She said it hurt!" I said in shock. "That's…" Benjamin seemed to ponder that. "Really?!" He asked concerned. I nodded heavily.

"Only the first time, or still?" He questioned. "It did not seem as she enjoyed the event." I said awkwardly. "I would have to talk to Dan about that." Benjamin said thoughtfully.

"Naïma told me that she had never experienced…" I sighed. "Well I mean… I mean that she never." I had a hard time getting it off my lips. "That he had never pleased her until her body gave her a release." I looked up at him from under my lashes.

Benjamin's lips were pressed together and I saw that he was really trying not to laugh. He chuckled anyway and stroke one hand through his hair. "And have you told her that she was not supposed to hurt?" Benjamin cocked his head in amusement.

"Yes." I said nodding. "What if I was lying?" He teased me. "Those eyes." He snickered. He parted my mouth with his and kissed me. "I'm kidding." He said.

I narrowed my eyes at him. "I'll proof it to you soon enough." He smiled crookedly.. My eyes grew wide again.