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He didn’t even bother answering. He slapped her ass to still her movements before carrying her back into the house. Once they were in the living room, he dumped her on the couch.
“I’m leaving,” she insisted while trying to sit up.
“You’re not going anywhere.” He pushed her back to lie down then came over her. “We still have things to discuss.”
“We’ve got nothing to discuss,” she insisted while determinedly avoiding his eyes. Clearly, she was still mortified. If her skin was a lighter shade, she would be beet red.
Xolani’s shyness was incredibly cute and made him love her even more. He bent to place a soft kiss on the tip of her nose. “So you love me, huh?”
“Wh_ what?” Xolani blustered while her eyes darted everywhere and nowhere. “No.”
“You can’t deny it.” He grabbed her chin and turned her face until she was looking right at him. “You already said it. I heard you.”
Panic suffused her expression, and she sounded breathless as she said, “Forget about it. I was distressed. I was babbling nonsense.”
“So you lied?” He arched his eyebrows. “You don’t love me?”
She didn’t answer for a good five seconds. She just stared at him until he started to think that she would never admit it. But then she sighed her surrender. “Okay, fine. You win. I love you.”
Even though getting that confession from her was like pulling teeth, he was infinitely elated. He pressed a fast hard kiss to her lips. “No, we both win. I love you too.”
Her bottom lip jutted out in a pout. “You’re just saying that because I said it.”
“Did I scam you in a previous life?” he teased with a chuckle. “Why don’t you ever trust me?”
“I trust you. I really do,” she immediately asserted. “It’s just… I didn’t expect to feel this way, and I didn’t think that you also felt the same.”
“Now you know. I love you, Xolani, more than I can even explain.” He’d never thought of himself as poetic but the words flowed from him like they’d just been waiting to be released. “I thought I knew what love felt like before, but I didn’t. Nothing I’ve experienced before can compare to what I feel for you. It feels like my heart was always empty and I didn’t even know it. Now that you’re here, I feel incredibly full and complete. You’re the piece I was missing.”
“Oh, Barry…” she breathed, her lower lip quivering. “Do you really mean all that?”
“With all my heart,” he assured her. “But that doesn’t mean that I’ll force you to be with me. If you still have doubts about me and need time to_”
“I don’t need any more time.” She cut him off. Her arms came around his neck and she declared, “Let’s date.”
“Are you sure about that?” He reminded her, “Last night_”
“I was being dumb and focusing on the past rather than the present.” She lifted her head to kiss his lips softly. “I was just scared and grabbing at any excuse I could find to keep from committing. But when I heard you were leaving, I realized that I couldn’t bear not being with you, that I need you in my life. I won’t let fear guide me anymore. From now on, I’ll just focus on loving you and shutting out the noise.”
Relief and happiness swept through him, bringing a smile to his face. He couldn’t have asked for sweeter words if he’d penned them himself. Still, her previous concerns weighed on him. He wanted her to come into their relationship without any fear or distrust. He wanted her to be sure that he was all in and that his heart, soul, and body all belonged to her and her alone.
Gazing at her solemnly, he vowed, “I promise, you’ll never have to worry about other women taking my attention. You’re the only woman I see, the only one I want.”
“You’re the only man I want too.” She smiled, truly smiled, the kind of smile that made his heart skip and cartwheel. “I love you, Boyfriend.”
“I love you too, Girlfriend.” His lips came down to meet hers in a poignant passion.
The kiss was tender and ardent, yet it felt different somehow. It was richer, deeper, sweeter, and uninhibited. There was no restraint in it; just pure love, trust and need. It made his heart soften and melt.
When her hands began to move over his body, he returned her touches with urgent yet tender touches of his own that sought to show her just how much he loved her. In that sea of kisses and touches, they made their way upstairs to his bedroom, leaving a trail of clothes in their wake.
When they reached his bedroom, Barry set her on the bed then stretched out atop her. She widened her thighs to accommodate him as he fit his lower body there. He pushed himself inside her and started to move.
Xolani clung to him, arms and legs entangled with his, hands roaming his body as they both climbed toward climax. The intensity of their emotions and the sweetness of the physical contact sent them both tumbling over the cliff just minutes later.
After it was over, Barry wrapped his arm around her and held her against him. Smiling, he luxuriated in the feeling of being loved and in love.
Xolani opened heavy, drowsy eyes to meet his. When she found him watching her, she smiled. “I love you.”
