“Yes,” he said, chuckling. Quite often, in fact. Kassie discovered it under my bed when I left for college. One day she questioned me about it. That’s when I admitted to her how much I loved you and had loved you forever.”
She broke eye contact with him to open the book. The first poem was titledCamille. She silently read it and fought back tears. It was so beautiful, and knowing he had written it for her touched her deeply, making her realize the depth of his love. “You do love me, too,” she said softly, amazed.
“Yes, I do love you, too, Cam. And not just as a best friend. But I was too afraid to ask for more, for the same reason you were. I didn’t want to do anything to risk the close friendship we have.” A smile touched his lips. “I love you, Camille Jaclyn McGraff.”
Tears she couldn’t hold back streamed down her face, and she couldn’t swipe them away fast enough. He took the journal from her to place on the counter before leaning in to lick them away. He then pulled her into his arms and held her. The way she had always wanted to be held by him. Not as a best friend but as someone more.
He was holding her close as if he never intended to let her go. The way his body was pressed against hers made her aware of every inch of him. She was taking him all in, his scent, the heat of his skin… He pulled back slightly to gaze down at her, and the look in his eyes told her everything she needed to know. Why hadn’t she taken the time to look that closely before?
“I love you, Camille. There’s never been anyone but you. I read an article that said a kiss on the forehead symbolized deep love and affection, and I’ve kissed you on the forehead ever since.”
She shook her head. “I didn’t know.”
“I didn’t want to tell you how I felt for fear of losing our friendship. I had no idea that you had those same fears.”
“Rae must have read that same article because she mentioned something about that to me. But I didn’t want to get my hopes up.”
“Now you know. Nowweknow. Moving forward, we will speak our feelings out loud. “I love you.”
“And I love you, Dre.”
Smiling, he leaned in to kiss her. And all was well with her world.
***
The moment their lips touched, Léandre was overcome with happiness. Camille loved him the way he loved her, and they would have a future together. It would be different, but they had a good base to build on. Kassie had been right all along.
The kind of kiss they were now sharing meant everything. It was what he had dreamed of for so many years. She smelled like honeysuckle, and tasted of the mint tea she enjoyed drinking every morning. Their tongues tangled, arousing him more than any kiss ever had. It felt like a welcome-home kind of kiss, and he knew immediately that that was where he was—home.
When he heard her moan, he deepened the kiss, loving the very essence of her taste and the heat of desire they were both sharing. It had taken years, but this was what was meant to be. He was putting everything he had into this, kissing her with his entire heart, body, and soul. When she moaned again, he groaned in response.
Breaking off the kiss, he pulled her into his arms, holding her close to his heart. “I love you so much, Cam,” he whispered close to her ear before tracing it with his tongue. He had to say the words again, needing her to understand how much he meant them. And he would tell her every single day. He placed afeather-like kiss on her forehead, and she sighed, now knowing what it meant.
She tightened her arms around his neck and whispered. “And I love you, Dre. For always. I can’t wait to read the rest of my poems.”
“And you will, but not now.” Sweeping her into his arms, he headed for his bedroom.
CHAPTER 16
Cobra arrived home from Savannah later than he had planned due to flight delays. Still, he had some time before his dinner with Desiree. And he couldn’t wait for that. All the uncertainties and doubts he’d had about being with her had faded from his mind. All it had taken was three days spent with his brothers, who had always been his best friends. Surprisingly, they hadn’t mentioned anything about the bet, and he was relieved. It was as if they had decided they’d accept the outcome, for better or worse. But then, they might not have mentioned it because they were sure they were going to win, and didn’t want to rub it in. If that were the case, he would just have to prove them wrong.
After rolling his luggage into his bedroom, he pulled out the recipe his mother had given him from his carry-on bag. A short while later, he had ordered all the ingredients from the marketplace he normally used, with arrangements for everything to be delivered to his door.
He’d never invited a woman to his home for a meal. Never. But tonight, not only had he invited Desiree, but he was also actually looking forward to cooking for her.
With nothing left to do until his groceries arrived, he was about to go into the living room when he saw the packet from Landon on his dining room table. He picked it up, figuring it might be a good time to review it. Staring at it for a moment, he placed it back on the table. There was another way to handle it.
***
Desiree slid onto the leather seat of the private car Cobra had sent for her. Although she hadn’t spoken with him since Sunday night, she had texted him earlier today, telling him that she was looking forward to seeing him and asking that the car pick her up from home rather than the office, so she could change clothes. She wanted to look her best for him.
She looked down at herself. She’d loved this sundress the moment she had seen it when she’d been out shopping a few weekends ago. Both excitement and apprehension were warring inside of her. She had no idea what to expect tonight.
Once she entered his home, she would be at his mercy. Well, it was too late to worry about that now. Besides, she trusted him. He had told her he had a lot of self-discipline, and he had proven it to her — several times. But there was no reason she couldn’t try to tempt him and see just how far he’d go.
“We’ve arrived, Ms. Sharpe.”
Was she here already? She remembered him telling her that he lived in Harlem, but she hadn’t known his place was this close to her grandfather’s home. Less than a couple of miles. Glancing out the window, she gazed at the brownstone outside the car. It was stunning, stately, and charming, just like the man who lived there.
