He hugged me and kissed my cheek. "Thanks. I didn't intend for you to be cooking."
"It's okay. I like doing stuff for you." I squeezed the muscles in his arms. "Think of it as payback for me bossing you around in the gym."
"You don't need to pay me back for anything. Being with you is enough."
I pressed my cheek to his chest and hugged him again. "That's sweet."
He tipped my chin up with his finger. "No, it's reality."
He stared into my eyes until I grew uncomfortable and shifted my gaze.
Kofi sighed, then covered my mouth with his. His kiss was so tender, it made me want to cry. As the moments passed the sweetness changed, moving from soft to insistent. His tongue danced with mine, demanding what, I didn't know. He kept up his assault until I was breathless.
Groaning, I tried pulling away from him but he wasn't having it. When he didn't stop, I went slack in his arms.
The kiss turned gentle again and I let out a long breath.
Kofi raised his head, but kept his hand on my nape. I didn't know what he was searching for, but he wasn't satisfied because he muttered, "Don't think I've forgotten we need to talk."
My heart sank as Casey's words came back to me. Just when I thought I'd taken a couple of steps forward, it seemed I'd gone back by at least a half dozen. I had been so confident when I told her I was doing much better. Now here I was, terrified at the thought of having anything close to a serious talk with Kofi.
He was still jutting against my belly, so I could have distracted him with more love play or I could have reeled off a funny remark about his timing, but I didn't.
He wasn't a fool and maybe, it was time for us to have that conversation he kept mentioning.
Chapter 12
Kofi
LISTENING TO GINA'Sbrother and his friends made me wonder about her. Why would anyone leave the security of family and friendship to live in an alien land? I'd done it because I wanted more for myself, plus the adventure appealed to the young man I was at seventeen.
Garth and his friends played rough in terms of the jokes they ran with each other, but I understood they could do this because they knew each other so well. Their women—Anna-Lise and Ayisha—were sharp and witty and didn't take any foolishness.
Today, I convinced Gina to pick up a club. It was a pleasure to watch her swing it. She had good form and was graceful. The only thing she needed to stay on top of the game was practice.
Each day I discovered more about Gina. For a reason only she knew, she showed the world a cute and shallow persona. By now, I knew there was a lot more to her than the bubbly character on the surface. What she allowed me to catch so far, were glimpses of the sensitive woman she kept hidden.
