“Why, though? Why the hell would you give up the sport you’ve spent your entire life playing for me?”
“Because I’m in love with you!” I shout, louder than intended, before cringing and scrubbing my hands over my face. “Fuck. That’s not how I meant to tell you. I wasn’t going to tell you at all yet.”
“You… love me?”
I let out a defeated breath and wrap my arms around her. “Yes. I love you, Zhuri. In a pathetic, sappy,going-to-love-you-for-the-rest-of-my-lifekind of way.”
“I don’t think it’s pathetic,” she smiles softly. “I love you, too, Cameron. I’ve been trying to fight it off, but I’m learning I can’t fight off anything when it comes to you.”
I light up with the brightest smile on my face. “You love me?”
Zhuri nods. “I do. I love you. I don’t care how quickly it happened because I know this is real.”
I scoop her up into my arms, and she wraps her legs around my waist as I kiss her desperately, trying to make sure this isn’t a dream.
And it isn’t.
The woman I’m in love with loves me back.
Good things like this don’t happen to me, and everything feels so surreal right now, but fuck if I’m not going to make the most of it.
Zhuri doesn’t protest as I carry her down the hall to my bedroom, our current predicament all but forgotten. If that picture was sent to Sean like the sender said, there’s nothing we can do, and I won’t let it stop me from showing this woman how much I love her.
Hell, I’ll tell Sean that myself.
I lay Zhuri down on my bed, bracketing myself on top of her as I swipe my tongue against hers. She slips her hands under the hem of my T-shirt, letting her fingers delicately trace over the cut of my abs.
When we finally break apart, both gasping for breath, I press my forehead to hers and get lost in her deep brown eyes. “I love you, Zhuri.Fuck,I love you.”
Her smile is the sweetest thing I’ve ever seen.
“I love you, too. Thank you for letting me get to know you this summer.”
“It’s the best thing I’ve ever done, baby. I still can’t believe I get to have you like this.”
“Believe it,” she murmurs, moving her arms to wrap them around my shoulders. “I’m yours, Cameron.”
“I’m yours, too,” I reply. “I’ve never belonged to anybody the way I belong to you.”
“Have you ever made love to a woman before?”
I shake my head. “No, but it’s the only thing I want to do right now.”
“Then do it,” Zhuri says before kissing me and bringing my hand to the hem of her shirt. “Make love to me, Cameron.”
Nothing about this moment is hurried. We take our time removing our clothing one piece at a time until we’re both bare, lying naked beside each other.
We move up the bed, and Zhuri positions her head on a pillow, dark curly hair fanning out around her with a loving glow brightening her smile.
I shake my head in pure disbelief, still having no idea what I did to deserve her.
“You’re so goddamn beautiful that it hurts, Zhuri. From the moment we met, I’ve thought that, and getting to have you here with me like this is overwhelming in the best way. I feel… happy. Just genuinely fucking happy for the first time in my life.”
She leans up and presses a soft kiss to my lips. “You deserve all the happiness in the world, Cam, and I’m so glad you found it with me.”
“I don’t want happiness if it isn’t with you,ljepota.”
We kiss again as we get into position. I slot myself between her legs, swiping the head of my cock through her center to make sure she’s wet enough for me.
