Page 62 of Continuum

“Well, I’m glad you decided to have one with me.” I reached out for his hand and we interlocked fingers.

He brought my hand to his lips. “There’s no one else I would’ve rather spent this weekend with. I…”

He looked like he was debating on whether he should continue speaking, so I nodded slowly. Holding his gaze, I gave him an encouraging squeeze.

“You can tell me anything,” I murmured.

He exhaled. “So, you know how I was telling you that I was working with my therapist on my own shit.”

My stomach began to knot. “Yeah…”

“And she pointed out that when women don’t meet the criteria, I lose interest.”

I swallowed hard.Is this the moment he’s going to tell me that I don’t meet his perfect standard?

“Mm hmm.”

“So when I mentioned timing last night, it was because the last session I had with her was on Thursday. That’s when she told me I was chasing a ghost.” He hesitated for a moment. “The ghost I’ve been chasing all these years is you.”

I searched his face. I wasn’t even sure if I understood what he was saying. “What?”

“The perfect woman for me, the woman I measure every other woman against, is you.”

“But you haven’t known me in so long.” I was in disbelief. My chest tightened and my heart was beating wildly.

“I know.” He reached over the middle console and ran his thumb over my cheek. “But when the therapist was breaking down when the standard was set, it all came back to you. You believed in me when a lot of people didn’t. You supported me in a way that a lot of people couldn’t. And you called me on my shit in a way that a lot of people wouldn’t.”

“If I was the perfect woman for you, why didn’t you say anything? I was in love with you the whole time I tutored you.”

“I didn’t know then what I know now.”

“Kwame…” I breathed. “I’m not the same person I was sixteen years ago.”

“I know.”

“Oh, okay, so does that mean…” My voice was soft and broke slightly as I was unable to stop myself from fighting what I felt.

So, I’m the prototype of the perfect woman for him, but I’m not the perfect woman for him.

The look of confusion crumpled his face as he waited for me to finish.

My eyes started watering so I did the only thing I could think to do. I leaned forward and kissed him.

Even though I initiated the kiss, I quickly succumbed to his touch. Our mouths moved in perfect sync and the moment he tipped my chin upward, my stomach quivered. The kiss deepened and with each pass of his tongue, I felt myself giving in to the passion that burned between us.

“I want to invite you in,” I murmured into his mouth. “One last time.”

He pulled away and stared into my eyes. “One last time?”

“We have work to do.”

“We have meetings to prepare for.”

“We have no time to play.”

“No matter how bad we want it.”

We were in my place and naked five minutes later.

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