When the afternoon sun shines through the trees, casting shadows across the garden where Amara and Dapo had returned after breakfast.
The air smelled like earth and jasmine, warm and comforting, yet charged with an unspoken electricity between them.
Amara adjusted her hair, brushing it behind her ear, feeling Dapo's eyes on her. She glanced at him, a little teasing in her expression.
"You're quiet today," she said.
"I'm just… paying attention," he replied, voice low, eyes fixed on her. "Making sure you're… okay."
Amara's lips curved into a small, playful smile. "Only 'okay'? That's not enough, Dapo. You should be making me feel happy, or at least making me laugh."
He raised an eyebrow, a hint of a smirk playing on his lips. "Is that a challenge?"
She shrugged lightly, pretending to be nonchalant while secretly enjoying the way he lingered near her.
"Maybe it is."
For a moment, they walked in silence, their hands occasionally brushing. Each touch sparked an electric tension neither could ignore. Amara's heart raced—not from anger or pain, but from desire and anticipation.
"Amara…" Dapo began, his voice rougher now, more intimate. "I need to know… do you trust me enough to let me in, even a little?"
Her breath hitched, the words striking straight to the core of her hesitation. She hesitated, then let herself smile softly. "I'm trying, Dapo. I really am."
"Good," he said, his gaze darkening slightly. "Because I don't plan to give up. Not on you. Not now."
Amara felt her chest tighten, emotions threatening to spill over. She turned her head to look at him, feeling bold. "And what if I tease you? What if I push your patience a little?"
Dapo's lips curved into a small, dangerous smile. "Then I'll have to show you exactly why you shouldn't."
Her laugh came out soft and musical. "Oh really? And how will you do that?"
He stepped closer, closing the distance between them, so close she could feel his warmth without yet touching. "By reminding you that I'm not just going to watch you go," he said, voice husky. "By making sure every second you're near me, you know where my heart belongs."
Amara felt herself leaning into him slightly, daring, teasing—but careful. "And where is that, exactly?"
"Right here," he said, pressing a finger to her chest, just above her heart. "With you. Always with you."
The simple words made her stomach flutter, but before she could respond, the sound of laughter carried from the gate.
Amara turned to see Tomi, her friend, walking briskly toward them, waving cheerfully. "Amara! There you are! And hey, Dapo!"
Dapo's gaze flicked toward Tomi, and Amara noticed the faint tension in his jaw, the subtle clenching of his fists. She bit back a smile. This was exactly the reaction she had hoped for—just a little spark of jealousy to remind him how much she mattered.
Tomi approached them with a wide grin. "I just wanted to see if you two were alive and plotting secret adventures without me!" She looked at Dapo with a teasing glint. "Don't worry, I won't steal her away… maybe."
Dapo forced a polite smile, though his eyes remained fixed on Amara. "Of course not," he said, a little too tightly.
Amara chuckled softly, brushing her arm against his as she leaned slightly closer. "See, Dapo? She's harmless. Don't be jealous."
"I'm not jealous," he said, but the possessiveness in his tone betrayed him. His hand found hers, squeezing lightly, a silent claim of ownership. "Just… protective."
Tomi laughed and finally moved to sit on a nearby bench, giving them space. But the glances she kept throwing at them made Amara giggle quietly.
Dapo leaned closer to her, his lips barely brushing her ear. "You enjoy this, don't you?"
Amara smirked, her eyes sparkling. "Maybe a little. But only to see how serious you are."
He straightened slightly, eyes narrowing playfully. "Oh, I'm serious. Very serious. Don't tempt me, Amara."
Her laugh was soft, almost teasingly dangerous. "Maybe I like tempting you."
Dapo's gaze darkened, filled with a mix of desire and frustration. He stepped closer again, this time letting their shoulders touch. "Be careful," he murmured. "I might just… take what's mine."
Her heartbeat quickened. "And what's yours?" she whispered, leaning slightly closer, lips almost brushing his.
"You," he said simply, voice low and steady. "Always you."
The tension between them crackled like static. Amara felt herself caught in the gravity of him the desire, the longing, the history they shared. But she also felt empowered, enjoying the little sparks of jealousy that made Dapo's claim on her so evident.
Tomi waved one last time before walking away, leaving the two of them alone in the garden.
Dapo's hand lingered near hers, thumb brushing gently across her knuckles. "You know," he murmured, "that little spark you just gave me… it might make me a little dangerous today."
Amara tilted her head, lips curving into a teasing smile. "Oh? Dangerous how?"
He leaned closer, his breath warm against her skin. "You'll see. But I promise… whatever happens, it'll remind you whose heart you hold. And mine will never let go."
Amara's chest tightened with a mix of excitement and longing. She leaned into him slightly, feeling the pull of desire and trust intertwining. "Good," she whispered. "I like it when you claim me."
Dapo's smile was dark, victorious, and full of unspoken promises. "Then prepare yourself, Amara. I'm not done yet."
The afternoon sun lingered on them, the air filled with a delicious tension the push and pull of teasing, desire, and unspoken love. And in that garden, they both knew one thing clearly: their hearts were tangled, and neither of them wanted to untangle them anytime soon.