LOVE IN PARIS: Married To My Brother-in-law-Chapter 110: Confession II

At first, she froze, her mind blank with shock. But as he began to pull back, she reached out, clutching the front of his vest.

"Don’t". She whispered, her voice barely audible.

Tyrell stilled, his eyes searching hers. "Don’t what?"

"Don’t pull away". She admitted, her cheeks flushing.

A slow smile spread across his face, and he cupped her cheek with his uninjured hand.

And this time, when he kissed her, she didn’t resist. Instead, she leaned into him, her heart swelling with a joy she hadn’t felt in years as she reciprocated the passionate kiss with an equally burning frevor.

The world around them seemed to fade, the sounds of the laughing girls in the living room becoming a distant hum and this time they could only feel themselves and nothing more.

The kitchen buzzed with a charged silence as Tyrell moved closer to Leila, his hands resting firmly but gently on her waist.

Her heart raced, each beat echoing in her ears as their lips met again, this time with a passion that neither of them could hold back any longer.

The kiss deepened, their emotions spilling in the moment and he lifted her effortlessly, settling her on the cool countertop.

Leila gasped softly, her hands clutching his shoulders for balance though mindful of his injury but soon her fingers slid to the back of his neck as their kiss deepened, moving against each other with a fervor that made their heart race .

For a moment, the world narrowed to just the two of them like everything else ceased to exist, the playful sounds of the girls in the living room, the faint him of the refrigerator, it all faded into oblivion except the duo in the kitchen, and the electrifying connection that had finally found its outlet.

Then it hit her. Not metaphorically, but literally: the sharp, acrid smell of something burning filled her nostrils. Her eyes snapped open, and she broke the kiss abruptly.

"The food!. She exclaimed, breaking the kiss and pushing him back. She slid off the counter in a rush, her cheeks flushed, and hurried to the stove.

Tyrell stepped back to lean against the counter casually, his lips curving into an amused grin which only seems to widen as he watched as she rush to the stove, fanning the smoke anxiously with a kitchen towel.

"You really have a knack for killing the mood, you know". He teased, as he adjusted his position still leaning casually against the counter.

"It’s your fault!". She shot back as she continued fanning the smoke then , she turned off the burner and assessed the damage, her shoulders sagging when she realized the food was beyond saving.

"It’s completely burnt". She sighed, staring at the charred mess in the pan in dismay. "What do we do now?".

"Continue with what we were doing". He suggested with a laugh and she blushed, her cheeks turning a shade of crimson.

"You’re impossible". She muttered, but there was no heat in her tone.

Before she could do anything else, Tyrell was behind her again, his hands finding their way to her waist as he pulled her gently but firmly back against him.

"So". He murmured, his voice low and teasing, "What’s your answer?"

Leila stiffened, her heart pounding all over again as her breath catch in her throat. "My answer to what?"

Tyrell chuckled softly and leaned in closer, his lips brushing against her ears. "Don’t play dumb, Leila. You know what I mean. I told you how I feel. Now I want to hear it from you."

Her face turned crimson, and she bit her lip, trying to suppress a smile. "Isn’t it obvious?"

He spun her around to face him, his dark eyes sparkling with mischief. "Maybe. But I want to hear you say it."

Leila hesitated for a moment, the vulnerability of the moment nearly overwhelming, but she knew there was no escaping it now. So , she took a deep breath and meet his gaze.

"Fine". She said, her voice trembling slightly but clear enough to confess how she felt.

"I... I fell in love with you at first sight, too. But I was scared. I thought you’d never feel the same, we are of different worlds afterall so I tried to hide it. I avoided you because I didn’t know how to deal with how I felt."

Tyrell’s grin softened into something tender, and he cupped her cheek ever so softly and tenderly. "You’re unbelievable, you know that?"

"Why?" She asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Because we both wasted so much time being scared when I was right here, feeling the same way, all crazy about you."

Before she could respond, he leaned down and kissed her again, sealing her confession with his lips. This kiss was slower, filled with the promise of everything they had yet to say.

When they finally broke apart, Leila placed her hands on his chest and gently pushed him back.

"Okay, okay". She said, laughing breathlessly. "Enough of that. I need to save what’s left of dinner."

Tyrell raised his hands up in mock surrender, but his smirk told her he wasn’t done teasing her. "Fine, I’ll leave you to it. But don’t think you’re getting rid of me that easily."

"Actually". She said, spinning him toward the door and giving him a shove, "I think I will. Now , go outside and keep the girls company."

"But I can just stay here and watch you, I might also be of some help". He protested, leaning against the doorway.

"No, you’ll distract me". She eventually shot back, her cheeks heating. "Just your presence is enough of a distraction."

He laughed, his deep voice echoing in the small kitchen. "Fine, fine. But I’ll leave only because you asked so sweetly so don’t think this is over."

Before stepping out, he leaned in for one more quick but lingering kiss Wich was enough to make her heart flutter before he then finally left.

As he walked into the living room, the girls immediately noticed him and Dani who was the older out of the two, immediately grinned mischievously.

"So". She said, her eyes sparkling, "can I call you ’brother-in-law’ now?"

Tyrell chuckled, ruffling her hair before he then plopped down on the sofa. "If you want to, go ahead."

Linda clapped her hands in delight as she jumped about excitedly. "Yay! I have a sister now!"

Tyrell laughed, shaking his head as he watched the girls happily jumping about. "You two are too much."

He grinned but also inside of himself, he was deeply pleased, he had finally gotten the woman his heart wants and though it was not as exhausting as he thought, it was totally worth it.

Not long after, Leila emerged from the kitchen carrying plates of food. She had salvaged what she could, and though the dishes weren’t perfect, the aroma was inviting.

Tyrell immediately stood up to help her set the table, but she waved him off.

"I’ve got it, no worries". She said, giving him a pointed look.

Once everyone was seated, the group dug in, chatting and laughing between bites. The atmosphere was warm, the earlier tension replaced by an easy camaraderie.

As Leila took a sip of water, Linda turned to her, her expression serious as she began with her trademark boldness.

"So". She began, her tone a near perfect mimic of her brother’s teasing, "Does this mean I can call you ’sister-in-law’ now?"

Leila choked on her water instantly, her eyes widening as she nearly spat out her drink.

She coughed, trying to regain her composure, and Tyrell was immediately at her side, handing her a glass of water as he gently patted her back.

"Easy, easy". He said, patting her back gently. "You okay?"

She nodded, her face burning with embarrassment. "I’m fine". She croaked.

And Tyrell turned to face his little sister who wasn’t at the least remorseful , his expression mock stern.

"You shouldn’t say things like that out of the blue. You’ll scare her off."

Linda pouted. "But it’s true! Isn’t it, Tyrell?"

Tyrell could only grin, looking down at the bashful Leila. "It is. But this sister-in-law of yours is always shy."

Leila swatted his arm playfully. "You’re terrible". She muttered, though her lips twitched with a reluctant smile.

Dani smiled as she watched the interaction. "Looks like we’re all one big happy family now."

Tyrell leaned back in his chair, his hand finding Leila’s under the table. "Yeah," he said, squeezing her fingers gently. "We are."

Leila glanced around at the people she loved, her heart swelling with warmth. She couldn’t help but smile. For the first time in a long while, everything felt right.

Dani smiled as she watched the interaction. "Looks like we’re all one big happy family now."

Tyrell leaned back in his chair, his hand finding Leila’s under the table. "Yeah," he said, squeezing her fingers gently. "We are."

Leila glanced around at the people she loved, her heart swelling with warmth. She couldn’t help but smile. For the first time in a long while, everything felt right.