
{"id":93,"date":"2026-01-21T14:38:18","date_gmt":"2026-01-21T14:38:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/?p=93"},"modified":"2026-01-21T14:38:18","modified_gmt":"2026-01-21T14:38:18","slug":"uguluva-chapter-23","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/uguluva-chapter-23\/","title":{"rendered":"uGULUVA Chapter 23"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"xdj266r x14z9mp xat24cr x1lziwak x1vvkbs x126k92a\">\n<div dir=\"auto\">uGULUVA.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">CHAPTER 23.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">[SPONSORED CHAPTER. <span class=\"html-span xexx8yu xyri2b x18d9i69 x1c1uobl x1hl2dhg x16tdsg8 x1vvkbs x3nfvp2 x1j61x8r x1fcty0u xdj266r xat24cr xm2jcoa x1mpyi22 xxymvpz xlup9mm x1kky2od\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"xz74otr x15mokao x1ga7v0g x16uus16 xbiv7yw\" src=\"https:\/\/static.xx.fbcdn.net\/images\/emoji.php\/v9\/tf4\/1\/16\/2728.png\" alt=\"\u2728\ufe0f\" width=\"16\" height=\"16\" \/><\/span>]<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"x14z9mp xat24cr x1lziwak x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a\">\n<div dir=\"auto\">NCANEZWE CELE.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"x14z9mp xat24cr x1lziwak x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a\">\n<div dir=\"auto\">He looks down at himself the moment the bathroom door clicks shut behind her, a quiet curse slipping from his lips.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"x14z9mp xat24cr x1lziwak x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a\">\n<div dir=\"auto\">\u201cFuck, Ncanezwe,\u201d he mutters, adjusting himself as he draws in a slow, frustrated breath.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"x14z9mp xat24cr x1lziwak x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a\">\n<div dir=\"auto\">That was a mistake. The cuddling. The closeness. He tells himself it is harmless, just a test of control. But somewhere between her warmth against his chest and the way she fits there so naturally, something shifts. He does not plan on wanting more. He does not plan on the instinct that rises so fiercely inside him\u2014the need to hold her longer, shield her, claim the space around her as off-limits to the world.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">And that is dangerous.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"x14z9mp xat24cr x1lziwak x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a\">\n<div dir=\"auto\">Something about this woman dismantles him quietly. The way she breathes. The way her presence alone stirs something primal in him. He does not need to touch her to feel it; just seeing her is enough to make his body react, to make his discipline waver.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">He stares into nothing, his jaw tightening. He does not feel. He does not attach. And Phindile\u2014no matter how tempting, no matter how easy it feels to forget himself around her\u2014will not be the one to break his rules.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"x14z9mp xat24cr x1lziwak x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a\">\n<div dir=\"auto\">He exhales slowly, grounding himself. He just needs to play the game well.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"x14z9mp xat24cr x1lziwak x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a\">\n<div dir=\"auto\">*<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">[CONTAINS EXPLICIT CONTENT. READER&#8217;S DISCRETION IS ADVISED.]<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"x14z9mp xat24cr x1lziwak x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a\">\n<div dir=\"auto\">PHINDILE GWALA.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"x14z9mp xat24cr x1lziwak x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a\">\n<div dir=\"auto\">I sit down on the toilet seat and release a slow breath as I finally pee, my body relaxing while my mind refuses to do the same. My thoughts keep circling back to what I woke up to. This man left for two hours\u2014two whole hours\u2014and somehow returned without me noticing, then pulled me into his arms like it was the most natural thing in the world.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"x14z9mp xat24cr x1lziwak x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a\">\n<div dir=\"auto\">I don\u2019t remember hearing the door. Don\u2019t remember footsteps. Nothing. Maybe I was too deep in sleep. Or maybe he moves like silence itself. The thought sends a strange shiver through me. When I\u2019m done, I flush and stand, washing my hands longer than necessary, watching my reflection in the mirror. My face looks calm, but my eyes give me away\u2014wide, curious, unsettled. I smooth my palms over my thighs, as if grounding myself, then turn off the tap and step out of the bathroom.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"x14z9mp xat24cr x1lziwak x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a\">\n<div dir=\"auto\">The first thing I notice is his back. Bare. Broad. Solid. He\u2019s standing near the window, trousers hanging low on his hips, the early morning light carving shadows along his shoulders and spine. Smoke curls lazily from his fingers, thin and deliberate, as if even the cigarette knows better than to rush him. The room smells faintly of soap, sleep\u2026 and him.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"x14z9mp xat24cr x1lziwak x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a\">\n<div dir=\"auto\">I stop just inside the bedroom. He turns the moment he senses me, and our eyes meet. Something in his gaze has changed. His eyes are darker now, narrowed slightly, the playful ease from earlier replaced with something heavier. Controlled. Tense. Like a man holding himself back by sheer will. I feel it instantly\u2014the weight on his shoulders, the air between us tightening.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"x14z9mp xat24cr x1lziwak x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a\">\n<div dir=\"auto\">My eyes betray me.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">They drift, slow and unintentional, from his face, down his chest, over the hard lines of his stomach, and lower still. My throat goes dry. I swallow hard when I realise what I\u2019m looking at, heat rushing to my cheeks before I can stop it as they stop at his d, is he really\u2026 that big?<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"x14z9mp xat24cr x1lziwak x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a\">\n<div dir=\"auto\">He clears his throat, the sound low and rough, pulling me out of my spiral.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"x14z9mp xat24cr x1lziwak x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a\">\n<div dir=\"auto\">\u201cMy face is up here, Mamacita,\u201d he says.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">His voice is deeper than before, edged with something that makes my stomach flip\u2014hunger, maybe. Or pride. Or both.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">I snap my gaze back to his face, mortified, my heart hammering against my ribs.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"x14z9mp xat24cr x1lziwak x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a\">\n<div dir=\"auto\">\u201cSorry,\u201d I mumble, though I\u2019m not sure what I\u2019m apologising for\u2014looking, or feeling the way I do.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"x14z9mp xat24cr x1lziwak x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a\">\n<div dir=\"auto\">The corner of his mouth lifts, not quite a smile. More like a warning. He takes one last drag, then flicks the cigarette away, crushing it out with his foot as he steps closer. Not too close. Just enough for me to feel him. The silence stretches, thick and charged. And suddenly, I\u2019m painfully aware of everything\u2014my bare legs, my shallow breathing, the way the morning light makes this moment feel too intimate, too real.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"x14z9mp xat24cr x1lziwak x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a\">\n<div dir=\"auto\">\u201cYou sleep like the world can\u2019t touch you,\u201d he says calmly. \u201cDidn\u2019t even stir.\u201d<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"x14z9mp xat24cr x1lziwak x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a\">\n<div dir=\"auto\">I shrug lightly, keeping my eyes on the floor. \u201cI was tired.\u201d<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"x14z9mp xat24cr x1lziwak x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a\">\n<div dir=\"auto\">His lips twitch\u2014not quite a smile, not quite a warning. \u201cDangerous habit.\u201d<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"x14z9mp xat24cr x1lziwak x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a\">\n<div dir=\"auto\">The word dangerous settles heavily in my chest, lodging itself somewhere between my ribs. I don\u2019t respond. I just watch him from the corner of my eye as he lets out a low chuckle, crushing the cigarette between his fingers with practiced ease, as if it had never meant anything at all. I turn toward the wardrobe, suddenly desperate for distance, for movement, for something to anchor me. I need to bath. I need water, quiet, space.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"x14z9mp xat24cr x1lziwak x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a\">\n<div dir=\"auto\">\u201cWe\u2019re going outside for a swim after breakfast,\u201d Ncanezwe says casually, like he isn\u2019t aware of the way his presence shifts the air in the room. \u201cThen we\u2019ll come back, get ready for the anniversary date. You can get ready.\u201d<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"x14z9mp xat24cr x1lziwak x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a\">\n<div dir=\"auto\">He picks up his shirt from the coffee table, shaking it out slowly. I say nothing. I focus on pulling clothes from the suiticase inside the wardrobe \u2014something light, something safe\u2014pretending my hands aren\u2019t trembling.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"x14z9mp xat24cr x1lziwak x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a\">\n<div dir=\"auto\">Seconds stretch. Too many of them. Then I feel it. His presence. Close. Too close. Fuck. Why didn\u2019t I answer him?<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">I freeze as he steps in behind me. He doesn\u2019t touch me\u2014doesn\u2019t need to. His breath brushes my neck, warm and deliberate, sending a shiver straight down my spine. I barely breathe, afraid that if I do, he\u2019ll notice just how affected I am.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"x14z9mp xat24cr x1lziwak x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a\">\n<div dir=\"auto\">\u201cDid you hear me, Mamacita?\u201d he asks softly.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"x14z9mp xat24cr x1lziwak x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a\">\n<div dir=\"auto\">I nod, the movement small, almost invisible.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"x14z9mp xat24cr x1lziwak x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a\">\n<div dir=\"auto\">\u201cWords, mama.\u201d<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"x14z9mp xat24cr x1lziwak x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a\">\n<div dir=\"auto\">My throat feels dry. My mind empties. How does he expect me to speak when he\u2019s standing there like this, when every nerve in my body is suddenly awake? His breath shifts again, closer this time, like he\u2019s testing how much control I have left.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"x14z9mp xat24cr x1lziwak x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a\">\n<div dir=\"auto\">\u201cYes,\u201d I whisper finally, the word catching on my lips.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"x14z9mp xat24cr x1lziwak x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a\">\n<div dir=\"auto\">He inhales slowly, like he\u2019s memorising me, then exhales and steps back, reclaiming his distance as if nothing happened\u2014as if he didn\u2019t just unravel me in silence.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"x14z9mp xat24cr x1lziwak x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a\">\n<div dir=\"auto\">\u201cI\u2019ll check up on the brothers,\u201d he says, already walking toward the door.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"x14z9mp xat24cr x1lziwak x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a\">\n<div dir=\"auto\">The door clicks shut behind him. I stand there alone, clothes clutched to my chest, heart racing, trying to understand what just happened\u2014and why it feels like the most dangerous thing in the world wasn\u2019t my sleep at all, but the way he can walk away and leave me like this. What the f-uck was that?<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"x14z9mp xat24cr x1lziwak x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a\">\n<div dir=\"auto\">I straighten slowly when I feel it again\u2014that unwanted, undeniable warmth. My spine stiffens, my breath catching for half a second before I force it steady. What the f-uck was that?<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"x14z9mp xat24cr x1lziwak x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a\">\n<div dir=\"auto\">I don\u2019t allow myself to linger on the thought. I move instead, because moving is easier than thinking. I pull out my beige swimwear, smoothing it between my fingers, then a matching mini dress and my black sandals. I arrange them carefully on the bed, too carefully, like order might fix what my body refuses to listen to. My toiletry bag follows, placed neatly beside them. Everything feels deliberate. Controlled. Unlike me.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"x14z9mp xat24cr x1lziwak x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a\">\n<div dir=\"auto\">I slip out of my pajamas, my skin flushed, hypersensitive, as if every nerve ending has decided to wake up all at once. Heat rushes through me again and I pause, palms braced against the edge of the bed, head bowed.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">When was the last time I felt like this? Not just aroused\u2014unsettled. Thrown off balance. My chest rises and falls a little too fast. I close my eyes briefly, then grab my bathing cloth and turn toward the bathroom before my thoughts can spiral any further.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"x14z9mp xat24cr x1lziwak x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a\">\n<div dir=\"auto\">Cold water. That\u2019s what I need. Something to shock sense back into me.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">I turn on the shower first, the sound of rushing water filling the bathroom. I adjust my hair with steady hands, slipping on a shower cap, the routine grounding me in familiar motions. I step under the spray without hesitation.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">The cold hits immediately.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">I gasp softly as it bites into my skin, my shoulders tensing as a shiver runs through me. I stand there, unmoving, letting the water cascade over me, down my back, over my arms, my legs\u2014everywhere\u2014like it\u2019s trying to rinse something away.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"x14z9mp xat24cr x1lziwak x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a\">\n<div dir=\"auto\">I close my eyes. At first, it works. My breathing slows. The noise drowns out everything else. Then my mind betrays me. His breath on my neck. His voice slips in quietly, uninvited. Calm. Controlled. Too close. The way he looked at me earlier\u2014measured, unreadable, as if he saw more than he let on. My chest tightens. My breath stutters. I swallow.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"x14z9mp xat24cr x1lziwak x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a\">\n<div dir=\"auto\">I draw a slow breath, my body reacting before my mind can catch up. My hand lingers against my boobies, a quiet, grounding touch as heat curls low in my stomach. I bite down on my lip, steadying the sound that threatens to slip free, forcing myself to stay silent, controlled\u2014even as my pulse betrays me.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"x14z9mp xat24cr x1lziwak x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a\">\n<div dir=\"auto\">\u201cNo,\u201d I murmur to myself, barely audible over the water removing the hand from my titties but the image sharpens anyway. Not something he did\u2014something he could do. Something about the way he occupies space, the way silence bends around him. My palms lift instinctively to my chest again, fingers curling slightly as I squeeze my right boob again and I let out a low moan.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"x14z9mp xat24cr x1lziwak x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a\">\n<div dir=\"auto\">This is ridiculous, I think.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">Dangerous. But instead I avoid my thoughts and I let my hand fall slowly down there and I rub my c-lit while my breath hitching as the thought of him settles over me. The cold water traces my skin.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"x14z9mp xat24cr x1lziwak x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a\">\n<div dir=\"auto\">I close my eyes and give in to the feeling building low in my body while I insert one finger inside myself and soft sound slips from my lips\u2014unrestrained, needy.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"x14z9mp xat24cr x1lziwak x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a\">\n<div dir=\"auto\">\u201cOh\u2026\u201d<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">My hips shift instinctively, chasing the ache, my pulse quickening as the heat intensifies. Every sensation feels sharper\u2014the water, my breath, the way my body responds to the image of him so vividly in my mind. I move with the rhythm of that thought, slow at first, then more urgent, adding another finger and my breathing uneven.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"x14z9mp xat24cr x1lziwak x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a\">\n<div dir=\"auto\">\u201cOh God\u2026\u201d<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">Pleasure coils tighter, the world narrowing to nothing but sensation and want. My head tilts back, a broken cry escaping me&#8230;<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"x14z9mp xat24cr x1lziwak x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a\">\n<div dir=\"auto\">*<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"x14z9mp xat24cr x1lziwak x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a\">\n<div dir=\"auto\">100+ comments &amp; 10 shares. <span class=\"html-span xexx8yu xyri2b x18d9i69 x1c1uobl x1hl2dhg x16tdsg8 x1vvkbs x3nfvp2 x1j61x8r x1fcty0u xdj266r xat24cr xm2jcoa x1mpyi22 xxymvpz xlup9mm x1kky2od\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"xz74otr x15mokao x1ga7v0g x16uus16 xbiv7yw\" src=\"https:\/\/static.xx.fbcdn.net\/images\/emoji.php\/v9\/t76\/1\/16\/1f48b.png\" alt=\"\ud83d\udc8b\" width=\"16\" height=\"16\" \/><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>uGULUVA. CHAPTER 23. [SPONSORED CHAPTER. ] NCANEZWE CELE. He looks down at himself the moment the bathroom door clicks shut [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"default","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"set","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-93","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uguluva"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/93","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=93"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/93\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":107,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/93\/revisions\/107"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=93"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=93"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=93"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}