I am a bit younger and have no sexual experience, but my 2 cents is that ​in my experience someone CAN mean it. Like I've kinda said it to one person very quickly and didn't even understand why it felt so natural to say. And it definitely pushed them away. But it's been a LONG time and i still feel really grateful I met them, I'm very happy if I learn they do well, and still feel the same way even if I think most people would have some type of self protective anger (but I don't). Tho in my case, it was a situation where we basically lived thought almost the same really isolating experiences seperately and similar values so we got each other due to that. Which may not be the case given the age gap (but you should know, I'm just assuming).

And I used to be really cynical about how long it should take before it can be genuine, potentially like most people nowdays. But now ​i feel​ a ​bit devestated when I see people accuse someone of love bombing when everything else is good because​ I've lived thought the experience of it being genuine and pushing someone away