?Chapter 1084:


    “No.”


    “Why not?”


    “You’re not ready yet,” he replied, his tone warm, wanting her to have time—to breathe, to feel safe. “Let’s just start with sleeping beside each other. Once that feels natural, we’ll see about the rest.”


    Freya didn’t know how to put her feelings into words. Part of her felt touched—Ellis was always so gentle, so incredibly patient with her. But another part of her felt a…


    She felt a little guilty. Last time they’d stopped because they didn’t have condoms. And now, they had to stop again… because she was too nervous.


    He’d been single for thirty years—a man with deep passion bottled up inside. Wasn’t this… a little unfair to him?


    As the thoughts churned in her head, she suddenly turned to face him. He didn’t think much of it, assuming she was just shifting forfort. But the next moment, she flipped over and pinned him down. She’d found her courage again, and with a serious expression, she dered, “We agreed on today. I’m not backing out.”


    “I thought you couldn’t go through with it?”


    “I can,” she said with a confidence that left no room for doubt.


    Ellis burst intoughter, chest trembling, his eyes filled with nothing but tenderness. “Mm, you can.”


    To prove it, Freya leaned down and kissed him. Her lips were soft but unsteady—it was clear shecked experience.


    Ellis restrained himself with great effort, ying along every step of the way.


    But in the end, what shecked was still too obvious—halfway through, she gave up, leaving Ellis to gently take over and finish the rest. The room was shrouded in dim light, the nkets shifting again and again.


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    By the time everything came to a still, it was already past two in the morning.


    Freya felt like her entire body had been wrung out. Even lifting a single finger was too much effort. Not even her toughest training missions had left her this drained.


    “You okay?” Ellis asked, his palm resting gently on her waist, his voice rough.


    Freya shook her head weakly. Nope. She was totally wiped.


    Ellis, still brimming with energy, saw the exhaustion etched on her face—how her eyelids barely stayed open—and swallowed his urges. “Close your eyes for some rest. I’ll carry you to the bathter.”


    Freya gave a faint hum of agreement.


    Just before slipping into sleep, one thought drifted through her dazed mind—a man who’s gone thirty years without release was downright terrifying.


    Ellis gave her a tender kiss on the lips, smiled with quiet affection, and went to run the bath.


    He’d take responsibility. He’d guard her with his life, and make sure she was happy for the rest of it.


    Once the bath was ready, he gently lifted the covers and carried her into the bathroom. He even turned up the heat so she wouldn’t get cold. Half an hourter, they’d both finished cleaning themselves.


    Ellisy on his side, quietly watching the woman in his arms who had already fallen into a deep, peaceful sleep. His eyes were overflowing with love and devotion.


    He turned off the bedroom light and pulled her close, the two of them slowly drifting off into a sweet, shared slumber.


    That night, they slept deeply.


    The next morning, Freya opened her eyes and immediately noticed something was off—the bedroom didn’t look like the one she was used to. Before she could piece it together, a deep, slow, and pleasantlyzy voice sounded next to her. “You’re awake?”


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