?Chapter 201:


    The coin smacked lightly against his cheek and bounced to the floor with a soft, clear clink. It didn’t hurt at all. Elliana still couldn’t do it. No matter what, she couldn’t bring herself to hurt him.


    Cole tossed the gun aside without hesitation, stepped closer, and wrapped her in his arms. He pressed a kiss to her forehead, his voice low and smooth. “Are you mad?”


    Her eyes narrowed with irritation. Both hands pressed against his chest, trying to put space between them, but he stayed exactly where he was. Of course, she was mad. She couldn’t stand that he had used such a cruel test. She hated that he had pointed a gun at her just to prove a point. But what stung most of all was her own weakness. She had rejected him several times, iming she didn’t want him. Still, when it came down to it, she had exposed her heart without even meaning to. And there he was, wearing that smug expression as though he’d won something.


    “Don’t be angry,” Cole cooed, his voice like velvet as he kissed her lips with slow, burning softness.


    The fire inside her hadn’t gone out. The moment he kissed her, she bit down on his lip with sudden force, even grinding her teeth.


    A low, muffled sound escaped his throat, but he didn’t pull away. He let her bite him, and from the look on his face, he didn’t seem to mind at all.


    Eventually, Elliana stopped. The memory of the bullet still lodged in his arm shed through her mind, and she couldn’t bring herself to hurt him further.


    The second she let up, Cole leaned in again. This time, his kiss wasn’t wild or demanding. His lips brushed hers gently, each movement slow and full of care. It was nothing like the fierce kiss he had given her on the yacht. Now, he kissed her like she was something fragile. Something valuable he couldn’t risk breaking.


    After what felt like forever, he pulled back. His eyes lowered as he took in every feature of her soft, lovely face. Then, with careful fingers, he reached up to take off her sses. He had seen her upper face before. He had seen her lower face. But never her entire face—not all at once.


    Today, he wanted to see herpletely, without anything in the way. But before he could finish, her small hand reached up and grabbed his.


    “Still refusing to let me see?” Cole asked.


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    Elliana pouted in mock defiance. “I was going to let you. But now I’m annoyed. So no, you’re not allowed.”


    Right after that, she tossed his hand aside, let out a sharp little breath, pulled away from his arms, and dropped onto the bed with a bounce.


    Cole let out a long, tired sigh. He had gotten her to admit her feelings, but it hade at a cost. She was angry now and had taken back the chance to see her real face. Gains and losses—life was full of them. That was fine. If she didn’t want to show him yet, he would wait. He already knew how stunning she was, anyway.


    Right then, Elliana turned her head and looked at him. “All your friends think I’m some kind of threat. Aren’t you scared?”


    Without missing a beat, Cole crossed the room and sat beside her. He wrapped his arms around her, pressed a kiss to her ear, and said in a voice thick with charm, “Even if you were a dangerous criminal, I’d still risk it. You’re far too beautiful to resist.”


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