?Chapter 208:


    All at once, her beauty dazzled him. He had seen each half of her face on two separate asions. In his mind, he had tried tobine the pieces and picture what she looked like in full.


    Yet, what he had imagined didn’te close. The real thing was something else entirely, and it had everything to do with the energy she carried.


    The true version of her was far more dazzling than any image he had ever pictured. She wasn’t just beautiful—she was ethereal. The longer he looked, the more entranced he became.


    His eyes stayed fixed on her face, scanning it again and again, as if trying to memorize every delicate line.


    Under his unwavering stare, Elliana grew flustered. Her cheeks warmed with color. “Are you going to stare at me forever?”


    A soft smile tugged at Cole’s lips as he reached out, brushing her cheek with gentle fingers. “Honey, you really know how to drive a man crazy.”


    “What?” Elliana blinked in confusion. Wasn’t he the one begging her nonstop to show him her face? Now that she had, why was he acting like she had done something wrong?


    While she tried to make sense of it, Cole’s voice dropped, his tone thick with desire. “You told me not to touch you or think anything inappropriate. Then you go and show me your pretty face. Are you trying to test my self-control?”


    That made her flush even harder, heat rushing to her ears. As soon as she noticed the hunger in his gaze, she jumped off hisp and quickly created some space between them. She hadn’t expected that trying to make him happy wouldnd her in such a tricky situation.


    “I’m… I’m thirsty. I need some water,” she stammered, grabbing at the excuse like a lifeline to get away from the bed.


    But she didn’t get the chance to take even one step before he pulled her right back.


    This time, his arms locked around her tightly, holding her so close that she ended up sprawled across his body,pletely stuck.


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    She could feel every beat of his heart pounding faster, the heat radiating from his skin, and his breath turning heavy and uneven. Everything about him screamed danger.


    “Please, calm down,” Elliana hastily said, clearly panicked as she tried to shove him away. “I showed you my face today because I wanted to say I’m willing to give this rtionship a real shot. We can take it slow and figure things out together. But I’m not okay with being rushed. You have to give me time!”


    She meant it. He couldn’t push her. Especially not while he was still injured. If anything happened, she wouldn’t even know how to begin dealing with it.


    Watching her flustered and flushed, Cole felt like he was losing his grip on reason. “Honey, when you say no pushing, what exactly are we talking about here? Does…”


    “That includes no kissing or hugging?” Elliana’s teeth sank into her lip as she struggled to figure out how to answer. After all, she had agreed to give their rtionship a shot. Could she really say no to something as basic as a kiss or a hug? Could two people even grow close without sharing those small, intimate moments?


    Before she could decide, Cole leaned forward and pressed his lips to hers. Then, with one swift motion, he turned them over. She ended up beneath him, his body holding her in ce as he steadied himself with his uninjured arm beside her head, and kissed her with fiery, unrestrained passion.


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