“Leon?”
“Jessica, my mother will be back next month. When she returns, I’ll tell her about us, and then together we’ll ad my father, the Vine, the Press and decree for our marriage. Would you agree?”
Leon’s breath came hot and ragged, his scorching exhale bruthing against Jessica’s neck, making you before. For now,
her instinctively finch away. She said, Leon. If in trad
“Are you trying to suffocate me with desire?” Leon closed his eyes, struggling to steady his breath. But to his dismay, closing his eyes only interested me steamy visions swirling in his mind.
Holding her soft, warm body in his arms, the feel of her delicate body ignited a fire within him. Every fiber of his being was strung tight, leaving him restless.
Jessica was well aware of how much he was struggling to hold himself back. His body burned so intensely that it could scald a person.
They were supposed to be chasing down rebels, but who could have guessed that, thanks to his antics, he’d end up feeling so inexplicably miserable.
Being a woman, Jessica couldn’t fully grasp the agony of his restraint, but the torment written across his face told the whole story. But she had never imagined she’d ever consider marriage in her life.
“Leon…” Jessica murmured.
Leon looked at her intently, his voice trembling with urgency. “Jessica, do you not feel anything for me? Is it because I’m not gentle enough, or not handsome enough for you? Just tell me what it is you don’t like about.me? I’ll change, I promise.”
Jessica was a bit speechless. She thought, ‘If you don’t like someone, no matter how much they change, you still won’t like them.’
But then again, Jessica thought, ‘Maybe I don’t dislike him that much after all. In this lifetime, I—‘
“That’s only because you hadn’t met me yet. Whatever you decided before I came into your life means nothing now.” Leon took her hand, gently turning her pliant body to face him, then pressed her delicate fingers against his chest.
His chest was scalding hot and rock–hard, broad and warm to the touch. For just a fleeting moment, Jessica’s heart wavered. But when it came to love, she had long ago given up on it.
Jessica thought, ‘It’s not that I doubt Leon’s sincerity. His devotion is profound enough for me to see. Who could question it? But now, I’ve developed a instinctive fear of the very concept of love.’
Leon lowered his head, gazing into her panicked eyes. He let out a helpless sigh. “I know what’s troubling you
His Jessica, usually fearless and bold, stood utterly flustered. It was a sight he’d never witnessed before. ‘Did I scare her again?‘ Leon thought to himsel
“It’s just, I can’t control myself.” He let out a heavy sigh, pressing her head against his chest, his voice rough with emotion. “Tell me, how can I make you stop being afraid and open your heart to this passion between us? What proof do you want? My life? If that’s what it takes, I’d give it to you without hesitation.”
Jessica looked up at him and huffed, “If you’re dead by then, even if I wanted to accept you, what’s the point? What am I supposed to accept from a corpse?”
Jessica lifted her head from his embrace, glaring at him with a mix of annoyance and concern. “If you want a future toget1 stop saying things like that!”
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