Chapter 1250:

“See, you needed that,” he whispered as she lay there, completely relaxed. “Next time you have trouble sleeping, just say the word and I’ll help you relax.”

When morning came, Elyse awoke tucked tightly into Jayden’s arms, her bare skin pressed against his. Slowly, the memories of the night came back to her, piecing themselves together as she blinked away her grogginess. When she saw his relaxed, sleeping face, a spark of irritation welled up. She bit his jaw lightly in annoyance.

Jayden’s eyes flickered open, his mouth curving into a sleepy grin as he met her frown. “Looks like somebody got a good night’s rest.”

Without missing a beat, Elyse shot back, “Oh, so that was your idea of a ‘massage’?”

Jayden replied with a few kisses on her cheeks and a casual shrug. “You didn’t like it? Looked to me like you soaked up every second of it.” A frustrated blush crept across her face, but she knew she couldn’t win this game with him.

She pressed against his chest and declared, “Let me go. I’m not your girlfriend. Why are you acting like I am?”

In a lazy, confident drawl, Jayden replied, “If you’re not my girl, then who is? You think I just go around giving massages to any woman? Believe me, I make a real effort to make sure you’re happy.”

Her annoyance only grew at his shameless words. Then, without warning, he tightened his grip and lightly bit the tender skin of her shoulder. “Just relax,” he whispered. “Next time I’ll really show you what I can do. I went easy on you, but next time…”

“There won’t be a next time!” Elyse cut in, her voice brimming with indignation.

Jayden just chuckled. “It’s still early. Let’s stay like this for another half hour—I promise I won’t make you late.”

With that, he moved closer to her, as if he were the one who needed to be held. Feeling him melt into her arms, Elyse unconsciously found herself wrapping him in a tighter embrace.

Soon Jayden was fast asleep again, his breathing soft and steady. But Elyse lay there, her mind racing with an overwhelming swirl of emotions as she stared up at the ceiling. As much as she hated to admit it, he was right. She had been satisfied. He was the only man who’d ever touched her in a way that felt so complete, and for better or worse, she wanted it that way.

She was learning something new with every moment, realizing how deeply she cared for him, and it made her heart race. She had been so determined to keep him at a distance, stubbornly building walls that she wasn’t sure she wanted anymore.

Message from Noa: Happy New Year, lovely people! May it be an excellent year filled with many novels and plenty of reading to enjoy! God loves you and Noa wishes you the best. (>‿◠)✌