?Chapter 533:


    “What do you mean it is not safe? He is the least safe person you could be around!”


    Corrine exhaled in mild exasperation.


    “Do not worry, I will be fine.”


    “Corrine, as your cousin, I probably should not say this, but I need to remind you of something.” He hesitated before blurting, “You have every right to… you know, be intimate. I am not going to stop you, and I cannot. But you need to take precautions and protect yourself!”


    Silence. Corrine stared nkly at her phone. How was she supposed to respond to that?


    Jules must have realized just how awkward the conversation had be because he hastily mumbled a goodbye before hanging up.


    She put her phone down and slowly processed his words.


    There was nothing shameful about intimacy. It was natural between couples. But she had never pictured herself in such a situation.


    Back on the ship, when Rita had drugged her and sent her mind spiraling, she had nearly lost control. Nate had every opportunity to take advantage of her vulnerability. But he had not.


    His restraint had touched her deeply. Yet, strangely, it also left her with a faint twinge of guilt.


    Looking back, she realized how much he had endured for her—how much he had amodated her, always putting her needs above his own.


    Maybe it was time she took the initiative for once.


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    “Still awake thiste?” Nate’s voice shattered Corrine’s thoughts. She jolted, sitting up so fast that her nightgown slipped slightly.


    “Why did you get in here?”


    She didn’t notice the way the hem of her silk camisole had shifted.


    Nate did. His gaze dropped to the delicate fabric pooling around her thighs, the dim light casting soft shadows against her smooth skin. His eyes darkened. Her nightgown clung to her, the thin straps barely holding on to her shoulders, exposing the elegant lines of her corbones.


    Under the warm glow of the bedsidemp, her skin gleamed like polished jade—soft, inviting, utterly impossible to look away from. His Adam’s apple bobbed as something heated flickered in his gaze.


    Corrine’sshes fluttered, the weight of his stare making her heart race. She tightened her grip on the sheets, her uncertainty betraying her bold intentions.


    “Is this some kind of test?” Nate’s voice was low, rough around the edges.


    Corrine shook her head, her teeth grazing her lower lip.


    She leaned in, her breath feathering against his jaw before her lips barely brushed his skin.


    “I am trying to tempt you.”


    A quiet chuckle rumbled from his chest. His eyes glinted with amusement, but there was something deeper lurking beneath the yfulness. His lips curled into a slow, knowing smile and he moved swiftly, caging her beneath him.


    His presence engulfed her, his scent wrapping around her senses as his lips descended upon hers. The kiss was not gentle. It was not hesitant. It was a im.


    Heat curled in Corrine’s stomach as she trembled beneath him, her hands grasping his shirt, anchoring herself against the wave of sensation overtaking her.


    The air around them thickened, charged with a tension that burned hotter with every passing second.


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