When he still said nothing, Evie snuggled herself closer into his arms, slipping her small hands onto his back, trying her best to reassure him that she would not be leaving him alone and hoping that he would be able to fall back to sleep again. He truly needed to rest!

They were quiet for a long while as Evie softly caressed his back as if to calm him down and hopefully be able to lull him to sleep. But minutes passed as she continued her gentle and calm ministrations on him, but the man remained as stiff as a plank in her arms.

"What's wrong, Gav? Can't you sleep? Or are you still worried that I will ditch you once you are asleep?" she whispered, and she felt him catch his breath as he stiffened a little.

As she pulled away, Evie accidentally nudged her knees into something hot and rock hard and Gavrael let out a low growl. She could feel that scalding temperature and the hard length branding itself into the flesh just above her knees and she flushed as she realised what was keeping him up.

Speechless, her lips parted as she looked down at him. He had his eyes closed tight as if to avoid being confronted or seeing the questioning look that was surely there in her large bright eyes.

"Don't mind it… don't mind me." He murmured hoarsely, still keeping his eyes closed as if to force himself to go to sleep. God… so this was why his whole body was so stiff and could not relax!

"Gav…" Evie called out softly to him.

"I said to ignore it!" Gavrael burst out. And Evie was not sure whether it was in embarrassment or irritation.

However, unable to stop herself anymore, Evie giggled out loud as she trembled in his arms. She knew she might upset him by laughing at his situation, but she really could not bear it anymore. He was just too adorable! Though there was no way she would dare voice it out aloud as he would find it insulting to have the word 'adorable' used to describe his magnificent self. Again, with his highly annoyed face pictured in her mind, Evie chortled, full of mirth.

His tightly shut eyes then flew open as he watched her laughing at his expense. The lines between his forehead now furrowed even deeper as he stared unhappily at her.

"Geez, Gav… I'm sorry, I'm not laughing at you… just that…" she chuckled continuously no matter how much she tried to stop herself. She did not know why but she somehow found his tone when he said 'ignore it' very funny. Just thinking about it now sent her into another peal of laughter.

He just watched her chuckle and laugh until the deep lines on his forehead disappeared. The sight of her laughing with abandon, the sounds of her chuckles, and the way she gripped and hung onto him as she trembled… it still amazed him how and why these little things about her could make him forget about everything awful that had happened in his life. Her happiness makes him feel like everything will be alright even though such a way of thinking was impossible. He felt that he could trade anything and everything, even his very soul just to keep her happy like this.

"Gods… you're just adorable Gav… too adorable for me to handle sometimes…" she sighed as she could not help but use that highly offending word to describe him, hoping that he would not flip out or get annoyed at her. She finally stopped laughing, wiping away the small tears of joy that had appeared at the corners of her eyes.

Then she stared at him with a mischievous gaze. "Are you sure you want me to ignore it?" She then wiggled her eyebrows playfully at him as though she was some lecherous old man panting after a young beautiful thing.

"No – yes. Damn it, Evie! Would you just listen to me?!" He groaned and flipped around, burying his face into his pillows as he left his back facing her.

Evie had to bite down hard on her lower lip in order to not bark out in laughter again.

When she managed to hold back her laughter and stopped her trembling shoulders, she looked at his broad and strong back facing her and her eyes gentled with a soft light. Right then, she did not know why, but she felt like he looked so vulnerable even though he gave her the impression of looking so incredibly strong. She did not know what made her think that he was vulnerable. But right then, she just had the strange and almost overwhelming urge to pamper him, and to love him with everything that she had within her. She would love him unreservedly as if there were no more tomorrows.

She shook her head and told herself this must be because she was aware that once the war starts, they could no longer do this and just be with each other as they were doing now anymore. She knew that he was not going to merely seize a single city. He was planning to take over the entire empire. So, of course, this war would drag on and take longer.

Now that she thought about that, she was even more determined to get him to rest now.

Wrapping her arms around his waist as she hugged him from behind, Evie whispered to him. "You really need to rest, Gav."

He did not respond but when his body remained stiff like hard stone, Evie lifted her body and then her hand slowly moved over to land on his stomach before gliding lower down – inch after agonising inch.

"Alright, I'll help you with it. But afterwards you must sleep, okay?" she stated with understanding and then her hand reached the burning rock-hard rod which was bulging from his trousers.

Gavrael inhaled a sharp breath then he grabbed her wrist, effectively stopping her from continuing her exploration.

"Evie..."

"You won't be able to fall asleep if… let me, Gav. It's okay. And besides…" she paused and half-bite her lower lip. "Knowing you, I don't think you can ignore it."

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