Devil's Prisoner of Love by Prefer

After waiting for two hours, Frank finally returned. When he pushed the door open, Ivy was taken aback.

"Frank, you're back?" she said, her voice filled with surprise.

Frank smiled as he stepped into the room. "What? Don't recognize me?" he teased, walking toward her.

Ivy stared at the man before her. The rugged, scruffy image she had grown used to was gone. His once long and messy beard was shaved clean, and his hair was cropped short.

Without the beard, Frank looked like a completely different person. His bold, chiselled features becstrikingly apparent. Even though his clothes were plain and old-fashioned, bought from the small village, he looked refreshingly handsome.

"Your beard... where did it go?" she asked, still stunned.

"I shaved it. I couldn't meet your family looking like a mess, could I? I figured I should clean myself up. Don't you think it looks better?" Ivy chuckled. "If you'd looked like this from the start, I never would've called you 'old man."" She couldn't help but think of Justin, who had also looked like a different person after shaving and cutting his hair.

"What kind of look do you prefer?" Frank asked, his voice soft.

"It doesn't matter," Ivy replied, her tone warm. "As long as it's you, I'll love it all." She reached up and touched his face. She wasn't used to this smoothness-before, his beard would always prick her skin during kisses.

"Ivy, I'm exhausted," Frank admitted, his voice heavy. "I need ssleep." He looked drained, and the redness in his eyes made her heart ache.

"Alright," she said gently. "Cinside and rest." She took his hand and led him to the bed she had been using these past few days.

The moment Frank's head hit the pillow, he was ready to fall asleep. Ivy decided to join him for a nap. After all, their relationship was no longer uncertain; they'd already crossed that line of intimacy. It didn't feel strange to lie beside him now.

"Sleep," she whispered, resting her head against his chest.

Unlike her twith Mio, where lying in bed together always felt distant and awkward, Frank's presence was grounding. had never held her close, and she'd been too nervous to touch him. With Frank, it was different. She wanted to lean into him, to feel his warmth.

Frank stiffened slightly at her touch, and she guessed he was remembering that passionate night they'd shared.

"Ivy..." "Hmm?" she murmured, her eyes closed.

"I... can I kiss you?" Frank's honesty was disarming, his shy nature peeking through.

Ivy felt a rush of excitement, like she was falling in love for the first time. She didn't answer, simply closing her eyes, her heart fluttering like a schoolgirl's.

But nothing happened. After a long pause, she opened her eyes and saw Frank looking at her.

"Why didn't you kiss me?" she asked in confusion.

"I thought you were asleep," he said sheepishly. Frank could be so endearing at times and utterly clueless at others.

Ivy burst out laughing. "You're such an idiot." She leaned forward and kissed him instead, taking the lead. His kisses were unpracticed and clumsy, driven entirely by instinct.

Frank wasn't inexperienced with women, but kissing was something he had never done before Ivy. That fiery night together had been his first.

Their kiss deepened, and Ivy could feel the tension building between them. Frank, ever the gentleman, hesitated, his hands resting on her waist.

She stifled a laugh. He's hopeless, she thought to herself, amused by his restraint.

Playfully, her fingers danced across his skin, igniting a fire within him. His breathing grew ragged, and finally, he pulled away, his face flushed.

"Ivy," he stammered, "I just took a bath." "I know," she replied, her lips curling into a smile.

"I'm... very clean," he added, as if to reassure her.

She had already noticed the fresh scent of soap on him, crisp and subtle, perfectly suited to him.

"So?" she teased, feigning ignorance. She enjoyed seeing him flustered, his honesty making him an easy target for her mischief.

"So... I want to do something. With you. Is that okay?" His face turned an even deeper shade of red as he spoke, his voice low and uncertain.

Her heart swelled with affection. He wanted her, but still sought her permission.

"What is it that you want to do?" she teased, pretending not to understand.

"That thing we did... that night," he mumbled, his voice barely audible.

Ivy's lips twitched with amusement. "Tell me, Frank. Do you mean telling stories?" "No." "Then what? Watching stars on the deck like we did last month?" He hesitated, looking both embarrassed and determined. "This," he said, flipping her onto her back in one swift motion.

Now it was Ivy's turn to blush. She looked up at him, his bronze skin glowing in the soft light, every muscle on his body taut with strength.

"I... can I?" he asked again, his voice tender but firm.

"Are you a pirate?" she blurted out, catching him off guard.

"What?" "Would a pirate ask for permission?" "So... does that mean you agree?" he asked, his eyes lighting up.

"Idiot," she muttered, shaking her head.

But then he hesitated again. "But... what if your grandmother hears us? She's just outside."

Ivy sighed, exasperated. "She went to m the mountains to pick wild vegetables. She won't be back for hours. There's no one else here. If you want to, then..." She paused, her voice softening. "I'm willing." Before she could finish, his lips crashed onto hers, the kiss wild and unrestrained.

In that moment, Ivy felt her attachment to Frank deepen. After everything they'd been through, she e realized just how much she relied on him. And Frank, too, knew that Ivy had becan irreplaceable part of his life. Love was a strange and inexplicable thing. Before they had even realized it, they had becinseparable, their feelings etched into their souls.

Their fingers intertwined as they gazed into each other's eyes. Ivy's cheeks flushed with warmth under his gaze.

"Ivy," Frank murmured, his voice low and serious. "Look at me. Who am I?" She met his intense gaze and answered softly, "Frank." "Say it again," he demanded, his tone unwavering.

Ivy's eyes roamed over him, taking in every detail. His bronze skin, then defined muscles sculpted from years of hard work, and the strength in his presence. She hadn't noticed it before, but now she couldn't look away.

"Frank," she repeated, her voice steady.

This was the man she would spend the rest of her life with. No one else.

Her past had finally cto an end. From this moment on, she was a new Ivy. And in this new life, she would love only one man.

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