Elissa’s mind went utterly nk, a dull ringing in her ears.
They were both adults–she didn’t have firsthand experience, but in that instant, she understood exactly what her hand had brushed against.
Now she was trapped, straddled across hisp, unable to move.
There was fabric between them, yet it felt as if there was nothing at all–warmth and contact, skin to skin.
She looked up at Rowan, panic swimming in her eyes, on the verge of tears. “Rowan, I didn’t mean to-”
Rowan’srge hand gripped the back of her head, thumb pressing gently against her soft lips. His voice was low, deliberate. “What did you just call me?”
Elissa froze, heart pounding, and scrambled to correct herself. “Mr. Murphy.”
He watched her, every inch the man whomanded the room. “Try again.”
She felt like her whole body was ame, desperate to get off hisp, too overwhelmed to protest further. “What do you want me to call you?”
His voice coaxed her, deep and measured. “What did you used to call me?”
Brother<b>. </b>
Of course, Elissa remembered. But now, the word felt impossibly intimate. She hesitated, her throat tight. “Just… let me go first.”
She tried to shift away, but his arm stayed firmly locked around her waist. Rowan was as unyielding as ever. “Say it first.”
Tears welled up in her eyes, shimmering. She blinked rapidly, cheeks
09:18
burning, and forced herself to speak. “B–Brother.”
He sounded annoyed. “Since when did you start stammering?”
Her face crumpled in frustration and embarrassment. “Brother!” she blurted out, sharper this time.
The word hung between them, exactly like the tone she used as a
stubborn teenager, always challenging him but ultimately giving in to his authority.
He finally released his grip, and she scrambled off hisp, all but diving into her seat. She rolled down the window, hoping the cool night air would clear away the tension–and maybe drown out the frantic beating of her heart.
Too weird.
Rowan used to tease her all the time when they were younger, poking at her just to see her get riled up. But nothing like this had ever happened before.
Maybe he was just annoyed–annoyed that since they reunited, she hadn’t once called him “Brother.”
After all, this was Young Master Murphy. No one ever dared go up against him. He hated to lose.
Well, he’d won again.
Rowan watched her all but flee, clutching the window edge, not daring to look at him. His eyes were dark, unreadable.
He could still feel the softness of her waist lingering on his palm..
Later that night, the memory wouldn’t let him sleep. He dreamed of gripping her waist, pulling her flush against him. He woke with a jolt, rubbing his brow in frustration before heading for a cold shower.
It didn’t help.
Sleep eluded him, so he gave up, stepped out of his room, and dropped.
<b>2/3 </b>
onto the living room sofa. His hand closed around the jacket Elissa had borrowed earlier; her scent–faint jasmine–still clung to the fabric.
His gaze darkened, something primal stirring inside him. He ran his fingers over the jacket, creasing it again and again.
Across the hall-
Elissa couldn’t sleep either. She clutched her pillow and went to find Tanya Foster.
Tanya was buried in paperwork, barely looking up. “Why aren’t you in bed?”
Elissa frowned, feeling bad for her friend’s relentlesste nights. “You’re still working?”
“I’m about to get promoted,” Tanya replied, waving a stack of files, eyes shining with excitement. “If I win this case, I’ll be head attorney. My sry’s going to skyrocket.”
She grinned. “If I keep this up, take on a few more cases, we’ll be able to leave this ce in no time. Two years, tops.”
Tanya never forgot her promise–to leave Vistapeak City with Elissa.
Warmth spread in Elissa’s chest. She poured Tanya a ss of milk. “Really? Our Tanya is amazing.”
Tanya shrugged with a cocky smile, gulped the milk, and nced over. “What about you? Trouble sleeping again?”
“Sort of.” Elissa forced a light smile. “I’ll finish my milk and head back. Don’t let me keep you. Get some rest when you’re done.”
<b>3/3 </b>