Elissa had never experienced anything like this before–her slender waist held firmly in a man’s grasp, his touch casual, almost yful.
Every muscle in her body was taut, even her toes curled in tension. When she heard his lowmand, she blinked, stunned, and nced up at Rowan. “What?”
Her eyes were clear and bright, wide with confusion, shining with such innocence that it would tempt anyone to push further.
Rowan gave her a gentle swat on the hip. “I said, kiss me.”
This time Elissa understood, and in an instant, her face flushed scarlet, turning as red as a boiled shrimp.
Rowan, dressed in an impably tailored suit, looked every bit the cool and reserved professional at first nce–someone strictly in control.
No one would ever guess those hands could act so teasingly.
Elissa remembered the agreement they’d made justst night. There was no point ying coy now. Steeling herself, she hooked her arms around his shoulders and leaned in toward his thin lips.
As she moved closer, even the tips of her ears turned bright red.
Rowan, like a man used to being obeyed, watched her without a flicker of emotion. Just as she was about to kiss him, his hand tightened at her waist, lifting her slightly..
His gaze was dark and intense. He bent his head, and instead of her lips, pressed a restrained, lingering kiss to her chin.
Working up the nerve to kiss someone was one thing. Actually being kissed–unexpected and real–was something entirely different.
It was as if a jolt of electricity shot from her chin through every nerve in her body. Elissa froze, eyes squeezed shut, only to feel him nip gently at her jaw, almost as if he was dissatisfied.
He leaned in, his breath warm against her ear, voice low and rough, full of restraint. “That’s not the attitude you had when you were begging mest. night.”
The room was perfectly soundproofed. As his words faded, Elissa could hear nothing but the frantic pounding of her own heart, her breathing quickening.
Ding dong-
The doorbell rang, sharp and sudden.
Rowan scowled in annoyance, and Elissa, as though released from a spell, pushed him away in a panic. “That must be Tanya and Rex–they’re done talking.”
Rowan caught her by the ponytail she’d carelessly thrown up in her hurry to get out this morning. “Wait.”
“What is it?”
She turned to look at him.
He held out his hand, palm up. “Your phone.”
Elissa hesitated, unsure of his intention, but obediently handed it over.
His long, deft fingers worked the screen. She saw him open WhatsApp, do something she couldn’t quite catch, and then he handed it back to her, issuing his verdict like a king. “You can go.”
Not daring to linger, Elissa snatched her phone and hurried out.
Sure enough, Tanya Foster was waiting for her outside the door.
Feeling guilty, Elissa grabbed Tanya and dashed back to her own apartment. Only after locking the door behind them did she finally rx. and let out a long breath.
She nced down at her phone, and noticed she had a new contact on WhatsApp.
Rowan had just removed himself from her blocked list, and pinned his
own chat to the very top.
“Why’s your face so red?” Tanya asked suddenly, picking up on Elissa’s flustered state.
Elissa pulled her over to the sofa, checking her pulse as she babbled the first excuse that came to mind. “It’s hot–Rowan cranked the heat up way.
too high.”
“He’s a grown man…” Tanya muttered, her fever making her drowsy but the subject perking her up. “Are you sure he’s not just… weak?”
“He’s not,” Elissa blurted out.
A secondter, she realized her mistake: Tanya was eyeing her, all curiosity. “And how would you know he isn’t?”
Elissa was silent.
She couldn’t exactly say she’d checked.
Or that she’d just experienced it for herself.
Quickly, she got up to make Tanya some pie and brew her medicine. After Tanya finished eating and drinking, Elissa didn’t give her a chance to interrogate further–she simply tucked her into bed and insisted she rest.