Lullaby 293

Chapter 293

Even with Rowan’s steady hand supporting her, Elissa couldn’t shake the dizzying sense of insecurity that came from being lifted so effortlessly into his arms. Instinctively, her legs tightened around his waist, searching for any anchor.

Something was shifting, and not for the better. She could feel it–like the pressure in the air before a storm.

It all started with that phone call Rowan had answered just moments before.

Even now, the aftershocks of his mood pulsed through the room; Elissa could sense he hadn’t quite let go of whatever had unsettled him.

But Rowan didn’t give her time to dwell. With his long strides–deliberate and unhurried–he carried her across the room and pressed her down onto the soft expanse of the king–sized bed.

Elissa’s breath caught, her lashes fluttering with nervous anticipation.

The mattress cradled her back, while above her, Rowan’s eyes burned a feverish red, his chest rising and falling with heavy, restrained breaths.

She licked her lips, her voice barely a whisper. “Are… are we doing this now?”

From the moment she’d signed that agreement, she never truly believed she’d escape this moment.

Rowan never looked away, not even for a second.

Her lips, still glistening from his earlier kiss, trembled; her clear eyes shone with uncertainty and a touch of fear, betraying a naivety that hadn’t been touched by experience.

Desire flickered in Rowan’s gaze, dark and unyielding. His body was taut with restraint, but somehow he managed to pull back, propping himself up with one elbow at her side while his other hand brushed gently across her brow.

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When he spoke, his voice sounded rough, like gravel underfoot.

“How long did you plan to keep the divorce from me?”

Elissa blinked, stunned by the sudden turn in conversation.

She truly hadn’t intended to tell him at first. Part of her had been clinging to a grudge–a bitterness that had lasted eight years, shattering her trust and leaving her terrified to let anyone in again.

But the last time, in that private booth at Cloud Peak Club, the moment she’d told everyone she and Frank were over, she’d stopped trying to hide it from Rowan. There was no point in pretending anymore.

As Rowan’s touch lingered on her cheek, featherlight and electric, Elissa felt her whole body react. Her voice came out softer than she intended. “I did want to keep it from you, at first. But not anymore…”

She thought, What’s the use in hiding it? He can think whatever he wants. I’ll accept it. After all, it was my own mistake for trusting the wrong

person.

But for Rowan, the meaning ran deeper.

His Elissa was finally starting to be honest with him again–like she once was. Maybe, just maybe, she was learning to trust him anew. If he was careful, patient, perhaps he’d become her most important person again.

This realization sent a surge of longing through him, dark and overwhelming, tearing through the last threads of his composure. He didn’t want to hold back anymore–he couldn’t.

He leaned down and kissed her again.

This kiss wasn’t as rough as the one in the restaurant earlier, but for Elissa, it was almost too much. Rowan didn’t give her a chance to breathe; his mouth devoured hers until her gasps spilled from between her lips. One hand tangled in her hair, the other slid beneath her dress, callused fingers grazing the sensitive skin of her thigh.

Just when Elissa thought he might stop, Rowan only grew bolder. He was nothing like the man in that club’s private booth–there was no restraint

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now, only hunger.

A tidal wave of unfamiliar sensations crashed over her. For the first time, Elissa realized her body was no longer obeying her thoughts–she was helpless, swept along by the intensity of his touch, her mind unraveling with every caress.

At last, when Rowan finally let her lips go, Elissa could barely catch her breath. Her voice, raw and trembling, called out his name. “Rowan…”