Maybe it was because she’d never experienced it before, but Elissa Drummond found herself feeling oddly safe in his bed.

She was wearing the nightgown he’d picked out for her, a delicate slip edged withce at the cor and hem, making her look even sweeter and more docile than usual.

While she was drying her hair, her mind must have wandered–her bangs ended up swept yfully to one side, giving her a charmingly impish look. Her skin, always soft and glowing, was now warmed with a rosy flush from the hot shower, making her seem almost like a ripe, juicy peach.

Though she managed to look calm on the surface, her hands twisted nervously in herp, betraying her real emotions. Those wide, doe–like eyes held a trace of anxiety.

But mostly, she just seemed resigned–ready to ept whatever came next.

Rowan Murphy watched her, something stirring in his chest. He deliberately teased, “We’ll watch a movie before going to bed.”

A movie? Now?

Elissa’s mind jumped straight to *that kind of movie. “Um, maybe we can just…skip the movie?”

She’d once let curiosity get the better of her and tried watching one–high definition and all. She hadn’tsted long; it was just too much.

Still, she wasn’t a teenager anymore. In the past few years, she’d inevitably developed her own needs.

But honestly, books suited her better than movies.

Not that she could suggest something like, “Let’s read a steamy novel together,” to Rowan.

He’d probably tease her about it for the rest of her life.

And besides, he was a healthy, grown man. Why would he need a movie to get in the mood?

Unless…he couldn’t…?

Rowan caught the confusion in her eyes and realized exactly where her thoughts had gone. “What’s going on in that head of yours?”

He shook his head, already casting the movie to the projector.

Elissa, mortified, turned to see the film’s title appear on the screen-*Flipped*.

About as wholesome and innocent a movie as you could find.

She’d seen it before, but good films were always worth a rewatch.

Now even more embarrassed, she nced at Rowan. When she caught his teasing grin, she wanted nothing more than to sink into the floor and disappear entirely.

Doing her best to save face, she moved to the sofa and settled in, determined to watch the movie as if nothing had happened. But before she could getfortable, she felt a hand close firmly around

her wrist.

i1/2 /i

18:03

With a gentle tug, Rowan pulled her over, and she tumbled into his arms.

“Sit closer,” he said, his voice low and quiet.

“…Okay.”

She mbered upright and sat beside him.

The lights dimmed, leaving only the soft glow of the projector. The atmosphere felt unexpectedly warm and intimate.

The movie itself was lovely–childhood sweethearts, that gentle ache of first love. No matter how messy real life could get, stories like this still made her long for something simple and pure.

The only thing not so lovely was the way, in every normal movie scene, the girl would rest her head on the guy’s shoulder. But right now, it was Rowan’s head that hade to rest on top of hers, leaving her so stiff she hardly dared to breathe. After a while, her neck started to ache.

Elissa gritted her teeth and held out as long as she could, hoping Rowan would move on his own.

But as the minutes passed, she realized his head was getting heavier, his breathing slower and

steadier.

She whispered, “Rowan?”

No response.

He’d invited her to watch a movie–and then fallen asleep.

Elissa nced at her phone. Not even nine o’clock yet. This man’s sleep schedule was almost too healthy.

She waited until he waspletely out, then carefully supported his head with her arm and tried to ease him down onto the sofa.

But just as she was about to seed, his head slipped andnded squarely in herp, trapping her in ce.

If she tried to move inow/ii, /ishe’d only wake him up.

Faced with the choice of disturbing him or enduring a numb leg, Elissa chose thetter. She even switched her phone to silent, afraid of waking the sleeping king in herp.

But she’d forgotten something very important about this particr king.

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