A Caged Songbird's Escape: Into the Arms of a Predator novel Chapter 540

After ending the call, Elissa stepped back into the bedroom and sat at her desk for a long time, her heart still hammering a frantic rhythm against her ribs.

Tanya walked in from the hallway and took one look at her flushed face and deep, steadying breaths. "What happened? Did the big bad CEO drop some serious dirty talk on you?"

"..."

Elissa rubbed the bridge of her nose. "...He didn't say anything. Hurry up and take your shower! I left some pajamas out for you in the bathroom."

Tanya could see she was dying of embarrassment and mercifully let it drop.

Either way, it was obvious the misunderstanding was completely cleared up.

Once Tanya disappeared into the bathroom, Elissa's mind immediately flashed back to Rowan's final words on the call.

—*"I miss you too."*

Just hearing something so raw from a man who was normally made of ice and steel was enough to make her heart race.

But she had absolutely not anticipated the dark, gravelly whisper that followed.

*"My body misses you too."*

Elissa had short-circuited for several seconds, completely incapable of keeping up with his sudden shift in tension.

When her brain finally rebooted, pure panic took over. She had practically slammed the end call button while standing in the freezing wind.

Missing her emotionally was fine.

Who gave him the right to talk about his *body* missing her?!

Shameless!

The next morning, Elissa woke up to find Tanya already sitting up, scrolling through her phone with a deadpan expression.

Elissa glanced at the clock. It wasn't even eight yet. "Why are you up so early? Do you have to work?"

"..."

Tanya gave her a look of utter, hollow despair. "Let me guess, Rowan has been waking up at the crack of dawn lately, hasn't he?"

Elissa thought back. Actually, yes, he had.

Every time she opened her eyes in the morning, she found Rowan already awake, quietly watching her.

She had assumed he just liked looking at her while she slept.

She nodded, confused. "How did you know?"

"..."

With absolutely nowhere to channel her aggressive morning irritation, Tanya reached over and pinched Elissa's cheek hard. "Girl, how has your sleeping posture gotten even worse? You sleep like you're fighting in a UFC championship."

It had been a complete nightmare.

At five in the morning, Elissa had thrown a devastating right hook square into Tanya's chest.

She had been violently shocked awake, gasping for air, and hadn't been able to fall back asleep since.

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