A Caged Songbird's Escape: Into the Arms of a Predator novel Chapter 221

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 with lace at the collar 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 playfully 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 her lap, betraying her real emotions. Those wide, doe-like eyes held a trace of anxiety.

But mostly, she just seemed resigned—ready to accept 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’t lasted 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.

She whispered, “Rowan?”

No response.

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

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

She waited until he was completely 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 succeed, his head slipped and landed squarely in her lap, trapping her in place.

If she tried to move now, she’d only wake him up.

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

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