All Chapters of His Beauty Her Beast: Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

Elena's POVThis was not what I expected.It had been more than forty-eight hours since that moment—Rowan’s words, his touch, the silence that followed, the way he looked at me like I was a puzzle he couldn’t decide whether to solve or destroy. But even after all that time, the feeling hadn’t left me. Like a thin film of unease clinging to my skin.And now, on a day that already felt heavy and strange, my father just had to make it worse.I was heading out the door, clutching my bag, already mentally half at work when his voice stopped me cold.“Elena”, he said sharply, stepping out of the living room like he’d been waiting to ambush me. “Don’t forget—you have a date tonight.”My spine stiffened. I turned slowly, biting back the sigh that clawed up my throat. “I remember.”He narrowed his eyes at me, then extended a folded piece of paper with clipped movements. “This is the restaurant. Reservation’s under the boy's name. Eight o’clock sharp.”I took the paper, nodding silently, but of

Rowan's POVI shouldn’t have done it. I knew the second I leaned in, the exact moment my lips met the side of her neck, that I had crossed a line. A dangerous one. But the feel of her – so close, so real – made me forget the rules I spent years building.Her skin was warm beneath my mouth, soft in a way I wasn’t prepared for. Her breath hitched, barely audible, but I felt it. Felt the tremor in her chest, the way her body stilled like time had collapsed in that second. And damn it, the sound was enough to awaken every inch of me.I didn’t mean to pin her. I didn’t even realise I’d done it until she was there—trapped between my hands and the desk, her wide eyes staring into mine, silently asking me what the hell I was doing. And I didn’t have a proper answer. Not one that didn’t sound like madness.She made me insane. That was the truth. The moment she walked into my office looking like she was about to run a marathon, with that flushed face and too-quick breath, I knew she was hiding

Rowan's POV Her lips were still warm. I hadn’t moved—not a damn inch—since she stormed out and left the door swinging behind her. The echo of it clicked somewhere in the back of my mind, but my body was still recovering from the taste of her—like whisky and wildfire and something maddeningly sweet. My pulse was chaos. My jaw ached from the tension I hadn’t even noticed building. My hands still tingled with the memory of her—of how tightly I’d gripped her waist, how her fingers had fisted in my shirt like she didn’t know whether to pull me closer or shove me away. God, she’d kissed me like she hated me. And I think that’s exactly what made it so goddamn good. It wasn’t soft. It wasn’t gentle. It was war. And I’d go to battle with her every single day if it meant tasting her like that again. I touched my mouth, still stinging from where she bit me. She didn’t even hesitate. The moment I kissed her, she came alive—every inch of her, electric. And then, just as quickly, she stopped.

Rowan's POV“Well,” I said, letting my voice drop into something more clipped. “I think you ladies have gossiped enough for the day.”Elena stiffened slightly.“Miss Hart, you can leave now. But you and I will be discussing a few matters later,” I added, giving her the kind of look that had sent grown men out of boardrooms in a sweat.She didn’t flinch—just gave me a short nod and muttered, “Yes, boss,” before collecting her things and walking out.Smart girl.Not that I was watching the way her hips moved or the way that soft wave of hair swayed behind her.Not at all.The moment the door clicked shut behind her, the temperature in the room dropped five degrees. Or maybe that was just Nina.The cheerful, bubbly woman from two minutes ago? Gone.Now she was perched with one leg crossed over the other, coffee still in hand, expression cold enough to chill vodka.Now that was my sister.“You know”, I said, walking around to my desk and slumping into my chair, “for someone who spent her t

Rowan's POVI was hunched over my desk, sleeves rolled up, tie loosened, drowning in a stack of the latest financial files Tony had dumped on me. Margins, acquisitions, projections—I’d read them all twice, and yet my brain wasn’t retaining a damn thing.Frustrated, I leaned back in my chair, rubbing the back of my neck. The numbers swam in front of my eyes. Maybe I hadn’t slept enough last night. Maybe seeing him send her flowers this morning had fried whatever patience I had left.I shook the thought off. Work, Rowan. Focus on work. That’s the only thing that won’t turn on you.Just as I was about to dive back into the spreadsheets, my phone dinged on the desk. I glanced at it absently—Nina.Tch.Probably another sarcastic comment about the meeting. I almost didn’t bother opening it. But then another message came through.Nina: “Since your little assistant is about to steal the spotlight today… I thought you should see her first. Oh, brother… She cleans up beautifully, doesn’t she?”