The first sound Elara registered as she blinked awake was Kaelen's voice, a low rumble that vibrated through the phone nestled against her ear. “Elara?” he murmured, his voice thick with sleep, or perhaps just the inherent richness of his tone.
Panic flared in her chest. Had the call been on all night? She scrambled to sit up, disentangling herself from the surprisingly comfortable guest room sheets. “Kaelen? Is… is the call still on?”
A chuckle, warm and intimate, filled her ear. “It is. Or rather, it was. I’ve been awake for hours, just listening to you breathe. Waiting for you to wake up.”
Elara’s cheeks flushed crimson. Hours? She glanced at the bedside clock. Almost ten. She’d slept far later than she intended. “I’m so sorry. I must have drifted off. I didn’t mean to…”
“Don’t apol
