The CEO's Unspoken Love Novel

Chapter 44 Eleanor POV The bedroom was dark and quiet, save for Derek's steady breathing beside me. I lay still, my eyes fixed on the ceiling, replaying what had just happened between us. My body still tingled where his hands had been, ghost impressions of his touch lingering on my skin like stubborn perfume. I turned my head slightly to look at him. In sleep, the hardness fell away from his face. He looked younger, vulnerable even-a version of Derek I rarely got to see anymore. What had just happened?

One moment he was kissing me like a man drowning, his hands awakening every nerve ending in my body, and the next he was pulling away, his expression shuttering closed like blinds against sunlight. "I think that's it. Sorry," he'd said, as if we'd been discussing a business transaction rather than on the verge of something I'd barely allowed myself to imagine. I closed my eyes, remembering how his punishment kiss had transformed into something else entirely. The way his mouth claimed mine- first in anger, then in hunger.

How his hands had traveled along my body, leaving trails of fire in their wake. My treacherous body had responded instantly, arching into his touch, seeking more. The heat that had pooled low in my belly, the way my fingers had threaded through his hair, pulling him closer... This was only the second time we'd ever kissed, the first being that night at the club's bathroom. After our wedding, there had been nothing-not even the barest affection. Just two strangers sharing a house until he left for London, leaving only silence and obligation in his wake.

Over two years of formal emails and perfunctory holiday calls. And now this-his return, his confusing behavior, his kiss that promised everything and delivered nothing. I waited until his breathing deepened, becoming slow and rhythmic. Only then did I allow myself to move closer, drawn to his warmth like a moth to flame. Carefully, so as not to wake him, I leaned over and pressed my lips to his. "This is my punishment for you," I whispered against his mouth, the Words barely audible even in the silent room. He would never understand what I meant. How could he?

He didn't know that loving him had been my punishment for years-loving someone who saw me as nothing more than an obligation, a business arrangement with an expiration date. Our divorce was approaching fast. In less than two months, I would sign the papers that would sever our legal ties, making official what had always been true: we were strangers who happened to share a last name and occasionally a roof. Until then, I would treasure these moments-even the painful ones. The rare, unguarded expression that sometimes slipped past his defenses.

The way he smelled of sandalwood and something uniquely Derek. I closed my eyes and allowed sleep to claim me. 1/2 I woke to cold sheets and silence. Derek's side of the bed was empty, the indentation in his pillow the only evidence he'd been there at all. Before I could stop myself, I reached over and pressed my face to his pillow, inhaling deeply. His scent lingered-clean soap, that expensive cologne he favored, and something masculine I couldn't name. The bathroom door stood open, revealing gleaming surfaces and the faint scent of his shaving cream.

He must have risen early, completed his morning routine, and left without waking me. Typical Derek-here one moment, gone the next. I shouldn't have expected anything different. Last night hadn't changed anything between us. If anything, it had only reinforced the reality of our situation: physical attraction without emotional connection. A marriage of convenience that had long since become inconvenient for both of us. Sunny's eager barking from downstairs broke through my melancholy thoughts. Time to face the day, regardless of how heavy my heart felt.

Comments 4 Write Comments SHARE 2/2 Ruby Walker Ruby Walker is a rising voice in the world of romance and spicy fiction. With a gift for weaving deep emotions, sizzling chemistry, and unexpected twists, her stories are a blend of passion and drama that captivate readers from start to finish. Ruby's writing style is bold and irresistible-perfect for those who crave intense, addictive love stories.