The CEO's Unspoken Love Novel

Chapter 65 My breathing quickened as her fingers traced a pattern on my shoulder. I was acutely aware of her warmth, the silk of her dress against: my hands where I still held her wrists. It would be so easy to give in, to take what she was offering without question. Instead, I found my hand moving to her back, steadying her as she leaned precariously toward me. Suddenly, tears welled in her eyes. "Why her?" she whispered. "Why is it always Seraphina? You'll sleep with her but you can't even look at me...". The accusation hit like cold water. "What?

I'm not sleeping with Seraphina." "Don't lie to me anymore." Her tears flowed freely now. "She came to the shop today... she told me everything about you two..." Anger rose in my chest, sharp and clear. "What exactly did she tell you?" Eleanor's eyes gradually cleared, the alcohol's fog lifting enough for comprehension to dawn. I knelt before her, offering a glass of water that she accepted with trembling hands. "Small sips," I instructed, watching her throat work as she swallowed. She lowered the glass, her eyes now more focused but still vulnerable.

"Derek..." Her voice was small, uncertain. "Have you ever... even a little bit... liked me?" The directness of the question caught me off guard. I looked away, unable to meet her gaze. "It's okay if you haven't," she continued, her voice growing stronger. "I just need to know." She twisted the glass in her hands, the water catching the dim light. "Since you came back from London... sometimes I think there's something between us. Some kind of... chemistry I can't explain." She looked up, her gaze surprisingly steady despite the alcohol.

"When you're near me, when you look at me a certain way... I can't breathe. It's like the air just disappears." My fingers itched to touch her, to smooth away the crease between her eyebrows. I remained still, afraid of what might happen if I moved. Eleanor set the glass aside and leaned forward slightly. "It hurts," she whispered. "This feeling hurts so much, and I don't know what to do with it." I reached out, unable to stop myself, and brushed a tear from her cheek. My thumb lingered on her soft skin. Her eyes widened slightly at the touch.

1/2 Chapter 65 She caught my hand, pressing it to her face as if it were something precious. Her eyes-God, her eyes were killing me-full of desperate hope and raw honesty. "Could you try?" she asked, voice breaking. "Could you try to love me, even a little? Or am I really nothing to you?" The vulnerability in her question stripped away my defenses. I felt my expression soften, my carefully constructed walls weakening in the face of her raw emotion. I couldn't remember the last time anyone had looked at me with such honest need.

Eleanor held my gaze, refusing to look away despite the tears gathering in her eyes. "I just want to know," she whispered, "if I was doomed- from the start to lose you." I swallowed hard, feeling the conflict within me rise to an unbearable pitch. I wanted her-had wanted her for longer than I cared to admit. But wanting wasn't the same as deserving. I'd treated her carelessly, kept her at arm's length for three years. Why would she want anything from me now except freedom? Her hand still held mine against her cheek, warm and soft.

I was torn between pulling away and drawing her closer, caught in the limbo of desire and restraint. She was vulnerable, exposed in a way I'd never allowed myself to be. And I knew, with absolute certainty, that whatever I did next would change everything between us. Comments B4 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.