She Was Never Just a Pretty Face novel Chapter 34

The bathroom was hazy with steam.

Hilda finished her shower in a tangled mess of thoughts. Wrapped in a thin robe, she stepped out to find Luther still sitting on the sofa by the window in the bedroom. His long legs remained stretched out, his head resting against the back of the sofa, quietly lost in thought. One hand gripped a glass of red wine, half-empty.

Hearing her footsteps, he turned his head and watched her silently, taking in her damp, freshly showered state.

Perhaps because he didn't love her.

He didn't care much about her transgression, nor did he mind sharing physical intimacy with her. It was all driven by raw, physical desire. She was undeniably enticing, looking perfectly ripe and luscious, like a peach fresh out of the water.

"Come sit."

Luther ordered, his voice low.

Hilda pulled her robe tighter and walked over.

Luther let out a low chuckle, laced with mockery and teasing. "Why are you acting like a virgin? You've already had a kid, and she's old enough to run errands."

He grabbed her arm and pulled her close—not onto his lap or the sofa, but forcing her into a half-crouch on the thick carpet. Her fair knees looked even more luminous and delicate against the dark rug. She was forced to place a hand on his leg, looking up at him as he cupped her face. He caressed her cheek with a slow, deliberate rhythm, his thumb pressing deeply into her flesh, making her look incredibly fragile and helpless.

He made no other move.

He simply toyed with her face.

Gradually, Hilda understood his intent and tried to pull away in panic. An arm caught her from behind.

Pulling her entirely into a warm embrace. He kissed the shell of her ear, his voice low, gravelly, and undeniably sexy—

"Didn't you used to like me?"

"Are you going to reject me, Hilda?"

Hilda couldn't utter a single word.

She could accept sleeping with him; they were adults, after all, and it was just a physical act.

But she couldn't accept acting out the romantic intimacy of true lovers.

She couldn't do it, nor did she know how.

Clearly, all men were the same.

No matter how arrogant he was during the day, he was just as depraved behind closed doors. She wanted to refuse, but thinking of the disappointment in Annie's eyes, her resolve wavered. After hesitating, she finally made up her mind, actively looping her arms around his neck to kiss him. She desperately tried to recall how it felt to love him, reaching back for the romantic fantasies she harbored before their wedding—

Her body was hot, her heart was cold, and her tears were invisible.

A phantom performance of love.

That left Hilda completely shattered.

The feelings of having loved him surged forward like a tide. Even after all these years, even knowing they would soon part ways, her heart still ached fiercely. The tears falling onto his skin contained the entirety of her past love for him.

But Luther had no idea.

He thought Jolie was the one who had saved him.

He didn't know she had plunged into the freezing ocean to rescue him, severely damaging her body and nearly losing the ability to ever have children.

Sadness, grief, and then, a hollow resignation...