The Divorce That Brought Us Back novel Chapter 109

Nora felt Maloney was exceptionally clingy tonight.

She assumed it was because he had been upset earlier.

She readily found excuses for him.

But even by his standards, this was entirely too much!

Nora was completely drained.

Lacking the energy to protest out loud, she grabbed his hand and bit down hard on the space between his thumb and index finger.

A neat row of teeth marks was left behind.

Maloney paused.

After being together for so long, they didn't need words to understand each other.

They changed locations multiple times.

Eventually making their way back to the bedroom.

Maloney patted her shoulder, signaling her to look up.

Her glazed, exhausted eyes stared blankly at him.

He shoved his phone screen right into her face.

It read: 01:37:19.

Nora: ?

She asked in confusion, "What's wrong?"

Maloney: "My time."

It took Nora a full minute to process what he meant.

Her eyes blew wide open.

Why on earth was he timing this?!

Did he somehow find out about her chat with Cassidy...

No, wait!

That conversation about timing things had happened completely privately in Cassidy's apartment.

There was no way he could know.

No matter how unhinged Cassidy could be, she would never go up to Maloney and mock his stamina.

So why?

Nora was dead on her feet, but her eyes were practically bugging out of her skull.

Her eyelids twitched frantically. Finding her adorable, Maloney cupped the back of her head and kissed her eyes.

She gripped his arm and whispered, "Why are you timing this?"

He paused for a second before replying smoothly, "No reason. Just keeping track."

Nora: "What's the point of keeping track?"

Maloney: "To assert dominance."

Nora: "..."

She mumbled, "This doesn't even count. You took several halftimes."

"Fine, this one doesn't count," he declared. "We'll start over."

Men were truly ridiculous.

Nora was so exhausted she had practically passed out, but Maloney stubbornly woke her up just to make her look at the stopwatch a second time.

She was so annoyed she started hitting him.

"You're the absolute best in the world! Happy now?"

He finally chuckled and held her as she drifted off to sleep.

The next day.

By the time Nora woke up, it was already mid-afternoon.

Maloney wasn't in bed.

Sitting on the edge of the vanity, toothbrush in mouth, Nora mumbled, "Are you not working today?"

He paused. "I need to drop by the office in a bit."

After attending the networking gala last night, he had several new prospects to evaluate. Mr. Hudson had urged him multiple times this morning, but Nora was still asleep, and he hadn't wanted to leave her alone. He had stayed in his home office, briefly reviewing the portfolios.

"Then go, hurry." Nora gently kicked him with her toe.

Maloney asked, "Do you have any plans today?"

"No." She shook her head. "I was supposed to do fittings for Sienna and blocked out two days for her, but she sprained her ankle last night and is stuck in the hospital. I'm just taking these two days off."

"Good." He pinched her cheek affectionately. "Get some rest."

After a quiet moment of intimacy, Maloney hurried off to the corporate headquarters.

He genuinely was swamped.

Not only did he have new projects to greenlight, but he also had to deal with the Seraphina situation.

He arranged a meeting with Sebastian Sinclair.

"I really can't control that sister of mine anymore."

Sebastian looked somewhat exasperated. "Our family has spoiled her rotten. She does whatever she wants, and no one can stop her."

"I assume you've heard about what happened with Mr. Watson, Maloney?"

"She secured such a massive project that the family is practically worshiping the ground she walks on. I'm afraid our current ties with the Jameson Group won't be enough to rein her in anymore."

Maloney listened in cold silence to Sebastian's subtle complaints.

He couldn't manage his own sister, yet had the audacity to whine about it to him.

Did he expect Maloney to step in and discipline her?

In his dreams.

Disgusted but hiding it well behind a blank expression, Maloney rhythmically tapped his index finger against the armrest. After a moment of thought, he spoke. "Understood."

Startled, Sebastian tested the waters. "So regarding the Sinclair and Jameson joint ventures..."

Maloney: "They remain unchanged for now."