The Divorce That Brought Us Back novel Chapter 37

Nora rarely drank.

The last time Maloney saw her drunk was on their wedding night, two years ago.

Knowing that Maloney suffered from terrible hangovers, Nora had intercepted every toast thrown his way at the reception.

Nora had an incredible tolerance.

She drank for two hours straight without faltering.

But the alcohol did make her bolder and far more talkative.

Dutch courage at its finest.

When Maloney brought her home after the wedding, Nora dragged him straight to the bedroom.

She then flopped onto the bed and gave him a highly detailed lecture about how she liked her pillows arranged before sleep.

She was dead serious, her cheeks flushed bright red, her eyes sparkling with a soft, liquid light.

She looked so kissable.

Before the wedding, they had never discussed the logistics of their physical relationship.

Going from the hospital proposal to the altar took a mere two months.

They weren't exactly intimate yet.

Pinned to the mattress, Nora blinked up at him. "What are you doing?"

Maloney had delivered a perfectly logical speech. "Nora, I'm a healthy adult male. I have natural needs. Do you understand?"

It was a wildly inappropriate time to negotiate terms.

Not before, not later, but right on their wedding night.

Maloney was fully prepared to back down.

If she showed even the slightest hint of reluctance.

He would pull away.

Instead, Nora hadn't flinched. She simply nodded like a good girl. "I understand."

It wasn't until she woke up the next morning that Maloney realized her obedience was purely the liquor talking.

Once sober, she buried her head under the pillows like an ostrich, entirely unwilling to face reality.

She just didn't want to face it; she hadn't forgotten it.

She honored her promises.

And right now.

Willingly throwing herself into his arms was basically serving herself up on a silver platter.

They had been in a cold war, and he hadn't dared touch her.

But the ice was broken.

Nora's mouth tasted like alcohol, cut with the sweet flavor of vanilla frosting.

She had eaten cake.

The kitchen counter was a bit too high.

A moment later, Maloney lifted her again.

Nora barely weighed ninety pounds; he hoisted her up with one arm effortlessly.

The kettle beeped, switching to keep-warm mode.

Holding her with one arm, he poured the hangover remedy into a mug. He took a sip to test it—warm, but not scalding—then tipped the rim to her lips.

"Nora, be good. Open up."

She felt awful and refused to take more than a single sip.

Maloney didn't force the issue. He set the mug aside and carried her upstairs.

Back in the master bedroom.

"I... I need to use the bathroom..."

It was a desperate excuse.

Only later did Maloney realize she was entirely serious.

After a brief moment of shock, clarity hit him like a freight train.

He was a man who handled crises with absolute calm. He never panicked. He could make the most precise decisions in fractions of a second.

Yet now, he was a total mess.

The bed in the master bedroom was ruined.

After showering, they relocated to the guest room.

"I really do," Nora lied through her teeth. "Last night, she got into a massive fight with her husband. It was brutal. And she's pregnant. I have to go check on her."

Maloney paused. "What time?"

"Noon."

"Alright. You have two hours. I'll drive you."

"Then... let me go. I need to get ready."

"Give me another thirty minutes."

Maloney compromised by letting her leave, and Nora took the win without pushing it.

She leaned quietly against his chest, closing her eyes.

Her brain was pure chaos.

She found herself circling back to the divorce.

Maloney refused to sign, claiming her reasons were inadequate, and David Dodge refused to back her, claiming she was sabotaging the family business.

If she couldn't get a divorce, did that mean she had to fix her marriage?

Just like Cassidy and Parker.

But then again.

Why did she want a divorce in the first place?

Because Seraphina Sinclair was back in the country. Because Maloney loved Seraphina. Because they were so close, walking in and out of hotels together. Nora had asked for the divorce to step aside and let them be together.

Nora had asked for it for Maloney's sake.

So what right did he have to say no?

Oh, right.

To protect his pristine reputation, secure his shiny awards, and keep the boardroom stable.

Thanks to the lingering hangover, her brain was operating at dial-up speed. She couldn't process the entire picture, forced to jump from one fragmented thought to the next.

She was this close to abandoning the divorce entirely.

But the second she considered staying, reality violently snapped her back. No. Seraphina returning wasn't the root cause of the divorce.

That was just the spark that lit the fuse.