The Divorce That Brought Us Back novel Chapter 413

The first two years of their marriage.

Maloney and Nora were completely entirely out of sync behind closed doors.

They barely touched each other.

Then, one afternoon.

Nora returned from a study program abroad. The moment she pushed open the front doors of the villa, she spotted Maloney sitting on the living room sofa, deep in a business call.

Their eyes locked.

They hadn't seen each other in half a month. A spark flared in her chest, but she expertly buried it.

She blinked at him twice.

She pointed toward the stairs, silently signaling that she was going up to unpack.

Maloney simply beckoned her over.

Nora swapped her shoes for slippers in the entryway and walked straight toward him.

His laptop sat open on the coffee table, the screen displaying a multi-person video conference.

She sat down quietly beside him.

A moment later, Maloney casually extended his hand, palm up, toward her.

What did he want?

Nora stared at him in utter confusion.

He gave a slight curl of his fingers.

She leaned closer, mouthing the words: 'What do you want?'

A sudden, intoxicating sweetness flooded his senses.

It wasn't a heavy perfume, but something fresh and vivid—like she had just snuck a handful of grapes straight from the vineyard, a stray drop of juice staining her dress. It was a faint, maddening sweetness that made his fingertips tingle.

Maloney lowered his gaze, took a silent breath, and simply claimed her hand, wrapping his fingers around hers.

Nora froze slightly.

She didn't pull away, allowing him to slowly caress her palm.

Half a month apart.

He was absolutely starving for her.

But he couldn't let her see just how desperate he was.

It would terrify her.

He had to settle for a taste.

Keeping one hand firmly wrapped around hers, he casually ended the conference call with the other.

"How was the program?"

Shutting the laptop, he suddenly pivoted to casual conversation about her studies.

Nora instantly straightened her spine. "It was good."

"Are you going back next month?"

"No, probably not until next year."

"And after next year?"

"Um... I don't know yet."

"Alright."

Maloney could feel her palm growing damp with nervous sweat.

A casual conversation, and she was already a wreck.

"Let's go." He stood, pulling her up with him. "I'll walk you upstairs so you can rest."

"Okay."

They walked upstairs, stepped into the bedroom, and stopped right next to the bed. He still hadn't let go of her hand.

"Nora," his voice dropped an octave. "Can we?"

Nora looked like she wanted to fold into herself.

She gave the faintest, "Mm."

Then she quickly added, "I want to take a shower first."

Maloney nodded. "Go ahead."

While she was in their bathroom, Maloney stepped into the guest suite next door and took a freezing cold shower.

The sheer effort it took to maintain his composure had left him coated in a cold sweat.

Nora's shower was incredibly brief.

She probably hadn't even scrubbed properly, just rinsed off in a panic. But she still wasn't faster than Maloney. By the time she stepped out, he was already waiting in bed.

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