The Wife He Forgot to Marry (Winona and Yule) novel Chapter 211

Winona instinctively tugged at her wrist, but Stefan's grip only tightened.

She looked up, meeting his dark, intense gaze.

"Mr. Goddard..."

Ophelia's voice abruptly vanished from the phone.

Winona's eyelashes fluttered. Afraid that Ophelia might overhear and misunderstand, she kept her mouth shut.

Stefan eased his hold on her wrist slightly, but his calloused thumb gently traced the soft skin of her inner arm.

A tremor rushed through her body, and a faint flush crept up her cheeks.

"Winona," he murmured, his voice impossibly husky.

Her porcelain skin and the misty sheen in her eyes gave her a haunting, fragile beauty.

His deep gaze locked onto her face, unwavering.

As if scorched by the heat of his stare, she quickly averted her eyes.

Her heart was hammering against her ribs.

He ended the call but didn't let her go.

Winona struggled briefly, unable to free her hand.

Stefan's palm felt like burning iron, his grip strong enough to leave a lingering mark on her skin.

Suddenly, he released her and leaned in close.

She caught the crisp, clean scent of his cologne, and her heart leaped into her throat.

The memory of Ophelia's phone call gave Winona a sudden surge of strength, and she pushed him away.

"You can't kiss me."

They both froze.

Winona's mind went completely blank. She couldn't form a single word.

Stefan frowned, clearly caught off guard by his own momentary lapse in control.

His expression smoothly shifted back to its usual cool indifference. With long, elegant fingers, he gently scratched Biscuit's head. "I just wanted to hold Biscuit."

Even though he had, in fact, been overwhelmed by the urge to kiss her.

He played it off perfectly, looking entirely unfazed, making it seem like it was all in her head.

Winona froze. He was... explaining himself to her.

Stefan continued, "If something were going to happen between us, it would have happened a long time ago. Do you really think I'm the type of man who cares about what other people think?"

Winona stared at him, stunned.

Slowly, the pieces began to fall into place.

She had never actually seen Stefan and Ophelia being intimate.

Maybe it was all a show Ophelia put on to intimidate her into backing off.

It made sense—if Ophelia was truly with Stefan, she wouldn't need to be so aggressively hostile.

With that realization, the heavy weight that had been pressing on her chest finally dissolved.

Still, a wave of awkwardness washed over her.

Given her complicated dynamic with Stefan, wasn't it entirely inappropriate for her to be asking him questions like this?

It wasn't like she was his...

Girlfriend. The word flashed across her mind, and she instinctively bit her lower lip.