The CEO’s Unspoken Love (Eleanor and Derek) novel Chapter 101

Chapter 101

Derek POV

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Eleanor immediately pulled back, her tear-stained face transforming as she registered my reaction. Her eyes narrowed, focusing on

the bloodstain that had spread across my shirt.

“You’re hurt, she stated, her tone suddenly practical despite the tears still clinging to her lashes.

“It’s nothing, I dismissed.

She raised an eyebrow, a familiar gesture that made her look more like herself. “Your shoulder disagrees.”

Before I could argue further, she was already moving to retrieve the first aid kit, her movements becoming more purposeful with each step. It was as if taking care of me gave her something concrete to focus on, a distraction from her own trauma.

“Take off your shirt, she instructed when she returned, kneeling on the bed beside me.

I complied without hesitation, unbuttoning my ruined shirt and shrugging it off in one fluid motion. Her eyes widened slightly at the exposed wound, deeper than either of us had realized. Blood had dried in rivulets down my chest, and the knife slash itself

looked angry and raw.

“I should call a doctor,” she said, but made no move to reach for her phone.

“It’s fine, I insisted. “Just clean it.”

She hesitated, then nodded, preparing an antiseptic wipe. As she leaned closer, I caught her scent again-vanilla and Eleanor-and my body responded with a familiar tightening that had nothing to do with pain and everything to do with her proximity.

The antiseptic stung, and I couldn’t help tensing slightly. Eleanor immediately blew gently on the wound, cooling the sting-an intimate gesture she probably wasn’t even aware of making. Her breath against my skin sent a different kind of heat coursing

through me.

“Sorry,” she murmured, continuing to clean the cut with delicate strokes.

“I’ve had worse,” I replied, watching her face as she worked. The concentration in her expression, the slight furrow between her brows, the way she caught her lower lip between her teeth-all achingly familiar details I’d pretended not to notice during our

marriage.

Her fingers brushed against my bare chest as she applied a bandage, and I saw her swallow hard, a flush creeping up her neck. At least I wasn’t the only one affected by our proximity.

“There,” she said finally, her voice slightly husky. “It should hold until you can see a doctor.”

Thank you, I said, making no move to put my shirt back on or to increase the distance between us.

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Chapter 101

An awkward silence fell, heavy with unspoken words and awareness of our unusual situation. We were divorced, sitting together on a bed, in a room she’d designed as an exact copy of our marital bedroom. The air between us seemed charged with electricity.

“I should go, I finally said, though I made no actual move to leave.

Eleanor’s hand shot out, fingers wrapping around my wrist with surprising strength. “Stay,’ she said-not a request but a command. though her eyes betrayed vulnerability her tone didn’t.

I raised an eyebrow, allowing a hint of amusement to cross my features. “Demanding, aren’t we?”

She narrowed her eyes, recognizing my teasing for what it was-an attempt to restore normalcy. T’m not sleeping alone tonight.

Since you’re already here, you might as well make yourself useful.”

I laughed softly, appreciating her attempt at nonchalance despite everything. “Always happy to be of service, Mrs. Wells.”

“That’s not my name anymore,” she reminded me, a flash of something-regret? defiance?-crossing her face.

“Technically, it is until the paperwork is processed,” I countered, knowing I was being petty but unable to help myself. “But point

taken.

She rolled her eyes, another familiar gesture that made my chest tighten. “Just to be clear, we’re just sleeping.”

“Of course, I agreed, though my body had other ideas. “What else would we be doing?”

The flush on her neck deepened at my deliberate provocation. She turned away, pulling back the covers on her side of the bed-and

wasn’t that telling, that even now, she thought of it as “her side.”

I stood, removing my shoes and socks, then after a moment’s consideration, stripped off my pants as well, leaving me in just my boxers. If Eleanor was surprised by my lack of modesty, she didn’t show it, merely sliding beneath the covers and turning onto her

side, facing away from me.

I joined her, leaving a careful few inches between us. Not out of any sense of propriety-our marriage might have been arranged, but there was nothing proper about what we’d done in that bed-but because I knew she needed control right now, needed to be the one

to decide how close I got.

We lay in silence, the only sound our breathing gradually synchronizing. I stared at the ceiling, acutely aware of every subtle

movement she made, every shift of the mattress. Finally, she spoke.

‘Derek?

Hmm?”

She didn’t turn to face me, her voice muffled slightly by the pillow. “Thank you. For finding me. For stopping him.”

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14:11 Thu, Jul 2 MA

Chapter 101

“Don’t thank me for that,” I said, an edge creeping into my voice. “I’d kill anyone who touched you.”

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The raw possessiveness in my tone hung in the air between us. After a long moment, Eleanor shifted, turning to face me though I

continued staring at the ceiling.

“We’re divorced,” she said, but the words lacked conviction.

“Are we?” I finally turned my head to meet her gaze, letting her see exactly what I was feeling-the anger, the fear, the

possessiveness, the desire.

She didn’t answer, just continued looking at me with those complex blue eyes. Then, slowly, she moved closer, until her head rested against my chest. I remained still, letting her set the pace, until she reached for my arm and deliberately draped it around her waist,

I tightened my hold, pulling her flush against me. She sighed, a sound of relief or surrender, I couldn’t tell which. Her legs tangled with mine, her body fitting against me with the perfect familiarity of long practice.

“Just for tonight, she murmured against my skin, though we both knew she was lying.

I said nothing, just pressed my lips to the crown of her head and breathed her in. As her breathing gradually deepened and slowed, I found myself wondering at the strange path that had led us here. Three years of a marriage arranged for my grandmother’s sake. A divorce finalized just days ago. And now this-holding Eleanor in my arms as if she’d never left them.

There were too many complications between us, too many hurts and misunderstandings. But with her warm weight pressed against me, one thing became crystal clear: whatever papers we’d signed, whatever words we’d exchanged, this-us-wasn’t over.

Not if I had anything to say about it.

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14:11 Thu, Jul 2 MAA

The CEO’s Unspoken Love