The CEO’s Unspoken Love (Eleanor and Derek) novel Chapter 164

Chapter 164

Eleanor POV

$25

The evening air felt crisp against my face as Olivia and I approached the theater in downtown Boston. Streetlights illuminated

patches of lingering snow on the sidewalk, their warm glow contrasting with the winter chill. It was a few minutes before eight, and

we were right on time for Thomas’s movie invitation.

‘I still don’t understand why he wanted to meet at this particular theater,” Olivia muttered, adjusting her burgundy scarf. “There are

at least three nicer ones closer to Beacon Hill.”

I smiled, though a nagging suspicion had been forming in my mind since Thomas’s visit to my shop. His invitation had seemed

oddly specific-this theater, this time, this movie. Maybe he just likes their popcorn.”

“Their popcorn tastes like cardboard, Olivia replied with a sniff, but I caught the slight upward curve of her lips. Despite her

protests, she had spent an hour deciding what to wear tonight.

Thomas was waiting in the lobby, his tall figure easy to spot among the sparse evening crowd. His face brightened when he saw us,

though his eyes lingered a moment longer on Olivia. I noticed him quickly glance toward the entrance behind us, as if expecting

someone else.

“You made it!” he exclaimed, ushering us toward the ticket counter. “I was beginning to worry you’d changed your minds.”

The attendant handed Thomas three tickets without him saying a word, which struck me as odd. My suspicions deepened when we

entered the theater and found it completely empty.

“Where is everyone?” Olivia asked, glancing around the vacant rows.

Thomas cleared his throat, a hint of color rising to his cheeks. I may have reserved the entire theater. I don’t like watching movies

with strangers. They talk, they check their phones… it ruins the experience.”

Olivia rolled her eyes. “Classic rich-boy move, Stone. Did you buy out the concession stand too?”

‘I could cancel it, Thomas offered quickly, his usual confidence faltering. “We can invite other people in if you’d prefer.

“Since we’re already here, let’s just watch the movie, Olivia replied, her tone softening slightly. “I’m curious to see what film was

worth booking an entire theater for.”

Thomas led us toward the center seats, pointing to a row about halfway down. “That’s the optimal viewing spot-not too close, not

too far.

Olivia started to pull me along, but I gently extracted my hand from hers. “I think I’ll sit a few rows back,” I said. “Too close to the

screen gives me headaches.”

Are you sure? Olivia asked, her eyes narrowing suspiciously.

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Chapter 164

I nodded, giving her a subtle push forward. “Completely sure. Go enjoy the optimal viewing experience.

As they settled into their seats, I slipped into a row near the back, leaving enough distance to give them privacy but close enough that I could still see them. Thomas leaned over to say something to Olivia, and I caught him glancing back toward the entrance

again. The pieces suddenly clicked into place-Thomas’s unusual insistence on this specific theater, the reserved seats, his constant

checking of the dear.

The lights dimmed gradually until the theater was bathed in darkness, broken only by the flickering glow of the previews. I settled

back in my seat, mind racing. Something felt off about this entire setup. Thomas’s behavior, the empty theater, the way he kept

checking the entrance…

I was just gathering my thoughts when the seat beside me creaked under new weight. Turning my head, I found myself staring into

familiar blue-gray eyes.

“Derek?” I whispered, my heart immediately accelerating, sending a rush of warmth through my veins.

He placed a finger to his lips, gesturing toward the screen where the movie was beginning. His proximity in the darkness felt

intimate, forbidden. The scent of his cologne-cedar and something uniquely him-wrapped around me like a remembered embrace,

instantly triggering a flutter low in my abdomen.

།

In that moment, Thomas’s words from my flower shop echoed in my mind: “To be honest, I haven’t seen him in days. He seems to

be buried in some new project. Barely answers my calls.” A lie, clearly. This had been planned.

Thomas lied to me,” I said quietly, the realization washing over me. “When he came to my shop, he said he hadn’t seen you in

days.

Derek’s eyes held mine in the dim light, not denying it. “Does that make you angry?”

It should have. This was manipulation, plain and simple. But the heat radiating from Derek’s body next to mine made it difficult to

summon proper indignation. Instead, I felt my skin prickle with awareness, every nerve ending suddenly alert to his presence.

‘I haven’t decided yet, I replied honestly, my voice betraying a slight tremor.

The movie began as a light drama that gradually shifted toward suspense. I sat rigidly, acutely aware of every inch of space between

1. The armrest separated our bodies, but even that small barrier seemed charged with electricity. I tried to focus on the screen

rather than the man beside me, but my peripheral vision betrayed me, catching the strong line of his jaw, the way his chest rose and

fell with each breath.

From the corner of my eye, I could see Thomas occasionally reaching over to touch Olivia’s shoulder or brush her hair back. A pang

of something-not quite jealousy, perhaps longing-rippled through me, settling as a hollow ache in my chest.

The first jump scare caught me off guard. My body tensed involuntarily, fingers gripping the armrests. Derek’s hand gently covered

my left one, his touch warm and steady. The contact sent a jolt through me, as if his fingertips carried a current that traveled up my

arm and spread throughout my body.

If you re scared,” he whispered, his breath tickling my ear and sending a shiver down my spine, “you can hold my hand.”

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Chapter 164

“I’m not scared,” I replied, keeping my voice low but firm, though I didn’t pull my hand away. I’m terrified, I thought, but not of the movie. I’m terrified of how easily you break through my defenses, how my body responds to you against all better judgment.

“No? His fingers intertwined with mine, the friction of skin against skin making my breath catch. “Your palm is sweating.”

I didn’t respond, forcing my attention back to the screen. But when the next frightening scene arrived, my hand instinctively tightened around his. Derek’s thrumh traced small circles on the back of my hand, the gentle motion both soothing and maddening.

Each sweep of his thumb sent ripples of sensation up my arm, making my skin hypersensitive beneath my sweater.

As the movie progressed, the horror elements gave way to a developing romance between the main characters. The atmospheric

tension shifted, becoming charged in a different way. I found myself increasingly aware of Derek’s proximity, the way his breathing

had deepened slightly, how his fingers remained entwined with mine, occasionally squeezing as if to remind me of his presence.

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The CEO’s Unspoken Love