The CEO’s Unspoken Love (Eleanor and Derek) novel Chapter 43

Chapter 43

Derek POV

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I stepped into the shower, letting hot water cascade over my shoulders, trying to wash away the day’s tension and the conflicting emotions Eleanor’s presence evoked. Her touch lingered on my wrist like a brand. The memory of her words at the flower shop clashed with the image of her nervous, pleading expression tonight.

When I emerged from the bathroom, wearing only pajama bottoms, water droplets still clinging to my chest and hair, Eleanor was already in bed. The soft purple silk of her nightgown caught the dim light as she shifted, sitting up straighter at my approach.

I lay down on my side of the bed, arms crossed behind my head, staring at the ceiling. “You wanted to talk. So talk. My voice was flat, giving away nothing.

Eleanor turned toward me, though I kept my gaze fixed upward. I heard her inhale deeply before speaking.

“At the shop, when Sophia mentioned Seraphina, saying you’d kept in touch throughout your time in London…” Her voice trembled slightly. “She said you came back to Boston just to end our marriage… I know I shouldn’t have said those things about you. They’re not what I really think.”

I remained silent, letting her continue.

“You’re not as selfish or cold as I made you sound,” she went on. “I was just angry at what Sophia was saying. I lost my temper. Over these years, you’ve given me freedom and space. You’ve never been truly cruel…”

I finally turned my head to look at her. “Then what am I to you, Eleanor?” The challenge in my voice was unmistakable.

She paused, seeming to search for words that wouldn’t come. The silence stretched between us, heavy with unspoken truths.

‘I just don’t want you to be angry because of what I said,” she finally offered. “We only have two months left. Let’s just… end things

amicably.”

Something snapped inside me at her words. End things amicably. As if the past three years could be tied up neatly with a bow and

forgotten.

“You want my forgiveness?” I asked, my voice dropping to a dangerous timbre. I turned fully toward her, watching her eyes widen slightly as she registered the change in my demeanor.

Before she could answer, I moved closer, suddenly looming over her, my face inches from hers. Her breath caught, her lips parting in surprise. The familiar scent of her skin filled my senses, clouding my judgment.

“Then this is the price for speaking ill of me to others,” I murmured, nipping her lower lip before claiming her mouth in a real kiss. It began as punishment but quickly transformed into something else entirely as she responded, her initial rigidity melting into compliance, then active participation.

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Chapter 43

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“I’m teaching you a lesson,” I whispered against her lips, my hands starting to roam beneath her nightgown, from her thigh to ner waist and beyond. Her skin was warm and soft under my fingers, her body trembling at my touch.

Eleanor’s breathing accelerated, small sounds escaping her throat as I explored her body. My touches were both punishment and pleasure, drawing shudders from her that I felt reverberating through my own body.

Her resistance crumbled completely as desire took over. Her arms wound around my neck, fingers threading through my damp hair. Her legs wrapped around my waist, pulling me closer. Her mouth sought mine hungrily, transforming from passive to passionate.

The temperature in the room seemed to rise as our bodies pressed together. Her nightgown had ridden up, my hands discovering more of her with each caress. We were both lost in sensation, rational thought receding with each passing second.

Just as we reached the precipice, a sudden clarity cut through my desire. “Let’s just end things amicably,” her words echoed in my mind. A cold realization doused the heat of the moment. She doesn’t love me. She just needs a man’s touch…

I struggled to pull myself from the fog of desire, reminding myself not to be fooled again by physical attraction when I’d heard her true feelings with my own ears. She said she hates me… This is just physical. Not real feeling…

Slowly, I disengaged from our embrace, my expression cooling as I put distance between us. Eleanor looked up at me in confusion,

her breathing still uneven.

“I think that’s it,” I said quietly. “Sorry.”

Eleanor didn’t respond immediately. Instead of the anger or humiliation I expected, she simply nodded and moved back to her side

of the bed. The lack of reaction was somehow worse than if she had slapped me or screamed.

We lay in silence, neither speaking nor moving. Eventually, I reached over and turned off the lamp, plunging the room into darkness

save for the moonlight filtering through the curtains.

I stared at the ceiling, listening to Eleanor’s breathing gradually slow and deepen. After what seemed like hours, when I was certain

she must be asleep, I felt the mattress shift slightly.

Eleanor moved closer, her presence warm beside me. I kept my breathing even, feigning sleep. Then I felt it-the soft press of her

lips against my lip, gentle and fleeting.

“This is my punishment for you, she whispered, her voice so low I almost didn’t catch the words.

As she retreated to her side of the bed, I remained perfectly still, not daring to move or open my eyes. My mind raced with

questions and confusion, my heart beating so loudly I feared she might hear it.

What had just happened? What did she mean? The woman who had declared her hatred for me in a flower shop was now kissing me

in the darkness, whispering of punishment in a tone that held no malice.

I listened to her breathing even out again, certain she was now truly asleep. Sleep eluded me entirely as I replayed her words and actions, trying to make sense of the contradictions that seemed to define our relationship.

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Chapter 43

Whatever game we were playing, the rules had just changed, and I wasn’t sure I knew how to win anymore. Or even what winning would look like.

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I dont understand why the author has chosen to write Eleanors character like this, weak and pathetic. She is apologizing for saying the truth of Derricks behavior, and Derr… More

7 days ago

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The CEO’s Unspoken Love