The Divorce That Brought Us Back novel Chapter 401

To be completely honest.

Nora genuinely hadn't expected Maloney to obsess over something for this long.

This was from almost a year ago!

"Have you just been waiting for an excuse to use this?"

Maloney offered no confirmation or denial. He leaned casually against the doorframe of the walk-in closet, rhythmically tapping his index finger against the wood. His voice was completely steady as he asked, "Are you not dressed yet?"

Nora: "..."

Technically, she was dressed.

But she didn't dare walk out.

This "outfit" barely qualified as clothing. There was no solid fabric to speak of—just sheer, hollowed-out lace and a myriad of delicate little accessories.

Wearing it felt infinitely more scandalous than wearing nothing at all.

Nora grabbed a white silk slip dress from the wardrobe and threw it on as a makeshift cover-up.

She tugged the slip slightly forward, revealing a tantalizing glimpse of the sheer lace across her chest, with the soft little pompoms resting lightly on her shoulders. Twirling twice in front of the full-length mirror, she decided she actually looked pretty seductive.

This was acceptable.

Nora pulled open the closet door.

Maloney lowered his gaze, taking in Nora's heavily concealed ensemble.

Well, the anticipation of unwrapping the gift himself had its own appeal.

Maloney reached out toward her.

Nora instinctively brought her arms up to block him.

Maloney's eyes narrowed slightly. Bypassing her defensive hands, he simply draped his arm firmly over her shoulders.

"Let's go out first."

"...Okay."

Maloney guided Nora over to the sofa.

He sat down and pulled her to stand directly between his knees.

He was absolutely determined to admire her.

Nora felt so awkward she wanted the floor to swallow her whole.

She pretended not to understand the dark, heavy suggestion in his eyes, standing rigidly in place like a statue.

For a moment, they were at a complete standstill.

Finally, Maloney spoke. "Straddle me."

Well, that was manageable.

Nora knelt her knees onto the cushions and slowly crawled onto Maloney's lap. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders, pressing her body flush against his.

Maloney hooked a finger under the strap of her slip dress and slowly trailed it down her arm, letting it fall away.

Nora didn't flinch away, but she immediately buried her face against his neck, refusing to look up.

It was obvious she was dying of embarrassment.

It had been a while since she had acted like this.

Since they had truly fallen in love, they had done it all.

From the very beginning when she would blush at a kiss, shrink into a ball at a hug, and uncontrollably shed tears when he took her... she had evolved into someone practically bulletproof. Getting her to cry now was a rare achievement.

This was an opportunity too good to waste.

Inside the bedroom, the crisp chime of tiny bells rang out like pearls scattering across a jade plate, sharp and melodic.

At times, it was frantic, like a torrential storm lashing against a windowpane; at other times, it was as gentle as a spring breeze brushing against the leaves.

The metallic, rhythmic chiming spiraled through the air.

It completely wrecked every single corner of the room.

By the time Nora was entirely drained of the strength to resist, Maloney laid her flat against the sofa, taking his time to meticulously admire every inch of her.

The allure of the lingerie was truly devastating.

A garter was secured around Nora's left leg, white silk ribbons crisscrossing from her ankle all the way to her mid-thigh, finished off with a delicate lace bow.

That single accessory was somehow even more provocative than the sheer lace itself.

Perhaps it was true.

Maloney had a deeply ingrained preference for having Nora entirely bound to him.

But he knew he couldn't push things too far. His intellect kept him tethered to restraint, even as the tidal wave of pent-up desire finally found its release, demanding to be relentlessly satisfied.

Nora ended up crying more than once.

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