The Divorce That Brought Us Back novel Chapter 69

"I have ink on my fingers!" Nora blurted out quickly.

"Consider it lipstick for me," Maloney replied smoothly.

Nora was speechless.

Maloney examined her right hand. Sure enough, there was a faint red smudge on her index finger from the ink pad. He gently rubbed the pad of her finger with his thumb.

"Don't, you're going to get it on yourself. I just need to go wash my hands."

Nora tugged frantically at her hand, but Maloney effortlessly shifted his grip, lacing his fingers securely through hers.

He wrapped his long, powerful fingers tightly around her slender ones.

His hands were larger, the knuckles defined, and his palms were much warmer than hers.

Almost feverishly hot.

Though the timing was entirely inappropriate, the sensation triggered a sudden, vivid memory in Nora's mind.

Two years ago, after their wild night together, Nora had woken up in a hospital bed. Maloney had been sitting right beside her. After confirming she was physically stable, he had brought up the police report.

At the time, Maloney had held both of his fists out toward her and asked, "Do you want to press charges against me?"

Nora had been completely bewildered. "Why would I do that?"

Maloney had lowered his eyes. "Because I took advantage of you."

"No, no, no, you saved me," Nora had immediately defended him. "I'm not pressing charges."

Saying that, she had reached out to push his fists away.

Her movement had been hesitant, a soft brush against his knuckles rather than a forceful push.

For some inexplicable reason, she had blurted out, "Your hands are so warm."

It wasn't actually that Maloney's hands were burning hot.

It was that Nora's were freezing cold.

Maloney had uncurled his fists, enveloping her icy hands in his large, warm palms to heat them up.

Aside from their one night together, Nora and Maloney really hadn't been that close back then.

They had known each other as kids, but given their age gap, once Maloney went off to college, she rarely saw him.

They had slowly drifted apart.

"Mr. Hudson, you're here too," Nora said, finally managing to pull her hand free and waving at him. "Sorry to drag you out so late."

Mr. Hudson offered a polite smile. "Not at all, Ma'am. Everything has been arranged. You have nothing to worry about."

Before Nora could say another word, Maloney clamped a hand over her mouth, tucked her head under his chin, and steered her toward the door. "We're going home."

Nora was the kind of person who still remembered the fact that Mr. Hudson had brought her cake and milk tea twice while she was in the hospital.

Her two best friends had brought her treats as well.

But she always cherished the kindness of strangers far more deeply.

Furthermore.

Maloney had been the one to order Hudson to buy those treats.

He had done it because Nora, while delirious with pain, had mumbled that as soon as she felt better, she was going to eat a strawberry ice cream cake.

But there was no way to explain that to her now.

Trying to claim credit for a minor favor from two years ago would make him look incredibly pathetic.

But he certainly wasn't going to let Mr. Hudson take all the credit.