The Divorce That Brought Us Back novel Chapter 7

Maloney had consumed alcohol and could not drive.

Because this had been a spontaneous stop, he hadn't arranged for his chauffeur. Eager to get home, he let Jasper call a designated driver, listening to his friend marvel the entire time about how strict his marital rules were.

By the time he returned to Luna Bay, it wasn't even eight o'clock.

The living room lights were glowing warmly.

Nora was lounging on the sofa, deep into a gossip session on her phone with her friends.

Hearing the lock click, she sat up and quickly spoke into the receiver. "I gotta go, we'll talk tomorrow!"

Maloney was home.

Nora ended the call, hopped off the sofa, and padded over to the entryway. "You're back."

"Yeah," Maloney replied smoothly.

Nora had originally intended to ask if he had signed the divorce papers.

Half a day had passed; he should have read through the terms by now.

He should have already signed his name.

But before the words could leave her lips, Maloney suddenly reached out and affectionately ruffled her hair.

Nora froze.

A second later, she caught the faint, lingering scent of alcohol.

She leaned forward slightly, her nose hovering near his chest as she took a delicate sniff. "Have you been drinking?"

Maloney stared down at her subtle movements. "A little."

"I'll go make you some hangover tea," Nora offered quickly.

Maloney had a relatively low tolerance for alcohol. Given his elite status, no one dared to pressure him into drinking, so he usually only nursed a glass or two during social events. But even a small amount guaranteed him a headache the next day.

They kept a specially formulated herbal remedy stocked in the kitchen just for this.

Nora hurried into the kitchen, expertly opened the cabinet to grab the pre-packaged herbs, tossed them into the infuser, and added hot water to steep.

Once she finished, she turned around—and jumped slightly. Maloney was leaning silently against the kitchen doorframe, watching her.

Nora's voice was gentle. "It needs to steep for about ten minutes. Why don't you go rest in the living room?"

"Nora," Maloney called out suddenly.

"Hmm?" Nora tilted her head, looking at him in confusion.

Maloney didn't answer. He straightened up and began walking toward her, step by slow step.

The distance between them vanished.

He stopped so close that Nora had to tilt her head all the way back just to see his face.

"What's wrong?" she asked, her pulse spiking.

Maloney took one final step forward.

With that step, the tips of their shoes bumped together.

Yes, indecent.

Their usual dynamic could best be described as painfully polite. Even during their rare moments of physical intimacy, it was always a structured, almost formulaic routine.

He had never cornered her and attacked her lips in the middle of the kitchen like this.

Utterly overwhelmed, Nora didn't know what to do, but she didn't push him away either. She shrank back slightly, her hands coming up to lightly grip his forearms.

An eternity later, the tea infuser beeped sharply.

The hangover tea was ready.

Nora whispered, out of breath, "Maloney..."

Maloney pulled back slightly, his dark eyes studying her flushed face.

She looked hopelessly soft and flustered. Her small hands were clutching his arms with practically zero force—a gesture that looked like resistance but offered no actual rejection.

A calculated thought crossed Maloney's mind. He slowly withdrew his hands, turned to the sink, and turned on the faucet, running his right hand under the cold water.

Nora's gaze was helplessly drawn to his movements.

Maloney's hands were stunning—long, elegant, with perfectly defined knuckles and impeccably trimmed nails.

He had long legs, long arms, and incredibly long fingers...

God only knows what flashed through Nora's mind, but a sudden jolt of embarrassment caused her to lose her balance. Her foot slipped against the polished floor.

"Careful." Maloney instantly caught her by the waist. He had just washed his hands in freezing water, and the icy chill of his palm pressing against her burning skin made her gasp and violently shudder.