Sometimes, Weston didn’t need to say a word to make his point clear. Stella paused for a moment, her hand gently resting on the back of his hand.
Weston stiffened at the unexpected contact. He hadn’t expected her to take the initiative.
After a long pause, Stella spoke, her voice soft but resolute. “I haven’t been home for a while. The training center will be closed next month. Roger knows about it… If I continue staying out, I’m afraid I’ll raise his suspicions.”
Weston glanced at the hand resting on his, his eyes darkening slightly. Despite the subtle shift in his expression, he remained outwardly calm. “I remember telling you this before: You need to handle this yourself.”
“I know.” Stella’s voice softened further, and she lowered her gaze slightly, pleading. “I understand, but I don’t have a reasonable explanation for living with you. Can you give me some time? Let me figure out a way to convince Roger, please?”
Stella knew exactly how to wield vulnerability to her advantage, and she was using it to its fullest. She turned in his arms, lifting her head to meet his gaze. Her eyes, wide and innocent, looked fragile, almost pleading.
Weston found himself unable to resist when she looked at him like this. He cupped her face gently, brushing his lips across the corner of her mouth. “Where did you learn this?” he asked, his voice tinged with a mix of amusement and something deeper.
Stella shook her head, a playful smile tugging at her lips. “I didn’t… Don’t you like it?”
Weston chuckled softly, his gaze flickering with something unreadable. “What do you think?” he teased, his grip on her tightening as he suddenly swept her off her feet. Her shoe slipped off with a quiet thud as she instinctively looked down. But Weston tilted her chin upward, silencing her with a soft murmur. “Don’t worry about it.”
Before she could respond, he kissed her, and in one fluid motion, they were both stumbling toward the bedroom, caught in the closeness of the embrace. Stella could feel the shift in him—the quiet intensity, the desire. After being married for so long, she understood him better than anyone. She closed her eyes, silently convincing herself that she only needed to endure a year, and then…
His breath traced her lips, and his lips followed the same path, leaving gentle kisses along her chin. The warmth of his body against hers was undeniable, yet it only served to make her feel uncomfortable, her mind swirling as her body remained still.
As everything around her spun, she found herself falling back onto the soft bed, the warmth of the sheets enveloping her. Weston propped himself up, staring down at her with those captivating eyes.
Weston’s eyes had always been one of her favorite things. She used to lose herself in them, feeling as though she could drown in the depth and complexity of his gaze. His eyes were like the vast stars or an endless sea, beautiful but impenetrable. Yet it was precisely these eyes that had caused her so much pain.
Unable to stand the way she was looking at him, Weston reached out and gently covered her eyes. “Don’t look at me like that,” he whispered in a low, throaty voice.
Stella inhaled sharply but said nothing. She closed her eyes, her eyelashes fluttering lightly against her skin.
A while later, the weight of his body finally lifted from her.
She opened her eyes slowly, disoriented, only to find Weston staring at her with an unreadable expression. After a brief pause, he seemed to sigh softly, lowering his head to kiss her forehead gently. “You’ve had a long day. Get some rest.”
Stella froze, surprised by how abruptly he had stopped. She had expected him to continue, but he was pulling back. Before she could think further, Weston leaned his forehead against hers, as if he could sense her confusion. “Or… do you want to continue?” he asked quietly.
Stella quickly closed her eyes, not daring to move. Weston’s fingers gently pinched her face, and he rubbed his chin against the top of her head, a quiet intimacy between them. “Sleep well,” he murmured.
Stella hummed softly in response, her body relaxing into his embrace. She closed her eyes, letting the weight of the moment settle in. She felt his warmth surrounding her as she drifted into a peaceful sleep, the world outside fading away.
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