The Ex-Wife's Burning Elegance novel Chapter 1887

"Joshua?"

"Yeah," the figure replied. He shifted and slowly walked into the room.

The shifting light and shadows played across him, making his imposing figure look especially dark and enigmatic.

Stella's heart skipped a beat as that strange, unsettling feeling washed over her again.

"Where did you go just now?" she asked.

Joshua handed her a glass of water. "I figured you'd be thirsty when you woke up, so I went to get you a drink."

She took the glass from him. "When did you get back? Why didn't you say anything? You scared me to death just standing there in the doorway."

He looked at her with a half-smile. "I came back right after you got on the phone. You were just so deep in conversation that you didn't hear me knock."

Stella's eyes flickered slightly.

When Neville had broken the news about Sellers going missing, she really had been too distracted to notice anyone at the door.

Maybe it was just the dim lighting in the room, but Joshua's eyes looked like they were swirling with dark mist as he stared at her unblinkingly.

Under the weight of that intense gaze, she found herself inexplicably afraid to meet his eyes.

To mask her unease, she took a sip from the water he'd given her.

Joshua watched her quietly. "Do you have plans with Neville tomorrow?"

She paused, then gave a slight nod.

"Yeah, it's been a long time since I last saw him."

An idea suddenly struck her. "Joshua, if you don't have anything going on tomorrow, why don't you come with me?"

The corners of his lips curved up into a faint smile. "Sure."

Unable to help herself, she pushed against his chest.

Her resistance didn't stop him; if anything, it only seemed to fuel his wild, unrestrained hunger.

...

Outside, the sky was just beginning to lighten with the dawn.

Stella opened her heavy eyes. Her body was completely drained of energy; she didn't even want to lift a finger.

Turning her head slightly, she saw him sitting up against the headboard on the other side of the bed.

In the dim light, she couldn't make out his expression, but she could clearly sense that he was in a dark mood.

Still, compared to his wild loss of control yesterday, he didn't feel quite as much like a stranger right now.