The Ex-Wife's Burning Elegance

"Me?" Stella echoed, surprised.

Joshua nodded. "If you're giving up the bed for me, where will you sleep tonight?"

Sleeping on the floor was out of the question-German nights could be cold, and the last thing Stella wanted was to get sick now.

She replied, "Don't worry about me. I'll be fine in the armchair for one night. You need the bed, Joshua. Your health comes first."

Joshua glanced at the king-sized bed, hesitating. After a moment, he said, "There's plenty of room... If you want, you could share it with me?"

If any other man had suggested that, Stella would've assumed he had less-than- honorable intentions. But when Joshua said it, there was a childlike innocence to his offer he honestly just meant sharing the bed.

She shook her head. "No, that's okay."

Lowering her gaze, Stella began flipping through the stack of bedtime stories she'd organized earlier.

Joshua understood her boundaries, and he didn't push. He knew better than to make things awkward.

Once Stella was ready, she dimmed the lights and lit a soothing lavender candle. Then she settled into the chair and began reading aloud.

She read five stories, but Joshua still seemed wide awake.

she finished the third story. But Joshua's insomnia was a different beast entirely-she

patient. She kept

case. If Joshua couldn't sleep even after all of them, she'd have to come up

before, keeping watch over Joshua. As she read

fatigue etched on her face, the faint shadows under her eyes. His lips pressed together in

the seventh story, Joshua's

to keep going, when she realized

when he didn't stir, she

curled up in the armchair, and the moment she closed her

she was asleep, Joshua's eyes snapped

and for a moment just stood there, watching her peaceful face. Then gently he lifted Stella into his arms and laid her on the bed tucking the blanket over

at her serene expression, drawn in as

down, his lips just about

her forehead.

He stilled, eyes lingering on

closed them for a brief moment. In the end, he

of returning to the bed, Joshua settled into the armchair where Stella had

once you let desire in, it's hard to hold it back. He'd already crossed enough lines tonight; he couldn't let himself take. arty

that wild, aching feeling inside him wasn't so