âI just want to give this a try, thatâs all.â Stellaâs gaze fixated on Weston. Her moist gleaming eyes made her look innocent and pitiful. Weston knew that she had made herself look this way on purpose, but that did not stop his heart from softening. âSo you⦠really want to be an actress that much?â he asked.
âMm-hmm,â she nodded. âBesides, Iâll have nothing to do once the training center closes down.â âYou can stay by my side and be my companion.â âBut you canât stay with me the whole day!â she argued.
For some reason, this sentence pleased Weston very much. The rigid iciness in his countenance thawed completely and he loosened his grip on her body. âBut apart from the time I spend working,â he said, lovingly caressing her cheek, âIâve devoted all of my time to be with you. Isnât that enough?â âNo,â
she shook her head. âItâs not enough.â
She rested her head on his shoulder. It suddenly dawned upon her that she knew exactly what to say to get through to him⦠which was also the best way to persuade him and get him to do what she wanted.
He wanted her to be just as she was when they were married, didnât he? âBack then,â she grumbled, âI used to wait for you to come home every day. I was all alone in a big empty house, just staring at the wall for endless hours. It felt nothing less than awful!â Westonâs body stiffened. He was completely under her spell, as his mind was dragged back to the past. The fact that Stella would bring up their past took him completely by surprise. He was no longer sure if this woman in his arms was the defiant Ella Steele or the sweet Stella Sealey from the past. âDid youâ¦â he lifted her chin to see her more clearly.
âDid you really wait for me to come home every day?â âMm-hmm,â she nodded, looking deep into his eyes. âEvery day.â âBut sometimes,â she continued, âyou didnât come home at all, so Iâd wait for you the entire night.â
Stella paused and smiled at him before adding, âDidnât you notice that the lights were always on every time you came home?â Weston held her closer and tighter. Then he leaned over and kissed her eyes, moving along the contours of her face until he finally reached her chin. He smooched her all the way with a ferocity that almost melted Stella.
ââ¦why didnât you tell me?â Weston asked in a husky voice.
âI was worried that it might disturb your work,â she replied, smiling wryly. âYou told me yourself, didnât you, that I shouldnât disturb you while youâre working unless thereâs an emergency?â Weston remembered that he did, indeed, say that in the past. ââ¦from now on,â he stated with an impenetrable expression, âyou can come and find me anytime for whatever reason at all. More importantly, you are absolutely not allowed to contact Justin Hall, understood?â
Stella nodded.
âI really enjoyed acting,â she added. âI promised you that if you let me do this, I will never cause you any trouble. Besides, filming is usually done during the day, so Iâll be home waiting for you by the time you return. So please let me do this, hmm?â
Her eyes, her looks, and her attitude all started to resemble those of the old Stella from the past.
Weston, unable to take his eyes off her, was tongue-tied for a good while. That knot of complex feelings had begun to rise up in him once more. All manner of contradicting emotions tangled up with each other, flooding his senses in a giant, incontrollable wave.
It was that old feeling again. Weston had always found himself on the verge of losing all control when he faced Stella. This time was no exception. It didnât matter that he was usually a perfectly rational person. When it came to Stella, he was always helpless and compromising. With one hand pressed against the nape of her neck, he went in and gave her a deep, passionate kiss. He bit into her lower lip, wishing to taste the saltiness of her blood.
They kissed for a very long time, until Weston finally let her go, letting out a breathless sigh with his breath brushing against her ear. ââ¦you always get your way, donât you?â he whispered to her in a feeble voice. Weston had always done that, Stella thought. He had always acted as if she was the mistress of his heart, body, and soul.