From His Wife to His Uncle's Wife novel Chapter 108

“Hey, gorgeous. Do you remember which building you live in? If not, you could always come hang out at my place for a while.”

The man’s voice oozed with sleaze. “My wife’s out of town. It’s just me tonight.”

A hand dropped suddenly onto Eleanor’s shoulder from behind, making her jump. Some of the drunken fog cleared instantly.

Her words stumbled a little, but her attitude stayed strong. “Who are you? Back off. I don’t know you.”

The man’s grin made her skin crawl. “What do you mean? I’m your husband, remember? How could you forget?” He chuckled. “You’re just drunk, honey. This isn’t even our building. We live in twenty-one, back there.”

A cold wave of fear washed over her. Eleanor twisted away and tried to run, but her legs were shaky and she barely made it two steps before she hit the ground.

She looked up, heart pounding, as the man rubbed his hands together and walked closer. “Why are you running, pretty girl? Do you like playing chase with your husband?”

Max had been watching the entrance on the security camera. It was already nine, and she still wasn’t home. His eye twitched with worry, so he headed downstairs to wait for her at the gate.

He had barely stepped out of his building when he saw her. She was on the ground, terror in her eyes, with a man looming over her and laughing in a way that made Max’s blood boil.

Max sprinted over and, without a second thought, grabbed the guy and threw him straight into the grass.

Eleanor’s eyes, wide and glassy with tears, stared up at him. She was shaking. “You…”

Max’s gaze dropped to her scratched knee, his expression turning cold.

“I’m taking you upstairs. Let’s get that cleaned up.”

She seemed to recognize him now. “Mr. Clarkson.”

He nodded. “Yeah.”

She glanced over at the guy sprawled in the bushes, her voice wavering. “What about him?”

“Mr. Clarkson, really, I can handle it,” she said, her voice quieter. Maybe it was the leftover buzz from the drinks, but she felt braver than usual. “It’s been a long time since anyone’s done this for me. The last time was before my dad passed away.”

Max glanced up at her for a heartbeat, then went back to tending her knee.

A few minutes later, he tossed the cotton swab in the trash.

“All done.”

“Thank you.” Eleanor’s voice was soft. She realized she’d said those words to her boss more than anything else.

Max gave a crooked smile as he put away the first-aid kit. “Is a thank you all I get?”

Eleanor hesitated, surprised. “Of course not. I could… get you a little something. If you’d like?”

His smile grew, a hint of teasing in his eyes. “I’d like that.”