Skylar’s face flushed a deep shade of red. She was utterly stunned. Normally, Joe was cold and stern, a man of few words and even fewer emotions. But in bed? He was something else entirely—almost animalistic.
Trying to remain composed, she wrapped herself in the blanket and stood up to find her clothes. “Alright, I’ll take a shower first,” she said, her voice shaky as she tried to regain some semblance of control.
Joe’s gaze followed her, his eyes lingering on her fair back. Clearing his throat, he spoke. “I already washed you last night.”
Skylar froze. Was he being that considerate? The thought of him cleaning her in the bathtub—her body limp and vulnerable, like a dead fish—filled her with a wave of embarrassment. The sight of the mess on the floor, the scattered clothes, and used condoms only intensified her discomfort.
Before she could process any of it, a long arm snaked around her waist, pulling her back into the bed, right into Joe’s embrace.
“Sleep a little longer,” he murmured, his voice thick with the remnants of sleep.
Skylar froze again, both of them completely naked. She didn’t dare move. Her body ached, and exhaustion weighed heavily on her, but part of her wanted to sleep just a bit more.
Her thoughts drifted as she lay there, trying to focus. People often said that men felt refreshed after sex, but Joe looked so tired. Was he exhausted? Did that mean he wasn’t in good health? Her mind spun with questions, but she couldn’t bring herself to ask.
Joe, on the other hand, was unaware of her concerns. He found himself unusually sleepy. It had been years since he had felt this way. After washing Skylar and putting her back to bed, he had planned to step out for a smoke, but when he heard her soft murmur of pain, he couldn’t resist. He climbed back into bed and pulled her closer. Within minutes, he was asleep.
Ever since they started sharing a bed, his insomnia seemed to have improved. Holding Skylar made him feel more at ease than he had in a long time, and tonight was no different. He slept soundly, comforted by her presence.
Meanwhile, at the company, Paul noticed the curious glances directed at him. He couldn’t exactly explain the situation to anyone.
This was the first time Joe had ever missed work on a Monday. He was known to be a workaholic, always the first to arrive and the last to leave. The fact that he was absent on a Monday—not due to a business trip—had everyone talking. But nobody dared to ask why.
Paul, however, was the only one who knew the truth. He had been given explicit instructions from Joe to inform Alexander that he and Skylar needed a day off to rest. Joe had mentioned that “last night was too much” and that they both needed some time to recover. The words “too much” had been stuck in Paul’s mind all day. No one could possibly understand how he felt about the situation.
Later that day, Caleb arrived at Gardner Group, struggling with crutches. He had come to see Skylar.
Earlier that morning, Caleb had gone to the police station and met with Elliot. After some questioning, he discovered that Skylar wasn’t married to him, as he had once believed. This left him wondering who Skylar was married to—and whether she had been lying to him all along.
When Caleb arrived at the office, he was told that Skylar had taken the day off. He was surprised, considering how dedicated she was to her work. She had always been the kind of person who never took time off unless it was absolutely necessary. She had been working on restoring Frank’s painting, and to hear that she was absent on a Monday seemed out of character.
Alexander, looking at his grandson helplessly, shrugged and said, “She’s allowed to take a day off. There doesn’t have to be a specific reason. Even I don’t come in when I’ve got something going on.”
Alexander didn’t want to spell it out for Caleb, but it was clear that he wasn’t about to offer further explanations.
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