Chapter 213

chapter213

Suddenly, the quiet of the small grove was broken by the sound of hushed, heavy breathing. It was followed by the unmistakable rustling of fabric as a couple whispered hurriedly to one another.

"You ruined my stockings, Mr. Hughes," a woman’s voice teased. "We’re running out of time, and I don't have a spare pair."

"I’ll buy you a hundred more," a man replied.

"Then I'll pick out a hundred different styles just for you. Tell me, Mr. Hughes—do they feel as smooth as you expected?"

"You little troublemaker," he murmured.

As the suggestive tones continued, Skylar froze. At first, she hadn't quite registered what she was hearing, but as the conversation grew bolder, the realization hit her like a wave. Her face flushed a deep crimson, despite her usually composed nature.

People are certainly bold these days, she thought. In broad daylight? The woods are certainly living up to their reputation.

She glanced at Joe. His dark eyes remained unfathomable, showing no sign that the overheard intimacy affected him at all. He looked every bit the stoic gentleman.

Skylar blinked, trying to shake off her embarrassment. She leaned in and whispered, "Do you think if I shouted, 'Hey Bob, let’s go mushroom picking!' they’d actually jump out of their skins?"

Joe looked at her, a faint glint of amusement in his eyes. He could easily imagine the scene: the couple in a passionate frenzy one moment, and frantically scrambling to fix their clothes the next, torn between hiding their faces or their dignity.

His gaze darkened subtly as he looked at her. Her vivid description had inadvertently sparked a flicker of intensity in his own mind. He glanced briefly at her slender silhouette before speaking in a low, slightly hoarse voice. "It’s a workday. They likely assumed no one would be around here."

"Let’s just go," Skylar whispered, unable to bear listening to the couple for another second.

Since Joe owned the estate, his word was law here. It was no wonder the couple felt so daring; they probably thought they had the entire place to themselves. As they walked away, Joe noticed that Skylar’s cheeks were still as red as tomatoes. A man’s reaction to a woman is often primal, and Joe found himself struggling with his own rising thoughts as he walked beside her.

After they had covered some distance, Skylar suddenly came to a halt. Her expression shifted from embarrassment to deep suspicion. That man in the grove... though he had spoken only briefly, his voice sounded hauntingly familiar.

And she had heard the name 'Mr. Hughes'...

Skylar’s mind immediately went to Natalie’s husband, Jeremy. She frowned, trying to dismiss the thought. It couldn’t be, could it? She had seen Jeremy dote on Natalie with an affection that seemed entirely genuine—nothing like the hollow gestures she had received from Christopher.

Jeremy and Natalie were childhood sweethearts; they knew each other inside and out. Besides, Natalie had mentioned how buried in work Jeremy was lately. Why would he be here on a workday with another woman?

Yet, a memory nagged at her. Natalie had mentioned on the phone that Jeremy was leaving for a business trip tomorrow and wouldn't be home tonight. The coincidence felt like a cold weight in her stomach.

"Are you tired?" Joe asked, noticing her sudden silence.