Chapter 703
chapter703
Natalie was taken aback. “You actually have the time?”
It seemed her intuition was correct; Skylar and Joe were moving steadily down a romantic path. Skylar’s influence was remarkable—she had managed to get the notoriously aloof Joe Martin to stay the night, hand-deliver her lunch, and make it abundantly clear that he tolerated no intruders during their time together. To claim Skylar felt nothing would be like saying her eyes were merely for show.
“Yes, I have plenty of time,” Joe replied tersely.
His clipped speech revealed a man who viewed words as a superfluous burden. To a stranger, he appeared utterly detached, but Natalie was emotionally resilient and had heard enough about Joe from Jeremy to handle his icy demeanor.
Skylar seized the opening to speak up. “I’m feeling much better now, truly. I don’t need anyone to stay overnight. You two should head home and rest. If I need anything, I’ll just call the nurse.”
Since her injuries weren’t debilitating, she felt capable of managing. As she spoke, her eyes collided with Joe’s for a brief, electric second before she quickly looked away. Joe said nothing, his silence heavy.
Sensing the mounting tension, Natalie decided she had played her part. She set down her cutlery and feigned a notification on her phone. “I just remembered I have something urgent to handle. I’ll be on my way. Enjoy your lunch, you two.”
She grabbed her bag and made a swift exit, pausing only to wink at Skylar before closing the door. It was clear to her: Skylar had captured Joe’s heart in a way no one else ever could.
The atmosphere shifted instantly with only the two of them left in the ward. Joe began setting out the rest of the lunch. “Have you eaten enough?”
“No,” Skylar admitted honestly. She and Natalie had barely started before he arrived.
She recalled Natalie once joking that Joe could ignite or extinguish someone’s appetite in an instant. His presence was undeniably commanding, and his cold aura could easily stifle someone's hunger. Watching Natalie flee without finishing her meal made Skylar stifle a laugh as she remembered those old descriptions.
Joe isn't that intimidating once you actually know him, she thought.
Lost in her reflections, she didn’t realize Joe had moved closer until he was sitting right beside her. Before she could utter a word, Joe’s lips were on hers. His hand rested firmly against the back of her head, leaving her no room to retreat. The kiss was deep, slow, and lingering.
“Ms. Sullivan, it’s time for your bandage chan—”
A nurse pushed the door open, froze at the scene, and turned a bright shade of crimson. She backed out hurriedly, stammering, “I saw nothing! Uh, I’ll be back in half an hour. You two... please, continue!”The nurse was stunned. The tableau in the room looked like a high-budget romance movie; the two of them were more stunning than any movie stars she had ever seen.