Chapter 1097

Joe drove, allowing Skylar and Joe to sit in the back. Skylar fell asleep immediately and didn't awaken until the following morning. She felt slightly disoriented upon waking, unsure of her location. Fragments of memory returned: Joe had picked her up from Minerva's the previous night. Thankfully, she had no headache.

Joe was absent from the bedroom. It was seven o'clock. She rose and went to the kitchen, drawn by the scent of chicken soup. Joe was frying eggs. She'd assumed the soup came from the family residence, but Joe had made it.

"You know how to make chicken soup now?" she asked.

Joe, surprised by her awakening, smiled. "I asked Edgar. It's not that hard." He'd progressed from incapable of oatmeal to preparing chicken soup—a significant improvement. The rich aroma of the soup filled the kitchen. After last night's drinking, it was perfect for the morning.

"It smells so good. I'm hungry," Skylar said, reaching for a bowl.

"You sit; I'll get it," Joe offered.

Skylar readily complied, watching him work. This side of Joe was rare; he looked incredibly handsome.

He returned with two bowls of soup, noticing her gaze. He teased, "Have you realized you've fallen in love with me?"

Skylar's heart pounded. "Don't flatter yourself. I'm just thinking you've been taking good care of me lately. So, marrying you might have been the right decision after all," she mumbled, lowering her head.

Joe's intense gaze was captivating. A younger woman would likely find him irresistible.

He raised a skeptical eyebrow, a mischievous smile playing on his lips. "Taking care of people isn't all I'm good at. You, of all people, should know what else I'm capable of."

Skylar's heart leaped again.

"Joe Martin!" she exclaimed.

"That's exactly how you called me the other night. I liked it."

Speechless, Skylar wished him to stop. He was insufferable.

Two hours later, an urgent call from Paul regarding an important meeting propelled Skylar, exhausted, into the bathroom. Otherwise, she doubted she would have risen. He was a gentleman in public, a villain in private.

She soaked in the tub for half an hour, finally easing the soreness in her legs and waist.