Chapter 22

Chapter 22
The next morning, a slight headache greeted a dazed Joslyn as she woke up, her surroundings unfamiliar to her for a minute before the events of the previous night came flooding back. She was in Gabriel's guest room where the soft rays from the morning sunlight filtered through the diaphanous curtains, casting a warm glow over the room.

Letting out a heavy sigh, Joslyn sat up on the bed with her back against the headboard as she carefully massaged her temples, her mind still reeling from the emotional turmoil from the previous day.

She rubbed her eyes next, feeling their dry and puffy state, then suddenly Joslyn was reminded of how she'd broken down in front of Gabriel the night before and how, being so intoxicated by the much-needed comfort he provided with, she'd tried to kiss him.

Joslyn’s eyes immediately widened, her cheeks reddening in embarrassment as she recalled her actions and how Gabriel had delicately rejected her, not wanting to take advantage of her when she’d been in such a state.

Yet rather than feeling disappointed or dejected like she'd momentarily felt last night, as Joslyn thought about things in this moment, her heart fluttered at that little but courteous action from Gabriel. In fact, all of his actions since the day before have only warmed her heart, making her feel, for the first time since her mother's death, like she wasn't completely alone in the world.

Her father, Timothy, had become derelict since his wife's passing; her brother, Joshua, was in a coma—that left Joslyn all by herself to salvage what was left of her family. It would have been easier for her if her father put in the same effort as she but there was only so much she could do by herself. Plus, she was tired of being the only one constantly reaching out to him and Joslyn would never want to be a burden to Sigourney, who also had her own life to live.

The need to escape the unending loneliness had driven Joslyn into overexerting herself at work, where she had been incessantly attending flight after flight and evading her weekly breaks until the cabin service director was forced to impose a two-month break on her.

However, after last night, for the first time in a long while, Joslyn, who was akin to a ship lost at sea, felt like she had finally found her anchor in Gabriel Reid. The man she'd been doing her best to avoid due to their shared history. Funny how she now found solace in the same man.

Shaking her head slightly to clear her thoughts, Joslyn finally rose off the bed, clad in nothing but a pair of Gabriel's boxer briefs and a T-shirt which she’d found lying in wait for her on the bed last night, as she walked barefoot into the en suite bathroom.

Spotting her disheveled reflection in the mirror, she took a few minutes to relieve herself before washing her face and mouth so as to look more presentable.

When Joslyn returned to the room, she noticed that her wet clothes and underwear which she'd hung on the arms of the desk chair to dry, were nowhere to be found. Deciding to ask the only person in the apartment about them, she finally made her way out of the guest bedroom, sifting her fingers through her hair as she followed the delectable aroma of food wafting from the end of the hallway.

The scent grew more potent as she reached the kitchen, bringing into view the sight of the man busy making breakfast. Gabriel moved around the space with the familiarity, ease and skills of someone who knew how to work the kitchen and didn't rely on personal chefs to be fed.

The sight had Joslyn mesmerized as she stared at his upper back where his muscles contracted and expanded with every of his movement. She was carried away by the view and didn't notice Gabriel looking at her over his shoulder with a tender gaze in his eyes and a little smirk on his lips.

“Hey, sleeping beauty,” Gabriel greeted gently, gaining Joslyn’s attention as her cheeks turned at being caught staring.

“Good morning,” she responded softly, moving further into the kitchen.

“How’d you sleep? And how are you feeling?”

“Very well and I'm feeling so much better now, thanks to you.” She shot him a small smile, her gratitude evident in her eyes. “I plan to visit the hospital again this morning but I can't find any of my clothes and I was wondering if…”

“Ah, yes. I put them in the washing machine right after leaving your room last night because I figured you wouldn't want to spend the day in dirty clothes and may not be comfortable with wearing mine until you can get your apartment keys back.” Gabriel explained, gesturing at the small room off to the side of the kitchen. “They should be completely dried up by the time you finish breakfast.”

“Breakfast?”

“Yup. Then afterwards, I'll be dropping you off at the hospital.”

“Oh, no.” Joslyn waved her hand. “I don't mind taking a taxi. You've already done so much for me, Gabriel and I really appreciate it. Very much. But the last thing I wanna be is a burden to you so—”

Gabriel shook his head, taking a step closer to her. “Darling, you can never be a burden to me. Besides, this is me selfishly stealing the chance to spend more time with you.” He wiggled his brows, his facial expression suddenly taking on a mischievous tone.

Joslyn suppressed a smile, instead asking him seriously, “Are you sure? I really don't want to be an inconvenience.”

“You aren't, Joslyn and I insist, OK?”

She eventually conceded with a nod, earning a pleased smile from Gabriel who turned back to his task of dishing their breakfast. They settled side-by-side at the counter as he placed plates filled with waffles, bacons, omelettes, sausages and sliced avocados before them.

Then he placed a bowl of cut strawberries and blueberries in front of a gaping Joslyn, saying, “Wasn’t sure if you'd want sweet toppings with your waffles or not but I sliced up some berries for you just in case.”

Joslyn blinked at the variety of meals sitting in front of her. “Oh you didn't have to go through the trouble of doing that. I would've been okay eating anything you'd prepare.”

“While you're my guest, beautiful, you will be served nothing but the best. Now, I want you to dig in and tell me if I get an A+ in my cooking skills.” He winked, making Joslyn laugh as she began eating.