Chapter 13

Joslyn woke up to the morning sun streaming through her window, casting a warm glow over her room. With a groan, she reached out to silence the blaring alarm that had jolted her from sleep. Rubbing her eyes, she sat up on the edge of her bed, staring blankly into space. Despite feeling reluctant to leave the comfort of her bed, she knew she had to start her day.

After a moment of blankly staring into space, Joslyn pushed herself to her feet and made her way to her dresser. With a sigh, she rummaged through her clothes for a suitable outfit for her morning gym session. Eventually, she settled on a comfortable set of workout clothes and made her way to the bathroom for a quick shower, even though she knew she'd be taking another one when she got back.

After gathering her resolve, Joslyn headed to the gym just around the corner of their block for her morning workout routine. Upon arrival, she exchanged pleasantries with familiar faces, exchanging nods and smiles with fellow gym-goers and one of the trainers. Setting her gym bag down, she began her usual routine of stretches, each movement helping to prepare her body for the workout ahead.

She started with a gentle neck stretch, tilting her head from side to side, then rolling her shoulders backward in smooth circles to release any tension that had built up overnight. Unconsciously, her mind couldn't help but drift back to Gabriel. She recalled their brief encounter two days prior, when she had just returned from the grocery store. His image lingered in her thoughts, occupying her mind more than she cared to admit.

A wave of guilt washed over her as she acknowledged the intensity of what she felt for him. She was well aware that she shouldn't be giving him this much control over her thoughts at all, especially considering their complicated situation. Yet, try as she might, she couldn't shake the thoughts of him from her mind.

Hoping to distract herself, Joslyn focused on her workout, determined to push Gabriel to the back of her mind, even if only for a short while. With a mental pep talk, she urged herself to stay focused and committed to her fitness routine.

"Okay, Joslyn, time to work out all thoughts of him from your mind," she whispered to herself, the determination evident in her voice as she headed towards the treadmill.

As Joslyn approached the treadmill and began setting it up for her starter jog, she suddenly froze as her gaze landed on the last person she expected to see that morning; the same person that she was prepared to banish all thoughts of from her mind—Gabriel. Her heart skipped a beat, her mind momentarily unable to process the sight before her.

Joslyn's initial reaction was a surge of irritation as the thought of confronting Gabriel for what she was beginning to perceive as a stalkish and intrusive behavior bubbled up within her. She toyed with the idea of marching straight over to him and giving him a piece of her mind. However, as she took a moment to consider her options, hesitation crept in.

Part of her reluctance stemmed from the awareness of Gabriel's public persona. As a well-known figure in the business world, any altercation between them would likely attract unwanted attention from the media. The last thing she wanted was to find herself splashed across tabloids as the woman who had a public spat with the billionaire CEO, Gabriel Reid.

But there was another reason for her hesitation, one that she found harder to admit to herself. Despite her annoyance at his presence, Joslyn couldn't deny the distracting effect Gabriel had on her.

As Joslyn's gaze fixed on Gabriel, she observed him at the lat pulldown machine, his movements fluid and controlled. Beads of sweat glistened against his tanned skin, tracing the contours of his sculpted biceps. With each repetition, his back muscles flexed beneath the fabric of his tank top, showcasing their definition. The sight ignited a primal heat within Joslyn, coursing through her body and settling in a place it shouldn't have gone. She fought to maintain her composure, but the allure of Gabriel's physicality proved too potent to resist.

His muscles ripped and expanded with each movement, glistening with the sweat giving his body an additional sheen. After a long moment of soaking in the sight, Joslyn quickly regained her composure, but her attention was caught by the various other women in the gym who were openly ogling him. She couldn't help but roll her eyes at their blatant admiration of him—if one could even refer to the way they practically undressed him with just their gazes as that. Her subconscious, however, didn't hesitate to judge her for having literally just done the same thing and she couldn't help but scoff at herself.

Shooting an oblivious Gabriel one final glare, Joslyn made a move to turn around to start her workout when the said man suddenly looked in her direction, catching her lingering gaze. At first, he frowned, his brows knitting together in an expression of confusion or irritation; she couldn't quite tell. But after a brief moment, his features softened and a familiar mischievous grin spread across Gabriel's face, transforming his expression entirely. Joslyn felt her heart rate speed up involuntarily as she noticed the change in his demeanor.

Gabriel held her gaze steadily as he performed a set on the lat pulldown machine, the muscles in his back and arms flexing with each repetition. His confident movements and the subtle display of strength commanded Joslyn's attention, leaving her momentarily captivated by his presence. As he finished his set and released the bar, he wiped the sweat from his brow with a towel before beginning to make his way towards her.

Joslyn quickly turned away, the sudden rush of emotions causing her to feel flustered and unsettled. Gabriel's approach towards her was deliberate, his strides purposeful as he closed the distance between them. Despite her attempt to conceal it, Joslyn couldn't help but feel a sense of anticipation building within her.

As Joslyn started up the treadmill, her actions a little bit jerky and uncoordinated—much to her chagrin, Gabriel eventually reached her with a playful smirk already on his face. "One might think you're stalking me," he teased, his tone light and airy as he leaned against the nearby equipment, his eyes fixed on Joslyn's frame.

Joslyn responded with a noncommittal grunt, her focus remaining squarely on the treadmill as she started a slow jog on it, hoping to brush off his comment.

Undeterred by her silence, Gabriel persisted all the same. "Tell me, Jos, are you stalking me?" He quipped, his grin widening as he attempted to draw her into a lighthearted banter.

Finally, Joslyn turned to him, her expression unreadable as she replied, "If anyone's keeping tabs or stalking anyone, it's you, Gabriel." Her tone was dry and indifferent, masking any hint of amusement or trace of arousal.

As Gabriel leaned in closer, a mischievous glint in his eyes, he couldn't help but tease further. "Ah, so you've been admiring my charming presence from afar," he remarked, his voice tinged with playful arrogance.

Joslyn rolled her eyes, though a faint hint of a smile played at the corners of her lips. "Don't flatter yourself, Gabriel. I have better things to do than keep tabs on you," she retorted, her tone laced with sarcasm.

But Gabriel wasn't about to let her off the hook that easily. "Oh, come on, Jos. Admit it, you can't resist the appeal of my company," he countered, a smirk dancing on his lips as he leaned in closer, the atmosphere between them crackling with subtle tension.

Joslyn's gaze flickered over Gabriel's features, noting the way his blue-green eyes sparkled with mischief, reminiscent of the turquoise hues of the ocean. Her eyes traced down to his chiseled jawline, and the way his shirt hugged his muscular frame, before she quickly averted her eyes, a flush creeping onto her cheeks. "I assure you, Gabriel, your company is the last thing on my mind," she replied, though her voice lacked conviction, betraying the flicker of interest she couldn't quite suppress.

With a playful glint in his eyes, Gabriel's voice dropped to a husky whisper. "Are you sure about that, Jos?" He murmured, his breath grazing her ear as he leaned in tantalizingly close.

Joslyn's breath caught in her throat, her heart pounding erratically in her chest and no matter how much she would've loved to blame it on the increasing speed of the treadmill, she knew deep down that she would simply be deceiving herself. She could feel the heat radiating off his body, igniting a fire within her that she struggled to contain. Despite her best efforts to maintain her composure, she found herself drawn to him like a moth to a flame, unable to resist the intoxicating allure of his presence.

"I-I..." Joslyn stuttered, her voice barely above a whisper as she struggled to form coherent words. But before she could respond, Gabriel's lips tenderly brushed against her earlobe in a feather-light caress, sending shivers down her spine.

"I have important things to do," she murmured again as if she was trying to convince herself more than him, and her voice tinged with a hint of frustration as she tried to distance herself from his intoxicating presence.

However, Gabriel's eyes bore into hers with unwavering intensity, his gaze piercing through her defenses. "Why do you always act like you don't feel what's going on between us, Jos?" He challenged, his voice low and intense. "You're telling me you don't feel the tension?"

Joslyn turned her face away, her cheeks ablaze as she stammered, "Leave me alone, Gabriel. I don't know what you're talking about."

But despite her attempts to push him away, Joslyn's body betrayed her, her cheeks flaming with a warmth that spoke more volumes than her words ever could.

Ignoring her feeble protests and yet seemingly deciding to retreat for now, Gabriel leaned in closer, his breath tickling her ear as he whispered softly, "I must say though, I liked it better when you called me Nicholas."

With those words hanging in the air between them, Gabriel straightened to his full height, a knowing smirk playing on his lips as he casually walked out of the gym, leaving Joslyn feeling flustered and off balance, her thoughts swirling with the lingering sensation of his warm breath on her skin.

And although subjected to the quizzical and envious stares of the women in the gym, Joslyn was uncaring of all the unwanted attention as one thing (an unwanted realization) remained a constant in her mind: sooner or later, she might succumb to this thing between them, especially considering how potent it was.