Contract Marriage with My CEO Boss

Chapter 36

Chapter 36

It was no surprise when Kylan chose a nice restaurant near the heart of the city, for lunch. Katrina climbed off his bike and took his hand by second nature, walking with him into the restaurant. She was guided to a table in the far corner, and she let go of Kylan's hand,

shimmying out of her jacket and scarf and draping them over her chair.

Kylan didn't say anything, and she didn't either. She both looked over

dover the

menu, ordering both tea and water alike when the waiter car

came by She looked at Kylan, studying his face as he kept his eyes trained on the menu. She noticed how his brow furrowed slightly, and how the corner of his mouth sat in what she was certain was a near-permanent downturn

She took record of his black hair as it nearly fell into his eyes, and the resisted the urge to push it back for him. He looked nice, peaceful even, were it not for the frown on his face.

She decided that she liked seeing Kylan outside of the office and in the real world. The real world that he could choose to be a part of, and not the role of CEO that she wondered how he was coaxed into.

She had questions for him, of course, she did. There was so much she didn't know about Kylan. So much that she wanted to know about him. She picked through her mind in search of an appropriate thing to ask him.

"Have you always lived in New York City?" she decided to ask. It seemed like a relatively safe thing to ask, and she took a drink of her water while she waited for him to respond.

Kylan glanced at her for a moment, before he looked back down at the menu. "I'm originally from Rhode Island," he surprised her by saying "Bristol" he added.

Her eyes lit up and she felt herself smile at him. "You're from a small town, too?" she asked him excitedly.

Kylan rolled his eyes and nodded. "I am. I moved to New York after my mom uh, died. I lived with Keith before I started Ross Corporation with Ryan," he told her, grabbing hold of his tea and taking a sip. He made a dissatisfied noise that she chose to ignore. "What made you want to start Ross Corporation?" she asked him, happy that he was talking to her like this, Casually, when there wasn't to really be talking other than that she wanted to talk. any reason

sickly tried to redirect the

She saw Kylan visibly tense, and she knew she had asked the wrong thing. Tm sorry, Sir. It's none of my business," she quickly conversation, "I think I'll get the filet mignon, what about your" she added licking her lips and staring at her own menu. "Justice," Kylan said quietly,

y, his voice impossibly solemn now

She looked at him, but found he wasn't looking at her, but rather out the window at the front of the restaurant. He seemed to be far away, though. he still sat at the table with her.

"Justice, Sir?" she asked him, her own voice shaking with nerves. She knew this was entirely uncharted territory, and she needed to t tread carefully. "Justice, Kate Kylan turned his gaze to hers and she frowned at him. He looked.. lost, almost. And sad. Sadder than she had ever seen him look. "I see." She took another drink of water in an attempt to wet her now dry throat. "Did you find the justice you were looking for?" she ventured to ask

Kylan clasped his hands under his chin and bummed quietly. "No, I never have he told her softly, his voice a mere mumble now

She frowned at him. "I'm sorry, Sir, I hope you know how many people you've helped with your drones, though. That and the security cameras, oh, and even the doorbell cameras. You've undoubtedly helped solve and prevent several crimes, both with the stealth drones and cameras."

It felt important to lift K Kylan up, to remind him of his incredible accomplishments. All of which was true, too.

Kylan scoffed and shook his head, sighing and sitting up straighter in his chair. "You sound like Ryan," he told her, raising an eyebrow at her She couldn't help but laugh at him. "Maybe Ryan has a point, then," she said with a shrug

The corner of Kylan's mouth twitched into a shadow of a smile, just for a second. Just for a fleeting moment, and then it was gone. But it was enough to make her smile brightly in return.

-0-0-0-

They spent the rest of their meal talking aimlessly, mostly swapping stories about growing up in her respective coastal towns. She struggled to picture Kylan of all people, going sailing on the weekends or willingly stepping onto a sandy beach at all. But even so, that's what he told her he used to do,

By the time she was leaving the restaurant, she felt lighter than she had all weekend. She felt happy, even.

something?" Kylan asked her while he handed

cocked her head to the side, eyeing him curiously.

and then

parked a minute later, and she grinned at him once

him. She followed him, smiling to

her to amule more. When

bit

annoyaner, but the truly couldn't tell which

on a particularly large leaf next

Rylan said,

what was

to step on

a path that opened into an area with a large, empty fountain, no doubt absent of water perparation for the coming winter. There were several benches full of people around her, and she wondered if she might sit on one

of sanitizing wipes from the depths of his jacket pocket and began to wipe down the chairs and subsequent

me, yes" he replied, almost

she admited, sining down in one

ther one

glare but she only smiled at him. He sighed and walked to throw away the used wipes, then came back and spritzed a bit of

hands instead. He offered

more playing if you know how?" Kylan asked as he started to set

twice but not since high

Kylan nodde

from her. "Il teach you." he offered, looking at her with a

next twenty minutes explaining the various rules and pieces of chess, his voice incredibly serious as

tea or koss Corporation tech. And even then he still didn't

of the game down by the end of

his next move, and she found equal joy

played three games, and he won each time, to no one's surprise. But he wasn't

he praised her as he

She smiled

again. "Thank you for teaching

told him with

hold of her hand. Together, she began the trek

visiting her father?" Kylan asked her a while later, just as his bike came

weekend," she told him, looking at

10

Chapter 36

go of her hand, only to then wrap an arm around her waist instead. He pulled her into has side, and she let

to tell him he didn't have to when he flashed her a rather

mind called back to Friday, and her stomach filled with butterflies

pleasant time with

to pause. "Can I double-check the painting?" he

searched his eyes for a second, but just as usual, she couldn't read him. "Um, sure. It isn't like you to question your work, though." She let go of his hand

stepped inside, she was

then that she realized Kylan

me that you had a man in your bed this morning." He was close to her, so close to her And she was nothing but frozen

He then gripped her hip with a firm hand and stepped so that his body nearly stood flush with hers. "I'm not. I'm not yours, Rylan," she reminded him, all sense of formality thrown out the

you are, Kate. To the world, you're mine. It's binding, this contract. Her signature is on it, is it not?" Kylan echoed her