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.

asked her while he

side, eyeing

then she was

a minute later, and she grinned at him once she was

followed him, smiling to

her to amule more. When she did come here

leaves that covered nearly every bit of dewalk

but the truly couldn't

on a particularly large leaf next and feeling happy when it crunched

Rylan said, staring at

what was

on a

park when Kylan pulled her down 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 before Rylan Really

the depths of his jacket pocket and began

that relaxes me, yes" he replied, almost

something like chess she admited, sining down in one of the chairs while Kylan

ther one

smiled at him. He sighed and walked to throw away the

hands instead. He offered her some next and she

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

once or twice but not since high school," she admitted

Kylan nodde

that kind of response from her. "Il teach you." he offered, looking at her with a

then, be began wiking He spent the next twenty minutes explaining the various rules and pieces of chess, his voice incredibly serious as

animated or alive about something. The closest things she could compare has current actitude to were possibly tea or koss Corporation tech. And even then he still didn't seem to be this passionate. She paid close attention the entire time he talked, deciding that she wanted to

base gast of the game down by the end of

fun playing with him. She enjoyed watching hun ponder his next move,

one's surprise. But he wasn't ang about it. In

as he stood from his chair

She smiled

you for teaching me

him

nodded once and then took hold of her hand. Together,

a while later, just as his

slated for this weekend," she told him, looking at

10

Chapter 36

Rylan said, looking at her for a moment. He let go of her hand, only to then wrap an

she gave up trying to tell him he didn't have to when he flashed her a rather nasty

the elevator. Her mind called back to Friday, and her stomach filled

she had a surprisingly pleasant time with Rylan today,

seemed to pause. "Can I double-check the

for a second, but just as usual, she couldn't read him. "Um, sure. It

she was thrown off balance,

needed a second to play catch up, and it was then that she realized Kylan had pressed her against the wall near her front

contract one more time. It bothers me, Kate. It infuriates 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 in place

her face. "You're mine until the contract says otherwise. His words were dripping with dangerous honey that made her toes curl. He then gripped her hip with a firm hand and stepped so that his body nearly stood flush with hers. "I'm not.

world, you're mine. It's binding, this contract. Her signature is on it, is it not?" Kylan