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

the side, eyeing him curiously.

then she was

Sure enough, he parked a minute later, and

him, smiling

to amule more. When she did come

nearly every bit of dewalk that the

but the truly couldn't tell which

particularly large leaf next

Rylan said, staring at

what was definitely amusement

step on a few more

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

jacket pocket and began to wipe down the chairs and

that relaxes me, yes" he replied, almost sounding

she admited, sining down

ther one

she only smiled at him. He sighed and walked to throw away the used wipes, then came back and

on his hands instead. He offered her some

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

twice but not since

Kylan nodde

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

rules and pieces of chess, his voice

be so 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 impress him by

the base gast of the game down by the end of kylan's instructions, though she knew he

she had fun playing with him. She enjoyed watching hun ponder his next move, and she found equal joy in trying to outsmart him, even though it was

three games, and he won each time, to no one's surprise. But he wasn't ang about it. In fact, he seemed to

well. Kate." he praised her as he stood from

She smiled

"Thank you for teaching me

told him with

her hand. Together, she began the trek back to his

asked her a while later, just as his bike

weekend," she told him, looking at his side

10

Chapter 36

a moment. He let go of her hand, only to then wrap an arm around her waist instead. He pulled

door, and she gave up trying to tell him he didn't have to when

in hand, she took the elevator. Her mind called back to Friday, and her

be a repeat of that. It wasn't. Sure, she had a surprisingly pleasant time with Rylan

apartment and Kylan seemed to pause. "Can I double-check

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 and unlocked her

inside, she was

was then that she realized Kylan had pressed her against the wall near her

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

warm breath fanning 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. I'm not yours, Rylan," she reminded him, all sense of formality thrown out the

To the world, you're mine. It's binding, this contract.