Contract Marriage with My CEO Boss

Chapter 105

Chapter 105

One year later

Katrina never slept well when Kylan had to go out of town. She didn't like being alone at night. She didn't like worrying about if he was sleeping well, or if he was having a nightmare. Even though his nightmares only happened now when he was overly stressed, she still worried. She still wanted him to be okay, especially when he wasn't with her.

She missed his arms, his smell, and the quiet reassurance that she was safe. If she allowed herself to think about it too hard, it was probably a little ally that she couldn't get comfortable without her husband's strong arms around her, or his chest pressed to her back in that way she liked.

But she was so combined with Kylan, so wrapped up in everything that was him, in what doing life with him meant to her.. So, when he was p she didn't sleep well.

Lately, he was gone a lot. Too much, if she had anything to say about it.

Ross Corporation had fully integrated into the military side of business, and she was happy for Kylan, really happy for him, but it meant he had to go on several trips and listen in on extra phone calls. Which was fine. It was.

He was a CEO, and his company was growing, thriving in ways that made her smile. But she missed her husband. And while she knew he missed her too, it didn't make those nights where the bed was too big and too empty, any easier for her to handle.

When she woke up to her alarm, it took her a moment to remember she was by herself. Kylan was in Boston for a conference, and he wouldn't be back until tomorrow night. And it was fine. It was. She was fine.

But tomorrow was her first wedding anniversary, and she was possibly a little sad he hadn't been able to turn has CEO persona off a day early

This was one of those times where she missed being his assistant. She never regretted taking the PR job. She knew she made the right decision. She knew her relationship, her marriage with Kylan was healthier because of it. She knew it was a smart move, and Vincent had proven to be Instrumental for Kylan.

But were she still his assistant, she would be with him. She would be able to slip beneath the sheets of his hotel bed and she would be able to feel safe the way she would never tire of

But it was fine. She was fine.

Katrina was taking a half day an work so she could go cake tasting with Aaron and Maine. Their wedding was in three months, and they were ironing out the last of the details. Cake just so happened to be one of them, and she wasn't about to pass up the opportunity to distract herself and indulge in something sweet.

nd she

She was the maid of honor for both of them. And it was an honor. They were right for each other in every way that mattered, and she wanted their day to be as meaningful as her wedding had been.

She turned on her side, huffing a bit as she looked at the empty space in the bed next to her. She stretched out a hand, running her fingers over the pillow that should occupy her husband's head.

One more day. He would be home tomorrow, and she would celebrate her anniversary, and he would hug her and this would be another conference behind her

She forced herself to sit up, rubbing the remnants of sleep from her eyes. She grabbed her phone from off its charger at the exact moment it began to ring. She smiled at the picture of herself and Kylan on her wedding day that she set as his contact photo. The sun was shining her foreheads were pressed together, and he was staring at her with warmth. With love. With that safety.

Katrina pressed the "accept" icon and stood from her bed, balancing her phone on her shoulder so she could move her covers back in place while

she talked.

"Good morning, my darling" She were the first to speak, her voice a little hoarse from disuse.

"Good morning, love. How's your sleep?"

She fluffed the last of the her throw pillows, smoothing down the lines in the duvet and then huffing. "You know how I slept," She replied just a bit coolly

She could hear Kylan sigh on the other end of the line while she walked to her closet and began to pick out a skirt and shirt that wouldn't suffocane her too much in the mid July brat

"When are Aaron and Maine subjecting you to an obscene amount of sugar?"

attice for a few

She peeled off her nightgown and underwear, taking hold of her clothes and then heading to the bathroom. 1 have to go into the office hours because Anna called in sick and wasn't able to finish the quarterly PR reports. So, they'll pick me up around lunch time" She brushed through the tangles in her hair, bating back a yawn. She sank onto the toilet seat, wincing against the cold porcelain that greeted her bare skin. "Remind me when your flight gets in tonsorrow, please"

Just after seven. I wish it were earlier. This whole conference has been a damn headache. Vincent also steeped my tea for a minute too long this morning, so that doesn't help a thing."

She couldn't fight the snort of laughter that left her throat. "Not the tea. What are you while

"Yeah, yeah. Tease at my expense. See if I do that thing you li

like tomorrow"

meant to do, Kylan?" She frigned horror, smiling all the

That sobered her immediately. "You better do that thing I like. You've been gone long enough this time. She allowed her disappointment to saturate her words, standing and discarding her pajamas into the black hamper near the shower.

you like missing me, Kate. The home tomorrow, and I suppose I'll do the thing

"Thank you, darling. I'll give you a call this evening. She moved to turn the handle inside

forward to it.

you

to Vincent." She set her phone

decided to drive herself to and from work. It just Didn't feel right, not having him drive her anymore. She was happy he retired, happy he was healthy, but it made her sad when it was no longer him that waited for her outside of the black SUV every morning and evening, soar candy in hand

either. Honestly, having a private driver was a little bit excessive, to begin with. So, now it was her that navigated the New York City traffic in the Bentley she couldn't

money for her, not even when she signed the contract so long ago Now, though, she steered the Bentley to the familiar glass behemoth that was Ross Corporation,

few hours flew by in a daze of caffeine, phone calls, emails and reports. Ryan stopped in to say

texts to warn her that he and Maine would be at the office in a few minutes and to have her ass waiting outside

but she still closed out of the Word

down to the street below, spotting Aaron's familiar sedan waiting near the curb for her. She watched him clamber out of the car and practically run over to her enveloping her in his arms and spinning her around like he hadn't seen her in weeks. When really, she saw

groaned, wiping the moisture off her face with the

opened the passenger door for her, and she clambered inside. Maine was sitting in the back seat, and she turned to give her a more reasonable greeting than her

jungle life for years. Conversation flowed easily, like it always did with her best friends. With the occasional road rage thrown out when a fellow driver did something that Aaron deemed

behold, but Aaron was also adept with parallel parking, and she found herself walking out of the stifling heat and into the cool of the bakery in no time. The same bakery

both sad and happy, being here on a day like this. Sad, because she missed her husband. Happy, because she got to witness her most cherished friends create memories that they

single, covered table. Seven or eight plates with a sliver of cake each were expertly placed all in a line, a small slip of paper detailing what was what in front of each one. She sat on Aaron's left, Maine

Aaron rubbed his hands together,

delicious." She found her spoon, waiting for them to take the

might need to choose a few flavors, one for each layer of the cake,

Chapter 105

minutes later, and

fun, bring there with her friends, listening to them bicker and fit. Each slice of cake was moist, delicious, and she didn't envy the choice that Aaron and Maine would be left with. Until they

Ther

spoon and

hit or miss. That's too much pressure." She licked some icing off set it on an empty plate, pushing

d then

scoffed, crossing his arms over his chest. "You're the maid

lemon cake and then spice it up with a meringue icing" She

ruffled his hair,

-0-0-0-

far too early the next

morph her anxiety into something positive, she channeled the restless energy into cleaning the

she scrubbed every surface, including the baseboards and each of the doors. She focused her efforts on the line things that no one else cared about, but Kylan did. Like fluffing the curtains, folding the towels so they hung just so, and shining the

put him in a good

her mind drifting to a year ago

year she had been

had passed, and yet also that an

they had done it

More than she ever dreamed she

finally deemed the penthouse clean enough for even her husband's ridiculous standards, and so she lit a candle on the

than strips of fine fabric. She took extra care with styling her hair and applying her makeup, and then she checked the time. Six-forry-tive. He

werk was too

the marble surface,

pulling her out of her daydreaming. She picked it up, grinning at Kylan's contact

back at her.

hope you're calling to sell me you picked up my favorite bottle of wine from that place in the Upper West Side," she teased into her phone Kylan

until tomorrow. I tried to charter a private jet, but

day, too. I won't be able to get on a plane

taking a deep breath to center herself, to try and force

the disappointment that threatened

not your fault." Her voice sounded too quiet, too sad, but

have waited until our anniversary to fly home. That was foolish of me. I should have prioritized you. Ross Corporation can want. You're what's important to me. I'm sorry, darling. I have a flight at six

the candle on

She blew

off her stool, walking around the penthouse and turning off every light along the way: She reached her bedroom and flopped onto her bed, lying on her back, staring at the

an anniversary, she murmured into her phone.

furious with the airlines, and with every pretentious shit that reserved a private jet out of this airport today." He paused, but she didn't say anything

Chapter 105

I swear I will

do that thing I like?"

you want. I