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Chapter 31
Katrina kept her head down over the next week, falling into a surprisingly easy routine with Kylan. She watched the stocks carefully, completed her regular duties at work, and spent time alone with Kylan more than she ever had before.
He asked her to join him for lunch nearly every day during the week, and she obliged him. It was still strange to spend time with him in casual settings. He mostly had the same attitude every day, was never too open, and was almost always hard to read. But he was kind to her, never asking her to pay for a single thing, no matter how expensive the restaurant wAL
He always held doors for her, and she was growing even more accustomed to holding his hand when they were in public. It was becoming second nature for her, in a way, holding Kylan's hand and quietly enjoying the soft plains of his palm and his long fingers entwined with hers.
Katrina didn't hear him swearing when she was around, too. This was surprising as swearing was almost second nature to Kylan Ross.
She both silently agreed it was best to stay out of the spotlight for a moment after Kylan's incident with the photographer garnered so much attention. It didn't matter though. Kylan continued to gain support on Litter and her private social media was filled with follower requests.
It seemed that everyone was a sucker for a passionate love story, and that's what people viewed her and Kylan as bring. She wondered if she would be equally as enamored, were she in the public's shoes.
It was now a few days before Halloween, and she was knee-deep in an endless pile of paperwork. Kylan was about to sign a new contract to implement the Nightfall into the police force, and a deal like that always carne with late nights and an excess of caffeine to stay awake through it all. Her wrist was cramping from writing so damn much, and she internally cursed Kylan's incessant need to have contracts hand drawn and written. He said it was safer, to have physical copies of everything, but she really thought he was just too set in his ways to change anything.
It was nearly seven o'clock in the evening, and she had yet to eat dinner. Her eyes were burning, and the top of her wrist felt like it was about to give out if she signed even one more piece of paper.
Her heels were forgotten under her desk, and she had tied up her hair at some point hours ago, keen on keeping it the hell out of her face. The sleeves of her white button-down were rolled up to her forearms and she had undone the first two buttons at the top. She looked more unprofessional than usual, but her shirt was at least still tucked into her pencil skirt.
As far as she knew, she was the last person at the office, anyway. She told Oscar to go home a while ago, and that she'd take a taxi. She had at least Two more hour of work if she wanted to get the contract figured out before its deadline tomorrow.
She only had her desk lamp on by now and apart from that and the moonlight filtering in through the window, the office was dark around her. including out in the hallway.
"Are you hungry" a low voice spoke from her doorway, and she dropped the stack of papers in her hands.
"Sir, what the hell I thought you went home." Her heart was racing, and she put a hand over her chest
Kylan didn't say anything about her choice of language, instead opting to walk into the room and over to a small table she had situated near the window. She watched as he set down a bag and began to sift through it. She eyed him curiously for a second before she walked over to join him.
"Did you get us dinner. Sir?" she asked him in surprise.
Sure enough, he was taking out various Chinese takeout boxes, along with chopsticks, some napkins, and two glasses. "You're here late because of me," Kylan said as a way of explanation, not meeting her gaze as he spoke.
She couldn't help the smile that spread across her face. She was truthfully incredibly hungry and exhausted. A gesture like this one meant more than she cared to say out loud
"I could kiss you, Sir Katrina proclaimed without thinking
Kylan froze. She froze. Because shit. That wasn't okay. For so many reasons, talking like that was off-limits.
"I mean.. I uh. I just mean thank you. Sir. This was very kind of you" She cleared her throat, flustered as hell. It was her turn to avert her gaze as she helped Kylan get the food set up
s on the table. She sat down in one of the
Kylan was silent again as he popped the cork on a houde of red wine he also brought, filling both the glasses on two chairs at the table, and he took the other seat, still not saying anything
There was an undeniably awkward tension in the air now, and she wasn't sure how to get rid of it. She decided to steer the conversation to something slightly safer. "My father has been asking to meet you, Sir. I wasn't sure what I was allowed to tell him, so I just told him that we're uh... getting married" She opened her chopsticks and plopped a gyoza in her mouth.
Kylan nodded, seemingly unperturbed. "I understand. Is he a reasonable man?" he asked her, carefully scooping a bit of fried rice onto his plate. She shrugged and took a drink of her wine. "He's not unreasonable, he's just protective of me. Even though I'm about to turn twenty-nine in a couple of days." She poured some rice onto her own plate, careful not to spill any on the table.
Kylan was looking at her, pausing with his chopsticks in his hand. "Your birthday is in a couple of days?" he quietly asked
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she snorted at him and shook her head. "It isn't a big deal. I don't blame you for not keeping track of it, I hardly do." She took another bite of her food and watched as Kylan continued to stare at her with a strange look on his face. When would your father like to meet me?" Kylan changed the subject, wiping his lips with one of the napkins.
Katrina noored he had also opted to appear a little more casual right now, his own sleeves rolled up and his tie long forgotten. He looked nice like that she thought. More calm and sure of himself, and not as pent up and stuffy.
"Well.. You know, I'm from Maine, and he's still there. He's a fisherman and he's gone a lot of the year, but he's home now and I know he was hoping we would come to visit him in early November before the wedding, at least," she said it all in a rush, not sure how Kylan would process her
It was a lot to ask of him, and it most likely went above and beyond what the contract even entailed. He really didn't have any obligation to meet. her father, let alone travel out of state to do just that
"Would you like it if I met him?" Kylan responded softly, so softly she wondered if he even meant for her to hear him.
She blew out her breath, raising her eyebrows and holding onto her wine glass with one hand, staring at the liquid contents 1 uh, think so? You're my boss and he's never met you... you know? It would mean a lot to him, which means it would mean a lot to me, too" She kept her eyes steady on her wine, not interested in seeing what expression Kylan had if any.
Kylan surprised the hell out
out of her
r by saying, "Then I go with you to Maine He didn't sound hesitant in the least, and her eyes snapped to him.
He was already looking at her, his own eyes as neutral as she'd ever seen them, but she wasn't put off
"Really. Surt Th-thank you. I'll have Ryan know before I organize the plane tickets and lodging. We don't need to stay with my dark, in case."
She felt happy, giddy almost. It meant a weird amount to her. The idea of Kylan meeting her father. It felt important, though it shouldn't.
"One room," Kylan responded before taking a drink of his wine.
She nodded nervously, One room. She'd have to share a space with him before Ireland, after all. She hadn't considered the possibility before bringing anything up to Kylan. She didn't know how something like that would go, really. But she chose to push it to the back of her mind for now, "Thank you again, Sir" She meant it sincerely, and she couldn't stop herself from reaching out and closing her hand over his for a fraction of a second.
Kylan looked down at the sudden contact but didn't say anything. She cleared her throat and withdrew her hand.
need to finish the contract." She stood from her chair, far too aware now that she wasn't wearing shoes.
Her boss looked down at her feet and quirked a brow. She rolled her eyes at him. "It's nearly eight o'clock at night, Sir. I'm not partial to wearing heels for over twelve hours at a time." She sat back at her deck, rolling her neck a few times, and then taking a deep breath. Kylan cleaned up the remnants of her meal, leaving her office for a moment and then coming back now empty-handed. He surprised her again by taking a seat in front of her desk.
"Hand me a stack of the contract, he instructed, holding a hand out to her.
She merely stared at him. "You can go home. Sir. You asked me to do this she reminded him.
Kylan rolled his eyes and reached across the desk himself, grabbing a handful of papers and then sitting back, pen in hand. He didn't say anything instead getting to work at once. She looked at him for another minute, before she resigned herself to accept his help. She mostly worked in silence with Kylan, only communicating when one of them had a question about the tedious contract. Her eyes were bleary and heavy as she read through every single line of the business jargon.
Two hours later, she nearly gathered every piece of the contract, clipping it together and putting it into a black folder. She slumped back in her chair and rubbed the sides of her forehead wearily.
"I can pay you for her extra time," Kylan offered in front of her.
She shook her head at him, sighing and leaning forward to slip her heels back into place on her sore feet. "That isn't me
She yawned heavily, standing up and slipping her blazer and jacket back over her shoulders.
necessary, Sir
"I'm going to call a cab. I'll see you in about right hours" She laughed slightly and gathered both her phone and briefcase
"It isn't safe for you to take a cab at this hour. I'll drive you home" Kylan stood from his chair, staring at her with a hardened look she knew meant he wouldn't take no for an answer.
She bit the inside of her cheek but nodded. "Alright. Thank you," she agreed politely
She headed down to the parking garage, Ross Corporation headquarters eerily silent around her. Not even the cleaners were left in the building anymore, and she realized how late it really was. Chapter 31
Kylan landed her a helmet as soon as she reached his motorcycle and she took out her bun, shaking her hair a few times. "When your bike tonight?" she asked him while she waited for him to get on first "I had Oscar take me home before he tinned in for the night," Kylan told her, sitting on the bike after adjusting
his own helmet.
did you g
go ger
She nodded and got on behind him, wrapping her arms around his waist and moving forward some. "Is this okay?" she couldn't help but ask him.
Kylan turned his head to look at her, catching her off guard. "It's okay," he confirmed quietly. He kicked his bike to life, the expensive-sounding engine echoing loudly in the otherwise empty parking structure. She swallowed and held onto Kylan, ignoring the way her heart contracted at her arms gripping him rightly.