Contract Marriage with My CEO Boss (Kylan and Katrina)
Chapter 6

Chapter

6

The short walk back to her office and to the chair behind her desk was spent in a sort of daze. Was this happening? Did she really sign that contract? Were Ryan and Max actually okay with all of this? How would this all work, exactly el but

Katrina's head was spinning, and her legs felt like they might give out on her without a moment's notice. She couldn't help feel foolish, and... used, somehow. She had agreed to such a ridiculous farce because of money. Even if there were other reasons involved, like helping the company she worked for, it had ultimately come down to money. Shouldn't she be ashamed of that? She honestly didn't know.

She had agreed and signed the contract before she had really thought much of anything else, which surprised her most of all. She usually thought about things to an obnoxious extent. It was the reason she was sure she made for a great assistant, in the first place. But this.. This had the potential to be messy. Really messy.

She would have to keep up every false pretense in front of her coworkers, her friends, and her dad. Could she even tell someone like Aaron the truth? She hadn't thought to ask Kylan. She needed more clarifications, if there was any hope that this could actually work. Could it work? Her head was throbbing by the time she sat in her chair.

Kylan had a relatively slow morning, with only a few conference calls that he didn't need her to sit in for. He would send her footnotes on the conversations later, as well as any instructions he would have for her to complete. Thus, she decided it was an optimal time to go through her various emails and weed out the important ones, from the ones she could send to the junk folder.

She was focused for the first while. She was even thankful for the distraction from the incredibly odd morning she had. But then, her mind began to wander, and she was hopeless from there.

What would their first date consist of? What would the public reception be of her relationship? Would people like her? What if they didn't?

She had been in a few photos here and there during her three years as Kylan's assistant, and her company bio was also on Ross Corporation's public website. But so far, she had been able to keep mostly out of any and all kinds of the spotlight. People were really only interested in the man who had begun a billion-dollar company, at the shocking age of twenty-five. That, coupled with Kylan's naturally elusive personality, had created an endless amount of speculation about the seemingly unobtainable bachelor. Up until this point, Kylan had never cared to set any of the various records straight or quell any

ny of the rumors that circulated about him.

Katrina supposed she would probably wonder for herself, what his private life was like if she didn't work closely with the man. There was a certain charm and appeal to a person like Kylan. But his horrendous personality made it easy to let that kind of train of thought flicker out for her. That, and he was her boss.

She wasn't sure how long ago her hand had gone stagnant on her mouse, or when exactly her computer screen had gone to sleep, but the sudden knock at her door caused her to jump.

Aaron let himself into her office, and she took a deep breath and cleared her throat.

"Hey," she said breathlessly, taking care to sit up in her chair a little more and keep her face carefully neutral.

It was useless, though. Aaron was already looking at her oddly. "What's up with you? Your face is like... Weird. And you look pale. Are you sick?" he asked, plopping himself down in the seat in front of her desk. Katrina made sure to roll her eyes. "I'm fine. It's Thursday, so I guess I'm just anxious for the weekend." She shrugged her shoulders.

Aaron raised an eyebrow at her. "You're a shitty liar, Kate. But I don't care right now. I wanted to make sure you're not bailing on me for drinks tomorrow?" he asked, reaching forward and grabbing a pen off her desk. He repeatedly began to click the top of it over and over, while he eyed her carefully.

She opened her mouth to answer when the door to her office opened again, and Kylan entered the room this time. Her stomach gave a nervous flutter at the sight of him, and she fought the blush that threatened to rise on her face.

Kylan looked at Aaron pointedly, but he put his hands in his pockets and then turned his attention to her. "Can I take you to

Chapter 6

lunch, Katrina? We have some things we need to go over," her boss asked her evenly.

Katrina was used to him sounding so... Monotone, all the time. But she wondered if he was also feeling nervous or strange, just as she was. It was impossible to know, what with the emotionless mask he constantly chose to wear on his damn face. Aaron was still clicking the pen while he looked between her and Kylan, his eyes narrowed to near slits. She avoided his gaze and gave Kylan a polite smile.

"That sounds fine. I'll meet you downstairs in fifteen minutes, Sir," she responded, hoping her voice sounded just as indifferent as his voice did.

Kylan stepped toward Aaron without warning, yanking the pen out of his hands in one swift motion. "F*ck off, Kirstein. I don't pay you to sit here and annoy my assistant," he snapped

Aaron's eyes widened and he scrambled to his feet in a rush. "Sorry, Sir. I'll... Go. Bye, Kate." He waved half-heartedly before he practically ran out of her office.

Katrina sighed and looked at Kylan. "Do you need to be so hard on him, Sir?" she asked, turning back to her computer and beginning to respond to one or two more emails before she needed to leave.

She saw Kylan shrug his shoulders out of the corner of her eye. "He's a little shit. Maybe the prototype wouldn't have been a week late if he wasn't constantly coming up here to flirt with you," he grumbled.

Katrina couldn't help the laugh that escaped her lips. "Flirt? Sir, Aaron has a girlfriend. Sure, he acts like a flirt but he's also like a brother to me." She shook her head in disbelief, her fingers resuming their typing on her keyboard.

Kylan glared at her for a moment. "He still shouldn't be up here as often as he is," he amended quietly. He sighed and left her office, his hands still in his pockets and his head bowed in annoyance.

The woman stared at her door after he left, before sending the now-completed email she had drafted.

-0-0-0-

Ten minutes later, she had freshened up in the bathroom and had made her way down to the parking garage. She found Oscar standing against his usual SUV, and the smiled when she saw him eating gummy worms from a small bag. She needed to remember to get him a few bags, the next time she went to the grocery store.

"Sour, or regular?" she asked him, coming to a stop next to him.

Oscar grinned, holding up the bag of candy. "Always regular. I'm not the biggest fan of anything sour," he admitted.

Katrina smiled widely at him. "You were almost perfect, Oscar," she teased with a playful nudge of his arm.

Ovar laughed at her but stopped immediately when he looked over her shoulder. He shoved the bag of gummy worms into his suit pocket, opened the back door of the car, and stood up straight.

"Sir," he greeted Kylan, who slipped into the back seat with a curt nod of his head.

Katrina followed suit, doing her best to give Oscar a reassuring smile as she slid into the car. She adjusted her dress and glanced at Kylani.

"Where are we going for lunch, Sir?" she asked, just as Oscar got into the car and carefully pulled out of the parking structure.

Kylan was staring out the window, his elbow resting on the door and a few fingers against his mouth. He looked deep in thought, and she couldn't help but wonder what he was thinking

"Chateau Dumont," he answered briskly.

He was referencing an upscale French restaurant on the East side of the city, and she hid her surprise. Did he want to go somewhere like that? Just for lunch? Was this actually their first date? Nerves filled her system, and she swallowed them as much as possible. Kylan was quiet for the entire car ride, and Katrina couldn't bring herself to strike up any kind of conversation with him either. It made for a tense, nearly awkward experience in the back of the SUV,

She was thankful when car finally pulled over to let them out of the car in front of the restaurant. Kylan let himself out of the car first, and he held the door for her. She began to shimmy her way out, conscious of the tightness of her dress. She was Chapter 1

almost out of the car when kylan offered a hand for her to take. Katrina stared at it for a moment. His hand was pale, just like the rest of him. She noticed that the veins on the back of his hand were rather prominent and that his fingers were long and immaculately manicured.

She had never paid any attention to something like a man's hands before, but now it was all she could see. She had also never touched Kylan in any capacity, that she could remember. He had made somewhat of a reputation for himself amongst other CEOS and businessmen because he never shook hands with anyone.

He was a self-proclaimed germaphobe, and she was more than surprised when he had brought up things like kissing earlier. She was once agam left wondering how the hell all of this was going to go.

Kylan cleared his throat, and Katrina was pulled from her train of thought. She took a deep breath, grabbing hold of his hand and allowing him to help her out of the car the rest of the way. She was surprised by how smooth his skin was, and also how firm of a grip he had.

He held onto her hand for a beat, before he let go and gestured for her to lead the way into the restaurant. The sound of her heels hitting the sidewalk with every step she took, nearly made it possible for her to ignore the hand that hovered over her lower back as she walked

What was he doing? This was a date, right?

He moved to open the door to the restaurant, before allowing her to walk in first..

She was promptly seated at a small table at the back of the establishment. Kylan pulled her chair out for her, and she sat down with a mumbled thank you.

He sat in the chair across from her, and she eyed him as he adjusted his suit jacket. He was wearing a black, perfectly tailored suit today. One she had seen countless times before. Yet today, he looked different while wearing it, somehow.

A waiter came over a moment later, and Kylan glanced at her. "Two glasses of Crown Royal, please. Both neat," he ordered.

The waiter nodded and headed off to retrieve their drinks.

She crossed her legs and clasped her hands atop the silk tablecloth in front of her. "I prefer mine on the rocks, Sir," she reminded him.

Kylan narrowed his eyes at her. "Ice is preposterous. It hurts your teeth," he said as if it should be obvious.

Katrina giggled slightly, opening the menu on the table near her. She began to read over the various entrees, doing her best to ignore the ridiculous prices for everything, even for a freaking salad. No matter how much time she spent in Kylan's world, she would never be used to how easily money was spent.

The waiter came back with their drinks, and he took their order. She settled on a bowl of lobster bisque, and Kylan ordered roast beef and potatoes. The waiter left them again, and Kylan took a long drag from his whiskey. She noticed he barely even flinched at the taste, and she couldn't help but be mildly impressed.

She wondered once again if this was a date. She decided on a safe enough question to begin the conversation. "Why did you pick this place, Sir?"

"Ist deine Mutter Deutsche?" Kylan asked her evenly.

Katrina already knew Kylan was half-French and multilingual. She had heard him speak French, Spanish, German, and other languages on many occasions. But those were all for business purposes. Somehow, hearing him speak German in such a casual setting, threw her off guard.

She licked her lips and nodded. Katrina herself spoke a small amount of German. "My mother is a German, yes. Hence, the - "Katrina" She responded with as much nonchalance as she could muster. Then she noticed the pattern of his question. Her father was a full-blooded French. "You chose this place because you thought I would enjoy it!" she added.

Kylan avoided her gaze as he took another drink of his whiskey. "It seemed an acceptable enough place to discuss our first date." he responded carefully.

So, this wasn't their first date. She felt her shoulders relax slightly, and some of the tension she hadn't been aware of, dissipated.

"Of course, Sir. What did you have in mind?" she asked, just as the waiter stopped by with her meals.

She draped a napkin across her lap and she watched as Kylan did the same. Kylan took a bite of his food before he looked up at her and met her gaze. "The gala is on Sunday. I think it's another damn fundraiser, I'm not even certain what charity it is for this time. That isn't important, though He waved his hand sightly "t's a very public event, and I have no doubt there will be several leeches there to take pictures of You can take those pictures, and post one of them on my social media," he explained to her, taking another bite when he

She watched him eat for a second her own appetite leaving her. She knew Kylan would want to begin the contract right away, but she was nervous at the idea of being paraded around something like a gala. She knew how to work for a crowd, it was true. But working one as Kylan's supposed fiance? That would be an entirely different kind of beast to conquer.

She knew that he had no choice, though. This was the arrangement she agreed to, after all.

"I should probably replace a new dress, then she decided on saying.

Kylan nodded his head in agreement, wiping his mouth with the corner of a napkin. "I agree. We can go shopping after work if you'd like he offered

Her eyes widened. "You want. You want to go with me?" she asked him, her voice slightly unsteady.

"Of course, I do. You have to look the proper part, and I can only ensure that happens if I help you pick what you wear," he

She couldn't help but narrow her eyes at him "I don't need to be babied. Sir. I'm perfectly capable of choosing my own dress," she sold coolly

wat

Klan qarked a brow at her, sitting back in his seat and folding his arms. "Might I remind you of the contract? You do this my way or I don't pay of her student loans he said quietly, his voice low.

berface fast crimson, and she looked away, not able to hold his gaze anymore. She sighed, running her hand through ber hair in Peration Fine. Do I get to pick the stores we look at!" she asked before she finally began to eat h

Hooned "Helse Impacking You wouldn't choose something nearly nice enough for a gala like this. You're too afraid peace be vad ting another bite of his food.

of are able to spore something like a price tag. Sir, she reminded her boss.

Tandemand that Burn this instance, it's a non-issue because I'm paying for it. Now, eat your damn soup." he instructed with a gesture at her fall bowl