Contract Marriage with My CEO Boss (Kylan and Katrina)

Chapter

62

She knew Ireland was famous for its pubs, but the atmosphere still caught she off guard. What was more, she was surprised Kylan even wanted to take she to one at all. Admittedly, he chose a more upscale pub, if that existed at all in Dublin.

Even still, it was seedy. Filled to the brim with laughing, noisy chatter, and the distinct clank of glasses hitting tables. The lighting was low, the music was loud, and smoke coasted over lightbulbs in whisps and tendrils. She glanced around and found several men and women alike enjoying ciganillos, the narrow bodies of the cigars held precariously in each of their fingers.

"Have you ever tried one?" she asked Kylan over a wave of raucous laughter from the table next to hers.

"I have, more than once, Kylan admitted, taking a sip from the tall glass of Guinness on the table in front of him. "Never took a liking to the things personally.

She nodded her head, her hands cupping her glass of beer. "Im shocked to see you drinking anything other than whiskey or maybe a glass of fine wine." She raised her eyebrows at him in amusement.

Kylan quirked a brow at her. "I suppose you don't know how many different types or brands of alcohol I researched when I was thinking of opening my own restaurant His voice was a fair bit louder than normal, compensating for the noise around them She felt herself grinning at him. "You really did consider opening your own restaurant?" she asked, her voice raising matching the volume of hisnovelbin

Kylan shrugged. shifting his gaze away from her as if he was embarrassed for admitting anything about himself. "I did" was all he said, taking another drink of his beer.

"What food would you have served?" she inquired, resting her hand on her chin and leaning toward him a bit.

Kylan appraised her for a moment, no doubt calculating if he was going to tell her or not. "It would have been fine American cuisine." he said the words carefully, like he was nervous of how she would react.

She kept her face dutifully neutral. "I wasn't expecting that. Why would you choose that cuisine?

Kylan frowned down at the table, his eyebrows suddenly furrowing. "It was my mother's favorite kind of food, from the time she first moved to the states" She could barely hear him talking, but her heart simultaneously softened and seized at his words.

"That's wonderful, Kylan. You should do it, one day. You have the monetary means, and I have no doubt you're a great chef. You have the kitchen to practice, anyway." She shrugged her shoulders, attempting to keep the conversation as light as possible. She took a drink of her beer, humming as the alcohol coated her throat

"That was a ridiculous pipe dream, Kate," Kylan scoffed, shaking his bead, and downing the rest of his drink. "C'mon, let's get back to the hotel. We have another early as f*ck day tomorrow." He offered her his hand and she took it, stepping off her stool and following him out of the pub.

Her mind was buzzing from both the alcohol, and the personal direction the conversation had taken.

-0-0-0-

That night, and the couple of nights following were much the same as her first night in Ireland. She would fall asleep relatively easily, only to be woken by the sounds of Kylan struggling in his sleep.

She would comfort him, sometimes singing to him, sometimes whispering to him, but always it would end with she holding him

After the second night, he stopped questioning her, and he allowed her arms and her body to full him into a sense of what she hoped was safety

He never talked about his nightmares, and she never asked him again. She understood it was both a deeply personal, and a triggering thing for him to talk about, whatever the reasons may be

The conference was dull and boring, the best part bring when kylan got to speak about the Nightfall on the last day. He was as animated as he would allow himself to be, talking with practiced poise and authority, which took her breath away in the same capacity as it always did. Finally, it was over, and they still had three days left of their trip

"Can we go to the cliffs tomorrow, Kylan?" She couldn't keep the excitement out of her voice as they trailed out of the conference hall for the final

time.

"If you insist, Katrina. We'll let Matt know" Rylan agreeing with her only fueled her happiness, and she wasn't able to stop herself before she kissed his cheek.

moment off as best she could. Kylan was still relaxed next to her, so if anything, he wasn't entirely put

Her face flushed warm, but she brushed the mon off by her lack of restraint.

0-0-0-

The drive to the Cliffs of Moher was long, but not at all unpleasant. It was beautiful, the rolling green hills of Ireland, the grey of the clouds just outside the car, the soft pattering of rain atop the roof as Matt drove thein Chapter 52

Perhaps the best part, though, was that Kylan sat next to her. Right next to her. His thigh pressed to hers, his arm around her shoulders. She was certam it was to keep up pretenses in front of Matt, but it didn't bother her. She happily welcomed the contact and the company. She even allowed her hand to rest over the knee of Kylan's dark wash jeans. He was wearing a long, black trench coat of sorts today, a scarf tied around his neck. She matched him with her own jacket and scarf, snuggled warmly into her clothes and Kylan alike Mait attempted to share bits and pieces of the rich history that Ireland offered, and Kylan rolled his eyes each time he spoke. She, on the other hand, talked to Luke and asked him questions. She was interested to learn, even if Rylan wasn't

the time she reached the Cliffs, her legs were ready to streich, and her back was aching slightly. Kylan helped her step our of the car, and she accepted his hand with a thankful smile.

And God, was the sight breathtaking. She walked with Kylan, his hand cupped in hers, her eyes transfixed on the natural wonder in front of the

It was

was equally mesmerizing and completely freezing, the waves far below clashing against the rocks loudly, even from where she stood. The lush green of the grass, the sedimentary rock a wonder in and of itself to behold above the sea "Oh, Kylan. Thank you for coming here with me. Her voice was full of unabashed gratitude, a smile transfixed on her face.

It wasn't too crowded, perhaps the rain or at being Thursday put most people off from visiting. It was perfect, standing with Kylan, feeling the hints of warmth rolling of him in waves akin to the tide below.

"It's not so bad. I suppose." Kylan murmured next to her.

She looked at him with every intention of glaring, but she found him already staring at her, a surprising softness ghosting over his features. Her glare died out before it ever really began.

"N-no, it isn't," she agreed, her breath nearly catching in her throat.

Kylan broke the silent staring contest first, looking out over the water and shifting his arm so it rested around her waist.

She followed his lead, her eyes looking out over the water, the storm clouds and rustling breeze bringing the smells of rain and seawater to her nose. "I think I can remember my mother talking about these cliffs," she admitted quietly, not entirely certain why she was talking about her at a time like this. "I don't remember exactly, and truthfully it could be my mind playing tricks on me, but I feel like she talked about the green grass and the way the cliffs seemed to be almost pretend, in an otherworldly kind of way?" She kept her gaze affixed to the very cliffs in front of her, even as she felt Kylan studying at her. "So, thank you, Kylan. Truly, thank you for being here. It's important to me. She blinked away the moisture that threatened to fill her eyes.

"It's important to you." Kylan echoed quietly, his voice but a whisper over the whistling wind and waves far below.

She turned to smile up at him only once she was certain she wasn't going to cry. "It is she agreed.

Kylan reached a hand forward, brushing a bit of hair away from the side of her mouth. "Keith talked about taking me to places like this, only if I got my act together," he told her, the backs of his fingers grazing her check. What was he like, growing up? Did you see him much, before you lived with him?" The way he was looking at her. The careful way he was touching her. She felt like it was strangely safe to ask him questions like this.

Kylan sighed, his fingers moving to caress the side of her neck, pushing her hair behind her shoulder. "Keith is a hard man, but he's never been particularly unkind. He was fine after my mother died, if anything. He never pushed me to talk about it, never tried to force me to grieve in a way that was perhaps more socially acceptable. It was only when I started to go down a different path, that he interjected." He ran his fingers through her hair as he spoke, and she kept her eyes on him not even the cliffs garnering her attention now. to see if there wa

"What son of trouble did you get in? I'm curious how Ryan fits into everything" She kept a careful look on his eyes, attempting to see any distress in them.

1. r. and I took

Kylan sighed, his mouth downturned, but his fingers still in her hair. "Stealing and fighting, had nowhere to channel my anger, a

out in a ring with other poor sons of bitches that were also lost, I have liule doubt." He didn't look away as he spoke, and she didn't either

So, Ryan would come to break up the fights?" she quietly guessed.

Kylan smirked, but only slightly. "Something like that, yeah. I already knew him from when he helped solve that Murder." The way his voice caught on the end. It broke her heart.

But it was clear with the way he looked back over the cliffs, that he didn't want to talk about what he was referencing. "Keith seems alright. So does Ryan. You're hard on both of them, though she pointed out to him, mudging him playfully in hopes of drawing him away from the personal cliff he seemed to be hanging over in his mind.

Thankfully, Kylan rolled his eyes at her and scoffed. The sound brought of the conversation.

warmth to her chest, thankful he was taking the bait and shifting

the

"C'mon then, let's walk a bit more

We drover

drove three hours for this," Kylan grumbled, pressing a quick kiss to the top of her head.

She peeled, shifting so she could wrap her arm around his waist. He followed suit, pulling her into his side.

Chapter ng

And they walked like that along the cliff with her mouly talking about aimless things and Rylan mostly listening. The wind, the ocean, the world hehund and in front of them blowing and shifting almost as if it was listening in on their private conversation li was cold, and it was perfect.