The CEO’s Hired Surrogate

Chapter 7

Kayla fluttered her eyes, her long lashes fanning her face in the process. Stretching her arm, she expected to feel the warmth of bare skin or the soft strands of hair that she’d somehow come to love. Still half-asleep, she frowned, her eyes immediately opening, ready to welcome the bright light that snaked around her.

At first, she simply noticed the empty space beside her, the sheets still warm after being recently abandoned. It took her a moment to hear the sound of running water, and notice the steam that crawled from beneath the wooden door of the bathroom.

For a second her heart had stopped, thinking that he’d left her as soon as the light of dawn had crept over the dark sky of the night. She’d been hurt for a second, the feeling of being a used like a piece of cloth darkening her heart. But of course, she’d only been overreacting, her fears finding a sly way of taking over. Sighing, she sat up, using her right arm as support, while she held the bed covers tightly against her chest.

The events of last night were replaying in her head, making her daydream for a few seconds. Every gesture, move, and feeling that had washed over her the night before now came rushing down onto her again. She knew that the second Ryan came out of the bathroom she was going to have to face reality. Their situation would be cleared and labeled.

Saying she wasn’t afraid or anxious about that would be a lie. In fact, it was the only thing that made her regret her choices. But still, she was old enough to be able to face the aftermath of her actions. And who knew, maybe the result wouldn’t be as horrifying as the one she’d already played in her head.

Wrapping the sheet around her she stepped off of the bed, feeling the cool marble floor as it pressed against her bare feet. Walking towards the window, she rested her head against the windowpane. She watched as the gusts of wind outside brushed against the bare branches of the trees. A bird flew down, trying to search through the mud for a few seeds it could eat.

It was only then that she noticed it had rained the night before. It was the first time she’d slept through a storm. It amazed her how the thunder hadn’t woken her, bringing out the silent monsters that resided within her.

A strange emotion coursed through her as she realized Ryan had been a cure for her greatest fear. She remembered seeking the comfort of her mother’s arms when she was younger, hoping that she could calm her and make her fall asleep. But no, that had never worked, not even in the arms of the person she loved most.

But life was strange, and in her case, it had chosen to give Ryan power over her. That was the only explanation she was able to find, otherwise she couldn’t explain how he was able to make her unaware of the chaos outside with a mere kiss, with a mere touch.

“You’re awake?” The voice behind her made her turn, her lips parting as she took in the first glimpse of him.

He was naked, only a damp towel draped around his lower half. She could see every single water drop as it dripped down his body, leaving a trail down his well-built chest and arms, his hair hung over his forehead in a mess, every strand choosing its own path.

“Yeah. I just woke up,” she said, a smile playing on her lips. She didn’t move from where she stood by the window, she was unsure if she should. She was unsure of the decision he’d made concerning them, so until then she was to stay on safe ground, where she couldn’t any mistake she would later further regret.

“How did you sleep?” Kayla wanted to tell him about her fear of thunder, her ultimate phobia, and how he’d somehow managed to free her of it, even if only for a night. But she fought against that urge. Instead, she smiled and went to sit beside him, her head resting on his shoulder.

She knew what she was doing was against the ‘safe ground’ concept she’d come up with, but she didn’t care. What could be worse than sleeping with him?

“Really well.”

“Me too.” At that moment he wrapped his arm around her, bringing her closer to him, his head resting above hers as his thumb drew random patterns on her arm, making her sigh and close her eyes.

It was the first time she’d felt so safe. She was unsure why she felt this way but she did. And she didn’t care. Suddenly his hand dropped to her belly where it cupped her barely visible swell.

“Still think it’s a girl?” she asked.

“I don’t have a single doubt about it,” he chuckled. Straightening, he pulled away from her, his arms now holding on to her shoulders, making her look into his eyes.

They stayed like that for a second before he stood up with a sigh, obviously preparing for the talk.

“Listen, Kayla.” His voice was low. “Last night, um—It’s not that I regret it or that I simply did it out of boredom—” The way he started the conversation made everything clear. She now knew where he wanted to take the conversation. She knew the dark end that lay at the end of his poorly shaped speech.

Inside, she felt like boiling lava, a mix of emotions radiating with disappointment in the lead. But on the outside she kept her cool, not allowing a single expression to show on her face. She watched him with cool eyes, nodding as he searched for words, trying to sugarcoat everything that was about to leave his parted lips.

“You don’t have to sugarcoat it. I am mature enough to understand you don’t want this to happen again. Which is more than fine.” She stood up, smiling, looking him straight in the eyes as she lied about her emotions.

He watched her as she reached for her clothes, ready to put them on, and eager to get out of that place. She felt a burden on her chest. And she needed to be alone in order to ease the tension in her body.