The CEO’s Hired Surrogate

Frowning, she turned around, leaving her plate on the white tablecloth. Her head was high, her eyes as cold as ice, as she looked into the eyes of the man that had managed to disgust her deep in her bones.

“What do you want?”

“Oh, feisty are we. I don’t want anything, doll. Just happened to be in the same place as you.” The way he looked at her made Kayla sneer. He stood beside her, popping a piece of grapefruit in his mouth as he smiled.

“Good for you.” Kayla attempted to walk away, feeling too sick to eat anymore. But no, that night had to be even more dramatic. It was as if karma was sending all her enemies her way. In fact, she expected to see her middle school frenemy popping around the corner, calling her Four-eyed Kayla.

“Turns out you’re not as gracious as you wanted to be. Seeing how you banged my boss and everything.” It was obvious now, Ryan had told no one about the surrogacy. And she couldn’t be happier. Despite the accusations thrown her way, she felt proud to be considered someone that was worth Ryan’s attention. He was a man, unlike the pig in front of her.

“Must be really hard to be rejected, huh? Well get used to it, few women find pigs attractive.” She saw the way his face went red, a vein on the corner of his forehead popping as his fists curled. He wanted to say something, it was obvious from the way he leaned forward, unable to take the blow that was just sent towards him. But no, Kayla was meant to win that night, she was meant to show her worth, and make everyone regret ever treating her poorly. And just as she hoped, Ryan was the one to make sure of that.

“Is everything okay here?” Ryan’s voice interfered as his gaze moved between them. His right hand was gently resting on her back, clearly marking his territory.

“Couldn’t be better,” Caleb said immediately, obviously afraid of what might happen if he was caught insulting his boss’ new woman. Rushing away, he got lost in the crowd, leaving both Ryan and Kayla once again.

“Are you okay?” Kayla contemplated whether or not to tell him but decided against it, she didn’t want to ruin his night further.

“Yeah! We were just—um—talking.”

“I see. Well, as promised I’m here. So, shall we?” He moved his hand towards her, extending it so she could entangle her fingers with his. Kayla was touched by the way he asked her to dance, feeling like she was living a true fairytale. It was obvious by then that her wish had been granted. That somehow, with her bright smile and red dress she’d managed to tame Ryan’s heart, craving her name onto it. And once again, she didn’t know how to feel about her achievement.

“So, you and Sabrina huh?” The words were out of her mouth before she knew it, slipping off her lips like oil. She regretted them the minute they were out, of course. But was still curious about the response.

“Oh, no. She’s just the daughter of a very important partner of mine.” His words were precise, making sure he was clear about the situation. A sudden wave of relief washed over her, weirdly making her smile.

Thinking about Sabrina, she remembered once again how he’d stood up for her, her body warming up to the idea.

“Thank you,” she found herself whispering as they danced around the dance floor, their feet moving mindlessly on the marble floor. She didn’t know what she was doing but she allowed Ryan to lead her, feeling the way his body guided hers.

“What for?” He looked confused, his brows knitting together as he twirled her around. After the twirl, she leaned against his chest once again, feeling his heartbeat as it slipped through their clothes.

“For defending me tonight.” She felt naked as she said that. As if her soul was standing in front of him. She’d forgotten what it was like to be taken care of. She’d longed for that feeling for so long, and now that she’d had a taste of it, she didn’t know what to do with it. She was scared.

“Kayla, I—I care about you. I told you, I’m not sure how to react to it, and that’s why I may seem like a coward to you. But know that this—this is not a game to me.” She nodded and placed her head on his shoulder. She knew what he meant, and she was glad he felt the same.

For a while, she enjoyed the way her head felt on his shoulder, as if she was the missing piece of the puzzle. It made her insides flutter and her mind to go wild.

“You know, this reminds me of a day when my father was still alive. He took us to the countryside where I met a boy. We were there only for a week, but somehow he managed to convince me to sneak out so we could go to a dance together. My dad was so mad!” She laughed as she remembered that day. “But he didn’t punish me like a normal dad would do. Instead, he went to the dance as well and brought mom with him. They made a fool out of me there. That was their sole purpose, of course!”

“I’m sure you learned your lesson, huh?”

“Yep.” They both laughed for a moment. Not even noticing when the song had ended. Pulling back, they didn’t have to say another word. They both felt the electrifying wave that washed over their bodies. They knew it was too intense to fight against it, too furious to go back. So instead, they rode the wave, allowing themselves to get carried away.

“Shall we get out of here?”