Chapter 6 Dinner

Kianna

A dull, rhythmic clatter pulled me out of the dark. 'Click-clack, click-clack.'

I blinked against the dimness, the gray shadows of an unfamiliar ceiling slowly coming into focus. The mattress beneath me was firm, smelling faintly of laundry detergent and fresh paint. I wasn't in the passenger seat of the sedan anymore.

I bolted upright, swinging my legs over the edge of the mattress. "Is this... your place?" I asked the shadows.

The tapping stopped.

Across the small bedroom, sitting at a laminate desk under the pale glow of a monitor, Ares turned in his swivel chair. He offered a small, apologetic smile. "Did the keyboard wake you? I'm just finalizing a quarterly log for the office. And yes, welcome home. Once I hit submit on this thread, we can figure out something for dinner."

I rubbed my palms over my face, warmth blooming rapidly along my neck. The window showed nothing but pitch black. "You should have just shaken me awake in the car," I muttered, digging my fingers into my hair. "Look at the time. I'm sorry for making you sit here waiting for me."

'He carried me in,' a quiet voice whispered in my head. 'From the driveway, up the steps, all the way to this bed.'

Ares closed his laptop with a soft click and stood up, stretching his shoulders. "You packed up your entire life in a single afternoon, Kia. Those bags in the hall weighed a ton. You needed the rest, so I let you sleep."

A deeper flush crept up my cheeks. I looked down at my socks, uncomfortably aware of how close he was standing. It was a kind gesture—thoughtful, even—but a cold knot of logic tightened in my stomach. 'He's still a stranger,' I reminded myself. 'A contract is a contract. Keep your guard up.'

"So, about dinner," Ares said, leaning his frame against the doorpost. "There's a decent diner three blocks down. My treat to celebrate our—"

A loud, hollow rumble vibrated from my midsection, cutting him off entirely.

I instantly locked both hands over my stomach, my eyes widening in sheer mortification. I stared fixedly at a knot in the floorboards, desperately wishing the ground would split open and swallow me whole.

Ares paused, a slow, dangerous grin spreading across his face. "Well. Guess that answers that. I forgot you skipped lunch after last night's drama."

"I-it wasn't that loud," I stammered, heat radiating all the way to my ears.

"Sure it wasn't," he said, his voice dancing with amusement.

"Jerk," I muttered, the brief wave of gratitude I’d felt a second ago evaporating instantly. "Forget everything nice I just thought about you."

He let out a low chuckle, turning toward the hallway. "Alright, I'll behave. I already anticipated the breakdown and ordered some takeout while you were snoring. It should be at the door any minute. Go wash your face, and we'll eat in the kitchen."

"Fine," I murmured.

I waited until his footsteps faded down the hall before letting out a long, ragged breath. My heart was doing something erratic against my ribs. I pulled a pair of comfortable sweatpants from my duffel bag, still trying to shake the bizarre, unearned sense of familiarity settling deep into my chest.

...

Ares

"I didn't realize I was catering for an entire stadium," I said, leaning my chin on my knuckles as I watched Kianna systematically demolish the final carton of noodles.

She didn't look up, her chopsticks moving with a terrifying, rhythmic efficiency that left five empty cardboard containers stacked neatly to her left. There was a fierce, completely unbothered hunger in the way she moved, entirely different from the guarded, trembling girl I’d met at the registry office.

She finally set her sticks down, a breathless, satisfied laugh escaping her throat. "Are you already regretting the two-year arrangement?" she asked, leaning back with a sharp smirk. "Afraid my appetite is going to bankrupt your modest secretary salary before the month ends?"

I watched her, the low light of the kitchen pendant highlighting the clean slope of her nose and the vivid, natural red of her lips. When she wasn't hiding behind her defensive walls, she was striking.

"Not quite," I said, reaching across the small wooden table. "But you've got a stray grain of rice right here." I tapped the edge of my own mouth to show her the spot.

Kianna’s hand flew to her face, her fingers frantically scraping against her chin and lips. "Where? Did I get it? Is it gone?"

Her skin instantly turned a brilliant, dark crimson.

"No," I murmured, sliding my chair closer. "Let me."

I didn't use my fingers. I leaned across the narrow gap between us, my thumb anchoring gently against the sharp line of her jaw to keep her still. I pressed my lips directly to the corner of her cheek, lifting the stray grain in a slow, deliberate graze.

She stiffened as if an electric current had passed through the wood, her breath catching sharply in her throat.

Underneath my palm, her pulse was galloping like a trapped horse. I pulled back slowly, keeping my expression entirely level despite the sudden drop in the room's atmosphere.

"W-what do you think you're doing?" she whispered, her hands locked tight in her lap.

"We signed the registry, Kia," I said, letting a small, teasing smile touch my lips. "Where I come from, that's just a standard evening greeting between a married couple. I see people doing far worse on the commuter trains every morning. It’s just my turn to practice."

...

Kianna

'Stop it. Get a grip, Kia. Do not do this.'

My chest was heaving, my heart hammering so violently against my ribs I was certain he could hear it. I stared directly at the linoleum as Ares stood up, his large hands efficiently stacking the empty plastic containers. He took the half-empty water glass right out of my rigid fingers.

"Go get some rest," he said, his voice dropping into that quiet, steady tone that made my skin prickle. "It's nearly midnight. I'll take care of the kitchen and finish up my logs."

I watched his broad back as he turned toward the sink, the rhythmic splash of water filling the quiet house. 'Who is this guy?' He barely knew my middle name, yet he was treating me like something that actually belonged in his space. A terrifying, insidious thought slipped past my guard: 'What if this isn't just a temporary shield against my family? What if I'm actually starting to like him?'

I shook my head hard, forcing the thought out. 'No. Do not be an idiot.'

"Wait," I said, my voice cutting through the sound of the running faucet. "Where exactly am I supposed to sleep tonight? That bed in there is... it's a tight squeeze. I mean, we could technically both fit, but that's a hard boundary for me. Does this place have a guest room?"

My brain started spinning, frantically assembling a list of defensive lies. 'Tell him you snore like a chainsaw. Tell him you kick in your sleep. Tell him you'll throw him out of his own house if he gets within three feet of the mattress.'

"Why are you staring at the hallway like you're plotting a prison break?"

The deep voice sounded right behind my ear. I spun around on my heel, entirely misjudging the distance, and my sock slipped on a slick patch of tile near the counter.

My balance vanished. I squeezed my eyes shut, bracing for the hard, inevitable impact of the floor, but a heavy arm clamped around my waist, lifting me effortlessly and pinning my back flat against his chest.

"Easy," Ares muttered, his steady grip anchoring me against him. "Are you alright?"