Sweet and Spicy [COMPLETED]

First Kiss

The kitchen's hectic activity forced Kaya to make a drastic decision. She chose the most complicated lunch menu she could think of. 

A few hours later, Kaya wheeled a cart to the elevators, then into Ransom's office. 

Tobin stood to greet her, but both of them knew she no longer needed an invitation to enter Ransom's office. Quite frankly, Kaya probably had free rein to go anywhere she wanted within the company. 

Ransom's door was never locked, so Kaya pushed the cart inside, swept up the single dish into her hands, and placed it on his desk. 

Ransom flicked a glance out of the top of his eyes, then slowly lifted the cover from the plate. "Did something happen? Are you alright?" 

Kaya didn't know how to answer those questions. Things did happen, and she wasn't alright, but they were things that needed to be said. 

"Why are you asking?" is what she finally decided to reply. 

Ransom set the cover aside and stared in wonder at the food before him. "You made Pizza Rustica." 

"What about it?" 

"It's well known as one of the hardest meals to cook. Are you sure there isn't something you want to tell me?" 

"My mother was a baker?" Kaya shrugged. 

Ransom blinked, surprised. "Did you just... use sarcasm on me?" 

Kaya swallowed, suddenly aware of what she had done. "Sometimes..." especially when I'm stressed out... "I use sarcasm to cope." 

"Cope?" Ransom leaned his elbows on his desk and steepled his fingers. "What are you coping with? Tell me." 

Great. She talked herself into a corner again. Kaya sighed. "Alicia still doesn't believe us and she's being mean about it." 

"Mean, how?" Ransom's stance didn't change, but his eyes chilled. 

Kaya had the feeling that if she told Ransom about Alicia's behavior, the girl would get fired. She wasn't trying to get on the fan club's bad side, so Kaya shrugged. 

Ransom rose to his feet. "Are you being the bigger person right now?"

Not one to lie to Ransom, Kaya nodded. 

"For what purpose? What does it benefit you?" Ransom slowly rounded the desk. "You should give back what she's doling out. Be mean back to her. Make her see you're not one to be trifled with." 

Kaya took a step back, a little intimidated by Ransom's severity. "If I'm mean back to her, how am I any different from what she thinks? If I want to change her mind, I should be kind, no matter what." 

Ransom's angry stride stopped. His face softened. A sigh relaxed his shoulders as his hands reached out for Kaya's. "What am I going to do with you?"  

"What do you mean?" 

Ransom gathered Kaya into his arms and rested his cheek atop her head. "Where I'm ferocious, you're kind. How am I ever going to learn to protect that?" 

"Isn't it logical to be nice?" 

Ransom chuckled, the sound vibrating through every pore of Kaya's body. "Maybe for you, but I would have done something terrible to her by now." 

"Oh. Am I doing the wrong thing?" Kaya leaned back and looked up, hoping to find the answer in Ransom's face. 

Ransom shook his head, a smile splitting his sternness. "You're a much better person than I am. Is it wrong for me to want to keep you by my side?" 

"I've been told that opposites attract." Kaya shrugged. 

Ransom lifted a hand to rest it against the back of her head. "If you're my opposite, I won't mind it. If we're more similar than we let on, I won't believe it."

"Why is that?" 

"Because either way, you're perfect for me." Ransom leaned down, just far enough to brush his lips against Kaya's. 

Just a touch, a second or two, before he pulled away and cradled Kaya's head to his chest again.

Kaya had expected the zap of electricity. That always existed between them. What she hadn't expected was the softness, the sheer gentleness, of the light touch. It both overwhelmed her and left her wanting more.