Handcuffed Heiress

32. Lost for words

32. Lost for words

Niko

"This is a side of you I've never seen before."

"Really? I guess it's the birthday thing. Birthdays do that to me."

"Are you this excited about your own birthday?" She shrugged.

"Why would I want to celebrate getting old?" I laughed.

"Why would you indeed?"

"If I had known I would have made a cake for you." My father bellowed.

"You don't want that at all, my son. Be glad she didn't know."

"I take offence to that comment, nonno. It's the thought that counts." She pouted. I wanted to kiss those lips.

"The thought of poisoning me to death you mean." I couldn't help teasing her. "I appreciate the thought, Kaitlyn. However, I don't like sweets."

"What do you like? You can't eat beef and you don't like sweets." I shrugged.

"That's just the way it is."

"So what do you want to do for your birthday? It's not every day you turn thirty you know." She was teasing me.

"Thirty is still two years off." She looked confused.

"Aren't you twenty-nine?"

"No, I'm twenty-eight."

"I don't know why I thought otherwise." We drove in silence after that. I never understood why father used a driver when I was here. I was more than capable of driving us around.

"I'll have to leave after lunch." My gaze narrowed at my father. Suddenly he has to leave? How convenient? I wasn't buying it."

"Padre, it's my birthday. I never ask you for anything."

"I think you'll enjoy spending time with Kaitlyn. She's a good skater. I'm an old man and I can't stay out in the cold too long."

"Okay." I couldn't argue with him. His health comes first. We dropped him off after lunch and then went on our way.

"So you're good at ice skating?"

"I'd like to think so."

"I guess we'll see how good you are. I think we'll need to stop by your hotel to get some more clothes. It's too cold to be walking around like that."

"Like what?"

"No scarf or gloves."

"I do it all the time. It's no big deal."

"It is to me. I don't want you getting sick." She rolled her eyes.

"I won't get sick, but if it will make you feel better we can buy those things. I really don't want to go back to the hotel. There are too many eyes and ears. Besides, I don't see you in any scarf or gloves."

"Well I didn't plan on going ice skating."

"Neither did I."

"Point taken."

After we got scarves and gloves we went to the rink. It wasn't crowded. That was a good thing. I'm not really a fan of people. Kaitlyn took to the ice immediately. I watched her skate around for a while smiling in absolute joy. This was something she liked doing. It was written all over her face. I've never seen her this free or alive. That's because she's always on the defensive with me. Her guard was down now. Maybe I should take advantage.

I joined her on the ice careful not to interrupt her. "This is something you like doing," I said. She nodded. "You seem freer than usual."

"That's because I am. I thought you wanted to skate. You haven't been doing much skating. All you've been doing is watching me."