“Yeah, Laurence likes you. I hope you knew.” Ian fiddled with his fingers. He reached into his pocket to take out a cigarette and a lighter.

“I deduced. Don’t smoke. It’s not allowed,” Katherine warned. Ian ignored her and was about to light the cigarette when they heard the shuffling of footsteps near them.

Both of them looked up. One of them gaped, the other felt tears prickle her eye.

All it took was a second for the breath-taking smile to light up her face. She sprinted to him, throwing herself into his arms. Cage held onto her, his hands wrapped around her waist.

Finally. Within a second, he had pulled away from her. She looked at him incredulously but the expression turned to delight when he pushed her towards the wall. He lowered his head so that their lips were inches apart.

With a final warning, and her name escaping his mouth, he swooped in and kissed her.

It was a sense of completeness that they only felt when they were together.

Cage needed her, more than anything.

“I love you,” he murmured over and over again as he kissed her cheeks, her nose and her jaws. She smelled wonderful and all his. God, he had missed her.

“So much,” she replied, jumping at him and palming his face.

There was a cough from the side. Katherine couldn’t really focus with the blood roaring in her head. Her stomach tightened as Cage ground against her. Nothing was enough any longer.

“I have no clue what I am seeing right now, but I don’t think it is appropriate.”

Katherine’s eyes widened as her head snapped to the side.

Ian.

He was standing right there, staring at them like he had seen something inexplicable.

‘Oh, **,’ she thought.

Of all the ways Cage had imagined exposing his relationship with Katherine to the world, humping in the middle of the hallway hadn’t been an option. Especially in front of a man who was adamant on pushing him towards another man. The truth was, he forgot all about everyone and everything the instant he saw her standing in the distance. Months of being apart had taken a toll on him and his mental state. His body craved proximity to her.

Her reciprocation had just aggravated his desires. The way she made him feel just took over… even common sense. On their left, Ian stood frozen, gaping at Cage and Katherine’s tangled form. On their right stood Cage’s parents.

Cage was grateful for a second that Katherine hadn’t noticed his parents yet. Knowing her, she would die of embarrassment for making such a first impression. Not that his parents minded a single bit.

“Is it inappropriate if a couple welcome one another after being apart for months?” an amused sounding woman argued. Katherine froze for a second before looking up. Cage’s mom stood behind him, smiling warmly while his Dad looked beyond amused.

Katherine had forgotten that they would be there. She wondered if she had brain damage for a second before attributing her reaction to hormones. If Katherine didn’t want to faint from nervousness, she would appreciate Anna for speaking up in her favor.

Katherine swiftly pushed Cage away (much to his displeasure) and slid to the floor, her knees giving away under her. Cage sank down beside her, swiftly turning so that they both leaned against the wall and breathed heavily. “I’m so embarrassed,” Katherine whispered to him.

Cage placed his hand on her knee, offering support as he turned to face Ian. His hand on her knees kept her anchored and feeling safe.

“Don’t be,” he told her softly before turning to Ian. “You must be Laurence’s friend. I’ve heard a lot about you,” he started, his voice hard and intimidating. “You’ll be wise to tell your friend not to continue flirting with my girlfriend.” He stopped and looked at him with finality. “Also, make sure no one finds out about us.”

Ian bit the inside of his cheeks as he saw the two together, sitting close and acting as if no one else was there with them. Moreover, the threat Cage had made was enough to dissuade him from any ideas to tell the world about this situation.

“Don’t worry about it,” Ian sighed. He spared Katherine a glance. “I’ll make sure the message is received. Nice meeting you.” He dropped his hands into his pocket as he briskly walked away. He didn’t have the confidence to talk to someone so popular or threatening. The little popularity he had could be crushed by this man without a single thought.

He knew better than to have any bad thoughts about Cage or Katherine. As he walked away, he saw Laurence coming down the hallway. Flustered, Ian looked back and panicked. Laurence couldn’t see this. He bolted towards his friend, catching up to him immediately and placing his palm on Laurence’s shoulder.

“What are you doing here?” Ian asked, looking panicked. He tried his best to block Laurence’s sight.

“Katherine and you have been gone for so long. I wanted to check on you.” Laurence was dumbfounded by Ian’s gaze. He looked scared, something he had not seen before. “Is something the matter?” he asked. Ian held his shoulder and turned him around forcefully, pushing Laurence back towards the direction of the dining area.

“No, nothing. Katherine wanted some alone time. I need to talk to you, too,” Ian said, successfully guiding Laurence away. “Don’t flirt with Katherine anymore.” He ordered.

Laurence stopped immediately and looked at Ian incredulously. “What do you mean? Weren’t you pushing the idea before?” He stared at his friend, trying to understand what was happening.

“I was wrong. I can’t use an innocent girl to propel your career. It will only create problems for her in the future.” Ian hoped that his friend would get the point.

“I don’t understand,” Laurence whispered.

“Even if you like Katherine, you have to stay away from her. I’ve spoken to her. She likes someone else. Stop pursuing her.” Ian’s words sounded angrier by the minute. “Just believe me.”