Bedmates Soulmates novel Chapter 161

But that p 

person was Liam! 

Kai knew how much Boss hated that man. 

Austyn was going to blow a casket when he learned Liam had approached Kira. 

“We’ll talk about it on Monday, Austyn cut him off. ‘And your bonus this month is gone.” 

Beep beep. 

Kai stared at the phone in his hand. 

shit. 

Damned if he did, and equally damned if he didn’t. 

‘But he’s the one who hung up on me,‘ Kai said to himself. ‘So he can’t blame me for not telling him sooner.” 

When Austyn learned about what Kai had to say on Monday, the assistant lost his bonus for the next six months. 

Kira groped her way back to the Hummer. 

With the dozen shopping bags blocking her line of sight, it was a small miracle that she didn’t walk into a wall 

Sensing she’d reached her destination, she struggled to free up one hand to grab the door handle. 

It didn’t budge. 

She applied more force. 

The door remained shut. 

Then she realised Austyn must have locked the door. 

Damned If He Did Damned if He Didn’t 

She stomped to the driver’s side window and glared at the man, but the window was tinted and all she could see was her own reflection. 

What childish game was he playing now? 

He locked the door because she wouldn’t let him have sex with her in the car? 

The wicked man leaned against the headrest and watched Kira gesticulate wildly in front of the car, pointing to the passenger side door and then at herself. 

With her white t–shirt and puffed–out cheeks, she kind of looked like Snowball, the angry rabbit in ‘The Secret Life of 

Pets.” 

The hopping mad bunny, realising her effort was in vain, turned around and started walking away. 

‘Come here.‘ Austyn beckoned to her. 

The window on his side was down. 

Kira debated with herself. 

Stomping off would make more of an impact, but she had no idea how to get home from the shooting range. 

So she turned around. 

50+ 

The passenger side door was unlocked. 

Kira dumped her bags on the backseat. 

‘Didn’t Luca offer you a ride? Why’d you come back?‘ Austyn glanced at her. 

He made no move to start the engine. 

“You two seemed to have quite a lot to talk about.” 

Kira twisted around in her seat and reached for one of the shopping bags. 

Austyn poked her in the arm. ‘Well?‘ 

Kira ignored his juvenile behaviour. ‘If you’re done, can I talk now?‘ 

She held up a small white bag to him. ‘I bought this for you, to say I’m sorry, you know, for hurting you…there. I hope you can accept this gift and forgive me.‘ 

She removed a box from the bag. 

Her Present 

Austyn stared at the box. 

She bought something for him? 

It was a dark blue wood box, square in shape and small enough to tit in her palm. 

“Open it.” Kira thrust out her hand. 

Glana had offered her input, but Kira made the final decision to choose this particular gift 

Other than the DIY photo albums and painted mugs for her father, this was the first time she gave a present to a man. 

The frog didn’t count. 

She watched Austyn’s reaction with bated breath. 

Austyn took the box. 

Its shape and dimension already gave him an idea of what the gift was. 

He opened it. 

‘A watch? 

The Timex Marlin hand–wound watch was resting on a small foam pillow. 

It had a silver watch face with black leather straps. 

‘Yes.‘ Kira fidgeted in her seat. I know it’s not the fancy watches you usually wear. I hope you don’t mind.” 

Kira had spent twenty minutes standing in front of the counter, enduring the dirty looks from the sales clerk. 

She’d immediately picked out this watch, but the price tag gave her pause. 

Giana, getting impatient, asked the sales clerk to wrap up the watch. 

“You’ll pay me back when you can,‘ Giana said as she handed over her credit card. 

Kira owed her best friend another big favour. 

Austyn didn’t reply. 

He held the watch and turned it over, examining every minute detail. 

His face remained as impassive as ever. 

Kira couldn’t tell if he was pleased or disappointed. 

When she couldn’t stand the silence any longer, she reached out to take back the watch. 1, uh, I made a mistake. This 

is not for you.” 

Austyn gently slapped her hand away. ‘Not for me? Who else is it for?‘ 

“But I thought you didn’t like it…‘” 

“Who said I didn’t like 11?!.. 

Austyn unfastened his cufflinks and rolled up his left sleeve, revealing the Patek Philippe Grand Complications. 

He took off the rose gold timepiece, casually slinging it onto the dashboard. 

Then he strapped on the Timex Marlin. 

Kira stared at him. 

Then she sprang into action. 

Jumping out of her seat, she lunged at the watch he’d tossed so carelessly onto the dashboard. 

Was he out of his mind? 

That thing cost more than an apartment! 

Kira gingerly lifted the watch by its shiny black alligator strap and turned it over. 

The transparent sapphire crystal dial appeared to be unbroken. 

She breathed out. 

The man really had a bad habit of mistreating his belongings. 

She set down the watch gently. 

Austyn was adjusting the strap of the Timex and rotating his wrist, checking out his new watch. 

He had not worn a hand–wound watch for 

or years. 

‘Maybe you should give it back to me,‘ Kira said. ‘I’ll get you something else.‘ 

“Why?”” 

‘It doesn’t really go with your outfit.” 

Everything the man wore, from his bespoke suit to his monogrammed cufflinks to his handmade Italian shoes, spelt luxury. 

The Timex had looked splendid in the display case, but it just didn’t quite fit on his wrist. 

Like a king who wore his royal mantle, only instead of a signet ring, he had a plastic ring that came with a six–pack of beer.