Sweet and Spicy [COMPLETED]

The Poacher

Allowing Alicia to follow them had been a bad idea. 

In hindsight, Kaya should have known it would be. It would have been better if Kaya didn't realize the little photographer lurked somewhere in the shadows. 

The original idea had been to go to Ransom's favorite tea house, but he changed the plan once Kaya told Alicia she could follow. Kaya appreciated that he didn't want to let Alicia know about that place. His only hideaway. 

Instead, Kaya found herself seated in Café Dulcis. Ransom had definitely picked the spot on purpose. 

Kaya didn't mind the café, itself, but the fan club knew about it. That concerned her. Then again, why bother worrying when the fan club's president sat on the other side of the room with a zoom lens? 

"Well, well, well. If it isn't the man who poached my best employee." Noel appeared at the table, arms folded. 

Kaya held up a finger as if that would gain her attention. "Technically speaking, I was your only employee." 

"Shush. I don't get along with people, that's all." Noel glared at Ransom again. "Did you come to apologize?" 

Ransom only chuckled. 

Kaya dropped her head into her hands. "Noel, you didn't even like me. Can we move on?" 

"It's not a matter of if I liked you or not. Poaching employees is bad business manners." 

"He didn't poach me. It was safer to transfer over there." 

"No, no." Ransom reached out to remove Kaya's hand from her face. "I poached you, for certain." 

"What?" Kaya knit her brow. "But, Tobin-"

"Yes. Tobin came first to ask about desserts for a meeting. You brought them personally." Ransom linked his fingers through Kaya's. "And that's when I saw you. After that, everything I did was carefully calculated to ensure you came to work for me. Thus, I did poach you." 

Noel rolled her eyes at the couple in front of her. "I'll bring you today's special. Cut the cutesy crap." She stormed off. 

Kaya couldn't help but giggle. She had never seen Noel so upset. "You really poached me?" 

"Yes, well, I didn't think you would date me, so getting you to work for me seemed like the next best thing." Ransom shrugged. "After that, I decided it wasn't enough. And here we are." 

Across the café, Alicia lowered her camera and raised her voice. "If you overdo the touchy-feely stuff, no one's going to believe this." 

"I'm not overdoing anything," Ransom snapped back at her. "Mind your own business." 

Kaya understood his agitation. Today had been meant to provide the two of them a getaway. Instead, they found themselves in the midst of people who didn't exactly exert comfort. 

"We could run away," Kaya mused. 

Ransom stroked a thumb against the side of her hand. "Hm?" 

"Nothing. Just thinking out loud." Kaya smiled wryly. "I thought maybe we could run away from all of this. Leave it behind. But that didn't work last time, so..." 

"I promise you. This will be over soon. Do you trust me?" 

Kaya nodded. Of course she trusted Ransom. He had been there from the beginning, had known everything and had spent years planning to end it. She trusted him with her life.