Page 105 of Dear Grumpy Boss

“Good. Now, be quiet and rest because I’m nowhere near done with you.”

And suddenly, I wasn’t tired at all.

Chapter Twenty-five

Weston

Iemergedfrommyoffice at five thirty. Renata eyed me with suspicion as she packed up her things.

“Are you sick?” Her eyes narrowed to slits.

“I’m not. Why?” I looked down, checking if I was disheveled in any way. I doubted it. Disheveled wasn’t a state I normally found myself in.

“You’ve been leaving early the past several days.”

I checked my watch. Five thirty-one. “Are you leaving early?”

She crossed her arms defensively. “Of course not. I haven’t left early since—I can’t remember a time I left early. We’re talking aboutyou, Weston Aldrich. I happen to know you’re in the office until seven on a good night.”

“I have somewhere to be.”

She cocked her head. “Or someone to be with?”

I nodded. “That too.” Then I decided I might as well tell her, since Renata was the person who kept my personal ship running. “I’ve been seeing a woman. Elise Levy. We’re serious.”

Saying that and having it be true sent a shot of adrenaline up my spine. I hadn’t gotten over the fact that Elise was mine. Willingly mine.

Something happened to Renata’s face. Her mouth morphed into a shape I’d never seen on her before. Was it a smile?

God,was it?

“That’s fine, Mr. Aldrich. Very fine news.” Then, under her breath, but barely, she muttered, “Much better choice than the last one.”

She hadn’t been a fan of Marisol and had never hidden that fact. Apparently, still wasn’t.

“I agree. So you understand why I’ve been leaving the office earlier than before. I have a reason to be home.”

The work was still there. Tonight, I’d have to spend a couple hours in my home office, most likely after Elise fell asleep. Having dinner with her and soaking her up was worth losing a couple hours of my own sleep.

I would adjust.

In the past, my relationships hadn’t worked because I hadn’t been willing or even had the desire to shift my priorities. With Elise, making space for her was an automatic thing, not a hardship.

The ease with which I was shifting my life around surprised even me.

Over the past week, we’d developed a ritual. I drove Elise home, then she’d go to her place for an hour or two to change and spend time with Saoirse. I’d attempted to protest, but she’d told me she refused to be a girl who disappeared on her friend just because she had a boyfriend, and I’d objected to the “just” in her statement.

There was no “just” about us being together.

Elise had chosen to laugh at how possessive I was over everything about her, including her time, so it was good she thought I was kidding when I told her I wanted her to move her desk to my office. If she had any idea how much it bothered me that I couldn’t witness every single one of her breaths, she would have run far and fast.

I was at the stove when I heard her letting herself in with the code I'd given her when she’d agreed to be mine. I was still working on acquiring a key to her place. Moments later, her pillowy breasts were pressed against my back as she wrapped her arms around my middle.

“Are you cooking for me, Weston Aldrich?”

She moved beside me, leaning her hip on the counter. I angled sideways, cupping her crown to draw her closer, touching my lips to hers.

“Don’t get excited. This is one of three meals I can make proficiently.”

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