Page 57 of Forbidden Grumpy Boss

“Are you up?” she whispers.

She’s wearing a white robe, her hair still slightly damp, brushing against her collarbone. The sight of her should calm me down, and maybe it does a little.

“Good morning,” she says, her voice soft and warm. She leans down, brushing her lips against mine. The taste of mint lingers on her breath.

“Morning,” I murmur back, forcing a smile. I should feel lucky, hell, grateful even, to wake up next to her. But all I can think about is what she whispered last night.

I love you. Three words that made my heart skip a beat.

She thinks I didn’t hear her. But I did. It’s just pretending I didn’t was easier than acknowledging the weight of those words.

She’s also acting like she didn’t say it. I get it. I didn’t reply. I couldn’t. I’m still pretending, which makes me feel like a coward. That’s not me, or at least it didn’t use to be. But things are moving too fast.

Too damn fast.

“Did you sleep well?” she asks, tying the robe tighter around her waist. Her brown eyes search mine, and for a second, I almost want to tell her about the nightmares, about my brother. But I hold back.

I lie through my teeth. “Yeah, like a rock.”

Her lips curve into a smile, but it’s tentative. There’s a tension between us that wasn’t there yesterday.

I know she can sense something’s off, too. I watch her move closer, her fingers brushing against my chest. She’s always being so tactile, touching, and wanting more. I can feel it now as her hands begin to explore me, trailing down my stomach.

“Leah—” I start, but she cuts me off with a kiss, soft at first, then more insistent. Her hand slips lower, grazing my chest and roaming down. I know where this is going.

Not now. I can’t do this now.

“We can’t,” I mutter against her lips, pulling back just enough to stop her.

She looks at me, confusion flickering in her eyes. “What do you mean, ‘we can’t’?”

“I mean, I don’t want to do this.”

“Really? Why?” There’s a slight edge to her voice, and I hate that I’m the cause.

“I’ve got things to do today,” I tell her, running a hand through my hair. “We have to head back to England.”

She smirks. “This won’t take time, I—”

“I don’t want to do this right now, Leah. I have more important things to attend to.”

She sits back, pulling the robe tighter around her body. Her expression shifts, hurt flashing across her face before she looks away. “You can decline, but you don’t have to make me feel unimportant.”

I wince. That wasn’t my intention, but it’s clear I’ve messed up. “I didn’t mean it like that,” I say quickly.

She doesn’t say anything at first, just pulls her legs up, hugging them to her chest. “Why are you being distant, Silas?” she asks quietly. “You’re here, but you’re not here. Did I do something?”

“No, of course not.” I can’t give her the truth. Not now. Not when things are this complicated. “I’ve just got a lot on my mind.”

She doesn’t push, but I can tell she’s not satisfied. And how could she be? I’m not giving her what she needs. I’m not even sure what I’m giving her.

I can’t explain it—not without spilling everything I’ve been running from since we first agreed on this fake engagement. It wasn’t supposed to get this real. Now we’re sleeping together, and she’s saying “I love you” like it won’t ruin us both.

“What is it, Silas?” her eyes searching my face. “Whatever it is, you can tell me.”

“Everything’s fine, okay?”

Leah turns to me, her eyes narrowing slightly, still searching my face for the truth. “Fine.” She stands, tightening the robe around her waist before she moves toward the closet to get dressed. “But one day, Silas, you’re going to have to stop running.”

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