Page 1 of Married to My Grumpy Minotaur Boss

ONE

Justine

The couple lean in close. The woman lifts her chin, pretty pink lips parting gently, her gaze is locked on the man’s mouth descending toward hers. Oh, my god! I love it when things get real!

You can always tell the couples with genuine chemistry. I like to imagine them actually making it in the real world.

“Justine!” Asha’s voice makes me jump and close my tab guiltily. I’m supposed to be sorting through the network’s cost analysis documents to make a summary for Mr. Kernos, the CEO. Only, every time I try to concentrate on the numbers, my mind keeps returning to the program I’ve been watching.

I love Married for a Day. It’s such a cute premise. Almost as good as reading a steamy romance novel! The show is the reason I came to work at Bullseye Media. Only I kinda dreamed about working on the show rather than being a lowly junior assistant.

It’s all a stepping stone, I guess.

“Nearly done.”

Asha hovers behind me, so I turn. Her perfect PR smile masks the hatred I’m convinced she feels for me. “I’ve got an appointment this afternoon. When you’ve finished the summary, drop it to Mr. Kernos yourself, and then accompany him to the talk this afternoon and make sure he has everything he needs.”

With a flick of her long dark hair she tucks her handbag over her shoulder and leaves the office.

Glancing at the corner of my computer screen, I check the time. Twelve forty-seven. I guess I’m having lunch at my desk again. There’s no way I can get this summary done by one thirty if I take a lunch break.

I wish Asha had told me sooner she wanted me to accompany Mr. Kernos to the talk.

Ronan Kernos, CEO of Bullseye Media, is handsome, worldly and a minotaur. Also, the billionaire who was last year’s Heartstone Times’ most eligible bachelor.

I might have spent the last month obsessing over and stalking him on social media. Solely for research purposes, of course. I’m new at Bullseye Media, just trying to get the lowdown on how things work around here. I’m looking for the right time to make the move across to my dream job on Married for a Day.

So yeah, direct contact with him is worth skipping lunch. My pulse is already thrumming a little faster as I think about following him around all afternoon. Attending to his needs.

I’m not really looking when I reach for my mouse and knock into my glass of water. I only just catch it before it falls to the floor. With water dripping through my fingers, I look up. Asha is standing in the doorway to the office. She sighs. “I won’t be in tomorrow either. You’ll have to get him ready for the shareholder briefing.”

I blink at her. “That’s at seven in the morning.”

“That’s right. Is that a problem?”

“No.” I’m so not a morning person.

“Good. See you on Thursday.”

I sigh and fumble to right the cup, wiping my fingers on a tissue I find in my drawer. Just got to push through for another day. After all, it's a chance to make a good impression. At least, I won’t have to do the early shift every day. Mr. Kernos is an infamously early riser, often starting work before seven andscheduling brutally early breakfast meetings, which Asha always takes care of. I’ve been bracing for this for a while.

I finish the summary at one thirteen, and hastily print it. Mr. Kernos is old school. Anything he has to read, he likes printed. I’ve seen the way he pores over things, highlighting, and making little scrawled notes in the margins. I think it might be one of the reasons I’m crushing so hard.

When I knock on the door to his office, there’s no answer. I open it and peep inside.

He’s not here.

I look over at the clock on the wall behind me, but it’s definitely one twenty. We’ll have to walk down to the multi-purpose room in a minute or he’ll be late for his talk, and I haven’t even checked if he wants me to get him a drink or print anything else for him.

I decide to wait.

Walking across to his desk, I place my summary notes where he’ll spot them easily and collect a few pens and highlighters he’s left out on the desk, tucking them back into the container near his mouse.

I must have bumped the mouse. The screen lights up and I’m about to look away when a new email pops up.

[email protected]

Dear Mr. Kernos,

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