Page 13 of Married to My Grumpy Minotaur Boss

My mouth flaps open and closed without any sound coming out.You’ll do!

I should be more offended. But a perverse part of me squirms with pleasure at the mere fact he sees me as a woman.

God, could I get any more pathetic?

“I can’t.” I shouldn’t. He’s not good for my willpower or my self-esteem. I know how I get. I also don’t know how this looks if I’m his assistant and then his wife—his reality TV wife.

He scowls. “Why not? Do you think I want to be here going through this nonsense? This was your idea in the first place.Well, now I’ve cleared my schedule and I’m doing this. The least you could do is make it happen.”

The camerawoman butts in unhelpfully. “Ms. Delany. We should have left fifteen minutes ago.”

Not helpful, Sally. I clench my hands into fists and will another solution to magic itself into my brain.

Nothing.

“Well?” Ronan folds his arms across his chest.

“I didn’t even pack anything nice.” It’s a lie. I agonized over what to pack for the three days of filming for at least two weeks. I didn’t pack a swimsuit, though, or anything I could wear on the show. I packed as if I was working. Because I am.

Sally shrugs. “Hair and makeup has all that covered. You’re pretty much the same size as Natasha. Should be fine.”

I blink. Me? Same size as the beautiful fit woman Ronan chose as his wife for a day? There’s no way.

“W-what size?”

“Twelve.”

Ronan gives me a little smirk as I pick my jaw off the floor.

“Right. Well...” I try not to think too hard about the fact that the woman I thought could have been an athletics-wear model wears the same dress size as me. I bet she has bigger boobs. And a perkier ass.

“Perfect.” Ronan’s large hand behind my back steers me over the ramp and onto the vessel while I’m still gathering my thoughts. “Glad you’re being reasonable.”

I let him lead me all the way to the main deck where the crew and captain are waiting.

“There’s been a change of plans,” the casting director says.

Most of the crew roll their eyes. I know the feeling. I hurry to mollify them. “We’re all set now, though. I’ll be um... I’ll be standing in for Natasha.”

I expect chatter. Surprise or something other than complete silence. I don’t know how to take that.

“So we can get underway?” says one guy.

“Yeah.”

“Good.” The captain stands up from the bench seat and speaks quietly to another member of the crew. They all begin to go about their business. That leaves me alone on the main deck with Mr. Kernos.

“I’ll be in my cabin if anyone needs something. I’ve got work to do.” He turns and heads down the stairs to the large main cabin that makes up his private quarters. The trip isn’t a long one, but Mr. Kernos insisted on being able to take advantage of every spare minute for work.

With a shaking hand, I flick open the schedule for the day of filming. We’re due to arrive on Northpoint Island in an hour and forty minutes to stage the arrival and wedding scene. Holy shit! The wedding scene. I don’t even know if I’ll fit into the dress.

Walking to the railing, I stare out at the water rushing past below the yacht. Little white flecks kick up against the hull, but the main body of water is a deep, untouchable blue. I wish I could do that. Let the surface stuff be just that.

I feel more like the gulls bobbing crazily on the waves, though.

Married to Mr. Kernos? Does that mean I should start calling him Ronan now? That feels weird, even inside my head.

I know the wedding and marriage thing is not for real, but it feels way more intimate than I’m prepared for. Mr. Kernos feels big and impenetrable. And, even though things have been going well lately, I’m terrified I’ll stuff something up and annoy him. Then I’ll end up right back where I was a few days ago. About to lose my job.

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