Page 32 of Married to My Grumpy Minotaur Boss

“Look at me, Justine.” Ronan’s voice makes my gaze snap up to meet his. He gives me a firm smile. “When I say jump, you’re going to jump, understand?”

I nod. He sounds so sure.

“One.”

I cling tighter to the rail. I can’t do this.

“Two.” His voice is so commanding. I bunch my muscles, afraid to look.

“Three! Jump!” Fixing my eyes on his outstretched hand, I fling myself off the boat. Of course, my jump is too short. Of course I almost miss my landing and can’t get a grip of the handle screwed into the rock.

Luckily, Ronan is there. He grabs the strap of my pack and hauls me against him. Plastered against his warm, firm chest, I breathe in a deep whiff of masculine, earthy scent with my nose pressed against him. I want to bury my face here and never leave.

He twists us both and sets my feet on more solid ground. I stumble forward, tripping to my knees with relief at having made it.

I don’t look back at the boat, but I hear Amy call out, “Clues and equipment is in the packs! Three o’clock!”

Ronan lifts me to my feet. “Come on. Let’s get this done.”

FIFTEEN

Ronan

Setting Justine on her feet, I nudge her away from the drop off the rocks into the water. She already seems shaken and we haven’t even started the course.

It’s going to be a long day.

I don’t know what they think this stupid little day trip is going to achieve. She clearly isn’t cut out for this, and it’s not exactly my number one priority to walk her through it.

I jump from the rock onto the sandy soil and my hooves sink deep. Then I turn and help Justine down. We make our way up a little path and between two large boulders into the main part of the island. Thankfully, the wind lets up a little.

Swinging my pack from my back, I pull out the first clue and read it aloud. “Today’s activity is a journey toward intimacy. At each station you will be given a task to increase your bond with your spouse. You’ll find the first station, using this clue: The heart is easy to find, but hard to reach. When you do, the rewards are worthwhile.”

I scowl. We’re not in therapy here, it’s a reality fucking TV program.

“What the hell’s that supposed to mean?”

Justine is quiet, though, looking around. “Maybe it’s the obvious answer,” she says after a moment. “The middle of the island? Its heart, right?”

I tilt my head back to look up at the rocky peak that forms the center of the island. It’s not that high, but the climb is steep. Still, it shouldn’t take more than half an hour to hike up there. Maybemore, depending on Justine’s level of fitness. OK mine, too. It’s been a while since I had the chance to do anything like this.

Justine looks to be waiting for me to say something, so I shrug. “May as well try.”

Consulting the map in my pack, I locate the path and direct her around the side of the ridge. Soon we’re both breathing hard. The path quickly has quickly turned into a long series of stairs. Every few minutes, I listen for Justine’s breathing and compare mine, wondering if I’m more out of breath than I should be. My chest burns with a familiar ache and I am working hard, but I don’t feel so winded I need to stop. I’m comforted when Justine stops part way up, leaning on her thighs. “Oh, God! This feels more like torture than a date.”

The wind buffets us as we climb, but now that we’re hiking it’s refreshing.

“Come on.” I pat her on the back. “Not much further now.” I’m feeling much better by the time we reach the peak.

A stone wall surrounds a lookout at the top and the view back toward Heartstone Harbor would be lovely, if it weren’t for the bleak black-tipped clouds and the wind.

Justine slides her back down the wall and sits on the floor of the lookout, then takes her water bottle from her pack.

I lean against the wall, trying not to show how much that climb cost me.

Looking around, I spot another laminated card, tucked beneath a smooth, flat stone on top of the wall.

“Huh. Looks like you were right.” I glance back, smiling to myself at her flushed red cheeks. She turns beet red at the drop of a hat this girl. Despite myself I find it rather endearing.

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