Page 33 of Married to My Grumpy Minotaur Boss

Picking up the card, I read it and let out an irritated huff.

Spouses who take time to look into each others’ hearts are more likely to stay together. Spend two minutes with your hand over the other’s heart, gazing deeply into each other’s eyes insilence. At the end of the two minutes, you may like to tell your spouse what’s on your mind.

Like hell.

I pull the strap of my bag until I’m facing the portable cam the crew strapped there. “When we get back from this trip, Amy, remind me to have a word with you about your pay. I’m sure I’m paying you too much to be making up poetry and stupid riddles.”

“What is it?”

Instead of answering, I tell her, “Stand up.”

She obeys.

“Give me your hand.”

She holds out her hand.

With forbearance, I place it over my heart, then place my own near her chest, not quite touching. “We’re supposed to stand like this, touching, for two minutes.”

“Oh!” She colors, but doesn’t look away.

“Can I touch you here?”

Her eyes drop to where my hand skims the upper part of her breast right above her heart. She nods.

Carefully, I place my hand as far from her breast as I can get while still looking like I’m completing the task. Then I just stand there.

So fucking awkward. Justine fidgets, but she holds the position, and the longer this goes on, the more I notice small details about her I hadn’t before. She has a mole on her forehead just above her left eyebrow, for one. For another, she has a very pronounced cupid’s bow, her upper lip curving into an alluring pair of peaks. That reminds me how those lips felt against mine.

Then I realize I haven’t been timing the two minutes. I reach for my phone instinctively, but of course I don’t have it. They’ve given us an old-fashioned watch instead, which tells me nothing about how long we’ve been standing like this, since I didn’t check it before we started.

Justine shifts again and her hand slides down my chest, sending a shiver through me.

I break away with a grunt. “I think that’ll do.”

Justine lets out a little giggle. “Wow. Why was that so hard?” She tucks a strand of loose hair behind her ear which the wind whips back instantly and looks out over the wall toward Heartstone.

I’m glad I’m not the only one who found that oddly confronting.

Refusing to think about why, I flip over the card. “Here’s a clue for the next thing.”

She turns back and I read it aloud.

“Love should be sealed with a kiss. Find the place where the sea kisses the sand for the next task.”

Justine frowns. “I didn’t think there was any sand on Rottager Island. There’s no beach, right?”

I consult the map again. It says nothing about any beach. “You’re right.” I scrub a hand over my face. I didn’t think this was going to be such a problem.

Justine hands me a bottle of water and I take a sip. I look back at the map. “There’s another track down from the slope here.” I point. “We could try going down this way to see if we can find the place.”

She nods.

The path is uneven and the surface is loose in places. The descent here is steeper than the other side. I hurry, trying to make good time. Justine is struggling behind me. Little huffs of breath and the slipping of loose stones punctuate her movements.

There’s a shriek.

I turn to find her on her ass. She winces as she gets back up, but she brushes herself off. “Not to worry. I’m clumsy.”

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