Page 66 of Married to My Grumpy Minotaur Boss

“And why is that, Justine?”

She squirms in place so much I wish I could push up her skirt and feel for myself just how much she’s been enjoying the reading. What on earth has gotten into me?

“Because you, um... you’re like a character from one of her novels yourself.”

This makes me grin. “Oh! As good as a fictional man, hmm?”

“Oh, no!”

Irritatingly, applause from the audience makes Justine hesitant to continue. Right when I so desperately want her to. In the silence after the reading as listeners stand, Justine leans close and lowers her voice. “It’s just that, up until you, I thought no guy could ever be better than fiction...”

“Better?” I quirk a brow.

She nods. “Yes.” Her chest rapidly rises and falls.

Her words cast some kind of spell over me. Why on earth should I care if she thinks I’m better than her wildest fantasies? Only I do. I very much do. “And now?”

Without realizing I’ve done it, I must have taken a step closer. We’re standing chest to chest in the narrow aisle.

We look at each other for a beat longer.

An announcement makes her jump. “Ms. Hargroves will be signing copies of the book now with personalized messages, so if you could make an orderly line to my right, we’ll get started.”

Justine’s eyes take on this glassy, far off look, and I know I’ve lost her—for now.

Tonight, I’m damn sure going to bring this topic of conversation up again because I suddenly feel an urgent need to test out every single fantasy of hers and make dead certain I supersede them all. Tonight! Every. Single. One. We only have a limited window of time after all. I have to make the most of it.

“Go,” I whisper.

She gives me a grateful smile and dashes off to join the line.

My phone buzzes in my pocket and I fish it out with a groan rather than watch her go like a besotted idiot.

“What?”

Amy coughs on the other end of the line. “Uh, sir. Have you had second thoughts about filming this week?”

I sigh. “No. I had something urgent I needed to attend to. We can continue filming now.”

“Oh, good. Because the crew has lined up the family dinner for tonight, and I was just wondering if you’d like to host it at your apartment, or if you’d prefer me to book a restaurant?”

My jaw drops open. “The what?”

“The family dinner, Mr. Kernos. It’s home stay week tradition. Each spouse’s closest family attend a dinner together, so everyone can meet. I’m sure we ran through the itinerary this morning.”

I’m sure I didn’t pay any attention beyond wondering if Justine likes pancakes and book signings. “Fine.”

Once Amy hangs up, I swear it’s not even five seconds before my phone buzzes again with a message from my mother.

Mom: Ronan! Why didn’t you tell me you were looking for a girl? I could have fixed you up with someone easily! Not that I’m not happy for you. I am. Ecstatically. I’m sure I’ll love her!!!

I groan. I can already tell from the number of exclamation points Mom is going to be all in on this. I should have told her about my little stunt before the show started filming about my little stunt. I should have known she’d get her hopes up. Andwhen she meets Justine, I know she’ll love her. Because how could she not?

Rubbing at the base of my horns, I sigh. This situation is quickly getting out of hand. I already feel the lines between reality and fantasy blurring. I’m going to have to find a way to have a quiet word with Mom and explain things.

That’s going to be delicate, though. The last thing I need is another lecture about how the clock is ticking. It’s an operation best performed face to face.

TWENTY EIGHT

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