Page 82 of Married to My Grumpy Minotaur Boss

Ronan shakes his head. “No. Thank you, Aisling. Not for now.”

“Thank you, sir.” She retreats into the forward cabin, closing the door softly behind her and leaving us in privacy. I stand and stare around at the huge interior. Behind the seats is a large leather sofa opposite a TV stand with an enormous flat screen and a high tech-looking sound system. Beyond that is a table. A vase of fresh flowers is arranged in the center. I wonder about whether it would tip over during takeoff and landing, but as we move a little closer, I see that it’s fixed to the table. Beside the table are several books and newspapers in a little shelf. It doesn’t surprise me at all to find print books and papers in Ronan’splane. I bet he has an actual library in his apartment, too. I never got the chance to look.

Then something catches my eye. One of the books looks startlingly familiar. I step closer, squinting at the title. It is!

A Duke’s Kiss Goodnight. The latest release by Carlita Lovewell. Then I spot another and another, and I realize most of the shelf is taken up with romance novels by some of my favorite authors!

I turn to find him watching me, the hint of a smile on his long face.

“Did you do this?”

He scratches the base of one horn. “Well, technically, my staff did...”

I don’t wait for him to finish the sentence. I launch myself at him and wrap my arms—with difficulty—as far around him as I can. He returns the hug with a surprised laugh.

“Thank you! You’re right. This is already the most romantic trip I’ve ever been on and it’s only just started.” I pull away and hurry over to the shelf to choose a book.

When I look back, he’s watching me from the sofa with an unreadable expression on his face. I can’t choose, so I take three books over with me and sit beside him. He’s still watching me. I look down at the books in my lap, then guiltily back at him. “It’s rude if I read now, isn’t it?”

Ronan chuckles. “I’d be offended if you didn’t after I went to the trouble of hounding the bookstore owner for at least half an hour for all her recommendations. I won’t mind as long as you’re not offended by me watching sports.”

I tuck myself against his side with a sigh, amazed when he makes no complaint. Such a big difference between this Ronan and the grumpy workaholic from the office. Or even the wounded, vulnerable guy beneath the veneer of control.

A few hours later and I’m getting to a really good bit. The Duke of Haverstone has been caught alone with a debutante maiden and offered to marry her to save her reputation. Little does he know she is secretly sneaking out at night to steal from the extremely wealthy of London and give to the poor. The Duke finds his fiancee out alone at night dressed in breeches and corners her in a dark alley. “Would you like to know what happens to naughty girls who sneak out at night, Jane?”

I shiver with delight as he slides his hand from her throat down to cup her ass in the tight fitting men’s pants.

Then I gasp. Ronan has scooped me up, standing from the sofa with me in his arms as if I weigh nothing. “Alright. Time to get you to bed so you can have a few hours sleep before we land,” he announces.

I pout for a moment, still caught in my story. “Things were just getting good.”

He chuckles. “Oh, I know, needy girl. I can smell you. If I let you get all riled up I know you’ll never sleep, and I have big plans for us tomorrow.”

I grin. He strides to the bed and lays me down. Instead of getting in beside me or even stripping off, he takes my book and sets it aside. Then he pulls the light blanket up over me. “Get some rest. It will be morning when we land in Paris and I promise to spoil you rotten.”

I try to protest, but it falls on deaf ears. Truthfully, I can’t smother my yawns. It’s been a long week. Despite myself, I find my eyes drifting closed and sleep wins the battle of wills.

THIRTY FOUR

Justine

I rub at my eyes as Ronan shakes me gently. I feel like I only just got to sleep.

“We’re here. I hate to wake you, but my crew have to clear the runway in twenty minutes.”

I sit and he helps me up. “What time is it?”

“7:15 am. There’s a car waiting to take us to breakfast in the park.”

I stumble down the steps and into the waiting car. Then I sleep on Ronan’s shoulder almost all the way to the Jardin des Tuileries. I have to sit up and press my nose to the window when we drive past the iconic building of the Louvre, though. Ronan just smiles when I turn to point it out to him.

He surprises me with another thoughtful gesture when a young man is waiting at the garden entrance with a basket for us. “Please enjoy, sir.”

Ronan tips him and takes the basket. We walk into the garden along a small path to an isolated picnic spot. Ronan takes a blanket out of the basket and lays it out on the ground.

“It’s so quiet here.” I look around, but I can’t see anyone else in the park. We passed a few people at the gates. People jogging or walking their dogs. Here there’s no one.

Ronan shrugs. “That’s because I reserved this part of the gardens just for us.”

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