Page 97 of Married to My Grumpy Minotaur Boss

Only, I’ve never seen her look so sure of herself—or of me. And she’s damned well right. She should be able to ask for what she wants. She deserves to get it!

Fuck!

A vision of my life without Justine makes a cold sweat break out at the back of my neck. I can’t wait and let her talk herself out of ever seeing me again. How is it possible I never realized until right now she’s as essential as the damn air I breathe?

Long days. Too many hours in my office. More paperwork when I get home. Emails far into the night. Lying awake unable to sleep, but desperate for rest.

Worse—waking from whatever sleep I get only to miss her scent and the feel of her soft body cuddled against mine.

My vision blacks.

I stumble, catching myself against the brick wall.

The pain in my chest is unbearable for a heart-wrenching few seconds. The pain in my heart.

Not now. Not like this!

I barely manage to pull out my phone and dial 911.

FORTY

Justine

The crowd parts around me as soon as I start running from Ronan, closing again behind me like a mother hen folding her wings around her chick. “This way, girl!” A huge female orc wraps a muscular arm around my shoulders and guides me along for a while, keeping me on my feet. She gives me a sympathetic grin around her tusks. “I was rejected, too. Fuck ‘im.”

I can’t even comprehend where all these people came from. I thought going out the back exit would be safe.

I’m still haunted by the tormented look on Ronan’s face as I turned to leave. I’ve never seen him look so unsure. He looked like a big stone statue about to crumble.

There’s a shout and another surge. I’m tipped to the side and my orc friend is gone. I stagger left, trying to regain my balance.

Did I do the right thing? The further I get from Ronan, the less certain I feel.

Maybe I should have waited and talked to him.

No. No! He always has me so off balance. I make bad choices. Choices I know aren’t good for me.

What if I just needed to wait a little longer, though?

I twist, but I’ve turned the corner. Besides, I’d never be able to see him through the cluster of people around me.

“Hey!” I’m elbowed roughly by someone going past.

I stumble.

Another shout. A scream. There’s a change in the mood. It’s getting squashy. We’re funneling between two tall buildings. Thepress of people surges forward. No one has room to stop and wait for anyone else.

For a horrible moment, the breath is squeezed from my lungs and I can’t even speak. Then we burst into an open square in front of the enormous television studio building.

People spread and disperse. I can finally breathe again.

I intended to find a cab and head for home. Another group of people are standing in front of the studio. They haven’t spotted me yet. Apparently, those people in the alley were only there for the argument they witnessed. Once they got what they wanted, they’ve dropped me like a sack of potatoes.

If I go back now, would he still be there? If I called, would he answer?

No. I’ve made my decision. I need to stick to it.

In the distance, a siren blares.

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