Page 28 of Married to My Grumpy Minotaur Boss

I quiver. “I—I don’t know.” My lip trembles. It’s weak and I hate it, but I’m close to tears.

“I thought we agreed on boundaries, Justine. So what the fuck was that?”

“I’m sorry. I’m really sorry. I don’t know what got into me. I just couldn’t answer the question, and that was the dare and—”

My words dissolve into the tears I was holding back and I can’t look at him anymore.

He places a big hand on my shoulder. I pause mid-sob and stare down at it, then back at him.

“I’m sorry, too. I’m not blameless. I know that. I...broke the rules, too. I’m just finding this situation a little hard to navigate.” He lets out a long breath.

I let out mine, too.

“Uh same.”

We stare at each other for a moment until I remember his huge soft lips on mine and have to look away.

Ronan steps aside and I enter the room. I still have the towel tucked around me and I keep a firm grip on the edge so it doesn’t slip down and reveal the swimsuit.

When I come out of the bathroom, I’m surprised to see him sitting on the end of the bed. He’s back to looking all put together. Casual chinos and an unbuttoned white shirt over a singlet with a heavy chain around his neck. He’s sitting with his hands folded together between his legs and he looks up when I come out. “So, are we going to talk about it?”

I freeze. “About the question I couldn’t answer? Nope? No, thank you. We’re good. Boundaries and all that.” I laugh awkwardly.

I’m so relieved when Ronan answers that it’s not until afterward I wonder what he means. “Good. Then I guess there’s no need to talk about anything else either.”

There’s a knock on the door. “Hello, you two. It’s nearly time for the romantic picnic dinner. Are you dressed?”

Ronan gets up from the bed and goes to the door. “Come on. No rest for the wicked.”

I follow him out the door, wondering if he meant me or him.

THIRTEEN

Ronan

What the fuck am I doing?

I somehow manage to get through the whole picnic dinner without accidentally brushing my hand up her thigh or sneaking a glance down the low cut semi-sheer white top they have her in.

It shouldn’t be hard, given we’re surrounded by cameras and crew. It is, though.

I’m thinking about it the whole damn time. That and the answers she dodged during the spa date. The further we get from the date, the less certain I am of her answer to the question about how important sex is in a relationship.

Which is stupid. I’m not looking for a relationship with her or anyone else.

I don’t date.

I’d still really like to know what she would have said had there been no cameras.

“I think that’s a wrap.”

I look up in surprise when Amy speaks. I should be focusing on filming the show and putting my best hoof forward to appease the board. I should also be more responsible instead of having dirty thoughts about my junior assistant.

I’m the one who insisted she come on the show. I’m the one who only days before threatened her job and told her she had to impress me.

I wish again I’d stopped to think before I demanded she be my fake wife. Only, I never thought I’d be tempted to take the liberties I’ve taken with her. It never even crossed my mind.

It’s almost as if I had been sleeping and being this close to her threw a bucket of cold water in my face, waking me up. I’d somehow managed to turn off that part of me for years. Suppressing the need until it didn’t even bother me anymore.

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