Page 78 of Married to My Grumpy Minotaur Boss

Cedric rouses himself from his astonishment. “Oh. I see. Well that is... unexpected. Ronan, it looks like your bride no longer wishes to continue with the experiment. As such, it’s my unpleasant duty to remind you that, without both parties’ consent, the marriage is over. I hope you have both learned a valuable lesson about love from participating in the experiment. Just know that even though this might not have worked out for you, that doesn’t mean it’s time to give up. True love is out there.”

Filming stops and the crew change locations, setting up for the post-ceremony interviews. Ronan and I are left standing there, staring at each other, as people and monsters move around us, setting down stools here and gather equipment from there.

“I’m sorry,” I mouth at Ronan. Though we’re standing feet apart, it feels like it could be miles. As if the past few days of intimacy never even happened.

His expression never shifts. “Don’t be. It’s for the best.”

Without another word, he turns and goes with Amy to the station they’ve set up for his interview. A lady from hair and makeup leans in front of him to touch up something and she blocks my vision.

I’m jolted from the feeling of icy water lapping at my ankles by a kind voice. “Come on, dear. You must be glad to have this done with. From everything I hear, he’s a hard guy to please. No shame on you for bowing out when you did.”

I’m led over to my own stool and I follow, already numb from the chest down. Sinking into the seat, I drink the glass of water I’m handed, not really registering anything I’m told until the assistant producer asks me, “So, Justine, you’ve always wantedto be on Married for a Day. Was it everything you were hoping for?”

I stare at her for a long moment trying to work out how to answer. Eventually, I reply. “No. I’m not sure anything could have been what I always pictured. It’s just a fact that reality never lives up to the fantasy.” I blush, thinking of the one thing that most certainly exceeded all my fantasies. “Well... almost never.”

“So what was your fantasy, Ms. Delany?”

I sigh a heavy sigh. It’s not like I was going to meet my future husband on the show. But that’s what I always dreamed about. “I guess I’ve always been a hopeless romantic. Maybe I imagined being swept off my feet, if only for a few days.”

THIRTY TWO

Ronan

I dump my wallet and phone on the counter as I trudge through the door of my apartment, then I slump on the sofa. I’m too tired to workout, even though it’s been days. What with training my new assistants, making up for lost time and dealing with the board stressing over share prices I’ve been pulling some long hours. I even had to cancel the appointment with the specialist Justine booked for me. I’m just not ready to face that news yet.

If I’ve been allowing meetings to run over and getting up before dawn to check emails to stop myself thinking about her, that’s no big deal. It’s a healthy coping mechanism.

What’s not healthy is the amount of times I catch myself imagining her scent on my pillow, or seeing her in the street, despite basically working myself into the ground.

She left the show. Just like that. Fucking cut me off!

Without even talking to me about it first.

I guess I deserved it, after the way things worked out. I should never have bullied her into coming on the show in the first place. Then I wouldn’t have had to relocate her job and uproot her.

It still stung more than it should, given I had planned to end things when the show wrapped anyway. I can think about it rationally now, but the day she did it, I was seething. I was glad when the interviews started and I didn’t have to speak to her. I’m not sure I could have continued pretending to be civil when I wanted to shout and break things and demand an explanation.

With a sigh, I peel myself off the sofa about an hour later to take a shower. Frankly I’m surprised my cock even gets hard as I flick listlessly through porn videos, unable to choose what to watch.

I try a video of a buxom redhead, but tire of it after a few minutes. She’s not Justine. Her skin is too tanned, her breasts too perky and fake.

What the fuck is wrong with me?

I’ve never been this hung up on a woman before. Yeah, it’s been a while since I hooked up with anyone, but in the past when I did, it never felt like this.

It got so bad yesterday, I even considered signing up for Monstrous Deals, the escort agency for monsters famous for connecting monsters with human women who perfectly suit them. Only, who would they find for me? Whoever it is, it’s not going to scratch the itch I feel.

It’s almost as if—

No. Not possible. I’ve spent my whole adult life trying to avoid imprinting on a female the way a minotaur will with a mate. I don’t need a mate; I just need a friend with benefits.

Switching off the shower, I towel off. Throwing myself on the bed, I bring up my email on my phone to avoid thinking about it anymore.

Joseph has outlined a whole new marketing strategy based on the initial testing he’s done with the new celebrity version of Married for a Day. Justine was right. It looks like it’ll be a hit. So much so my team of producers is currently working on adding the format into all our highest rating shows.

We’re already getting calls from other media outlets looking for interviews and snippets. That’s a good sign. Of course we’ll air things first on Bullseye, but it’s always good if other networks are asking.

Even that can’t hold my attention for long, though.

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