Page 11 of Grumpy Boss in Love

His jaw clenched and before I could say another word, he said, “Ruby, my office.Now.”

“What?” Before I could recover from my confusion and process the hint of panic in Elliot’s tone, he nodded to the elevators. “Follow me.”

The blonde woman’s eyebrows crinkled. “Mr. Westwood, we have a meeting…”

“I’m sure you can wait twenty minutes, Caroline,” he snapped.

She swallowed and nodded. Although she shot me a dirty look, which I was confused about, I felt sorry for the woman named Caroline. Elliot’s icy demeanor and tone could make grown men quiver. Mouth agape, my gaze swung between Caroline and Elliot. She called him Mr. Westwood. What was going on here?

“Ruby!”he snapped, jolting me from my stupor. “Let’s go.”

I jumped and scurried after him like a dutiful soldier, which pissed me off when I realized how I’d leaped to follow his stern command. I glowered at his back. The grumpy prick.

* * *

I felt like I was back in Professor Sinclair’s class being scowled at. And just like old times, I returned the furious stare. Our eyes had been locked for the better part of a minute. For the life of me, I didn’t know why we always had to fall into this strange battle of wills even when we weren’t exchanging angry words.

This time, I gave in first with a sigh. I was just in so much disbelief that I had to let him win this round. I threw my hands up as I surveyed his office. It was just as swanky as everywhere else I’d seen on my way to the fifty-seventh floor.

“So, you’re really Elliot Westwood, CEO of Westwood Collective?” The story he just told me was hard to believe. Yet, I had to believe it because there Elliot was, sitting behind the desk in the CEO’s office.

Still staring at me with pinched eyebrows, he nodded. “And I’d appreciate it if you don’t mention to anyone that I’m your former professor.”

I gawked at him. Talk about a head-scratching moment. “I don’t understand…”

He blew out a breath and rubbed the bridge of his nose. “Really, Miss Bennet? You’re usually quicker on the uptake.”

I scoffed.And there was the dickwad professor I knew and hated.“Now isn’t the time to patronize me,Professor. I’ve just discovered a dirty little secret that you want to be kept hidden. It would be in your best interest to be nicer to me.”

Still holding my gaze, he sat back in his wingback chair. His fierce look, which I was sure scared plenty of people, softened slightly. He grunted out what sounded like a laugh… but I could be wrong. Was he even wired to laugh? To smile? The man was seriously intense.

Elliot steepled his finger and continued to study me. Finally, he sighed. “Look, Ruby, I kept my identity hidden when I started at the university.”

“Why?” I shrugged. “It’s not like you were doing something awful, like robbing a bank. Students would flock to your class if they knew thattheCEO of Westwood Collective was their teacher.”

A muscle ticked in his jaw. “I don’t like attention.”

“I can see that,” I grumbled.

I was a social media princess, and I’d never seen a trace of Elliot anywhere. Plus, I Googled Westwood Collective when I was applying for internships. A much older man’s picture was shown as the CEO. Come to think of it, Elliot was the younger version of the man in the photo. His father, maybe?

“If anyone found out a Westwood was —”

“Slumming it as a marketing professor?”

He scowled harder, and I shrugged. He was richer than Croesus. Why would he even take the time out of his day to teach?

“Out there in the open, my privacy and safety would be shot to hell,” he finished.

I frowned as I considered the safety aspect. He was a billionaire from an affluent family. I suppose he did have security issues.

“I value my privacy,” he continued. “Therefore, I switch up my name from time to time to fit whatever activity I’m engaging in.”

“Isn’t that illegal, ElliotSinclair?”

“It would be if I wasn’t legitimately ElliotSinclair-Westwood.”

My eyebrows shot up. Where did Sinclair come from? I had so many questions.

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