Page 79 of Grumpy Boss in Love

“I like it when you talk.” I wasn’t much of a talker, so things never got awkwardly quiet with Ruby. She chatted enough for the both of us.

She chuckled. “You’re the first person to admit to liking my loquaciousness.” Poking at her plate, she said, “I can’t believe you hired a chef for tonight.”

“I wanted things to be extra special, even the food.” However, it seemed that a romantic dinner on the terrace wasn’t having its desired effect. Ruby was still stuck in whatever sad zone she’d arrived in.

Her eyes met mine across the table and I saw a hint of confusion in them. “What’s so special about tonight?”

And there it was. The moment of truth. “Well, I…” I cleared my throat. “I’ve been thinking…” The words just wouldn’t come. I couldn’t even remember the speech I’d rehearsed. I ran an entire company and taught a class of hundreds, but I couldn’t articulate wanting to have a serious relationship with one person.

Ruby’s eyebrows puckered. Setting her fork down, she glanced around the terrace with a sigh. “It’s okay, Elliot. You don’t have to be gentle about it. I’ve prepared myself for it.”

I blinked. “Huh?”

Her shoulders sagged. “You want to end things. I mean, stop sleeping together until the contract ends next month. I get it.” Her eyes slid away from mine, but I caught the glisten of unshed tears.

It took a moment for my stunned brain to process and form words. “No, you don’t. I asked you to come here tonight so we could talk about what happens after the contract.” I rubbed the bridge of my nose, suddenly feeling inept at simple communication. “What I’m trying to say is I’d like us to stay together when the contract ends.”

Ruby’s eyes rounded.

“Not that we have to stay married. We can go through with ending it as planned. I understand that you might not want to be married at your age. But despite that, I want to be with you, Ruby. I want something serious, something long-term.”

Silence followed with Ruby still gawking at me. Uneasiness soon crept in. She didn’t want anything to do with me after the wretched contract marriage. Who could blame her? My entire plot must have painted me as an insane person. I just made a fool of myself.

“Yes!” She blurted. “I mean, I want what you want. Dating for real.”

After my sigh of relief, I told her, “We already are. What we have now is real. I just don’t want an end to it hovering over our heads.”

“Elliot, you have no idea how relieved I am. I thought you were tired of me.” Her chin quivered and tears filled her eyes. I watched on with mounting dread. Not tears. I wasn’t good with tears. “I thought tonight was going to follow the trend of my horrible day and be shot to hell.” She dashed away a tear. “I’m so happy because I hated the thought of us having an end date.”

“You’re so happy that you’re crying?” I asked tentatively.

She laughed. “I’m sorry. I’ve been extra emotional today. My dad called, and it set off a bunch of emotions.”

My eyebrows shot up. She told me about her family’s history but…

“I didn’t know you were in contact with him.” Guilt pricked me. After we got back from London, my week had been hectic. Ruby spent a couple of nights with me, but we barely talked. If I’m going to be a proper partner, I should know things like this—the major happenings in her life.

I was willing to make a change, maybe not focus so much on work and spend more time with her. I’d never been willing or remotely interested in changing my lifestyle for anyone, but I’d do it for her.

It was at that moment that I got the answer. I was definitely in love with Ruby.

Swallowing my discomfort for the emotional stuff, I extended my hand across the table. Without hesitation, she placed hers in it. The second my fingers wrapped around hers, I swore I felt the tension leave her body. Her smile confirmed it. Maybe I wasn’t so bad at the whole relationship thing after all… I hoped.

“Tell me what happened,” I encouraged. I wasn’t sure what else to do to help except listen.

* * *

“Take the job, Ruby.”

I slowly moved around the pool, supporting her weight with outstretched hands. I finally got the time to make good on my promise to teach her how to swim.

She stopped kicking her legs to turn and look at me. “Are you encouraging me to take it because my proximity will make it convenient to continue our lunchtime sex sessions?”

As hard as I tried to keep it hidden, my smirk appeared. I loved those lunchtime meetups. It had been a month since we decided that we were in a relationship for the long haul and I made an effort for us to have quality time every day, even if it was one-hour lunches that usually turned into what she called “lunchtime sex sessions.” Her internship was complete, and she was now weighing her employment options. Although she had been offered a permanent position at Westwood Collective—which I had a hand in but had yet to tell her—she considered other options. So time for our erotic lunches hung in the balance…

Ruby’s eyes narrowed as she took in my expression. She shook her head. “Always thinking about sex. You’re such a guy,” she said with mock disgust.

I chuckled. “I refuse to be ashamed for wanting you close.”

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