Page 45 of Grumpy Boss in Love

Eleanor beamed. “If you two are ready, I am. Afterward, we can indulge in dessert and coffee on the back patio. Oh, this is such a wonderful night. I love having you two here, and to share such a special occasion with us, virtual strangers.” She sighed. “Thank you for agreeing to this.”

Alfred rolled his eyes. “Don’t be surprised if she starts tearing up. We haven’t had company in a while.”

Ruby chuckled. “I’ll help you clean up before our tour, Eleanor.”

“You’re such a sweetheart,” the woman gushed.

And just like that, interest in my fake relationship was put on the back burner.

* * *

“So, that’s why you are the way you are,” I said, dropping our bags on the floor.

Ruby still stood in the doorway with her hands on her hips. She surveyed the bedroom with a frown. “What are you talking about?”

“You’re so chatty and sociable because you grew up with four sisters.”

She snorted. “Elliot, I would have been equally loquacious had I been an only child. I was simply born to talk. I would have created plenty of imaginary friends to chat with even if I was alone as a kid.”

I grunted my amusement.

“Although, I have to credit my older sisters for fostering an environment that made me feel free and unafraid to express myself.”

I noticed there was no mention of her parents. Before I could inquire about it, she stepped into the room and sighed. “Elliot, this won’t work.”

“What?”

She glanced over her shoulder through the open door and turned back to me. “I am not sleeping in here with you.”

Blowing out a puff of air, I marched to the door to assess the hallway. Alfred had shown us to our room and took off, but I wasn’t sure if he was still within hearing distance. Closing the door, I hissed, “Keep it down.”

She rolled her eyes. “Relax. We got through dinner and the Wilsons actually believe we’re a real couple.”

“Yes, because I was there to stop you from messing up. Why are you ready to have full-blown meltdowns after every lie? And what the hell is with that thing you do with your nose?”

Ruby harrumphed and brushed past me. “Excuse me for not being an expert liar like some people in this room.”

I glowered at her. “I’m not an… Whatever.”

“And the nose thing is just something from childhood,” she grumbled. “It’s no big deal.”

Yet her face flushed, and she refused to meet my gaze.

I was intrigued. “Looks like it’s a huge deal. I don’t know if anyone else realizes, but I’ve knownevery timeyou’ve been untruthful.”

“Nope. No one else realizes except my sisters.”

I blinked. Well. Shit. That said a lot, didn’t it? Obviously, I paid way too much attention to her. “I see. Why do you do it?”

With a resigned sigh, she confessed, “When I was seven, I watchedPinocchiofor the first time. For some reason, that little wooden boy freaked me out.” She shivered.

I stared at her, quiet for a moment, then I snickered. “Who’s afraid of Pinocchio?”

She glared. “Hey, we all have our irrational fears, okay? Wooden people happened to be mine, so respect it.”

I folded my lips to hide my smile.

“Anyway, I told a little white lie about stealing some cookies the next day, and my mother told me that I was a little liar and that my nose had grown an inch. I almost had a panic attack. I was traumatized. After that, every time I fibbed, I got into the habit of feeling my nose to see if it was any longer.”

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