Page 47 of Grumpy Boss in Love

I glowered, ready to rip him a new one. However, he wasn’t wrong. Although I felt terrible for lying to the Wilsons, I was no innocent party. “Yeah, you’re right.”

His shoulders, which had hiked up to his ears as he’d geared up for another of our spats, relaxed. He settled back on the couch and pulled the blanket up over his shoulders. I guess that meant we were done talking.

I stared at him for a moment before flopping back onto the bed and turning my back to him. A few minutes later, he started shuffling again, and then he let out a soft sigh.

“Elliot, just get over here,” I said. “We can share the bed.”

“Absolutely not.”

“It’s a king. There’s plenty of room. We can put pillows between us.”

All I got in response was a grunt, which infuriated me. I sat up. “I’m getting tired of you not using the English language when you’re annoyed or upset. You sound like a caveman.”

To my shock, his chuckling circulated the room. The deep, throaty sound was so out of character for him that it always took me a second to process it. When I did, the melody of it practically caressed my eardrums and traveled downward to make my stomach flutter.

“Multiple laughs from General Grouchington in one night… Wow.” Did my words sound breathier than usual? I don’t know why the sound of Elliot’s laughter or even the sight of his smile did these things to me. “It must be the full moon,” I teased.

The light from the mentioned full moon filtered in through the parted curtains so I could see him shake his head. “Maybe, or it could be because I’m utterly amazed that you have the guts to insult me. No one else would dare call me a caveman. They’d never get away with it.”

“Then why do you let me get away with it?” I challenged.

Silence. It went on for so long that I squinted to see if I could make out his expression in the dark. Would he close himself off like he usually did and not answer? Finally, in a low tone, he said, “Because maybe I need someone like you in my life to take me down a few notches on occasion, Ruby Bennet. And you excel at it.”

A slow smile stretched my lips at the sound of his resigned sigh. In Elliot’s language, that meant he genuinely liked me and he had accepted the fact. “You’re welcome,” I returned smugly.

He let out another of the grunts I just complained about and got up. He gathered his pillow and blanket and walked over to the bed. All the while I held my breath. Elliot in sweatpants and a tank top should be outlawed.

He was a business mogul who taught a marketing course, for goodness’ sake. Why did his biceps bulge, and why could I see the outlines of his rippled abdomen beneath the tight shirt? Imagine if he was topless… or completely nude. I blinked rapidly because I was starting to imagine it.

“Wh-what are you doing?” I stuttered.

“Sharing the bed with you. It was your idea. Scoot over.”

When I suggested we share, I hadn’t really thought things through. I’d been caught up in sympathy for his poor back. Nevertheless, I shuffled to one side and watched him line the extra pillows down the middle.

As he laid down and fixed the blanket over himself, I asked, “What changed your mind about sharing?”

He shot me with an annoyed scowl that almost made me smile. I was just getting so accustomed to that look now. “I suspected you’d never shut up, and I’d never get any sleep if you didn’t have your way.”

I sucked my teeth and gave him a dirty look. Even in the dimness, I caught his smirk before he rolled over. I gazed at his back, feeling my own smile lift the corners of my mouth. I liked seeing Elliot like this, a tad more relaxed and teasing me back. My amusement melted away, however, when thoughts about us in the bed together hit me. Although there was a mountain of pillows between us, I couldn’t help wondering what would happen if we just…

Nope!No more kissing. As much as I tried to shove the thoughts out of my mind, I kept remembering our kiss and that dream I’d had about him wanting to spank me. A groan almost escaped me as I pushed the covers down because I’d gotten so hot and bothered.

* * *

My heart thudded violently against my rib cage. I felt like I’d faint at any moment.This was really happeningI thought as I gazed at Elliot from across the yard. I clutched the bouquet, a gorgeous assortment of roses and lilies from Eleanor’s garden. She had surprised Elliot and me.

After breakfast, she sent us to our room to get ready. There was no point in separating us since the whole the-groom-shouldn’t-see-the-bride-before-the-wedding thing was already ruined. We’d spent the night in the same bed after all. That thought had my face heating up…

When Elliot and I arrived downstairs, ready to proceed with the simple ceremony we’d expected to be done in the Wilsons’ living room, we’d been directed outside to the backyard. I gasped at the sight of the white carpet leading to a makeshift altar, which had a floral arch in front of it. There were even fairy lights hanging above our heads.

Over to one side of the yard was a table set with a white tablecloth. A vase with more flowers made up the centerpiece and surrounding it were fine china and wine glasses. She madedinnertoo? I’d gawked at a beaming Eleanor, wondering how she’d gotten all of that done in one morning.

When Elliot had joined Alfred at the altar, Eleanor and I had a moment together. I thanked her. “Eleanor, I don’t know what to say…Thank you.”

The woman wrapped me up in a hug and said, “I know you and Elliot didn’t ask for any of this, but I just had to do it. I didn’t have the kids I had hoped to have, you see.” Sadness cast a shadow over her face, but it disappeared as fast as it had appeared.

My heart constricted. If there was ever a woman who deserved all the children she wanted, it was the sweet, motherly Eleanor.

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