Page 43 of Grumpy Boss in Love

However, we still had our tense moments. The only problem was that now there was a serious case of sexual chemistry between us. Did he recognize it too?

* * *

Out of the corner of my eye, I watched Elliot’s fingers tap out a rapid rhythm on the steering wheel as he waited for the traffic light to turn green. He had nice fingers. Long and lean. I knew what they felt like on my skin.

When we locked lips in the back of his limo, those fingers had traipsed up my bare thighs, slipped between them—Why am I doing this to myself?It would be nice if I could wipe away my memory of Elliot and me kissing. The images that constantly appeared in my mind were so disturbing… in the hottest, most erotic way.

I exhaled loudly and pulled myself out of my head.

His fingers continued to tap.

“Worried we won’t make it on time?” I asked.

He glanced at me with raised eyebrows. “We’re doing just fine with time. I calculated.”

My snort erupted. “Of course, you did, Drill Sergeant Westwood.” Out of a mixture of boredom and anxiety, I decided to tease him just to distract myself. I deepened my voice to mimic him. “You’re on time if you’re at least fifteen minutes early. You’re considered late if you’re on time.”

Elliot turned to me with his most irritated frown yet, and I sniggered. “I don’t sound like that,” he said.

“That is exactly how you sound.” My little snicker evolved into a full-blown cackle.

As my laughter wrapped around us, his furrowed eyebrows slowly unwrinkled. Soon, his eyes brightened with laughter and his lips curved upward. I could tell that I was slowly but surely getting Elliot to mellow out, and I was pleased. He really needed to lighten up.

“Alright, maybe I do sound like that.” The light turned green and he drove off. “You should be ashamed of yourself.”

“Me? I’m not the one who constantly dishes out stern lectures, Mr. Uptight.”

“You memorized mylectureverbatim, meaning you’ve heard it way too many times.Meaningyou’re always late. You should be ashamed of yourself,” he drawled and sent me a grin.

I rolled my eyes, but seeing him smile made me smile too. “You make a valid point,” I muttered.

The car went quiet again and the silence was almost unbearable. My anxiety skyrocketed because I had time to think about how wrong our fake relationship was. I hadn’t even met the Wilsons yet and already I dreaded lying to them.

16

ELLIOT

“Elliot!” Eleanor greeted me as she caught me in a hug. You’d think we’d been friends for years. “It’s good to see you again. I’m so glad you could make it.”

Not accustomed to too much affection, I gave the woman an awkward pat on the back. I caught Ruby’s eyes and noticed the laughter swirling in them. My eyes narrowed on her in warning, but all she did was smirk at my uneasiness. Admittedly, I was a little embarrassed that I didn’t know what to do with a hug.

Eleanor released me from her warm, motherly hold, and her attention shifted to Ruby. Her light blue eyes widened with sheer delight.

“Eleanor, this is Ruby Bennet, my fiancée,” I announced. The words leaving my mouth felt so strange. Fiancée. Never thought I’d ever have one of those—fake though our relationship was. “Ruby, this is Eleanor Wilson.”

“My word, you are more beautiful than I imagined,” Eleanor gushed. “Of course, a handsome fellow like Elliot would have a stunning bride.”

My lips quirked upward with amusement at being called a “handsome fellow” and then I watched Ruby’s cheeks take on an adorable pink hue. I caught up on myself quickly. Now, I was finding her blush adorable and that was just… I should stop liking so many things about her. Still, Eleanor wasn’t wrong, Ruby was indeed beautiful, and not just on the outside as I was learning. I gave her a subtle once-over as she hugged Eleanor.

“It’s nice to meet you, Eleanor. Your house is lovely.” In typical Ruby fashion, she placed her palms over her chest and raved, “The old-world Victorian charm iseverything.”

The older woman chuckled. “I like you. We’re going to have so much fun on the property tour.”

Ruby’s eyes lit up and Eleanor seemed to love her enthusiasm.

She wrapped an arm around Ruby’s shoulders and said, “I’ll introduce you to my Alfred. We’ll have dinner, then go on a little excursion.” She glanced at me and then back at Ruby. “Sounds good?”

I nodded, and Ruby clapped happily. “Sounds amazing. I can’t wait to delve into the history of this place.”