Page 27 of Tall, Dark, and Grumpy

Raising his eye line, he shakes his head. His blue eyes are hard as glass. “No. I’m not accepting your resignation.”

“But—”

“I’ll make you co-CEO.”

I gape like a fish.

He shrugs one careless shoulder at my unspoken question. “Name your price for staying and working with me. Whatever you want, I’ll make it happen. But you are not leaving.”

Will my mouth ever close again? Doubtful. I’m so shocked I am full meme territory. This isn’t going how I thought it would.

He leans forward, bracing his hands on the desk. “Why did you describe me when you talked about your boyfriend?”

Because I’ve been thinking about you since we met. Because there’s something about you that compels me.Because I think I love you, and on Friday night when you were so kind to me I think I fell…

Oh crap. I love him. I really, really love him.

I cannot say that.

“Why did you go along with it?” I whisper miserably. I still don’t understand that. He’s always cross with me. What madehim suddenly change? Why did he have to be so good that my respect and physical attraction deepened into love?

He laughs cynically. “Ah, si.”

Standing, he paces back and forth, and I watch, my heart in my throat. I don’t know why.

He stops as abruptly as he began, and turns those violently blue eyes on me.

“I went along with it because I love you.”

What? My chin jerks up.

“I said you were my fiancée because I want that more than anything else in the world,” he continues matter of factly. “Except perhaps, for you to be my wife.”

I’m struck dumb. Am I hallucinating?

“I’d do anything for you. I can’t resist you.”

“That’s not possible,” I say faintly.

He raises one, familiarly wry, eyebrow. “I assure you it is, amore mio dolce.”

“But you’re always so critical of me.”

“What?” He steps back as though I’ve struck him. “When?”

Heat flushes up my neck. I’m an idiot. “Nothing.”

“When?” he repeats more firmly.

“You criticise my posture,” I mutter.

He creases his face in confusion. “I tell you to sit up straight because I don’t want you to get back ache.”

“You chastise me for snacking at my desk.”

“You need to take breaks.” He takes a step towards me, eyes softening. “You deserve to have a proper break.”

“Do you really need another mint, Miss Meadows,” I mimic, and he shakes his head.