Page 3 of The Grump's Fake Wife

“I- I'm here for the interview. Sir,” I add as an afterthought, clearing my throat nervously.

“I see.”

An emotion akin to amusement flickers in his eyes as he walks over to his desk. He pulls out his seat and gestures to the visitors’ chair. “Have a seat, Miss Thompson.”

I blink at him in surprise, wondering how he knows my name. Then it dawns on me: of course he knows my name and the reason I'm in his office. He must have seen my resume, after all. Yet he made me seem like some random weirdo who wandered aimlessly into his office.

What a jerk.

"Thank you, sir," I murmur as I gingerly lower myself into the chair.

“Why should I employ you for this role, Miss Thompson?” he asks without any preamble.

I stare at the gold-plated nameplate that proudly displays his name and position:Gabriel Foster, CEO. I feel my chest closing up with anxiety all over again. I remember practicing the answer to this very question with Dana, but for some reason, I can't seem to recite my well-rehearsed response.

“Because I need the money,” I blurt without thinking.

My eyes instantly open wide in realization, but it's too late to take my words back, so I clamp my lips together before I dig my grave further.

I probably wouldn't be getting the job, anyway.

“I see,” he says, his expression unchanging. “You're hired.”

I blink at him in confusion, wondering if I heard the words right. “What?”

“You heard me, Miss Thompson. You're hired, but not as my Executive Assistant.”

“I don't quite follow, sir.”

He leans forward in his seat, his eyes boring directly into mine in that intense way of his that makes my skin tingle. “I'm employing you to be my wife, Miss Thompson.”

“What?!”

Chapter Two

Gabriel

I watch the interplay of emotions in her enchanting hazel eyes as she gapes at me: confusion, disbelief, shock, and then some more confusion.

God, she's gorgeous.

I knew from the moment I glimpsed her in the lobby on that day of her first interview that I wanted her. Something had set her apart from the other applicants. Maybe it was her flaming red hair or the charming freckles dusted across her face, but something made me want to get a closer look… And that's why I made sure she passed the first round of interviews.

There's no way she'd have made it through otherwise.

Josh Meyers, head of HR, had been visibly shocked at my choice of candidate and decision to conduct a personal interview, but he hadn't dared to question me. I own the damn company and will do as I see fit, after all.

I've waited impatiently for this day, and now that she's here, I can't seem to get a hold of myself. Nothing prepared me for the force of her beauty up close. Several times since the minute she walked into my office, I've had to fight the urge to get lost in the depths of her mesmerizing hazel eyes. I thought she was gorgeous in her photos – yes, I stalked her Instagram page, tomy own surprise – but nothing prepared me for all of her. Her soft, almost rhythmic voice... The subtle, flowery scent of her perfume... The sensual curve of her lips and the adorable little knot of confusion currently forming between her brows...

I want her with an urgency that's beyond reasoning, and with each second that passes in her presence, I can feel my composure slipping. No woman has ever affected me in this way… Never.

“Excuse me, Mr. Foster, I…”

“Call me Gabriel,” I interrupt gently, letting my lip curl up in a nonchalant smirk. “It's only appropriate, as my wife-to-be.”

“What?” She blinks at me like I just spoke in a foreign language. “W-wife?”

“Of course, it'll be a fake marriage,” I explain when I see the panic clouding those exotic orbs of hers. She must think I'm some sort of psycho. “Strictly contractual. Our marriage will last three months, and after that, we don't have to see each other again.”

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