Chapter 4
4
“ N ow, where have you been hiding that adorable waitress?” Cathal O'Keeley leaned back in the chair at the bank, completely relaxed even though they'd been kept waiting for nearly an hour and the fate of their restaurant rested on securing this loan. Not much made Cathal upset. Well, maybe if the local bar ran out of whiskey.
Brogan narrowed his eyes. He’d avoided both his brothers after Selena’s incident in his office the day before. And now, he had her phone number in his phone, and that made him nervous. He kept his voice even. “I haven't been hiding her. If you got your sorry ass out of bed before noon and came into the restaurant more often, you wouldn't have to ask me that.” He leaned a little closer. “Besides, you know she's off-limits so wipe that dopey smile off your face.”
Cathal, unconcerned, shrugged. “I know the rules, dear brother, but judging by your reaction to her little show yesterday morning, I'm wondering if you remember them.”
“I didn't have any reaction except the urge to yank your tongue out when it rolled out of your mouth. ”
“I'd like to see you try.” He poked Brogan's arm. “You have all these muscles, and yet I think I could still whip you in a fight.”
Rian laughed, soft and low. “Please, Cathal. Not here. Last time you dared him, you broke his nose, and he bruised your ankle so badly you limped for a week. And that was just last year.” He ran a hand over his chin. “But he has a point. You did get a certain look on your face, Brog.”
“Mortification?” Brogan offered. If his brothers knew what rolled through his mind, they would have already beaten him. He wouldn't act on his attraction to Selena. He could maintain a business relationship with her. He’d proved that this morning. She could help the business and be on time. He wouldn’t call it easy, but it was possible.
Cathal shook his head. “No. Wrong again, dear brother. I know you. You wouldn't have watched it. You would have been a gentleman and said something to her. Looked away. Acted within the square box of your strict rules. Instead, you sat there, dumbfounded.”
“I wasn't exactly expecting Selena to march into my office and start stripping.” But now that she had, he still couldn't get the memory out of his mind. And she'd promised to never take her shirt off in front of him again – damn shame.
Cathal leaned forward until Brogan glanced his direction. “I think I can speak for Rian when I say that neither one of us have a problem with it.”
“With what?”
“With you getting to know the pretty waitress. It's been a long time since you've looked twice at someone who didn't act as stuck up as you do most of the time,” Rian said. His smile widened at Brogan's sharp look. “Underneath all your bossy perfection, you want the same thing Ma and Da had. Someone to sit with you at night, stare at the fire, and be content. That's why none of your other girlfriends ever amounted to anything. You tried to fit into their fancy world, and it didn't work. It will never work for you.”
“And you think Selena is that person?” Ridiculous. Neither one of them knew a thing about her. Brogan inferred more than he actually knew. She seemed nice, had made a few friends at the restaurant, and could stop his heart just by straightening his tie.
“She seems down to earth enough that it might be worth a shot,” said Cathal.
The door opened, the loan officer walked in and sat down, looking as though he had bad news. “I'm afraid we can't approve the loan. It's just too risky for that amount.” He handed Cathal the paper he held. “Your application didn't put any property up for collateral. Do you have any?”
Rian leaned forward. “There's the property back in Ireland.”
“No,” Brogan said. He wouldn't give up their family land. His parents might be gone, having died ten years apart, but that was still home, no matter how long he lived in America.
“Thank you for your time. We'll let you know if the situation changes.” Cathal shook the man's hand and then motioned for them to leave.
“We aren't putting the land up as collateral,” said Brogan as they walked through the lobby. He wouldn't let them. He'd find another way. They weren't risking their last connection to home. If he lost the restaurant, he needed a place to crawl back to.
Cathal shook his head and opened the door to the bank. “Do you ever stop bossing us around?”
Rian answered. “No. He won't. It's like breathing to him. Always in charge.” He held up his hand before Brogan could snap back. “Let me go to Ireland. See what equity we can pull off the land. I need to fly there anyway.”
Brogan had headed up their family since their Da died. He'd been fourteen and took on the responsibility. His brothers were more than capable of making their own decisions now. Well, Rian was. The jury was still out on Cathal.
“Fine,” he grumbled, hating to give up the control. Asking about the equity in the land wasn't signing away their ownership.
The Last Stop was a bar at the end of a block of nightclubs and a few open-late diners. Not many people made it down this far, keeping the crowd at the bar light. That suited Selena just fine. She already regretted coming out with Katie. Her mind still reeled from her interaction with Brogan. She'd rather stay home and daydream of him than make small talk with strangers looking for a quick hook up.
“Let’s take a lap around the bar first. Scope everything out before we find a place to post up.” Katie linked arms with Selena. “Particularly, scope all the guys out first.”
“You’ve settled for guys tonight?”
“Yeah. You're not the best wingwoman to pick-up women. You're too much competition.”
Selena laughed. “Sorry. And I'll follow your lead, but I don't want to walk around too much. You parked like a mile away, I swear. My feet are already killing me.” Selena scrunched her toes around in her black stilettos. The idea of finding a guy to take her mind off Brogan interested her, but not at the expense of permanently damaging her feet.
“You look nice.” Katie squeezed her tighter. “I might have to take you home myself later. ”
“I'm not that easy. Not unless you buy me a drink. I want something pink and yummy.” Selena never got a night off. And with Katie driving, she could relax. Let down her hair, literally. It fell in loose waves around her shoulders. With her strapless pink dress, it brushed against her skin with each step.
Selena didn't frequent bars every weekend. And, until her recent break-up, Katie didn't either. But going out was a nice reminder that life consisted of more than work and taking care of Mimi.
The tight pink dress had been Katie's idea. One look at Selena's knee-length, black cocktail dress, and Katie had forced her back inside to change. The too-small shoes were her idea as well.
“Oh, that guy at the bar is already watching you.” Katie led her along. “Don't look. We'll circle around. Dang, he's staring hardcore. He's gorgeous.”
“Maybe he's watching you and not me.”
“Please. I know when a guy is looking at me.” Katie stood a little straighter. “Like the man over there.”
“In the army hat?” Selena grimaced. “No. I don't trust a guy that won't take his hat off to come to a bar like this. It'll be like those country music singers. They're all hot on stage, but then you see them in real life, and it's like, 'no, please, put your hat back on.'”
They both laughed and kept walking until they came back to the end of the bar. Katie kept her promise and bought her a drink. That turned into two drinks. And three.
“I should probably stop at three,” Selena announced, not sure what drink the bartender handed her. “I still have to get up early.”
Katie shook her head. “I didn't buy you that one. The man watching you bought you that one. ”
Selena kept her head down as the man in question moved their way. She'd not taken a good look at him, and now she felt a little sleazy for accepting the drink. Whatever it was. It definitely wasn't pink.
“I hope you like whiskey.”
She snapped her head up at the Irish accent.
Cathal O'Keeley.
Her eyes widened. Wasn't he like her boss, too?
He chuckled. “Don't look so mortified. I'm not here to get you drunk and take you home. Brogan would have my head for that.”
Katie leaned forward. “Brogan? Like our boss, Brogan?”
“Katie, this is Cathal O'Keeley. He's part-owner of the restaurant.” The door opened. Great. “And there's the other one.”
“Dang. Two hottest guys in the place and they’re off-limits. The night is officially a bust.”
Selena glanced at her friend, who swayed as she surveyed the crowd. Drunk. When had Katie gotten drunk? She rolled her eyes. There went her ride home. She should have known better.
“I take that back. I'm going to hit on army guy, after all. I'll deal with the hat consequences later.” She patted Selena on her knee. “I'll text you if I need saving.”
Selena tapped her phone sitting on the bar. “Got it.”
“Now,” Cathal began, setting both his forearms on the bar and tilting his head to the side. “Why is a woman like you in a place like this?”
“Don't believe a word he says.” Rian sat down on the other side of her. Great. Flanked on either side by the brothers of the man she couldn't stop fantasizing about. “Hi, Selena. ”
“Hi. I'm not sure what to call you. Either one of you, actually.”
“Not Mr. O'Keeley,” Rian said. “We let Brogan have that title. Rian is fine.”
Selena picked up the whiskey drink, holding it up and looking at the contents, keeping her hands busy.
Cathal motioned to the glass. “I didn't drug you if that's what you're wondering.”
“No!” She shook her head. “I wouldn't think that. I'm trying to figure out what it is without looking like an idiot.” At his bland expression, she smiled. “I guess I already did that, huh?”
“That is a Salt and Honey. It's with Irish whiskey. Try it.”
“I might as well. With Katie drunk, I'm afraid I'll have to call a cab at this point anyway.” Because as much as she'd like to find a guy to take her mind off Brogan, she didn't want anyone else. Pathetic.
“Alone?” Rian's eyes pulled down tight. He slipped out his phone. “That's not very safe.”
“I wasn't supposed to go home alone. At least that wasn't our plan.” She took a sip of the drink. “Wow, that's smooth.”
Rian watched her with a curious expression. “I didn't peg you for a woman that went out on the prowl.”
“Out on the—no. No. That's not me. Definitely not.” She waited while he typed into his phone. She took another sip of her drink. He flattered her if he honestly thought she could walk into a bar and walk out with a guy. She'd never done that before. Never had the pleasure of being that irresponsible.
Cathal motioned to the crowd. “Did you find anyone that you fancy?”
She swung around, surveying the guys in the room. Both men turned to face away from the bar as well, their shoulders brushing hers on both sides. Her body didn't react the same as it did with Brogan. Nothing. Even with a fourth drink half-empty.
“What about that guy? He's tall and good looking.” Cathal shrugged at her giggle. “I have to size up the competition.”
“Oh, please. I promise that this is not a come-on, at all, but Katie was right, you really don't have competition in this room.” She sent Rian a sideways glance. “You either.” She'd probably hate herself in the morning for having said that, but at the moment, she didn't care. The glory and horror of alcohol loosening a tongue. As long as she kept all her sexy thoughts about their brother inside her brain, maybe she'd make it out not completely mortified.
“I'm sure our competition will come walking through that door in about six minutes.” Rian folded his hands in his lap. “But, if I weren’t here, that man seems fine.”
Selena shrugged, glad for the distraction away from Brogan. Because no one in the room, or the city, compared to Brogan. The man Rian motioned toward spotted her watching him and lifted his hand, waving to Selena. She waved back, a small smile plastered to her lips. “I talked to him earlier. His hands were small.”
“Small?” Cathal smirked. “Alright. You're a hard woman to please. What about him?”
She wrinkled her nose. “No. I don't think so. Fake tan. That means he already spends more money on himself with a beauty regimen than I do. My turn. What about that woman over there? Does she strike your fancy ?”
“She has a nice face. But she's with four other women.”
Rian chuckled but didn't add to his brother's observation .
“So? She has friends. Not many women will venture out to a bar by themselves.”
“Women who travel in packs that size are hard to separate. They want you to sit down at the table. Talk to all of them. Make all of them feel important. I'm afraid I'm not up for that tonight. I've talked too much today as it is.” Cathal's explanation made sense, but it still wasn't fair to women who didn't want to venture out alone.
Rian accepted a pint of beer from the bartender. “Do you want another drink, Selena?”
She blinked, trying to clear the buzzing feeling in her head. Cathal's comment about talking too much reminded her of where they went.
“That's right. You all met at the bank today. How did that go? Your brother told me about needing to find a loan to buy the property.”
Rian looked back to the door and back to her. “Not so good. I'm leaving for Ireland soon to talk to our banker over there. See what strings they can pull on the property we still own.”
“But Brogan's not leaving?” Could she call him by his first name to his brothers?
Maybe not by the way Rian smiled at her. “No. You probably already know that I travel. A lot.”
Cathal finished whatever he'd had in his glass. “Me, I'm okay to fly once or twice, but not keen to do it and work at the same time. Brogan hates airplanes.” He pointed at her drink. “Was it good?”
She squinted one eye closed and looked at the glass. “A little too good, I'm afraid.”
“Your Katie found herself a man, I see.”
Katie had wrapped her arms around the army man, kissing him quite enthusiastically. She did manage to get the hat off since she now wore it – oldest trick in the book.
“I don't know what to do about her. We were supposed to go home together.”
Rian chuckled, and Cathal's eyebrows raised higher than she thought possible. She nudged him with her shoulder. “Not like that. Although, I do know Katie loves all people, as she says it. She told me the plan was to tell any guys we meet that we were going home together to get out of the situation.” She motioned to her dress. “Despite my appearance, I have to go home soon. Alone.”
“And Katie was your driver.” Cathal put his arm along the bar behind her back, shifting a little closer.
“Yes. She was.”
“I called you a ride.” Rian clicked his beer glass to her empty one.
A shadow blocked out the low light above them.
Selena looked up.
Brogan.
“I guess I know why you're always late to work.” His gruff voice sent a shiver down her body.
“Give her a break,” Cathal said, his arm slipping onto her shoulder and giving her a gentle squeeze. It was brotherly to her, but to Brogan, his eyes narrowed into slits. “She was unwinding after the hard day of work you put her through.”
“I'm sorry. You really shouldn't have come down here.” She cut her eyes at Rian. He held up his hands in fake innocence. “I'm here with Katie. She's my ride.”
Brogan scanned the room. “She's the one currently wearing the army hat and taking shots at the bar.”
“Yeah.” She waited until he looked back down at her. “She's a pretty shitty DD. ”
Both Rian and Cathal laughed. Brogan did not.
“Hey there.” The man that had waved to her a few moments earlier stepped up beside Brogan, his soft brown eyes were hopeful. “I'd hoped I could buy you a drink?”
She wrinkled her nose, ignoring Brogan's sharp look. “I think I've had enough for the night.”
“How about a dance?”
“I really don't think so.”
But the man would not be deterred. “We could always get out of this place.”
Brogan shifted, blocking the man from Selena's line of sight. “Are you interested in talking to him?”
Part of her wanted to say, “yes,” just to see what Brogan would do. But, honestly, she didn't want to talk to anyone but her grumpy, sexy boss. She reached out and nudged Brogan to the side.
“I'm sorry. I think I'm about to leave for the night.” Because planned or not, that fourth drink was starting to get to her.
The guy moved away, and Brogan continued to aim his frown at her. “How drunk are you?” He asked her before swinging his gaze to his brothers. “And how much have you two contributed to it?”
Rian took a sip of his beer. “Ask Cathal. I got here a few minutes ago.”
“I bought her one Salt and Honey. That's it.”
“Oh. A couple shots of Jameson's should top off the night.” Brogan held up his hand when Cathal started to speak.
Selena set her empty glass on the bar and stood, her eyes locked on Brogan. “Don't yell at him.” In her sky-high heels, she was much taller, not as tall as him, but their faces were noticeably closer. She fisted her hands to keep them by her side and not reach for him. Just because they weren't at the restaurant didn't mean the rules had changed.
Rian had called him to give her a ride. Of all people, the one that made her light up like Christmas in July.
Brogan leaned to the side and looked at her shoes. She didn't miss the quick way his eyes skimmed over her body on his way up. She wished she could read his mind since it made his frown deepen.
“Those cannot be comfortable considering you'd rather wear flip flops.”
She tilted her nose up. “They hurt like hell, but Katie said I looked nice.”
“Nice?”
Rian laughed again. Selena decided she liked him, reserved but with a sense of humor when he wasn't working. She actually liked both Brogan's brothers.
“Let’s go,” Brogan said. “I'll drive you home.”
Her heart stuttered. “I don't need you to drive me home. I'm a big girl. I can call a cab.” She didn't want him to see her small apartment. It was all she could afford in Atlanta. He probably lived in a penthouse somewhere, lined with his designer suits where he made his guests take their shoes off at the door.
“Cabs aren't safe.”
“I know self-defense moves.” She held up her hand like she might do a karate chop.
Brogan caught her wrist, tugging her a fraction closer. God, this was torture. “Show me later. If I drive you, you don't have to pay for a cab. I'm free.” He didn't release her wrist. “Cathal, watch out for Katie.” He glanced Cathal’s direction. “From a distance.”
Cathal leaned back against the bar. “Of course, Brog.”
“Rian watch out for Cathal. ”
Rian smirked. “Who’s going to watch out for me?”
“The fact you're drinking beer means you'll be fine.” With a small tug, Brogan led Selena out of the bar and into the late summer night. His entire hand encircled her wrist in a warm grip, putting her under Brogan's complete control at that one moment.
She glanced at her cell phone, trying to give herself something else to think about besides her wishful thinking that he had any other feelings for her. “I gotta get home. It's almost midnight.”
He smiled over his shoulder, slipping his grip from her wrist to her hand.
She stared at their hands, linked together. His was large. Strong. Was holding hands against the company's rules? She hoped not because she didn't plan on dropping it first.
“Do you turn into a pumpkin at midnight?”
She blinked, focusing back on him. “No, but the nurse has to go home. Or almost a nurse.” She squinted, trying to get the story straight. “She's Katie's sister.”
“Why do you have a nurse?” He unlocked his car. She'd expected a Mercedes or BMW. No, just a really clean four-door Audi. Responsible and conservative. Just like Brogan.
He opened her car door. “You don't have to tell me.”
The seat seemed so far away from this height. No way she'd make it down without falling on her butt in her shoes. She set one hand on his shoulder and kicked up a foot behind her, slipping out of the shoes from hell.
He gripped her waist, keeping her steady. His amazing hands were almost as distracting as trying to balance after four very heavy drinks.
“Tell you what?” She looked up at him, remembering his last statement. She was back at her normal height.
He hadn't released her waist. Again, she either imagined him drawing her closer, or she swayed his direction. Not enough for their bodies to touch, but enough for her to feel the heat radiating through his shirt. Wait.
“You're wearing a t-shirt.” She stepped away, shamelessly checking him out from head to toe and back up again. And probably one or two more times. “And blue jeans.” Damn. The man could wear anything and look hot. “It looks good on you.”
He grinned and motioned to the car. “Get in, Cinderella.”
His hand cupped her elbow, helping her down. He was sweet. And helpful. A perfect gentleman. She wished he could be more, but even drunk, she knew that was impossible. Brogan never broke the rules. If he had any idea where her thoughts had been, he'd probably fire her out of principle.