Chapter 10
“My jaw is innocent.” ~ Rhett
Rhett
I set the plant on Dakota’s desk. She doesn’t bother to deign to lift her head to meet my gaze. I can’t blame her.
I was a total asshole. First, I claim we’re not friends. Then, I overreact to her prank and throw a coffee pot.
I wait for her to respond to me but she continues to type away on her keyboard as if I don’t exist. Harsh.
“This is for you.”
“Thanks,” she mutters.
“I’m sorry.”
She sighs before finally glancing my way. “Sorry for what? Being cruel or being violent?”
My feisty girl is back. I nearly smile. “Both?”
“Are you asking or saying?”
“Saying. Both. Sorry for being a dick.”
“Don’t do it again. I suck at avoiding you. The hallway closet is small and smelly. I don’t want to spend any more time in there.”
I chuckle. “There’s no reason to avoid me. I promise not to throw any more coffee pots around.”
“Good. Because Eli lost his mind. The coffee machine is some fancy brand exclusive for billionaires and it’ll be another week before the replacement pot is here. He is one unhappy puppy.”
Damn. I guess I better buy another plant for Eli.
“Rhett!” Eli shouts.
“His majesty awaits. Don’t make the bossman wait.”
I rap my knuckles on her desk before walking down the hallway to Eli’s office.
“What’s up?” I ask as I settle into a chair across from his desk.
“We voted to expand the distillery last month, but the expansion is on hold.”
I nod. “I’m aware.”
It’s impossible to miss since the local brewery, Five Fathoms Brewing, moved their brewing facilities into the extra space in the distillery. Five Fathoms was destroyed by the hurricane and Eli stepped in to help them. Although, his charitable efforts were more to help Paisley, the head brewer he’s obsessed with.
“Before the hurricane, I closed an exclusive deal to supply the Velvet Blossom restaurant chain with our whiskeys. Technically, we could claim force majeure and get out of the deal.”
I can read between the lines. “But you don’t want to.”
“The brewery won’t be here forever.” He doesn’t appear happy about the idea. Probably because Paisley and him get up to all kinds of sexy shenanigans when they should be working. They think no one knows. Everyone knows.
“What do you want from me?”
“I have a meeting scheduled with the board of Velvet Blossom next week in Atlanta.”
“But you don’t want to leave the island.”
One guess why. It starts with P and ends with -aisley.
“I want you to go in my place. Take Dakota with you. She’s smart. She’ll charm everyone on the board.”
I frown. I don’t want Dakota to charm anyone but me. Correction. I don’t want Dakota to charm anyone, period.
“You can’t continue to be an asshole to her.”
“I know. I apologized and gave her a stupid plant.”
He chuckles. “Don’t sound so resentful.”
I’m not resentful. I’m pissed at myself for losing control. I’m famous for my control. But I lost it over a bit of salt in my coffee. It’s out of character for me, and I don’t like it.
“In the meantime, sit down with Dakota and go over what you expect to happen at the meeting with Velvet Blossom. We need to convince them to continue the deal with a limited supply of whiskey until we can increase production.”
“I’ll run some numbers and figure out how much whiskey we can supply to their restaurants without pissing off our regular customers.”
“Good. I’ll expect a banana … er… report in the next day or two.”
I narrow my eyes on him. “Not funny.”
“Wrong, brother. It was hilarious.”
I snarl at him. “Wait until she pranks you.”
“I’m not stupid. She’s my assistant. I know better than to piss her off.”
“I was merely voicing my concerns about her qualifications for the job.” I sound like a douchebag.
“Have you seriously learned nothing? Dakota is qualified and she’s staying.”
“I know. I shouldn’t have said anything. I just worry.”
He sighs. “I know you do. I know you’ve protected this family in my absence. Hell, even when I was here, I was too busy working to help Mom pay for rent and food and clothes. I was absent far too often.”
“Stop.” I hold up a hand. “We’re not playing the blame game. We both worked hard to keep this family together. Your contribution was money. Mine was protecting our brothers from bullies and making sure they didn’t get into too much trouble.”
Eli stares at me for a long moment before nodding. “We good?”
“Always.”
“Now get out there and make friendly with my assistant. There’s not enough room in the reception area for plants for every one of your fuck ups.”
“I don’t piss her off that much.”
He barks out a laugh. I give him the finger before shutting the door behind me.
I nearly stumble when I notice Dakota leaning against the opposite wall. She waves a set of papers at me.
“Do you want to discuss these numbers now? Or do you want to crawl into your office and think up reasons I shouldn’t help on this project?”
I sigh. “Eli told you already?”
“He told me before you went into his office. I’m his right-hand person. I know what he’s thinking before he thinks it.”
I narrow my eyes on her. “Trying to bag yourself a billionaire?”
She rears back. “No, thank you. I do not want to live in a mausoleum or date a man who wears three-piece suits every day.”
“Hey!” Eli shouts from inside his office. “I resemble that remark.”
“Besides, everyone on Smuggler’s Hideaway knows he’s been pining away for Paisley for the past decade,” she says in a loud voice.
“I don’t pine anymore!” Eli shouts. Not since he and Paisley have gotten together.
“And you don’t whine, either.”
“Exactly,” he says.
“He’s a liar,” she whispers to me. “He’s a great big whiner.”
“And I know he was pining for Paisley,” I add.
She smiles at me and those green eyes sparkle. My gaze gets caught on her bowtie lips. My fingers itch to pull her into my arms and taste those lips. Does she taste of happiness? I don’t know but I want to find out.
I shove my hands in my pockets before I do anything stupid.
“The numbers.” She waves the papers again. “Now or later?”
I check my watch. “I can do now.”
“Alrighty then. Off we go.” She motions with the hand containing the paperwork but she must not have a good grip on them since they scatter onto the floor.
“I’ve got this,” I say as I lean over to collect the sheets.
“My mess. My clean up.”
She quickly gathers the papers together. She starts to stand and – bam! – her head whacks into my chin. “Ow,” she mutters before falling back on her ass.
I rub my chin. “You’re hard-headed.”
“Your chin isn’t exactly soft either.” She massages her head. “That’s going to leave a bump.”
I bat her hands away. “Let me see.”
I dig my hands through her hair and nearly moan at how soft it is. I didn’t expect her hair to be this soft, considering how curly it is. It would be entirely too easy to fist her hair and tilt her chin back before devouring her mouth.
My cock jumps. It’s down with this idea. I tell it to calm down. She’s hurt. Now is not the time to get horny.
I locate the bump and examine it. “It’s not very big, but we should ice it before it swells further.”
I help her stand. “There’s ice in the breakroom.”
“I blame your square jaw for this,” she mutters as I help her to the breakroom.
“Yes. The incident has nothing to do with your propensity to have accidents.”
She gasps. “Accidents! You make it sound as if I’m incontinent.”
“I was trying to say you’re a klutz without using the word klutz.”
“Beep.” She feigns hitting a buzzer. “You have failed.”
I pull out a chair for her and make sure she’s steady before opening the cabinet under the sink. I dig out the first aid kit and rummage around for a cold pack. I squeeze the bag to activate it before shaking it. Once it’s cold, I place it in a towel.
“Let me know if it’s too cold,” I mumble as I place the pack on Dakota’s head.
She grimaces. “It’s not too cold but it’s not pleasant either. Not completely horrible. Maybe a four on the scale of injuries.”
I chuckle. “Scale of injuries?”
She shrugs. “I am a bit accident prone.”
“Aha! I knew it. My poor jaw has been wrongfully accused.”
She wags a finger at me. “Not true. I maintain your square jaw hurt more than a squiggly jaw.”
“A squiggly jaw? I would never have a squiggly jaw.”
She giggles and the sound fills me with warmth. This woman is amazing. Despite what an asshole I was to her, she’s laughing and joking with me. She doesn’t put up with my shit.
No wonder I’m drawn to her.
Too bad she’s hiding secrets. Secrets destroy lives. I won’t allow her to destroy any Raider lives.