Chapter 4
FOUR
RONAN
FRIENDS, LOVERS, OR OTHER
I should not be touching her.
The first thought that blasted through my brain was don’t touch.
Which actually made me want to touch her every-goddamn-where.
Something deeper and hotter sent warning signs up my arm and into my brain. I had to forcefully not tighten my hold to drag her closer.
Her amber eyes glowed with surprise and the pulse at her throat fluttered wildly just before she licked her lips.
She simply glittered.
Not in an artificial, manufactured way, but beneath the skin and the warm, honeyed glow echoed in the gold at her neck, streaks in her dark hair, and endless length of leg that peeked from the shorts she was wearing.
Legs I wanted around my neck.
Pull it back, you animal.
But I’d need a fucking leash if she didn’t stop staring at my mouth.
“Ronan, you found us.” Beckett’s voice cut through the buzz.
Her amber eyes widened and snapped up to meet mine. The hazy pleasure bled right out of her face. “Ronan Parrish?”
I frowned. “Yes.”
“My luck is spectacular,” she muttered with a half-laugh as she gently disentangled herself from my hand.
I glanced over my shoulder to see Beckett pushing his way through the increasingly thickening crowd on the lower level. He jogged up the stairs while Hayes and Justin were waylaid by a few people downstairs.
I returned my attention to her. “Someone want to let me in on the joke?”
She tipped her head back to meet my gaze once more and the molten heat cooled to a burnished gold. “Kira Webb, nice to meet you.”
The name niggled at me. However, I’d been fighting with my brewing room for the last five hours and was in need of a beer, food, and obviously a fuck. Even if that suddenly did not look like it was on the horizon, though I wasn’t sure why.
Beckett got to the top of the stairs where we were standing by one of the tables. She was backing up and her spicy, floral scent was going with her.
I stuffed my hand into my pocket so as to not grab her and pull her into me.
Beckett’s gaze widened. “Whoa.”
Kira suddenly fussed with the strings of her apron. “Hey, Beck.”
“I see you’ve met your new cohort.” Beckett was holding a beer and took a quick sip as he quickly looked over Kira for longer than I liked.
My other hand curled into a fist at my side.
Beckett whistled. “When I said you didn’t belong in the orchard anymore, I didn’t know you were going to kill us all, Key.”
Kira flushed and her shoulders went back again. My mouth watered at the way her shirt parted, showing the generous curve of her breast, with more chains leading my eye lower into all of that gorgeous softness.
Jesus.
“I think that was a compliment.” Her brow raised. “Not sure what to do with it.”
What woman didn’t know what to do with a compliment? Even as she stood taller, it felt as if it was part of an internal pep talk rather than the preening most women did after getting attention.
Justin came up behind his brother. He was rangier than Beckett, with a perpetual smile on his pretty boy face. “Goddamn, girl. Where you been hiding all this?” He pushed his brother aside to curl his arm around her waist, pulling her up on her toes for a quick kiss.
Kira was flustered as she pushed him back. Again, I had to hold myself back from hauling the youngest Manning off of her. “Idiot. I’m not any different.”
“Bullshit. Hayes, get a look at our new Kira.” He twirled her in a small circle, his eyes practically glowing with interest. Her laugh was rich and husky to match all that gold skin of hers on display.
A few people glanced over, and I vibrated at the urge to snarl at every one of them to mind their damn business.
What the hell was my problem?
Hayes pushed his glasses up his nose as he got to the top of the stairs. “She’s always beautiful.” His Adam’s apple bobbed as he drank deeply from his own beer, but at least his gaze stayed up on her face, unlike his brother.
“If you’re done objectifying her, you could fill me in,” I growled.
Hayes choked on his beer, swiping at his mouth with the back of his hand.
Kira’s eyes flashed hot at me before she gave everyone a tight smile. “It’s not like you’ve never seen me out of jeans, guys.”
“It’s a rare thing.” Justin slipped an arm around her shoulder, his hand dangling dangerously low over her breast.
Breaking his fingers seemed extreme, but it was going to happen if he didn’t step back.
He leaned into her hair, smelling her like she was a goddamn steak. “I like it. You should let me take you out this weekend to show you off.”
She elbowed him. “Not a chance. We’d have to dodge too many of your ex-girlfriends.”
He rubbed his ribs. “You’re a harsh woman.”
She crossed her arms under her breasts, and I shoved my other hand into my pocket to relieve the sudden pressure. Inconvenient attraction aside, I could control myself even if the urge to piss around her tickled my lizard brain.
Her name finally connected as Beckett’s words sunk in through the annoyance and animal-like reaction to her. Just because Brothers Three Orchard didn’t have an HR department didn’t mean I couldn’t get booted for being a creep.
Not only would we be working together, but we’d be in each other’s pockets. While I had no interest in the day to day running of the taproom, I’d have to speak with her about tastings, food, and supplies.
A major part of designing seasonal blends included showcasing the end product. Two things I loved in this world were alcohol and pairings. And I’d have to be discussing them with her, trying them with her—doing every damn thing with her.
“I’m sorry I didn’t get a chance to come over to the taproom and introduce myself today.”
She gave a little shrug and glanced at me through her lashes. I didn’t like that she wouldn’t look at me now. “No problem. It was my last day out in the orchard—unless I’m needed, of course—so I wasn’t around to welcome you.”
Somehow I didn’t think she really meant the welcome part. I wasn’t sure exactly why. Was she that put out by the flash of attraction between us?
Not that I could feel any of it right now.
It was like she’d turned it off like a defective tap even as it still hummed under my skin. Which didn’t make sense to me. Not when it had been so obvious between us.
Or maybe I was just delusional.
Wasn’t the first time a woman had pulled one over on me. And thoughts of Darcy immediately flushed any lingering ideas about getting Kira Webb to sit on my face.
Even if I knew both of us would enjoy it.
Kira gripped the top of a chair, her rings winking in the low light. “Why don’t you guys go sit down, and I’ll bring over some food.”
“You don’t have to wait on us,” Beckett said.
“One last time won’t hurt anyone. Maybe I’ll steal a fry or five.” She gave us a winning smile then sashayed her way down the stairs.
Beckett slapped Justin on the back of the head. “Don’t even think about it. You’re not going to mess with my best friend.”
Justin ducked his head. “I wouldn’t. She’s like my sister. Sort of. At least she used to seem more like a sister. Christ, did you see that ass?”
Beckett’s eyebrows snapped down as he stared at Justin.
“Sorry. I don’t know what came over me. Did she lose weight or something? Put a spell on us?”
Hayes rolled his eyes. “No. You idiots just don’t pay attention.”
Justin spun his chair around and straddled it. “Oh, and you do?”
“Kira is a lovely woman.”
“Yeah, but you can’t stop staring at Willa.” Justin waggled his brows.
“We’re just friends.” Hayes dropped into his chair and set his beer bottle down.
“Not for lack of trying, bud.” Beckett nudged his brother.
“Yeah, well. It’s not going to happen. Can we change the subject?” Hayes nodded at me. “Sit down. We don’t normally gossip like a bunch of girls.”
I sat down. “Curse of the small town. Why I usually keep to the big cities.”
“Times will be a-changing.” Beck hooked his arm over the back of his chair. “You settling in okay?”
I nodded. “The work room is perfect. I just had to move some things around to how I like it set up.”
“Space is yours. I figured the back barn would give you a chance to get away from the noise of the remodel.”
That was good to know. I’d be sure to pack my headphones. “Yeah, I didn’t get over to the taproom to look around yet. I was distracted.”
Hayes took a sip from his beer and pointed at me with his bottle. “He barely noticed when I came to visit him today. Practically had hearts in his eyeballs.”
I laughed. “It’s perfect.”
“Even after the lab CBS set up for you?” Hayes seemed genuinely interested.
One of Chicago’s largest distributing centers had pulled me away from a small brewery the year before, but the sterile room wasn’t much for creativity. That and the very narrow parameters they’d given me for designing a beer.
“Worrying about massive output puts a damper on the creative juices. Especially when they give me three ingredients to work with.”
Hayes winced. “Man, that sucks. No wonder you were ready to pet our freezers.”
“I am more than excited to get moving on the summer blend for the opening. Even if you only gave me two months.”
Which was going to be pushing it since a good fermenting took six weeks. It was going to be an intense timetable.
I was also more excited than I had been in years.
Justin peeled at the label on his beer. “Look at him. It’s Christmas in July for our boy.”
“Better than Christmas,” I said as I kicked out my legs.
“That’s right. I foresee very good things.” Beckett finished his beer and was about to start talking again when Kira came up to the table with another woman, both burdened with large trays.
“Gentlemen, hope you’re hungry.”
Justin sat up. “I’m always starving.”
“That’s for sure.” Kira set down a platter of loaded fries, wings, and jalapeno poppers while the other girl passed around beers.
When no beer came in front of me, I frowned. Then Kira was at my elbow with a pint glass.
She set it down and her spicy night flower scent cut through the salt and spice on the table. My nose was a little more nuanced than most since I used aromatics in my design for bar drinks as well.
“I thought you might want to try one of our ciders.”
“Thanks.”
She looked eager for me to try it before she moved away, so I took a sip. Surprised at the flavors, I took another longer drink.
“I don’t think I’ve had this one. I thought I’d tried all of the ciders you guys made.” I was pretty thorough in my research before I accepted the job.
Hayes grinned. “I did a small batch oak barrel in February. We didn’t have enough to put into bottling, but it’s been doing pretty well here. More beer people than cider here though.”
“They’re missing out.” I let it sit on my tongue before taking another swallow. There was room for some more layers and the aftertaste was a little more acidic than I liked, but it was a solid effort, especially since Hayes specialized in spirits over ciders.
I glanced up at Kira. “And what’s your preference?”
“Bourbon.”
My chest tightened. “How about you bring me your favorite then?”
“You got it.” She gathered up our empties with an efficiency only a lifelong waitress had. Her long fingers sparkled with rings and a dark polish on her short nails.
I spotted the small tattoo of a crescent moon on her inner wrist and wondered if there were any others to find.
She leaned over to gather the label confetti Justin left behind with a shake of her head. Her hip brushed my arm and I stilled instantly.
“Sorry.”
“No problem.”
She stuffed the scraps of paper in her apron pocket and hurried away, back down the stairs.
Now that she was gone I realized how hungry I was. I reached over for a wing and caught Beckett’s gaze. “Problem?”
“Not sure yet.”
“Warning me off for yourself or because she’s your friend?”
Beckett’s eyebrows snapped together. “Kira isn’t the kind of woman you mess with.”
“Pretty sure Kira can answer for herself.”
Beckett curled two fingers around the top of his bottle. “I’ve known her since we went to school together. You might say I’m protective.”
“Again, is it because you’re interested?”
His eyes glittered dangerously, but he was saved from answering when Kira came back up the stairs with two glasses and a basket of fries with an array of dipping sauces. She plopped down next to Beckett, which was handily across from me.
Her ankle slid along my outstretched legs. “Oh, sorry.” She sat up, tucking her legs away from me before she pushed a glass toward me. “Welcome to Brothers Three, Ronan.”
And damn if I didn’t like my name on her lips.
I lifted my glass toward her and she clinked it with hers. “Sláinte.”
“Sláinte.”
My gaze slid to Beckett, and the warmth of the bourbon suddenly felt more like a cold vodka. I didn’t want to make enemies of the man who hired me on, but I wasn’t exactly ready to douse the interest firing in my blood.
For the woman, or the job.