Page 26 of Her Irish Boss

“I doubt Simmons will say anything else.”

Or, maybe Simmons didn’t give a shit about Brogan’s tirade. Even with Cathal's presence, Simmons stared at her the entire time. Facing the computer, she could almost feel his eyes on her back—and butt. Soon, he'd be gone to harass some other female.

“Last one,” Katie said, as she slid the credit card through the reader.

Selena turned around, only to be face-to-face with Simmons. He'd risen at some point to come to stand beside her. “I can tell your bosses don't want to lose such a valuable employee.” He ran a finger down her shoulder.

She jerked away but had nowhere to go in the small booth that housed the computer. Her breath quickened.

She deepened her voice and straightened her shoulders. She didn’t need Cathal to come to her rescue again. “Go. Away.”

He took a small step back. “The offer stands, Selena. You'll be out of a job when I close this place down, and I have one with plenty of benefits, waiting for you.” His tongue darted out, wetting his lips that looked cosmetically enhanced. His eyes tracked down her body, making her want to turn away. “Most women would jump at the opportunity to have their turn with me.”

She slapped him.

Again, at some point in her life, her brain and body would sync together, but she couldn't stand it any longer. Hot pain seared across her palm from the hit.

The slap had silenced the entire room.

Simmons rubbed his cheek, but smiled, his voice no longer quiet. “You like things rough, I see.”

She shifted her body weight, ready to knee him in the crotch if necessary, but Cathal jerked him back. Pure aggression covered the Irishman's face. He shouted wordsshe didn't understand, shoving him across the room until Simmons tripped and fell.

A few of the other men around the table rose but didn't move to intervene. She didn't really blame them. Cathal looked a little possessed, getting in Simmons's face as he continued to shout.

Katie gripped Selena's arm. “Oh, hell, I think I'm in love with him.”

She couldn't worry about Katie's infatuation with Cathal at the moment. Not when Brogan came barging into the chaos. People stumbled left and right as he pushed them out of the way like they weighed nothing.

Cathal hadn't hit Simmons, which surprised Selena, but his shouts had become more English and were quite unique in their use of curse words.

Brogan clamped a hand on Cathal's shoulder, tugging him away. He crossed his arms and stared down at Simmons. Instead of the shouting, his deep voice, too low to hear, put a look of surprise on Simmons's face and complete, deranged pleasure on Cathal's.

Selena started to march over there and tell Simmons off as well. If Cathal got to use his potty words, she could, too.

Brogan must have seen her movement because he looked up and held up his hand. She stopped dead in her tracks.

Fury blazed in Brogan's eyes.

With the adrenaline rush, her insides felt shaky. She stood there, unmoving, while Katie finished collecting the rest of the signed credit card receipts, and Brogan and Cathal watched the dinner party leave down the stairs and out of the restaurant.

“Katie, are you alright?” Brogan turned to face Selena.He controlled his voice so tightly; it was barely above a whisper.

“I'm fine. Do you want me to go help behind the bar since Cathal is up here?” She gave Selena a look of pity and rubbed her hand down Selena's arm. “Or I can stay to clean up.”

“The bar would be helpful.” Brogan kept his eyes pinned on Selena as Katie left.

The last thing she wanted was to cause him more problems. Although, technically, she knew it wasn't her fault.

Katie paused by Cathal, who leaned against the wall, looking relaxed, as if nothing had happened. “The no dating policy applies to you too?”

He gave her a sexy smile. “I'm afraid so.”

“Damn,” Katie muttered before moving out of the room.

Brogan waited for Katie to disappear down the stairs, his cold, blue eyes never wavering from hers. “I don't think Simmons will be returning. Youneverhave to put up with that for this job.”

Selena nodded, stunned by his protective streak over her. “I'd hoped you'd be okay with me kicking them out earlier.”

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