Page 27 of Her Irish Boss

“Of course he is,” said Rian as he stepped into the area, pausing beside Cathal. “Katie just gave me a quick rundown. I thought we were trying to get away from the fighting.”

“She hit him. Our Selena there slapped the old bastard.” Cathal winked at her. “A fighter.”

“She'll fit in with this family,” Rian said and then turned toward Cathal. “I'm surprised you left him in one piece.”

“It was close.” Cathal's quiet, serious response surprised her.

Brogan walked to Selena and held out his hand. “Let me see your hand.”

She handed it to him. Her palm was blood red from the hit. It stung when he ran a finger across it. She hissed from the burn.

“I'm glad you hit him.” His eyes flicked up.

“I'm glad you didn't,” she whispered. “It's not worth going to jail over.”

Cathal cleared his throat. “Do you plan on telling her what you threatened to do to him if he so much as speaks to her again?”

Rian crossed his arms. “I'd like to hear that.”

The way Brogan held her hand, touched her bruised skin, eliminated any doubt that he was attracted to her.

And neither one of them could make a move.

Stalemate.

“What did you tell him?” She had to keep talking. Keep her mind from torturing her with mental images of her and Brogan together.

Cathal didn't wait for Brogan to speak. “He told him that if he ever touched you again, he'd end up in a pine box, um, with his man parts in an unnatural location. The language was a little more colorful than that.”

“Creative,” she whispered, lacking any other response. She'd stand there as long as Brogan watched her with desire hidden behind his concern because it was there. It pushed reality away for a brief moment, leaving the two of them alone. She stepped closer. “Thank you.”

He gently held her hand as his other hand hesitantly touched her waist. He skimmed his fingers from her waist, down the outside of her hip. A trail of heat followed in its wake. His gaze dropped to her lips before flicking back up.

Instead of kissing her, like she wanted, expected, hedropped her hand and stepped back. “You can head home if you need to. I know it was a pretty big ordeal.”

“No.” She crossed her arms, feeling cold from his sudden departure. Had she imagined it again? “I'm fine. Really. I'll start clearing the tables. Thank you.” She smiled at Rian and Cathal, who'd just witnessed whatever happened between them. “You, too. I think you have a new member of your fan club with Katie.”

Cathal shrugged, his body so casual and easygoing, it was hard to imagine him so close to being out of control a few minutes earlier. “She's sweet, but not someone worth breaking the rules for.” He winked. “I'll see you later.” Both he and Rian turned and walked down the stairs.

Not someone worth breaking the rules for.

Was she that person for Brogan?

She almost asked him just that. End all the back-and-forth between them. But she didn't get a chance to.

“I'll send Trey and a busboy up here to help clear,” he said, a deep, angry growl still in his voice but he didn't meet her eyes.

“Alright. I'll see you in the morning.”

Brogan didn't turn around again. He walked away as if she didn't exist. How could he flip it on and off? She winced at the dull pain in her hand. She'd finish her shift and go home, try to wrap her head around the confusing tangle that existed inside when it came to Brogan. And if there was anything she could do about it.

7

“Here's the new laptop.” Brogan held it out for Selena to take. It was the best one in the store, according to Cathal. “Now we can both work and not take turns on my computer.”

Because that was what he needed to focus on with Selena. Work. He'd revealed too much emotion with how he'd reacted to Simmons last week. And the moment in the supply room still ran through his head whenever he stepped foot in there.

He was no closer to figuring out how to handle her. Or himself. Each day, he showed up at work determined to keep his distance.

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