Page 7 of Her Irish Boss

She hadn't expected that. “You'll pay me an extra twenty-five dollars to get here an hour earlier?”

“Technically, if you got here on time, you'd be here an hour and a half before your shift. Consider it an incentive. I don't want to have to fire you, Selena. You're a great waitress. Efficient. Professional.” His lips kicked to the side again, and he looked away. “When you keep your shirt on.”

She'd embarrassed him. The thought of anyone, even a woman in a crappy white bra, flustering the stoic, high-class Mr. O'Keeley amused her. She'd never been on that side of the equation before.

“You have a deal. And I'll be sure not to take my shirt off again in your presence.” Her mouth would forever get her in trouble. She'd meant it as a joke. The whole, laughing withsomeone instead of laughingatsomeone. He didn't seem to take it that way.

His blue eyes locked onto her for one long beat of silence, enough for her to know that underneath that hard, shell exterior, something ran hot and dangerous. Maybe she shouldn't joke with her boss, especially since they didn't even have the outside chance at a relationship—even a one-night relationship.

Her employment contract prevented that by her agreeing to the no dating clause. He'd fired two employees just yesterday. And based on the way he'd chided and almost fired Lenny, Mr. O'Keeley reaffirmed that he didn't play around when it came to the rules.

He cleared his throat. “How did last night go?”

“Last night? Oh. The party of forty. It went well. They all seemed to enjoy the food.” She thought back to the two men who'd slipped her their phone numbers. Creeps.

“Did you hear any of their conversation at the table?”

She stuck her hands in her back pockets, trying to appear relaxed. She had heard their conversation, but until then, she'd forgotten.

“Yes. They were talking about a development. Real estate, I imagine. I know Atlanta has plenty of places to shop, but I don't live too far from here, so putting in a Big Jim's Superstore in downtown Atlanta works nicely for me. Do you know where?”

“Here.”

She chewed on her lip a moment. “Here? As in—”

“The developers are planning to purchase this entire block of buildings and make it into your superstore.” He snarled as he said it, his Irish so thick, she had a hard time understanding him.

“Great.” She threw her hands in the air. Finally found ajob that could cover the nurse's billandbuy groceries and she might lose it anyway.

“I'm glad you're happy about it.”

She cut her eyes his way. “I was being sarcastic, Mr. O'Keeley.”

“Brogan.”

Her breath froze in her lungs.

“Call me Brogan when we aren't around the other employees. Mr. O'Keeley feels too formal.”

He'd said nothing improper for a boss. No insinuations. He hadn't moved any closer to her, she'd moved closer to him, if anything, but it felt intimate calling him by his first name.

When you flash someone your bra, it must drop you down to a first name basis. Did other employees call him Brogan when they were in private?

She licked her dry lips and hoped she played it off smoothly. “Alright, Brogan.” The dark blue of his eyes seemed to deepen the longer he watched her. “What do you plan to do about the development?”

He began rolling down his shirtsleeves. “I'm not sure yet. That was the meeting that you pleasantly interrupted. The owner of this building gave me the first right of refusal. But the asking price is more than we can afford at the moment. We don't have much leverage to put up. I've reinvested almost everything back into the business.”

She pressed her lips together to keep her mouth from dropping open. He was talking to her. Like a human and not just an employee. “Oh. So, I really might be out of a job after all?”

He buttoned his cuffs, looking sexier than any boss should. God, she should look away. It seemed personal, watching him dress. But, hell, he'd just watched her dress,and it'd been a little more revealing than him covering up those amazing arms.

“I hope that doesn't happen, but I won't lie to you. That is a possibility. But as of right now at 11:25 a.m. you do have a job. And so do I.” He slipped into his jacket. His tie sat a little crooked.

He walked toward her, a natural smile she'd never seen before in place. Real. Open. The kind of smile that makes you feel like you are the center of that person's universe for that one moment.

He motioned toward the door of his office. “Shall we?”

Out of nowhere, she reached up, adjusted his tie. She never understood why her body didn't listen to her rational mind. He'd given her permission to use his first name.

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