Page 10 of For the Promise

“I’ll adjust to the situation,” Jaxon claims before charging out of the room.

I can’t help but notice how his jeans cling to his backside. My body nearly demands I follow him. I ignore my body. It’s obviously forgotten what happened the last time I got involved with a man.

But I haven’t. And I’m not likely to anytime soon.

Chapter 4

“This is not the solution I asked for.” ~ Jaxon

Jaxon

Islowly pour the whiskey into the glass and set the rest of the whiskey to the side before picking up the next whiskey I’ve selected for this blend based on its flavor profile. I’m trying to create a slightly smokier flavor for this blended whiskey.

I carefully measure the amount of whiskey I want to add before pouring it into the glass. I swirl the mixture together and—

Whack!

I nearly drop the glass at the unexpected sound. I check the time. It’s barely eight a.m. There’s no way Kai has arrived at the distillery yet.

I frown as I set the glass down. I hate disruptions, but I’d better check what’s going on.

I step outside my office into the distillery and scowl when I notice the garage doors are open and materials are piled high in the empty space we were planning to use for expandingproduction. Eli stands to the side with his arms crossed over his chest.

“What’s going on?” I ask when I reach him.

“I’m solving your problem.”

I blink. What is he talking about? “My problem?”

“You’re worried about people running around your distillery.”

I remove my glasses to massage the bridge of my nose. “There are currently several people running around my distillery. I don’t understand how this is solving my problem.” I narrow my gaze at him. “This isn’t some kind of exposure therapy, is it?”

“Exposure therapy?”

“Don’t act innocent with me. You made Kai jump off the cliffs atMermaid Mystical Gardensto ‘cure’ him of his fear of heights.”

Eli snorts. “Kai wasn’t afraid of heights. He didn’t want to jump from the diving board because he had an irrational fear of losing his swimming trunks in front of the girls in his class.”

“He did lose his swimming trunks when he jumped off the cliffs.”

He shrugs. “And now he knows there’s nothing to be afraid of.”

“Except Zane and Miles stole his clothes and he had to hitchhike home naked.”

“If I recall, he wasn’t afraid. In fact, didn’t he end up dating the woman who picked him up?”

I scowl. “We’re getting off track here. Why are there people in my distillery? And why are they unloading building supplies?”

“They’re building a wall to separate the distillery from the brewery.”

“You’re building a wall in my distillery and didn’t tell me?”

Eli grunts. “It’s notyourdistillery.”

I lift an eyebrow. Not my distillery? He must be joking. I’m the master distiller ofBuccaneer’s Whiskey & Distillery.If it weren’t for me, there wouldn’t be any whiskey.

He squeezes my shoulder. “I know you’re the distiller and this is your work area, but the distillery belongs to all of the Raider brothers. We work together to makeBuccaneer’s Whiskeya success.”

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