Page 15 of Falling for Nicole
Chapter Four
Declan
“Lilly,” I say into my phone as I rest back in my chair and put my feet up on the desk.
“Have you hired a manager yet?”
I manage to contain the groan that wants to rumble up my throat. “No, there’s no one suitable.”
“Hire Nicole.”
“How many times, Lill? I’m not hiring her.” It’s been four weeks since I dropped her off at Lilly’s after she slept in my bed, and I still can’t get the image of her standing at my balcony in my t-shirt out of my mind. The sun pouring in made the fabric almost see through. I could see every single one of her alluring curves. My fingers twitched to touch her, to remind myself of how soft her skin was against mine the night before. My mouth watered to taste the perfectly milky-white skin of her neck.
“Declan.” Ugh, she sounds just like our mother as she pulls me from my erotic memory. “It makes perfect sense. She’s got experience and you’re desperate. Sorry, but you sound exhausted. You can’t do all this yourself.”
“Well being the organ grinderandthe monkey will do that,” I snap. The shack is all ready to go and I have every intention of it being open for business for the bank holiday next weekend, even if I’m pulling the pints myself.
“Plus, Nicole really needs to get out of that pub. It’s not a good place for her to be. Dec please, I’m begging. She’s perfect for you.”
I ignore the hidden meaning to that statement as I rub my hand over my face. I hate to admit it but I think I’ve run out of options.
“Please,” she begs. “At least talk to her, find out her experience. Give her a trial if you have to, but she’s perfect. You’ll see.”
I let out a sigh before saying the words I really don’t want to pass my lips. “Get her down here.”
“Now?”
“Yes, now.”
“It’s almost 10pm.”
“So?”
“Give us thirty minutes.”
I throw my phone down on the desk in frustration. Employing Nicole has never been the issue. I have no doubt she’ll be amazing at the job. The reason I’m reluctant to employ her ismyissue. I don’t think us working closely together is a good idea. It’s going to end up with us either killing or fucking each other. Both of those outcomes terrify me.
When Nicole walks into my office twenty minutes later, my concern about her working for me vanishes. Anger like I’ve never experienced before crashes into me, wave after wave.
“What the fuck is that?” I’m up out of my chair and cupping her face in my hands before I know I’ve moved.
“It’s nothing.”
“It’s not fucking nothing. Who the fuck did this to you?” My eyes flick between her bruised eye and cut lip. I need to know who did this so I can fucking kill them.
“It’s not important. Lilly said you wanted to see me about something urgently.” The fact that she pushes my concern for her away so flippantly only ignites my anger.
“Tell. Me. Who. The. Fuck. Did. It,” I spit as I step into her, she flinches and backs up against the door. A fierce possessiveness engulfs me, one I’ve only experienced before with my sisters. The fact I feel this strongly for Nicole’s safety freaks me the fuck out.
“Just some drunk idiot from the pub.”
“This happened at work?” Now Lilly’s earlier comment about her getting away from that place makes sense. “It’s all locals who drink in that place. Who was it?”
“Leave it, Dec.” That won’t be happening, but I know better than to keep pushing the issue. This is a small town. I’ll find out one way or another. “How about you tell me how I ended up here in the middle of the night instead of my bed.”
I’m immediately assaulted with images of her in my bed, her auburn hair fanned out over my pillow, my t-shirt riding high on her hips, giving me the tiniest glance of what could be hiding beneath. Fuck me, I’m getting hard just thinking about it. I step away from her before she notices and return to my seat behind the desk.
“Lilly says you have experience managing a bar.”
