Bad Boys Do (Donovan Brothers Brewery 2)

She bit her lip and cleared her throat. “Half price on the first pint?”

“Yes.”

“So what about that second round you just delivered?”

“Apparently that kiss was just a bonus in case the first one didn’t take.”

He did look a little miserable now, but he definitely hadn’t earlier. “You don’t seem to hate it.”

“Well, they’re all nice and everything. There’s nothing bad about it. It’s just that I’d like to decide when I’m up for women patting my ass, you know? I had a stressful day. My mind isn’t on playing up the Scotch-Irish thing, you know?”

She dropped her gaze to his kilt.

“Okay, maybe I was up for it earlier, but after I argued with my brother…not so much.”

She was trying very hard not to laugh, but relief was bubbling up inside her. That was why all these women found it so easy to touch him, because they’d been invited to. “So, let me be clear…. There are days when you’re totally okay with strange women patting your ass.”

“Over-the-kilt patting only. My reflexes have gotten pretty quick on the other kind. I can dodge damn fast, even with a tray of pints on my shoulder.”

“That’s a relief.”

“Hey,” he said, offering another wink. “I’m ticklish, you know.”

She laughed as he moved down the bar to check on his customers. She was a fool, but not in the way she’d been thinking. She was a fool for even worrying about looking like a fool. Yes, Jamie truly liked her. He liked everyone. And the foolish part was worrying about his universal love of women. If it wasn’t for that, she’d never have gotten even a taste, so what was the point in resenting it?

“Idiot,” she muttered to herself. She’d take this fling for the gift it was, and she would not fall for him. She wouldn’t. Not any more than she already had.

He took care of a bill before working his way back to her. “So…I was hoping you’d take a look around the brewery. Maybe check out the kitchen and the front room. I’d like to talk details tomorrow, and I really want your perspective.”

Right. She was here to work. Of course. She picked up her notebook. “I should have brought a camera.”

“You can use ours. Hold on one second.” Jamie pushed through the swinging doors, then reappeared with a digital camera in his hands just five seconds later. He swept the room with his eyes, then motioned her back. “I’m sorry. I don’t have time for even the flash tour. You mind looking around on your own?”

“Are you sure this is allowed?” she asked as she slipped past him.

“Olivia, I’m one of the owners. We could set up a tent and have a romantic evening back here if I wanted to. Do you want to?”

Eyes wide, she looked over the spartan kitchen and tile floors. “Um…”

“I’m just kidding. That wouldn’t qualify as fun for me. Check it out, okay? I’ll be back in a few.”

When he pushed through the doors, a bright Van Morrison song swelled over her, fading away in fits as the door bobbed closed behind Jamie. Olivia took a few steps in with a feeling she was intruding on a private world.

The kitchen was as unremarkable as he’d described, but large enough to convert it to a restaurant kitchen, especially if they kept to the scale Jamie had described.

Olivia flipped open her notebook and started taking notes and pictures. There’d definitely need to be more ventilation and refrigeration, but actual physical remodeling would be minimal. She sketched out a few ideas, though she’d always been better with digital models than hand drawing. Half an hour later, she found herself standing in front of a glass wall, peering at the metal tanks beyond. They were larger than she’d expected and the room was utilitarian. Almost industrial. Hoses were coiled on the floor. Buckets lined a back wall, though she couldn’t tell if they were empty or not. There were drains in the floor, spaced every ten feet or so, as if spills and runoff were just part of the job.

She tried the door and found it locked, which was a relief. It seemed like an area she shouldn’t violate. Still, she took a few pictures of the wall, just to get an idea of it for the layout of the room.

Then she stepped quietly down the hallway that lay off the door to the front room.

Eric’s name was on the first door. The office was large and well used. Neat, but a little cluttered, packed with filing cabinets and promotional material. Tessa’s office was next, and it looked similar to her brother’s, if slightly less neat. The last office was Jamie’s. It was smaller than the other two, and Olivia’s heart fell when she saw it. His desk was bare, completely bare but for a computer monitor. There were two small filing cabinets behind the desk, plus one larger cabinet that looked a bit like a small closet. That was it. Olivia backed out and hurried to the front room, trying not to think of his frustration when he talked about taking on more responsibility.

Two of the tables had cleared out, and the place was noticeably quieter, but Jamie seemed busier than ever as he served drinks and cleared tabs and cleaned tables. As soon as she saw his smile, Olivia felt relief uncoil inside her. It didn’t matter how small and barren his desk was. It made sense, actually. This was where he worked. This was where he lived. A tiny office was no place for Jamie.

She took a few pictures of the front room, trying to stay inconspicuous. “Do you have the room measurements?” she asked when he passed her.

“I’ll email them to you,” he answered.