Ireland cleared her throat. “I’ll fix it, no problem.”
They were the exact words he’d needed to hear, yet that wasn’t what he focused on. His gaze lasered in on her full lips. Lips he’d kissed mere days ago… And wouldn’t be kissing again.
He ground his teeth. “I trust you.”
He didn’t trusthimself.
They walked toward the table where James had set up a temporary office. James, meanwhile, scoped out Ireland’s chest as they approached.
Bran took a calming breath. Fucking tech. Bran knew he didn’t like James. Sure, Bran had just been admiring Ireland’s lips, and other things, but he respected her.
Wait, did he respect her?
Damn the software. If it wasn’t for the problems they’d been having in the restaurants, Bran wouldn’t need to ask himself these questions. He’d be keeping his distance from Ireland, not testing his willpower.
Ireland was a beautiful woman, and extremely sexy with her bright red hair and knockout figure. Few men would be able to hold back a double take. But Bran wanted to strangle James. And he couldn’t tell if it was because he didn’t trust the guy, or because he didn’t like anyone checking her out. The latter was more disturbing.
“This is Ireland, the new software consultant,” Bran said. “She’ll be assisting you with the glitches.”
A twitch started up at the corner of James’s grinning mouth.
Nope. James didn’t like Ireland coming in one bit. Too bad. He should have thought about that before he wasted the club’s time.
Ireland rushed right into interrogation mode about the nature of the problem, and Bran took great pleasure in watching James squirm. His body was tense, but he rattled off a general description of what had been going on. And then the two of them started talking internet coding, and Bran’s eyes glazed over.
“I’m going to let you get to it,” Bran said, and walked away, a weight lifting off his shoulders. Which was strange. Typically, Irelandcausedhim stress. But the grilling she was unleashing on James was extremely hot and reassuring at the same time.
Bran grinned. Words like “have you done this” and “what about that” floated across the nearly empty room as Ireland questioned James over the next half-hour while Bran covertly listened from his position at the bar. James’s face turned red, and he appeared to be stammering to keep up. The image was priceless.
Ireland could conceivably save Bran’s sorry ass, and that was something he would have to consider later. Because if she got the system up and running, he’d be indebted to her.
And Bran wasn’t used to owing women.
The women he’d been intimate with hadn’t been one-night stands, per se, more like casual friends with benefits. And those women had been fine when he stopped calling.
At least, he’d assumed they’d been fine…
His mouth twisted. If there was one thing Bran was sure of, it was that Ireland would rake his ass over the coals for being inconsiderate. Or maybe it was as simple as him caring whether she’d be upset.
Shit.
Enough introspection. He tossed a rag beneath the counter. He’d be happy once she wasn’t working for Club Tahoe anymore. She wasn’t good for his conscience.
Chapter 11
Bran spent the evening working on paperwork and trying not to think about Ireland across the room. After a couple of hours, James collected his things and walked over.
“You make any progress?” Bran asked.
James shot a look in Ireland’s direction. “This won’t do. That woman is…intolerable.”
Bran pushed his paperwork to the side. He crossed his arms, forcing the heat that filled his chest and flooded his biceps to calm the hell down. Before he did something like squeeze the life out of James. “And why is that?”
“She’s screwing with my code. Pull her off the project or I will.”
Bran cocked his head to the side. “Is that a threat? Because I seem to recall that you work for me. And none of my employees threaten me or the people I hire.”
James glanced at Bran’s folded arms, and his throat bobbed. “I simply meant to say she’s making the problem worse.”
