Ireland straightened her back. “They brought me on because I’m a master programmer and that program you wrote is a mess. There’s also something unusual about the hoops you have the revenue leaping through.”
James took two quick steps toward her until his fetid breath slicked her cheek. “The only reason I’ve tolerated you this long is because you’ve got a nice ass. But if you think I’ll let you screw over my career, you’re mistaken.”
Ireland’s breaths came out in shaky spurts, and she shoved James away.
He grabbed her forearm and jerked her to his body. “I like it rough, so don’t tease.” He leaned down. “Because I bite back.”
“What’s going on?”
Ireland lurched away, and this time, James let her go. She looked across the room and saw Bran standing at the entrance.
“Remember what I said,” James told her, too low for Bran to hear. He sat in the booth and began to unload his workbag as though nothing had happened.
James glanced at Bran with a grin. “Ireland and I were just catching up on a few suggestions she had. But the changes she made would ruin a different portion of the program, so I’m scrapping them. Good thing we still have the original.”
Ireland’s face heated. First at Bran, witness to her humiliation with James and his filthy hands. And now, at James suggesting she’d screwed something up when she hadn’t. She was trying to fixhismess.
Panic had her heart beating furiously. When it came to a standoff between a male coworker and her, the man won. Every. Time. Ireland came across nervous in these situations instead of in control, and that never looked good.
Bran crossed the room and gestured for Ireland to follow him. They moved to his office, where James couldn’t hear.
Bran’s jaw sawed back and forth. “I don’t know what I just walked in on, but make sure you keep it to after-hours activities. I’m not paying you to hook up.”
Ireland’s hands shook. “You’ve got it wrong. That’s not what happened.”
Bran held up his hand. “I don’t care what you two were doing. Just don’t do it here.” He started to walk away, then stopped and looked back. “And for the love of God, don’t make our technical problems worse.”
Bran.Was. Furious. He’d just returned to Prime to find Ireland in the arms of James.
He wanted to scour his eyes out.
Bran was supposed to be staying away from her. He’d already proven she affected his self-control. But the pressure to get the new system working had surpassed everything.
Only seeing Ireland with James… Bran was ready to kill the guy, software be damned. He let out a harsh sigh. Okay, it was a growl.
He opened his eyes and stared at his clenched fist. Working together wouldn’t do. Bad enough he had to see her every day. There was no way he could watch her with another man.
He had to fire her.
He’d tell his brothers Ireland wasn’t a good fit. That the Tech Banquet guy said she was making things worse.
Bran winced. He didn’t trust James. But they’d already paid for James’s services, and Bran couldn’t get rid of the guy until the company was able to replace him with one of the other programmers.
Cali wouldn’t be happy if Bran fired Ireland, and Bran suspected neither would Emily, but what else could he do? He was part owner of Club Tahoe, and if he killed James because he couldn’t stand the sight of him touching Ireland, there would be bigger problems than firing her. Not to mention, if what James said was true and Ireland had made the program worse, that was the last thing they needed.
A knock sounded at his office door.
Bran tipped his head back. “I’m busy.”
“Can I talk to you?” It was Ireland.
Bran squeezed his eyes closed. He wasn’t ready to fire her. The effect she had on him wasn’t her fault, but if there was even a fraction of truth to what James had said, he couldn’t risk Ireland making the situation worse. He might as well get it over with. “Come in.”
Bran paced to the other side of the room. There were no windows inside his office and it wasn’t very big, but it was the one place he went to get away from the chaos of the restaurants.
Ireland stepped inside and closed the door behind her.
The ten-by-ten-foot room suddenly dropped to half its normal size. Bran felt like he was standing inside a steamy shower with Ireland’s light perfume blasting his way.
