Parking his black sedan in the garage, he headed into the house and straight up the stairs to the master suite. He’d gotten blood on his black suit. It wasn’t the first time, so he knew his dry cleaner could get it out. Stripping out of it, he got in the shower.
Standing under the spray of hot water, he let it work out the tension in his muscles. He was worried, even though he’d never admit to anyone. The Italians were getting bolder, and he’d already lost men. How far would it go?
His organization was larger, and he had better resources. If it came to a war, he was sure that he’d crush them, but he’d lose more men in the process. It was something that his dad never gave a damn about, but Owen did. He couldn’t help feeling guilty about the men he’d already lost.
Owen sighed as he shut off the water, a stress headache forming at the back of his head. They were becoming more frequent, and he knew it wasn’t just the job. He needed to learn how to relax. It had always been a problem for him, and he couldn’t even remember a time that he was able to just feel happy.
Shaking his head at his own thoughts, he got dressed in another black suit and left the house again. For a place that he had built just for him, he didn’t spend much time there. There was always too much to do.
Andthe place was too quiet. Living there alone bothered him in a way that he never expected when it was constructed. It was big and modern, like he wanted. But it also felt cold in a way that had nothing to do with the temperature.
He was lonely, but he didn’t like to think about it. It was easier to head the restaurant and deal with things in his office that needed his attention, such as the paperwork that he still needed to attend to.
There was a paved area at the back of the building where the staff parked, and Owen pulled into his usual spot. His mind was on the incident at the drug house as he made his way across the parking lot. He wondered if Mancini would bide his time or if there would be a retaliation immediately. He wasn’t foolish enough to believe that injuring a man and burning down an empty building were going to be enough to convince the Don to back off.
Things were probably going to get worse before they got better.
At that thought, his stress headache seemed to get worse, a tightness creeping down his neck that was going to bother him for the rest of the evening.
He was frowning as he came in through the back door of the restaurant. The entrance opened at the end of a short hallway. There were two doors on each side leading to storage areas, Stevie’s office, the kitchen, and an employee bathroom. At the other end of the hallway was the dining room and just before that, the staircase on the right led to the second floor, where there was more storage and his office.
Owen headed in that direction, only making it about halfway down the hallway when Stevie stepped out of her office in front of him with a stranger right behind her.
“Owen, this is our new hire,” Stevie said, gesturing to the woman.
His eyes locked onto the woman, and he felt a jolt of unexpected desire. She was beautiful with delicate features and silky blonde hair that was braided down her back. Her gray eyes captivated him, especially when they lit with her smile.
“I’m Ruby,” she said, holding out her hand.
There was something so open and friendly about her expression, and he found his frown melting away to be replaced by a smile of his own. He took her hand and shook it, his body coming alive from the simple touch. Her palm was warm and soft, and he had the crazy idea that it would be heaven to feel her fingers run over his body.
His thoughts startled him, making him drop her hand as Stevie explained to Ruby that he was the owner of the restaurant.
“It’s nice to meet you,” she said.
She sounded like she meant that, and when was the last time a person had been happy to meet his grumpy ass?
“Welcome to the team,” he said, immediately regretting the lame sentiment.
“Well, let’s head to the front,” Stevie said. “I’ll introduce you to your trainer.”
Ruby’s eyes lingered on him for just a second longer, and he was tempted to step closer to her, so that she’d have to tilt her head back to look up at him through those long eyelashes. He could pull her body into his so easily.
The strength of his attraction to this woman shocked him. He’d never felt such an immediate desire for a woman. There was just something about her.
As she walked down the hallway with Stevie, Owen allowed his eyes to run over her body. The white button-up shirt didn’t show off much of her body, but her black pants clung to her like a second skin. His gaze lingered at the curve of her ass until she reached the end of the hallway and stepped out of his view.
Don’t even think about it.
It was a bad idea, even if the desire roaring in his blood told him differently. That brief interaction with Ruby told him that she was a ray of sunshine with her bright smile and genial nature. And him? He was a walking storm cloud. The two of them just didn’t mix.
With that in mind, he headed upstairs, determined to focus on what he needed to get done.
4
RUBY
Ruby slept in the next day. Her first night working at Walsh’s Irish Eatery was hectic, but she made it through and could tell that her new manager was impressed. She’d only worked with her trainer for a couple of hours before she was taking tables on her own.
