Page 7 of Enemy Kisses

I snap my gaze back to her face. “Huh? What’s funny?”

“You just smirked at me, you arrogant ass.” She huffs. “You think it’s funny that your patrons run amok and create havoc for the neighboring businesses?”

“No. Of course not. Look, I came to speak with Harry about it. Would you mind telling him I’m here to see if we can come to some kind of agreement?”

Snickers sound from the front door, and I glance over my shoulder to find the man and woman from a few moments ago watching us.

“I’mHarry,” the woman behind the counter snaps, drawing my attention back to her.

“What?” That can’t be right. “You’reHarry?”

“Yep. Do you have a problem with that?” she taunts.

I drop my gaze back to her tits, then slowly make my way to her gorgeous face, noting the freckles scattered across her nose and cheeks. “Not at all.”

Well, life just got interesting.

CHAPTER5

–harriet–

The nerve of this asshole.A hot asshole—with his tousled hair that’s the color of wheat, a perfect amount of scruff on his stupidly handsome face, and broad shoulders tapering down to a trim waist—but an asshole just the same.Ugh!I shouldn’t be noticing any of that because the man standing in front of me is an arrogant, self-centered jerk.

I’m glad I’m wearing my full apron today or he’d be able to see my nipples trying to break through my bra under his perusal.Damn it!

I’m not sure what I was expecting my business neighbor to look like, but it certainly wasn’t this. In my mind, I imagined an older, balding man with a pronounced beer belly and breath that smells like my father’s. I know I’m being unfair and making an assumption, but that’s where my mind automatically goes.

“Have you finished checking out my boobs?” I snap.

Tilting his head to the side, he rubs his temple with his finger, a smirk touching his lips. “I’m not sure I’ll ever be finished checking out your boobs, to be honest.”

Oh shit!I can’t believe he just said that. Heat races through my body, spreading to my neck and cheeks.

I catch Quentin moving toward us, his fists bunched at his sides and the veins in his neck protruding, so I hold up my hand to let him know I can deal with this asshole before he goes all protective big brother. “Would you guys mind cleaning the kitchen while I speak with Mr. Brady?”

Judy grabs her husband’s hand and drags him through to the kitchen. “Sure thing.” It’s a comical sight, and if I wasn’t so pissed at the man standing in front of me, I’d have to laugh. There’s no way Judy could move the mountain that is her husband if he didn’twantto move.

Once I’m alone with the asshole, I turn my attention back to him. “Your response to my email was downright rude and unprofessional.”

He places his hands on the counter and leans forward with narrowed eyes the color of the sky. “I don’t know what you think I should do. I can’t be expected to follow my patrons home,” he fires back.

I lean forward over my side of the counter. “Maybe you could make sure they’re not so intoxicated when they leave your premises that they have no idea what they’re doing or how they’re behaving,” I snap. Surely he has some obligation to his customers to ensure their safety.

“I can’t watch every single person who comes into my pub. We have a no-service policy for anyone we think is getting close to the limit. But as I already said, I can’t follow them out of the pub to ensure they behave. Maybe you should look at the area outside of your café and ask yourself why you’re being targeted.”I know he didn’t just blame me for the never-ending mess left by his patrons.A red haze forms around the edge of my vision. He stands upright, folding his arms across his chest with a smug grin, like he’s solved all of my problems. “I’ve had no complaints from any of the other businesses around me. In fact, I’ve never had any complaints.” He raises a single, golden brow.

I mirror his stance, and his eyes drop back to my boobs, so I drop my hands to my hips instead. “Well, I’m complaining, and I’ll keep complaining until you do something about it. I’m sick of coming to work every day to wade through trash and the mess left behind byyourpatrons.”

“You have zero evidence thatmypatrons are causing the mess.” He points to his chest.

I narrow my eyes at him.He didn’t. “I sent you photos clearly showing your bar coasters and napkins. You can’t stand here and tell me it’s not your patrons making the mess. And what about the beer bottles? There isn’t another pub close by.”

He softens a little. “Well, yeah, maybe they drop a napkin or coaster here or there, but you can’t prove the other stuff is from my pub. Do you have video evidence?”

“Here or there? Are you for real right now? And no, I don’t have video evidence, but I do have photos clearly showing items with your pub’s name plainly printed.” I huff. My head’s spinning. Does he really think he can deny the evidence?

“Well, yeah.”

“You realize that, as a business owner, you have responsibilities to the community. It’s your civic duty.” His mouth draws tight, almost like he’s trying to hold back a smile. “That’s okay. I’ll contact the council and see what they say about it all.” I raise my nose in the air in defiance.Ha!

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