Page 92 of Release Me

“Frank sounds like a reasonable man.”

“As long as you’re not on his bad side.” But the signs down mean Henry Wolf wins. I may as well have cashed that last fat check he offered. Frank wasn’t happy with me about that one either. Outright called me an idiot.

“So? What do you say?”

“I say …” I weigh my options. I have none. I’m not about to let Gigi’s legacy to Mermaid Beach fall apart. “You stop poaching my staffand thenI’ll take down my signs.” Getting those up was work. I earned dozens of slivers and scrapes, climbing up into branches.

“Deal.”

I still can’t believe Ronan is being so kind to me. I wasn’t kind to him today. I definitely am not his boss’s favorite person. Is there more to this that I haven’t picked up on yet? “That’s it? That’sallI need to do?”

Now his gaze slides down, stalling on the fitted tank top that hugs my curves beneath my blazer. “Why? Was there something else you had in mind?”

“I just meant …” My heartbeat quickens. He oozes confidence and masculinity, but with it a calm assuredness that I find so incredibly attractive. Unlike Cody, who flaunts his appeal to get what he wants, Ronan sits back and lets others gravitate toward him, like he doesn’t have a care in the world, one way or another.

What would Ronan be like in bed?

Hell, Frank was right and this guyisdangerous. I’ve been alone in this office with him for five minutes and I’ve thought of stripping off those expensive clothes at least half of that time. I’m not usually this thirsty. Scratch that, I’mneverlike this and especially not since my heartbreak.

“The rooster.”

“Huh?” I blurt, his voice jarring my perverted thoughts.

“It has to go.”

My jaw drops, all previous thoughts of sex gone. “No deal.” The audacity!

“Okay.” Ronan holds up his hands in surrender. “It was just a thought. I didn’t realize you were so attached to a bird.”

“Ralph is not abird. He’s a part of the family.”

“Got it. Ralph. Forget I mentioned it.” More to himself, he adds, “How long can those things live, anyway, right?”

Eight years for Ralph’s breed, and he’s only two.

“So … Jeremy Smith, and who else …?” Ronan waits with his pen poised.

“Not Jeremy.”

He frowns. “Didn’t you just say he’s your best employee?”

“Yeah.” I sigh. “He asked me for full-time hours. I can’t give those to him, but that’s not his fault. Don’t blacklist him on my account. He’s doing what he has to do. I’ll manage.” I hope.

“What about that guy you were talking to when I found you?”

“AJ? You might as well take him, seeing how awkward things will be now that he knows that I know he’s applying here.”

Something unreadable flickers in Ronan’s gaze. “The others?”

My stomach curls. Am I doing this? Yeah, I guess I am. “Mick Wallen, Will Moore, and Ron Sholtz. Those are the ones I know about.”

Ronan scribbles on his paper and then sets the pad and pen on his desk, freeing his hands to settle on splayed thighs, the rich green fabric stretched over muscle. “Consider it taken care of.”

“And how will I know you’ve kept your end of the deal?” I ask.

“You’ll still have employees next week.”

“Right.” I hesitate. “Thank you.”

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