If he wanted to push his company forward, he needed to eliminate distractions.
Savannah Hughes was the ultimate distraction.
But damn if she wasn’t strong. Damn if she wasn’t sexy. Damn if he didn’t still want her with every fiber of his being.
And damn he was a fool.
He didn’t trust her. She’d been evasive. Hadn’t denied his accusation. Hadn’t answered his questions. She was worse than a distraction, she was quite possibly dangerous.
He knew the adage—keep friends close, enemies closer. He needed to be certain she wasn’t a threat to his company. And there was that part of him that needed to know that she wasn’t threatened in any way.
And the only way to be certain of both those things, was to keep her very, very close.
Chapter Six
“You’re not serious?” Luca looked up from his iPad when Savannah walked in through the back entrance. “You’re not working tonight.”
“Of course I am,” She tugged off her jacket and hung it in the small staff cupboard. “You told me only yesterday morning how worried you were about staff shortages while your parents were away.”
“We can manage tonight.” He walked round the bench and pulled her jacket back out again.
“What, you’re going to stop kissing Krista all the time?” She raised her eyebrows, surprised at his rare display of authority.
He held the jacket out to her. “You’re not working the shift.”
Yes, she was. She’d stood under the hot shower for hours this morning, trying to wash away the icky feeling. Couldn’t. She’d tried to sleep. Couldn’t. Tried to watch a movie on the small television in the sparsely furnished unit. Couldn’t concentrate. But the pathetic thing it wasn’t the jerks she was thinking about all the time.
It was Connor.
So no way was she spending another minute trapped in her too-small room over thinking everything to do with him.
“You’re short staffed. Said yourself you needed a more experienced bartender to cope with the crowds. I’m it. Dante’s not ready to face it on his own yet.”
Dante was Luca’s younger brother, only just legal to even work there.
“You were drugged. I’m not even sure I should be opening tonight.”
“Of course you should. And I’m here to run the bar while you run the restaurant. It wasn’t anything to do with St Clair’s. It wasn’t your fault. If they ever catch who it was… I don’t see why the restaurant’s name will even be mentioned. I was the one dumb enough to leave my water-bottle unattended.”
“It wasn’t your fault.” Uncharacteristic anger lit his eyes.
“No, I know. And I’m feeling fine,” she said in hurried surprise. “So let’s get on with it, in twenty minutes there’ll be tribes of customers wanting their favorite drinks.”
“They can wait for Krista and I to make them, we can manage without you tonight.”
“But you need to be on the restaurant side. You know you do.” She shrugged. “Your father never has to know I did the shift.”
Bill wasn’t the easiest of bosses and she didn’t imagine he was a brilliant father either. Having him as both must be a nightmare.
Luca still didn’t look happy. Reluctant respect grew in her.
“Luca,” she put her hand on his wrist. “This is the first time he’s let you take charge. In the week since he’s been away, your takings are up and you’ve finally gotten the girl of your dreams. Don’t you want to show him you can cane it? That you deserve more opportunities?”
She knew Luca wanted out of his father’s grip.
But he still hesitated. “It’s not Dad I’m worried about. It’s Connor.”
Seriously? “Connor is not your boss. Just because he owns most of the town doesn’t mean he can rule everyone in it. There’s still such a thing as free will.”
Luca looked down, a small smile tweaking his mouth. “You want to let go of me? Your nails are going to leave marks and Krista will get the wrong idea.”
“Sorry.” She snatched her hand off him. Then she sighed, swallowed her pride and dropped the act. “Luca, I don’t want to sit home alone tonight. I’d rather be busy. Please.”
He hesitated a moment longer. Then nodded. “But you feel even slightly unwell, or threatened or—”
She turned to fetch a clean apron from the linen cupboard, waving a hand at him. She didn’t need his kind concern. She was okay. She was always okay.
She freshened up and walked out to the bar, taking a moment to check over the stock and mentally run through the bar’s cocktail list. The current crop of party-girls in town were really into the mixes. All the more reason to make sure she was on form and she had less than half an hour before those doors opened—except they swung wide now.
“What are you doing here?” How had the words left her mouth before she’d thought them?
But thinking when first confronted with Connor in jeans and black tee was impossible. He was infuriatingly handsome. And in a pissy mood.
“I was about to ask you the same question.” He glared at her, stalking across the empty bar space.
She glared right back. Not gonna bother answering.
“Come on, I’ll give you a lift to your apartment.”
What, like he was her minder? She lifted her chin but then saw him mirror the aggressive movement, saw the flicker in his eyes.
He was spoiling for a fight and she got the vibe the guy would do anything to win.
So she drew a steadying breath. Stay cool. She always stayed cool.
“Thanks anyway, but I’m not leaving yet.” She smiled at him.
The arrogant man leaned right over the bar and tugged at the string of her apron. “You’re not working. You’re taking sick leave.”
“I’m not sick.” She batted his hand away. And if he had a clue he’d know she didn’t have any sick leave to take. People in her position didn’t.
“You still have that poison in your system.”
“It’s really none of your business.”
Connor looked past her. “Luca. She’s not working.”
“Connor, man…” Luca raised his hands helplessly as he walked towards them. “You know what she’s like. There’s no arguing with her.”
“Sure there is.”
“No. There isn’t.” Luca said. “Not for me.” He frowned at Connor meaningfully. “It’s what she wants.”
“I take it you’ve improved your security?” Connor growled.
“Of course.” Luca answered. “Extra on the door and I’ll control numbers inside better too.”
“About time.”
“I am working.” Savannah interrupted before things grew edgier between the two, fully irritated with their paternalistic attitudes towards her. “Neither of you have the right to stop me.”
“No.” Connor looked at her and suddenly, unnervingly, he smiled. “But I’ll do the shift with you.”
“What?”
“I’ll be an extra bartender for the night.”
“What?” That from Luca this time.
Savannah had now lost the power of speech.
Luca cleared his throat. “My father—”
“Will never know.” Connor finished smoothly, tearing his blazing gaze from Savannah to look coolly at Luca. “And even if he does find out, he’ll be appreciative of my support at this difficult time. If there’s trouble in Summerhill, it affects all of us.”
Luca’s mouth hung wide. Then he moved. “Fuck it. You’re both used to being in charge. Both used to giving the orders and being obeyed.” He held up his hands in surrender. “I’m gonna leave you to duke it out.”
“Thanks.” Connor nodded. “It’s a friendly gesture, you understand.”
Luca glanced from Connor to Savannah and back again. “I think I get it. Real friendly.” He walked towards the restaurant, suddenly bursting into laughter.
Savannah stared after her him. That was it? The guy wasn’t going to say no to Connor? Didn’t anyone say no to Connor?
“Don’t you have your exclusive little empire to run?” Savannah turned to glare at him.
“I have a good team in place,” he answered idly, walking round to her side of the bar. “I’m capable of delegating.”
She bet he was. Figureheads, that’s all the Hughes family were. No doubt there were a zillion minions up at the Lodge doing all the real work.
“Isn’t pouring drinks beneath you?” She watched him tap out a text and then pocket his phone, before looking about to familiarize himself with the bar set up.
“Not at all. I’ve worked every job there is at the resort. Still do, on occasion.”
Oh as if. She’d done every job in her father’s small hotel, she’d worked round the clock trying to get it all finished and right. And she’d failed. Connor here had no clue if he thought a half hour here and there watching the minions counted as anything. “Like operating the ski lifts?”
He nodded.
Because it was fun eyeing up the snow bunnies. She bet he only did an hour or so on shift before collaring some babe to help him use those extra special items he kept in his First Aid kit. “What about the beds?” she asked acidly. “You make those too?”