The initial beer spillage wasn't too bad. Bella wouldn't have gotten any of it on her with just a little care. I made a mental note to talk to Marty later. She really couldn't pull me away from my real work to do this stuff for her.
"There you go," I said once the beer poured clear.
"Thanks a lot, Aubrey. I owe you," Bella said sweetly.
"Don't mention it," I replied before dumping and rinsing the pitcher as fast as I could, then making a beeline for the side door to get back to my actual work.
"Hey, hang on. I'd like a pint of that beer you just changed."
"Sorry, not a bartender," I said automatically before looking at the source of the voice. The moment I did, my breath left my body and I became painfully aware of how plain and frumpy I looked.
He was absolutely, positively gorgeous.
Easily the hottest man I'd ever seen and just my type, which only made me feel even worse about myself.
Clear, sky-blue eyes seemed to look straight through me as a mouth with succulent, kissable lips lifted in an amused smirk. The stubble peppering his chiseled jaw and chin was redder than the lush, full hair on his head, which was dark brown.
Mr. Gorgeous leaned over the bar toward me as if curiously inspecting an animal in a zoo. Even with his crisp blazer and dress shirt on, I could see the powerful muscles coiled underneath his clothes.
My eyes seemed to wander over him in slow motion, drinking in his arms, his shoulders, his chest, and stomach. The top two buttons of his shirt were undone and I saw just a peek of collarbone and more of his smooth, tanned skin.
I jerked my eyes away as my face flushed with heat like I saw something far more obscene.
Somehow his presence outshined everyone else in the room. He reminded me of a lion relaxing lazily near a pool of gazelles. Powerful with lithe, elegant strength ready to strike if anything crossed him.
Like me.
I blinked in an attempt to break the spell he cast over me. He continued looking at me expectantly with a large, strong hand wrapped around the empty beer glass. His crystal blue eyes and his smile showed equal amusement.
"I don't work up here," I repeated, nodding my head over toward Bella. "She'll help you."
My heart flooded with both relief and disappointment at redirecting his attention to her. His gaze was beyond intimidating like he could swallow me whole. But for just a moment, Mr. Gorgeous Greek God was looking at me instead of her.
Bella already had her sweet smile on and swayed her hips as she stalked over on her long legs like a graceful lioness. Undoubtedly she'd sink her long, manicured nails into him and have a date set up before her shift was over.
"What can I get you, sir?" she purred and brushed her hands against his as she tried to lift his empty glass.
But he held onto it and kept looking straight at me, amused as ever. He didn't even seem to notice Bella's pouty lips and cleavage in his face.
"I want you to serve me."
He said it in such a way that made my nipples and clit awaken with heat and sensitivity for the first time in God knows how long.
Damn, why did he have to say it like that? His tone and choice of words sounded so perverse like he just commanded me to get my on knees and suck his cock simply because he was a God among men.
The fucking nerve of this guy.
I narrowed my eyes, refusing to let him think he had power over me, even though he did. I’d dealt with too many entitled men thinking the world owes them exactly what they want at the snap of their fingers. Whoever this guy was, powerful and hot as he may be, he was no different. Someone had to tell him no once in a while.
"I'm not a server," I said, perhaps a little too emphatically. The bar grew quiet and he wasn't the only pair of eyes looking at me.
I knew my pale Irish skin was flushed red with embarrassment at that point, but I stood my ground.
"So what are you, then?" he asked playfully.
"I'm a brewer."
"Really?" His eyebrows lifted in surprise and his smile widened, revealing painfully adorable dimples in his cheeks.
"Yeah, really."
Guess what, jerk? People with tits and ovaries can do hard jobs too. Shocking, I know.
Only then did he raise his empty glass, propping his elbow on the bar and making his massive bicep bulge through his jacket sleeve. Bella's mouth practically watered as she flipped her hair flirtatiously but he still paid her no mind.
"Did you make this one?"
I didn't know which beer he'd been drinking but I didn't have to. We had an excellent team but that didn’t discount that I took part in making all of our products.
"Yes."
"It's very good."
I expected to hear sarcasm or at least some kind of sexist mockery in his voice but surprisingly, the compliment sounded sincere.
"Thanks."
I knew it was good. I'm a perfectionist when it comes to my work.
"I still want you to pour one for me."
He placed the glass down so Bella could finally take it away, but his eyes never left me. He leaned across the bar even closer. I caught a whiff of his fresh, masculine cologne and noticed a small scar through his right eyebrow. I thought of running my finger across it, maybe even planting a kiss there.
His smile grew even wider as if egging me on, daring me to either obey his request or enact the fantasies we both knew played in my head.
I bristled with annoyance. So much for this guy actually respecting the work that I did.
"Too bad." I turned on my heel to leave, knowing I already wasted too much of my time but couldn't resist pausing before I left through the side door.
"You might've had a chance if you asked nicely."
The deep, musical sound of his laughter was the last thing I heard before slamming the door shut.
I walked back to my workstation, thinking I'd feel satisfied at putting an entitled customer in his place but I just felt unnerved instead. His eyes floated like ghosts through my mind as I climbed to the top of the brew deck. Why did I have to be such a sucker for men with blue eyes?
A sudden vibration in my pocket pulled my thoughts away from Mr. Blue Eyes for the briefest moment. When I retrieved my phone, my heart cracked.
Not this again.
I had a picture message from a number I didn’t recognize, but it could only be one person. With a shaking finger, I tapped to block the number and deleted the picture without looking. After having my heart broken over and over with every message he sent me, I couldn’t bear it anymore.
I wanted to move on more than anything but for some reason, he wouldn’t let me. He kept texting me pictures from different numbers even though I kept blocking them all. Pictures that served no purpose but churned my stomach and chipped away at my happiness and self-esteem.
So I loved beer, carried a few extra pounds and wasn’t a super hot girly girl like Bella. But why couldn’t he let me be happy too?
CHAPTER 2
LOGAN
I knew I'd buy the brewery the moment I stepped into that tasting room.
It was small but cozy and inviting with a long bar made of dark wood, several barrels repurposed as tables, and framed pictures on the walls assumedly of the staff and customers.
A local watering hole tucked away in the middle of nowhere with huge potential. This place just started selling its flavorful beers in my local boutique grocery store and I knew it was an untapped gold mine from the first sip. I had a hunch this place would grow and flourish into a thriving business with the right kind of money behind it.
"Hi, welcome to Oak Barrel Brewing Company!" said the slim, attractive bartender as I walked in. Her lower lip sucked in between her teeth as she got a full, good look at me.
I was used to that look. Most women weren't shy about showing their appreciation of my hard work at the gym.
But I just nodded politely at her and took an empty seat at the bar. She would've been Charlie's type but not mine.
Even after all
these years, Charlie's name still left a bitter taste in my mouth. Christian, my lawyer, called me on my way over here hinting that Charlie was setting fires again that we'd have to put out.
He knew better than to fuck with my family again, even after getting away with it like the slimy fish he was. He grew more cautious and less risky after that, though he still enjoyed poking at me. But I wasn't going to give in to his temper tantrum, at least not right then.
Business first.
"I have a meeting with Marty," I told the bartender. "Can you tell him Logan Westbrook is here?"
"Of course!" she exclaimed and gave me her best sultry look. "Can I get you a beer while you wait?"
"Sure, whatever you like. Surprise me."
"I'm not a big beer drinker, to be honest," she giggled as she reached for a clean glass. "I like my drinks fruity and girly. But I'll get you something good and... buff." She bit her lip again as she enunciated her F's and looked back at me with a wink.
"Thanks, hon," I smiled but inwardly recoiled at the desperation coming off her in waves. This girl couldn't be any more obvious if she wore a flashing neon sign that said PLEASE FUCK ME. And while she was pretty hot by most standards, nothing turned me off more in a woman than desperation.
Still, working behind a bar wasn’t foreign to me. It was a difficult job and I took care of servers for taking care of me. I pulled a hundred dollar bill from my wallet and casually flicked it onto the bar like it was a ratty old single.
She smiled and bent over to give me ample view of her cleavage as she set the beer down in front of me.
"I'll get you your change," she purred sweetly.
"No need," I protested. "Keep it."
Her eyes widened with disbelief, but she composed herself enough to slide my hundred down the front of her shirt.
"My name's Bella," she said breathily. "Anything else you need, Logan, you let me know. I'll take good care of you."
"Thanks, Bella. Be a doll and get ahold of Marty for me?"
I was tempted to tell her desperation wasn't sexy no matter how hot you are but I bit my tongue and sipped my beer instead.
"Right, of course!" she laughed sheepishly and skipped off to find her boss.
The beer was good so I didn’t mind waiting.
Alcoholic beverages were an interesting phenomenon to me. They were one of the few industries which thrived during economic downturns. Not even a hundred years ago, people risked their lives to make and sell it while it was illegal. You could make it out of anything that had sugar, but it had so many more dimensions than that.
Before coming here, I never considered myself a beer snob, but each flavor was so carefully balanced and layered. There was a true artistry behind this place and many other craft breweries and distilleries popping up all over the country.
Not only was it a fascinating craft and industry, it was profitable. The business was booming so naturally, I wanted my piece.
I drained my glass quickly. The flavors danced on my tongue and sated desires I didn’t know I had. With a new excitement for my meeting with the owner, I made a mental note to ask him about the brewers who made such a delicious beverage.
That was when a wild, fiery redhead entered the tasting room through a side door and burned a deep, stirring desire in my cock, my mind, and my world.
***
"Thanks for meeting with me, Marty."
"Not at all, Mr. Westbrook."
"Logan, please."
"Alright, Logan. Thanks for being one of the few honest business people out there. I’m glad we could reach a deal." The middle-aged owner of Oak Barrel Brewing Company smiled as he leaned back in his office chair. I preferred to stand, peering out the large window overlooking my new acquisition.
“So am I. I can’t wait to see this place flourish.”
Tall, steel tanks reaching to the warehouse ceiling stood proudly in neat rows as the brewers worked around them like bees to make that delicious, beautiful nectar.
"This brewery is my life's work," Marty said as he laced his hands behind his head. "I feel like I'm selling off one of my children."
"You don't need to worry," I assured him, searching among the tanks for that fiery redhead who gave me lip while I waited in the tasting room.
What I would give to turn that naughty, busty girl over my knee and give that big ass a spanking.
"I don't invest in flipping businesses on their heads and turn them into something completely different. I see the foundation that's there and I build on it," I explained.
"That's comforting to hear," Marty said with a chuckle. "The missus has been after me to retire for the last five years. I'm not getting any younger but we've got kids to send to college."
"You said your oldest son is the warehouse manager?" I asked.
Surely the son would want a promotion to co-owner. As with all the businesses I acquired, my ownership would be little more than a formality. I planned to keep as hands-off as possible while watching my investments grow.
If it’s not broken, no need to fix it.
"Yeah, Jacob. That's him there, with the dark beard talking to Aubrey."
Aubrey. So my curvy little spitfire had a name after all.
She was awfully proud of herself for being a brewer instead of a bartender. Not only could I see it in her eyes, I tasted it in the glass I drank from. My dick got hard the moment she stormed into the tasting room to help poor, clueless Bella. And it throbbed with excitement for her until she stormed out like a sexy, fiery dynamo.
I’ve always had a thing for curvy redheads. But a curvy redhead with an attitude who enjoyed dirty work? As my old man would say, Lord have mercy.
I've never been one to fuck people who work for me but not having her was not an option. From the second I saw her, I had to find out if that mouth and that pussy tasted just as good as the beer she made.
Even if just for a night. Once she got a whiff of my net worth, she'd probably put on the desperate act just like Bella.
Just like every other woman I took home since I cut Charlie out and turned my one billion into multi-billions. Such a shame but I learned to take consequences for my actions and not turn down opportunities when they arose.
"How long has Aubrey been a brewer?" I inquired casually.
"She's just coming up on a year," Marty said with fatherly affection in his voice. "She was my first bartender before that. That girl's probably been drinking beer since she was on her mom's tit," he laughed. "She's a hard worker with a creative mind and loves the craft. One of the best, no doubt."
I nodded as I watched Aubrey work and felt my dick rising in my pants again. She took one keg in each hand and turned them upside down before quickly fitting a hose to the opening.
Stronger than she looks, I thought.
She then swiftly pressed buttons on a panel before moving on to another station, her juicy ass filling out her Carhartt work pants.
I could easily tell she had no idea how hot she was, especially when standing next to Bella. But with that round ass curving up to her narrow waist, those shapely tits she tried to hide and those sexy green eyes, she checked all of my boxes and then some.
I drummed my fingers thoughtfully on the windowsill. Once I got a taste of her, it would be hard to not go back for more.
Unfortunately, after reinvesting my first billion, women made it clear that my bank account was my best asset, closely followed by my cock, body and looks.
Every man has needs but I decided a long time ago that committing to a woman wasn't one of mine.
CHAPTER 3
AUBREY
A company-wide staff meeting can't be a good thing, I thought.
We held brewer meetings all the time, and when the sales reps weren't out at festivals or events selling our beers, they often held sales meetings too. But rarely was there an occasion for all departments to come together.
This had to be big. Something that affected all of us.
Oak Barrel isn't even a big brewery, b
ut my apprehension grew as more people filed into the tasting room. They had the same curious, worried looks as me. Aside from the tiny office overlooking the brew tanks, we didn't have a proper meeting room, so tasting room it was.
"Don't look so glum, people," Marty chided like a well-intentioned father. "Come up and pour yourself a beer for this meeting."
Well, that'll give me something to do besides biting my nails.
I picked up a glass and settled on pouring myself a pale ale. Mildly hoppy and with lower alcohol, it would get me through the meeting and I could get home safely afterward.
"What should I get?" Bella asked in a hushed whisper.
"Whatever you want," I answered and regretted my tone.
Sometimes I forgot that not everyone was as big of a beer geek as me. Bella hadn't had the chance to properly taste our lineup yet. It wasn't her fault she didn't know the different styles.
"I want something light," she said, looking over the names and styles on the tap handles like they were written in Chinese.
"Try this one," I motioned to a Belgian wheat with blood orange. Six weeks ago, I spent an entire day cutting and juicing those oranges myself. "It'll be light and a bit citrusy."
"Do women always take this long to pick a beer they want?"
I whipped around, a sassy comeback on my tongue ready to lash out at one of the male brewers but the source of the voice made me choke on my words.
Those piercing blue eyes accented with the small eyebrow scar, chiseled jawline, and arrogant smirk. They haunted my entire afternoon since he told me so crudely to serve him.
He stood behind the bar with us, leaning against the dishwasher oh-so-casually with his arms crossed across his broad chest. I realized he had to have been staring at our asses while we squabbled at the beer taps.
I looked at Bella, waiting for her to tell him the taproom was closed to customers and we were having a company staff meeting.
Not that you're allowed behind the bar anyway, dick.
But she just tossed her hair over her shoulder, shifted her hips, and flashed him her beauty pageant smile.
Big Bad Boss: A Bad Boy Billionaire Romance Page 2
