Arrogant Bastard

by Jennifer Dawson

  “Dibs on what?” Wyatt asks from behind me.

  I swing around, and the second my gaze lands on Caden, the flush that threatened a moment ago blooms. “Nothing! What do you want?”

  Wyatt’s head tilts. “I’m giving Caden the tour and thought I’d introduce him to Haley.”

  “Great. Perfect.” I bite my bottom lip, repressing the desire to start expounding on unnecessary details that will only make me look worse than I already do. I wave in Caden’s general direction, refusing to make eye contact. “Haley LeBlanc, this is our new farm manager, Caden Landry.”

  She beams at him, flashing straight white teeth. “It’s so nice to meet you.”

  They shake hands, exchanging pleasantries while I fight the urge to scream, She’s too young for you into the wind.

  “What do you think of the place?” Haley props a hip against the bar. She’s wearing skinny jeans, cowboy boots, and one of our logoed tank tops.

  Why are her damn legs so long?

  Caden flashes her a slow smile. “Not bad at all. Happy to be here.”

  “Not as happy as we are.” She grins at him, all fluttery lashes. “Can I show you my domain?”

  “It’d be a pleasure,” Caden says, in that warm, dripping-honey voice.

  I’m not sure I can bear to witness this display. Time to retreat to safety. I clear my throat. “Since everything is under control, I’ve got work to do.”

  I give a little wave and start to walk away.

  “Wait,” Wyatt says.

  I turn back around, refusing to look in Caden’s direction. “Yeah?”

  “Are we ready for that tasting this afternoon?”

  We hold private tastings for potential suppliers and restaurants. Setup is part of my job. I nod. “Yep. I’m headed there now to check on the last of the details.”

  “Good.” My brother nods at me. “I’ll come find you at one thirty to run through the client background before they get here.”

  “Sounds good.” I wave. “You all have fun.”

  “Wait.” This time it’s Caden’s voice that stops me.

  “Yeah?” The word sharper than I intend.

  “When can I stop by your office?”

  Of course, business. I need to get my head on straight about this man. “Give me thirty.”

  “I can do that.” His gaze meets mine, and he gives me a slight nod that makes me feel dismissed.

  Before I throw something at him, I swing around and take off, headed to the room where we entertain prospective suppliers.

  Twenty minutes later, I’ve made sure all the last-minute details are taken care of, and I finally take a deep breath once I’m enclosed in my office.

  I lean against my door and close my eyes.

  Caden will be here any minute, taking up all the space, making me have thoughts I don’t want. Why do I have to be attracted to him? I don’t even like the man. He’s the last man on Earth I want to lust after, so why won’t my body cooperate with me? I thought my body had given up on the idea of men, I’ve been so uninterested in any prospective ones.

  I shake my head up at the ceiling. Why do I always have to be at war with myself? Can’t this one thing be easy?

  I’m just going to have to learn to control it. That’s the only option. It’s not like I can ever act on it. My only ray of hope is that as much as I’ll hate it, he’s new in town and hot enough that every single woman in a fifty-mile radius is going to make a run at him. With any luck, he’ll be sleeping with someone by the weekend—hopefully not Haley, but someone. He seems the type.

  That will cool me significantly. I sigh a deep breath.

  I walk over to my desk and sit down, powering up my computer.

  My phone dings, and I look down at a text from Gabe. When do I get a thank-you dinner for saving your ass?

  I want to say something scathing, but refrain. Because Gabe did save my ass, even though it comes with consequences I’m not happy about. Caden is clearly qualified, and Wyatt and Jackson are happy.

  Caden’s paperwork is still on my desk, and I glance down at it. His handwriting is strong and bold, but barely legible. Not that it matters, since he only filled out enough information to put him on the payroll and get him set up in the system. All other information, like previous address and prior employment, is blank.

  Dinner with Gabe will give me an opportunity to find out something more about the man. Subtly, of course. I don’t want to raise any suspicion that I have ulterior motives. It’s common practice to ensure I’m not hiring a criminal, after all.

  I’m anxious for information, but I think I can wait a day to get my answers. I text back. How about Wednesday? I could bring pizza and beer and we can hang out at your place?

  Living with family has its perks, but chilling on the couch isn’t one of them. There’s always someone going in and out of the room, or interrupting your show to just say one thing, or there’s a fight about what to watch. It will get easier once Gwen and Jackson’s house is done, but for now it’s crowded and noisy. I have a sitting area in my bedroom, but I don’t want to be trapped up there all the time. So sometimes I go to Gabe’s, and he lets me have control of the remote, only speaks when spoken to, and allows me to relax.

  My phone pings. It’s a date.

  I’ll have Jackson make the pizza. No one can beat him, and he won’t mind. He’ll use it as a chance to experiment with something weird that shouldn’t taste good together, but will be magical when it hits your tongue. That’s his gift.

  Gabe: Seven?

  I text back. Sounds good.

  An escape is in my future.

  There’s a knock as I put my phone back on the desk. “Come in.”

  The door swings open, and Caden stands there, filling the doorway.

  My heart skips a beat, but I am determined to remain unaffected. “All done?”

  He nods. “May I?”

  Well, isn’t he polite? I stand and point to the hallway at his back. “How about I show you your office and take you through our system?”

  Another nod. “Now’s as good a time as any.”

  Before I move, I pick up his paperwork and hold it out to him. “You didn’t fill this out in its entirety.”

  His jaw takes on a stubborn line. “You’ve got all you need.”

  I flutter the papers. “What if I need to run a background check?”

  “Are you going to?”

  “Do I need to?”

  “Nope.” His voice is flat.

  Okay, he’s clearly got something to hide. I find myself torn between wanting it to be an offense I can fire him for and panicking over what I’d do if I was forced to let him go. I don’t think I could handle the next six weeks on my own—not with the type of results Jackson demands.

  I take a chance and see whether if I’m direct, he might be direct back. “What are you hiding?”

  “I’m not hiding anything.” His shoulders loosen, and he props himself against the doorframe. “I just don’t see the need to talk about the past.”

  So that didn’t work. Let’s try logic instead. “Employment history is not the past; it’s relevant to the safety of our business.”

  “Nothing in my history is any danger to your business.” He smiles. “Talk to your brothers. They’ll vouch for me.”

  This sets my teeth grinding, because it’s been a day and he’s already figured out the truth. Wyatt and Jackson are the ones that matter, and he’s won them over. Dissent on my part will only look petty. I haven’t been involved in their discussions about our operations, but Caden has impressed them, and he hasn’t even delivered a crop yet.

  Caden has already homed in on the fact that I hold none of the power.

  This compels me to exert some authority.

  “What if I want to make sure you don’t have a record?” Barring a criminal record, my brothers will view his employment history as inconsequential as he does.

  He shrugs. “Go ahead. I don’t have one.”

  I narro
w my eyes. “So I can check your criminal record, but not your employment history? Does that sum it up?”

  A nod. “Pretty much.”

  Another battle I’m not going to win. I hope that’s not a sign of things to come.

  “All right.” I gesture toward the hall. “Let’s get on with it.”

  Caden

  * * *

  I’m propped against the edge of my new desk and Cat is in the chair, tapping away at the keyboard as she does her thing. I’m aware I’m being unreasonable about my employment history, although it’s not for the reasons she thinks.

  I’ve never given my employers anything but 110 percent, and all the outfits I’ve worked for have thrived under my care. I don’t have a record either.

  I’m a bastard, not a criminal.

  Asking her to trust my abilities without proof or references is a lot. I understand that, but I can’t risk her calling because I don’t want a trail back to me. It’s really that simple. Part of why I’ve played my cards the way I have, including showing up for the interview in the first place, is because Gabe assured me the McKay’s were desperate and he’d vouch for me.

  I’m being a hardass, and it’s created friction between Cat and me. Friction that certainly doesn’t help the heat between us. I’m going to have to find a way to fix it.

  This job is perfect for me and fell right into my lap just before I ran out of money and couches, so nothing is going to ruin it.

  Not the past.

  Not my self-destructive streak.

  Not Cat McKay with her flashing silver eyes.

  I’m going to do right this time.

  I glance down at the woman staring far too intently at a computer screen. She’s dressed in a yellow sleeveless top and jeans, looking sexy and adorable and breakable. There’s always got to be one fly in the ointment, and she’s clearly it. I don’t want to want her, but I do, and chemistry simmers below the surface of all our interactions.

  The question is what to do about it.

  My attention snags on the curve of her neck. Her hair is in one of those messy buns, strands spilling out to curl over the base of her neck and brush across her cheeks. I have the urge to bite her, hard enough to leave the mark of teeth before sucking her soft skin and soothing the sting with my tongue.

  Obviously, that won’t do at all.

  The only thing I can think of is to stick to my plan and keep things as cordial as possible. Keep things polite. And don’t engage.

  I can’t respond to her prickliness.

  Or that chip she has on her shoulder.

  Or her desire to fight with me.

  The best way to quell the heat is to be as impassive and professional as possible.

  She jabs aggressively at the enter key and then nods. “Okay, you’re in.”

  “Great.” I straighten and turn to face the computer, leaning down to get a better look.

  She glares up at me. “Do you mind?”

  I’m not inappropriately close. It only feels that way because of the tension between us, and as much as I want to say something suggestive and confronting, I ignore the urge and move to grab the chair on the other side of the desk.

  I drag it over before settling in. I smile at her, all pleasant like. “Better?”

  Her gaze narrows, like she’s suspicious of me, before she turns to face the screen. “This is the shared drive.” She clicks on the button. “I have it organized into distillery business and restaurant business.” She shrugs. “Although, I’ll admit I’m still new to that side, and it might be a good idea to set up time with Jackson and Gwen to go over it in more detail.”

  She clicks away.

  I forget to watch the screen and instead study her more intently. “How did that come about?”

  Her fingers fall still, and she turns her attention to me. “What?”

  “The restaurant side of the business. What made you decide to use some of your land for such different crops?”

  Her brow furrows, pulling a bit. “Jackson decided.”

  “Just like that?”

  Her lips curve into a half smile. “Just like that. It’s his land too. Wyatt and Jackson talked it over, and there was acreage we hadn’t expanded into yet. It made sense.”

  Actually it didn’t make sense at all. I did some research, and the rum distillery had been growing at a steady clip. Not allowing the crops to expand slows their production and expansion.

  I raise a brow. “Did it?”

  “Well, yeah, do you know who Jackson is?”

  “A little.” I looked him up on the local library computer when I did my research.

  She nodded. “So then you know that a restaurant by Jackson and Gwen is like a worldwide culinary event. They will help put us on the map.”

  “But doesn’t it slow your growth?”

  She shrugged. “Wyatt’s not interested in mass production. He wants to focus on high-quality, specialty bottles. He’s after an exclusive market, not competing with Captain Morgan. His rum in Jackson and Gwen’s restaurant helps his end game.”

  It’s in line with what both Jackson and Wyatt told me as we walked through their operations. But it doesn’t really factor Cat into the picture, and I can’t help wondering how she fits into their business plans.

  “And what about you?”

  “What about me?”

  The frowning is back.

  “You’ve talked about what Wyatt wants and what Jackson wants, but what do you want?”

  The downward curve of her lips deepens, and a shadow passes across her features. For a split second she looks crestfallen, but her mask snaps back into place so fast I’m not even sure what I saw.

  “I’m here to support the business and take care of the operations to free them up so they can focus on what they do best.”

  Didn’t answer my question, but I don’t push it. Climbing inside her mind is not on the agenda.

  I nod. “Fair enough.”

  There’s silence. Our gazes meet. She searches my face with those silver eyes, but I’m not sure what she’s looking for. I don’t think she finds whatever it is, though, because she snaps back, jerking her attention to the computer in front of her.

  “Let’s walk through all the schedules.” She glances at her Apple watch. “I’ve got forty-five minutes, and then I have to change for the tasting this afternoon.”

  “You’ve got my undivided attention.”

  Her shoulders stiffen, but she opens a system icon and starts to talk.

  All my unanswered questions about her will have to go unanswered. Which seems fair, considering.

  Both of us will have to stay unsatisfied.

  4

  Cat

  Wednesday night has finally come, and I’m at Gabe’s house, biding my time before I ask my questions about our new farm manager. I lean my head against Gabe’s couch and shift my attention away from the credits playing after the last episode of The Crown and over to my friend. I’m full from dinner, relaxed with red wine, and ready to start digging into the mystery of Caden.

  In the last couple of days, he’s managed to make a friend of everyone. But while there’s no question he’s saving my ass from complete disaster, I don’t trust him. It’s like my hair stands on end whenever he gets close, and I can’t help wanting to know what he’s hiding. I should let it go, of course. Because I did run that background check, and he’s clean of a criminal record.

  So that’s one worry off the list, but I want to know more. The desire to understand him has burrowed under my skin like an itch I can’t scratch.

  Of course, I’m self-aware enough to understand the urge is partially because of my stupid attraction to the man, but that doesn’t change me being justified in my desire to make sure his past doesn’t hurt our future.

  At least, that’s the reason I’m selling myself on today.

  I’ve Googled him, but he’s a ghost. Which leaves Gabe as the only link.

  I just have to make sure I’m casual, since Gabe know
s me far too well.

  He’s sitting on the couch next to me, his long legs stretched out, his feet propped on the coffee table. He’s tall and handsome, with auburn hair and deep, rich brown eyes. Sometimes I wish we were attracted to each other—it would make life so much easier—but it’s not to be. I look at him and feel nothing but comfort.

  Apparently, attraction to the guy who’s my good friend would be too easy for the likes of me. Nope, I have to go and want a man I don’t like and have no future with.

  I guess I’m no different than my mom that way. My dad was a mean son of a bitch my mom never got over. Even though his brother, my uncle Beau, loved her, took care of us, and would’ve done anything for her, her heart belonged to the man who didn’t deserve her.

  I bite my lip. I suppose it’s not entirely the same. Gabe doesn’t love me any more than I love him.

  He cocks a brow. “What’s going on? I can practically feel you thinking over there.”

  I shake my head. “Nothing, just work stuff.”

  I have to be careful how I broach the subject of Caden. I can’t tip my hand, even with someone I trust, like Gabe, because this is a small town and the second you spill secrets, they’re out in the air, ready to be snatched up and spread.

  I learned that lesson way back in middle school when I told Sally Jacobs I got my period and by the end of the week, everyone in the whole school knew about it.

  “How’s Caden working out?” Gabe takes a sip from his beer bottle and rests it back on his flat abdomen.

  Excellent. He’s brought him up for me. Now I feign nonchalance. I wave my hand over the living room. “Considering I’ve bought you dinner and wine for saving the day, he’s working out pretty well.”

  “Good.” He pats my ankle, which is dangling off the edge of the couch. “I’d never have sent him your way if I didn’t think he’d be able to do the job.”

  I clear my throat. “So far he seems more than capable of doing the job, and he’s won over both Wyatt and Jackson.”

  He nods. “What about you? Has he won you over?”

  It’s so nice of him to drop such an opening right into my lap. See? This is why we’re friends. “He appears to know what he’s talking about, but we’ll see. It’s not like he’s produced anything yet.”