Chapter Two

Declan had his own list of life rules. He’d never written them down or any shit like that, but they were as ingrained in his head as the ink was on his arms. Top of the list—even before he’d started thinking about wanting to settle down—was not hooking up with any females related to any of his buddies. With just a few close pals and his best friend being an only child, this had never been an issue.

Shouldn’t be one now. But as Sophia Strombi stared at him with those big, heart-stopping chocolate brown eyes, he couldn’t help but think that karma was a bitch. She was as off-limits as a woman could get for him. Personally and, hell, professionally, even though that was a loose connection at the moment.

“Why would you want to work here?” There were many other questions he wanted to ask her—like who’d broken her heart, since it was obvious someone had. There was a hint of sadness underscoring her tone, and the look in her eyes and the way it twisted his heart surprised him.

He hadn’t seen her since she was about eighteen, and he sure as hell didn’t remember her being so straightforward and full of fire. Or sexy. The way her eyes locked on his and her hip jutted out just a bit. Her shoulders were straight back with all that luscious hair tumbling over them. Christ, without even trying, she was sexier than any woman he’d met. But underneath all that, there was a vulnerability that made him want to tug her close and hang on tight.

“The first reason is I need a job,” she said, a quiet smile taking over her full lips.

“Your family owns one of the longest-running, most successful businesses in town. Your dad has always wanted you there.”

She tapped her fingertips on his bar, drawing his gaze to her delicate hands. A thought of them on his skin jumped into his head, searing his brain. Get a grip, man. For months now, he’d been coming to terms with the fact that he’d outgrown casual hookups and string-free relationships, though he never thought he’d see the day he felt this way. That he’d want things he never had before. He hadn’t even said the words out loud to his best friend yet—mostly because his friend would laugh his ass off and then support him fully—but Declan wanted to find his person. That person is not Sophia Strombi. For more reasons than he had time to list.

But the fire burning in his gut, just from the look of her, from the sound of her voice, and that look in her eyes was something he hadn’t felt in, maybe, ever. You are going into business with her brother. Reminding himself didn’t douse the burn.

“I don’t want to work for my dad. I didn’t want to for the five years I had to before I turned eighteen. I sure as hell didn’t want to when I hit eighteen, and I don’t want to now. Plus, I know you’re looking for a manager.”

He frowned at her, wondering how she knew that. Marcus didn’t talk about Sophia much. The time they spent together lately focused solely on the craft beer recipe they were perfecting.

Scooping the limes into one bowl and the lemons into another, he washed his hands. “You talked to Marcus?”

She nodded. “I talk to him more than any of the others. More lately since he’s been asking me for marketing ideas for the craft beer you two are working on.” She smiled, but it was self-deprecating. “Plus, he’s worried about my dad’s reaction to the news, and as the family disappointment, I’m the easiest to unload on.”

Dec’s stomach knotted at the sadness in her tone. From where he stood, Sophia was about as far from a disappointment as he could imagine. He knew the Strombi patriarch—Pops, to everyone who knew him—was old-school and believed each of his four kids should be part of the family business. Their pizza joint had been part of Brockton Point longer than Declan had been alive. From what he’d heard, though, all the youngest Strombi was guilty of was forging her own path. Since he had a little experience with doing the same, he fell more on the side of admiration for her.

He came around the bar, drying his hands on a cloth. He took the seat beside her and tried to ignore how sweet she smelled. How damn good she looked. It humbled him to admit that the little hitch in his heart when her gaze held his was more about her than the fact that he hadn’t had a date in forever. He didn’t recognize anything going on inside of him right now, but knew he needed to turn whatever the hell it was off.

“Sounds like you have a lot of fences to mend,” he said, holding the eye contact, trying to get a more accurate read on her thoughts.

Sophia’s head dipped down. Her long dark curls cascaded around her shoulders and her face. Declan nudged her face up using two fingers under her chin. He dropped his hand and waited. There was too much to get tangled up in here. The last thing he needed was to complicate his twenty-plus-year friendship with this woman’s brother and the new business venture they were embarking on.

“I know. I’m back home to stay, Dec. I need a job. Marcus was talking about how serious you guys are about brewing your own beer, not just for your businesses, but others in the area. He said you were looking for someone to hold down the fort here and he was trying to find a way to break it to my dad. I came here first. I don’t want to show up at my parents’ house and tell them that I lost my fiancé and my job in one day. Or that I didn’t notice said fiancé was stealing money from me, so I’m basically starting over. Or that they were right and running off wasn’t the way to prove I’d grown up.”

Her voice cracked, and his heart joined in. Shit. Anger coursed through him at the thought of some jackass hurting her or using her. Unsure how to comfort her without touching her, he put an arm around her shoulder, telling himself side-hugs were totally within boundaries. But it felt awkward since everything inside of him ached to wrap her in his arms. For comfort. Just like I would for any other woman I care for platonically. Except he didn’t feel lust or attraction when he gave his buddy’s wife or her best friend a hug. Nope. When he hugged them, his heart beat normally. Not like the rapid-fire rate it was doing now. Shit.

Whatever rules Declan had would be ruthlessly tested if she talked him into hiring her. On the other hand, he couldn’t stand the thought that she’d finally come home and felt like she couldn’t go home.

“Don’t cry, Sophia.” He ran a hand down her hair, wanting to tangle his fingers in it. Think of her like a sister. Tears usually scared him a little, but with her, he just wanted to make her feel better. No matter what it took. Because you’ve known her for her whole life.

She sniffled and pulled back. “Sorry. This is completely unprofessional.”

Declan tugged a lock of her hair. “Good thing it’s not a job interview. Just two friends catching up.”

Like she’d infused steel into her spine, she stiffened and folded her hands in her lap. “As much as I could use a friend, I didn’t come to catch up. Was Marcus correct when he said you were hiring?”

Declan nodded. “I’m trying to spend less of my life in this bar. Things are good. Better than good. Your brother and I have been working on this recipe for the better part of a year. We’ve got it now, and we’re ready to test it out.” It was just one of the ways he’d embraced looking forward. It kept his thoughts from circling over the fact that he’d bought a house by the ocean, hoping that would soothe the unfamiliar emptiness that had recently taken up residence in his chest. “I’m looking for more than a manager.”

What he really wanted was someone who could take on a management role when he wasn’t around, take over the office tasks even when he was around, and help him expand his business. On Dec was his pride and joy. But it wasn’t like he’d gone to business school. He knew he could use some help in the publicity department. Particularly since Brockton Point was not the tiny town it once was.

Sophia grinned, all traces of the unsure woman he’d just glimpsed gone. “I can do more than manage. I have a double degree in marketing and business management. I’m better than any candidate you’ll interview, and you know you can trust me. I have insight into how to help with marketing, promotion, and building your business. On top of that, I come from a large Italian family, so wrangling your tipsy patrons will be a piece of cake.”

Declan laughed, charmed by her enthusiasm. While a minute ago he was cursing fate for bringing this woman to him when he was looking for the perfect partner, maybe he’d been wrong. Maybe Sophia was exactly what he needed. What your bar needs. Not you.

He’d been encouraging Marcus to grow a pair and talk to his old man about the beer since they wanted to do a tasting before bringing it into the pub and Pop’s place. He’d used the fact that he was looking to bring in a manager as leverage—proof he was serious. Now it was time to take it to the next level. Declan didn’t think his friend was going to be real pleased if he hired his baby sister, but on the other hand, if Sophia was looking for work anyway, wasn’t it better that she was here where someone the Strombi family trusted could keep an eye on her? As long as you keep your eyes and not your hands on her.

He could do that. He had his rules. Maybe he ought to write them down after all. Right after keeping his hands off any women connected to relatives of friends, he also didn’t play around at work. Business and pleasure were not a good combination, and he’d never crossed that line. It didn’t make him feel great that it was this realization that pushed him to decide. If he hired her, he’d stick to his own unwritten code. Hell, it would probably fade five minutes after working with her anyway. What he felt right now was just pent-up energy brought on by a self-imposed dry spell. That’s all. He’d hire Sophia Strombi, his friend would thank him for it, and doing so would be like a guarantee he’d keep his hands off.

“You have a resume I can see?” he asked, ignoring the way her grin tangled his insides. “I can’t just hire any person off the street, you know.”

She laughed and opened the suitcase she probably called a purse, pulling out a folder and sliding it along the bar to him. When he took it, their fingertips touched, and Declan wondered how it was that just that simple touch had him more excited than he’d been in longer than he could remember.

He shook his head, opening the folder. He was either doing the right thing, or he was setting himself up for a life-changing disaster.