The Fireside Lounge was busy, with the guitarist Emily had secured bringing in a new, livelier crowd. Levi sat with his brothers and Wes was in full scout mode.

Levi glared at him. “Not a good idea for you to hunt on Club Tahoe grounds. It was fine when Dad ran the place, but we have a responsibility to our customers now.”

Wes shot him a look. “Stop being so damned uptight. Shouldn’t have missed our Friday round of golf today. It would have loosened you up.”

“Someone needs to keep the resort going.”

Wes ignored Levi’s jab. “When was the last time you got laid? Maybe that’s what you need. You’re turning into a prude.”

Levi didn’t answer. Because the last time he’d hooked up was before his accident. Going on eleven months now. And contrary to what his brother believed, Levi wasn’t feeling pure at the moment. If Wes only knew how immoral Levi’s thoughts leaned toward his assistant, he would be razzing Levi for an entirely different reason. Between his past with Lisa and Emily being his subordinate in the workplace, he was fairly certain he’d be crossing moral lines.

Only problem? He damn well didn’t want to see Emily dating anyone else.

He balled his hands into fists and took a deep breath. He wasn’t supposed to care if Emily went on dates. He was supposed to forget about their lapse in judgment last night and return things to normal. He shook his hands out. This was the right thing to do—to let her go.

Let. As if he had a say in whom she dated.

He needed another beer. Maybe if he hounded his brothers about their indiscretions, he could forget about the one he wanted to commit. Again.

Wes’s gaze narrowed on Levi in a way that made him leery. “Your velvet hammer put her tiny foot down at the ball last night. Ruined a perfectly good hookup.”

Warmth bloomed in Levi’s chest. Emily was tough…and hot, and sweet. She tasted good too. Dammit.

It didn’t matter that she wasn’t his normal type. Emily was a paperclip counter list maker, who could hold her own against his unruly brothers, all with a genuine smile. And she’d been kind to Grace this afternoon—his old, slightly arthritic, and not always fresh-smelling dog.

His lips twitched as he remembered how he’d found them this evening. Emily knew enough to not let his brothers walk all over her, but she’d bent over backward for his gentle dog.

“What are you smiling about?” Wes looked appalled.

Levi coughed into his fist. “Nothing. The point is, Dad knew what he was doing when he hired me, and Emily’s been a big help. I’m glad she put you in your place.”

“Whatever.” Wes slid a lopsided grin toward a blonde at the bar, and the woman grinned back.

“We all need to remain focused,” Levi continued. “We could learn a thing or two from Emily’s approach to her career. Although…”

Wes must have scented something. His head swung around. “Although?”

“Emily’s, uh, you know… She’s out tonight too.” His voice came out strangled.

Wes leaned forward. “Your little workhorse has a hot date? Huh. Good. She needs to get laid as badly as you do.”

Levi gripped his knees beneath the table. “She does not need—”

“What about her?” Bran said to Wes, gesturing with a subtle nod to an area across the room. “No, not that one…the one by the door.”

Wes’s gaze took in the woman in question. “Not bad.”

The woman Bran had gestured to was pretty—dark hair, full figure. Just the kind of woman Levi used to pursue. Now he wasn’t interested in anyone who wasn’t smart, sweet—yet hard-assed when she needed to be—and kind to dogs. But Levi had a bad track record with serious relationships. He couldn’t afford something like that setting him off course. Which was another reason why pursuing Emily wasn’t in the plans.

Wes shook his head. “I’m in the mood for a blonde tonight. Had a brunette last week. I need to switch it up or I get bored.”

“Dude.” Hunt, who’d slipped in while Levi was silently brooding over Emily, looked surprised. “You’re getting worse than me.”

Wes’s attention slid back to the blonde at the bar. “No one’s as bad as you.”

Hunt grinned wolfishly. “True.”

“You’re all pigs,” Levi murmured.

Hunt, Wes, Bran, and even Adam, who’d remained quiet the entire time, checking his watch every few minutes, stared at him.

“What?” he said sharply.

Wes looked to Adam, who set his beer on the table and sat forward.

Adam wore jeans and a West End Brewery T-shirt instead of the designer duds he used to sport when they went out. It would be an early night for Adam. He was likely minutes away from ditching them for his fiancée.

“The guys are probably wondering,” Adam said, “what in the fuck has happened to you?”

Levi stretched his neck. He still wore his buttoned-up work clothes, and they were strangling him at the moment. “Nothing. I’m the same.”

Adam tapped his finger on the table. “Levi, man, you’re more uptight than I’ve ever seen you. And that’s saying something, because you’re typically controlling and overbearing.”

“Your point?”

“The point is, what’s causing you more stress these last few days than everything else combined—the loss of Dad, running Club Tahoe… Wait.” His finger stopped its tap dance. “You said Emily is on a date?”

“So?” Levi’s voice came out more irritated than he intended.

“Damn.” Adam said. “Hayden called it, but… Are you really thinking of starting something with Emily?”

Hunt snickered, shaking his head as he checked out a busty waitress approaching. Bran, Wes, and Adam, however, continued to stare at Levi, waiting for his response.

His brothers’ combined focus left Levi sweating as though he were under a stage spotlight. “Course not.” He gulped the last of the beer in front of him.

“No, I think you’re on to something, Adam,” Wes said, his dark eyes flashing.

“Agreed.” Bran nodded, oblivious to the busty waitress Hunt had been checking out, but who kept her eyes on Bran.

“Well,” said Hunt, stretching his arms above his head, “it makes sense. Emily’s a hot little piece of—”

Levi was across the table and had Hunt in a chokehold before his brother could finish his sentence.

Wes, Bran, and Adam leapt from their chairs. “What the fuck,” Wes said, pulling Levi off Hunt.

Hunt straightened his collar, his face red with fury as he glared at Levi. “I’m out.” He stormed toward the exit.

Adam shoved Levi back in his seat, which had to have taken half of Adam’s weight and every ounce of his younger, slightly shorter brother’s strength.

Levi glanced around, lifting his hand in silent apology to the club’s bar patrons, who now stared.

Dammit. Not the best way to behave in front of the hotel’s guests. Hunt grated on Levi’s last nerve, but he was on edge and uptight.

Getting over his attraction to Emily wasn’t going to be as easy as he’d hoped.