and a sweet heat enveloped her body. God, he was sexy. His lips closed over the beer bottle again and he swallowed, eyes still on hers. It was the hottest thing she'd ever seen.
She took a big drink of her own beer, forgetting she detested it. She wanted to press the cold, wet bottle against the fever-hot skin of her chest.
"Yeah, I should have gone with you,” Connor said. “I just don't have much energy for anything these days.” He sounded so depressed.
God, not only was she tortured by lust for Zach, but Connor was testing her conscience as well.
"You two aren't twins, are you?” she asked, and Zach laughed.
"No,” he said. “Connor's two years older than I am."
"You look so much alike."
"Yeah. I could see you were kind of confused when we walked into that meeting room the other day."
"Oh, yeah.” She'd been confused all right. Dazed and confused.
"Hey,” Connor said suddenly, apparently reminded of her connection to the investigation. “Tell us more about what you guys are going to do tomorrow."
"Well.” Ashlyn rubbed the condensation on the bottle with her thumb, up and down. “I don't know all the details, but tomorrow we're going to have a look at your place and decide what we need to do. They'll check out your security, see if there's a good place for a hidden camera or two, I don't know. If you want they can tap everyone's phones and record conversations, and we can also monitor everyone's computer use. But I think first we should try to narrow down a couple of prime suspects."
"Yeah.” Connor nodded. Zach tossed noodles into a pot of boiling water and then lifted the lid on steaming baby carrots. Ashlyn liked watching him work in the kitchen. She had no interest in cooking whatsoever, although she did like to eat. Who knew cooking could be so sexy?
"That's a problem,” Zach said heavily, stirring the noodles. “I can't believe someone who works for us would do something like that."
"You must think it's possible, or you wouldn't have come to us,” Ashlyn pointed out.
Zach poured pretzels from a bag into a bowl and slid it across the counter towards Ashlyn and Connor. They both reached hungrily into the bowl.
"I know,” he agreed. “But I guess I mean I just don't want to believe someone who works for us would do it. Jesus. They're our friends."
"They're our employees,” Connor corrected.
Zach rolled his eyes. “They're our friends."
"Maybe we should think about possibilities,” Ashlyn said. “Who's worked for you the shortest time?"
The two men thought. “That would be Emma Smith,” Connor said. “Our office manager and bookkeeper. She's only worked for us for about six months."
"When did Steinbrau first contact you?” Ashlyn asked, holding a pretzel.
"About ... six months ago,” Zach said slowly.
"Before or after Emma started working for you?"
Zach and Connor exchanged a look. “I'm not sure,” Connor said. “I think it was after."
"It was before,” Zach said.
"After,” Connor snapped.
"We can check tomorrow,” Ashlyn intervened, snagging another pretzel. She washed it down with beer and, to her surprise, realized she'd drunk the whole bottle. “Anybody else start working for you around then?"
"No,” Connor answered. “Everyone else has worked for us for years."
They talked about the people who worked at the brewery. Even though Ashlyn wasn't an investigator, she had a natural curiosity and good instincts. Usually.
"Who has access to information about your new products?” she asked.
"Well, Ava Cooper, the Sales and Marketing Manager,” Zach said uncomfortably. “And of course Melissa Jackson, our salesperson. Plus Tim, my assistant brewer."
"Okay,” she said. “Who has access to the yeast?"
"Nobody,” Zach said immediately. “Just me."
"Not even you?” she asked Connor. He shook his head.
"I have no clue what to do with yeast,” he said. “Zach keeps the yeast locked in a lab. It has to be refrigerated at the right temperature. He's the
She took a big drink of her own beer, forgetting she detested it. She wanted to press the cold, wet bottle against the fever-hot skin of her chest.
"Yeah, I should have gone with you,” Connor said. “I just don't have much energy for anything these days.” He sounded so depressed.
God, not only was she tortured by lust for Zach, but Connor was testing her conscience as well.
"You two aren't twins, are you?” she asked, and Zach laughed.
"No,” he said. “Connor's two years older than I am."
"You look so much alike."
"Yeah. I could see you were kind of confused when we walked into that meeting room the other day."
"Oh, yeah.” She'd been confused all right. Dazed and confused.
"Hey,” Connor said suddenly, apparently reminded of her connection to the investigation. “Tell us more about what you guys are going to do tomorrow."
"Well.” Ashlyn rubbed the condensation on the bottle with her thumb, up and down. “I don't know all the details, but tomorrow we're going to have a look at your place and decide what we need to do. They'll check out your security, see if there's a good place for a hidden camera or two, I don't know. If you want they can tap everyone's phones and record conversations, and we can also monitor everyone's computer use. But I think first we should try to narrow down a couple of prime suspects."
"Yeah.” Connor nodded. Zach tossed noodles into a pot of boiling water and then lifted the lid on steaming baby carrots. Ashlyn liked watching him work in the kitchen. She had no interest in cooking whatsoever, although she did like to eat. Who knew cooking could be so sexy?
"That's a problem,” Zach said heavily, stirring the noodles. “I can't believe someone who works for us would do something like that."
"You must think it's possible, or you wouldn't have come to us,” Ashlyn pointed out.
Zach poured pretzels from a bag into a bowl and slid it across the counter towards Ashlyn and Connor. They both reached hungrily into the bowl.
"I know,” he agreed. “But I guess I mean I just don't want to believe someone who works for us would do it. Jesus. They're our friends."
"They're our employees,” Connor corrected.
Zach rolled his eyes. “They're our friends."
"Maybe we should think about possibilities,” Ashlyn said. “Who's worked for you the shortest time?"
The two men thought. “That would be Emma Smith,” Connor said. “Our office manager and bookkeeper. She's only worked for us for about six months."
"When did Steinbrau first contact you?” Ashlyn asked, holding a pretzel.
"About ... six months ago,” Zach said slowly.
"Before or after Emma started working for you?"
Zach and Connor exchanged a look. “I'm not sure,” Connor said. “I think it was after."
"It was before,” Zach said.
"After,” Connor snapped.
"We can check tomorrow,” Ashlyn intervened, snagging another pretzel. She washed it down with beer and, to her surprise, realized she'd drunk the whole bottle. “Anybody else start working for you around then?"
"No,” Connor answered. “Everyone else has worked for us for years."
They talked about the people who worked at the brewery. Even though Ashlyn wasn't an investigator, she had a natural curiosity and good instincts. Usually.
"Who has access to information about your new products?” she asked.
"Well, Ava Cooper, the Sales and Marketing Manager,” Zach said uncomfortably. “And of course Melissa Jackson, our salesperson. Plus Tim, my assistant brewer."
"Okay,” she said. “Who has access to the yeast?"
"Nobody,” Zach said immediately. “Just me."
"Not even you?” she asked Connor. He shook his head.
"I have no clue what to do with yeast,” he said. “Zach keeps the yeast locked in a lab. It has to be refrigerated at the right temperature. He's the
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