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he said, leering at her. “You hear that, guys? This little thing’s a big-shot fire marshal. Means she pushes paper around while we do all the real work.” Behind him, Vermont and Kade filled his pause with the expected laugh. “So does that make you my superior , sweetheart?”
    “Back off, Ethan,” Adam snarled. “Not here, not now.”
    The man directed a glower at him. “Is she the reason you gave my promotion to that reject Aldridge?”
    Great. So that’s what this was about. “We’ll discuss this tomorrow. At work,” he said firmly. “You’re drunk.”
    “No shit I’m drunk.” Ethan’s jaw firmed. “And we’ll goddamn talk about it now. ”
    Winter’s sudden gasp alerted him to the problem before he saw it—the clenched fist, the arm swinging around. He moved completely in front of her and caught the intended blow with one hand—then squeezed Ethan’s fingers. Hard. “Tomorrow,” he repeated, not bothering to hide the threat in his tone. “If you start something tonight, I will finish it. You won’t. Now go home and sleep it off.”
    Ethan’s face flushed a dull red. He yanked his hand free and stepped back, his features twitching as he glared for a long moment. Finally, he turned and stalked away, with his flunkies following like dogs commanded to heel.
    Adam waited until the man was out of sight before he turned to Winter with a sigh. “Don’t pay any attention to Ethan,” he said. “He’s got a problem with authority.”
    She stared at him, her mouth slightly open. “He was going to hit you,” she said. “I mean, actually punch you.”
    “Well, he tried, anyway.” A rueful laugh escaped him. “It’s not the first time he’s tried.”
    “But he’s a firefighter. One of yours.”
    Adam nodded. “And he’s good at his job,” he said. “But like I said, he doesn’t play well with others.”
    “I can see that.”
    He held back another laugh. She sounded so prim and proper—and he was getting the sense that she had no idea how she came across. Actually, he found it downright adorable.
    But he had to follow his own warning. Not here, not now.
    “Hey, there’s our drinks,” he said, gesturing toward the bar where Matt was returning with two bottles and a glass of…something. “Uh. What the hell is that?”
    Matt grinned and set the drinks down. “It’s a Mai Tai.”
    “It’s…fruity.” Adam stared suspiciously at the alleged cocktail. The glass was almost the size of a fishbowl, and looked to contain an entire fruit salad with rum poured over it. Wedges of orange and lime clung limply to the rim, and not one, but two tropical umbrellas anchored with pineapple chunks decorated the mess. A bright green Krazy Straw added the final touch.
    “Festive,” Matt said. “The word you’re looking for is festive.”
    “No, I think there’s a different word I’m looking for.”
    Winter gave a slight cough and smiled bravely. “It looks delightful,” she said. “Thank you…Mark?”
    “Matt. And you’re welcome.” The bartender sent Adam a look of mock triumph. “Besides, it doesn’t matter what it looks like. It tastes awesome.”
    “If you say so,” Adam muttered, passing the monster drink carefully to Winter. “Good luck with that. Maybe you should get a spoon or something.”
    “I think I’ll manage.” She sipped cautiously through the straw—and then gave a genuine smile. “It does taste awesome.”
    “Told you,” Matt said.
    Adam laughed as he passed Dom’s twenty to Matt and grabbed the beer bottles. “I’ll be back to spend the rest of that,” he said. “Thanks, man.”
    “Any time.”
    “Okay,” he said to Winter. “Ready to meet the clowns?”
    “Sure.”
    He smiled as he led her back to the party room. Maybe tonight wouldn’t be completely terrible, after all.
     
     

Chapter 5
     
    When they returned to the room where the party was being held, Adam headed for a pool table where Dom, the firefighter Winter had met earlier, was