Employing Patience

EMPLOYING PATIENCE DIVORCED MEN’S CLUB BOOK 4 SAXON JAMES CONTENTS About This Book Prologue Chapter 1 Chapter 2 My Idiots Chat Chapter 3 Chapter 4 The Sorry Suckas Group Chat Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Bitchin’ Bachelors Group Chat Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 The Sorry Suckas Group Chat Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Chapter 19 Chapter 20 Chapter 21 Chapter 22 Chapter 23 The Sorry Suckas Group Chat Chapter 24 Chapter 25 Chapter 26 Bitchin’ Bachelors Group Chat Chapter 27 Chapter 28 Chapter 29 Chapter 30 The Sorry Suckas Group Chat Chapter 31 Chapter 32 Chapter 33 Chapter 34 Chapter 35 Epilogue My Freebies Other Books By Saxon James Want More From Me? Acknowledgments ABOUT THIS BOOK Art: When it comes to regrets, I have none. My life is perfect. I own a bar, work hard, party harder, and smother my niblings in all the love they deserve. I don’t need to settle down, as much as my sister might want me to. But then Joey Manning walks into my office and leaves me all but begging to give him a job … and wanting to give him so much more. The self-professed straight man is in my head and while I know that I need to move on from him, my body isn’t getting that message. It doesn’t help that Joey is a grade A flirt who can banter with the best of them. I’ve never had regrets. Not until Joey Manning. Joey: The bills keep piling up and the pressure to get my sisters through college before we’re evicted is always on the back of my mind. Whoever said life was for living, clearly forgot that living’s expensive. My default mode is stressed AF and working myself to the bone, and there’s only one person who gives me a break from all that. Art de Almeida. My boss. The one man I shouldn’t flirt with, but I can’t seem to stop. I want to get under his skin. To leave him panting for me. Which wouldn’t be such a bad thing except that he thinks I’m straight, and I’ve never bothered to correct him. I need this job. But some days I worry that I need Art more. Copyright © EMPLOYING PATIENCE - 2023 Saxon James All rights reserved. First published in Australia by May Books 2023 Newcastle, NSW, Australia Cover design by Story Styling Cover Designs Image supplied by @xramragde Illustrations by Tal Lewin @caravaggia13 Edited by Sandra Dee at One Love Editing and proofread by Lori Parks No parts of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the copyright owner. This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, resold, hired out, or otherwise circulated without the publisher’s prior consent in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser. Under no circumstances may any part of this book be photocopied for resale. This is a work of fiction. Any similarity between the characters and situations within its pages and places or persons, living or dead, is unintentional and co-incidental. PROLOGUE TWELVE MONTHS AGO ART I eye the man across from me, not sure how to play this. One part of me wants to hire him; the other part of me wants to say fuck that shit, strip him off, and take him to the stars. Joey Manning is all grown up. But. But. “Sorry,” he says, wringing those sexy hands in front of him. What I could do with those hands. He’s leaning forward, elbows on his knees. One chunk of hair has come loose from the short knot at the back of his head and hangs beside his face. I could do a lot with that hair too. “I know you’re not technically hiring, but …” The self-deprecating laugh he lets out shows off a flash of white teeth. “I’m desperate.” “I like my men desperate.” This time, a real laugh. “I’ve heard the stories. But sorry. Straight. And desperately in need of a job.” Ah, well, there goes that fantasy. “Like you said, I’m not hiring.” “I waited ten minutes for service on Saturday night. It wasn’t even that busy in here.” “Bullshit. It’s always busy.” “Then you could always use the extra hands.” Sly little fucker. I like it. I think. Still, that doesn’t mean I’m going to hire any guy who walks in off the street. “Why are you desperate?” I ask. “Money. Obviously.” “I can give you money. Why do you need a job? Here? In a bar?” Joey’s face twitches. “I’ve got bills like anyone else. And what’s wrong with working in a bar?” “Clearly nothing since I work in one.” “You own it though. Big difference.” I only own it because it’s been in my family since my grandparents bought the brewery. It’s not like I earned it or worked hard to buy it. It was nepotism. Pure and simple. “See, my problem is, if I hire you, I’ve gotta cut someone else’s hours. I have all the staff I need.” I deliberately don’t give him a no. I could easily hire him, and it wouldn’t impact anything. I want him to fight for it though. The Killer Brew is Kilborough’s go-to for coffee and alcohol. Sure, there are plenty of other places around town where people can get those things, but my business has never wavered. Add to that the rent I’m paid for the market in the spare warehouse attached, and when it comes to money, it’s not something I’ll ever need to worry about. I wasn’t exaggerating when I said I could give him money. If he