All the Right Places (RILEY O'BRIEN & CO #1) (3 page)

“Is it a deal breaker if I do have a problem with it?”

Her mouth went dry. Was it a deal breaker?

She knew she’d do her best work in an environment where she felt comfortable and confident, but she could work anywhere. Was she going to lose the biggest opportunity of her career because she was afraid she couldn’t control her hormones?

She struggled to find an answer, ashamed she even had to think about it. Her lustful thoughts about Quinn shouldn’t factor into her decision. Her career was more important than sexual attraction.

After several seconds of silence, he sighed. “Fine. You can do the majority of the design work in Nashville. But I expect you to be here to get the project off on the right foot.”

She went limp with relief. He had given in. “How long did you have in mind?”

After a brief pause, he said, “Four weeks.”

A month on-site wasn’t ideal, but she didn’t think he was being unreasonable with his request.

“You also need to make time to tour one of our manufacturing facilities. And I want you to present the samples in person.”

When she didn’t answer immediately, he asked sharply, “Is that acceptable to you?”

“Yes, that’s acceptable to me, as long as you pay for my airfare, lodging, and food while I’m here.”

She couldn’t afford the expense of flying back and forth from Nashville to San Francisco along with the high hotel rates in the Bay Area.

Quinn’s eyebrows shot up. “Of course. That’s a given.”

She knew she had exposed her lack of previous business experience. Covering her gaffe with a big smile, she said, “I have to finish up another project before I start on yours, but it shouldn’t take long, only a couple of weeks.”

His broad shoulders lifted in a shrug. “That’s fine.”

She stood and offered her hand to seal the deal. He looked at it for a moment, and when it was obvious he had no plans to take it, she tucked it into her pocket.

“Are we finished?” he asked, pulling out his mobile.

He had already dismissed her, and instead of being offended by his rudeness, she was relieved. She turned to grab her bag, but his words drew her attention.

“Teagan, hey . . . Amelia and I are finished,” he said into the phone. “Come and get her and then treat her to an early lunch.” He paused for a second before answering, “Okay. See you in a second.”

Disconnecting the call, he placed the phone on his desk. “Teagan’s on her way.”

Amelia nodded before bending down to pick up her bag. As she turned to face him, she noticed his eyes were focused on her lower half. She was almost certain he’d been checking out her butt.

“Quinn.”

His eyes jerked to her face. “I’m sorry,” he said, a tide of red sweeping over his face. “I missed what you said.”

Oh, yes, he definitely had been checking out her butt. She
should be insulted, but surprisingly she wasn’t. Instead, she was flattered a hot guy appreciated her anatomy.

But not just any hot guy.
This
hot guy.

“Can you repeat what you said?”

“I just wanted to thank you for the opportunity,” she said sincerely. “I think it’s going to work out great.”

Quinn smiled, but it looked more like a grimace. “Yeah, I’m sure it will.”

“So, how did it go?” Teagan asked as she and Amelia made their way along Market Street.

Teagan had promised to take her to one of the best lunch spots in the city, and they were heading to a place called Zuni Café. Although they had walked silently for a few minutes, Amelia had yet to figure out the best way to describe her meeting with Quinn, so she deflected Teagan’s question with one of her own.

“Is the weather always this gorgeous in September?”

This business trip was Amelia’s first visit to San Francisco, and she was surprised by the warm, sunny weather. Like most tourists, her knowledge of the city was gleaned primarily from movies. As a result, she had expected fog, the Golden Gate Bridge, and Alcatraz.

“Yes. Most people don’t know it, but we have Indian summers here. October is even nicer.” Teagan gave her a sidelong glance. “Are you going to tell me how your meeting with Quinn went or are we going to keep talking about the weather?”

Amelia smiled wryly. She liked Teagan, but she wouldn’t say they were friends. They had only known each other a few months, and their discussions had been limited to business with a bit of Teagan’s family history mixed in.

Ava Grace had introduced them at a concert to raise money for the nation’s largest hunger relief organization. Teagan had been there because Riley O’Brien & Co.’s charitable foundation was one of the event sponsors, while Ava Grace had performed at the concert along with several other country and rock musicians.

“The meeting wasn’t bad,” Amelia said finally. “Quinn was pleasant. Nice, even.”

Teagan snorted. “First of all, if that were true, you’d be damning him with faint praise,” she retorted. “Second, my brother is a lot of things, but ‘nice’ is not an adjective most women use to describe him.”

“How do most women describe him?” Amelia asked, eager to gain some insight into Quinn from such a reliable source.

Teagan made a sound of disgust. “Hot.” Her red lips twisted. “But I think ‘hardheaded’ is a better adjective. Although ‘clueless’ also works.”

Amelia laughed. “Maybe you’re right. He’s still blissfully unaware of our real plans.”

“So he still has no idea you’re going to reimagine our women’s jeans, in addition to creating some new styles and expanding the product line?”

“No, we only talked about accessories,” Amelia confirmed. “He noticed my boots right away, and I think they convinced him that I was up to the challenge.”

“I knew they would. He likes shoes even more than I do, and I’m a shoe whore.”

She looked down at Teagan’s heels. “Yes, you are,” she agreed with a laugh.

The red suede peep-toes were a perfect complement to Teagan’s wrap dress, which clung to her considerable curves. “That’s a fabulous dress, by the way. You remind me of a 1940s pinup.”

Teagan smoothed a hand over her dark, wavy hair. “I always wear dresses or skirts to work.” She sighed wistfully. “I would love to wear jeans, but I can’t wear the competition to the office. Can you imagine? It would be like cursing during Mass. And I refuse to wear Rileys. I hate the way they fit.”

Amelia nodded. “Me, too. They’re too long for me, and I have to go up a couple of sizes for them to fit my butt, which
makes the waist too loose. Even Ava Grace looks bad in them.”

“And they’re so uncomfortable in the crotch.”

Amelia snickered. “The dreaded camel toe.”

“Ugh,” Teagan groaned. “If you can find a way to design a pair of jeans that prevent camel toe, you’ll be doing the whole world a great service.”

Teagan shifted her red Gucci bag to her other shoulder and stopped in front of a storefront topped with a bright yellow awning. “This is it,” she announced, ushering Amelia through the door.

Soon after the hostess seated them in a booth near the window, their server came by to take their drink order. Amelia was surprised when Teagan ordered a dirty martini.

“I know it’s early, but talking with Quinn about the women’s division always drives me to drink,” Teagan noted with a scowl. “The men in my family are so stubborn. I really thought things would change once Quinn stepped in to run the company when my dad got sick, but he hasn’t done anything to help the women’s division. It’s infuriating.”

The server delivered the drinks to their table, and Teagan took a moment to reduce him to a quivering mass of hormones with some over-the-top flirting. When she finished with him and the poor guy had stumbled away, she raised her martini.

“To a successful redesign,” she toasted.

When Amelia didn’t raise her glass, Teagan frowned. Sighing loudly, she returned her cocktail to the table with a sharp click.

“I know you feel guilty about going behind Quinn’s back,” Teagan acknowledged. “But he needs to realize how important the women’s division really is.”

“I do feel guilty. I’m not a naturally deceitful person.”

“You just need a little practice.”

Amelia shook her head in exasperation. While Teagan didn’t seem to have any hesitation about working behind her older brother’s back, Amelia continued to struggle with her decision.

Initially, Teagan and Amelia had only talked about accessories. When Teagan had broached the subject of working on
a comprehensive redesign, Amelia hadn’t been interested because of the secrecy required.

But Teagan had been very persuasive, agreeing to fund Amelia’s longtime dream of owning a chain of boutiques where she could sell her designs exclusively. Teagan’s investment was contingent upon Amelia’s success. Quinn had to agree to put her designs into production or she didn’t get anything for her efforts.

Amelia met Teagan’s eyes. “Are you sure you want to do this? I only spent a short amount of time with Quinn this morning, but I have no doubt he’ll be furious when he finds out what we’re doing.”

Going behind Quinn’s back made Amelia feel as if she was compromising an important part of herself in her quest for success. She had the unpleasant notion this was exactly how executives devolved into criminals. Little by little, they put money and success ahead of character and integrity.

“My dad ignored the women’s division, and Quinn doesn’t think it can be successful, no matter what,” Teagan grumbled, her frustration evident. “He refuses to listen to me, and I have to do something big to make him see the potential.”

After taking a sip of her martini, Teagan said, “I’ve been thinking about the best way to tell Quinn about the redesign. I know we’ve only talked about sketches, but maybe you should create samples, too. Then we could have a mini fashion show.”

Amelia considered Teagan’s suggestion. “I think that’s a good idea. But I’ll need extra time to create the samples.”

“How much time?”

“At least twelve weeks . . . maybe more,” she replied, knowing her answer would disappoint Teagan. “And that doesn’t include the initial design process.”

Sure enough, the other woman’s mouth turned down in a disappointed frown. “So January at the earliest?”

Amelia nodded apologetically. “I know it will be hard to keep the project a secret from Quinn for that long.”

“We don’t have any choice. We have a much better chance of gaining his support if he can see your designs on real bodies. You know what they say: seeing is believing.”

“There’s still a good chance he won’t put them into production,” Amelia warned.

Teagan nodded. “You’re right, he might not. And if he refuses to see it my way, I’ll take it to the board.”

Amelia pondered Teagan’s statement. It sounded as if she was willing to push Quinn out of the CEO suite if he didn’t go along with her ideas.

“Just to be clear, do you want to take over the company?”

Teagan frowned. “I doubt it would come to that.”

“And if it did?”

“I don’t want to take Quinn’s job from him. Let’s just hope he eventually sees the light.”

•   •   •

Quinn stabbed the down button on the elevators leading to the parking garage below Riley Plaza. Since it was nearly seven in the evening, no one else waited for the elevator. He impatiently slapped his leather messenger bag against his hip, eager to be on his way home.

This morning’s unscheduled meeting with Amelia Winger had messed up his routine. After handing Amelia off to Teagan, he’d immediately rushed into a meeting with the head of real estate, Sam Sullivan.

During the meeting, he and Sam had discussed the possibility of opening more Riley O’Brien retail locations. Currently, the company employed a multichannel distribution model, selling its products in bricks-and-mortar locations, online, and through print catalogs.

Customers could purchase Rileys from big-name department stores, regional clothing chains, and smaller boutiques, along with Riley O’Brien–branded shops. While online sales were growing, most people still bought their jeans from a retail location.

In general, neither men nor women liked to buy a pair of jeans without trying them on. In fact, market research showed most people considered several different brands and tried on multiple styles before buying even one pair of jeans.

The elevator arrived with a ding, its doors swishing open. Stepping inside, he pushed the button to take him down to the
third level. While most companies reserved prime parking spaces for executives, Riley O’Brien & Co.’s coveted spaces were awarded monthly by lottery. The process served as a constant reminder that all employees were valued equally.

Arriving at the designated floor, he made his way to his Audi Q7 and clicked the remote to unlock the doors. He’d bought the luxury SUV on a whim one rainy Saturday afternoon a few months ago.

Since he hadn’t been seeing anyone romantically, and his brother, Cal, had been out of town, he’d been bored out of his mind. He had been watching ESPN when an Audi commercial had come on, and he had decided to visit the local dealership.

When Cal had seen his new toy, he’d pointed out that most people went for a run or to the movies when they were bored. His brother had concluded Quinn needed a hobby, or even better, a honey, and then he’d begged to drive it.

Teagan, meanwhile, had said he had too much time on his hands and too much money in his bank account, something he didn’t bother to dispute. “You should try volunteering,” she’d suggested snidely before demanding that he take her for a spin.

Opening the door, he tossed his bag in the passenger seat and jumped in. The smell of expensive leather enveloped him, and he clicked his seat belt in place.

After connecting his iPhone to the car radio, he turned it on. He’d been edgy and agitated all day, and loud, angry music always helped him decompress.

As he drove home, he tapped his fingers against the steering wheel to the thumping beat of Godsmack’s “I Stand Alone.” The music was suddenly silenced as the car’s console lit up to let him know he had a call. He pressed a button to connect it, and Teagan was immediately there with him, in voice if not in body.

“Quinn, where are you?” Her voice came through the speakers loud and clear, much to his displeasure.

“I’m heading home.”

“You avoided me all afternoon,” she accused.

“You think so?” he replied, knowing his answer would irritate her.

“I know so, you jerk.”

He grinned. Annoying his little sister was so much fun, and he did it as often as he could.

“And here’s more proof you don’t know everything,” he mocked. “I had meetings all afternoon, and it was just a happy coincidence I was able to avoid you at the same time.”

Teagan’s rude snort echoed throughout the car. “I wanted to talk to you about your meeting with Amelia.”

Quinn sobered. He’d been trying
not
to think about that meeting all day.

“What about it?” he asked cautiously.

Her questions flew at him with the rapid staccato of a machine gun. “How did it go? Did you like her? What did you talk about? Were you satisfied?”

Thinking about Amelia made his gut tighten with renewed arousal. No, he definitely hadn’t been satisfied.

“It was fine.”

Teagan sighed loudly. “You’re just as bad as Amelia. She barely said two words to me about the meeting.”

Quinn’s curiosity was piqued. “What did she say?”

“She said you were nice.”

Nice?
Now he felt like ramming his head into a brick wall.

“What did you think of her?”

That was a good question. What
did
he think of Amelia? She hadn’t been anything like he’d expected, and he found her interesting, smart, and sexy.

In the short time they’d spent together, she had shown interest in his family’s history and an appreciation for the company’s traditions. She had a sense of humor, and she was a hard negotiator, not giving up on her desire to work from Nashville despite the pressure he’d put on her.

He had definitely been impressed with her design skills. He had underestimated her talent by assuming she had achieved her success solely because of Ava Grace Landy. Her boots had been works of art, and he was sure she would be able to come up with some kick-ass accessories for the company.

But he was less sure he’d be able to keep his hands to himself, especially when he thought about her round ass, shiny hair, and pink lips. His extreme reaction to her was worrisome
since he shied away from any personal relationships that might jeopardize Riley O’Brien & Co.

“When will Amelia be back?” Teagan asked.

“Didn’t you two discuss that during lunch?”

“No.”

Apparently, Amelia had left it to him to explain their agreement to his sister. She wasn’t going to like what he had to say, and Amelia owed him for taking fire for this. He had a vision of her showing her appreciation on her knees with his hand fisted in her fiery red hair and her plump lips wrapped around his cock.

“When will she be back?” Teagan repeated, rudely interrupting his fantasy.

“In two weeks. But she’s only going to be here for a month. She’s going to do most of the design work in Nashville.”

He expected a verbal explosion from Teagan, and he didn’t have to wait long.

“Are you serious, Quinn?” she burst out furiously. “She needs to be here!”

He cut her off. “Look, Amelia was ready to call off the deal if I didn’t agree,” he explained, wondering why he bothered to defend himself when he hadn’t done anything wrong. “Since the accessories are your bright idea, I thought you’d be happy I saved them. Instead, you’re bitching at me.”