Read Online All the Right Places (RILEY O'BRIEN & CO #1) by Jenna Sutton - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Jenna Sutton
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breakfast.” It was something he really didn’t want to remember because it made him want to gag.
“I don’t have a juicer here.”
He felt like slapping his forehead. Of course the penthouse didn’t have a juicer. He wasn’t even sure it had a coffeemaker.
“I guess a carton of OJ just isn’t the same,” he joked.
Amelia laughed before gazing across the bay. Her eyes sparkled in the sunlight, and the light breeze tossed a couple of coppery corkscrews over one eye. He wondered if they were as springy and soft as they looked.
“So what do you think? Is the view worth putting up with my company for an hour or so?”
“It’s a great view, but who knows how I’ll feel when lunch is over.”
He smiled at her tart rejoinder. He could see why she and Teagan got along so well.
“How did your morning go?”
During the short ride to the restaurant, he had made sure she liked the penthouse and that she was settled in. They hadn’t had an opportunity to discuss her first few hours in the office.
“Well, I ran into your brother as I came out of the elevator. Literally ran into him.”
He chuckled, understanding exactly what she meant. “It’s one of his more annoying habits. He never thinks about the people who need to get off the elevator.”
Her answering laugh was almost a giggle. The light, happy noise filled his chest, making him feel as if he had bubbles inside him.
“Did you and Cal have a chance to talk?”
She shook her head. “We introduced ourselves, but I was waiting on Deda, and I think Cal had somewhere to be.”
“How do you like Deda?”
Amelia took a sip of her iced tea before answering, almost like she was stalling. Concerned, he cocked his head toward her.
“Most people really like him. That’s why I asked him to be your liaison.”
Looking down, she traced the rim of her glass with her fingertip. “He’s great.”
He could hear a “but” in there, and it wasn’t long in coming.
“But I don’t understand why you assigned me a liaison. Did you think I’d need a babysitter? Someone to keep me on task?”
He was shocked by her assumption. “No.” She looked at him skeptically, and he repeated his answer more emphatically. “
No.
Of course not. I know you’re a professional.”
“Then why did you ask Deda to ignore his job, which sounds very important, by the way, to babysit me?”
He ran a hand through his hair. He had been trying to help her, and he’d ended up offending her instead.
Shit.
“Deda’s not a babysitter, Amelia. He’s one of the most important people in this company, and one of the most knowledgeable. You should think of him as your guide through a foreign and dangerous country.”
She stared at him for several seconds before her shoulders very obviously relaxed. He realized she had been quite upset about the idea of having a “babysitter.” She smiled, a teasing tilt of her tempting lips.
“Are you comparing Riley O’Brien & Co. to Somalia? Or maybe Libya?” She raised her eyebrows, and he felt a little foolish at his description. “I wish someone would have told me that I was risking life and limb by taking on this project. Should I arm myself?”
He gazed at her across the table. She had plenty of weapons at her disposal, starting with her sweet face and luscious body. But her most powerful weapon was her smart mouth, and she wielded it with skill.
“I’d say you’re already well-armed.”
She shot him a suspicious glance, clearly not sure if she should be offended by his comment. “It’s a compliment,” he clarified.
“Should I feel compelled to give you one in return?”
He feigned hurt feelings. “You can’t think of one nice thing to say about me?”
She tapped her lip with her fingers, pretending to think hard. “Hmmm. Not really.” The sparkle in her eyes told him she was joking.
“Now that’s a real shame because I can think of plenty of nice things to say about you.”
• • •
Amelia
“I don’t have a juicer here.”
He felt like slapping his forehead. Of course the penthouse didn’t have a juicer. He wasn’t even sure it had a coffeemaker.
“I guess a carton of OJ just isn’t the same,” he joked.
Amelia laughed before gazing across the bay. Her eyes sparkled in the sunlight, and the light breeze tossed a couple of coppery corkscrews over one eye. He wondered if they were as springy and soft as they looked.
“So what do you think? Is the view worth putting up with my company for an hour or so?”
“It’s a great view, but who knows how I’ll feel when lunch is over.”
He smiled at her tart rejoinder. He could see why she and Teagan got along so well.
“How did your morning go?”
During the short ride to the restaurant, he had made sure she liked the penthouse and that she was settled in. They hadn’t had an opportunity to discuss her first few hours in the office.
“Well, I ran into your brother as I came out of the elevator. Literally ran into him.”
He chuckled, understanding exactly what she meant. “It’s one of his more annoying habits. He never thinks about the people who need to get off the elevator.”
Her answering laugh was almost a giggle. The light, happy noise filled his chest, making him feel as if he had bubbles inside him.
“Did you and Cal have a chance to talk?”
She shook her head. “We introduced ourselves, but I was waiting on Deda, and I think Cal had somewhere to be.”
“How do you like Deda?”
Amelia took a sip of her iced tea before answering, almost like she was stalling. Concerned, he cocked his head toward her.
“Most people really like him. That’s why I asked him to be your liaison.”
Looking down, she traced the rim of her glass with her fingertip. “He’s great.”
He could hear a “but” in there, and it wasn’t long in coming.
“But I don’t understand why you assigned me a liaison. Did you think I’d need a babysitter? Someone to keep me on task?”
He was shocked by her assumption. “No.” She looked at him skeptically, and he repeated his answer more emphatically. “
No.
Of course not. I know you’re a professional.”
“Then why did you ask Deda to ignore his job, which sounds very important, by the way, to babysit me?”
He ran a hand through his hair. He had been trying to help her, and he’d ended up offending her instead.
Shit.
“Deda’s not a babysitter, Amelia. He’s one of the most important people in this company, and one of the most knowledgeable. You should think of him as your guide through a foreign and dangerous country.”
She stared at him for several seconds before her shoulders very obviously relaxed. He realized she had been quite upset about the idea of having a “babysitter.” She smiled, a teasing tilt of her tempting lips.
“Are you comparing Riley O’Brien & Co. to Somalia? Or maybe Libya?” She raised her eyebrows, and he felt a little foolish at his description. “I wish someone would have told me that I was risking life and limb by taking on this project. Should I arm myself?”
He gazed at her across the table. She had plenty of weapons at her disposal, starting with her sweet face and luscious body. But her most powerful weapon was her smart mouth, and she wielded it with skill.
“I’d say you’re already well-armed.”
She shot him a suspicious glance, clearly not sure if she should be offended by his comment. “It’s a compliment,” he clarified.
“Should I feel compelled to give you one in return?”
He feigned hurt feelings. “You can’t think of one nice thing to say about me?”
She tapped her lip with her fingers, pretending to think hard. “Hmmm. Not really.” The sparkle in her eyes told him she was joking.
“Now that’s a real shame because I can think of plenty of nice things to say about you.”
• • •
Amelia
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