Need You Now (1001 Dark Nights) by Lisa Renée Jones Read Free Book Online Page B

forward. I move past him, so close I can feel his body heat and smell his wonderful, masculine cologne.
    Stepping outside, I’m surprised to find the town car replaced by a limo but don’t ask questions. More space is welcome with Jensen around, and when he holds the door open for me, I happily take advantage of it, sliding all the way to the other side of the car. I’ve just settled into place and dumped my purse and briefcase beside me when Jensen erases the distance between us and claims the seat directly across from me, his back to the window separating us from the driver.
    “I believe you wanted this,” he says, reaching into his briefcase and offering me my cell phone.
    “Yes,” I say, taking it, my pulse leaping at the possibility of what I might find in my text messages. “Thank you.”
    He knocks on the window behind us and the car starts moving. “I took the liberty of keying in my number. Hope you don’t mind.”
    Yes, I mind. What has he seen on my phone? “I needed your number,” I reply noncommittally.
    “Nice dodge there, Ms. Woods. And nice to know you have the skills to navigate a conversation diplomatically.”
    “I thought nice was for pussies,” I say, the automatic retort overcoming my dislike for the word choice.
    “So it is,” he chuckles, a dark strand of hair touching his brow.
    I don’t reply, too distracted by my phone, and unable to resist anymore, I glance down at my screen, punching a button to get to the text messages, reading the one from Katie that arrived last night. I’m calling in sick and going to Texas with David. I need to know if he and I are real. I’ll call you when I get to Houston.
    I glance up at him. “You saw my message from Katie, didn’t you?”
    “Not intentionally. The phone was on the floor and I reached down to get it as it came through. I take it Katie is an employee of the hotel?”
    I cringe inwardly at my stupidity for bringing this up. Katie could have been anyone to him. “She’s a good employee.”
    “Relax. I have much bigger things to worry about than one employee who’s made a bad decision.”
    “But if layoffs happen, you’ll choose her.”
    “Whoever takes over the properties in Meredith’s place will make that decision.” He leans forward, elbows on his knees, all signs of humor fading away. “But you do need to go on this trip remembering that you aren’t responsible for anyone’s choices but your own. Not Meredith’s. Not this Katie person. Not any other employee who doesn’t have their head on straight.”
    I stare into those green eyes of his and it takes me a moment to think clearly, and ask, “You think Meredith doesn’t have her head on straight?”
    He straightens, and his withdrawal speaks as easily as do his words. “She’s failing to turn a profit.”
    “Then why not just sell out and get out?”
    “Even if I wanted to, which I don’t, at least not yet, I can’t sell my stock to anyone but the board members, who will destroy the company.”
    “And that matters to you, why?”
    “Because Meredith was the only one of my father’s siblings by his side when he died,” he surprises me by sharing. “She mattered to him and therefore she matters to me. The question for me has to be if I can turn around the company if I stay in this mess.”
    I’m shocked that he is talking so openly to me, and relieved that he feels real again, not cold and callous. “And so far? What do you think?”
    “‘We’ll see,’ is all I can say at this point.”
    “Meredith told me a lot of people will get laid off if you don’t help her hold off the board.”
    “She’s right, but I have thousands of my own employees to think about as well. Hurting my financial position, which is what the board will do if they destroy the company rather than save this operation, hurts the security of my employees. I either have to turn this around or get out.”
    His cell phone rings and he digs it out of his briefcase, grimacing as he