All the Right Places (RILEY O'BRIEN & CO #1) Read Online Free Page A

you say if I told you I didn’t want to be involved?”
    At first, his answer delighted her because it meant he wouldn’t bother her while she worked. But then she was a little disappointed. This was his family business. Where was his sense of responsibility?
    “I’d say it’s very unwise to not be involved.”
    “Really?” he asked, his dark eyebrows winging up his forehead. “Why would you say that? I’m not the expert in women’s fashion.
You
are.”
    “I get the sense the women’s division is suffering from benign neglect.”
    “You’re probably right. It has been largely ignored, almost since it was first created. But partnering with you for this line of accessories is the most attention I can give it.”
    “Don’t you want the women’s division to be successful?”
    He sighed loudly. “If you think about Riley O’Brien & Co. as a big oak tree with deep roots and long, thick branches, the women’s division is nothing but a short, skinny branch.” He grimaced. “It’s rotting, and it might be time to take a chainsaw to it.”
    She digested his comments. Now she had a much better understanding of why Teagan had felt compelled to take matters into her own hands, or rather, put matters into Amelia’s hands.
    And it also explained why Teagan refused to supervise the project. She believed Quinn’s involvement in the accessories would make him more connected to the women’s division.
    Amelia addressed the next item on her mental list. “I estimate the design process will take three to six months because each piece will need to be tweaked and approved,” she said, looking for confirmation because she wasn’t sure how the process worked at Riley O’Brien & Co.
    “That’s about right,” he said, leaning against the window. “You’ll also need to work with our purchasing department to make sure each piece is constructed of materials that can be sourced easily and inexpensively. And you’ll need to work with our manufacturing folks to make sure your pieces can be made on our existing equipment.”
    Teagan had neglected to share those specific details. Amelia was a little intimidated at how extensively he expected her to be involved in the process once her designs were completed and approved.
    “That would mean my involvement would last well beyond six months.”
    “Is that a problem?”
    Yes, it was a problem, a huge one. If she got this worked up simply by being in the same room with Quinn, she needed to make sure she did most of her design work far away from him. Several states away, preferably.
    Rising from the sofa, she returned to the chair she had vacated so abruptly. “I’m not willing to be away from Nashville for that long.”
    “Why? Do you have a man who wants you by his side day and night?” he asked, a hint of sarcasm in his deep voice.
    She stiffened. This was not the way she wanted the meeting to go. She wanted them to be allies, not enemies, so she did her best to lighten the mood.
    “Not just one man. The entire defensive line of the Tennessee Titans is at my beck and call,” she quipped.
    When he scowled at her, she held out her hands, palms up. “If you want me to produce samples, I need to have access to my workshop.”
    “Believe it or not, we actually have workshops here,” he replied dryly.
    Realizing she wasn’t getting anywhere with her argument, she clenched her fists in her lap. “Do you have a problem with me doing the majority of the design work in Nashville?”
    “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