What You Need (Need You #1)

by Lorelei James

  “Sure you don’t. And to think that your questions about procedure and protocol are what started all this. Well, that chaps my ass, girl. Big time.”

  I wondered if I was witnessing some kind of psychotic break when she shook her finger at me and warned, “Don’t you breathe a word of this to anyone. Got it?”

  “Absolutely. We are talking about me giving notice, right?”

  She looked at me and laughed. “Yeah, that’s all we’re talking about.” She pointed at the door. “Get to work. You’re still on main-floor reception the rest of this week.”

  Great. “Thank you.”

  She muttered something and spun her chair away from me.

  Well, that hadn’t gone as I would’ve liked. But at least I’d gotten it out of the way.

  And I was actually happy to be away from the craziness on the sixth floor for the day.

  *

  I didn’t eat lunch in the break room. I found a lunch counter on the other side of the tower that catered to lone diners, with single seats and no booths. Otherwise I would have been too tempted to tell Sydney my news. While I trusted her, I suspected she’d be upset I was leaving and essentially moving up before she did. Then again, Syd hadn’t struck me as the ambitious type—not that there was anything wrong with staying in one place and doing a job you enjoyed.

  That brought my mind back to my conversation with Brady Saturday night.

  I had been sprawled facedown on his big bed, my body limp and sated after Brady had proven to me for the third time how much he’d missed me while he’d been traveling. His fingers were trailing up and down my spine, and he’d stop every once in a while and feather his lips over my tattoos.

  “You have the most beautiful skin.”

  “Why do you say that?”

  “Because it’s true. It’s pale, almost translucent. No freckles or sunspots. No scars.”

  “I’ve been called a vampire a time or two. But I’ve never been a sun lover. Not for any reason besides until recently I always worked until late at night and slept away most of the day. Cocktail waitressing is the ultimate SPF 100.”

  “I can’t believe with how smart you are, and how hard you work, that you weren’t offered managerial positions.”

  “Oh, I was. But I turned them down.”

  “Why?”

  “Because I had more freedom just clocking in, taking care of my customers and clocking out at the end of the shift. I looked at the managers and felt sorry for the poor bastards. Scheduling nightmares, staff that doesn’t show up for their shifts, or they show up high. Then they also had to deal with jerky customers and complaints. Plus doing all the ordering.”

  “Sound like you really thought that through.”

  I rolled over to face him. “I saw a lot in ten years. I mean, technically, I wasn’t old enough to be serving drinks, but I had an ID that said I was. So by the time I turned twenty-one for real? I’d been a cocktail waitress for five years.”

  “None of your bosses ever said, ‘Hey, you don’t look older than seventeen, girlie’?”

  “At first. But after I’d worked a few nights, they didn’t care.” I ran my fingers through the dark hair on his chest. “So I’m also living proof that a work ethic isn’t inherited. My mother is lazy.”

  “Then I’d say your work ethic was learned from what not to do, which can be just as powerful a motivator, Lennox. Sometimes even more so.” He bent his head and traced the tattoo on my biceps with his tongue, sending gooseflesh rippling across my neck.

  “I don’t mean to sound like a recruitment poster, but why not do your job better than you thought you could? Where’s the satisfaction in being average? No matter where I worked, I took the job seriously. If I saw someone doing something wrong, I called them out on it. And if not them, at least the supervisor, and that puts me back to exactly why I didn’t try for a managerial position. I’d have to deal with someone like me.”

  Brady chuckled against the curve of my breast.

  “That tickles.”

  “Mmm. Not sorry.” Then he looked at me. “So I shouldn’t be worried that you’re gunning for my job at LI?”

  “Don’t be ridiculous. The best I can hope for is an office manager position. Doing what Lola does.”

  “Or what Jenna does?”

  “God no. Because then I’d have to deal with you or someone like you.”

  His eyes glittered when he lightly bit down on my nipple.

  “Hey!”

  “Sorry. I’ll kiss it and make it better, baby.”

  And he had.

  I shook myself out of the memory because I could sit here all damn day and moon over how thoroughly my man had seen to my needs all weekend.

  I pulled out my phone and texted him: I miss you. Can we talk?

  Less than thirty seconds later he replied: Sorry. Swamped. I’ll text you later.

  At least I’d gotten a response.

  *

  I made it through another day of answering phones. Just two days left this week. It made me wonder what crappy jobs I’d get my last week in the floating pool.

  I returned to the sixth floor and the place was like a graveyard. Spooky. After I finished the report, I remembered I didn’t have to do that anymore since the audit was done.

  On impulse I took the elevator to the forty-fourth floor.

  Jenna wasn’t at her post, so I wandered down the hall. The door to Brady’s office was propped open, which was also spooky.

  Brady’s angry voice drifted out. “What else did she screw up?”

  “I’m trying to find it.”

  “Christ, how did this happen? It’s not like filing office documents is rocket science.”

  A sick feeling took root in the pit of my stomach.

  “Why wasn’t she supervised?” he demanded.

  “They have some autonomy, sir.”

  It’d taken me a moment, but then I recognized the voice as Lola’s.

  What was Lola doing in Brady’s office?

  “I don’t care who signed off on her. She doesn’t get to move to a different department without answering to me.”

  Holy crap. Had Lola approached Brady because I’d given my two weeks’ notice?

  I saw Brady throw a folder on the desk. “I should’ve seen this coming.”

  “Sir, with all due respect, you couldn’t have known.”

  “Everyone has talked about how ambitious she is. She was even invited to Lund family functions.”

  My heart stopped.

  “She’s thinks just because we—” He made a snarling sound. “I’ll fire her ass myself. And I’ll make sure she’s unhireable everywhere else in the Cities.”

  Oh. God. I clapped my hand over my mouth.

  “Lennox.”

  I faced the sharp-toned whisperer.

  Jenna said, “You can’t be here.”

  I wanted to demand an explanation for why I didn’t have a say in this—I’d done nothing wrong except take what was offered to me.

  “Go.”

  I left.

  Afterward I didn’t remember much of the drive home except for sitting in the driveway and watching the snow fall in big puffy flakes until I couldn’t see out the windows and I began to get cold.

  Kiley had company—a man, by the sounds of it. So I quietly crept up the stairs and into my room. I lay on the bed fully clothed in my outerwear and stared at the ceiling, absolutely numb.

  Eventually I overheated in my hat, mittens, wool coat, scarf and snow boots. I needed to cool off and shut down the endless loop of questions circling my brain.

  I shed every piece of clothing and crawled between the sheets naked. I slipped in my earbuds and cranked my MP3 to hearing-damage levels.

  But it worked. I fell asleep and I didn’t dream.

  *

  The next morning I woke up to the “We’re Not Gonna Take It” anthem by Twisted Sister.

  It was exactly the kick in the ass I needed.

  Furious, I got dressed, drove
to work and stormed into Lund Industries with all the swagger I could muster. I took off my coat and turned around.

  Sydney, Penny, Belinda and Margie gaped at me.

  “What? You’ve never seen tattoos?”

  “Uh, we’ve never seen them on you, Lennox.”

  “Yeah, well, I got tired of wearing itchy sweaters all the time to cover them up.”

  “The lip ring is cool,” Penny said. Then she confessed, “I’ve been debating on getting my nipples pierced.”

  With the tight shirts she wore . . . that was not a good plan.

  I said, “I had mine done and let them close up. It was more annoying than I thought it’d be.”

  “Good to know. Thanks.”

  I glanced over at Lola’s closed door. “Is she in there?”

  “She was. I got a peek at it before she ran out. Her office looked like someone ransacked it.” Penny wrinkled her nose. “She’d better not expect one of us to file all of it.”

  It’s not like filing office documents is rocket science.

  I hated hearing that sentiment echoing in my head, especially when that was so unlike the Brady I knew and loved.

  Sydney poked the tattoo on my arm. “I’m happy you’re not hiding these anymore. They’re much more mainstream.” She cocked her head at me. “I heard that Brady got a tattoo. Rumor is he got a shark bursting out of where his heart would be. Is there any truth to that?”

  “I’ll never tell.”

  “I know you’re working on the main floor today, but please come upstairs and have lunch with me.”

  “You’ve got it.”

  And I held my head high as I went to the reception area to answer the damn phones.

  *

  I’d taken one bite of my soup when she walked in wearing a gorgeous fur coat that brushed her ankles. Her gaze swept the room in that haughty demeanor few women could pull off—but of course she did.

  Then Selka Lund looked right at me. And started toward me.

  I sat up straighter. I wasn’t a bootlicker and she could just deal with that.

  She stopped just short of the table. “Lennox. A moment of your time, please.”

  “I was just having lunch with my friend—”

  “It’s fine,” Sydney said. “Go ahead. I’ll catch up with you later.”

  Pushing my chair back, I grabbed my lunch combo and headed to the back of the room.

  She followed and sat across from me. “I haven’t been in here for ages.”

  I wasn’t in the mood for small talk. “Mrs. Lund. Why are you here?”

  “I was too hasty in judgment of you.”

  Not the same thing as an apology. “Okay. And . . . ?”

  “And two things I’d like to talk about today. First thing. I hear your roommate, this Kiley, is very special social worker, yah?”

  “Yes. She’s a wonderful person. She is appreciative of the caliber of the volunteers LCCO sends to help out.”

  “Of course she is. We strive for best.” She leaned in and her long hair, almost the same color as mine, brushed the table. “Brady said their regular meeting place had been changed?”

  “Closed down completely. So Kiley has been getting creative in finding places for them to go on Saturdays. But she’s afraid the kids will stop coming, especially now since it’s the start of winter and she’s running out of options. Why do you ask?”

  “Why didn’t she ask LCCO for help?”

  “She did. LCCO sent Brady as a volunteer.”

  “No. Help in finding a permanent space. We have many buildings at our disposal. Tell Kiley to call this number.” She reached in her pocket and pulled out a business card. “We will get her fixed up in a place at no charge.”

  I barely kept my jaw from dropping—or from whipping out my phone and texting Kiley right then. “She’ll be thrilled. Thank you so much, Mrs. Lund.”

  “Second thing. You and my son.”

  I bristled automatically.

  “You like him.”

  “Yes.” Very much but I’m pretty sure that’s a moot point.

  “When we first meet, I thought you were like Loki—the trickster. Telling me what a mother wants to hear about her child.” At my blank look, she said, “You talked about Brady being so kind. That is not how he is viewed. It surprised me equally that you saw it in him as it did that he showed that part of himself to you.”

  How was I supposed to respond to that?

  “Annika spoke to me about you.” She sighed. “She and I are what you call . . . Polaroid opposites.”

  “Polar opposites?”

  “Yes, that. Anyway, my daughter and I fight. Hard. But it’s never mean. And it doesn’t mean we don’t love each other fiercely, like tigers.”

  I held my breath, afraid where this was going.

  “Annika . . . told me about your mother and all the horrible things she said.” Then I watched as Selka Lund’s eyes filled with tears. “I am broken up for you. I don’t understand how love for a child could ever be soured. It’s been bitter for you, yes?”

  “Yes.”

  “And yet, you’re not bitter person.”

  I shook my head. “Some days I am. Annika caught me on one of those days.”

  Selka reached for my hand. “What you said to my daughter had her calling me in tears. She thanked me for loving her and for not being cruel to her. She shouldn’t have to thank me because that is a mother’s job. To love without conditioners.”

  “Conditions,” I corrected.

  She waved aside my correction. “And after hearing that, I realized why kindness is important to you. Why you picked that word above all others to describe Brady. Because you haven’t had much kindness in your life, have you?”

  My eyes welled up because I’d wanted this from her, and I was getting it only now that things were over between me and Brady.

  “My son, he will be good for you. And I see that you are good for him. He opens his home and his heart to you.”

  “Mrs. Lund, as much as I want that, I’m afraid that Brady and I are done.” At her blank look, I said, “We’re over. Finished.”

  “Why in the hell would you think that, Lennox?” Brady said behind me.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Brady

  ‡

  Lennox stared at me as if she was seeing a ghost. “Brady? What are you doing here?”

  “I work here.” I glanced over at my mother. “The better question is what are you doing here, Mom?”

  “Visiting my daughter and I ran over Lennox.”

  “Ran into,” I corrected.

  “Yah, whatever,” she waved her hand. “We were—”

  “Finished,” I said, running my hand down Lennox’s bare arm. Why’d she pick today to let her tats show? And she’d worn her lip piercing. I made a low noise. For some reason I felt possessive of that damn piercing and didn’t want anyone—especially other men—to see how sexy she looked with it. “Lennox, I need to speak with you privately.”

  Panic flashed on her face.

  Why on earth was she scared of me? I reached for her hand.

  She stood, but she tugged her hand free. “I’m a big girl. I don’t need hand-holding for this.”

  That was a strange thing for her to say and so I stuck close behind her as we left the break room. But instead of heading for the bank of elevators, she cut down a side hallway and walked through the open door of a conference room. “What are we doing in here?”

  Lennox spun around and took two steps back from me. “I don’t particularly want to do the walk of shame through your suite of offices, in front of your admin and her secretary, and then have to do it again on my own floor. Just get it out of the way so I can get my shit packed up and get out of here.”

  I moved in close enough to smell her breath.

  “Omigod you’ve got to be kidding me! You think I’ve been drinking?”

  “You are acting irrationally.”

  “Under the circumstances, who would blame me? May
be it would’ve been easier if you’d done this over the phone.”

  “Done what?”

  She tossed up her hands. “Fired me!”

  “Why would I fire you?” I searched her eyes for some answers to her behavior. “I’m not your boss.”

  Confusion darkened her gaze. “But . . . I heard you. Yesterday afternoon. I came up to talk to you and you were ranting in your office about me and how I was misleading and ambitious and you planned to fire me yourself.”

  “Why would you assume I was talking about you?”

  “Because Lola was in your office, Brady. She is my boss. And since I gave her my notice yesterday—”

  “Whoa. What do you mean, you gave her your notice yesterday? You’re quitting LI?”

  Lennox appeared even more confused. “Lola didn’t tell you?”

  “Lola was in my office pertaining to another matter. I purposely asked her to keep you out of the things she and I discussed, unless it was relevant to our fact-finding mission. Now tell me why’re quitting LI?”

  She paced forward. Stopped. Turned around. “I’m not quitting LI. I’m resigning my position in the temp department because Annika offered me a better position in PR.”

  Although I wish I’d heard the news under better circumstances, I couldn’t help but smile. “Lennox, that is awesome. Congratulations. You will thrive there.”

  “Thanks. So I’m not fired?”

  “Not that I’m aware of.”

  “Then who is? Because when I heard, ‘I don’t care who signed off on her. She doesn’t get to move to a different department without answering to me,’ it sure sounded like it could’ve been me. And then you went on to indicate that she wouldn’t get immunity or sympathy because we’re—” She frowned. “You didn’t actually finish that train of thought. Then you mentioned, ‘She’s been to Lund family functions,’ which I also took to mean me because I went to the football game.”

  Where had my admin been while Lennox was listening at the door?

  She answered my question next as if she’d read my mind. “Then Jenna showed up and told me I shouldn’t be there. So I left and spent all night and this morning waiting for the summons to get the ax.”

  “First off, even if I was your boss and there was an issue with your job performance, is my reputation as a ruthless bastard so cemented that even after being intimately involved with me, you believe I wouldn’t have given you a chance to tell your side of the story?”