A Holiday Temptation: A Holiday Novella Read online

  Knowing this serves to increase the nervous tingles moving through my belly. Jase, unlike me, has met Mr. Townsend on many previous occasions in the lead up to this deal. If he’s still on pins and needles, then I can only imagine what I’m in store for. Mr. Townsend has a reputation for being commanding and even an outright bully.

  Frowning, I run my teeth across my bottom lip, remembering my father. He, too, was a powerful man who bullied to get what he wanted. Only, he reserved his most extreme machinations for his family. To the outside world, he was the perfect state justice and family man.

  “Good morning, I’m Jase Downing from Cypress Mental Health and Addiction,” Jase introduces to the security guard behind the desk in the lobby. “This is my co-worker, Jackie Hinkerson.”

  The guard frowns. “Her name isn’t on the approved list.” The skin on his forehead creases as he glares from Jase to me and back to Jase again.

  I, too, turn to Jase because I’m at a loss about what to say or do. This is my first time in this building. I’m an add-on to the merger team, only having started with Cypress a month earlier. I’m still learning the ways of the company, and now we’re pushing for this merger to go through.

  “I spoke with a, uh, Suzette. Could you please give her a call?” Jase asks the guard.

  The guard gives him a stern look before picking up the phone. He maintains eye contact with Jase even as he holds the phone between his shoulder and ear.

  A niggling in my gut tells me this guy isn’t just a run-of-the-mill lobby security guard. Something in the intense way he keeps eyeing Jase and me tells me that if we make one wrong move, he’d have no problem doing some severe damage to either one of us.

  Glancing around the rest of the lobby, I see a couple of other security guards posted by the doors and one in a booth at the far corner. They all have that same eagle-eye gazes as they keep watch over the comings and goings of the people throughout the lobby.

  “Suzette,” I hear the guard say behind me. I continue looking around the lobby until I hear the sound of the phone being hung up.

  “There’s supposed to be five of you.”

  Jase nods. “Our three attorneys are on their way. They’re coming from downtown, and—”

  “You’ll remain down here until they arrive,” he says abruptly.

  Jase, seemingly flustered by the man’s abruptness, doesn’t give any pushback. He merely peers at his watch and gestures toward the small coffee shop in the lobby.

  “I’m going to grab a cold brew,” he tells the security guard, who nods after looking over at another one of the guards.

  “Want anything?” Jase asks.

  Though I've had my morning coffee from home, I could always go for more. “I’ll have a pumpkin cream cold brew.” I begin digging in my purse for my wallet.

  “Don’t worry about it,” he says as he walks off in the direction of the shop.

  Typically, I’d argue the point, not wanting anything from anyone who might expect something of me in the future, but I let that urge die at the back of my throat. I’m already nervous about this meeting. The fish out of water feeling comes on strong, thinking about how important this meeting is.

  I’m acutely aware that my holiday bonus hinges on this merger going through. A bonus I need to help take care of my mother and get out from under my father’s thumb.

  I have years of experience working in addiction treatment and healthcare back in Washington. Unlike my former employer, McKenna Rehab Facilities, Cypress is smaller and more vulnerable, hence the potential merger. From my understanding, Cypress was run by incompetent management for years, nearly bringing about its demise. It’s only been thanks to the high demand for its services, and a handful of the competent staff that work there, that it has been able to keep its doors open.

  Now, here I am, working in the capacity of program director while also being dragged onto the mergers and acquisitions team to do our best to hash out a deal before the end of the year.

  A few minutes later, Jase hands me my drink. “Here you go. And here are our attorneys,” he tells the guard, then gives their names to him, “Bryant, Chip, and Mitchell.”

  Minutes later, a bubbly, forty-something-year-old woman wearing a low bun and librarian-style glasses greets us off the elevators.

  “Suzette, great to see you again,” Jase says.

  I’m introduced to Mr. Townsend’s assistant, though it’s made clear she’s not his executive assistant.

  “Mark will be joining you all during the meeting,” she says.

  “Excellent. He’s been on top of everything thus far,” Jase adds.

  I listen to the polite conversation they make as we all ride up the elevator to the top floor, keeping quiet myself. I run my hand down the length of my black pencil skirt, ensuring that any wrinkles get smoothed out. In my head, I go through everything I know about Townsend’s potential deal with Cypress. I even manage to develop a few recommendations on Cypress’ end to make us more appealing to the company. Mentally, I make a note to run them by Jase once we’re back in our office.

  “Right this way.” Suzette’s bubbliness is still oozing off of her. Her smile is genuine, and she appears to be someone who enjoys their role. For whatever reason, that aids in reducing some of my anxiousness. Mr. Townsend can’t be all that bad if this woman, who works directly with him, enjoys her work.

  The Christmas music playing in the background, yet again, reminds me that the holiday season is upon us. It looks like Townsend Industries doesn’t believe in waiting until after Thanksgiving to decorate for Christmas.

  I follow the long procession of men, taking up the rear.

  “Aaron, great to see you again,” Jase greets farther down the hallway.

  Glancing up, I peer around one of Cypress’ lawyers to see a tall man with dark hair and piercing eyes. The scowl on his face nearly stops me from going any farther. Only when I see that he reaches out to shake Jase’s hand in a somewhat friendly gesture, do I force my feet to keep moving.

  He can’t hurt you, Jackie.

  I have to remind myself that this man isn’t my father. He’s a businessman.

  “Aaron, please meet Cypress’ newest acquisition, Jackie Hinkerson. I spoke to you about her the last time we met. Jackie is Cypress' new Director of Programs.”

  I hold out my hand to shake as Aaron Townsend eyes me up and down. Not in that creepy, lascivious way, but assessingly. As if he could discern my talents or skills from a look.

  He extends his hand for a firm handshake.

  “Nice to meet you, Mr. Townsend.”

  He nods but doesn’t say anything. Instead, he juts his head in the direction of the boardroom where we’re meeting.

  “Mark, great to see you,” Jase says as he enters the room.

  At first, his body obscures my view, but when he steps aside, I nearly topple over when I’m met with a set of light hazel eyes.

  I can’t breathe as the walls surrounding us feel as if they’re caving in on me. I try to tell my body to move. A flicker of common sense in the recesses of my mind attempts to remind me that I’m at work, but I can’t stop staring at Mark.

  The bitter way his jaw clenches and his eyes narrow tells me that he remembers exactly who I am.

  And what I did to him.

  Chapter 3

  What the hell is she doing here? In this fucking office. In my office. Granted, this isn’t my office. I don’t have an office, but fuck semantics. This is my job. Why is Jackie Hinkerson standing in the boardroom where our meeting is about to take place?

  “Mark, I told Suzette that we were bringing our newest hire today. Meet Jackie Hinkerson,” Jase introduces, utterly oblivious to the fact that the air in the room shifted as soon as he stepped aside, and our gazes collided.

  I don’t say anything, specifically because my jaw firmly clenches as I peer up at the girl I once knew—the girl with mocha skin, dark brown eyes, and a smile that could light up a room.

  The girl who left me
broken and battered in a hospital room.

  The girl that has become a fully grown woman.

  “Let’s get the meeting started. We have a lot to cover,” Aaron declares as he moves past me.

  I don’t look at him, but I feel his gaze on me. And unlike Jase, my boss is astute at recognizing when something monumental has shifted in the room, even when no words are spoken.

  For her part, Jackie hasn’t said anything either. Her mouth fell open as soon as Jase stepped aside. Her attempts to close it and introduce herself were futile.

  I cut my gaze at her one final time before spinning my chair to head to the table and take my place toward the front. Aaron stands at the front—his usual position—as the others take their seats.

  “Jackie, sit here,” Jase says.

  I glance over to see him directing her to the seat closest to me. I shoot her a look that could melt metal, and she pauses, her face flinching, but she glances over at Jase, who’s still expectantly gesturing her over to the chair.

  I glare at her as she moves forward and gingerly pulls out the high-back leather chair to take her seat. If I could move my body farther away from her without being so damned obvious, I’d do it.

  “Jase, did you bring the reports that we discussed?” Aaron questions, launching right into the meeting.

  Jase nods and shows him the reports.

  “Fine. Let’s get started.”

  That’s my cue to pass around the meeting’s agenda that I created, along with the report that I made with Aaron about Townsend’s expectations if we were to move forward with this deal.

  Once the necessary files and folders are given out, Aaron ends the formalities, and we get into the purpose of this meeting. The reason Cypress has brought its attorneys is because there are legal issues I spotted in the company’s files. After discussing it with Aaron, he insisted that we comb through Cypress’ records with a fine-toothed comb before finalizing a decision.

  “If Townsend is going to take on the liabilities for Cypress, then we need to know all of them upfront. Depending on my final decision, I plan on announcing this merger at the Townsend New Years’ party that’s just under two months away,” Aaron informs them.

  While I’m aware of all of this, I’m distracted by the woman sitting to my left. It’s not her lavender-scented perfume that distracts me so much as her damn breathing. Her mere existence. Here in Williamsport. Not just in my home city, but at my job, no less.

  “That will work for us, Aaron,” Jase says. “Also, though Jackie is new to the company, she is highly capable of handling this merger along with us. She will be taking over where Bill left off.”

  This announcement must surprise Jackie because her head turns in Jase’s direction.

  “Make sure you’re as efficient as Jase says you are. For our end, Mark will be taking over these negotiation meetings.”

  It’s my turn to turn my head, surprised. “Why me?” I blurt out the question with little regard that my voice held a tone of demand.

  Aaron tilts his head to the side, lifting an eyebrow. “Because there’s going to be a lot of attorneys and accountants working on this thing.” He pauses, glancing over at the attorneys from both Cypress and Townsend. “I hate attorneys. And accountants lack the creativity needed to get this thing off the ground.”

  His tone is blunt and uncaring that he just insulted the majority of the people in this room. “I trust you’ll be able to handle the responsibility?”

  My jaw clenches tightly. How could I say no? Essentially, I’d be saying no to the very job I’ve worked my ass off for the past two years to get. Success in this role means promotion soon. It’s almost a guarantee, and yet, the woman to my left …

  Shifting my gaze over my left shoulder, I can’t help the sneer that comes over my face. But, I quickly rein in my emotions. She’s taken enough from me in one lifetime. I refuse to allow her to take anymore.

  “No. It won’t be a problem,” I respond before cutting my gaze back to the front of the room.

  The strumming of my heartbeat was so loud during the first hour of the meeting, I barely heard any of what was said. Throughout our working lunch, the sandwiches and salad tasted like cardboard, as I remained keenly aware of the negative energy flowing my way from the man to my right.

  Mark O’Brien.

  No longer a sixteen-year-old boy. A fully grown man. In a wheelchair.

  My heart squeezes so tightly that it feels as if I may blackout for a moment. I tightly grip onto the sides of my chair and will myself to breathe. It takes a few minutes, but the tightness releases slightly, and I’m able to refocus on the meeting at hand. More like the end of the meeting.

  We’ve been at Townsend Industries for over four hours, and finally, we’re wrapping things up to head out for the day.

  I don’t dare to look over at Mark, who I’d felt shooting me daggers throughout the meeting. Instead, I rise from my seat, thank Aaron Townsend for having us, and start for the door behind Jase.

  “Jackie, I need to speak with Aaron in his office. Now would be a great time for you and Mark to talk and figure out a schedule for you all to get together over the next few weeks.”

  My eyes balloon, but Jase doesn’t notice as he spins on his heels and follows Aaron out the door. My eyes circle the room and come to land on the exact person I’d been hoping to avoid. Mark doesn’t make a secret of mean mugging me this time. I venture to guess it’s because, save for two members of the staff, cleaning up the room, we’re the only people left here.

  I shift my weight from one high heel to the other, feeling more uneasy than I remember feeling in a very long time. Even as I sat at the funeral of one of my best friends, Deirdre, three years ago, after she died from an overdose, I didn’t feel this uncomfortable. Probably because at Dierdre’s funeral, I’d been numb and more concerned with making sure her younger sister, Desiree, my other best friend, was okay.

  However, now, as I stand in this spacious boardroom with only Mark and myself, the closer he gets, the more and more the walls seem to close in on me.

  “What the hell are you doing here?” he demands in a low but vicious tone of voice.

  I force myself to push the air out of my lungs and open my mouth. “M-Mark, I—”

  “Why are you here?”

  I swing my gaze from one side of the room to the other, somewhat hoping that someone else will answer for me. When no one does, I manage to get my brain working again.

  Lifting my chin, I stare at him and answer, “I’m working.”

  His jaw clenches, and I have to fight not to break eye contact.

  “For Cypress? All of a sudden?” The accusation in his voice is palpable.

  I nod, nonetheless. “I moved back to Williamsport a month ago.” I bite my tongue just in time to keep the words after my father died from slipping out.

  “Go back to wherever the hell you were before.”

  I flinch at the harshness in his tone. The deep line on his forehead speaks of his rage.

  But I can’t go back. My mother needs me here. Even if she doesn’t know it.

  “No. And you and I need to find some way to work together. I-I’m sorry about the past, and—”

  “Don’t you dare speak to me of the past,” he growls, effectively cutting me off. “You don’t ever get to mention shit about the past to me.”

  The pain of his words cuts through my belly, but somehow I manage to keep myself upright.

  “Fine. But, we still have a job to do.”

  “I’m not working with you.” Shaking his head fervently, his lips pinch. However, as he pivots his chair to move around me, I take the bold move of stepping in front of him. His scowl grows angrier, something a moment ago, I didn’t think was possible.

  “Move.”

  “I will. Once we work out a schedule to get this project done.”

  He opens his mouth, and before words come out, I already know it’s going to be another refutation of our working together.

&n
bsp; Interrupting, I insist, “We have to, Mark.” I quickly glance over my shoulder, making sure that we’re still the only ones in the room. “Look, this is uncomfortable for both of us. I get it. Yet, we’re adults. Professionals. And we have a lot to get done in the next seven and a half weeks. Your boss doesn’t seem like the type to fool around. He put you in charge of this assignment. I’m assuming that means he trusts you to get it done.”

  I pause, allowing time for my words to sink in. The line in Mark’s forehead eases, just a pinch, but enough that I can see common sense is overtaking his anger.

  He runs a hand across his forehead, rubbing the tension out as he stares down into his lap.

  I take this time to let my gaze settle on him for the first time since I entered this boardroom. It makes no sense for me to notice how absolutely gorgeous he still is. The same as he was when we were teenagers. Back then, he had the height advantage at six-foot-one at sixteen. Now, he doesn’t need the height to still be as eye-catching with his dirty blond hair thanks to his Irish roots, chiseled jaw, and light hazel eyes.

  Back in high school, those eyes always appeared to be smiling with the smallest amount of mischief tucked away inside of their depths. Right now, though, there’s nothing hidden about the ways his eyes reveal how much he despises the fact that we’ve been thrown together on this project.

  “You’re right. Aaron trusts me, and this job is important to me. We’ll work together. Via phone and email only. I don’t want to see your face.”

  His response leaves me stunned long enough that he’s able to maneuver his chair around my body and out of the door before I can even respond.

  “Ready to go?” Jase questions, having returned from his meeting with Aaron.

  Silently, I nod and follow Jase out of the boardroom. Suzette reappears, just as cheery as she was before, and walks us down the long hallway toward the exit. Peering over, I see Mark at the lobby’s main entranceway, staring into his computer screen as he speaks into a headset.