Grant
Grant entered his conference room, reviewing the list of organizations asking for money that day, and froze.He was stunned to see Jennifer.He didn’t usually attend these meetings, making a few of his trusted men take care of the charity side of his business.
A grin spread across his face.Holy shit.What were the chances?His day just brightened.Hell, his whole month did.His body was instantly affected, making the breath catch in his lungs.How could this little woman shake him up this strongly after knowing her such a short time?
He’d been out of town over the weekend and had been anxious to connect with her again.He’d planned on calling her and asking her out after work.This was better, much better.
“Hello, Miss Mitchell.”She spun around and almost tripped over the chair between them.
Grant reached out to steady her.
Grant caught the confusion in her eyes.
“Wh-what are you doing here?”she stuttered.Jennifer put a hand to her chest, hoping to keep her heart from hammering out of her chest.She took a quick, uncertain look at the other people in the conference room.
He sat just a foot from her on the edge of the conference room table and crossed his arms.
His smile widened.“I own it.”His gaze traveled down her body, and he frowned.She was wearing ugly clothes again, but this time, her blouse was a mossy green and her pants brown.Both baggy and unattractive.At least her hair seemed to be tamed in a bun at the back of her head, but he could tell it was already loosened, fighting to be free.
“I’m sorry.You own what?”she squeaked, which caused the other people in the room to freeze and stare at them.
His smile got bigger.She was absolutely adorable.“Everything.”
“What do you mean by everything?”Her voice grew steadily higher.
“I mean, I own G & B Corporation and the building, among other things.”He laughed outright when her face turned a bright hue of rose, and with an expression of shock unlike any he’d ever seen before.
Everyone in the room stood confused.None of them had heard him laugh and rarely seen him smile.
Jennifer was silent for a minute.She paled and swallowed several times when she felt the burn of tears.
He caught the sheen of tears in her eyes.
“Oh, shit,” he burst out.He stood abruptly, gripped her upper arm, and pulled her from the room.Several steps later, he pulled her into an office and shut the door.He leaned his back against the hard, cool wood and pulled her in front of him.His gentle hold tightened when she tried to pull away.“Why are you crying?”
“I’m not.”She sniffed, kept her face tipped down, and her eyes rapidly blinked several times.
His thumb caressed her upper arm where his hand gripped her, and he smiled.
“When I ask you a question in the future, it would please me if you always told me the truth.”
“What?”she asked in disbelief.“...I mean, what future?”She tried to pull away from him.“Please let me go.I need to gather my things and get back to the shelter.”
His eyes flared when he heard the panic in her tone, and his brows drew together in a scowl.“Why would you do that?”Irritation and confusion laced his voice.
Jennifer used a hand to wedge more space between them to wipe her eyes.“Because I can’t stay here.I’m so embarrassed.I feel so bad about you and your staff taking the time to meet me.”
“Jennifer, we had to be here.We have other organizations that want us to donate and contracts that need to be signed, so we were going to be here anyway.”
Jennifer thought about it for a second and nodded.She felt marginally better, but not much.“I have to go.”
“For God’s sake, why?”
“There is no way I can ask you for money,” she stammered and glanced up at him in disbelief, like he should have known that.
“Why the hell not?”he said impatiently.His hands stayed locked on her arms.
“Just because.”
