Total pages in book: 57
Estimated words: 53717 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 269(@200wpm)___ 215(@250wpm)___ 179(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 53717 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 269(@200wpm)___ 215(@250wpm)___ 179(@300wpm)
“Yay!” they chimed in unison.
“Give me a hug,” Charlie said. The girls took turns with big hugs and I love yous, something Charlie had desperately missed while away. FaceTime wasn’t the same.
They walked off with Fallon, leaving Charlie alone with a few minutes to herself before she had to leave to meet up with Jared. He’d texted her the address for the first building and true enough, it was close to Noah’s.
She took the subway to the nearest station and walked the rest of the way. The sun shone down and the warmth felt good on her skin. She strode into the building, immediately appreciating the security a manned front desk provided. He checked her ID and directed her to the fourth floor where Mr. Sterling would be waiting to show her around.
Mr. Sterling was in for a huge surprise.
* * *
Jared looked around the four-bedroom apartment, appreciating how the light streamed through the windows in the morning. Charlotte would wake up to sunshine while having her morning coffee. Assuming she enjoyed caffeine to start the day. He didn’t know even the most minute detail about her, yet he wondered.
His phone rang at the same time a knock sounded on the door he’d unlocked for Charlotte.
“Come in!” he called out before answering the call, which, of course, was from work.
He couldn’t take one damned morning off without them needing him for something but Brooke wouldn’t bother him if it wasn’t important. He listened to her explain the issue as Charlotte walked into the room, and he couldn’t stop staring. She wore a pair of black, tight leggings that molded to her long legs and a fitted, pink V-neck short-sleeve shirt. Her hair brushed her shoulders and that familiar kick of desire rushed through him.
“Hi,” she said, and he reluctantly gestured toward the phone he had pressed to his ear.
Charlotte nodded, acknowledging he was on the phone, and began her own walk through the empty space he’d hoped to bring alive in his description as he showed her around.
He listened to Brooke explain that a scandal had broken out with Randalls, one of the companies they’d recently invested in and recommended to their clients. The stock was tanking and the question of whether to bail or ride it out sat on Jared and Alex’s shoulders and he needed to take a Zoom call.
“I’ll join from my home office. Give me five minutes.” He disconnected the call and walked over to where Charlotte stood looking out the kitchen window he’d been admiring earlier. “Beautiful view, isn’t it?”
She nodded but he was really looking at her profile.
“Listen, I hate to do this but I have a work emergency. Would you mind waiting up in my apartment while I take a Zoom call there?” he asked.
“This is your building?” Surprise lit her gaze, her eyes opening wide. “I thought we’d start at some of the others Fallon mentioned.”
He shook his head. “As it turns out, there were new leases I wasn’t aware of and this building is the only one with free units.”
“Oh. I see.”
He stepped closer, aware he was needed by the office but unable to resist another minute with her. “Do you have concerns about living in the same building as me?”
She turned to face him. “Of course not. I can handle you.” She treated him to a saucy smile. “But seriously about today, if you need to reschedule—”
His phone pinged, reminding him the office was waiting.
He shook his head. “No. I’ll handle this and get right back to you. At least at my place you’ll have somewhere comfortable to sit.”
“Okay then. Lead the way.”
Up at Jared’s apartment, which just happened to be the penthouse, the elevator doors opened and they walked into his personal space.
“Make yourself at home,” he said, rushing off and down a hallway to do business.
Make yourself at home, she mused, looking around the massive space. Even the apartment she’d briefly looked at downstairs was larger than she’d anticipated. She did not want to take advantage of Noah, no matter how big his trust fund. She’d asked for four bedrooms. What did she expect? She could downsize to two, forcing the girls to share even in the teen years, but she just knew once Noah found out she was pregnant, he would still insist the twins had room options.
With a sigh, she walked through the living area of the apartment that boasted neutral modern furniture and expansive views. But what drew her attention were the artifacts on floating wall shelves. Walking closer, she eyed the Incan pottery she had no doubt was original, made from natural clay mixed with sand, rock, and shell to prevent cracking.
He had what must be a museum-grade Roman dodecahedron replica, a small, hollow, twelve-sided object, the exact use of which was still unknown. And a stone casting of Ishtar, also known as Astarte, the Babylonian goddess of war and fertility, among other pieces.