Chapter Five
T he next morning came all too soon. The sound of the girls’ chatter lightened Charlie’s mood and put into perspective the need to meet with Jared and find an apartment. It had taken her hours to fall asleep last night, and she lay awake listening to them giggling in the double bed next to hers.
Once they were dressed, she took the twins down to the hotel restaurant for breakfast where Fallon would pick them up. It was summertime, so they were off from school and Fallon had hired an assistant manager at the gallery to help her out, giving her more time when the baby arrived. She was always willing to help with the girls.
“Want some of my eggs?” Dylan asked, sticking her fork into the yellow scrambled mass and holding it out for Charlie.
She shook her head and quickly looked away, feeling queasy.
Overall, she’d had an easier time with nausea this pregnancy than she’d had with the girls because… twins, so she attributed today’s bout to nerves. She had to tell Jared he was going to be a father. Explaining to her daughters could wait, though.
She took a sip of herbal tea, wishing it was a hard dose of caffeine instead.
“Fallon’s here!” Dakota said, rising from her seat.
“Wait until she comes to you.” Charlie added a tip and signed the bill to her room before turning to see Fallon striding toward them.
She had her own look, favoring long skirts and eclectic tops, whereas Charlie preferred leggings, flowing floral blouses or men’s-styled shirts, and when home, fitted gym clothes, which would be interesting when she began to show. She’d been so huge with the twins she’d had to wear loose clothing.
“Morning, Fallon.” Charlie rose from her seat. “I appreciate you taking them while I look at apartments. The day would bore them to tears.”
Fallon chuckled. “I understand. Are you ready, girls?”
They gathered their things. “Fallon, Mommy’s taking us to the Museum of Natural History this week. Want to come?”
Fallon glanced at Charlie and shook her head. “You need time with them.”
“You’re more than welcome. You know that.”
“Next time.” Turning to the girls, Fallon said, “I’ll come on another trip. Ready? I want to stop at the gallery and show you some new art.”
“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.
“Fascinating,” she murmured, impressed by both his collection and taste in art. Who knew they had so much in common? He’d never mentioned his interest in archaeology but clearly he had an appreciation for ancient artifacts.
She settled onto a comfortable couch and went through her phone, checking mail, social media, and texts. She hoped to hear from her brother, the only family she kept in touch with, but he’d been silent since she’d been home. Not that she was surprised. He had his share of troubles in his life and she hoped everything was okay.
When she ran out of things to do, she began to read a mystery novel she’d started. A blaring car horn startled her, and she jumped and glanced at the time on her phone. She’d been here for an hour. Though she understood Noah had an emergency, she didn’t want to sit here waiting. Swiping through her phone screen, she found the Uber app, intending to send for a ride.
“Shit, I am so sorry.” Jared joined her, looking more harried than when he’d left.
This time he had been running his fingers through his hair and hers itched to do the same. Clearly, it was time to get out of here. “I was just about to go home. You’re busy and I don’t want to take you away from something important.” She already knew the pressure he was under to take the bulk of the firm’s workload from his father.
“No. Please stay. Brooke has it all under control. Do you want to go see the apartment?” He glanced at his watch and grimaced. “How about we order something to eat, check out the apartment, and by the time it gets here, it’ll be lunchtime.”
She shook her head. “It’s fine. I got a quick glimpse while you were on the phone and it’s gorgeous, but it’s honestly going to be out of my budget.”
He glanced at her, amusement in his gaze, his sexy lips lifting in a smile. “How do you even know what the rent is? We haven’t discussed it.”
She didn’t want to play games. “Fine. How much is it?”
He gave her a number that was absolutely too low and he was obviously doing her a favor. She wanted to snap at him that she didn’t need charity but held the words back. He was attempting to be a nice guy and probably trying not to rip off his brother-in-law, assuming he knew Noah was helping her out for the girls’ sake. Her independence and ability to take care of her twins meant everything to her. Accepting help from Noah was bad enough.
Instead of letting her embarrassment get the better of her, she drew in and released a deep breath before speaking. “I know you’re trying to help but I couldn’t take it for that price. We both know it’s worth way more than that.”
“It might be, but I’d rather have a tenant I know and like than someone who could be a pain in the ass right below me.” He wiggled his eyebrows and she laughed, breaking the tension as she suspected was his intent.
“Just tell me you’ll consider it. Give it some real thought.”
Inside, her stomach twisted but she nodded. “I’ll think about it.”
He placed a hand on her shoulder, and she felt his heated touch through the fabric of her top. Their gazes locked and awareness settled between them. In fact, she actually felt like the air crackled with static electricity, the sparks between them were so potent.
He stepped closer and tilted his head down, his intent clear, and she panicked.
“Don’t!” she exclaimed, unable to let him kiss her before he knew the truth.
Confusion wrinkled his brows. “What’s wrong?”
“I’m pregnant,” she blurted out, watching as his eyes opened wide and the implications of her statement dawned.
He stepped back, grasping onto the back of the nearest chair. “And it’s—”
“Yours.”
He sucked in a startled breath. A few seconds passed in silence as he processed what she’d said. He glanced at her still flat stomach in disbelief and tried to swallow though his throat had gone dry. “Holy shit.”
At least he hadn’t asked if she was certain he was the father. She didn’t think she could have handled that humiliation.
“I need to sit down,” he said, and she gestured to the sofa.
He lowered himself to the seat and she kept quiet, giving him the space she assumed he needed. With butterflies in her stomach, she waited for his reaction.