Page 13 of Just One More Affair
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.”
