Chapter Thirty
Charlotte
Charlotte used her key to enter through the front door of the Black’s townhouse. Unlike their place in Vermont, this one didn’t have a code, but it was just as spectacular. This house was actually Charlotte’s favorite out of the two. She liked the height of the ceilings and the little details she’d never seen in any other home and the textures that had been used throughout.
She also really loved Boston, a place she hadn’t ever considered moving to until she’d been offered this job.
She shut the front door behind her and went into the kitchen. Marion was at the counter, cutting up fresh fruit.
“Good morning,” Charlotte said to her, continuing to the coffeemaker, hitting the buttons to pour a single cup. She had walked from the hotel and even though it wasn’t far, she could feel the chill all the way in her bones.
“Morning, Miss Charlotte,” she replied. “I gave Mr. Black his coffee when he came down in his pajamas about an hour ago.”
“Thank you,” Charlotte answered. She brought the mug over to the fridge where she added in some creamer. “Is Adam here yet?”
“No, just Mr. Black.”
Charlotte pointed up, letting Marion know where she was headed, and she moved over to the stairs. As she started to climb them, she heard Emery. It sounded like he was on the phone and by the tone of his voice, he wasn’t pleased.
“The measurements are perfect,” he snapped. “There isn’t a doubt in my mind.”
She was halfway up and could hear him more clearly now.
“I don’t give a shit what your foreman told you,” Emery said. “Those measurements haven’t changed.” He paused. “I stand by my word.”
When Charlotte reached the top of the stairwell, she saw Emery in the doorway of his bedroom. The only thing covering his body was a small white towel wrapped around his waist.
“This is bullshit,” he said.
Charlotte was frozen on the top step, eyes glued to her boss’s back, overly impressed with how muscular and fit he looked. Her stare slowly dipped all the way to his feet, and then she forced herself to glance away and start walking toward the office.
But, within a step, Emery heard her and turned around.
Their eyes locked.
She tried so hard not to look down, especially because he would know what she was doing. But she couldn’t fight it … and his whole body came into view.
Every edge.
Every dip of muscle.
There was a perfect amount of hair on his chest and a thin trail that disappeared under the towel. There were droplets of water still on his skin, his hair messy, like someone had been gripping it.
Emery Black was so incredibly sexy.
“I told you the numbers,” he growled, startling her. “I’m not going to tell you again.”
Their eyes caught one last time and he disconnected the call.
Charlotte opened her mouth to say something, anything to make this situation less awkward and to cool him down from the argument.
But he didn’t give her the chance.
He immediately turned and shut the door.
Her heart was beating so fast by the time she reached the office, it felt like she had climbed ten sets of stairs. Her hands were shaking as she took a seat at her desk and pulled up her email. She tried to focus on what needed to be done, but all she could see was Emery’s body. She was so distracted by it, when Adam walked into the office, she jumped.
“Morning,” he said, chuckling at her. He took off his cross-body bag and set it on his desk. “Too much coffee?”
She pointed at the mug on her desk and exaggerated, “Fourth cup.”
“Sounds about right.”
She swiveled her chair to get a better view of the door. “Any idea what pissed off the builder this morning? At least I’m assuming it was him. I’ve never heard Emery argue with anyone else.”
He took a seat and his fingers began tapping the keyboard. “I’m sure it’s him. Emery doesn’t argue with anyone else. But that dude, he’s fucking crazy. I guess if I had that many millions invested in a project, I’d be that crazy, too. Were they really going at it?”
Before she could answer him, her phone dinged, and a text popped up on the screen. Adam’s cell went off at the same time and the both of them read the group message from Emery.
Going for a run. Be back in an hour. Don’t call unless it’s an emergency.
“He’s definitely pissed,” Adam said as he glanced at Charlotte. “I’ve never known him to miss a meeting.”
The three of them were supposed to be at the builder’s office in an hour. If Emery was just returning by then, they would be lucky if they got there an hour late.
Charlotte couldn’t let that happen.
She needed to fix this.