Chapter Thirty–One
Eyes On The Prize
Charlotte had been stretching lazily, her headache almost gone. Sex as a cure for hangover. Who knew? And then Jordan dropped a nuclear bomb on her.
Charlotte pulled the duvet around her, horrified, replaying the conversation in her mind. Did that just happen?
Yes, Jordan Lovett had just asked her to marry him. Her stomach flipped at the thought. The man was gorgeous, intelligent and the sexiest man she had ever gone to bed with. She was pretty sure he wasn’t involved in the shady work of his father. Sure, he was a little spoiled. He could say stupid things. He was very used to getting things his own way. But over the past few days, she’d fallen more than a little in love with him.
Except...
Except he expected, like they all did, that she would simply drop everything for him. He expected her to give up her job and her apartment and meld into his life like a missing jigsaw puzzle piece, even if she had to cut off parts of herself to fit.
What was worse, she was tempted.
“Quit?”
“You won’t need to ever work again, Charlotte. Whatever else happens, I will take care of you.”
She couldn’t wrap her head around his proposal. She couldn’t get past that single word. “Quit,” she said again, but it wasn’t a question any longer. That told her everything about how it was going to be. She would quit her job and give up her flat and they would move to the suburbs where she would have 2.4 children and play hostess to his business events and have expensive doctors give her a prescription for valium to help her get through the day.
Her voice was flat. “White picket fence and everything, huh.”
It wasn’t Jordan’s fault: he just thought it was normal. The way things were. That’s the way men were taught it should be, especially spoiled gorgeous playboys like Jordan Lovett.
“Look, the fence can be cast iron, if you want. That’s not the important thing.” He pulled her up into his arms and her stupid heart started racing again. Her body leaned into his with desire, even as her brain was frantically trying to process what was happening. Even now, she was set on fire just by the scent of his skin.
“I don’t know what I want,” she said, and that, at least, was true.
And now he was looking at her like a kicked puppy, wondering why she wasn’t ecstatic. She felt tears prickle at the back of her eyes and pulled away, not wanting him to see her cry.
The quiet was interrupted by the jangle of his phone, bringing the beating pain behind her eyebrows back with a vengeance. He started pacing the room, suddenly all business. He spoke rapidly and forcefully, tackling decisions about some sort of office drama.
Charlotte took the chance to soak him in, all broad chest and muscled arms. His chiseled jaw with its customary shadow. His hair rumpled and his shoulders tense. She took a long look while she still could.
“No, it’s fine. I won’t be in until tomorrow though. Yes, thanks. Sorry.” He hung up and started grabbing his things.
“Where are you going?” Had she driven him away? And was it for the best?
“Just for a run.” He smiled at her, but it was weak. “Look, I’m sorry I dropped that on you with no warning.”
She opened her mouth, not sure what she was going to say, but he never gave her the chance. “Let’s just take a quick break and then talk when I’m back.” He kissed her forehead and left.
It was impossible to think straight around him. She leaned back into her pillow, wondering for a moment what it might be like if it was always like this. Could she share a life with Jordan Lovett? She rolled over into the warm spot he’d just vacated. It was nice to dream.
But, no. She wasn’t giving up her business or her life to be with him. Damn, she could be tempted to do it for a month or two. Except now he’d asked her to give him everything and she couldn’t do that.
Not that it mattered what she thought, anyway. She couldn’t forget the minor fact that everything she’d told him about herself was a lie. He had proposed to Charlotte Jones, not Charlotte Nichols. He didn’t know who she was or where she’d came from. And if George Lovett knew she was Owen Nichol’s daughter... she shook her head. There was no chance this could ever work.
But she could still do what she came for. The house was empty: Jordan was out running and George was almost certainly out playing golf. Lauren had no reason to talk to her or to look in the office. She would never get an opportunity like this again. And everything was ruined anyway.
She started pulling on her clothes: just a t-shirt and jeans. There was no point in dressing up fancy, now. She was ready to take down the big boss.
If Charlotte could find the evidence, she could tell Jordan about it and maybe he’d understand why she’d lied to him. Maybe she could explain... She swallowed. Explain she was in his house as a spy, that she’d come here looking to take his father down, that she was lying about who she was. He wouldn’t understand. How could he?
Fine. That was it. She needed to accept it was over. She’d tell him goodbye and disappear out of his life. All she had to do was throw away the burner phone and she was free. He didn’t know her real name or anything about her. He’d never find her. It would be easier for everyone.
With tears in her eyes, she finished getting dressed. She might as well finish the job she came for. Doing nothing, after all this, had to be the worst possible option.
Besides, ruthless, right? But she knew when it came to Jordan, she no longer wanted to be ruthless. She just wanted the chance to show him why this was so important to her and hope he would give her the chance to explain, however unrealistic that might be.
She wiped her hands on her jeans and made her way to George Lovett’s office.
Charlotte stopped in front of the doorway, clenching her shaking fingers. No reason to be nervous, she told herself. It wasn’t as if she hadn’t been in here before. If someone walked in, she could say exactly the same as she had planned before: she simply was looking for a book to read and meant to enter the library, not the office. The house was big enough, it was easy enough to get lost. And once she found what she was looking for, she would clear out and leave their lives forever.
She slipped into the room and closed the door behind her.