Chapter 24
Nova
I skip down the stairs two at a time as I button up the front of the shirt I found hanging on Charlie's closet door. It's huge and soft and smells just like him. I bury my nose in the fabric and smile. I could bathe in his scent. It's the stuff that addictions are made of.
When I reach the landing at the bottom of the stairs, I stop and stretch, pulling both arms over my head and arching my chest up to the sky. The mandatory deep, guttural groan of satisfaction goes along with it.
Stretching out my muscles feels refreshingly good especially after last night's rather athletic activities. Charlie Hartley sure knows how to give a girl a workout.
I lean into my left hip, jutting it out and feeling my pelvis loosen. I repeat the motion on the right side, too. Then, I bend forward and touch my toes to relieve the tension in the backs of my thighs. The shirt rolls down my inverted torso, falling over my face.
A very amused female voice speaks up. "Naked booty in my face first thing in the morning? Y'see, in college, I was totally into that sort of thing. Now, not so much."
I shoot upright and spin around in the direction of the voice. "Sharon?!" Charlie’s secretary is sitting at the island with a bunch of paperwork spread out in front of her.
She looks even more shocked than I do when she sees my face. "Nova?!"
"You just saw my snatch!" I blurt out, completely mortified.
She cringes. "I totally did." Her frown deepens. "It's an alright-looking snatch but not what I was expecting with my ginger ale and saltine crackers this early in the morning."
Pulling down the hem of the shirt, I mutter an apology. I've had friendly chats with Charlie’s secretary over the years during my occasional visits to his office but we are absolutely not friendly enough to have shared that level of intimacy.
"I'm gonna just..." My voice trails off as I hook my thumb over my shoulder in the direction of the stairs.
She gives me a dismissive hand wave. "Are you serious? Get in here. Last week, I was spread-eagle on an examination table while my 60-year-old obstetrician probed my pussy with a cold metal object and half a dozen curious medical students watched. At this point, I’m not exactly the poster child for feminine modesty." She rubs a hand over her big belly. She looks like she’s a hiccup away from going into labor. "Come, come. Charlie made fresh coffee."
Laughing and feeling a lot more at ease, I stroll into the kitchen and grab a coffee mug. Out the kitchen window, I get a glimpse of Charlie on the back porch, barking at whoever is on the other end of the line.
Mmm...bossy. Who doesn't love a bossy man?!
"Business call?" I ask casually as if there isn't a big, hairy 800-pound gorilla hanging out in the corner of the room.
She nods, a smirk playing on her lips as she clears some of her papers so I can sit. "He's dealing with a permit application," she tells me.
"Oh..." I bob my head slightly in understanding.
When Sharon can't hold off any longer, she lowers her voice and grins. "So you and Charlie, huh?"
Heat invades my cheeks. "Uh, we're just friends," I say with a casual shoulder shrug.
The secretary scoffs. "Hun, Charlie does not bring his 'friends' back to his house. This place is his sanctuary. If you're here, wearing his clothes, drinking his coffee at 7:45 in the morning, it means something."
I hide my expression behind my coffee cup as her words reek havoc in my brain. "No, honestly—we're just friends."
Right then, Charlie’s gaze moves to the back door. He seems to spot me despite the sun's glare against the glass. With the phone still pressed to his ear, he steps closer and squints. When our eyes meet, he flashes me the single most breathtaking smile I've ever seen. My pulse quickens and my lungs hitch.
Sharon's gaze moves back and forth between Charlie and me as he and I stand frozen, grinning at each other. She snorts and mumbles sarcastically under her breath. "Just friends...? Not for long."