by Carol Wyatt
“So, are you ready for tonight?” Jules asked.
“Yes. I love the location of this building. I think that’s going to sell it, never mind the renderings and they came out really well.”
“I know… We’re lucky that you get along so well with Lara. She’s been a huge boost in business for us.”
“Well,” Charlie said with a smile. “We’re a lot alike… Too much really. We’re a good team though.”
“We’ll need to get at least thirty percent of the building sold tonight. She’s got high standards.”
“I’m aiming for fifty percent.”
“At the launch party?” Jules asked. “That’s ambitious. Good luck,” he said with a soft laugh.
They fell into a comfortable silence as they got closer to the hotel where they were hosting the launch party.
Charlie wasn’t exactly nervous. She was anxious more than anything else. Jules was right. Lara Woods had brought a lot of business to their company and Charlie didn’t want to let her down.
Chapter 43
Erica adjusted the pillow behind her and let the next episode play as she got comfortable in bed.
Jenny was out, and she didn’t know where Taylor was.
She would have told us if she was going home for Christmas, wouldn’t she? Maybe Jenny knows.
Erica’s phone buzzed beside her.
Is it okay if I come over?
Erica couldn’t keep the smile off her face. She quickly replied to Charlie’s text. Sure.
Erica closed her laptop and pushed herself out of bed, checking her reflection in the mirror opposite her bed. She ran a brush through her black hair.
She had no makeup on and she was still in her pajamas, but it was after midnight and that was normal.
I might as well let Charlie see me this way.
Erica tidied up her room and hung up the few pieces of clothes that were on the floor. She put a light spray of perfume on and went into the living room to make sure it looked presentable.
The doorbell rang a few minutes later and Erica padded over to the door to answer it. When she opened the door, she struggled to keep her jaw from dropping.
Charlie looked absolutely stunning. Her blonde hair was in loose waves and the turquoise dress that hugged her body brought out her bright blue eyes.
“Hey,” Charlie said with a smile. “Sorry it’s so late.”
“Don’t be silly. Come in,” Erica managed to say as she stood aside to let Charlie pass. “I have the place to myself at the moment. How’d the launch party go?”
“Well, I think. A few solid offers,” Charlie said as she made her way over to the couch. “We had lots of interest but that doesn’t always translate to actual offers so we’ll have to wait and see.”
“I’m sure you’ll sell out pretty fast. I’ve even heard about the building at work from three different people… Can I get you a drink?”
“Whatever you’re having is fine. I could only pretend to be drinking at the party. I think I nursed two glasses of wine all night.”
Erica brought over two glasses of Pinot Grigio and sat down beside her.
“Sorry about the pajamas,” Erica said as she handed Charlie her glass. “I was having a lazy night in.”
“Thanks for letting me come over on such short notice.”
“I was starting to think that I wasn’t going to see you before Christmas.”
“You’re going home Sunday morning?” Charlie asked.
“Yes.”
“Let’s have dinner Saturday night.”
“Okay. Yeah, that’d be great,” Erica said as she took a sip of her wine.
Erica glanced down at her plaid pajama pants. She felt incredibly underdressed sitting next to Charlie who looked like she’d just stepped out of a magazine.
“Are you okay?” Charlie asked. “You look worried…”
Erica smiled. “I was just thinking about how underdressed I am right now.”
“Well, there’s really only one way to solve that problem,” Charlie said with a smirk.
“I know. I have this cute little black dress I could put on.”
Charlie stared blankly at her before Erica cracked a smile.
“You have a strange sense of humor,” Charlie said as she leaned in, cupping Erica’s cheek as she kissed her, their lips parting against one another’s as Charlie’s thumb caressed Erica’s cheek.
Erica sighed softly between kisses as her hand rested on the side of Charlie’s neck and their tongues met in a slow, sensual dance.
When did this happen? When did I completely fall for her? And how is she still interested in me?
“I need to get out of this dress,” Charlie whispered as she tried to get comfortable.
Erica pulled away and stood up, grabbing onto Charlie’s hand as she led her into her bedroom.
Erica moved behind Charlie as she kicked off her heels. She still had to stand on the balls of her feet to lightly kiss the nape of Charlie neck as she slowly pulled the zipper of her dress down the center of her back.
Charlie pushed the dress down her body and stepped out of it as she turned in Erica’s arms and kissed her, parting her lips to find her tongue.
Charlie tugged at Erica’s pajama pants and Erica helped her get them off before lifting her top over her head, standing in front of Charlie in just her black panties.
Erica reached around behind Charlie to unhook her bra, letting it slide down her arms as they continued to kiss, their lips fitting together to easily.
Charlie backed Erica up to the edge of the bed and lightly pushed her back onto the mattress while she stepped out of her panties. She kneeled down in front of the bed and pressed her tongue against Erica’s sex through her black lace panties, adding just enough pressure to tease Erica.
Erica threw her head back as Charlie’s tongue barely flicked across her sensitive clit. She lifted her hips, silently begging Charlie for more.
Charlie lips moved to the inside of her thighs, lightly trailing kisses up to her sex before moving away from the heat and kissing her toned stomach.
“Charlie, please,” Erica said in a husky voice.
Erica’s hand moved through Charlie’s blond hair as her attention returned to Erica’s sex. Charlie’s fingers grabbed onto her panties and tugged them down her legs. She tossed them to the side as her tongue ran through her wet folds.
Erica felt a shiver run through her body when Charlie hovered above her clit. Erica could feel her breath. She was pulsating, waiting for Charlie’s tongue to cover her.
After a few agonizing seconds, Charlie’s tongue finally flickered across Erica’s bud, causing Erica to cry out. She needed more, fast.
Charlie must have been able to sense that. Her tongue continued to work its magic, gliding across her clit with expertize while she brought two fingers up to run through her soaking wet lips.
She plunged those two fingers in and Erica threw her head back, her eyes shut tight as Charlie found her rhythm, picking up the pace with each stroke.
“Right there,” Erica moaned as Charlie’s tongue continued to tease her swollen bud.
Erica’s hips thrust forward to meet Charlie’s palm as she came hard. Charlie’s tongue was still applying pressure to her clit and Erica couldn’t remember ever coming like this.
Her hips bucked against Charlie’s hand, her breathing became shallow, and there were stars behind her eye lids as she rode out the wave of pleasure that was running through her body.
Erica’s body went limp as Charlie’s tongue licked her clean.
“That was…,” Erica said in a husky drawl. “I don’t even know… Can you stay tonight?”
“Yes.”
“I’ll take my time then,” Erica said as she reached for Charlie’s hand, pulling her down on top of her, Charlie’s body covering hers as Erica slid her hand down between her legs.
Tonight, Erica planned on teasing her, on making her beg.
Chapter 44
Christmas Eve w
as just like any other day for Charlie. Her mother was planning on cooking them dinner tomorrow but right now it was business as usual.
Most real estate agents had packed up for the holidays, but Charlie wasn’t ready to just yet. She was still making phone calls, looking for buyers for the building they’d just launched.
So far, they’d sold fifty-five percent of the building. She’d sent Lara an email a few hours ago with the latest bid and which units had been sold to date.
Charlie was surprised that she hadn’t heard back from her. Maybe she was traveling to wherever her family lived.
A knock on the door took Charlie away from her thoughts. She was missing her secretary today who was on her way to California for the week. Charlie liked knowing who was calling before she answered or who was coming into her office before they arrived.
“Come in,” Charlie called, taking her eyes away from her computer screen. “Lara…,” Charlie said as their eyes met. “How are you?”
Charlie didn’t know whether or not she should be happy to see her. Fifty-five percent was a great achievement, but Lara might not think so.
“I’m good thanks,” Lara said as she entered the room. “How are you?
Charlie pushed back her chair and stood up, running her hands down the front of her skirt to smooth it out.
Lara greeted her with a kiss on each cheek, something she’d gotten in the habit of doing when they were dating.
“I’m great,” Charlie said as she motioned for Lara to sit down across from her at her desk, but Lara seemed to ignore that suggestion and made her way across the room to sit on the sofa that was against the full-length windows.
Charlie sat down beside her, anxious to know why she was here. “Did you get my email? I just got another offer in this morning.”
“I did.”
“All cash,” Charlie said with a confident smile.
“Not full ask though.”
“Not quite.”
“Charlie, you know the rules. No offers below full asking price,” Lara said in a serious tone. “Look, we can talk about that later… Right now, there’s something else I wanted to talk about.”
“Okay.”
“We work really well together,” Lara said, brushing a lock of chestnut hair away from her eyes.
Charlie felt a fluttering in her stomach. She didn’t like where this conversation was going. She could see the hint of desire in Lara’s eyes.
“We do,” Charlie said without giving anything away.
“And I thought we made a pretty good couple too… Charlie, I’ve missed you these last few weeks.”
Charlie sighed softly and glanced to her right out at the sea of buildings that stretched across the horizon. When she turned to give Lara the bad news, that they weren’t going to be getting back together, Lara’s lips were on hers.
What was probably meant as a light kiss quickly escalated with Lara moving her hand behind Charlie’s head, keeping their lips pressed together. Charlie brought her hands up to Lara’s shoulders to push her away but there was a bang that made both of them jump.
Charlie’s office door had opened and slammed shut again in just a matter of seconds.
“What the-” Lara started as Charlie pushed herself off the couch, opening her door to see who it had been.
No else was working today, not even Jules. She thought she’d had the floor to herself, but apparently not.
Charlie turned the corner and strode down the hall to the bank of elevators. Erica was standing there with her back to Charlie. She recognized her jet-black hair, her winter coat, and she also noted how defeated Erica looked. Her shoulders, her stance, gave her away.
“Erica, wait,” Charlie said just as Erica pressed the button for the elevator.
“I’m leaving,” Erica said as she turned. “I shouldn’t have just shown up here, but you weren’t answering your phone… I see why now.”
“Erica, that wasn’t what it looked like. She was kissing me before I even knew what was going on,” Charlie said, not recognizing the desperation in her own voice. She was so used to being in control.
“And I just happened to walk in at that moment?”
“Yes!”
The elevator doors opened, and Charlie grabbed Erica’s arm before she could get in.
“Is everything okay?” Charlie asked. “Why were you looking for me?”
“I’m leaving. The snow storm that was forecasted for Christmas is coming early. There’s supposed to be at least six inches in the city this evening, more at home. I want to get there before the conditions get worse. And I wanted to say goodbye… And Merry Christmas,” Erica said, her voice trailing off as she finished.
Lara was walking down the hall and standing beside them before Charlie could reply. Charlie couldn’t help but notice the shocked look on Lara’s face.
“I didn’t know you had met someone Charlie…”
“Erica, Lara,” Charlie said, motioning awkwardly between them. “Lara, Erica.”
“I’ll leave you to it,” Lara said as she pressed the button for the elevator and the doors opened again a second later. “Merry Christmas,” she said as she stepped in and the doors closed after her.
“There’s nothing going on between us,” Charlie said desperately. “It’s just business.”
Erica sighed. “I’ve uh… I’ve always been worried about her. She’s everything that I’m not... She’s from your world of penthouses and multi-million-dollar deals. I can’t compete with that.”
Erica’s eyes were watery, and Charlie wished she could wrap her arms around her.
“Erica…,” Charlie started. She didn’t know how to explain that there wasn’t any competition. She was only interested in Erica.
“I have to go,” Erica said, pressing the button for the elevator again. “I’m crazy about you Charlie… I just don’t know how this is ever going to work. Maybe we should get out now before it gets any harder.”
“Are you breaking up with me?” Charlie asked in almost a whisper.
Erica laughed softly, and Charlie could hear the sarcasm in her voice. “We never even said, officially, that we were together.”
“Erica, this can work.”
“Enjoy your Christmas, Charlie,” Erica said as the doors opened.
The doors closed again before Charlie could say anything. She stood frozen in front of the elevator.
What just happened?
Chapter 45
Erica waited for the traffic lights to turn green, knowing she was only a few blocks away from finally getting home. The snow was coming down heavier now and she was glad she’d made the decision to leave New York early.
Well… Except for the fact that she’d walked in on Lara and Charlie kissing on the sofa in her office.
Erica spent the entire journey trying to convince herself that it was for the best, that it was better to end things now.
She’d always worried about Lara and she was clearly still interested in Charlie. Why wouldn’t she be?
I just need to get home and enjoy Christmas with my family. This break will be good for me.
Erica couldn’t face telling Jenny yet. She’d give her a call later tonight to see how she was doing. Jenny wasn’t close to her family, so she was staying in New York and minding their apartment.
Erica pulled off as the light turned green. She was looking forward to getting home and sitting in front of the warm fire in the house she’d grown up in.
Chapter 46
Charlie finished up the paperwork that she was doing. It took her twice as long as it should have. When she finally made her way back to her office almost three hours ago, she was distracted, and work was the last thing on her mind.
What could I have done differently?
That was the question that kept popping into her head.
Lara just jumped on me. I was going to push her away.
Charlie slung her bag over her shoulder and closed her office door behind her. She made her way down to t
he lobby and out onto the snow-covered sidewalk outside.
She flagged down a taxi and instead of giving the driver her address, she asked him to take her to Erica’s apartment.
Charlie hoped that Erica was still packing or that maybe she hadn’t gone home at all with the weather. She needed to see her and explain.