In Another Time Read online

  James smiled, knowing that she would soon learn that he never waited and always got what he wanted.

  When they approached the restaurant, a well-dressed man met them at the door, “Welcome Mr. Donovan, right this way Sir,” he greeted with a smile.

  Charlotte couldn’t hide her surprise, but she said nothing as they walked past the crowd and to their table.

  They were seated at a quiet, secluded table. The host handed them both menus as he took their drink orders.

  Charlotte ordered a glass of wine, opting not to get something stronger because she needed to keep a clear head.

  James, on the other hand, ordered a whiskey neat.

  As they waited for their drinks, Charlotte tried to avoid his intense stare. The heat in his eyes did things to her insides—things better left out of a business dinner. She welcomed the interruption of the host as he placed their drinks on the table.

  When he left, she finally spoke, “So when do you think you’ll make a final decision on the company? I know that the employees are very anxious, and I don’t want to lose valuable employees to other companies,” she said as she sipped her wine.

  James watched her every move, expression, and gesture as if he were committing it all to memory like secrets he needed to guard. “What about you Charlotte, are you concerned about your job?” he asked as he stared directly into her eyes.

  It felt like something almost too intimate reflected back at her from his steady gaze. She knew better than to look into his eyes. Unsettled, she looked down at her glass of wine, then back up at him. “Of course, I’m concerned. No one wants to be unemployed.” She glanced up, as the waitress was there to take their food orders.

  “Give us a few minutes,” he told the waitress.

  Charlotte watched him bring his drink to his lips and thought how jealous she was of that glass. That mouth. It could do things to me that…

  “You have an amazing skill set, I’m sure you won’t have a problem finding a new job,” he said interrupting her lustful thoughts of his lips.

  Wait, what did he say? She mentally tried to rewind his statement in her head. “So does that mean you’ve decided to close company?” she asked.

  “No Charlotte that does not mean I’ve decided to close company. I just know that with your skills, you would not be unemployed for long.

  “I don’t want to be unemployed at all, I love my job and believe in our company, and I hope you make the right decision by keeping it open.”

  “I have not made a decision one way or the other Charlotte, just making an observation about your work ethic. So what’s good here?” he asked as he changed the subject.

  Charlotte studied him as her eyes zeroed in on him, trying to gauge how to take him. She peered down at the menu. “Their catfish is amazing,” she said as she placed the menu on the table and took a few sips of her wine before deciding to ask him the question that had been plaguing her all night, “Mr. Donovan—”

  “Please call me James, we are going to be spending a lot of time together, and I think we should be on a first name basis.” The surprised look on her face caused him to smile.

  She opened her mouth to respond but decided against it and instead, took another sip of her wine.

  The waitress quickly came over to refresh their drinks, putting another glass of wine in front of her and bringing James another whiskey. She took their food orders and quickly retreated.

  Charlotte took another sip of her wine.

  “If I decide to keep the company running on a trial basis, who would you suggest I put at the helm?” he asked.

  She took a gulp of her wine and instantly realized it wasn’t a good idea because she was starting to feel light headed. “There are a few individuals at the company that would be good candidates for running the company.”

  “What about Daniel Moret?” he asked seeming to want to get her opinion of him.

  Charlotte stared at him with a faint smile that she knew didn’t reach her eyes. She then took a deep breath and let it out as she spoke, “Daniel is a lazy, egotistical womanizer who will take credit for everyone else’s work while not doing any work at all. He should have been fired years ago. He has used his position to intimidate female employees into doing things for him that are unspeakable. I have gone to HR on several occasions, but he preys on the women who are timid and afraid they will lose their jobs, so they won’t come forward.” Charlotte paused to watch him as all the muscles in his face tightened. “You own the company, so you need to know what type of individual you are thinking about putting at the head of it, and I assure you, if Daniel becomes CEO, you will have my resignation before the ink is dry on his contract.” She showed her irritation and was not about to hide it from him.

  “I assure you, I had no idea this was going on, but I plan to rectify that situation,” James said in an angry, stern tone. His expression softened when he saw the distress on her face this conversation was causing. He placed his hand over hers. “Hey, I will handle it, no other woman at my company will be subjected to that kind of abuse.”

  She nodded as she tried to get her anger under control.

  The waitress placed their food in front of them and they began to eat in silence.

  “You were right, this catfish is amazing,” he commented as he put another fork full into his mouth.

  Charlotte nodded feeling happy that he liked the food here. She also enjoyed that dazzling smile of his too.

  “Have you ever considered putting your hat in the ring for the CEO position? You seem to be as qualified, if not more, than the next person in line.”

  She gazed steadily at him as she placed her fork on her plate. “I never thought about running the company, I’m happy working directly with our clients,” she said honestly because she never thought her company would have a black woman as CEO.

  “I think you would make an outstanding CEO, think about it,” he said as he took another sip of his drink.

  She smiled but did not respond, as she didn’t know how to answer this statement.

  They finished their dinner with a polite conversation about families and culture.

  As James began to talk about his hometown, his phone buzzed. He peered down at the screen. “Please excuse me, I need to take this call,” he said to her as he pressed the button. “Yes,” he replied sounding slightly irritated, that someone was interrupting his dinner. “Okay, I will call when I return to the hotel, then we can make a decision. Okay, I will be there soon.” He ended the call and gazed at her. “I have to go back to my hotel. My business partner has set up a conference call with clients back home and I need to be a part of that call.” He looked sorry that their time together was at an end.

  “Okay,” Charlotte replied surprised at the abrupt end of their dinner.

  “Shall we go?” he asked as he began to stand.

  Charlotte drank more wine than she planned and as she stood, she could feel it. She was able to maintain her composure. It was probably a good thing their night was ending early. Being this close to him made her feel warm inside. The chemistry was there and she knew he felt it too, that’s why she didn’t trust herself being alone with him.

  “I would like to continue our conversation; will you consider joining me for another drink? My call won’t take long and my hotel has a very charming lounge where we can talk,” he suggested with a confident smirk as they walked out of the restaurant to a waiting car.

  Charlotte narrowed her eyes at him.

  “It’s not what you think, the lounge is quiet, and we can continue our conversation there,” he explained.

  She nodded but wasn’t entirely comfortable with being so close to his hotel room. Be strong, she admonished herself. She wanted to say no but when she opened her mouth to speak, “Yes,” is what she heard her voice say.

  “Good,” he said. “Shall we go?” He signaled the driver to drive.

  Chapter 9

  As they drove to his hotel, he continued to talk about his hometown, hi
s other businesses he acquired in the US and how he liked his first trip to America.

  James and Charlotte walked through the doors of the hotel, he paused. “You are welcomed to wait in my suite until I finish my call,” he offered.

  Charlotte knew that was not going to happen. She smiled. “That’s okay. I will wait for you at the bar.” She pointed to the lounge area. “I think it will be safer,” she mumbled softly, but he heard her.

  He smiled slightly because he knew she was right. “I promise, I won’t be long.” He then turned to the hostess. “Please make sure that Ms. Trudeau is taken care of while I’m gone.” He turned and smiled at her before walking away.

  She stood and tried to push away the feeling that smile of his gave her. Steady, Charlie, steady. Charlotte then smiled at the hostess who stood there waiting for her order. “I’ll have a glass of white wine and a glass of water with lemon.”

  The hostess beamed back at her. “Right away, Ms. Trudeau.”

  “Charlie, what are you doing here?” she whispered. Just as she convinced herself to leave, the hostess was back with her drinks. “Thank you.” Charlotte gave her a faint smile as she contemplated her exit. She sipped her wine and pulled her phone out to call a cab.

  As she began to dial the number, James’ business partner and friend walked up to the table and sat down. She remembered seeing him a few times in the office with James. Charlotte straightened her back, as an uneasiness feeling washed over her body.

  “James asked me to keep you company while he finishes his call. My name is Aedan Doyle by the way,” he said in a strong Irish accent, as he signaled the hostess, who came over immediately. “I’ll have a scotch, and get the lady another glass of wine.”

  “No thank you, I’ve had enough to drink.” She gave a nod to the hostess before turning her attention to Aedan. “I was actually about to leave.” She picked up her purse to leave.

  “So what did you hope to gain by coming to his hotel this evening?” He raised a brow at her.

  Aedan’s look was more than telling as his brutally honest question caught Charlotte off guard. If she had to be perfectly honest with herself, she wasn’t sure why she came to his hotel. This was not how she behaved, she didn’t do things like this. She stared at Aedan and decided not to acknowledge his question. “It was nice to meet you Mr. Doyle. Can you please tell Mr. Donovan that I will talk to him in the office on Monday.” She quickly picked up her belongings, walked out of the hotel and hailed a taxi.

  As the taxi sped down the highway, she had this overwhelming feeling to go back to the hotel. What is wrong with you Charlie, if you go back then what...? She knew what—she had it bad for James Donavan. Charlotte shook her head as she tried to get the thoughts of him out of her mind.

  The jerking feeling of the taxi coming to a screeching halt was a welcomed distraction.

  “We are here,” the driver said dryly.

  She paid him and quickly entered her home. She began to strip as she headed for the shower. She needed to cool down. The lusty thoughts of her boss were becoming more intense and very vivid every time he was in his presence. She allowed the cool water to coat her body as she began to rub her clit. She needed to relieve the pressure that had been building all night. Her rubbing became so furious that her body began to quiver before she even realized it, she was climaxing. She exited the shower and towel dried her body as her heart rate calmed down. She completed her nightly body care ritual before walking into her bedroom and sitting on the side of her bed. She could not rid her mind of the thoughts of her boss. She stood to retrieve a nightgown when she heard her doorbell.

  Charlotte glanced up at the clock on the wall. There were only two people who would come to her house this late…either Jewels or Robert, she grabbed her silk robe and walked to the door.

  “What do you mean she just left, what did you say to her Aedan?” James barked. He was angry when he returned to the lounge to find Charlotte was not there.

  “I only asked her what her purpose was for coming here this evening,” Aedan answered calmly as he sipped his drink and handed one to James. He studied his friend of twenty years and knew for a fact he’d never seen him so rattled‒not in business and definitely‒not over a woman.

  James snatched the drink out of Aedan’s hand. “That’s none of your fucking business why she was here and you had no right to ask her a got damn thing.” James was livid. He drained his glass and began to walk out the door.

  “Where are you going, James?”

  James didn’t respond.

  Aedan knew where he was going and he grabbed his arm. “What’s going on with you Jim? If this is about getting laid, I’m all for it, but this woman has distracted you in ways that I have never seen. We need to stay focused, so we can handle our business and head back home.”

  When James stared down at Aedan’s hand which was still on his arm, Aedan released his arm and put his hands up in defeat. He hoped this would not backfire on him. In all of their adult life, he had never seen James react like this over a woman; women were always throwing themselves at him. He had a feeling that this was the one for James. Aedan signaled the hostess for another drink. He knew they were going to be in the States longer than anticipated and his infatuation with that woman could prove to be dangerous.

  Charlotte closed her robe as she walked to the door. She peered through the peephole and gasped loudly. Why is he here? The thoughts in her mind were swirling around so fast that she opened the door, forgetting she was only wearing a flimsy robe. She instantly realized she shouldn’t have answered the door so quickly when she saw his eyes immediately peruse her body.

  Charlotte quickly and shamefully closed her robe. “Mr. Donavan, what are you doing here?” she asked.

  “I’m sorry to intrude so late, may I come in?” he asked as he stood in the doorway.

  Realizing that she was still standing in the doorway with nothing on but a robe, she stepped to the side. “Please come in.” She locked the door behind him. “I wasn’t expecting company,” she said as she closed her robe tighter. “I need a minute to change.” She turned to head back to her bedroom when he gently tugged at her arm causing her to stop and face him.

  He looked into her eyes, cupped her face gently and whispered, “Beautiful.” Then he lowered his lips to hers.

  The kiss was so soft and gentle that it almost brought her to tears. The taste of whiskey and mint on his breath was intoxicating. She was completely frozen with fear. The same fear she felt the moment she met him, the fear that she would submit to this man completely and be powerless to resist. What the hell is going on, and why does he feel so right, like they belong together? Her thoughts were spiraling out of control.

  He continued to stare until he saw the expression on her face. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to make you upset,” he said as he wiped a tear from her face.

  She hadn’t realized she was shedding tears and didn’t know why she was behaving this way, but she wrapped her arms around him as she stood on the tips of her toes and kissed him again. This time, the kiss deepened and she felt a wave of euphoria. James lifted her off the ground and she instantly wrapped her legs around his waist. She wanted this man, this felt right, but could she deal with the consequences in the morning?

  He backed her into a wall without breaking the kiss. She ran her fingers through his dark wavy hair. Breaking the connection, she gazed into his beautiful green eyes that were turning dark with passion. When she felt his groin rise and her robe opened, exposing her breast as her intimate lips brushed against the bulge in his pants, she knew she had to stop before it went too far. She planted her feet on the ground while pulling her robe closed and backed away.

  “I did not plan for that to happen, I wanted to see you,” he said as she turned away from him. “Please look at me Charlotte.”

  His tone was firm but gentle and the sexy way he pronounced her name made her body heat up. She turned to face him.

  “God, you are so beautiful,
” he stated in a low voice. “I’ve wanted to kiss you since the day I saw you get on the elevator. I can’t explain the connection I feel with you, but I needed to see you tonight, needed to kiss you, to touch you and god help me, but it is taking everything in me not to make love to you right now.”

  His words reflected exactly how she’d felt. She let out a breath and kissed him again. The kiss was breathless and hard as they wrapped their arms around each other again. Then she grabbed his hand and led him into the bedroom. Charlotte tuned out all rational thoughts in her head. She knew it was probably a bad idea; hell, she didn’t even know this man, other than he was her boss; but she allowed her heart to take over, her heart was telling her that this felt right, she’d never felt so sure about something in her entire life. She removed all self-doubt from her mind as she intended to embrace and enjoy this moment, even if it was only for one night.

  She stood in the middle of her bedroom, still confused as to how they got here.

  James remained quiet as he stared into her eyes, “So stunning,” he whispered.

  The soft kisses he planted on her lips caused a tingling feeling to skitter throughout her body. James stood back and tugged at the sash holding her robe together, releasing it, and allowing the robe to cascade to the floor. His eyes roved her body causing her to feel a little self-conscious. She raised her hand to cover her breasts.

  He gently grabbed her arm. “Please don’t be ashamed of something so perfect,” he said as he began to trail kisses down the very arm he was holding. “Charlotte, you don’t know the restraint I’ve had to use not just to grab you up and make love to you till you couldn’t see straight.” He raised his hands to cradle her face. “Your body was created just for me, and when we are done, and you are unable to move, you will also know who your body was created for,” he declared before his lips came crashing down onto hers. He used his thumb to trace the outline of her face.