Free The Billionaire's Woman Trilogy by Keana Black Page B

have time to come and get.”
     
    The realization slowly sunk in that she was speaking to her boss on the phone, and that he was requesting she come to his home. Sharise snapped to attention. “Yes, sir! I’ll bring them right away.”
     
    “Good,” he said, and paused. “And bring a change of clothes. You’re going to New York.” He hung up the phone, but Sharise stood still for several moments, her jaw hanging open. She couldn’t believe what she had just heard. James Waldorf had asked her to come to New York with him.
     
    And then reality set in. He hadn’t really asked, exactly. More like commanded. And he needed an assistant to help with organization, or so he said. That’s all. It meant nothing else. Until yesterday, he hadn’t even known her name. That’s right, Sharise, she thought, Just breathe. Grab the documents and go .
     
    She rushed into his office and found the documents just where he said they would be, and turned to rush home and pack as quickly as she could. She knew that no matter what else happened, the next few hours would either secure her job, or lose it — and with it would go any chance of paying for college.
     
     
     
    ***
     
     
     
    Her car puttered to a stop in front of the massive building, and she checked and double checked the address just to make sure she was in the right place. When she realized she was, she still couldn’t believe it. The house was massive; it nearly blocked her view, reaching high into the sky above her, adorned with Corinthian columns and Roman architecture.
     
    Sharise gulped, and walked up to the front door, pushing it open. “Mr. Waldorf?” she called.
     
    “In here.” The voice came from somewhere to her right. James sat on a rather spartan couch, pouring over documents for the upcoming meeting. He didn’t even glance up when she walked inside. “Just place the papers here.” He gestured to the table in front of him. “Do you have a bag?”
     
    “Yes, sir,” Sharise said, still staring around the room. A large fireplace sat just to her left, a pile of firewood beside it. Papers strewn across the table in front of James showed that he hadn’t stopped working when he left the office, and she supposed that must have been how he became so obscenely rich; he just never quit working. Other than a few sparse ornaments, the house was barely decorated. There weren’t even any pictures of family anywhere that she could see, although a dog leash hung on a hook near the front door. It seemed he kept his austere mShariserisms even for home life, as well.
     
    Sharise glanced at her boss, and he seemed as composed at home as he always did at work. Any communication they had was short and terse; Sharise just stood by and waited for him to tell her what to do. Finally, he looked up and pushed a coffee cup towards her. “Bring me some more coffee. The kitchen is across the hall.”
     
    Sharise nodded and jumped at the task, eager to see what the rest of the house looked like. The kitchen was much like the rest of the home that she could see; mostly empty, with only the necessities set out. She didn’t know what she expected, though; she had a hard time imagining dinnerware with chickens on it working in a house like this one. Still, she had an equally hard time imagining her boss standing over the sink, his sleeves rolled up over those muscled forearms, scrubbing at a speck of dirt on one of his plates.
     
    The coffee was already made, and she poured another cup and took it to him. He nodded, the closest to a thanks she was going to receive, and Sharise sat down in an armchair to wait. She wondered if he had maids; they must stay out of sight to avoid getting in his way, but she couldn’t think of James cleaning and cooking for himself. It just didn’t fit the rest of the persona.
     
    But there were distinct signs of use that a normal person would leave behind; a single plate in the sink, a stack of clean dishes waiting to be put away. If he