Sleeping With My Boss: A Standalone Novel (An Alpha Billionaire Romance Love Story) (A Dirty Office Romance) (52 page)

We pulled up to what looked like a small
stand in the middle of nowhere. It had a cart with a grill set up behind it,
but when we got out, we could see that behind the cart, out of the line of
sight on the highway, was a small tent with its sides raised. Underneath it
were numerous tables with benches on either side.

"Farouk!" I called. "How
are you, my friend?"

"Austin," replied the smiling
man. "It is so good to see you! And you have brought a guest, I see."

"Indeed, I have," I smiled.
"Farouk, this is Emily. Emily, this is my good friend and favorite chef,
Farook Chaouqui."

"It's nice to meet you, Mr.
Chaouqui," Emily said as she offered her hand.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss
Emily," Farook smiled as he shook her hand. "Please, won't you come
in and sit down?"

"You promised your specialty, my
friend," I reminded him.

"Ah yes, I did, didn't I?" he
laughed. "Very well, then I will make the specialty for both of you!"

Farook's assistant brought out tea and a
basket of fresh warm pita bread and set it down in front of us on the table. He
poured us each a glass of steaming hot tea from an impossible height, and then
swiftly disappeared. I could smell the scent of lamb coming from the grill, but
I refrained from calling out and asking Farook what was cooking. I knew he took
a great deal of pleasure in presenting the plates once he'd prepared everything,
and I didn't want to ruin his surprise.

Emily and I chatted about the helicopter
ride and the incredible beauty of the canyon. She'd never seen the canyon from
that vantage point and had been intoxicated by its grandness.

"It made me feel so very insignificant,"
she said as she sipped her tea and popped a small piece of pita in her mouth.
"It made me realize that whatever I'm facing is pretty insignificant in
the larger scheme of things."

"That's interesting," I said
thoughtfully. "I always feel the opposite after I take that ride. Like my
life is of incredible importance and that I need to take advantage of
everything that comes my way because it's the only way I can leave my lasting
impression."

"You don't think that's
arrogant?" she asked innocently.

"No, I think that if I wanted to
write my name on the canyon as proof of my importance, that that would be
profoundly arrogant," I explained. "But when I look at the majestic
beauty of the Grand Canyon, I'm reminded that everything in life is important.
Small streams of water slowly wearing away at the rock over time formed the
canyon. If I want to make a lasting impression, then I need to be deliberate
and patient like the water, but also relentless."

"This is an interesting way of
thinking about it," she said sipping from her glass again.

Just then, Farook entered the tent bearing
plates up and down his arm. "My friends," he called. "Your lunch
is served!" He proceeded to set down several different plates full of
grilled tomatoes, peppers, onions, and zucchini squash. These were followed by
a plate of kefta meatballs and another plate full of juicy lamb chops. His
assistant brought out more tea, pita, and a bowl of yogurt tahini to put on the
pita before loading it up with vegetables and meat.

I watched as Emily listened to Farook's
instructions and then created a pita that caused her to close her eyes and moan
a little when she bit into it.

"Oh my, this is delicious," she
said with her mouth full of food. We laughed and then dug in and ate until we
both thought we couldn't move. We talked about our dreams for travel and things
we had longed to do as we devoured Farook's handiwork.

Halfway through lunch, Emily's phone rang.
When she checked it, the smile left her face as she said, "I have to
answer this one." She stepped away from the table, but I could hear her
saying, "Lunch with a friend. No, we're going to go shopping afterwards. I
haven't seen her in a while. Yes, we might get dinner. What time will you be
home? Fine. See you then."

When she returned to the table, her smile
was pinched and she laughed a little too loudly to try and recapture our
carefree conversation. I wanted to ask, but I already knew, so I let it go. The
phone call gave me an idea, though, and once we'd finished lunch and thanked
Farook for his generous hospitality, I loaded her back into the car and gave
the driver directions to our next stop.

Chapter
Fifty-Nine

Emily

The
call from Tommy had put a damper on my mood, not only because he was already
drunk, but also because he was angry and combative about my every move. I knew
that I would have to keep Austin under wraps if I was going to preserve the
peace. Part of me felt guilty for lying to Tommy, but part of me knew that he
was sleeping with other women, so I felt indignant about deserving my own
happiness. Besides, we weren't doing anything, I told myself, even though I
knew I was lying.

Lunch with Austin had whet my appetite for
more time with him. I just liked being around him. The conversation flowed
easily and I didn't feel like I was on edge, waiting for the next accusation or
angry insult to be hurled my way. With Austin, I felt like someone who was
valued and respected. Plus there was the fact that every time he touched me my
pulse began to race and I felt my breath coming in shallow gasps. He made my
blood flow faster and my body practically sing. I wanted him, but I wasn't
about to open that Pandora's Box today. Instead, I settled for the comfort of
his company and the incredible meals and sightseeing tour.

Now, we were back in the car headed for
parts unknown and he was holding me against him like a precious package. I
sighed as I closed my eyes and leaned against his shoulder. Austin was so solid
and strong, and I loved the feel of his arms around me.

"Where are we headed?" I
murmured with my eyes closed.

"Well, if we're supposed to be
shopping, then I guess it's to the mall," he said playfully as he kissed
the top of my head. I opened my eyes and looked up at him.

"What?"

"You said that you were with a friend
and that you were going shopping, so I thought I'd help you keep your
cover," he smiled. For an instant, I was angry with him for listening into
my conversation, but as soon as I felt the anger I knew it was more shame than
rage. I leaned back against him and sighed as I let myself be cared for.

When we reached The Forum Shops, Austin
helped me out of the car and said, "We can go anywhere buy anything.
Anything at all."

"Um, then how will I explain
that?" I asked. "It's not like I'm made of money and can afford all
that stuff."

"We'll buy a few things at less expensive
stores and transfer the more expensive things over to those bags," Austin
quickly suggested.

"I'm not sure I like your ability to
come up with a cover story so quickly, Mr. Marks," I said with a raised
eyebrow. "It does not bode well."

"I see your point," he said
seriously before bursting into laughter. "I'm just trying to be helpful
here!"

"I see that," I said as I joined
in his laughter. "Well, we'll see what we find, won't we? It's entirely
possible that we'll come out empty handed."

"Oh, no, that's not at all
possible," he said shaking his head.

For the next several hours, we wandered
the shops looking at shoes, clothes, lingerie, and jewelry. I was overwhelmed
by the sheer volume of things that were available and by Austin's constant
reminder that anything and everything was mine for the taking. I finally
settled on a new bra and matching panties from La Perla in a gossamer fabric
that was so light I wondered if it would hold up to actual wear. The sales lady
assured me that all of the lingerie was entirely wearable, but she warned that
I should never ever put it in the washing machine. I assured her I would not,
and she nodded approvingly as she rang it up and then carefully wrapped the
purchase in tissue paper before storing it in a beautiful bag. We then stopped
in at Gucci where Austin had me try on a number of new dresses they'd just
received.

I settled on the triangle print silk dress
in a beautiful shade of steel blue and red with a deep v-neck and partially
sewn pleats down the front. It was an exquisite dress that looked like it had
been made just for me. Austin let out a low whistle when I stepped out of the
dressing room, and I knew that it was the right one.

"Now, how about a pair of sexy
shoes?" Austin asked as we left the Gucci store and wandered back into the
mall. "Maybe Jimmy Choo?"

"Austin, I don't mean to be rude, but
how does a guy from Brooklyn know so much about women's fashion?" I asked
as we walked down the long corridor toward the Jimmy Choo store.

"Why, I..." Austin looked down
at me and then burst out laughing. "I don't really know, to tell you the
truth! I think it must be osmosis or something. Admittedly, the women I've hung
out with have been clothes horses, so I guess I've picked up a thing or two
from them?"

"I was just curious," I said
with a mock skeptical look, which sent him into another fit of laughter and
made me lose my faux seriousness and join him.

I found the perfect pair of suede and
patent leather heels that had a square heel and were not too impossibly high.
They tied up around my ankles and made my legs look ten times longer than they
actually were. Austin smiled as he nodded to the sales woman that she should
wrap them up.

"Well, that takes care of things
doesn't it?" I asked as we exited the store.

"Oh not hardly," Austin said as
he looked over toward Tiffany and Company and then walked over to its display
window. "See anything you like here?"

"Austin, really?" I said now not
pretending to be exasperated. "I don't think there's anything here I'd like."

"Alright," he shrugged as he
moved away from the window and walked into the store. "Maybe then there's
something inside you'd like."

"Austin, I don't think so," I
said as I started getting nervous. I wasn't sure where he was headed with this
shopping trip and I wasn't sure I wanted to know.

He emerged from the shop after a few
minutes carrying a small blue bag. He walked toward me as I shook my head.

"No, no, no," I said.

"No what?" he replied with a
surprised look. Then he looked down and held up the bag and said, "Oh
this? It's a gift for my mother. She's going to be celebrating her seventieth
birthday next week and I wanted to get her something she's been hinting
at."

I burst into laughter as I punched him in
the shoulder. "You're a bad, bad man!"

"Who me?" he said with an
innocent look on his face.

I stood on my tiptoes and pulled him down
so I could quickly kiss his lips as I said, "Yes, you. Bad man!"

He kissed me back and laughed.

#

Once
we'd finished shopping, Austin had the driver take us back the Marks Hotel and
arranged for a room for me to get ready in. He'd called down to the salon and
scheduled one of the stylists to come up after I'd bathed, and as he arranged
for all of these things I looked at him with a smile. For a man as rich as he
was, it didn't seem like the money was his motivation. Instead, it seemed like
money was his means of being able to make others happy, and I felt fortunate
that he was choosing to shower me with such happiness.

"Now, you take your time and enjoy
the amenities," he was saying as he looked down at his phone. "I need
to take care of some business, and then I'll meet you back here at 6:30. Our
reservation is for 7:00."

"Where are we going for dinner?"
I asked.

"It's a surprise," he grinned.
"I don't want to give it away."

I smiled and quickly kissed him as the car
pulled up to the entrance of the hotel. The driver opened the door and helped
me out before opening the trunk and gathering my packages. He handed them off
to the bellman as I walked into the lobby and was greeted by the hotel manager.

"Ms. Warner, welcome to the Marks
Hotel. I am Mr. Dalton, the hotel manager," he smiled as he held out his
arm and ushered me into the elevator. "We have a lovely room for you on
the top floor where I think you will find everything you need. The stylist will
be up to take care of any grooming you require in an hour."

"Thank you so much, Mr. Dalton,"
I smiled. "I do appreciate the attention and consideration."

"It is our pleasure, Ms.
Warner," he smiled as the elevator reached the top floor and he guided me
down the hall to the room I would be using. I gasped when I walked through the
door. It wasn't so much a hotel room as it was a hotel apartment. We walked directly
into the living room where the floor to ceiling windows wrapped around and
provided a panoramic view of the Las Vegas strip. The sun was beginning to set
and it cast a warm purplish glow on the all white furniture that filled the
room. I wanted to sink down into the sofa and put my feet up while I watched it
disappear, but Mr. Dalton was intent on showing me the features of the suite,
so I followed him down the short hallway into the bedroom. The bellman was busy
placing my packages on the bed and arranging them so that I could easily access
the goods inside of them.

"Now, there is a large bath this way,
Ms. Warner," Mr. Dalton explained. "If you would like, I can send up
a maid to run the bath and prepare your clothing."

"That won't be necessary, Mr. Dalton,"
I smiled. "But thank you so much for offering."

"Very good, ma'am," he said
bowing a bit. "If there is nothing else, then I will leave you to your
preparations."

"Thank you, Mr. Dalton," I said
as I held out my hand. "You are terribly kind."

"It is my pleasure," he said
taking my hand. "Enjoy your stay, Ms. Warner, and do let us know if you
need anything at all."

I nodded and walked to the door with him.
Once he and the bellman were gone, I ran into the living room and threw myself
down on the plush couch. The micro suede felt cool and soft as I lay on my back
and watched the sun slowly sinking down below the horizon. I thought about how
radically different this view was from the view at my little house. I wanted to
call someone and share this with them. My mother wouldn't understand, and Trish
was on a flight somewhere over the Atlantic right now. The only other person I
could think of was Austin, but he was occupied with business and besides,
telling him about how amazing this suite was seemed silly.

I sighed as I got up and walked to the
bathroom where I turned on the taps and ran myself a hot bath. I added some of
the oils that sat in large bottles on the edge of the tub before stripping off
my clothing and sliding down into the warm water. I soaked for a long time as I
thought about how much my life had changed in the past few months. I knew that
I was falling for Austin, but I also knew that it wouldn't be smart to get
involved with him until I wrapped things up with Tommy. I didn't want Austin to
be my savior; that I could do myself.

I didn't know how long I was in the tub,
but the water cooled and I pulled myself out and wrapped up in a big fluffy
towel as I awaited the arrival of someone from the salon. While I'd been in the
bath, room service had delivered wine and cheese and when I emerged from the
steamy bathroom, I saw that they had set up a lovely little snack on the coffee
table. I laughed as I sat down and sipped the chardonnay and nibbled a piece of
Gouda.

"Who lives like this?" I said to
the empty room. Just then, there was a knock on the door. I got up and opened
it and found the stylist.

"Ms. Warner, I'm Donna, from the
salon," she said. "I'm here to do your hair and makeup."

"Wonderful, please come in," I
said as I stepped aside and ushered her into the room.

Donna asked to see the dress I would be
wearing and then went to work getting me ready. She was not very talkative, but
she was pleasant and put all of her energy into ensuring that I would look my
absolute best. When I saw myself in the mirror after she'd finished, I gasped.
I didn't look that much different, just like an improved version of myself. My
hair was loose around my shoulders and looked shinier than I'd ever seen it
before. My makeup highlighted my eyes and lips, making me look fresh and
lovely.

"Oh Donna, you're a magician!" I
cried as I looked at myself in the mirror.

"It's easy when I have a great canvas
to work with." She smiled as she gathered up her tools and prepared to
return to the salon.

"Thank you so much," I said
wondering if I should tip her, but not knowing how much.

"No tips," she said as if she'd
read my mind. "Mr. Marks pays us well above the average rate, so we don't
accept tips here."

"I see." I nodded. "Well,
then please accept my undying gratitude."

"That I can do," she said and
smiled as she headed out the door.

I walked back into the bathroom and looked
at myself in the mirror again marveling at Donna's handiwork. Austin was going
to be surprised.