Sleeping With My Boss: A Standalone Novel (An Alpha Billionaire Romance Love Story) (A Dirty Office Romance) (54 page)

Chapter
Sixty-Two

Emily

"
Austin
!"
I gasped as I quickly realized that Trish had set me up for this.
"I...I...what are you doing here?"

"Don't be mad at Trish," he
smiled as he stood up and reached out to me. "I asked her to help me set
this up. I needed to see you."

"You could have called," I said
as I crossed my arms over my chest and stared at him. "You never
called."

"I couldn't," he said offering
no explanation.

"Why not?" I pushed. "You
had my number. You knew what I'd been through. Heck, you were there! You saved
me!"

He simply nodded as he held my gaze. This
was maddening! He'd been in the house when Tommy had attacked me and he'd pulled
my drunken husband off of me! How could he stand here and not offer any
explanation for why he didn't call me or come see me afterwards?

"I don't understand you at all,"
I said trying to keep the hurt from rising out of my chest and into my voice.
"We spend time together, I think you care about me, and then after the
most traumatic night of my life, you just walk away!"

"Emily," Austin began.

"No! I'm done with you! This is just
wrong!" I cried as I raised my arms to push him away, and as I did, I saw
him wince and back away. "What's wrong with you?"

"Nothing," he said, but I could
see his jaw flexing as he tried to keep something from me.

"There's something going on," I
said moving toward him and resting my hands on his chest. He backed up a few
steps as he held my gaze. "Austin, tell me what's going on!"

"It's nothing," he said, but his
muscles told another story. He was flexed and poised as if ready to fend off an
attack.

"Austin!" I cried as I rushed
toward him and threw my arms around his neck. "Talk to me!"

"Emily, no!" he groaned as he
backed away and doubled over in obvious pain. I watched him as he rested his
hands on his knees and fought to breathe through the pain.

"Austin?" I whispered. Now I was
frightened. "What happened?"

"The bat," he panted as he kept
working to breathe through the waves of pain that rolled through his body.
"He broke my ribs and they punctured my lung. Hasn't healed yet."

"Oh my God," I whispered as I
covered my mouth with my hands. "He really hurt you. Austin, please tell
me what is going on."

He held up a hand letting me know he just
needed me to wait. I reached out, but then pulled back when I realized that me
touching him was what had triggered this wave of pain. I felt helpless and
responsible as I watched him struggle to regain his composure. After a few
minutes, he looked up at me and smiled.

"It's okay, Emily," he said.
"It's not your fault."

"But if you hadn't run into the house
and tried to save me-" I began.

"Then you might not be here talking
to me," he reminded me with a smile. "If this is the price of not
losing you, then I'm more than happy I paid it."

"But you didn't call me..." I
said quietly.

"Yeah, about that," he said
shaking his head. "My driver rushed me to the hospital instead of heading
back to the hotel like I'd instructed him. He knew something was wrong and
didn't waste time getting me the help I needed. But after I'd recovered from
the initial shock of the injury, Bax showed up at my bedside and told me he'd
figured out what Daniel was doing in Berlin."

"You went to Berlin with broken ribs
and a punctured lung?" I asked horrified by the thought.

"Well, my lung wasn't punctured by
the time I hopped on the jet," he laughed. "And since I wasn't
expecting for things to come to blows with Daniel, I felt fine making the
trip."

"You're crazy, you know that,
right?" I said. "But why didn't you call me?"

"Honestly?" he asked.

"Always." I nodded.

"I didn't know what to say to
you," he said looking down at the ground.

"Oh, so it's like that," I said
as I felt the air leaving my lungs. He was trying to break up with me, but he
didn't know what to say and he didn't want to beat up on the girl who'd already
been beat up by her violent drunk husband.

"Emily," he said softly as he
reached out and lifted my chin so I was looking up into his dark beautiful
eyes. "I didn't want to interfere with what you were doing to get yourself
out of the marriage and into your own life, and, honestly, I didn't know how to
tell you how much I care about you and how afraid I was of losing you."

"Oh, Austin," I said as I fought
the urge to hug him again, and instead reached up and touched his cheek.
"You didn't have to worry about any of that."

"Maybe not," he shrugged as he
smiled warmly as he put his hand over mine and pulled it to his lips. "But
when it comes to you, I find myself worrying about a host of things I've never
worried about before."

Chapter
Sixty-Three

Austin

Two
hours after Emily walked into the hotel, we were climbing the steps to my
private jet in anticipation of being whisked away to the French Polynesian
island of Motu Tane. I'd invested in the island after I had landed the job as
CEO knowing that someday, I would need a place to escape from the hectic rigors
of my job and the company, and I wanted somewhere that was more than just a
house or a plot of land.

"Are you ready to go?" I asked
Emily as we sat down and prepared for take off.

"Where are we going?" she asked
as she looked out the window and then back at me.

"Well, you're not going to figure it
out while looking out the window here!" I laughed. She laughed with me and
then leaned over and kissed my cheek. I took her hand, brought it to my lips,
and gently kissed it. "I'm taking you somewhere absolutely
magnificent."

"I wouldn't expect anything less of
you," she smiled. "But you know that I have no luggage or travel
case, don't you?"

"Ah ha, but you do!" I cried
triumphantly as she gave me a confused look. "I called Trish and had her
pack a bag for you and while we were talking, the driver went and picked it
up."

"You're so sneaky," she laughed
as she leaned her head against my shoulder carefully avoiding all the tender
spots. "You're truly remarkable, Austin Marks."

"You're not so bad yourself, Emily
Warner." I smiled as the flight attendant advised us to prepare for
takeoff and then took his seat in the galley.

We flew all night and as we rounded the
earth's curve and flew into Bora Bora, I woke Emily and told her to look out
the window. The view of the ocean was magnificent at this height and I pointed
out all of the luxury resorts situated on various atolls surrounding Bora Bora.
We refueled and took off again headed southwest toward my island. As we
approached, I pointed out the various features of the island and Emily oohed
and ahhed over the turquoise blue waters that were so clear we could see the
coral reef from the air.

"Oh, Austin!" she exclaimed as
she grabbed my hand and looked out the window. "This is incredible! It's
like heaven!"

"I've never brought anyone but my
mother here," I said quietly. She turned away from the window and looked
at me for a long time before smiling and turning back to take in the
magnificent beauty of the sparkling blue waters surrounding the island. We
touched down on the small landing strip that I'd had built for this purpose and
when the door opened and the stairs were pulled down, I sighed with relief. I
felt like I had come home.

Emily lightly hopped down the stairs and
ran across the runway to where the beach began and pulled off her shoes,
burying her feet in the warm sand. I laughed as I watched her joyously wiggle
her toes and let out a happy laugh.

"Wait till you see the beach by the
cabin where we're staying," I called.

"Cabin?" she repeated.
"We're staying in a cabin on this island?"

"Well, yes," I replied.
"Where did you think we'd stay?"

"I don't know, I guess I thought this
was just a day trip to a secluded beach where you'd seduce me and feed me
luscious fruit," she called back laughing.

"You're silly," I said as I
joined her on the sand. "No, I built a place here on the island so that I
wouldn't have to go back to the mainland if I didn't want to. There's a staff
house, too, so we don't have to cook for ourselves."

"Now that's luxury!" she
exclaimed. "What's for dinner?"

"Let's go find out," I laughed
as I took her hand and pulled her to the waiting car. The drive to the cabin
was a quick one, and while we could have easily walked, I was so eager to show
Emily the cabin that I decided not to take the time. As we pulled up to the
place, she looked at me with wide eyes and then back to the building.

"Cabin, eh?" she said.
"Austin, this is a castle!"

"Nah, it's really not as big as it
looks," I said waving her off. "It's just a couple of bedrooms, a
kitchen, and a sitting area surrounded by a huge porch."

"It's bigger than my house," she
reminded me with a laugh. We got out of the car and walked toward the front
door, and when I swung the French doors wide open, I heard Emily gasp. I smiled
as I watched her take in the place since I remembered how I felt the first time
I'd seen it.

The front room was a wide-open space
surrounded by floor-to-ceiling windows that made it feel like we were standing
at the edge of the water. The furniture was low to the ground and done in light
sandy colors imitating the beach colors and making the room seem even bigger
than it was. On the wall over the fireplace hung a huge blue swordfish that
looked like it was leaping off of the mantle, its majestic back fin curved
across the space as its sword-like snout stretched to the ceiling. To the right
of the fireplace was a dining area with a long Birchwood table upon which sat a
meal fit for royalty.

"Do you want to eat now or check out
the place first?" I asked Emily.

"I want to see this place!" she
called as she ran towards the hallway that stretched out toward the west side
of the island. The hallway, much like the large living space, was lined on
either side in floor-to-ceiling windows, giving it an outdoor feel. When she
reached the other end, Emily pulled open the sliding door to reveal a guest
room done in soothing turquoise and taupe colors. She declared it gorgeous
before moving further down the hall to the master bedroom and stood stock still
as she looked through the door.

"Oh, Austin," she sighed.
"This is the most amazing room I've ever seen!"

I didn't disagree. The room was a glass
cube with windows for walls and ceiling. There was a switch that triggered
shades and, in case of storms, a hard shell covering to protect them, but most
of the time, I left it all open to enjoy the sunlight streaming in through the
glass. The room was done in sandy tan and shades of blue varying from indigo to
robin's egg, making it felt like being in the middle of the ocean. As she stood
taking in the view, I walked up behind her and wrapped my arms around her
waist. She gently put her arms on top of mine and sighed contentedly as she
leaned back and rested her head on my shoulder.

"Welcome home, Emily," I said as
I kissed the top of her head and inhaled her scent.

Chapter
Sixty-Four

Emily

Standing
in the most beautiful room I'd ever seen with Austin's arms wrapped around me,
I smiled and sunk into the warmth of it all. I'd never been somewhere this
beautiful and certainly not with someone I had such feelings for. It felt like
heaven on earth.

"Shall we eat something?" Austin
asked.

"Yes! I'm starving," I replied
as he stepped back and took my hand. Austin led me back to the dining room
where the table was set for us and groaning under the weight of the food the
chef had prepared.

"We can't eat all of this!" I
laughed. "We'll never move again!"

"Well, you'd better eat up so we can
fortify ourselves for the day's activities," Austin grinned. I gave him a
naughty grin in return as he continued, "We've got a paddle board lesson
at eleven and then reef swimming after lunch and then there's a night club that
gets going on the next island around ten, so eat up!"

"Don't tease me," I said as I sat
down and prepared to dig into the plate of fresh island fruit sitting off to
the side of my breakfast plate. I speared a piece of juicy pineapple and popped
it into my mouth.

"I'm totally serious," he said
as he put a forkful of fish and rice in his mouth and grinned.

"Fine," I shrugged. "If
that's what you want, then I'll just go change into my bathing suit after
breakfast and head to the beach!"

"You are so beautiful," Austin
said as he let out a loud laugh and leaned over to kissed my cheek. "We'll
do whatever you'd like."

I smiled warmly as we gazed into each
other's eyes, then speared another piece of fruit and slowly offered it to him.
Austin parted his lips and allowed me to slide the fork between them so he
could pull the fruit from the tines. I watched him, thinking he was the sexiest
man I'd ever known, and then leaned forward to flick my tongue across his
bottom lip and lick up the juice that dripped off of it.

He stood up and quickly pulled me out of
my chair as he wrapped his arms around me and lifted me off the floor. He
pressed his lips to mine and kissed me in a way that let me know he wanted me
more than he wanted breakfast right now. I wrapped my arms around his neck and
returned his kiss as we teased each other's tongues. He positioned me on the
edge of the dining room table and pushed my skirt up over my knees as he slid a
hand between my thighs to part them.

I looked up into his eyes as I reached out
and unfastened his pants, slipping my hand into them and pulling out his
throbbing shaft. I smiled as I slid my hand up and down the hardened length and
heard him groan.

"I need you, Emily," he
whispered into my lips before he kissed me harder.

"Austin," I moaned softly.
"Yes, oh yes."

He reached down and positioned himself at
the edge of my aching opening, looking deep into my eyes. When I nodded slowly,
he thrust deep inside me, forcing the air from my lungs and setting my body on
fire. I gripped his upper arms as he slowly withdrew and then held his gaze as
he thrust back into me hard and fast. He did this several times before stopping
at the edge of my entrance and pulsing in and out without pushing deeper. The
sensation drove me close to the edge of climax and when he slipped his hand
between my legs and stroked my hard little clit, I felt like I was going to
spin off the edge of the cliff. He sent me soaring with the next thrust, and
soon afterwards joined me on my flight.

After we'd both landed, we stayed wrapped
around one another, me on the table and him standing between my legs still
buried deep inside me. I closed my eyes and pressed my cheek to his chest as I
whispered, "I don't ever want to leave this moment."

"Nor do I," he murmured into my
hair as he stroked my back and held me close.

At that moment, I heard my phone ringing
in my purse and from the ringtone I knew it was Tommy. I raised my head and
looked up at Austin saying, "I need to answer that one." He nodded as
he stepped back and helped me off the table. I quickly walked over to where my
purse lay, grabbed the phone and answered it.

"Now is not the time," I said
into the mic.

"Now is always the time,
darling," Tommy slurred on the other end. He was drunk again.

"What do you want?" I hissed.

"What do I always want?" he
laughed. "Money, darlin'. I need some money."

"I don't have any money and you know
that," I replied. "The house hasn't been put on the market and until
it sells, there's no money for either of us."

"You might not have money," he
sneered. "But from what I understand, your new boyfriend has tons of it.
Am I right?"

"Tommy, what the hell are you talking
about?" I hissed angrily.

"Your boyfriend, the one who came to
your rescue and saved you from your drunk, abusive husband," he laughed.
There was a hollow meanness in his voice and I didn't like where this was
headed.

"Leave him out of this," I
warned.

"Oh no, darlin'. I'm not leaving
anyone out of anything," Tommy said in a deadly calm tone. "The two
of you have made my life a living hell, and now I'm going to return the
favor."

"No one made your life a hell but
you," I said tersely. "And I'm not doing anything for you."

"Oh, I think you will, darlin',"
he said, laughing as ice hit a glass in the background. "I've got dirt on
your boyfriend and if he doesn't give up the money, I'll spill my guts and sink
him."

"Tommy, you have no idea what you're
talking about," I said, irritated that he was threatening Austin.

"But I do, Em," he said in a
sinister tone. "Ask him about where the money for his Paris project is
coming from and watch what happens. I'd recommend that you two figure out a way
to get me the cash I need. I'm not unreasonable, just give me the sale price of
the house and we'll call it even."

"Tommy, the house has to sell before
I can give you money," I protested. "Besides, you only get half of
the sale price. The other half is mine."

"No, darlin', it's all mine," he
said before disconnecting.

I sat on the couch looking down at my
phone, wondering what Tommy had meant and why he was choosing now to blackmail
me. I looked up and found myself staring out at the pristine sand beach that
led out to the crystal blue waters of the atoll and sighed as I wondered if he
was going to ruin every good thing in my life.