Sleeping With My Boss: A Standalone Novel (An Alpha Billionaire Romance Love Story) (A Dirty Office Romance) (55 page)

Chapter
Sixty-Five

Austin

Emily
looked up at me from the couch with weary eyes and a sad expression. I knew
she'd been talking with Tommy, but I didn't feel like I had the right to demand
that she tell me what was going on. I needn't have worried.

"He's blackmailing me," she said
as she shook her head. "And to get to me, he's blackmailing you,
too."

"With what?" I asked. "I
have nothing to hide."

"He said something about the Paris
project and that if I didn't pay him, he'd spill the details," she said
with a perplexed look. "Do you have any idea what that means?"

"Not right now," I said.
"But I will in a few minutes." I grabbed my phone, tapped the screen
and in a few moments I was connected to Bax.

"Hey, boss," he said with a
smile in his voice. I wasn't sure what had happened, but I didn't have time to
ferret out the details of his personal life. "What's up?"

"Bax, what's going on with
Daniel?" I blurted out.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"I mean, why is Emily's soon to be
ex-husband calling her here in Bora Bora to tell her that he's got dirt on me
and the Paris project?" I replied.

"What the hell?" Bax said in a
surprised tone that made me worry that he didn't know what was going on.
"How the hell did he get that information?"

"So, it's true?" I asked.

"Well, I'm close to tracking down the
source of the rumor, but until now, it's only been a rumor," he admitted.
"I didn't want to bother you with it until I had some solid information, but
I guess Daniel is leaking things himself now."

"What is going on, Bax?" I
demanded as I felt my pulse rising. Daniel was spreading rumors about the Paris
project and me, and my second in command didn't keep me informed – this pissed
me off.

"Look, it was a rumor, Austin,"
Bax said as he tried to calm me down. "If I took every rumor that crossed
my desk seriously, I'd never do anything but put out fires. I was waiting to
hear back from the Paris detective that I put on the case before I decided to
take it seriously or not. I guess we need to take it seriously."

"Damn right, we do!" I yelled.
"Jesus, Bax! This is my company and my reputation we're talking
about!"

"Hey, calm down," he said.
"I'll find the source and figure out how to neutralize it. Just give me a
few hours and I'll get back to you."

"You'd better do something about
this, Bax," I growled. "I'm not going to allow Daniel to drag this
company down into the mud with his rumors and innuendos."

"I'm on it, boss," he replied
before disconnecting.

I turned and walked across the room toward
Emily who was now curled up in a ball on the couch. She looked up at me with
tearful eyes and said, "I'm so sorry, Austin."

"Hey, hey, hey," I said as I sat
down next to her and laid a hand on her arm. "It's not your fault. None of
this is your fault."

"I feel like my messy life is
dragging you down into the dirt," she said as she looked at the floor and
shook her head. "I never should have come here with you. I should have
stayed home and packed the house and gotten it ready for the market. I should
have taken care of my situation before I hopped on a plane and flew out to some
remote tropical island. None of this is right."

"Emily, listen to me," I said as
I reached out and cradled her chin in my hand, lifting her face up so that she
couldn't look away. "None of this is your fault. Not a single bit of it.
Daniel Wentworth has been out to get me for years and this is simply his way of
letting me know that he's got me in a chokehold."

She looked up at me as the tears leaked
from her eyes and ran down her cheeks. I didn't know how to convince her that I
was telling the truth, but I knew I had to try, so I reached out and pulled her
into my arms before launching into the whole sordid story about my father's
death and Daniel's attempts to claim the company as his own. I'd never told
anyone the entire story, not even Bax, and spilling all the details made me
feel lighter.

"This is awful," she said
quietly once I'd finished. "What are we going to do?"

I explained that Bax was on the case and
would be calling back in a few hours. I hugged her tightly and then said,
"So, how about that paddle board lesson?"

"Are you kidding?" she said as
she turned and looked up at me. "How can you paddle board at a time like
this?"

"Well, we can either sit here on the
couch and fret about what is going on thousands of miles away," I said.
"Or we can get out and get a little sun and sand and try to enjoy
ourselves. The choice is yours, but I know what I'm going to do!"

I let go of her and hopped up off the
couch as I turned toward the master suite. I flashed a mischievous grin and
said, "Last one ready for the water is a rotten egg!"

Chapter
Sixty-Six

Emily

Despite
my initial reservations, we spent the afternoon paddling around the lagoon and
soaking up the warm sunshine. Around noon, the chef called us in for lunch and
we found that the breakfast dishes had been cleared and replaced with a
sumptuous lunch feast that included delicious poisson cru, a Polynesian twist
on ceviche made with red tuna marinated in an aromatic blend of lime juice and
coconut milk, and a huge plate of fresh mangos, melon, pineapple, and
breadfruit. We gorged ourselves until we both groaned that we were full to the
brim.

After lunch, we headed back to the beach
where a diving instructor waited for us with masks and a short lesson on the
reef. I was enthralled with the description of the many different sea creatures
living in and around the coral and asked so many questions that Austin laughed
and claimed that he was going to appoint me to an executive position in Marks
Enterprises simply to keep an eye on everything.

I looked at him knowing that we were both
anxious to know what Bax had found out about Tommy's threat, and then ran my
hand over his arm as a reminder to relax and let go until we got more
information.

He smiled down at me as he donned the mask
and snorkel, then we both ducked under water and spent the next two hours
kicking around the reef looking at all the sea had to offer. It was a veritable
magical kingdom under the surface, and I was in awe of the variety of marine
life. The guide had said that there were more than eight hundred distinct
species that swam in the waters off the island, and by the time we were done
with our dive, I swore that I'd seen most of them.

"You're so cute," Austin
laughed. "I've been here hundreds of times, and every time I go under, I
notice some new fish."

"Well, it felt like I saw them
all!" I cried as laughed and grabbed a soft fluffy towel from the pile
that the housekeeping staff had left perched on the edges of our chaise
lounges.

"I'm sure you did," Austin
smiled as he bent down and lightly kissed my lips. No matter how many times he
did this, it never failed to awaken all of my senses, and as I kissed him back
I felt a rush of strong emotion surge through me. It was followed by a stronger
sense of dread. We hadn't yet heard from Bax, and I was crossing my fingers
hoping that when we did it would be good news rather than bad.

"I know what you're thinking,"
Austin whispered. "Just let it go and enjoy the day."

"You have no idea what I'm thinking,
Mr. Morning," I replied in a sassy tone. "None whatsoever."

"Oh, I think I do," he said
raising an eyebrow.

"Do you now?" I said lowering my
voice so that it was in the sexy range as I draped myself across his lap on the
chaise.

"Mmm hmm," he smiled as he
cradled me in his arms and pulled my lips down to meet his. I melted into him
and gave myself over to his kiss.

Chapter
Sixty-Seven

Austin

Just
as I was ready to sweep Emily off her feet and carry her back to the master
suite, my phone buzzed with an urgent message from Bax. I knew this was what we
had been waiting for, so I gently set her on the chaise next to me and answered
the call.

"What's up?"

"Well, boss, I've got a line on
what's happening with the ex and Paris," Bax reported.

"Spill it," I ordered.

"It seems that Daniel has gotten to
Tommy," Bax began. "He's given him information about the Paris job
that makes us look like we've got shady deals with Benoit and his construction
company, and Tommy isn't the only one Daniel has been feeding information
to."

"Oh really, who the hell else is he
spilling these lies to?" I yelled into the phone.

"Well, that's the problem,
boss," Bax said hesitating a bit. "They aren't exactly lies."

"What?" I shouted. "I've
never done a dirty deal with anyone in my life, and you know it!"

"I know, I know," he reassured
me. "But Benoit is a whole other matter. Apparently, he's connected to the
Germans that Daniel is dealing with in Berlin and there are some shady deals
going on between the competing groups. I tracked down a guy who knows the ins
and outs of the Camorra and he's going to meet with me later this evening to
give me the scoop."

"This is insane," I said.
"Absolutely insane. I need to get back there, don't I?"

"Nah, I've got it under control for
now," Bax assured me. "But you might want to be ready to deal with
the ex-husband quickly and decisively, if you know what I mean."

"Don't tell me what I think you're
telling me," I warned.

"No, I'm not saying we need to off
him," Bax laughed loudly. "I'm not Camorra material, man. I'm just
saying that maybe you want to consider paying him off simply to keep him quiet
and then shuttle him out of the country away from Daniel's reach."

"I don't want to give that jackass a
single dime," I protested as I gingerly touched my side with my free hand.
"He nearly killed Emily and me."

"I know, and I'm sympathetic to your
aversion," he replied. "But this is strictly business, and we need to
think about what's best for the company right now, Austin."

I paused as I thought about what Bax was
suggesting. My ego resisted the idea, but my good sense told me he was right
and that I should go along with his plan. I just wasn't sure how Emily would
react to me telling her the news that I was paying off her drunken ex and
spiriting him out of the country. I shrugged and decided it was the wisest
thing to do. No matter how she felt about it.

"Okay, fine," I ceded.
"Find him, pay him off, and get him away from anyone who could possible
connect him up with Daniel. And do it now."

"Will do, boss," Bax said. Then
in a softer voice he added, "Austin, it's the right thing to do. I know
you know that, but I want you to know that I do, too, and that when you explain
it to Emily, she'll know it as well. I promise."

"I sure hope so," I replied
before I disconnected the call.

#

I
went back to the deck where Emily was lounging in the sun and stood a few feet
away admiring her. She had gotten a little too much sun and her skin had a
pinkish glow set off by the blue bikini she was wearing. Her hair was piled in
a messy bun on top of her head and her lips were slightly parted as she dozed
underneath the shade of a large umbrella that one of the staff had put up to
keep her from burning. She looked lovelier every time I saw her.

"Oh, hey," she smiled sleepily
as she pushed herself up on one elbow and shaded her eyes with her other hand.
"What did Bax say?"

"Well, he's figured out what's going
on in Paris," I began. Then I took a deep breath and sat down next to her
on the chaise. "And, he's figured out a way to deal with Tommy."

"You're not going to kill him, are
you?" she blurted out with a horrified look on her face.

"Good lord, woman, what the hell kind
of person do you think I am?" I growled.

"Well, you big business guys..."
she trailed off as she scanned my face for a sign that I wasn't going to order
a hit on Tommy.

"No, I'm not going to kill your
ex-husband," I said. "I am, however, going to pay him off and get him
out of the country and away from the reach of one Mr. Daniel Wentworth."

"No! You cannot pay off my debts and
take care of my problems!" she shouted as she sprang up off of the chaise.
"I won't have it! I'm not some mindless little twit who is out looking for
a sugar daddy to make all the bad stuff go away! You're not a cash machine, and
if you do this, then you'll be enabling Tommy and keeping him dependent on me
through you! NO, I won't stand for it!"

"Emily..." I began. I wanted to
say something to calm her down, but I wasn't sure that there was anything I
could say at this point that would. "Emily, listen to me. I'm not trying
to turn you into a dependent or do anything to undermine your autonomy. This is
simply a good business decision."

"Oh right," she said narrowing
her eyes. "It's always about business first."

"That's not what I said!" I
yelled. "That's not fair and you know it!"

"You just want to protect your
interests," she spat. "And now that I'm one of them, you're going to
take over and protect whatever you think it is I have to offer. God, I should
have seen this coming a mile away. All of you rich guys are alike. You think
because you have money, you own everything. Well, I've got news for you, Mr.
Marks – you don't own me, and you never will!"

She turned on her heel and marched into
the house and down the hallway to the guest room where she flung open the door
and then slammed it shut. I had no idea how I was going to fix this mess. I
padded down the hall and tapped lightly on the door.

"Go away!" she shouted from the
other side.

"Emily, please don't do this," I
said quietly. "I'm not trying to undermine you or do anything to hurt you.
Quite the opposite, in fact."

There was silence on the other side of the
door, so I took it as a sign that I should continue explaining. "I just
want you to be free from your marriage and for Tommy not to destroy my company
with the lies Daniel is feeding him," I said. "I don't want a whole
lot, but I do want to keep the position I have because I feel like I can really
do some good in the world, but if Daniel takes over the company, I won't be
able to do anything."

"So, why are you buying Tommy's
silence?" she sniffed through the closed door. I smiled because I knew
that she was standing on the other side leaning against the same spot I was
talking to.

"I just want peace, Em," I
sighed. "If I have to buy Tommy's silence, then I will. I just want
peace."

"That's all?" she asked.

I paused for a long moment and then said,
"And you. I want you, Emily Warner, if you'll have me."

"Oh, Austin," came a small sob
as the door slid open and she threw herself into my arms. "I want you,
too, but this all seems so wrong!"

"I know, I know it does," I
nodded as I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her tightly against my chest.
I rested my chin on the top of her head and quietly said, "But it's not,
Emily. It's just life."

We stayed wrapped in each other's arms
until the houseman came and told us dinner would be served on the beach at
eight.