Sleeping With My Boss: A Standalone Novel (An Alpha Billionaire Romance Love Story) (A Dirty Office Romance) (6 page)

Twenty minutes later, I pulled up to the curb in front
of her building to let her out.

“Thanks so much for the ride, Asher,” she said. “I
appreciate it.”

“It was my pleasure. I enjoyed the company and the
conversation,” I replied. “We should do it more often.”

“Maybe we should; maybe we should,” she said cryptically.

“See you in the office tomorrow. Enjoy the rest of the
evening,” I called to her when she stepped onto the sidewalk.

“You, too! See you tomorrow.”

With that she turned on her heels and headed into her
apartment building. I drove off, smiling.

CHAPTER 6

Lilah

After Asher dropped me off, I waited in the lobby of
my building, watching as he drove away in his Maserati. I felt as if he'd been
wanting to say something the entire drive from the office to my apartment, but
had been holding himself back.

I couldn’t help but wonder if there had been something
he hadn’t said during the talk we'd had about our kiss that morning. To say
that it had been somewhat awkward was an understatement. I can understand how
some things might have gone unsaid. Things I wished I’d said had been on my
mind all day—not to mention the kiss itself.

It had been an amazing kiss—I'd been aware enough to
realize that. It wasn't as if we'd been blackout drunk; both of us had known
what we were doing, we had just had our inhibitions lowered. I couldn't deny
that I'd wanted him to kiss me at that moment and that I'd thoroughly enjoyed
every second of it.

But still, I had my questions regarding his
motivations behind it and his interest in me. I knew, of course, that he was
attracted to me, he’d made that clear, and that fact there wasn’t a single
doubt in my mind. But, rumor had it that he was quite a ladies' man, and since
he had neither denied nor confirmed this, I also questioned whether or not I
was just another conquest for him.

It was easy enough to believe. Someone with his
prestige, dashing good looks, killer body, impeccable sense of style, and, of
course, billions in the bank, could have practically any woman he wanted. He
struck me as a man who was used to getting what he wanted—in life and from
women. He came across as a smooth enough talker that I figured he had plenty of
experience with women. So what was to say I wasn't just another name to add to
what could very well be a rather long list?

The whole situation, to be honest, had me a bit
perplexed. I needed to sort through all the mixed emotions I was having. I
needed to have a good, in-depth conversation about it with someone who could
understand where I was coming from, if that was even possible. And Eddie, bless
his heart, was a man, so he wouldn't really be much help in that area. I needed
Meg.

Meghan had been one of my closest friends since our
college days. We'd met as freshmen when we were both business majors, but she
had dropped out of business school after a year and decided to become a lawyer
instead. We'd maintained a close friendship, nonetheless.

I pulled out my phone and went through my contacts
straight to “M.” I pressed the icon next to her name and waited for her to
answer.

“Lilah!” she exclaimed as she answered. “Hey, girlie!
What's going on?”

“Hey, Megs! Oh, a bit of this, a bit of that. Have you
eaten dinner yet?”

“Not yet, no. I'm just about to get out of the office.”

“Perfect. Would you like to grab a bite to eat?”

“Sounds like a plan. Do you have anywhere in mind?”

“There's that new sushi spot that's just opened up a
few blocks from the attorney office you work at. You know the one I'm talking
about?”

“Oh yeah, I know the place you mean. I've been wanting
to check it out for quite some time now. How about I meet you there in half an
hour?”

“Sounds great. See you then!”

***

 
“I can't
believe
you kissed someone who's been featured in
Forbes
Magazine
!” Meghan exclaimed. “And he's a bonafide billionaire, for real?”

“That he is.”

“Holy hell. Well, that's not something you do every
day, now is it?”

“No. I suppose it isn’t. But you know, I can't help
but wonder about this whole thing. It’s throwing me for a loop.”

“Lilah, you tend to over-analyze things. I think you
should just try to turn your brain off for a few weeks and just go with the
flow. Do you know how many women would
kill
to be in your shoes right
now? And I'm talking kill with their bare hands, batter someone into pulpy mush
with bare knuckles kinda dead.”

“Meghan! Eww!” I scrunched my nose at the mental
image.

“I’m just trying to make a point. Seriously, Lilah.
Just let this guy fly you around the world in his private jet, drive you around
in his sports cars, let him wine and dine you in five star hotels—and for
heaven’s sake have some amazing sex with a smoking hot guy, which he totally is
from the sound of your description. Then, if he turns out to be a jerk, well… Hey,
at least you had the kind of experiences that only a tiny handful of people in
this world actually get.”

“I know; I know—but it's really not that simple…or
easy. I mean, for one thing, he's not only my boss, he's the owner and CEO of
one of the most powerful and prestigious public relations firms in the country.

“I have a real shot at making a name for myself if I
can stick with this firm for a few years and build a reputation. I want to be
featured in
Forbes
one day, too, Meg—and
not simply because I'm the arm candy of some big shot company owner. I want to
get to the top of my own accord, with my own talent and my own hard work, not
due to the fact that I'm the CEO's…I don't know…girlfriend, play thing,
whatever.”

Meghan took a sip of her sake and nodded, her
expression becoming a bit more serious.

“I understand, Lilah, I really do. You know I was just
joking…to an extent. I know you're not just some bimbo, and that you wouldn't
sell your principles out for the sake of a few thrills and a little bit of fun—even
if those thrills and fun were really, truly, Hollywood-style amazing kind of
stuff.”

I rolled my eyes and laughed. “Come on now, Meg, I
thought you were actually going to get serious.”

“I am, I am. Ignore the last comment. But, and now I
am being serious, don't shut out all possibilities of being with this man.
Because maybe, just maybe, there's more to him than the billionaire playboy
persona you’re imagining. Stop and think about it—he keeps such a low profile
and there's practically no gossip about him anywhere online. Plus, it sounds
like he's really into health and self-discipline. Those are all good qualities
in a man. It’s possible he isn’t what your wild little imagination is conjuring
up.”

“I know, but… I can’t help thinking about Jacob, you
know.”

Meghan cocked her head to the side and folded her arms
across her chest. “It's been three years since that jerk did what he did to
you, Lilah. At some point, you’re going to have to let it go.”

“That’s easy for you to say. You weren’t the one who’s
fiancé abandoned you a month before your wedding.”

“Aww, Lilah, I didn't mean to be insensitive. I know
how much he hurt you, and I know pain like that takes more than just a little
time to heal. But you can't let the actions of one man ruin the rest of them
for you. There are some amazing guys out there; not all of them are like
Jacob.”

I sighed before responding. “Maybe not, but Jacob had
most of those qualities, too. Besides, it's not just about the pain and the
need to protect myself. I mean, yes, there
is
that, but there's also the
fact that… Well, I kind of enjoy being single.

“You know how it was when I was growing up; Dad was
always out, I never had a mom, Eddie was gone half the time, and my other
brothers either ignored me completely or pushed me around. I learned to be
independent and stand up for myself at a fairly early age, and after
surrendering that independence to another person—which is what happened when
Jacob and I got engaged—I felt as if I'd lost a very important part of who I
was.

“As much as it hurt when Jacob left me, on another
level, it was actually a good thing because it gave me the chance to get that
independence back. And while it was a terrible struggle to get through all of
the hurt of being abandoned, it also forced me to get reacquainted with myself,
to really develop and hone the strength I've always had inside me. It made me
tap into the power to not just exist, but to
thrive
entirely on my own.
And the thought of surrendering that to be with a man again is kind of, well, I
don’t think I can do it. It almost makes me angry, in a way. I'm not so sure I
could give up that part of me—even if Asher turns out to be some amazing guy.”

Meghan chewed thoughtfully on a piece of sushi as she
considered everything I'd just said. After taking a drink of her sake, she
replied. “Did it cross your mind that maybe that's what he sees in you, and
maybe that's what he's finding so attractive about you?

“I'm guessing the kind of women this guy is used to
dealing with are models, bimbos, and other such types. All looks—jaw-droppingly
gorgeous, most likely—but no substance whatsoever. Any intelligent man with any
kind of integrity will get tired of those types eventually.

“And so, along you come, and you've not only got
smokin' hot looks, but you're smart as hell, fiercely independent, and
intensely motivated, too. A guy like him, well, I'm guessing a girl like you is
everything he's secretly dreamed about finding in a woman. How old did you say
he was again?”

“He's thirty-two.”

“Ah. Young enough to still be after fun and good
times, but also old enough to want to start getting serious and thinking about
settling down. If I were you, I'd give him a chance.”

“But my career, Meg. I have to think about what this
would mean to my career. It's honestly the most important thing in the world to
me aside from my family, and if anything went wrong and I lost my position in
The Sinclair Agency—that would be career suicide and I don't know what I would
do.”

“Yes, careers are important, Lilah, they are. But to
make your career the end all be all of your entire existence while shutting
everything else out…do you think that's healthy? Do you think that's a wise
decision? There's a whole lot of life out there to be lived and experienced,
and if you get too obsessed with one thing you might end up missing out on a
lot of it. Think about it.”

I nodded as I finished off a slice of sushi. “I'll
think about it, Meg, I will definitely think about it.”

CHAPTER 7

Asher

I was hopped up on too much caffeine and feeling a bit
like a caged animal. After working like a madman all morning, the walls of my
office—as large and expansive as it was—were starting to feel as if they were
closing in on me. I was in dire need of fresh air around me and open sky above
me.

I saved my work, got up from my desk, and strode out
of the office. It was time for lunch, and I intended to spend it outside. My personal
assistant Jade looked surprised as I almost stormed past her.

“Are you all right, Mr. Sinclair?”

“Yeah. I'm just feeling, ya know, a little cooped up
and frustrated. It's been a long week, and I've been burning the midnight oil
every night. Between that and having too much damn coffee, I need to get
outdoors for a short while.”

“All right. I was just about to order your usual
Friday lunch from the Lebanese place-”

“No, don't worry about that. I'll pick up something
myself.”

“Yes sir, Mr. Sinclair. See you shortly,” she said
with her trademark cheery demeanor.

“Enjoy your lunch break, Jade.”

I hurried off, and as I rounded the corner before the
elevator, I almost collided into someone.

“Lilah! We have got to stop meeting like this,” I said
with a grin. “I'm sorry, I almost knocked you over there.”

She looked up at me and smiled. “That you did! Good
thing I have the reflexes of a cat now, isn’t it?”

I chuckled. “You do seem to have ninja skills!”

Her smile widened. “Where are you off to in such a hurry,
Asher?”

“Oh, I'm not really sure. I’m just going a bit stir
crazy in my office. You know how much work we've been putting in the last
couple of days, and I don't think I've been getting enough sleep, and I
definitely had too much coffee this morning and…

“Ah, see, I'm even rambling now. That’s a sure sign I
need to get out of the office. I just need to get outdoors to walk around and
try relax a little. It's a lovely day outside, and there are a few quiet,
picturesque spots nearby that usually help me refocus and rejuvenate.”

“That sounds really nice. I was thinking earlier about
taking a little stroll during lunch. I'm still trying to explore the
neighborhood a bit, you know, find good lunch spots and such.”

“Well, would you like to come with me? I could show
you a few places that are kind of off the radar. There are definitely a few
hidden gems located in a back alley or two around here.”

Lilah smiled. “Back alleys, huh?”

“You’d be surprised,” I offered with a wink.

“Sure. Let me take these papers back to my office and
get my purse. I'll be right with you.”

“Excellent. I'll wait by the elevators.”

She smiled again and hurried off toward her office. I
couldn't help my eyes from lingering on the way her hips swayed as she walked
away in her beige business suit. I tried to force my eyes off of the exquisite
curves of her ass which moved so sensually as she went.

I shook my head to snap myself out of the trance I'd
fallen into. I hoped there wasn’t anyone who had seen me staring so intently at
her behind. Luckily, nobody else was around.

After a minute or two, Lilah rounded the corner,
smiling as our eyes met. A tingle rushed through to my nerve endings as her
gaze met mine. As many times as I had seen her, her striking eyes still managed
to stir something in me every time she looked at me.

“I’m ready to go,” she said.

I resisted an impulse to take her hand in mine.
“Great, follow me.”

After we exited the building, I pointed across the
street. “See that little alley over there?”

Her head tilted and she studied the direction in which
I pointed. “Yeah?”

“We're gonna head down that way. We're going to
Chinatown.”

“Chinatown? Isn't that a couple of miles away?”

“If you drive, yes. If you walk through the alleys,
though, in a straight line it's only about a mile from here. You do like East
Asian food, don't you?”

“I'm a huge fan of Asian food in general.”

“Excellent! You'll be spoiled with choices where we're
going then.”

“Are we really going to be able to get there, eat, and
get back all within an hour, Asher?”

I paused and thought about this. My initial plan had
just been to get out of the office, have a peaceful walk, relax in the Japanese
Zen garden a couple of blocks away, and then grab some takeout that I could
snack on during the afternoon. But having Lilah with me changed my train of
thought in an instant. Getting all of that done wouldn't be possible in just an
hour. Still, I was already feeling recharged and somehow I thought perhaps it
was the idea of merely being in her presence.

“You know what, Lilah? We're not going to be able to
do that in an hour.” My philosophy was that one hour of inspired, energized
work was worth far more than three hours of moping, uninspired drudgery in
which one was just waiting for workday to end.

She suddenly looked disappointed. “Yeah, I didn't
think so. It's all right, we can head around the corner and grab a bite at that
little cafe. The bagels are great there and-”

“Well, hold on a sec now, you didn't let me finish.
Don't you find that you work more productively and more efficiently when you're
feeling well fed, relaxed, energized, and inspired?”

“Of course. I can get way more done and do a much
better job in general when I'm feeling that way.”

“Well, then, as your boss—and as my own boss—I'm
recommending that we take a two-hour lunch break.”

“Asher!” she exclaimed. “Come on, we can't bend the
rules like that.”

“Listen, it makes more sense when you really think
about it. It's been a long, hard week, right? We've both been slogging away
relentlessly, haven't we? Spending way too many hours in the office.”

“I
am
feeling a little burned out, to be honest.”

“As am I. So, if we go about lunch in a rush, we're
not really giving ourselves the opportunity to recharge properly, are we?” I
inquired using my best defense lawyer voice.

“I guess not.”

“If we rush lunch, don’t relax, we’re going to be
thinking of the time ticking away and then hurry back into the office feeling
frazzled and burned out. And then, we're going to be fighting off sleep while
we try to get work done and our minds will be all over the place. The amount
and quality of work we get done in the three hours until it’s time to go home
will be poor and not so productive at best.”

She looked at me and grinned, almost conspiratorially.
“I see what you're getting at.”

“Right?” I said encouragingly.

“So, what you’re saying is, if we take two hours
instead, and we relax, eat a good meal, calm our minds, and enjoy our time out
of the office without constantly checking our watches, we'll go back into work
feeling refreshed and recharged, and get four hours' worth of work done in two
hours, as opposed to one-hour’s worth of work in three?”

“Precisely. See? It makes perfect sense,” I assured
her.

“Well, I won't tell the boss if you don't,” she
declared as she winked at me playfully.

“My lips are sealed. The boss will never know. Oh
wait, he already does,” I replied, winking back.

A thrill rushed through my veins when she laughed. I
liked the feeling it gave me—making her smile, making her laugh. It had seemed
like she’d been deliberately distant and cool the last few days. Whether that
had been as a result of our drunken kiss that night, or simply because she was
so focused on work, I couldn't tell, but it had been quietly tormenting me the
whole time.

The truth was, since that kiss, I'd found it hard to
get her off my mind. And, her seeming aloofness over the past few days had made
me think about her even more.

Nonetheless, I decided to play it cool and keep a bit
of distance of my own. As much as she had been on my mind, I wasn't sure if
trying to get closer to her was the best course of action at that point. But
those were thoughts I had when she wasn’t in close proximity. The moment she
was close enough to touch, all logical thinking went out the window.

And so, for the next two hours, I just let things flow
naturally. I felt so at ease in her presence, so calm and happy with her, that
I simply wanted to enjoy the moment without analyzing or overthinking our
interactions.

“Come on,” I said. “Let's go to Chinatown.”

***

“It is remarkably peaceful here,” Lilah remarked as we
strolled through the Zen garden.

We paused to watch an old, Japanese man painstakingly
raking sand into a number of intricate patterns, and then we strolled across an
ornate wooden bridge that crossed over a koi pond.

“The patterns in the sand will be destroyed in a few
hours,” I said. “All of those hours of intense concentration and work will be
erased.”

She looked surprised. “That's…kind of tragic,” she
remarked. “It will all be lost?”

I nodded. “All of it. Nothing will remain. This is the
nature of Zen Buddhism—there is no attachment.”

“How do you know so much about this? You've spent the
last hour telling me all sorts of things about Shinto, Buddhism, and now this.”

“I took an extended sabbatical from the company
several years ago. I felt I was losing my focus. I had been struggling to come
to terms with the loss of my grandfather's and there were other…family matters,
on top of running the company and trying to get it to the top.

“So, I left it in the control of my grandfather's
second-in-command—a close family friend who had been with the company with my
grandfather from the beginning and came out of retirement for that short time
to assist me—and I traveled for a few months. I spent time with an old family
acquaintance in Japan at his remote mountain residence.”

“Oh, wow, maybe you are Batman,” she joked.
“Seriously, though, that sounds like quite an experience.”

“It was. During the second World War, my grandfather
served in the Pacific and he saved the life of a high-ranking Japanese Naval
officer, Colonel Tanaka, who was about to be wrongfully executed for crimes he
didn’t commit. He and my grandfather became fast friends, and he told my
grandfather he owed him a great debt that he was determined to repay.

“We visited the Colonel a number of times when I was a
boy. He lived in an old manor in the mountains which had been in his family for
many generations. According to the stories I was told, he was the descendent of
a prominent line of samurai warriors, and, like his forefathers, he had
maintained the traditions of the samurai.”

“Wow! That sounds like a movie.”

“It was kind of like a movie. I mean, the place looked
like it must have been built two hundred years ago, with a few modern
conveniences thrown in, of course. I loved going and staying there as a boy. My
grandfather taught me to speak Japanese as a kid. I was pretty good at it,
actually. I still try to keep it sharp by watching Japanese movies when I can,
and I do have a few business contacts in Japan.”

“Nice. I speak Spanish pretty fluently myself, and I
could survive in Italy if I had to.”

“Excellent. Everyone should try to master at least one
other language besides their mother tongue, I think.”

“Agreed. Anyway, tell me more about your time in
Japan,” her eyes lit up as she insisted I continue. It was endearing.

“Yeah, well, like I said, it was great for me. Colonel
Tanaka, while in his nineties at the time, was still a skilled martial artist.
Oddly enough, he really was a true master in the ways of the samurai. Ways that
had been passed on to him from his father and his father's father before that.
I told him I felt as if I'd lost my way, and that I needed to find my focus and
drive again. I’ll never forget the smile that came over his face when he told
me that the time had finally come for him to repay the debt he owed my
grandfather. So, he took me in and trained me as if I was one of his own
grandsons.”

“Trained you? In what way?”

“As a samurai.”

Lilah's jaw dropped, and I did my best not to laugh at
the expression.

“No way. So, you’re telling me you lived in a Japanese
manor that was a couple hundred years old and trained as an actual samurai,
under a genuine samurai master?”

I smiled and nodded. “I did. Every morning I'd be up
at four to meditate in front of the shrine for an hour. Then I'd spend the next
three hours completing grueling, menial tasks, during which I wasn't allowed to
speak a word or display any emotion. After that, I'd begin weapons training,
which was followed by more meditation, and in the afternoons we'd perform
hand-to-hand combat. The evenings were spent writing old style calligraphy with
ink and brushes.”

“I don’t even know what to say. Wow just keeps coming
to mind. This is totally not something I'd have expected from a…”