Sleeping With My Boss: A Standalone Novel (An Alpha Billionaire Romance Love Story) (A Dirty Office Romance) (63 page)

CHAPTER
SEVEN

Ryan

I'd
been sitting at my father's desk sorting through his things for over an hour
when Julian came bursting into the office followed by his secretary.

"I told you
that you were not allowed in this office!" he shouted as he grabbed my
duffle bag and unzipped it. "Where is it?"

"I didn't
take anything," I replied mystified by his behavior. He was digging
through my bag tossing things out onto the floor as he muttered under his
breath about confidentiality and proprietary information. I tried to figure out
what was going on and said, "Sir, I'm not sure what you're looking for,
but I guarantee it's not in there."

"Mr. Baines,
maybe if you tell me what you're looking for, I can help?" Echo
interjected.

"Did you let
him in this office, Miss Frost?" Baines asked as he glared at her.

"I did,"
she replied looking at me nervously.

"And I don't
supposed he informed you that I had said he was not allowed access to this
office, did he?" Baines said as he turned and glared at me.

"He did not,
but I'm sure that he didn't—," Echo began.

"Don't be so
sure of anything, Miss Frost," he snarled. "You're entirely too
trusting."

"Mr. Baines,
I'm simply gathering my father's personal effects," I said as I watched
him march over and pull open my duffle bag.

"What are you
doing?" Echo demanded as she watched Baines go through my bag and pull out
everything in it before dumping it upside down to make sure there was nothing
left inside.

"I'm simply
making sure that Lieutenant Powell doesn't remove anything that is the property
of TriCorp from the premises," he replied as he dropped the duffle bag and
looked up at me. I had no idea what he thought I could or would be stealing,
but there was something about his accusation that made me think whatever it was
he thought I might take was something extremely important.

"I promise
that I am not taking anything out of this office besides the pictures that are
sitting on the corner of the desk," I said nodding at the stack of photos
of my father, my mother and myself. Julian picked up the frames and looked
through them as if I could have possibly hidden something in them.

"Very
well," he nodded and then headed toward the door that Echo held open. He
stopped at the door and turned to say, "I want you to pack up your things
and be out of this building in five minutes. I will send security up to escort
you out."

I knew that saying
anything else would simply get me kicked out faster, so I nodded and got up to
put my things back in my duffle bag. Echo cast a look in my direction and then
escorted Julian and Ruth out of the office. By the time she returned, I had
stuffed everything into my bag and was looking around for something to put the
pictures in. She stepped out into the front office and returned a few moments
later with a box.

"Here,"
she said. "I think they'll fit in this."

"Thanks."

"No offense,
but what does he think you're going to take from the office?" she asked
looking around as if she were seeing the space with new eyes.

"I have no
idea," I said shaking my head. "There's nothing here that I want, but
obviously he thinks there is. It makes me a little suspicious."

"The lady
doth protest too much?" Echo grinned as she watched me pack up the photos.

"Exactly,"
I laughed.

"Are you
going to take those back to your dad's place?" she asked.

"Well,
um..." I tried to think of a way to avoid having to answer this question.
I didn't want her to know I was homeless, but I didn't want to lie, either.

"What? Your
stepmother won't like it?" she asked.

"No,
actually," I began. I looked up at her and thought about how she'd already
trusted me with her grief, so I blurted out, "We got evicted from the
apartment this morning, so I don't have any place to stay and my dad's money is
all tied up in the will, so I don't have any of that either."

"Why? Where
are you going to go?" she asked. I could see that she was a little
surprised that I'd told her what was going on.

"I'm not
sure," I shrugged. "Make some calls and see what I can come up with.
The Navy might give me a place over at headquarters if I ask."

"You mean you
have nowhere to go?" she gasped. "You're homeless?"

"Pretty
much," I said pretending to reorganize the pictures in the box so that I
wouldn't have to look up and see her pitying me. "I'm not exactly
homeless. It's just that I don't have a place in the city because I've been
traveling for most of the last twelve years. Any time I came back to the city,
I stayed with my father or in the Navy barracks."

"Don't you
have any money?" she asked quietly as if she was embarrassed to be talking
about such a personal thing.

"Yeah, well,
that's the problem," I said. "All the assets from the estate have
been frozen and I've only got enough money for a few nights at a mid-range
hotel before I'm tapped out."

"Then you
should come stay with me," she said. "I've got a couch that you can
crash on. It's not that comfortable, but it'll do."

"Do you
always go around asking complete strangers to bunk with you?" I asked.

"You're not a
complete stranger," she said as she waved a hand at me dismissing my
concern. "You're Dr. Powell's son. That means you're like family."

"My dad was
part of your family?" I grinned. I needed a place to stay, but I didn't
want her to know how badly I needed it because then I'd feel embarrassed about
being a full-grown man who didn't have a place to stay. "That's a little
weird, don't you think?"

"Not like
that, dummy!" she laughed. When she laughed her face lit up and her eyes
got very blue, I couldn't stop staring at her, and I couldn't shake the feeling
of having held her in my arms as she cried. "But he was a good man, and he
did good things for me. Helping you out in your time of need is the least I can
do to repay his kindness."

"All right,
well, if you're sure it's not an inconvenience," I said wondering if this
woman was real. "I'll bunk with you tonight, but tomorrow I'll figure
something else out so you don't have to worry about being inconvenienced."

"It's really
not a problem, Ryan," she smiled. "Why don't you wait for me down at
the coffee shop on the corner? I'll be done here in about an hour and we can
take a cab back to my place."

"Sounds like
a plan," I said as I gathered up my duffle bag and the box of photos. I
took one lasts look at my father's office wondering what it was in this room
that had Julian Baines so worried. I shrugged and walked out into Echo's office
just as the security guard entered.

"Are you
ready to go, Mr. Powell?" he asked.

"That's
Lieutenant Powell, Butch," Echo said. "Lieutenant Ryan Lucas Powell.
He's a Navy SEAL, just FYI. Ryan, this is Butch Wilson, head of security at
TriCorp."

"Well, well,
well, your daddy must have been awfully proud of you!" Butch smiled.

"I don't know
about that, sir," I said knowing that I should shake his hand but not
having one free to do it. "It's nice to meet you, Mr. Wilson."

"Oh please, call
me Butch," he said as he stepped back and held the door. "Just 'cause
I gotta escort you out of the building doesn't mean we can't be friendly!"

"All right,
then, Butch," I chuckled. "Lead the way."

"I'll see you
in an hour or so!" Echo called as we walked toward the freight elevator.

"Thought you
might want to go out the back rather than the front door with all that
stuff," Butch said as we waited for the car to arrive. "Mostly so Mr.
Baines doesn't hassle you about what's in the box."

"Oh, he's
already done that," I said soberly.

"Yes, I
imagine he has," Butch nodded. "He's a tough man that one. Not like
your daddy. He was a nice man. Always had a kind word or a smile."

"My
father?" I said stunned to hear Butch's description.

"Oh
yeah," he nodded as the car arrived and he held the door for me. "He
was a kind man. Always stopped by the security desk to say good morning and
drop off a cup of coffee or a bagel or something."

"Are you sure
you're talking about my father? Alan Powell?" I said. My father had never
been a man who had casually stopped by someone's office or picked up coffee on
the way into work. In fact, one of Eva's biggest complaints about him had been
that he never remembered to do any of the things that kind, courteous people
did for one another. She said my father was clueless and anti-social, but then
she'd laugh and say that it was only to be expected from someone with a genius
level IQ and a mind full of biochemical formulas.

"Yes, son,
I'm talking about your father," Butch grinned. "I'm guessing he
wasn't the same at home."

"Not at
all," I said trying to remember any time my father had been demonstrative
or anything other than perfectly organized and completely self-contained.
"He was tough. He expected a lot from people."

"Oh he was
tough down here, too," Butch laughed. "He was a drill sergeant every
time he had a delivery that had to be taken up to the seventeenth floor. He'd
be down here ordering people around and checking things off his list. A couple
of times I almost brought him a whistle, but I didn't want to overstep my
boundaries."

"I can
definitely picture my father organizing things," I nodded as the elevator
doors slid open and Butch and I stepped out into the back hallway.

"Our parents
often lead separate lives that we know nothing about," Butch advised.
"I don't know if it's a blessing or a curse to know that, but if it helps
you find some peace, well, then, there you have it."

"It
does," I said as I pictured my father happily organizing his laboratory
supplies and offering Butch a thank you in the form of hot coffee or baked
goods for helping him take care of things. "He was a good man."

"He was a
very good man, son," Butch said as he walked me to the door. "Don't
ever forget that."

"Thank you,
Mr. Wilson," I said as I shook his hand and then pushed the door open so
that sunlight came streaming into the dark hall. I exited and headed straight
for the cafe on the corner trying very hard not to think about how Echo Frost's
beautiful blue eyes and her warm soft body pressed against me.

CHAPTER
EIGHT

Echo

Ryan
agrees to stay
with Echo at least overnight. They order food from Nemo's and talk about their
childhoods.

Echo reveals that
she grew up in a military family and that her father was an incredibly strict
disciplinarian. She tells Ryan how she got interested in computers and that
she's always felt more comfortable with them than with people. She says that
working for Alan Powell was the first time she'd felt like someone saw her as a
capable professional, and she reveals that he had had her coding some of his
research data so that he could run reports on his findings.

Ryan talks about
his mother, his time in the military, and he hints at some dark things that he
still carries with him. Echo pushes, but he shuts down and she backs off.

Once I was done
sorting through the day's files and had tied up all the loose ends, I gathered
my things and checked my self in the mirror I kept in my desk drawer. I hadn't
been able to stop thinking about his strong arms wrapped around me as I cried
and how safe I'd felt with my cheek pressed against his chest. I couldn't
believe I'd asked him to stay with me, but after all of the nice things that
Dr. Powell had done for me, it seemed like the least I could do for his son.

I waved into the
security camera as I crossed the lobby knowing that Butch was somewhere in back
watching it, and pulled out my sunglasses. The day was warm and bright and I
smiled as the warming rays hit me easing the chill left from the office air
conditioner. I looked up toward the sun and stretched my arms upward as I
walked to the corner. When the light changed I crossed the street and smiled
again as I caught sight of Ryan sitting near the window watching me. I waved,
and he waved back before gathering his things and heading outside to meet me.

"You look
happy," he grinned.

"I'm done
with work for the day and I'm headed home with a handsome Navy SEAL," I said.
"What's not to be happy about?"

"Oh God,
please don't do that," he groaned.

"What?"

"Don't get
all goofy about the SEAL thing," he said rolling his eyes. "We're
tough and we're awesome, but let's leave it at that. We're not Gods...well, not
usually."

I burst out
laughing as I held my arms out and motioned for him to give me the box with the
pictures in it. He hesitated, but since I had nothing buy my messenger bag
strapped across my chest, he gave in and let me carry the box. I let him hail
the cab, and once I had given the driver my address, I started peppering him
with questions.

"How long
were you in the Navy?" I asked.

"Twelve
years, I'm still in," he replied. "Just on leave while I sort this
all out and do something for a friend."

"Oh, what kind
of thing?" I asked.

"Just a
thing," he said indicating that the topic was now off-limits. I wanted to
ask more questions, but I drew back and gave him some space. After a few
seconds, he asked, "How long have you lived in New York?"

"I've been
here eight years, six of which I've worked for Dr. Powell," I said.
"I went to NYU."

"Where'd you
move from?" he asked as he fiddled with the strap of the duffle bag.

"Peoria,
Illinois," I said. "You know, farm country."

"You grew up
on a farm?" he said.

"No, I grew
up in a family," I said looking out the window wishing he hadn't started
this line of questioning. Ryan was silent for a moment and then asked,
"Did you like working for my father?"

"I did,"
I said as I turned back toward him as the driver took a right turn just a
little too fast and I slid across the seat. Ryan threw his arm out
instinctively to keep me from being thrown forward and then laughed when he
realized it hadn't prevented me from almost ending up in his lap. I could feel
the heat radiating off of him as I struggled to scoot back to my side of the
bench.

"I don't
mind, you know," he said.

"Mind
what?"

"Mind you
sitting close to me," he grinned. "I've been away on a mission, so
it's been awhile since I felt anything that soft and warm against my
skin."

I blushed
furiously as I realized he had not only felt me pressing against him, he'd most
likely been able to get a clear view of what was underneath my blouse. I tugged
it up with my free hand and then shifted the box in my lap so that it covered
my chest a little more.

"I didn't see
anything," he said quietly.

"You're
impossible," I laughed as we pulled up in front of my building. Ryan
quickly paid the driver despite the fact that I was already holding the cab
fare in my hand. Once out of the cab, I nodded at him and said, "I'll get
the next one."

"Nonsense,
you're putting me up for the night, it's the least I can do," he replied
as he slung the duffle bag over his shoulder and grabbed the box from me so I
could find my keys and open the door.

Once upstairs, I
gave him the nickel tour of the place and showed him how to ensure that the
shower water was hot rather than ice cold. I handed him the one towel I kept
specifically for guests, and told him I was going to run down and grab dinner
from Nemo's. I figured after the day he'd had, he'd probably need a little
privacy, and I wanted a chance to drop off last night's dinner money and maybe
talk with Cece.

"Hey
chica!" Cece hollered from atop a ladder as she dusted the mariachi hats
and instruments that hung on the wall over the bar. It was a Tuesday night, and
the dinner rush hadn't started yet.

"Hey
Cece," I called waving the twenty dollar bill I had meant to give her the
night before. "Here's the money for last night's dinner."

"I told you
that your money isn't good here," she scolded as she descended the ladder.
Cece's hair was in a dramatic beehive, her makeup dark and heavy on the
eyeliner and she was wearing a bright pink wrap around top that showed off her
considerable assets with a pair of black shorts that I wondered if Mando had
seen. As usual, she looked stunning. "What's up?"

"I've got a
guest," I said looking around to make sure no one else was listening.

"Oh
yeah?" she grinned. "Spill it, chica!"

"He's my
bosses son, Ryan," I began and her face fell. "I'm putting him up for
the night because he and his stepmother were evicted from the family apartment
this morning. It's crazy. His dad's been dead less than a week and he's already
orphaned and homeless."

"Wait,
what?" she said with a confused look on her face. "Why is he
homeless? And why is he staying with you?"

"The will is
tied up in probate, so he has no money," I said. "And I couldn't let
him sleep on the street! He's a sailor!"

"Now you're
just confusing me," she said shaking her head.

"He's a Navy
SEAL home on leave to take care of his father's business," I said as I
grabbed a menu and began writing down my order. I decided that we probably
needed a lot of food given that neither of us had eaten lunch.

"Ooooh,
military hottie!" Cece whistled as she rang the order and gave it to the
kitchen. "Get yourself some of that, chica!"

"Cece, he's
lost his dad," I said disapprovingly. "I'm not going to jump
him."

"Why not? Men
are best when they're vulnerable," she scoffed. "Get 'em when they're
sad or lonely and you'll get everything you want!"

"You, my
friend, are an opportunist," I laughed. "I am a woman of morals and
ethics. I will not exploit a poor man who is sad and lonely."

"Then you're
never getting laid again," she said dismissing me with a wave. We both
burst out laughing as I paid the bill and took my bags.

"I'll keep
you posted," I called as I pushed the door open.

Back in the
apartment, Ryan had showered and changed out of his street clothes and put on a
pair of shorts and a tank top, and was now doing pushups in my tiny living
room. I entered the apartment silently and stood in the kitchen watching as his
muscles bulged from the effort he was making to lower himself all the way to
the ground, hold the pose and then slowly raise himself back up. I marveled at
his control. This was a man who knew how to maintain his focus.

"I'm
back!" I called trying not to startle him.

"You've been
back for about five minutes just standing there watching me workout," he
said as he walked toward me smiling.

"I didn't
want to disturb you," I said as I looked down into the bags to hide the
fact that I was blushing yet again. I began pulling out food and handing
containers to Ryan who stood watching with an amused look on his face. I shooed
him out of the tiny kitchen, saying, "Take these over to the coffee table
and set them down."

"Aye, aye
Capitan," he said as he saluted and then grabbed the food and walked ten
steps to the coffee table.
 
I followed
with plates, silverware and two ice-cold beers. There was nowhere to sit except
on the sofa so I filled a plate, grabbed my beer and claimed one end while Ryan
did the same on the other end. We ate in compatible silence for a long time.

"So, you
didn't grow up on a farm," he said before shoving the last bit of tortilla
in his mouth and chewing.

"I did
not," I confirmed as I moved the food around on my plate.

"So, where
did your name come from?" he asked trying to skirt the topic as best he
could.

"My dad was a
military historian," I said telling the same story I'd told a thousand
times. "We were all named after radio call letters."

"All of you?
How many were there?" he asked.

"Me, Charlie
and Mike," I said anticipating his next question.

"I always
wondered what it would be like to grow up with brothers," he said. "I
guess that's why I joined the Navy. To find out what it's like."

"Charlie and
Mike are my sisters," I grinned. Everyone made that mistake.
"Charlie's given name is Charlotte and Mike's is Mikayla. My mother
wouldn't let my father give them the actual call letter words because she was
afraid of what might happen if they ever wanted to run for president."

"Are you
kidding me?" he laughed.

"I wish I
was," I said shaking my head. "But I assure you I am not."

"What about
you? Is Echo your given name?" he asked.

"Yep, it sure
is," I nodded as I took a drink from my beer.

"Why didn't
you get a given name, too?" he asked.

"Because I
was the last one and my mother said at that point she was tired of fighting
about naming girls with my father," I said.

"So,
basically you got your name because they were too tired to argue about
it," he said with a surprised look on his face.

"I suppose
you're right," I nodded. "My name was the result of peace due to
exhaustion."

Ryan burst out
laughing as he drank deeply from the bottle in his hand, then wiped his mouth
with the back of his arm and let out a huge belch. I started laughing, too.

"So, what
about this not growing up on a farm thing," he said. "I'm
curious."

I took a deep
breath and decided to tell him the truth about my upbringing, and for the next
hour I spun the tale of my family's extremely regimented life. I told him about
my father's time in Vietnam and how his PTSD would sometimes cause him to drink
until he couldn't get up out of his chair in front of the television. Other
times he'd be fully functional and would wake my sisters and me up at the crack
of dawn to do training exercises with him. He'd tell us that after we ran the
obstacle course, he'd make us pancakes and bacon for breakfast, and while he
usually did, we knew that saying no was never an option. As we got older, my
father's mental health deteriorated to the point that when I was in high
school, he'd spend the summers in the local mental ward receiving electroshock
therapy. It was brutal, but he'd usually have a few good months after the
treatments until he started descending back into his own hellish memories.

"My sisters
were the first ones to get out of the house," I explained.
 
"Mike, she's the oldest, joined the Army
and put in for duty anywhere but near home. Charlie married her high school
sweetheart a month after graduation and moved to the South Side of Chicago
where they bought a small house and had two kids. And then there's me."

"And you
applied to NYU and got out of Peoria," Ryan finished.

"Actually, I
came to New York, applied to NYU and got accepted," I said. "I moved
here with a plan, but nothing in place. It was a total crap shoot."

"But it's
worked out well for you it seems," he said patting my foot with his large
hand. The feeling of his skin against mine sent a shiver up my spine and I had
to fight to keep from asking him to keep his hand on me.