Sleeping With My Boss: A Standalone Novel (An Alpha Billionaire Romance Love Story) (A Dirty Office Romance) (68 page)

"I don't have
a clue," he replied as his phone buzzed. He pulled it out, and then said,
"Gotta go. Sorry. Not sure when I'll be back, so don't wait up."

I turned around in
time to see Ryan grabbing his keys off of the counter and heading out the door.

"Where are
you—," I said as he slammed the door hard enough to rattle the photos
hanging on the wall. I thought about running after him, but decided against it.
I wasn't going to step into my mother's role of helping someone who wasn't
willing or able to ask.

I would not repeat
her mistake.
 

#

I
waited up for
Ryan for as long as I could, but it had been a long day and the discovery of
Dr. Powell's newest set of files has sent my brain spinning as I tried to
figure out where I could hide the files so that Julian Baines could never get
ahold of them. I considered buying space on a cloud server, but there was no
way to ensure that he wouldn't be able to figure out the document path and
figure out where they were hidden. The only way I was going to be able to keep
the information safe was to download it from the server and erase all traces of
it, but that meant I'd have to sneak back into TriCorp to erase the bug I'd
left on my computer.

The problem was
that I had no way of knowing how many files Dr. Powell had set up to send. If I
went in too early, I'd fail to gather all of the materials and I'd leave
something on the server for Julian to find. If I went in too late, he'd know
that there had been a breach of the security system and that I'd been the last
one to have access to it. I was working within a limited window of time and I
needed to get back into TriCorp to scan the server. If I could do that, then
maybe I could find all of Dr. Powell's encrypted files and remove them from the
server all at once. I began plotting out ways to get back into the office
without being seen, but by ten, I was worn out, so I headed up to bed.

A few hours later,
I heard keys in the lock and the front door opening and closing. I waited until
I heard Ryan lay down on the couch and then debated about whether I should say
anything.

"Ryan, are
you okay?" I called softly. "I was worried."

"Fine,"
he replied gruffly. "Sorry."

"You want to
talk about it?" I asked as I lay on my back staring up at the ceiling
wishing that her was up here laying next to me. The only problem was that if I
was honest, I would admit that I didn't really want him up here talking.

"Not
especially, but if you need to talk, I'll listen," he replied.

"I was just
wondering what it was that you guys did at the funeral this morning," I
said recalling the way the SEALs all pounded their Trident pins into the
casket.

"You want to
come down here and talk?" he asked. I recognized it as an invitation
rather than a question, so I pulled on my nightgown and went downstairs where I
found Ryan sitting on the edge of the couch with his elbows on his knees and
his head in his hands.

"You kind of
rough, sailor," I said smiling. "Can I get you something to ease the
pain?"

"There's
nothing strong enough," he said shaking his head. "Believe me, I
tried."

"Gotcha,"
I said as I sat down next to him and slowly rubbed his back. Soon he was
humming with pleasure as I slowly ran my hand across his back in circles.
"I'll just do this, if that's okay."

"Better than
okay," he murmured. "You asked what we did with our pins."

"Yes, I was
curious."

"The Trident
is the insignia of the SEAL," he explained removing his shirt and showing
me the tattoo of the SEAL insignia on his chest over his heart. "It has
the anchor because we are Navy only people. The Trident is because we come from
under the water. The first SEALs were bomb crews whose job it was to dismantle
the bombs left in the water around the beaches during World War II, they were
called Frogmen. The weapon is an old time revolver, which is not intended for
self-defense, but only the defense of others. The eagle is the only recognized
eagle form in America where the head isn't above the wings because SEALs
attack."

"That's a lot
of history and meaning in one insignia," I said as I ran my fingers over
the tattoo tracing each element he'd described. I knew that to do this meant I
was playing with fire, but I couldn't stop myself. I wanted to touch him.
"So, why did you pound your pins into John Micheal's casket?"

"Pounding the
Trident into the casket is part of the ritual," he said as he watched me
trace the design. He didn't move a muscle as he explained. "Part of the
reason we do it is because we don't want any of our brothers to be buried
alone. Pounding our pins into the top of the casket means that part of us goes
with him, and that he isn't being buried without his weapons or armor. It's
symbolic, but we SEALs thrive on symbols and ritual as much as we do on the
real world missions we carry out."

"That makes
sense," I said looking up at his face. He was staring at me with his amber
eyes flashing as he watched me touch him. "Does it help you?"

"I guess it
helps knowing that I'm not alone," he said. "That if I die, the other
SEALs will be with me, too. That's probably why we actually do it."

"Why?"

"To comfort
ourselves," he said running a hand through his dark hair. "Rituals
really are for the living."

"Is that what
you told the Morgans when you talked with them after the funeral?" I asked
he leaned forward again and I resumed rubbing his now bare back.

"No, I just
listened mainly," he admitted. "I told them that their son had died a
hero and that his last thoughts were about them."

"What did
they tell you?" I asked as I slid my hand lower and rubbed his lower back.
I knew I was playing with fire, but I couldn't stop myself. I wanted to feel
his skin and if I was honest, I wanted more.

"They told me
about Opie as a kid, how he had always wanted to be a SEAL," he said
quietly as he rested his elbows on his knees and dropped his head into his
hands. "They told me about how he had planned to use his GI Bill money to
become a certified electrician and that he wanted nothing more than to settle
down in Woodlawn and raise a family with his girlfriend, Lydia."

"She was the
pretty little redhead who sat with them, right?" I asked.

"Yeah, she's
still in high school, graduates this year," he said then stopped and
covered the back of his head with his hands as he breathed deeply for a few
moments. "It just fucking sucks."

"But you guys
know that's what you sign up for, right?" I asked as I stopped rubbing and
just let my hand rest on the small of his back.

"We do, but I
think most of us also think that it won't ever be us," he said shaking his
head before lifting it and looking up at me. "We think somehow it's always
going to be some other guy, someone we don't know, someone whose not part of
our squad. We never think it's going to be us."

"Isn't that
the way most humans operate?" I asked as I stared into his amber eyes and
noticed the flecks of gold that were scattered in his irises. They were
mesmerizing.

"Maybe..."
he said as he sat up and reached for me. I knew I shouldn't do this, but the
feeling of his hand brushing against my cheek and pushing my hair back so that
he could stretch up and kiss me was more than I could resist, and so I gave in
to the need that had been slowly burning its way through my body since the
moment he'd first held me in his arms.

I wanted to lean
forward and press my lips against his and feel the warmth of his hand on my
cheek. Instead, I sat down on the couch and patted my lap as I said,
"Here, come lay down and let me rub your head."

CHAPTER
SEVENTEEN

Ryan

As I looked up
into her beautiful blue eyes, I could see the concern she was feeling and I
wondered if I'd let her see too much of my pain. I wasn't entirely comfortable
with letting anyone see this much of me, but somehow Echo made it feel safe and
kissing her felt like a natural extension of the emotion she was drawing out of
me. She tenderly returned my kiss, and I couldn't stop myself from turning and
wrapping my arms around her waist. She slipped her arms around my neck and ran
her fingers through my hair, as the intensity of the kiss grew deeper.

I'd never wanted a
woman this much in my life, and yet I knew it was wrong.
 
She belonged to someone else and it was wrong
of me to be tempting her away from him. I knew I should stop, but she didn't
pull back and the longer we kissed the more obvious it became that she wasn't
going to pull away. I was confused and aroused, and in the end, I gave into the
latter feeling and followed it.

Her body was soft
and warm and her fingers were soothing as she combed my hair with them. I
pulled back and looked into her eyes, they were bright and shining and as she
held my gaze, I could feel the need rising and, afraid that I wouldn't be able
to hold back, I looked away.

"Ryan,"
Echo said softly. "Look at me."

"I
can't," I said looking out at the balcony. "It's not right, and I
can't."

"But I want
you to," she whispered as she leaned down and gently kissed my lips.
"I want to."

I groaned loudly
as I felt her lips brush across mine again. I hesitated for a moment, and then
reached up and slid my hands deep into her thick golden hair and pulled her to
me. I ran my tongue across her bottom lip and heard her moan softly as she kissed
me more insistently. I wanted more of her; so much more, but I was afraid that
if I moved too quickly, she'd be scared off, so I focused on exploring her
mouth.

I ran my fingers
through her hair as I gently pushed her lips apart with my tongue and slid it
between them. I felt the low moans coming from the back of her throat and
vibrating against my tongue as I slowly probed. Her tongue met mine and I felt
the soft roughness pushing back as her fingers played with my hair. I could
feel the need building, but I held back waiting for a clear sign.

"Ryan,"
she moaned into the kiss. "Oh God, Ryan..."

"Mmm
hmm," I murmured as I ran my fingers up her cheek and sunk them in her
hair again and again.

"Please?"
she moaned.

"Please what,
Echo?" I replied as I traced a light path down the back of her neck and
then back up to her face. I could feel her need and I knew she wanted more, but
I didn't know exactly what she wanted. I knew what I wanted. I'd been stiff
since she walked out of the bathroom dressed for the funeral, but the thought
of this beautiful woman asking me for what she wanted pushed my arousal to a
new level.

"I want...I
want....I need...,” she moaned trying to get me to read her mind. I kissed her
deeply, my tongue swirled around hers as she let loose a long low moan.

"Tell me what
you need," I whispered into her lips. "Tell me everything you need,
and I'll give it to you. All you have to do is tell me."

"Oh God,
Ryan," she whimpered as she moved her hands down to my chest and began
running them across my bare skin. The sensation drove me closer to the edge of
desire, and I gripped her head and kissed her hard as I sat up and swung my
legs around, positioning her between them before I ran my hands down her back
and cupped her perfectly round cheeks. Her eyes widened, but she didn't pull
away.

"Is this what
you want?" I asked as my hands caressed and gently squeezed her bottom.
"Tell me, Echo."

"I need you,
Ryan," she said breathlessly. "I just need you."

"Wrap your
arms around my neck again," I said. I knew that she was giving me as much
as she could, and as soon as she had done what I asked, I stood up and lifted
her off the floor. I made a sharp turn and set her down on the sofa. Her eyes
were wide as she watched me kneel in front of her and gently pull her nightgown
over her head. I smiled as I ran my hands down her body and then back up to her
breasts. They were full and heavy and her nipples were already erect, I watched
her as I captured them between my fingers and gently squeezed. She sighed and
arched her back as she reached out and grabbed my forearms.

"You like
that, do you?" I said softly as I increased the pressure and was rewarded
with a moan. I could see her pushing her hips forward in a subtle attempt to
find relief for the ache between her legs. I knew the feeling, my erection was
painfully pressing against my shorts, and I had to fight to keep from thrusting
forward and grinding it against her.

"Ryan, Ryan,
Ryan," she chanted. I knew she was somewhere on the outer edge of arousal,
I could feel it. I could smell her desire and I knew that if I slid my hands
down between her legs, I'd find that her panties were soaked through. I bent
forward and gave her a long slow kiss that made her groan and spread her legs
wider.

"You want it,
don't you?" I whispered as I ran a line of kisses up her cheek. "You
want me to take you over the edge?"

"Oh God,
yes!" she cried as she grabbed my hand and shoved it between her legs. I
smiled as I broke her grip and moved her hand up over her head. Somehow doing
it this way eased my guilt about her connection to Mando, which faded into the
background as I looked up at her.

"Can I trust
you to lock your fingers and keep your arms up or do I need to secure you to
the couch?" I asked as I grabbed her other hand and pushed it up to join
the first one.

Her eyes widened
as I cupped her face and kissed her again. Her body softened and she nodded.

"Good because
I'm going to make you feel very good," I murmured as I traced a path with
my tongue down her neck and across her chest before taking a turgid nipple into
my mouth and sucking. I let go and bathed the hard flesh with my tongue before
sucking again. Echo was moaning softly as she looked down and watched my mouth
moving on her breast. I kissed my way across her chest and gave the same
attention to her other nipple. Her legs were spread wide and I could feel her
rocking back and forth seeking something to rub against.

I slid one hand
between her thighs and lightly brushed my fingers down the center of her
soaking wet panties. She cried out and thrust her hips forward to rub against
my hand. I smiled as I continued sucking her nipple as I played along the edges
of her desire. I wanted to take her as far out on the ledge of desire as I
could before giving her the release she wanted so badly.
 
For long minutes I ran my fingers up and down
feeling her heat through the thin fabric.

Then in one quick
move, I pushed her panties to the side and sunk my fingers between her velvety
lips and played in her wetness. She writhed under my touch as my fingers found
her hard little clit and began stroking it. I slowly increased the pressure as
I watched her face and felt her pushing back.

"More?"
I asked as I watched her moving her hips to press up against my fingers.

"Oh God, yes!"
she cried.

"Mmmmm,"
I murmured as I pulled my fingers out and quickly hooked them over the waist of
her panties and yanked them down. She lifted her hips and brought her legs
together so that I could pull her panties off before spreading her legs wide,
placing my hands on her thighs and splaying her open so I could see just how
wet she was. I used my thumbs to massage her slippery folds sliding over her
clit and teasing the edge of her entrance before I slipped my arms under her
thighs and lifted her hips up off of the couch.

She gasped as I
bent forward, buried my tongue between her lips and began licking a path from
bottom to top. I focused on lapping up as much of her tangy wetness as I could
as I lost myself in the sensation and scent of her desire. I held her up with
one arm as I slowly worked two fingers into her. She bucked and tried to push
them in faster, but I held back and began slowly moving them back and forth as
I sucked her clit. She began panting and moaning as I increased the tempo, and it
wasn't long before I could feel her muscles clenching around my fingers. I made
my tongue into a hard point and pressed it against her clit as I moved my arm
back and forth.

Seconds later she
moaned my name as her orgasm began. It rolled through her in waves as I stroked
and sucked. The intensity of her climax left me with an agonizing erection, but
the feeling of her wetness coating my hand as I gently pumped the last bit of
pleasure from her made it worth it.

I lowered her back
down on the sofa and watched as her eyelids fluttered and then opened so that
her blue eyes were focused on me. She looked a little dazed, but that was to be
expected. When I leaned down and kissed her she wrapped her arms around my neck
and sighed into my lips.

"Come
upstairs with me," she murmured as she tried to push herself up off the
couch. She fell backwards laughing as she realized her legs were too weak to
support her, so I swept her up in my arms and carried her up the spiral steps
to her bed and gently laid her down. She grabbed my wrist and in a sleepy voice
said, "Stay. Please."

I lay down on the
bed, wrapped an arm around Echo. I heard gunfire out in the street and frowned
as I lifted myself onto my elbow to see if I could tell where it was coming
from. I quieted, so I slipped my arm around Echo again, but this time I felt a
sticky wetness covering my hand. I lifted my hand up and saw it was covered in
blood.

"Oh
shit!" I yelled as I fell onto the floor. "Echo!"

"Help me,
Ryan!" she cried as the gunfire exploded around us and the bedroom filled
with the smoke from fired rounds. I could hear Echo screaming, but I couldn't
find her through all of the smoke. I called her name and heard her screams from
a distance.

"Fuck! Where
are you?" I shouted as I sat straight up and realized I was still laying
on the couch. I was sweating so hard the sheet underneath me was soaked. I
shook my head and looked around trying to get my bearings before jumping up off
the couch and dropping to the floor to do rapid-fire pushups.

"Are you
okay?" Echo called in a voice thick with sleep.

"Yep, just
fine," I replied as I pushed myself up off the floor and began pacing in
the small space. I needed to get out of the apartment. I needed air. I needed
to do something; find out something.

So, I pulled on my
clothes, grabbed my keys and phone, and headed for the door. With one hand on
the doorknob, I stopped and looked around the apartment. Then I went back into
the kitchen pulled out a pad of paper and pen from Echo's junk drawer and
scratched a short note. I nodded as I read it, and then headed for the door.
This time I didn't stop.