Read Sleeping With My Boss: A Standalone Novel (An Alpha Billionaire Romance Love Story) (A Dirty Office Romance) for Free Online Page A

what if it was a test of some sort? What if he was testing
me to see how much resolve and grit I had, how badly I really did want
the job?
    “I appreciate that, but no thanks,” I said, stiffening
my resolve. “I can handle this, and I can get it done within the specified
time.”
    He smiled sympathetically. “This is not a test, Lilah.
I'm not trying to see how committed you are to Sinclair and your new position.
I really was too ambitious with the deadline. I didn't take into account that
you're still finding your footing here, that you're still learning the ropes
and getting a feel for our processes. Granted, I do expect an immense amount of
hard work and dedication from you, that much is true.
    “I don't, however, expect you to work yourself into a
hospital bed or worse. I'm a strict man and I have high expectations, but I'm
no slave driver. So, as your boss, I'm telling you, for your own health and
wellbeing, that the deadline has been extended by a day. And that's the final
word on that.”
    I nodded, quietly relieved that I'd been given the
extra time to complete my work.
    “Thank you,” I responded. “I appreciate it.”
    “Don’t mention it. I know how much of a killer stress
and working too much can be—it's what sent my grandfather to an early grave.”
    “I'm sorry to hear that.”
    His smile faded. “That’s kind of you. It's been many
years since he passed, but I do still miss him.” His gaze lowered to the floor.
    There was a moment of somewhat uncomfortable silence
between us before Asher looked up at me. The somber look that had darkened his
face earlier was gone, replaced now by a warm, inviting smile.
    “Say, have you eaten dinner yet?”
    “I have not,” I replied. “In fact, I've been so
focused on this project that I haven't had a moment to even think about food.
Now that I am thinking about it, I realize I haven’t eaten since Jessica
brought those cookies around just before lunch.”
    “Well, that won't do. Not that those cookies weren’t
amazing. They were. But, I'm a big believer in the power of nutrition, Lilah.
We can't afford to neglect our bodies as we obsess over work—and yes, doing
exactly that is something that I'm guilty of myself, so I know how you feel.
Listen, how about we get dinner? I was just about to head out to grab a bite to
eat myself. How do you feel about Greek food?”
    I smiled. “I love it,” I exclaimed, feeling an
immediate flush of embarrassment at my bubbly enthusiasm.
    He chuckled. “Excellent. That makes two of us. I just
have a few things to finish up in my office. I'll call my driver and arrange
for him to pick us up in half an hour downstairs. Sound good?”
    “Sure, sounds like a plan,” I responded.

 
    ***

 
    “That was some of the best hummus I've ever had,” I
said. “I can't believe I've never been to this place before.”
    “It's great, isn't it? Hey, how about another glass of
wine?” Asher asked as he poured himself a bit more of the dry red he pulled
from the ice bucket next to our table.
    I was definitely feeling the effects of the wine we'd
already had. He was pouring from the second bottle of the night and it was
almost empty. My head was starting to swim, and I sensed that it was affecting
Asher, as well. His speech was sounding a bit slurred and his eyes were looking
a tad glassy. He'd told me before we started dinner that he rarely drank
alcohol, for health reasons, although I suspected it had more to do with the
fact that he didn't like losing control and letting his defenses down. Aside
from the occasional beer with Eddie, or going out with my friends every now and
then, I wasn't much of a drinker myself—yet there we were, almost two bottles
in.
    The wine had just flowed quickly and easily. We'd been
chatting non-stop since we'd arrived at the restaurant, and the conversation
had flowed as smoothly as the wine had. It had been hard to decline every offer
of a fresh glass, so when he offered me yet another