Free Sleeping With My Boss: A Standalone Novel (An Alpha Billionaire Romance Love Story) (A Dirty Office Romance) by Claire Adams Page B

time,”
she noted as she pulled out her phone and checked it. “Our extended lunch break
is almost up. We'd better be getting back.”
    “Yeah,” I said, somewhat wistfully. “I guess we
should.”
    We walked back to the office in relative silence, but
I couldn't stop stealing glances at Lilah.
    I also couldn't stop wondering what was going on in
that beautiful head of hers.

 
 
 
 

CHAPTER 8
    Lilah

 
    “Come on, Lilah, you can do this, you can do this,” I
repeated as I paced in front of my desk.
    As if Monday mornings weren’t dreaded enough, try
adding a presentation to the docket that could make or break your career with a
company. I was scheduled to give my presentation on my proposed revamp to the
Harry Winston campaign in less than thirty minutes and there was a lot riding
on it. With every breath, it felt as if thousands of butterflies were swarming
around inside of my stomach. I inhaled deeply and made my way to my private
bathroom.
    “You’ve got this, Lilah. Your ideas are good and they
are going to work, they will—you just have to present them in a way that
enables the senior team—and, of course, Asher himself—to see this,” I said to
myself as I applied a few final touches to my makeup in the bathroom mirror.
    My cellphone alarm sounded, vibrating on my desk,
signaling that it was time to make my way to the boardroom for the meeting to
start. I drew in a deep, calming breath, held it in my lungs for a while, and
then exhaled slowly.
    “You’re ready. You can do this,” I encouraged myself
one last time as I stared into the mirror.
    I strode out of the bathroom, exuding as much
confidence as I could muster. While I may have felt nervous inside, it would
not do to show it on the outside.
    Calm, collected, confident. This was the image I
needed to pull off at the moment. I picked up the folders I needed from my desk
and headed into the hallway.
    I strode into the conference room with a sense of
purpose and an invisible strength as I held my head high and kept my posture
ramrod straight. I went straight to my spot at the table, arranged my files
neatly in front of me, and took a seat while those around the table carried on
conversations.
    Moments later, Asher entered the room and the buzzing
of banter that had been bouncing around the table fell silent. A sudden rush,
an undeniable attraction to the sheer power he exuded, washed over me. It
wasn't merely his strong physical presence or his rugged, strong-jawed good
looks—it was the fact that this man, at the young age of thirty-two, was able
to silence a room of men and women who were, in some cases, twice his age, by
merely entering the room. And there was no resentment or jealousy simmering in
that silence; there was only a deep, reverent respect for an immensely
intelligent, talented, and driven individual who led from the front of the
battle lines. To put it in simple terms, it was hot.
    “Ladies and gentlemen,” he announced, “thank you all
for being here. I'm not going to waste any time beating around the bush. We
have important matters to attend to and first and foremost among those is the
Harry Winston campaign. Now, the newest addition to our team, Ms. Lilah
Maxwell, has prepared a presentation on how she believes we can turn this
currently unsuccessful campaign around.”
    He looked straight at me. “Lilah, are you ready?”
    I nodded and stood up. “I am, Mr. Sinclair. Thank
you.”
    “Excellent. Well, ladies and gents, without further
ado, I give the meeting over to Ms. Maxwell.”
    There was a polite round of applause as I stepped
around to the front of the table in a position at the head of the room.
    “Thank you, everyone,” I said. “Before I begin, I'd
like to thank Mr. Sinclair for giving me the opportunity to join this
prestigious team. It is my hope that with the ideas contained in this campaign
proposal that Mr. Sinclair's decision to appoint me to this position on the
team will be validated.”
    I