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

by Adams,Claire

  #

  When I came to, I was staring up at the ceiling of the elevator car as the door opened and someone screamed. Soon I was surrounded by nurses and staff who lifted me up onto a gurney and raced me into the ER.

  "Fine, I'm fine!" I croaked. "Cece, where's Cece?"

  "What happened, honey?" a nurse asked as she took my vital signs and asked another nurse to find Cece. "Do you remember what happened, honey?"

  "Kidnapper in the elevator," I said as she took my temperature and then started an I.V. "Oh God, Ryan! Ryan! Twelve thirty! Call the room!"

  "Honey, calm down, slow down and tell me what's going on," she said as she slipped the needle into my arm and taped the line to my skin.

  "Get Cece, she needs to know," I cried. "Get Cece!"

  "Echo! Where are you?" Cece yelled followed by an angry, "Get your fuckin' hands off me! I'm not even kidding!"

  "Cece! Cece! The kidnapper was in the elevator," I said as my words tumbled out. "Wants the hard drive. Tell them to check Ryan in room twelve thirty! Tell them!"

  Cece turned and ran to the desk and quickly told the duty nurse what needed to be done before returning to me. She grabbed my hand and squeezed it tightly not saying anything.

  "Cece, tell them to check the ER for someone with a shoulder wound," I whispered. "You shot the kidnapper. I nailed him with my elbow in the elevator before he choked me unconscious. Tell them to check. He might still be here."

  Again, Cece ran out to the desk and, in low whispers, told the duty nurse what I'd said before returning.

  "They'll be on the lookout," she whispered. "Ryan's okay. Are you okay?"

  "I'm fine," I said taking a deep breath and wincing as I turned my head. "I need to get out of here and get the hard drive to Commander Donnelly. Can you get me out of here?"

  "Can I get you out of here?" Cece grinned. "Chica, don't you know anything about me by now?"

  I smiled up at her knowing that if anyone could figure out how to smuggle me out of an ER, it would definitely be Cece.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE

  Ryan

  I thought I was still dreaming when I opened my eyes and saw Echo hovering over my bed. I closed my eyes again trying to hang on to the image of her face, but when I felt something brush my arm, I opened my eyes again and found her still there.

  "Echo?" I said groggily reaching out. "Is that you?"

  "Yep, it's me," she smiled as she slipped her hand into mine. Her eyes were bloodshot and she looked exhausted. She leaned in closer and whispered, "I was so scared, Ryan. I thought we were all going to die."

  "All okay?" I mumbled. "Where's Cece? She okay?"

  "I'm fine, Seal," Cece said from her spot by the door. "Listen to Echo, we don't have much time."

  "What's going on?" I said trying to focus on Echo's face.

  "We need to find someone, Ryan," she said. "We need to get your father's hard drive to Commander Arvin Donnelly. Do you know him?"

  "Yeah," I said as my eyes tried to force themselves closed again. "Commander. Just here."

  "The Commander was here? Visiting you?" she asked. I could hear the surprise in her voice.

  "Mmm hmm," I nodded as I winced.

  "Where is he?" Echo asked again. "We need to find him, Ryan."

  "Headquarters," I said as the pain in my side started its sharp march across my side. "Went to HQ. Go there."

  "You heard him, Cece," Echo said as she turned toward the door. "We need to get back to HQ. Can you get me out of here?"

  "What's going on?" I asked and then winced again as the pain tore it's path across my body. Echo reached out and hit the medication button. The last thing I remembered before I went under was Echo's lips softly brushing across mine, and then I was out cold again.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX

  Echo

  I took the steps two at a time as I raced toward the Commander's office. Mentally, I kicked myself for not just staying put and waiting for him to return, but I'd needed to see Ryan with my own eyes and make sure he was still alive.

  The Commander's secretary, the cute little brunette, was at her desk and waved me in as I approached her.

  "The Commander has been waiting for you, Miss Frost," she said. "Please go right in."

  I walked through the door and then stopped short.

  "Please come in, Miss Frost," Commander Donnelly welcomed me. "Don't be alarmed, we're all here to help."

  He quickly introduced me. I shook hands with Vice Admiral Kelly and the Commander before he asked me if I had the hard drive. I nodded, pulled it out of my bag and handed it over.

  "If that's all you need," I said standing up and turning toward the door, “then I'll just get back to the hospital."

  "Miss Frost," the Vice Admiral began. "Do you know what this hard drive contains?"

  "I know that it has Dr. Powell's work on sentient artificial intelligence on it," I admitted. "But I don't really have any idea what that actually means in terms of real world application because I wasn't involved in the research process."

  "But you were involved, Miss Frost," the Vice Admiral said. "You just didn't know it."

  "I don't understand," I said looking back at Commander Donnelly.

  "Miss Frost, Dr. Powell involved you in his research process by having you write code for him, did he not?" he asked.

  "Yes, he did, but I wasn't privy to the information he gathered in his lab," I said. "I just wrote programs that he asked for. Things that organized information."

  "Actually, your programs were fueling Dr. Powell's research," the Commander said. "He relied on your ability to code in order to continue pushing forward with his project."

  "I don't understand," I said again.

  "Miss Frost, Dr. Powell was working on developing a sentient artificial intelligence that would allow the military to eliminate the need for human soldiers on the battlefield," the Vice Admiral said and then sat silently as the information sunk in.

  "Wait, what?" I replied uncertain that I'd heard what I thought I heard.

  "Dr. Powell's research would make it possible to replace human soldiers with machines that contain sentient artificial intelligence," he repeated. "We would never again have to send young men and women into battle to be killed."

  "That's unbelievable," I whispered. "That's just in movies and science fiction novels."

  "No, actually it's not," the Vice Admiral said. "There's a company in Boston that's created a humanoid capable of moving across rugged terrain and there are three other countries that are in various stages of developing similar technology. Dr. Powell came to us knowing that his project was just a blip on the radar."

  "Why would he come to you?" I asked. "Not to be rude, but shouldn't this go through the Pentagon or the CIA or something more secretive?"

  "That's just it, Dr. Powell's research wasn't taken seriously," Commander Donnelly said. "He'd tried selling the idea to the Joint Chiefs, but they'd told him he was out of his element. And at the time, he was. His project wasn't well organized nor was it well executed."

  "So, why are you taking him seriously now?" I asked.

  "Because it seems that your presence and your programs are what turned the project around and made it viable," the Vice Admiral said. "Without you, he never would have made progress nor would he have come as far as he did in the past two years."

  "Two years?" I asked. "That's since I graduated."

  "Yes, we know, Miss Frost," the Vice Admiral smiled. "Your education was an excellent one, and we'd like to offer you the opportunity to continue it, if you're interested."

  "What would I have to do?" I asked suspiciously. "Am I going to have to sell my soul to the devil or something?"

  "No, Miss Frost," the Vice Admiral chuckled. "We're not the evil empire. There's no soul selling involved in our business. We would simply like to offer you the opportunity to learn more about the process of coding for SAI and continue Dr. Powell's research."

  "But I'm not a biochemist," I said. "I'm a computer p
rogrammer. I don't know anything about the biological or chemical processes of Dr. Powell's research."

  "That's why we want to pair you with the staff that Dr. Powell worked with and have you continue to write the programs they'll use to continue his research," Commander Donnelly said.

  "How will they know what to do?" I asked. "Dr. Powell is dead."

  "That's why the hard drive was of vital importance," the Vice Admiral said. "We believe it contains the research methodology and plans that Dr. Powell had laid out for the next three years. We believe that if we can get that map, his lab associates will be able to puzzle out the next steps he was planning to take."

  "And you want me to help?" I asked.

  "We believe that your programming skills are what will enable the lab researchers to take the next vital steps toward fully developing the SAI that Dr. Powell envisioned," the Vice Admiral said.

  "I don't know that I have enough programming knowledge to go that far," I said looking back and forth between the two men.

  "That's why we want you to enroll in a graduate program at Cornell and learn what you need to keep programming," Commander Donnelly said. "We will pay all of your expenses, plus you'll earn a salary from TriCorp for running the lab."

  "Wait, you're sending me back to TriCorp?" I said. "I don't think Julian Baines will allow that."

  "Julian Baines is no longer in charge of TriCorp," the Vice Admiral said in a way that told me it would be unwise to ask questions about why that was so. "There will be a new CEO in a few weeks, and we see no reason why your employment would be problematic."

  "I'd just like to say that my father always taught me that if something looks too good to be true, then it probably is," I said warily. "What's the catch?"

  "There's really only one catch," Commander Donnelly said handing me a card with two numbers on it. "You are never ever allowed to tell anyone what you are doing. The only people you will be allow to talk with about the project will be a board from the Office of Naval Research, and the Vice Admiral and myself."

  "I can't talk to anyone else?" I asked making sure I'd heard him correctly.

  "No one," he said solemnly. "Not your friends, your professors or even TriCorp's new CEO, once he steps in."

  "So, basically what you're saying is that my work will be conduced in total secrecy," I said.

  "That's exactly what we're saying, Miss Frost," the Vice Admiral said.

  "Can I think about this?" I asked.

  "You have one week to make a decision," Commander Donnelly said. "If you need to talk to someone about it, you may call me or Vice Admiral Kelly, but you are not to discuss this with anyone else."

  "Wow, you guys sure know how to woo a girl," I said with a wry grin.

  "Miss Frost, I understand that this an enormous responsibility," Commander Donnelly said. "But please understand that Dr. Powell's project has far reaching implications for the Navy and other arms of the military. We take this extremely seriously."

  "I'm sorry, I understand," I said as I suddenly felt the weight of responsibility come crashing down on my shoulders. "Just out of curiosity, what happens if I say no?"

  "We'll cross that bridge when we come to it," Vice Admiral Kelly said.

  "I see," I nodded. "Then if you gentlemen will excuse me, I've got some thinking to do."

  "Very well," Commander Donnelly said as both men stood and shook my hand.

  As I walked out of the office, it occurred to me that Vice Admiral Kelly's tone had given me the distinct feeling that they had not planned to cross any bridges they didn't want to cross.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN

  Ryan

  On Friday afternoon, much to the surprise of the hospital staff, I got up and signed myself out against medical advice. I was tired of laying in bed waiting for someone to give me permission to get up and walk the halls even though I probably could have run a 5K. My SEAL training gave me an advantage when it came to recovery and as a result, I was antsy and wanted out.

  Echo and Cece had been in earlier to visit and bring me real food, but I hadn't wanted to let them know my plan because I had errands I needed to run before I returned to Echo's apartment and let her know my plans. I was used to functioning on my own, and I had no intention of changing my ways now.

  I caught a cab from the hospital to Eva's mother's townhouse and was informed that Eva was at the Park Avenue apartment packing it up. When I arrived, I found her standing in the middle of the living room yelling at two men who were moving the baby grand piano.

  "No, no, no!" she shouted before lowering her voice. "Look, you need to wear gloves when you move it or you're going to damage the surface with the oils in your hands."

  "Good to see that you're focusing on something productive," I said as I entered the room and looked around. Most of the things that had made this feel like my father's home were gone.

  "Oh, hello Ryan," Eva said sounding vaguely disappointed to see me.

  "What happened to you?" I asked as I pointed to the designer-made sling that stretched across her body and kept her left arm snugly against her body.

  "Oh, horseback riding accident," she said. "One of Mummy's mares was not properly broken in and they gave it to me to ride."

  "Bummer," I said without sympathy. "You live a rough life."

  "Don't mock me, Ryan," she said narrowing her eyes. "I won't have it."

  "I'm sure you won't," I said as I walked toward the balcony. "Where's the corner's report and what's going on with the will?"

  "Well, you're a man who gets right down to business, aren't you?" she said dryly.

  "Yes, well, after this past week I've realized that I might not have a lot of time left," I said looking at her pointedly. "But then you wouldn't know anything about that, would you?"

  "I have no idea what you're talking about," she said as she brushed a strand of hair away from her face and then looked in the mirror that hung over the mantle. "I'm just trying to adjust to life without my husband."

  "Cut the grieving widow shit, Eva," I said without sympathy. "I don't buy it."

  "It's not up to you, now is it?" she hissed sending a chill up my spine. She quickly reverted back to her usual high-society bored tone and said, "And it's a darn good thing, too."

  "Corner's report. Where is it?" I said as I looked at her more closely. She was wearing a brightly colored summer dress that looked like a field of English flowers and a pair of flats that she uncharacteristically shuffled as she walked.

  "I don't know, I don't have it," she shrugged. "I think it went to Julian's office. He's the executor of your father's estate, you know."

  "Oh yes, I'm well aware of that," I said. "And I intend to challenge that in court, but first I want to find out how my father died."

  "Give it a break, Ryan," she said rolling her eyes. "Your father wasn't a healthy man. He had heart problems and a host of other issues that he clearly ignored for many years. I told him to get a full check up and find out what was going on, but would he listen to me? No. Alan Powell listened to no one."

  "Why don't you give it a break, Eva?" I asked as I moved toward her. "You didn't care about his health, you cared about his money. That's all you ever cared about, isn't it? I never once heard you say anything about him needing to take care of himself."

  "That's because you cut and run," she shot back bitterly. It was a low blow that hit right where she intended. "You ran away the first chance you got and you never looked back. Your father knew you didn't want to be anywhere near him, so he left you alone to live your life, but his whole life was focused around you. It was always about you."

  "What in the hell are you talking about?" I yelled. "He didn't care about me one bit! He spent his entire life chasing some research dream that didn't include me or anyone else, for that matter."

  "You really are blind, aren't you?" she said with a brittle laugh. "Every single thing your father did was about you, Ryan. His research project? All about you. His devotion to SAI? You, again. His connection to t
he Navy brass? That was you, too. Everything your father did every single waking moment of every single damn day was about you!"

  "You're full of shit, lady," I said as I stood staring at her trying to piece together the information she was spewing.

  "And at night it was all about your beloved mother," she spit venomously. "He thought of you during the day and dreamed of your mother at night. I never stood a chance. There was no room for me."

  "Eva, my father often said he loved you," I replied dryly. "I don't know what you're talking about."

  "Alright, you want me to spell it out?" she said in a voice that dripped with carefully contained rage. "You killed your father. You are the reason he is dead. You and your damn SEAL team. You killed him, Ryan. You and you alone."

  "You, bitch!" I shouted as I grabbed her arms and shook her.

  "Let go of me!" she screamed in pain as I gripped her shoulder. "Stop it! You're hurting me!"

  "Tell me how my father died!" I roared as I shook her harder. The scream that came out of her mouth was one of agony rather than rage and when I heard it looked down and saw a large stain seeping through the fabric of her dress. I quickly let go and stepped back. "What the hell? Eva, you're bleeding!"

  "You stupid son of a bitch," she growled as she ran into the guest bathroom and yanked a towel off the wall pressing it to her shoulder as she searched for her phone. "You have no idea what you've done."

  The sound of her voice struck a chord and I turned to see Eva pointing a gun in my direction. I dropped to the ground and crawled behind the sofa closest to the windows.

  "You can't hide from me, Ryan," she said quietly. "I'm not letting you leave this apartment."

  I fought with everything I had to keep from saying anything and giving away my position as I took my surroundings into consideration. She was at a distinct advantage holding the gun, but I had the element of surprise on my side as I swept my eyes across the part of the room I could see in search of a weapon.

  "SEAL or no SEAL, you're not getting away from me this time," she cackled as I realized, whether due to grief or greed, she'd gone over the edge. I knew this would give me the advantage for only a brief second or two, but that's all I needed to take her down. I could hear her shuffling closer and knew I didn't have much more than a few seconds before she started firing.