Read Online Sleeping With My Boss: A Standalone Novel (An Alpha Billionaire Romance Love Story) (A Dirty Office Romance) by Claire Adams - Free Book Online

like
Jacob.”
    I sighed before responding. “Maybe not, but Jacob had
most of those qualities, too. Besides, it's not just about the pain and the
need to protect myself. I mean, yes, there is that, but there's also the
fact that… Well, I kind of enjoy being single.
    “You know how it was when I was growing up; Dad was
always out, I never had a mom, Eddie was gone half the time, and my other
brothers either ignored me completely or pushed me around. I learned to be
independent and stand up for myself at a fairly early age, and after
surrendering that independence to another person—which is what happened when
Jacob and I got engaged—I felt as if I'd lost a very important part of who I
was.
    “As much as it hurt when Jacob left me, on another
level, it was actually a good thing because it gave me the chance to get that
independence back. And while it was a terrible struggle to get through all of
the hurt of being abandoned, it also forced me to get reacquainted with myself,
to really develop and hone the strength I've always had inside me. It made me
tap into the power to not just exist, but to thrive entirely on my own.
And the thought of surrendering that to be with a man again is kind of, well, I
don’t think I can do it. It almost makes me angry, in a way. I'm not so sure I
could give up that part of me—even if Asher turns out to be some amazing guy.”
    Meghan chewed thoughtfully on a piece of sushi as she
considered everything I'd just said. After taking a drink of her sake, she
replied. “Did it cross your mind that maybe that's what he sees in you, and
maybe that's what he's finding so attractive about you?
    “I'm guessing the kind of women this guy is used to
dealing with are models, bimbos, and other such types. All looks—jaw-droppingly
gorgeous, most likely—but no substance whatsoever. Any intelligent man with any
kind of integrity will get tired of those types eventually.
    “And so, along you come, and you've not only got
smokin' hot looks, but you're smart as hell, fiercely independent, and
intensely motivated, too. A guy like him, well, I'm guessing a girl like you is
everything he's secretly dreamed about finding in a woman. How old did you say
he was again?”
    “He's thirty-two.”
    “Ah. Young enough to still be after fun and good
times, but also old enough to want to start getting serious and thinking about
settling down. If I were you, I'd give him a chance.”
    “But my career, Meg. I have to think about what this
would mean to my career. It's honestly the most important thing in the world to
me aside from my family, and if anything went wrong and I lost my position in
The Sinclair Agency—that would be career suicide and I don't know what I would
do.”
    “Yes, careers are important, Lilah, they are. But to
make your career the end all be all of your entire existence while shutting
everything else out…do you think that's healthy? Do you think that's a wise
decision? There's a whole lot of life out there to be lived and experienced,
and if you get too obsessed with one thing you might end up missing out on a
lot of it. Think about it.”
    I nodded as I finished off a slice of sushi. “I'll
think about it, Meg, I will definitely think about it.”

 

CHAPTER 7
    Asher

 
    I was hopped up on too much caffeine and feeling a bit
like a caged animal. After working like a madman all morning, the walls of my
office—as large and expansive as it was—were starting to feel as if they were
closing in on me. I was in dire need of fresh air around me and open sky above
me.
    I saved my work, got up from my desk, and strode out
of the office. It was time for lunch, and I intended to spend it outside. My personal
assistant Jade looked surprised as I almost stormed past her.
    “Are you all right, Mr. Sinclair?”
    “Yeah. I'm just feeling, ya know, a little cooped up
and frustrated. It's been a long week, and I've been burning the midnight oil
every night. Between that and having too much