Chapter 39: Sleep with Me for a While
Asher got a kick from her but just smiled. Sean Yates brought a tray over and set it in front of him. It held three simple dishes—two with meat and one with vegetables—along with a bowl of soup.
Asher first took a sip of soup, then slowly ate a bite of one of the dishes. It was passable—not bad, but a far cry from Leah’s cooking.
He remembered the home-cooked meal Leah had made and suddenly longed for it. He turned to glance at her. She was slowly eating a piece of a vegetable.
Sean Yates sat down at another empty seat and began to eat. Seeing Asher’s indifferent attitude, Zion Sawyer was too embarrassed to say anything more. Todd Coleman, who had never spoken to Asher alone, was even more intimidated. The two of them quickly finished their food, said a hasty goodbye, and fled.
Leah watched her two disloyal friends flee and was so stunned she choked on her food. Asher passed his soup bowl to her, and without thinking, she quickly took a gulp.
By the time she realized what she’d done, she froze, dumbfounded. Thankfully, Asher’s powerful presence kept people from sitting too close to them, so no one was around.
"What are you so nervous about?" Asher said, his lips curving into a smile.
"You... W-what are you doing here?" Leah asked in a low voice.
"My family owns it, why can’t I be here? I haven’t even asked you yet. What are *you* doing here?"
"You never asked..." Leah mumbled.
Asher thought about it. It was true, he’d never asked Leah about her job. Back then, he’d seen her as nothing more than a bed partner and had no interest in her life or work.
"I should go."
Leah didn’t dare stay alone with Asher for too long with so many people around. She glanced at his tray—the food was almost untouched. She couldn’t help asking, "Is it not good?"
"Not as good as yours." Asher pushed the tray away. "Come find me during your break."
"How am I supposed to do that? There are people everywhere." Leah was getting anxious. ’An intern like me, running up to the president’s office? That’s terrifying.’
"In ten minutes, go to the private elevator for the president’s office on the B1 floor and wait for Sean Yates."
Asher stood up. Sean Yates quickly shoveled a few more mouthfuls of food into his mouth. Asher glanced at his tray and said, "You can go after you’re finished. There’s no rush."
Leah stared blankly at Asher’s retreating back, wondering what excuse she could use to disappear for a bit. Aevon’s lunch break was from noon to one-thirty, so she had plenty of time.
She returned her tray and went back to the office first. The two traitors, Zion Sawyer and Todd Coleman, saw her return and immediately asked, "So? Did President Keating say anything?"
"You two have the nerve to ask? You ran off so fast, you could’ve at least given me a heads-up." Leah said, playfully swatting Zion Sawyer. "You’re the one who called him over, and you were the first to bolt."
"Oh, I’m sorry, Leah!" Zion Sawyer said, clinging to her arm coquettishly. "My brain just short-circuited. All I could think about was staring at the handsome guy. I’ll make it up to you. How about I buy you coffee later?"
Leah rolled her eyes at her, speechless. Then she asked, "Where’s Mr. Langdon? I need to step out and buy some stomach medicine."
"He went to lunch and isn’t back yet. You should just go. I’ll let him know when he gets back. Is your stomach okay?"
"It’s nothing serious, just a little upset. I’m heading out now."
She slipped down to the B1 floor. Sean Yates was already waiting for her. He led her directly to the president’s private elevator, which went straight up to Asher’s office on the 28th floor.
The entire floor had been cleared before Asher arrived, and the new staff hadn’t moved in yet, so no one was around. Leah breathed a sigh of relief. Sean Yates knocked on the office door. After a voice responded from within, he opened it, ushered Leah inside, and then closed it before returning to his own office.
Asher was in his swivel chair, smoking. His back was to the door as he gazed out the window. Leah slowly approached him. "Asher, you barely ate any lunch. Aren’t you hungry?"
"Starving." Asher pulled her onto his lap.
"Then I’ll go home and make you something. I can have Assistant Yates bring it to you later." Leah said, starting to get up. She calculated that she could just make it if she rushed.
Asher held her in place. "No need. Sean Yates will take care of it. Just nap with me for a while."
Leah glanced around the office. "Sleep here? How?"
Asher stubbed out his cigarette, stood up, and took her hand, opening a hidden door. Inside was a small private lounge for resting. He’d already had Sean Yates replace everything in it. The moment the door closed, Asher’s lips were on hers.
Leah was nervous at first, afraid someone might suddenly come looking for Asher. But she hadn’t seen him in days and had truly missed him, so she quickly relaxed and began to kiss him back.
Asher led her to the bed and pressed her down, kissing her for a while before stopping. Instead, he simply pulled her into his arms to rest. Kissed into a daze, Leah was stunned when he didn’t make another move. "We’re not... doing it?"
"No condoms." Asher chuckled softly. "What, you want to?"
Leah blushed. "You... you can just pull out."
Asher considered it for a moment, then closed his eyes. "Forget it. I didn’t bring everything we’d need. It would be a hassle to clean up."
Leah rested in his arms for a moment before her hand began to explore his abs. Asher clicked his tongue, grabbing her hand and opening his eyes. "If you keep touching me, don’t complain when you’re the one who ends up uncomfortable."
Leah blushed. "I can use... other methods."
Asher chuckled. "Like what?"
"What would you like me to use?"
Asher went quiet for a moment. "Never mind. I’ll teach you about all that when we’re home. For now, be good and get some sleep. I had to catch an early flight, and I’m tired."
Hearing this, Leah fell silent and lay quietly in his arms. Her ID badge was digging into her, so she took it off and placed it on the nightstand. She also took off his glasses. "You get some sleep. I’ll wake you at one-ten, okay?"
"Mm."
Asher pulled her back into his embrace. He seemed genuinely exhausted. Leah lay there obediently, not daring to disturb him again. She glanced at the time. They could get almost half an hour of sleep. ’I have to wake Asher up later,’ she thought. With that on her mind, she couldn’t fully fall asleep and just drifted in a hazy, half-awake state.
At one-ten, Leah softly called out, "Asher," waking him. He sighed softly, rolled on top of her, and kissed her for a long moment. Before he could get too carried away, he released her and sat up, pinching the bridge of his nose before standing.
Leah sat up, her face flushed. Noticing a wrinkle on his shirt, she reached out to smooth it. "I should get back."
"Mm. There’s a dinner with your department tonight."
"Just our department?"
"Yours and Department Two. The others are scheduled after that."
The thought gave Asher a headache. The other departments were smaller and could be handled more quickly, even combined. But at this rate, he was looking at half a month of nonstop company dinners.
’With all these dinners, he’ll definitely have to drink. How can his stomach handle drinking day after day?’ Leah worried. ’And he’ll never eat the cafeteria food for lunch.’ She began to wonder if she should make him lunch every day, keep it warm at home, and have Sean Yates pick it up at noon. That had to be better than him always eating out.