Chapter Three Forbidden Tension
Harpers POV
E van Michaels is a problem. Not the kind you manage with logic or spreadsheets. No, hes the kind that seeps into your bloodstream, disrupting your rhythm and making your pulse spike every time he enters the room. Which, unfortunately, is all the damn time.
I pride myself on control. On composure. But the walls Ive so carefully built? Theyre starting to crackand hes the reason why.
For the past week, Ive done everything to maintain distance. Professional boundaries. Tight schedules. Avoiding eye contact. I act like I dont notice when he looks at me like he wants to devour me.
But I notice.
I notice everything .
The truth is, my body betrays me every single time he walks in. My skin hums. My heart races. And that ache between my thighs? Its maddening.
I even started keeping extra panties in my bag. Just in case. Because by the time I leave his office after one of our marathon meetings, Im soaked through with nothing but tension and restraint.
Every time I walk into his office, I steel myself. Every time we lock eyes, my resolve fractures.
Its exhausting.
And infuriating.
When I applied for this job, it wasnt about him. It was about the role. The opportunity. The future. My former boss practically threw his support behind me, going out of his way to prep me with covert challenges that shouldve broken anyone else. But I passed. I earned this.
And I refuse to let Evan Michaels derail it.
I focus on the spreadsheet in front of me. I tighten my grip on my pen until it aches. I remind myself of my worth. My qualifications. My grind.
But even as I do, my gaze strays to his office door.
Closed.
Good.
Because every time were in the same room, the air shifts. Something pulls tight. Magnetic. Heavy. Its not simple attractionits risky.
And it makes me question everything.
I try to shake it. I grip my coffee tighter, focusing on the heat pressing into my palm. One breath at a time.
Still, I feel the spiral starting. That fear of slipping. Of giving in to something I know will cost me.
Because hes not just a man. Hes a storm dressed in custom suits. And if Im not careful, hell blow everything Ive built to pieces.
I push back from my desk. Maybe I need air. A snack. Anything to reset.
But the moment I step into the hallway, I hear it.
" think shes sleeping with him ?" " No ?" " Oh, come on. Its obvious ."
A tight laugh. Then another voice, more smug: " Shes in his office constantly . You really think she got that job from her resume ?"
A slow burn starts in my stomach.
" She either got lucky or shes really good at playing innocent ."
Laughter again.
I freeze.
One of them turns. Our eyes meet. They look me overslow, deliberate. Then smirk.
It takes everything in me not to react.
My fingers curl into fists. My jaw tightens.
I want to say something. To shut it down. But I dont. Because I know how this goes. The moment I open my mouth, I become the problem.
So instead, I lift my chin. I walk past. I dont flinch.
Let them talk.
Let them believe whatever they want.
Because people like that? Theyll always assume the worst. Theyll never admit a woman can rise on her own terms.
Yes, Evan and I have tension. But its not what they think. It cant be.
Hes my boss . Hes off-limits .
That kiss? That night?
A mistake.
One I wont repeat.
I grip my coffee tighter, jaw clenched as I stride back to my office.
Let them whisper.
They have no idea what Im capable of.