Chapter Five The Aftermath
Harpers POV
O ur relationship has always been professionalon the surface. Fleeting glances. Accidental brushes across the conference table. Lines drawn and maintained.
Until now.
By the time I reach the end of the hallway, away from the stares and stunned silence, I finally breathe.
My heart slams against my ribs. Each step feels heavier than the last as the weight of what just happened descends like a curtain.
The elevator. His mouth. The way I came apart beneath him while the world waited just outside those steel doors.
And the dozen wide-eyed witnesses when they opened.
I feel raw. Exposed. My nerves are frayed wires, sparking with every heartbeat. My thoughts spiral.
Ive always held my composure like armor. Controlled. Focused. Unshakable.
But I gave in.
And now I cant be here.
I leave. I dont stop until Im safe inside my apartment, the door locked behind me. I slide down to the floor, curling into myself, my body trembling with adrenaline and aftershocks.
I try to breathe, but all I can feel is himhis hands, his mouth, the scrape of stubble, the way he worshipped me like hed been waiting a lifetime.
Obscene. Reckless.
Perfect.
My phone buzzes where it landed near me. Evan.
Again .
I cant.
Not yet.
How do I face him after unraveling like that? After I let him drop to his knees and devour me like I was the only thing he needed?
I want to hear his voice. I want to tell him Im not sorry.
But fear screams louder.
That night, a knock breaks the silence.
I already know who it is.
My body reacts first. My heart pounds. My pulse flutters.
" Harper, please ."
His voice is soft through the door. Steady. Familiar.
"I know this is awkward. But we need to talk."
I freeze, hand hovering near the knob. Letting him in means opening more than just the door.
"I wont leave until we talk," he says. "Five minutes. Thats all Im asking."
I exhale slowly. Then open the doorjust enough for our eyes to meet.
"Can we talk?" he asks.
I nod.
He steps in. I close the door behind him.
And for a long beat, we just stand there. The silence is thick. Charged. The kind that hums with everything were afraid to say.
"Im sorry," I whisper. "I shouldnt have run. Its just..."
"I know," he murmurs. "We both lost control."
I search his face. "You crossed a line."
His jaw tenses. But he nods. "I did. And Im sorry. But I dont regret it. Not one second."
My chest tightens. "You dont?"
He steps closer. "No. Ive wanted you for a long time, Harper. And today? I couldnt stop myself. The second you kissed me back, I knew I was gone. And when I had you against that wall, when I made you come on my tongue..."
He stops, exhales hard. "You undid me."
The heat in his voice sends a tremor through me. My thighs clench with memory.
"And the fallout?" I ask. "The rumors? Our jobs?"
He reaches for my hands. "Ill handle it. All of it. I cant undo what happened. I dont want to. Because that moment? It was real. And I want more. Not just one taste. I want all of you ."
I pull away gently, torn. "Ive worked too hard to be taken seriously. I dont know if I can gamble that."
He steps in again, voice low. Intent. "I get it. But Id rather fight for you and lose everything than walk away pretending it didnt mean something. If I lose you, Harper, thats what Ill regret."
Silence.
Thick. Weighted.
"I need time," I whisper.
He nods. "Take all the time you need. But know thisIm not sorry for wanting you. Im not sorry for what happened in that elevator. And Im damn sure not letting it be the last time I taste you."
He leaves with that. Just a look. A promise. And the soft click of the door.
I lean against it. Heart racing. Body aching.
Tomorrow, Ill face the office. The whispers.
But tonight?
I slide into bed.
My hand slips between my thighs.
And I let myself remember.
Every moan. Every lick. Every breathless plea.
I should be terrified.
Instead?
I crave more.