Chapter Two Office Encounter
Evans POV
M y morning routine is supposed to be a resetblack coffee, a grueling workout, and a shower cold enough to jolt my mind into sharp focus.
Instead, Harper lingers.
Not like a passing thought. Like static. Like a glitch in my otherwise flawless system.
I shouldnt be thinking about her. About the fire in her gaze. About how her kiss wasnt just heatit was a dare. A challenge I never meant to take.
But I did. And now I cant stop.
My body responded before reason could intervene. A sharp, visceral reaction. Even now, just recalling it, a slow, aching throb reminds me shes not just under my skin. Shes already inside my head.
I try to shake it off. Logical. Efficient. Thats who I am.
Emails. Strategies. Morning reports. Distractions.
But even as I sift through numbers, my mind drifts. Her lips. Her voice. The sound she made when our mouths met.
Then I walk into the boardroom.
And there she is.
Harper .
Perched at the far end of the table, flipping through documents like she owns the room.
My pulse spikes. For a second, I think Im hallucinating. No way this is real.
But she looks up. Our eyes meet. And everything else fades.
Recognition flashes. Then we both smother it beneath professionalism.
But its there.
Pulsing like a heartbeat.
The kiss. The rooftop. That moment we crossed a line.
Fuck .
Shes unreadable now. Spine straight, face composed. Cool as ever. No trace of what passed between us.
I clamp down on my reaction, knuckles tightening around the folder in my hand.
Langley clears his throat. Evan, right on time.
I barely glance at him. Want to tell me why theres a stranger in my boardroom?
Harper exhales through her nose, but says nothing.
I smirk. Relax. Im teasing.
Langley, diplomatic as always, gestures her way. Didnt realize you two knew each other.
In passing, I say flatly.
She watches me. Calm. Collected.
What are you doing here?
Shes your new executive assistant, Langley says.
My brain stalls.
No. Hell no .
I glance at her again. Still steady. Still unreadable.
I dont recall hiring a new assistant.
Langley folds his hands. You didnt. I did.
My jaw ticks. Last I checked, that was my call.
And last I checked, he shoots back, your last assistant quit because you were impossible. Shes the fourth. And Harper? Shes better than the last three combined.
I breathe out slowly through my nose. I dont tolerate incompetence.
Langley raises a brow. Then youll love her.
Amanda chimes in, almost too casually. Shes already signed the contract.
I glance at Harper. Still no smugness. No flinch. Just calm, quiet precision.
I sit at the head of the table, folding my hands. Lets see if she lasts.
Harper doesnt blink. I wouldnt have signed on if I didnt think I could exceed expectations.
Bold.
The air shifts. Amanda looks curious now. The rest of the board glances between us, tension hanging like fog.
Langley clears his throat. Moving on. We have a full agenda.
The meeting begins. Numbers. Deals. Forecasts.
I try to focus. I do.
But my gaze keeps drifting.
Shes composed, typing notes without missing a beat. No slip in expression. No falter. Like Im a stranger.
Like I wasnt buried in her mouth last night.
It shouldnt bother me. But it does.
The meeting drags until my phone buzzes.
Check this ASAP.
Confidential merger documents. High-stakes. Nuclear if leaked.
I skim the file, focus dialed inuntil I feel her.
Harper steps close. Gathers her notes.
I barely glance up when I see ither eyes flick to my screen.
Shit .
Her gaze meets mine. Calculated. Controlled.
She saw.
I lean back, studying her. Calm. Amused.
Miss Lane, I say, voice slicing through the room.
She pauses. Yes?
A test.
She tilts her head. Excuse me?
My fingers drum against the table. You saw something. If youre as sharp as Langley thinks, you know what that file means.
No blink. Just understanding. Calculated silence.
Tell me, I say, what are you going to do with that knowledge?
The room empties. Only us now.
I rise.
She doesnt back away.
Depends, she says.
On?
Are you asking me to forget it?
She knows the game.
I close the distance, letting the air shift.
I dont like risks, Harper.
Neither do I.
I narrow my eyes. If I asked you to forget it, would you?
She doesnt hesitate. Of course not. If I forgot, thatd make me unreliable. You dont strike me as the kind of man who rewards forgetfulness.
Sharp. Controlled.
Just like me.
Lets hope you make smart choices. Your future depends on it.
She holds my gaze.
Then smirks.
Youll find out, she murmurs. I always do.
She walks out. Unshaken. Dangerous.
I watch her go, her hips swaying with every step.
This womans going to destroy me.
And God help me, I want her to.