3. Harper
HARPER
Leave it to me to have my one and only one-night stand end up as the high-profile client I was hired to manage.
The moment I walked into the conference room and came face-to-face with dark blue eyes, messy dirty-blonde hair, and an impeccably tailored suit, my heart skipped a beat.
Elliot was melt-your-panties-off hot, which was precisely why I’d broken my strict no-one-night-stands rule when I met him in New York a year ago.
It had been an emotionally draining couple of days back then. I’d gone out to get some distance from my family, never imagining I’d meet a charismatic, drop-dead gorgeous man who actually listened to me and made me laugh.
After hours of talking at the bar, he pitched his ground rules for a one-night stand. It was obvious this wasn't his first rodeo, but something about being with someone so confident, someone who gave me his undivided attention the entire night, felt like exactly what I needed.
He had laid out the terms clearly: no last names, no sleeping over, and no expectations. It would be a purely physical release, as many times as we wanted throughout the night, but that was where it ended. One night of bliss, as he had so smoothly marketed it.
So after a few rounds of mind-blowing sex, when he fell asleep in the hotel bed and pulled me against his chest, murmuring “you can stay” into my hair, I panicked.
I knew that if I woke up in his arms the next morning, my romantic heart would hopelessly blur the line between his casual proposition and my own foolish hopes.
As soon as I was sure he was sound asleep, I grabbed my clothes and slipped into the night.
Now, a year later, after another exhausting trip back home, here he was. And somehow, he’d gotten even better-looking.
Focus, Harper. Play it cool.
I’d barely had time to skim over the initial documents my firm had sent me on the men of Northwell, and knew the PR firm's goal was to overhaul their public image. I just never expected Elliot Vale, the CEO and resident playboy, to be my Elliot from New York.
No, Harper. Not your anything.
I extended my hand, praying he wouldn't recognize me, but the mischievous spark in his eyes instantly proved otherwise.
He wrapped both hands around mine, tugging me just half an inch closer.
His scent hit me, an intoxicating blend of cedarwood and expensive cologne, and I had to fight the urge to squirm.
Gently pulling my hand back to establish boundaries, I turned my attention back to the representatives in the room.
The morning flight from New York had been a nightmare, delayed repeatedly by mechanical issues.
My father had been unusually quiet about my departure this time, but I knew he hated that I wanted to make it on my own after growing up so sheltered.
He especially hated that I used my mother’s maiden name, Lane, determined to earn my reputation instead of riding on my family's legacy.
Hearing my name, I forced my focus back to the discussion.
“I will review these files today,” I said, addressing the room. “Thank you for pulling them together. After that, I think it would be wise to schedule individual sit-downs with each senior executive before we meet as a group.”
A prickle on my skin told me someone was staring. Looking to my right, I caught Elliot watching me with a lazy, knowing grin. I swallowed hard.
His smile widened. “Are you all right, Ms. Lane? Can I get you something to drink?”
Is he actually enjoying this?
We spent another thirty minutes ironing out the scope of the contract, and he barely took his eyes off me the entire time.
When the meeting wrapped up, I gathered my papers and informed my team I would work remotely for the rest of the day.
Normally, I would have taken the week off to settle in after my trip home, but this account was too important for my career to turn down.
As the agency executives filed out, the room emptied until it was just the two of us. I turned to say a polite goodbye, only to discover he was standing right beside me.
I took a deliberate step back to restore professional distance.
“It was a surprise to see you walk into my conference room today,” he said, his voice dropping into a low, gravelly register.
I straightened my posture, smoothing my skirt with my free hand and clearing my throat. “I assure you, Mr. Vale, I did not know this was your company’s account when I accepted it.”
A faint, frustrated groan escaped his throat at the formal title.
Stepping back once more, I maintained my composure. “I will remain entirely professional, and our past will not impact my work. However, if you feel uncomfortable, please let me know and I will have another manager assigned.”
“Do you live here?” he asked, taking a step forward to close the distance I’d just created.
I cocked my head, trying to decipher his angle. Maybe he was just attempting to diffuse the thick tension hovering between us.
“I do,” I replied politely.
Something flashed across his features, gone too fast to read, before his tone softened. “For how long?”
Adjusting the stack of folders in my arms, I answered, “Just over two years.”
He stared at me, silent and unreadable.
Offering a professional smile, I turned toward the doorway. “I’ll send you and your team an update on our timeline once I’ve thoroughly reviewed your files.”
As I walked out into the hallway, I could have sworn I heard him mutter under his breath, “She’s been here the whole time.”
I did not know what that was supposed to mean, but I needed to keep this line firmly in the sand.
While I waited for the private elevator, quick footsteps echoed behind me. Elliot caught up, pausing a few feet away.
“Can I have my driver take you home?” he offered.
The elevator doors chimed open. I stepped inside and turned to face him.
“I drove myself. Thank you, Mr. Vale. We will be in touch.”
As the doors slid shut, separating us, another low groan echoed through the closing gap.
Was he as shaken by our night together as I was?
No. Absolutely not.
I leaned my head back against the cool wall of the elevator as it descended, letting out a long breath. This isn't one of your romance novels, Harper. You know exactly what kind of man he is, and you know the life you want. You will not become another name on his roster.
Closing my eyes, I tried to convince myself that I could handle this, and that everything would turn out just fine.