9. Elliot
ELLIOT
Astrange sensation settled in my chest and lower gut after Harper left the night I suggested the thirty-day arrangement.
The sex was fucking incredible, but a part of me felt like something was missing.
It was similar to when we were in New York, but so different.
I wasn't sure if the arrangement or her need to set boundaries because of our professional entanglement caused it to feel so different.
All I knew was that when we finished, I wanted to wrap her in my arms and bring her to my bed for another round and maybe try sleeping next to a woman for the first time.
But Harper pushed me back and grabbed her clothes off the floor, as if we hadn't just made each other cum, like it was just a transaction.
And, fuck me if that didn’t hurt.
But the truth is… I don't know why.
Because all my sexual interactions have rules set in place and end with me walking away.
Is that what was bothering me? That she set the rules, held steady on the boundaries, and walked away like it was nothing?
I stood with my hands in my pant pockets far too long, staring at the elevator. I knew she wouldn't come back up; she couldn't without a code or key. But I still stood there and stared.
I barely slept that night, and when I woke up the next morning, the first thing I did was text Harper asking if she had plans for the rest of the weekend. Her response was brief, asking if I had the contract and list of dates for her.
So first thing Monday morning I went looking for Julian to get the arrangement drawn up, but for once he wasn't the first one in his office so I made my way to the team of lawyers we employed and had one of them draft the basic terms to our arrangement and I completed the rest.
With the agreement all sorted, I decided the only way to get New York Harper to come out and play was to get her to let her walls down.
Convincing myself that in order to get her out of my system I needed to get her to break her rules.
I needed her out of her head and completely in the moment with me.
At least that is what I told myself when I showed up at the restaurant her assistant said she was meeting a client at and walked up to her table like it was something I did every day.
I recognized the woman from the gala right away, and her eyes lit up when she saw me moving towards their table.
Want to know the best way to get the word out about a billionaire who is no longer single?
I winked at the woman and held one of my fingers up to my lips, silently asking her to keep quiet.
But Harper caught on right away, and she turned in my direction, taking my breath away. Suddenly, I understood Julian’s stumble.
She was in a light grey dress that covered every inch of her, from her ankles to the sleeves that went to mid-palm and the neckline that teased her collarbone. Her hair was swept back in a low bun, and I couldn’t wait to get my hands into it and make it messy.
The only jewelry she wore was a pair of diamond studs, a heart pendant on a simple chain, and a ring I now realized I had never seen her without. It was always on her ring finger, but on her right hand.
I smiled at her, and she tilted her head in confusion.
But I didn’t slow, I did what I had been wanting to do since Harper walked into my boardroom.
I walked right up to her, leaned down, with both hands cupping her face and kissed her.
Harper tensed up, and I felt her try to pull away.
So I leaned in closer, whispered in her ear, “We are in public, baby.” and then pulled back slightly so I could see her eyes before kissing her again.
This time she didn’t pull away, but she didn't melt into me either. We would fix that.
I kept my hands cupping her face when I looked up and gave the donor from the gala a cheeky grin, saying, “Sorry for interrupting, I had a few things to give Harper and…”
The woman leaned forward in rapt attention when she nodded, asking, “And?”
I looked back at Harper and said, “I missed her.”
Surprise flickered in her brilliant blue eyes before she schooled her reaction. I kissed her forehead, nose, and then a quick kiss to the lips. Let's call it exposure therapy.
I slipped the envelope I was carrying, with the contract and list of dates for our arrangement, into Harper’s bag and then said goodbye.
I was in a meeting with all the department heads later that afternoon when I got the message I had been expecting from her.
Harper:
Elliot, why does the list of public appearances have 30 dates?
I smiled, pretending to listen to what Claude from our real estate sector was saying.
I will sign this contract, but did you have to fill the entire 30 days with dates?
Everyday Elliot?
Really?
Part of me wanted to reply, wanted to rile her up a bit more, but I knew she’d get there on her own.
I already told you the night of the holiday event: I am unavailable.
The meeting ended, and I was still sitting, staring at my phone.
I finally replied,
Okay, baby, we will add whatever days you can't make somewhere else.
Elliot…
Are you at home?
Just got in
Why?
I will be there at 7 to pick you up for dinner.
Three dots appeared and then disappeared several times before she finally responded with:
Fine
I laughed, thinking this was going to be fun. Before heading to my office to finish my work for the day.
That night I purposely took her to one of my favourite restaurants with tiny two-seater booths that required close contact when eating. The paparazzi did not disappoint, and neither did Harper. She was perfect.
That night we fucked in my car when I tried to take her home with me. She got out of my car when we were done saying her driver was already waiting for her and that she’d see me tomorrow.
Tuesday her assistant delivered the signed agreement with amended dates, removing the Friday leading up to and the Saturday of the Christmas party.
I don’t know why it bothered me that she was missing it and wouldn’t tell me why.
Harper added two more lunch dates into the schedule to make up for the missed dates.
That day in the PR meeting, she introduced my team to a man named Timothy who looked like what would come up in a Pinterest search for ‘hot male nerd aesthetic’.
And he was looking at Harper as if she were the only person in the room while she talked to the team.
She explained we had known each other prior to her coming on to the project and since reconnecting we decided to see each other personally so she would be stepping back…
I didn’t hear the rest because I didn’t fucking like the look Timothy had on his face when she said we were seeing each other.
When they left, I fucked Harper in my office and again she left right after we were done saying she would meet me at the function we were scheduled to attend that night because she had a busy day.
By Thursday evening, I was frustrated that Harper had broken none of her rules yet, and we had been having sex every day and still…
She was all I could think about. So after I left Julian’s office that night I emailed the lawyer on his team who did up our contract for the thirty days and asked him to use Julian’s contract as a starting point for a one year agreement for Harper and I.
If she still wasn’t out of my system by the end of this term I could propose an extension to her.
I met her that night at a cocktail mixer and told her she was needed to help Lucy tomorrow after Julian signed the contract with her.
Friday, after the shitshow went down in Julian’s office, Harper was obviously upset, even though she tried to hide it. After she walked Lucy through how we would handle the public perception of the marriage, she stormed out of the building. I caught up with her outside.
“Do you need a ride?” I asked.
She wouldn’t look at me; she kept walking, her long legs moving fast. “I just need some air.”
I grabbed her hand, threading my fingers through hers, and pulled her to slow down a little. “Baby, what's wrong?”
She stopped and spun on me, “What’s wrong? Seriously Elliot? Were we not in the same room?”
I pulled her closer to me and with my free hand I wrapped it through her hair and cupped the back of her neck, pulling her to me for a kiss. She let me and after she melted into me; I pulled back so we could see each other.
“He’s not normally that much of an asshole.”
She cocked an eyebrow at me, saying, “I don’t know if I believe you.”
I laughed at that and kissed her again because kissing Harper was quickly becoming one of my favourite pastimes, and she called me on it, saying, “You are really taking advantage of this whole kissing me in public thing, Elliot.”
That night was the first time I got her to my bedroom, but when I got back from throwing the condom out, she was already dressed.
Saturday night at yet another gala, I made Harper dance with me as much as possible. Something about having her in my arms quieted my mind in a way I didn’t understand. It was like all the external pressure, the voices in my head… just disappeared.
During our last dance, I pulled her even closer, brushing my nose along her jaw and bringing my lips up to her ear. I asked, “Stay with me tonight?”
Harper sighed and then went to pull back, but I held her tight. “Elliot.”
Thinking of any excuse I could, I offered, “It is closer to Julian’s, and you can get more sleep that way before you go for the photoshoot tomorrow morning.”
She laughed, and even though I couldn’t see her face, it felt like a real one.
“By maybe twenty minutes.” She replied.
“We could do a lot of things in twenty minutes, baby.”
She laughed again, but she pulled back, and I let her go this time.
“Elliot, I have nothing at your place and I don’t want to muddy what we are doing here.”
I studied her face, trying to figure out what about this had me so focused on getting her to bend and why she refused to. Then it clicked… so I teased, “Harper, do you like me?”