Chapter 7 Seventh Chapter

Harper's POV:

His hand was on mine before I could process what was happening, pulling me away from Connor and Jenny and all those cameras pointed at us like we were some kind of show they paid to watch.

"Your property?" Connor's voice came from somewhere behind us but Hardin didn't stop moving, his other hand came up to shield my face from the photographers that were multiplying by the second, their flashes going off so fast it made spots dance in my vision.

"Harper wait, you need to hear me out," Connor was running after us now and I could hear more footsteps following him, more voices shouting questions I couldn't make out over the blood rushing in my ears.

I looked back just once and saw Jenny still on the ground with tears running down her face and something twisted in my chest because what if she was telling the truth? What if she was sorry? My mind went back to the days when we'd stayed up late talking about our dreams, when she'd brought me coffee every morning without me asking, when I'd thought she was the sister I never had.

"Those were good days," I thought, and the ache of missing them hit me so hard I almost stumbled.

Then the elevator doors opened and Hardin pulled me inside and suddenly I was pressed against the wall with his body blocking mine from view and the doors slid shut on Connor's face.

The elevator started moving and that's when I noticed how close Hardin was standing, how his chest was almost touching mine, how I could smell that clean expensive scent that made my stomach do things it shouldn't be doing right now.

"What was that?" His voice came out low and rough. "You haven't even started working for me and you're already causing trouble?"

I tried to focus on what he was saying but my eyes kept dropping to his mouth, watching the way his lips moved when he talked, and God why was his voice so deep? Why did it make my skin feel too hot?

"Helloooo." He was waving his hand in front of my face now and I blinked hard trying to pull myself together.

"Oh my God, yeah what were you saying?" I felt my face burning because here I was getting dragged out of a confrontation that would probably be all over social media in an hour and instead of worrying about that I was staring at this man's lips like some kind of desperate idiot.

Something changed in his expression when he looked at me, his eyes going darker, and he leaned in closer until I could feel the heat coming off his body.

"Do you want me that much?" His mouth curved up at the corner like he was enjoying this, like he knew exactly what he was doing to me.

I slapped my own forehead trying to snap myself out of it because I'm not this person, I don't lose control like this, I'm the one who always has it together no matter what's happening around me.

"What were you saying?" I ducked under his arm and moved to the other side of the elevator putting some space between us because I couldn't think straight when he was that close. "And wait, why am I even going back to your office?"

"Because we need to talk about what just happened out there." He turned to face me and ran his hand through his hair and the movement made his shirt pull tight across his chest and I forced myself to look at the elevator buttons instead. "Who were those people Harper?"

"My ex-husband and my ex-best friend." The words tasted bitter in my mouth. "They got engaged right after our divorce. Posted it all over social media like they were so happy to finally be together."

"The ones who cheated on you." It wasn't a question, he was just stating it like he already knew, and I remembered I'd told him that night at the club when I was drunk and stupid and looking for someone to make me forget.

"Why are they in LA?" he asked.

"I don't know, I didn't even know they were here until Connor showed up outside your building like some kind of stalker." I pulled out my phone and opened social media even though I knew it was a bad idea, knew I shouldn't look but I couldn't help myself.

The first post that came up made my stomach drop.

It was a photo of Connor and Jenny at some fancy bridal boutique here in LA, both of them smiling at the camera, and the caption said they were shopping for wedding dresses. The comments underneath were worse than the photo itself.

"Harper Lane is so pathetic. She can't let go of her ex, so embarrassing." "Did you see the video? She attacked Jenny for no reason. Connor dodged a bullet, she's crazy." "Jenny is so good for Connor anyway, Harper was always boring."

My hands started shaking and I almost dropped the phone but Hardin took it from me before I could, his eyes scanning the screen and his jaw getting tighter with every word he read.

"This is bullshit," he said and locked my phone, putting it in his pocket. "You're not reading any more of that."

"They think I'm the bad person." My voice came out smaller than I wanted it to. "Everyone thinks I attacked her when all I did was defend myself."

"I know what happened Harper, I saw the whole thing." He moved closer again and this time I didn't back away because something about the way he was looking at me made me feel less alone. "That woman staged the entire scene to make you look bad."

The elevator stopped and the doors opened to his floor but neither of us moved for a second, we just stood there looking at each other while my heart beat too fast in my chest.

"Come on." He held out his hand and after a moment I took it, letting him lead me down the hallway to his office.

Inside he locked the door behind us and gestured to the couch but I was too restless to sit so I just stood there with my arms wrapped around myself.

"The job offer is still available," he said, leaning against his desk with his arms crossed. "Actually it's more available now than before."

"Why would you still want me after what just happened?" I asked. "I'm going to be all over the news tomorrow as the crazy ex-wife who can't move on."

"Let them talk." His voice was firm, no doubt in it at all. "I don't care what they say about you Harper, I care about what you can do for my company, and from what I saw in your portfolio you're exactly what I need."

I wanted to believe him but my mind kept going back to Connor's words earlier, kept hearing him say I only got where I was by manipulating people and making them feel sorry for me.

"What if he's right?" The words came out before I could stop them. "What if I did manipulate everyone into thinking I was good when I wasn't?"

"Do you think you did?" Hardin asked, watching me carefully.

"I don't know anymore." My throat was getting tight and I hated how weak my voice sounded. "I thought I was just being myself but maybe I was using my past to make people like me without even knowing it."

"Harper look at me." He waited until I met his eyes. "You didn't manipulate anyone, you survived. There's a difference between sharing your story and using it as a weapon, and from everything I've seen you're not the type to weaponize your pain."

Something about the way he said it made the knot in my chest loosen just a little bit.

"Take the job," he said quietly. "Work for me. Let me help you show them all who you are."

"And who am I?" I asked.

He pushed off the desk and walked over to me slowly, stopping close enough that I had to tilt my head back to look at him.

"You're the woman who walked away from me earlier even though you needed the job because you have principles." His hand came up and tucked a piece of hair behind my ear. "You're the woman who slapped her ex-husband in the middle of the street for calling you names. You're strong Harper, even if you don't feel like it right now."

My breath caught in my throat because he was so close I could see the gold flecks in his dark eyes, could count every individual eyelash if I wanted to, and suddenly all I could think about was how good he'd felt inside me that night, how his hands had touched me like I was something precious.

"I want to kiss you," I whispered before I could stop myself.

His eyes dropped to my mouth and his jaw tensed like he was fighting something.

"That's not a good idea," he said but his voice was rough and his hand was still in my hair.

"I know." I moved closer anyway, close enough that our bodies were almost touching. "But I still want to."

"Harper." My name came out like a warning but he wasn't moving away, wasn't letting go of me, and I could feel the heat between us building until the air felt too thick to breathe.

"Just once," I said. "Just to see if it was as good as I remember."

His control snapped and suddenly his mouth was on mine and he was kissing me hard, desperate, like he'd been holding back for days and couldn't do it anymore. His hands went to my waist and pulled me against him and I could feel how hard he was through his pants and it made me moan into his mouth.

He walked me backwards until my back hit the wall and his body pressed against mine and I wrapped my arms around his neck pulling him closer, wanting more, needing more.

His phone started ringing in his pocket, loud and insistent, and he ignored it at first but then it rang again and again and he pulled back with a curse, his breathing still rough.

"I need to take this," he said, and pulled out his phone, his jaw tightening as he looked at whoever was calling.

He answered and put it on speaker without saying anything to me first.

"Hardin, have you seen the news?" A man's voice came through, urgent and stressed. "Blake Industries just released a statement."

My stomach dropped and Hardin's eyes locked on mine as the voice continued.

"They're suing Harper Lane for assault and defamation. Connor Blake is holding a press conference right now."