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The atmosphere inside River’s car was stifling, the warm air pressing against my skin and making it hard to breathe. Panic began to bubble up in my chest, and I frantically pressed the window button, desperately seeking some relief. The cool breeze that rushed in through the open window was like a soothing balm on my overheated body.
I felt River’s hand on my knee, and his concerned voice broke through my racing thoughts. “Are you okay, Harper?”
“I’ll be fine,” I replied, trying to steady myself. “Just feeling a bit overheated.”
I managed to regain control of my breathing before rolling up the window, even though the tension in the car had yet to dissipate. Despite the discomfort of the ride, I focused on controlling my breath instead of dwelling on what had happened.
As we pulled up to my apartment building, my heart raced with nervous anticipation. Part of me wanted to flee, but I knew that would be rude. Unbuckling my seatbelt, I turned to face River and mustered a grateful smile.
“Thank you for giving me a ride home,” I offered before opening the door. I stood on the sidewalk and quickly slipped it off his jacket and placed it on the seat. “And thank you for letting me borrow your suit jacket.”
Unable to say anymore or even look at him, I pushed the door closed and began walking toward the entrance to my apartment building. I could feel his eyes on me, so I walked toward the entrance a bit faster. Just as I reached for the handle, his voice stopped me in my tracks.
“I’ll see you at your office tomorrow,” he declared. “This isn’t over, Harper.”
His words sent a shiver down my spine, but I knew what I had to do. As much as it pained me to give Drake the Triage account, it was the only way to save my job. No matter how tempting River made it seem, I couldn’t risk losing everything I had worked so hard for.
As I reached my apartment, exhausted and emotionally drained, all I wanted was to take a long, hot shower. The water wouldn’t wash away the memories of what had happened, but at least it would make me feel physically clean again. With a sigh of relief, I kicked off my painful heels and carried them to the bedroom, feeling grateful to finally be free of them.
As I began removing the dress that River had bought me, I couldn’t help but notice the wrinkles that hadn’t been there when I first put it on. They were a physical reminder of my indiscretion, taunting me even in its absence. With a heavy heart, I carefully laid the dress on the bed, knowing that keeping it would only bring back painful memories. Tomorrow morning, I would stop by the dry cleaners and then return it to him.
Turning on the water, I checked its temperature before stepping into the shower. The hot water cascaded down my body, providing a sense of comfort and cleansing. I grabbed my shower scrunchy and squeezed some body wash onto it, determined to scrub away every last trace of River’s scent from my skin.
But as I moved lower between my thighs, thoughts of River’s touch consumed me once again. Despite everything that had happened, all I could think about was how good he made me feel—something that had been missing from my life for a long time. Dropping the scrunchy, I closed my eyes and used my fingers to satisfy my need for pleasure and connection. My middle finger glided along my slick folds before slipping inside, mimicking River’s movements from earlier. With my other hand, I squeezed and played with my left breast just as he had done—reveling in the sensations he had brought out in me. As images of River filled my mind once again, I let myself get lost in the moment, seeking solace and release in my own touch.
~
Time seemed to stretch on endlessly as I stared at the same legal form, my mind consumed by thoughts of River. Sleep had eluded me, leading me to be the first one to arrive at the law office. But even being early couldn’t make a dent in my workload, especially with images of River haunting my mind every other minute.
With a sigh, I pushed back from my desk and made my way to the employee kitchen, craving another cup of the strong coffee I had brewed earlier. As I approached the kitchen, a familiar "ding" sounded, signaling the arrival of the elevator on our floor. I paused, preparing to greet whoever was also crazy enough to be at work this early. The doors slid open, and I felt annoyance bubble up inside me as Drake stepped off the elevator. He was never one for punctuality or early mornings. Turning on my heel, I started walking back to my office, hoping to avoid any lengthy conversations with him.
“Harper, wait,” his voice called out behind me, his voice screeching in an attempt to get my attention.
I stopped and turned to face him, already feeling exasperated. “What is it, Drake? I have a lot of work to do.”
“We missed you last night,” he said as he caught up to me. “I swung by your apartment, but you weren’t there. I could have sworn I saw you get into a black sedan.”
My irritation grew at his nosiness. It was none of his business where I had been or what I had been doing. He wasn’t my boyfriend, nor would he ever be. “So, what if it was me?” I challenged him. “It’s none of your concern.”
I spun on my heels and continued back to my office, more annoyed with him than ever. The thought of giving him the Triage file now was completely off the table. No matter what happened between River and me, I had to maintain professionalism and never let it happen again. When River arrived, like he had stated last night that he would, I would make sure he knew exactly where we stood.
The day was half over and there was still no sign of River. Instead of worrying about whether or not he would show up. I decided to take an early lunch. Locking my computer, I grabbed my purse and headed out of my office.
When I reached the lobby, ready to exit the building, River was coming in. As uncomfortable as it was seeing him, I had to set the ground rules once and for all.
~14~
River
As I made my way through the revolving door toward the lobby, I was surprised to see Harper already standing there. Her tense posture and guarded expression told me that she was still reeling from our encounter last night. It was understandable after the uncomfortable situation we had found ourselves in. But looking back, she had nothing to be ashamed of. What we shared was thrilling and passionate. And no matter how much she tried to convince herself it was a mistake; I knew in my heart that it wasn’t.
Giving her a reassuring smile, I closed the distance between us. “Harper, I was just about to come to your office.”
“I’ll save you the trip. I was on my way out. You’ll have to make an appointment with my assistant,” she replied in a professional tone.
Determined not to let her slip away, I stepped closer until there were only a few feet between us. As I leaned in, a wave of her perfume hit me like a familiar punch in the gut. It was sweet and alluring, but also strangely familiar. Suddenly, it hit me—this was the same scent of the mystery woman from the blind date. “Sally.” How had I not noticed before?
Holding onto this realization, I lowered my head to her ear and spoke softly. “But I’m already here. Let me take you to lunch. We can discuss my account.”
