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*THIS CHAPTER HAS BEEN EDITED AND ALTERED*

Harper could not get to sleep. The whole of Saturday night she was restless. All she could think about was those lips, the lips she had kissed that had completely took her by surprise. Did it really happen? Had it been a dream? Or had she really kissed her boss back? Nothing made sense. That wasn't supposed to happen. Or was it? As soon as they had collided, things had completely gone out of control. His hands were all over her, her hands had ran through his hair and their mouths had succumbed to one another. Maybe it was mistake? Perhaps he didn't mean to and had gotten confused for the second to initiate the kiss? Who knew? Harper didn't. None of it made sense.

Unable to even blink an eye of sleep, Harper sat up in her bed, pushing away the quilt before gently brushing her fingertips across her lips. They still felt there. Those lips. It felt as if it had only happened moments ago. The sensation felt undeniable. She had really kissed him. They had been together in that lift caught up in the moment. It was without a doubt, reality.

There was a sudden short knock on the door revealing her flatmate, Daniella, holding a tray in her hands, which on top held a bacon sandwich and glass of orange juice. "Hey, thought you might want some breakfast," she offered, placing it on Harper's bedside table. Harper glanced towards her alarm clock surprised to see that it was dawning seven in the morning. She hadn't really gotten any sleep.

"Thanks," Harper thanked her as her best friend sat down on the bottom of her bed.

"You alright? You look exhausted. You were acting so weird last night. What's up?" she asked.

Harper rubbed her eyes. "N-nothing," she denied, "I wasn't acting weird."

"Er, yeah you were, Harper. You were pacing the apartment and don't tell me you weren't," Daniella objected.

Harper sighed. "I might have done something I'm definitely regretting."

"And what's that exactly?"

Harper looked towards her hands, unsure if she should admit the truth but knowing it would eat her up from the inside, she told Dani the truth. "I-I kissed the boss."

Daniella jumped up onto her bed, gobsmacked as she then mounted herself onto Harper with excitement. "What! Oh my god! How? What the fuck!" her words came out like a headless chicken running around.

"Okay, okay," Harper laughed a little, pushing her friend off. "It's not supposed to be a good thing."

"Why not?" Dani said perplexed.

"Because...it shouldn't have happened. And-well, I was quitting and he just sprung up on me from nowhere. And I'm just so confused right now because—" Harper blabbered on.

-"Woah, woah, chill for a second. He kissed you? Well then, you've got nothing to feel about and wait... why would you?" Dani interjected, shaking her head.

"I just do. It makes everything so complicated now. I'm going to have to quit my job. How can I go into work when this has happened? Fuck," Harper replied, dropping her heads into her hands with a short groan.

"Don't be silly, Harper. You can't give up because of this. You worked hard to get into there and if you're going to let that define you and take charge, then you're foolish. Clearly the guy finds you attractive, there's nothing wrong with a bit of office romance," Dani said, rubbing her hand reassuringly across Harper's back.

"But it makes it so complicated. Like what am I supposed to do Monday? Like go in and act as if everything's alright when it's not?" Harper argued gently back.

"I just don't honestly understand why you're stressing so much. You just need to go in there with head held up high and take whatever happens. If he's interested and you're interested in him, then what's so bad about that? Otherwise if he's a dick about it, you just demand him to give you your old job back. You have leverage over him either way," Dani explained, lifting her right brow up in agreement.

Harper gently sighed. "Okay, maybe you're right. But—"

"-Sssh, no buts. Now eat your bacon sandwich," Dani interjected.

"Yes, mother."

James

James was buttoning up his shirt, the thought of yesterday replaying over and over in his mind. What on earth had happened? All he could think about was the touch of her lips against his own. The feel of her body moulded to his own. It had made him completely breathless. The urge to have her there and then was evident. She made him feel wild. Something oddly he hadn't felt before. What on earth did that mean, he didn't have a clue.

Heading out of his master bedroom towards the open-planned kitchen, he spotted his housekeeper, Manny, stirring some porridge oats in a saucepan. She offered a warm smile as he greeted her before instructing her to bring the bowl into his study. His study was adjacent to the kitchen, a fairly medium sized compact room with bookshelves, a drink cabinet, desk and the odd other necessities.

Sitting in his chair, James leaned back, rubbing his fingers across his forehead. He had to admit that he was exhausted. Restless, he had been tossing and turning all night unable to sleep. It was without a doubt because of that kiss. His thoughts were too distracted to think of anything else. All he could think about was her. Harper.

As his housekeeper entered the study holding his breakfast on a tray, his mobile phone ringing diverted his attention. Thanking her with a short smile, he answered the beckoning device. "Hello, James Brewer. Speaking?"

"Why, hello James," the voice responded. The familiarity sent a cold shiver down his back. Ethan.

"Ethan."

"James."

"What do you want? I'm close to ending this call," James spat back.

"God, you've never had patience," Ethan chuckled darkly down the line. "I just thought you might be interested in knowing who I'm with right now," he added slyly.

James sat up. "You better be not near her. I'll kill you, Ethan," he barked.

"Who? Violet?" The words seemed to roll off his tongue like venom from a snake.

"Where is she?" James demanded, standing up aggressively as the thought of his sister within the same proximity of Ethan, frightened him.

Ethan whistled down the line. "Wrong girl."

"Then I don't fucking care who you have down there with you. Just stop these games, Ethan," James spat back, a little relived that it wasn't Violet.

"Oh, alright," he chuckled back, then seemed to move away from the phone as his voice grew quieter. "Hey, still fancy that coffee, Harper?"

"Yeah, sure," the other recipient with him replied. James froze. Harper. That was her voice. There was no denying it. What on earth was she doing with him? That snake. That leech. That monster.

"Oh, sorry, James. Did I forget to end the call?" Ethan piped up sarcastically before the call went dead. With anger, James threw his phone across the room, furious as he stalked out of his study and demanded his housekeeper to page Samuels immediately to his penthouse.

Less than twenty minutes later, Samuels arrived, booted and ready to attend to James' instructions. "Samuels, I need you to track down Miss Daniels, now. Her company phone should be on her," he ordered as he met his bodyguard in the garage of his penthouse full of several fast supercars.

___

Earlier On...

Harper

After trying to convince Daniella that she would be fine sitting in the apartment, she was instead forced to tag along with her best friend to her job. Apparently, she had the responsibility to interview a up and coming fashion designer whose schedule was harder to tango with than winning the lottery.

They were getting out of their car, just parked outside a photography studio. Harper trudged along following her enthusiastic friend into the building. Passing through security checks, signing in at reception they were directed to studio 4a where the interviewee was supposedly having photoshoots taken on their latest designs set to be featured in Dani's spread for the magazine.

Daniella entered first, smiling and shaking hands with the eccentric person. They were dressed head to toe in vibrant colours, mix-matched patterns, wearing a colossal top hat and pink star-shaped glasses. Took about extraordinary, Harper thought, as she blended into the background and headed for the seats stationed at the back of the studio.

"Right," Dani began as she headed towards Harper. "I shouldn't be long but you'll be okay, right? Just relax and chill," she told her before heading back over to her interviewee.

Harper sighed gently, trying to find interest in the model photoshoots that were happening before her but no surprise, found herself daydreaming about yesterday's occurrence. Him. Him. He just wouldn't depart her thoughts.

Without realising she was leaning a little too far back in her chair, Harper's chair collapsed back, causing her to thud onto her bum. "Ouch," she remarked. Across the room, eyes landed onto her causing her to cringe with redness. "Sorry," she said aloud, receiving a sympathetic look from Dani and disgruntled from the others, distracted by her interruption.

"Are you alright?" she heard a voice pipe up. Looking towards the source, she was surprised to see a familiar face. "Harper is it? I remember you," they added, smiling radiantly as they offered their hand to help her up.

"Oh, hi, y-yeah, I'm okay, just being clumsy" she bashfully replied, with a warm smile. It was Ethan, she could recall, who was at that party and who had caused James quite some distress.

"Ahah, you're cute indeed," he smiled, "funny seeing you here. I know the designer. And you?"

"Oh no." She shook her head. "My friend over there works for a magazine. She's doing an interview on him," Harper explained, again feeling a little overwhelmed and perhaps dazed by his infectious smile.

"I'm surprised James doesn't have you working your ass off on a Saturday. That man is a workaholic," he said.

"Oh, no. I-I-I'm not sure if I have a job there anymore to be honest," she found herself admitting more than she wanted to.

"Not working there anymore?" His left brow cocked upwards. "Why?"

"Oh, it was just a thought that I might not, never mind," she quickly blabbered on.

Ethan cocked his head to the left side. "Well, if you ever feel like the company isn't meeting your standards then I run a competitive firm. We specialise in oil distribution just as well. I believe you'd fit in well. Hadn't you mentioned you specialise in finance?"

"Er, yes. Thank you, I appreciate that," she thanked him, redness capturing her cheeks.

"Well, I better be fleeting soon. I have lunch reserved at 2," he said, glancing at his flashy wristwatch. "Mustn't be late. However, if you're interested, would you like to grab a coffee. The meeting won't last five minutes or so?"

Harper was taken back. "Sure," she said. Why not? It would make a nice change to make another friend.

After another half an hour or so, Daniella met back up with Harper. "Who was that hunk you were talking to?" She nudged her.

"Oh, just someone," Harper responded.

"Wow, oh I see how it is. Miss Secrets. Well, if he's single, let me know. I wouldn't mind to get me some of that," she teased, as she packed her laptop into her side bag.

"Hey, still fancy that coffee, Harper?"

Both her and Daniella looked towards the source. Ethan was smiling over, phone to his ear as he beckoned for her attention. Harper

"Yeah, sure," she replied, nudging Dani gently as she teased aside her.

"Just someone. Right? Nobody. Look at you," she teased playfully.

"Shut up." Harper rolled her eyes, smiling a little to herself. "You can come if you want?"

"No, no." Daniella held her hands up in surrender. "You go have fun. I'm gonna take the car if you don't mind. Head over to work and get these done. You can make your own way back although I'm sure with Mr Looks over there, you'll be fine," she added.

"Y-yeah, I suppose." Harper blushed.

"Ready?" Ethan piped up, entering into their space.

"Yep."

__

Present...

James

He was furious beyond words. How could she be so foolish? Had he not told her to speak to him? And how on earth did this happen? Ethan was a leech so it wouldn't have surprised him if he had one of his men do a background search on Harper to know every little detail about her.

Samuels was driving them into the city, dodging in out of the busy traffic as they headed towards the hit. Woodburys Café. As they halted at the curb, James got out, but instructed Samuels to have the backdoor open.

Adjusting his tie, he marched towards the coffee shop, his eyes searching hastily around the café for the sight of a female and male that matched Harper and Ethan. Spotting them sat at the back of the café, his fists clenched as he stalked over. James could recognize Ethan's venomous body language from a mile away if he ever had to; it was the way he teased, manipulated, and preyed on a woman's vulnerability. He was a charmer and there was no denying that.

Halting at the end of the table, James without taking a look at Ethan, demanded Harper to get up. "You need to come with me now," he ordered, unbothered by the looks of strangers taking interest into the scene.

"No," she replied, swallowing as it looked, her anxiety to stand up against him. "I'm...with a friend and you can't tell me what to do," she mumbled, bravely refusing to look around the room at the unwanted attention.

"Oh, James. You heard her. How about you just join us instead?" Ethan piped up, the words flickering off the end of his tongue like a snake about to pounce on its prey.

James refused to acknowledge him. "Miss Daniels, you need to come with me now."

"No," she stubbornly refused.

"Miss Daniels," he tested again.

Ethan aside from him, sat back, smirking as he chewed on crumbles from his muffin, seemingly finding the situation amusing.

"I'm going to count to ten and if you're not getting up and leaving with me. I'll do something that you'll hate," James promised.

Harper shook her head, looking away from him.

"Right, your choice then," James said, shrugging his shoulders before he launched himself over and picked her up, swinging her over his shoulders.

"Let me go!" she screamed, causing people around the café to get up with confusion and fright of the situation. "James! This is wrong!" she yelped.

James couldn't help to find it amusing as he meandered through the maze of tables and chairs.

"Hey, you can't do that," An employee piped up, chasing the pair down the aisle.

James turned around, with Harper kicking off. "I can if she's my wife," he challenged him, before turning around and heading out of the café.

Harper continued to protest, kicking her legs and arms out before she was swung into the backseat of a car. Looking up, she was met with a sympathetic look from Samuels sat at the front.

Climbing in aside her, Harper tested the locks but they were jammed shut. "This is not right at all. I can have you done for this," she spat, "you can't just do that. You don't own me!"

"I did you a favour. That man is poison. So, a thank you would be nice," he replied, curtly nodding to Samuels to drive on.

"You cannot tell me who I can see and who I cannot," she objected, angry as she crossed her arms across her chest.

"I damn right can when he's involved. Now, sit back," he demanded.

"I can have you done for this—this, this is kidnapping me," she barked back.

"Do whatever you like." Shrugging his shoulders before a brief smirk captured his lips. "I'll shut you those lips up in a way you'll like," he added, causing her to freeze on the spot.

And here it was. The reality of yesterday...

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