Chapter 54: Trust?

When their lips parted, they were both breathless. Harper smiled lightly. “I never though I would see this playful and seductive side of you,” she said casually. “Let’s go to my place already.” Oliver’s expression softened completely at her observation, a rare, genuine smile touching his lips. The compliment seemed to catch him off guard in the best possible way. “Playful? Seductive?” he repeated with a low chuckle, lacing his fingers through hers. “I guess you bring out different sides of me than the boardroom does. It is a nice change of pace.” His thumb traced idle patterns over her knuckles as he led her toward the office door, grabbing his coat from the coat hanger along the way. The usual tension that clung to his shoulders had disappeared, replaced by a relaxed confidence born from the intimacy they have shared. “Lead the way then,” he said, opening the door for her and following closely behind. “I am officially putting myself in your capable hands for the evening.”

As they walk toward the elevator, they pass Harpers desk. Harper momentarily let go of Oliver’s hand and leaned over her desk, to shut down her computer. Oliver admired the view of her rear. As she straightened up, she grabbed her purse, before taking Oliver’s hand again. Inside the elevator, Oliver pressed the button for the underground parking lever. “Serious though,” Harper said with a serious tone once they were in the elevator. “You have always bee so serious and focused. It is nice to see you let go a bit. Feels like you really trust me.” The seriousness in her tone caught his attention immediately, his expression shifting from playful flirtation to something deeper. He paused beside the elevator doors, turning to face her fully as they waited for the car to arrive. “You are right,” he admitted quietly, his voice losing its usual guarded edge. “It is scary, but yeah, I do trust you.” His hand came up to cup her face again, thumbs stroking gently along her cheekbones. The fluorescent lighting of the elevator cast shadows across his features, highlighting the sincerity in his blue eyes. “I have watched you handle every task thrown at you since day one,” he continued softly. “How you stay organized under pressure, how you treat everyone with kindness even when they don’t deserve it. How would I not trust someone like that?”

“So, that whole thing with… with Evan. That wasn’t about not trusting me, right?” Harper asked softly. The elevator doors slid open with a soft chime, revealing the dimly lit parking garage. The mention of Evan’s name brought a flicker of something dark and cold to Oliver’s expression, his jaw tightening almost imperceptibly. He stepped out of the elevator. “That had nothing to do with trusting you,” he stated firmly, his voice carrying that familiar authoritative edge he reserved for protecting what belonged to him. “That was about protecting my territory.” His thumb began rubbing small circles against the back of her hand. “He thinks he can just walk in her and make moved on my secretary?” Oliver scoffed quietly. “Not happening not while I am breathing.”

They approached the black SUV, and the driver opened the car door for them. Harper slipped in first, Oliver followed behind her. Once the car door was closed, Harper asked softly, “But you trust me?” she shifted closer to him on the backseat. “You know I would never cheat on you?” The question hung in the air between them, weighted with vulnerability and sincerity. Oliver’s expression softened instantly, the hard lines of his face melting into something warmed and more open. He shifted on the plush leather seat, closing the minimal distance until their thighs were pressed together. “Of course I trust you,” he said firmly, his voice dropping to an intimate murmur meant only for her ears amidst the quiet hum of the vehicle’s engine. “Cheating isn’t even in your vocabulary. You are loyal to a fault.” His hand came up to cup her jaw gently, tilting her face toward his so he could search her blue green eyes for any hint of doubt. “What I worry about is guys like Evan thinking they have a chance because they are closer to your age bracket. Guys who don’t understand what we have.” The car pulled smoothly out of the underground parking level and past the main gate, onto city streets bathed in twilight hues.

“I have to confess something,” Harper said softly and hesitated before saying, “The reason why Evan acted like that is because… because I went out with him once before.” Oliver’s entire body went still at her confession, his hand freezing midway through its gentle stroking of her cheek. The easy-going atmosphere in the car evaporated instantly, replaced by thick tension that crackled between both of them. His blue eyes narrowed dangerously as he processed what she had just admitted. “Excuse me?” he said quietly, the two words carrying an undertone of ice. “You went on a date with him? When?” His grip on her jaw tightened slightly, not painfully but possessively. The driver up front remained oblivious to the sudden shift in mood behind him as streetlights flashed across Oliver’s increasingly stormy expression. “Why am I just hearing about this now?”

“It wasn’t exactly a date,” Harper said quickly and sighed deeply. “Look, I am trying to be honest with you, because honesty is the best way to build a trusting long-term relationship.” The honesty in her voice seemed to penetrate Oliver’s rising anger, deflating his tension visibly. He let out a slow breath, his shoulders relaxing back against the leather seat. The hardness in his icy blue eyes softened as he processed her explanation. “Not exactly a date,” he repeated, testing the phrase. “Then what was it? Coffee? Lunch? Help me understand what I am walking into here.” His tone was no longer accusatory but genuinely curious, searching for clarification rather than confrontation. One hand moved from her face to rest protectively on her thigh instead, thumb drawing a small comforting circles against the fabric of her leather skirt. “It was my first week, he asked me out for a drink and… and we had a one-night stand,” Harper said bluntly and then she held her breath waiting for Oliver’s reaction.