All Chapters of BAD REPUTATION : Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

Did he have to be heading to the same floor?Olivia had had enough of arrogant assholes in her life and now she was stuck in a lift with a self-professed one. She couldn’t deny he’d amused her with his honesty and self-deprecating introduction though.But he was trouble. She didn't have to be told. She just knew it. He wasn’t like Jack. He wasn’t smooth and perfect, clean-shaven and pristine. No, this man was all about the stubble and the bedhead hair. Like a sun-kissed surfer plucked from the ocean, jazzed up and dumped in the city. The jeans and sweatshirt hugging his imposing frame looked laid-back but they screamed designer from top to toe. And the way he had her pulse tripping over itself, he was just as dangerous. On every level.“Now that you know so much about me,” he suddenly said, his voice thick and exciting her far more than was fair, “how about you let me take you for a drink?”Olivia almost swallowed her tongue, the portfolio digging into her side as she turned rigid. “

“Right, well, I think we’re done with this one,” she said, unceremoniously shoving the shower screen in his face and almost sending him to his ass on the pink porcelain. “Shall we move on?” she said, already heading out.“Yup.” Isabella nodded, smirking right at him.He screwed his face up in a childish gesture. Whatever. “If you both go on down,” Olivia said, expertly ignoring their little exchange—thank fuck! The pair of them were doing his ego and renowned charm no favours at all.“I’ll join you shortly,” she continued. “I just have to take care of an errand for the owner.”“Great,” Isabella said, moving for the front door. “I have a quick call to make so I’ll meet you downstairs.”“I’ll catch you up,” he called after her, pushing the glass door back into place and wondering why the hell he hadn’t thought of that.Perhaps because you haven't been thinking straight since you saw her? He shook his head, brushing the entire incident off as he followed in Olivia's direction.“Can I ha

“Because you’re clearly not listening when I talk to you and tell you that it's not about you… you come in here, acting like—”“Oh, for God’s sake.” Olivia turned away, pacing once across the immaculate living room. Her heels clicked sharply against the hardwood. “Not about me? Seriously? All I want is for you to just show up,” she said, spinning back toward him. “That’s it. Not promises. Not five-year plans. Just… show up. Why is that so hard for you to do?”“I do show up.”“When it suits you.”“That’s not fair.”“Stop saying that!” Her voice rose, cracking slightly at the edges. “This is how I feel, Jack and I'm trying to communicate it to you. You don’t get to decide what feels fair to me.”He stared at her like she was someone he didn’t quite recognise.“You know we've had a lot of talks, but you’ve never complained…Sounded like this before.”He was kinda right. In the past they'd had several talks, but she'd always tried to make it more of a conversation than a full blown argumen

There was a pause, then Tessa exhaled and lifted her shot glass again. “Fine, Liv,” she said loudly. “I agree. We'll drop it for now, but only because you definitely need to loosen up and have some bloody fun.”And just as she said it —A male voice cut smoothly into their space. “I can definitely help her with that...”All three of them turned.He stood beside the booth like he’d been summoned by the word fun itself. Tall. Broad shoulders under a dark button-down rolled at the sleeves. A drink in one hand. The other casually tucked into his pocket. His jaw sharp under the low amber lighting.And that smile. Lazy. Confident. Slightly wicked. But it was his eyes that mattered. They weren’t on Tessa, or on Isabella. They were glued on Olivia. Steady. Assessing, and definitely Interested.Derek Hawthorne.__________For a split second, the noise of the bar dimmed.It didn’t actually fade — the bass still thudded, glasses still clinked, laughter still burst from nearby tables — but inside

Olivia watched as Derek tipped the shot back without hesitation. His throat moved as he swallowed, jaw flexing once before he lowered the empty glass and set it down with a soft clink against the table.He caught her staring. One brow lifted. “What?” he asked, amused.She hadn’t realized she was staring that openly. “I don’t know,” she admitted truthfully. The alcohol loosened her tongue just enough to make her a little reckless. “I guess I’m trying to figure out what’s going on in your head. What exactly are you planning?” She tilted her head slightly. “Is this your new way of trying to get to me?”The air changed and Olivia felt it instantly. Like a drop in temperature before a storm. He stopped smiling, and suddenly, dangerous, charming Derek was back. Olivia knew she'd made a mistake. A huge mistake, she thought while everything inside her shuddered and those dark eyes of his seemed to…turn to steel. It was as if he’d put on a mask, Or worse, a voice in her suggested, taken one of