Chapter 11

Harper settled into her position at Scott Industries effortlessly. With her impressive design skills and approachable demeanor, she quickly became a valued member of the team.

Yet here she was, sighing as she rearranged the fresh flowers on her desk for the third time that week. Ellen leaned over from the neighboring workstation, coffee mug in hand. “Another bouquet? Girl, if I had someone sending me flowers every other day, I’d be doing backflips, not looking like someone deleted your design file!”

Harper plucked two roses and handed them over. “Here. Maybe they’ll bring you better luck than they’re bringing me.”

The problem wasn’t having an admirer—it was that her admirer happened to be Tyler Scott, her literal boss. The power dynamic made everything awkward. After the Dylan disaster, she wasn’t emotionally ready for anything new. Plus, office gossip was the last thing she needed when trying to rebuild her career.

Her phone buzzed with another message from Tyler. Dinner tonight? No pressure.

Previously, Harper had politely declined each invitation with various excuses. But today, she deleted her usual rejection and typed a simple “OK.”

Tyler’s response was immediate: “Really? Awesome! Italian spot on Newbury? 7:30?”

“See you there,” she replied.

Harper had finally agreed because she needed to set boundaries face-to-face. Continued rejection via text was getting awkward.

When she arrived at the restaurant, Tyler was already seated, wearing a navy button-down that made his eyes look even bluer. As the host led her to the table, Tyler presented her with a small arrangement of jasmine flowers. “I noticed you gifted today’s roses to Ellen. Not your favorite?”

Harper bent to smell the delicate blossoms, genuinely appreciating their subtle fragrance. “The roses were beautiful. Just thought Ellen could use a mood boost after her breakup.”

“And what about the guy sending them?” Tyler asked, his casual tone not quite masking his interest.

Harper took a sip of water, buying time. “Tyler, I need to be straight with you. This”—she gestured between them—“probably isn’t a good idea.”

“I’m not just messing around here, Harper,” he said, meeting her gaze. “I know it’s complicated with work and everything, but I’m serious about getting to know you.”

Harper couldn’t find the right words, so she said nothing, examining the menu with unnecessary intensity. As pursuing executives went, Tyler had been nothing but respectful. Thoughtful gifts that weren’t ostentatious, sweet notes that weren’t creepy, and total professionalism at work.

The silence stretched between them, punctuated only by the soft jazz playing in the background.

“Let’s just enjoy dinner,” Tyler finally said, breaking the tension. “No pressure.”

Harper barely touched her pasta but found herself finishing her second glass of Cabernet, then reaching for a third.

Tyler gently moved the wine bottle away. “Maybe slow down a bit? You’ve hardly touched your food.”

Maybe it was the alcohol, but Harper felt her carefully constructed walls beginning to crumble.

“I literally don’t remember him anymore,” she murmured, tracing the rim of her glass, “so why does it still hurt?”

“Remember who?” Tyler asked, leaning forward with genuine concern.

The wine had loosened her tongue. “I know I was wrong to chase him for so long, but after the accident, I thought I’d finally moved on. Why wouldn’t he listen when I tried to explain? Why would he…,” she faltered, “…push me into the water just because she said to? Why did he believe her without even asking me?”

As she spoke, she unconsciously pushed up her sleeve, revealing the angry red burn scars that were still healing. Tyler’s expression changed instantly when he saw the wounds. Something flashed in his eyes—shock, then anger, then deep concern. From her fragmented story, he pieced together what had happened. Some asshole had not only broken her heart but physically endangered her, which explained why she kept him at arm’s length.

With unexpected gentleness, he reached across the table and lightly touched her scarred wrist. “Harper,” he said quietly, “I don’t know what happened exactly, but I promise I’ll never hurt you like that. And if you let me, I’ll do everything I can to help you leave those memories behind for good.”