Rules of Engagement
1116 Words
Harper didn’t sleep well that night. Not because of nightmares or stress—but because of Julian Cross.
The way he had leaned in at the gala, the smirk that promised trouble, and that impossible hand on her lower back haunted her every thought.
By morning, she was part exhilarated, part terrified. Mostly, she was asking herself: What exactly am I doing?
The office was quieter than usual when she arrived. Julian’s assistant, Mara, shot her a sly look.
“Morning, Miss Blake,” she said. “He’s already in his office. Be careful. He’s… in one of those moods where he’s dangerously charming.”
Harper raised an eyebrow. “Isn’t that most of the time?”
Mara just smirked and walked off, leaving Harper to approach the glass-walled office with a mix of dread and anticipation.
Julian’s voice called from inside: “Come in.”
The moment Harper stepped through the door, the smell of cedar, espresso, and cologne hit her. He looked up from a pile of documents, tie loosened, sleeves rolled, and gave her that infuriating grin.
“Good morning,” he said.
“Morning,” she replied cautiously. “About last night…”
“I enjoyed myself,” he said smoothly. “Didn’t see Ethan sulk that beautifully in a long time.”
“Don’t call it sulking,” Harper said, trying to sound neutral. “He looked… stunned, yes. But not really sulking.”
Julian raised a brow. “Details, Harper. You’re an analyst now. Analyze the man.”
She huffed. “Fine. He was flustered. Angry. Confused. And probably terrified I’ve moved on—or at least that I seem to have.”
“And?”
“And,” she said, letting the word hang, “I didn’t enjoy watching him crumble.”
Julian tilted his chair back, one ankle crossed over the other, fingers steepled. “Interesting. So you care, in some fashion.”
Harper blushed. “Don’t—”
“Relax,” he said, voice low, teasing. “I’m not interrogating. Just observing.”
He leaned forward suddenly, voice dropping. “Tonight, we need rules.”
Harper blinked. “Rules?”
“Yes. Rules for our… partnership.”
She groaned. “I knew this was coming. What, like a contract?”
“Exactly.” He snapped his fingers, and Mara appeared with a clipboard. Harper gave her a look. “Seriously?”
“Seriously,” Julian said. “Rule one: public appearances. We stay close, subtle, not overly dramatic—unless we want a real effect.”
Harper’s lips twitched. “Effect meaning Ethan?”
He smirked. “Effect meaning the world knows we’re together. Effect meaning jealousy. Effect meaning control.”
Harper frowned. “Rule two?”
“Rule two: no emotions. This is fake. Chemistry is permitted—it’s necessary—but hearts stay in the vault.”
Her stomach fluttered. “Vault?”
“Yes. Locked. Secure. No spontaneous declarations of love, no midnight confessions, no falling head over heels.”
Harper laughed despite herself. “That’s… going to be tricky.”
“I know,” he said, voice dangerously low. “Which is why rule three exists.”
“Which is?”
Julian leaned back, gaze sharp. “Obey me. In public. Follow cues. I make the moves, you respond. Professionalism, Harper. And intimidation.”
She stared. “You’re seriously telling me to… let you manipulate everything?”
“I’m telling you,” he said, eyes locking with hers, “that we’re a team. And if you follow me, you’ll see exactly how much fun revenge can be.”
Harper couldn’t help the shiver that ran through her. Fun. Revenge. And Julian. She wondered if she could handle all three at once.
The morning blurred into presentations, emails, and her usual coffee-fueled panic. But by lunch, the rules had sunk in—or at least, Harper thought they had.
That was when Ethan appeared again.
This time, he wasn’t alone.
He had the nerve to waltz into the office with a client in tow, casually glancing around as if the world owed him attention.
Julian noticed immediately. Harper felt the shift in the air, that subtle alertness that made everything tense.
Julian walked toward Harper and whispered, “Ready for a demonstration?”
She nodded.
Julian strode toward Ethan, hand lightly brushing Harper’s back, an unspoken signal: stay close, play the part.
“Cole,” Julian said smoothly, voice carrying across the room. “I didn’t expect to see you today.”
Ethan blinked. “I’m here for a client.”
Julian’s lips curved. “I see. And yet, somehow, you seem… surprised to see Miss Blake with me.”
Harper bit back a grin. He had the effect down perfectly—the smirk, the subtle possession, the invisible shield.
Ethan’s jaw clenched. “This… isn’t real.”
Julian laughed softly, and Harper felt the warmth in her chest again, infuriatingly thrilling. “Real enough for him to notice,” he said.
“You’re unbelievable,” she muttered.
“And you,” he countered, voice close, “are learning fast.”
By the end of the day, Harper’s head was spinning. Rules, fake dating, public manipulation—it was exhausting and exhilarating all at once.
Julian’s office smelled like cedar and late-night ambition when he finally closed the door.
“Congratulations,” he said. “You survived your first official test.”
“What did I survive?” she asked, leaning against the wall.
“Being remarkable,” he said simply. “And looking gorgeous while doing it.”
Harper rolled her eyes, but her cheeks betrayed her. “You’re insufferable.”
“And yet,” he said, voice low, close enough to brush her ear, “you seem to like it.”
Her heart beat faster. “I said nothing of the sort.”
Julian smiled, brushing a stray lock of hair from her face. “Words are overrated anyway.”
Her pulse jumped. She reminded herself: fake dating. Revenge. No emotions.
But Julian Cross… he was rewriting all her rules.
By the time Harper left the office, texts from Zoe lit up her phone:
I knew it. He’s obsessed. You’re killing it. Ethan’s gonna implode.
Harper typed back slowly: Game on.
She slid her phone into her bag and stared at the city lights through the cab window.
Tonight, the world—and Ethan—would see exactly who Harper Blake had become: smart, untouchable, and not afraid to bite back.
And as for Julian Cross… Harper couldn’t decide if he was the best weapon she’d ever had—or the most dangerous one.
Either way, she was ready.
- Writer
