“Sounds good,” Harper says and checks her phone. “I should be heading back. Lunch time is almost over.” Oliver nods reluctantly, his expressions shifting back to professional neutrality as reality intrudes on their private moment. “Right. Back to pretending we are just colleagues.” He moves around the desk to open the door for her, his hand brushing against her lower back briefly as he guides her toward the exit. The touch is quick but intentional, a final reminder of the intimacy waiting for them later tonight. “See you at five,” he murmurs quietly as she passes through the doorway, his voice dropping to that intimate register reserved exclusively for moments like these. Stella glances up from her desk as Harper emerges from the CEO’s office together.
When Harper returned from lunch, Mar
