Page 18 of If You Give a CEO a Chance

It’s Sunday, which means Harrison is working from his home office today, and yet he still had his assistant send me another email—on a weekend, no less. This is getting ridiculous. If he needs something, he can walk down the hall and ask. I’m done with this back-and-forth through Cabrina.

Enough is enough.

I pause what I’m doing when I hear footsteps in the dining room. Earlier, I prepared a plate of scrambled eggs with avocado and homemade gluten-free toast with almond butter and left it on a warming tray on the dining table for Harrison, along with a bowl of fresh fruit on the side.

After putting away a few cartons of berries in the fridge, I grab a bottle of water before shutting the fridge and march intothe dining room where Harrison is at the table, raising a bite of eggs to his mouth.

He briefly glances over, a flash of annoyance crossing his face before going back to reading something on his phone.

“Did you need something, Fallon?” he asks, his tone bored.

“Yes, I do, actually.” I slide into the chair beside him, resting my arms on the table as I wait for him to put down the phone permanently attached to his hand.

When I don’t elaborate, he finally sets it down, giving me his undivided attention.

He lets out an exasperated sigh. “What is it?”

“If you need something from me, you don’t have to go through Cabrina. I’m only a room away,” I say, nodding toward the kitchen.

“Like I could forget,” he retorts.

I lift an eyebrow in challenge. “What’s that supposed to mean? You know what, never mind.” I fold my hands in front of me, forcing myself to calm down. “I’m here to say that moving forward, I’d appreciate it if you came directly to me when you want something. There’s no point in making your assistant be our go-between while I’m living here.”

“Do you think it’s wise to request changes to how we communicate right out of the gate? This is a trial period, remember?”

I straighten my spine and look him square in the eye. “Is this the part where I’m supposed to apologize for stating how I feel? Sorry, I must have missed the memo.”

As we face off, the challenge clear in our eyes, I can’t help but think of the night we met. When we were both young, carefree, full of trust, with the whole world ahead of us.

“Oh my god, this burger is amazing,” I let out a satisfied hum.

“I’m glad you like it.” Harrison grins. “I aim to please.”

The streetlights cast a soft glow on the park bench, and the rhythmic bounce of a basketball and occasional cheers from players echo in the distance.

I take another bite, ketchup trickling down my chin. Before I can react, Harrison reaches out to gently wipe it away with his finger.

Heat blooms where his fingertips meet my skin, a simmering warmth that has nothing to do with the weather and everything to do with him.

“Thank you,” I murmur.

“My pleasure, beautiful.” He bends down to grab the bottle of Dom Pérignon off the ground and takes a sip. “Mind me asking what brought you to Florida?”

“It’s complicated.” I hedge. “I moved here with my boyfriend a year ago, but we recently broke up.” I keep it vague.

I keep the fact that Jeremy dumped me to myself. My personal life is messy, especially my past. As much as I like Harrison, I’m not ready to open up about that yet. I’d rather keep our time together uncomplicated and lighthearted. Besides, I’m aware that Jeremy’s team is rivals with the Huskies, and lost to them in the Stanley Cup. The last thing I want is for Harrison to think I chase hockey players.

“It’s his loss,” Harrison murmurs as he holds out the bottle of champagne. “It’s not your diet soda, but it’ll help take the edge off.”

I tip my head back as he brings the bottle to my lips, his gaze fixed on mine while I drink.

“What do you think?” he asks.

“You’re right. It’s not my Diet Coke, but it might be growing on me,” I tease, wrapping my hand around his and bringing the bottle to my mouth for another sip.

Flirting with Harrison comes naturally, and our conversation flows easily. I can be myself around him,something I could never do with Jeremy. With him, I was always on the edge, worried that I’d fall short of his expectations and the person he wished I was. This feels like a breath of fresh air, and I’m not ready for it to end.

“What about you?” I ask. “Do you live close to your family or girlfriend?”

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