Page 67 of Score to Settle
She sighs. “You’re right, but I’ve spent my whole life wanting people to like me and pretty much failing at it.”
“Hey, not everyone. Mia likes you,” I tease.
Harper laughs. “Mia is… different,” she finishes with a grin.
“I guess… I might like you a bit too,” I say, flashing her my Jake Sullivan smile. “So it’s not everyone.”
“Most people then. Plus, it’s in the public eye. I’m feeling pretty judged right now by people who don’t even know me on top of those that do.”
“Trust me, I get it.” I think back on all the rumors and stories that have swirled around me over the years. “But at the end of the day, the only opinion that matters is yours. Everyone else? Background noise.”
Harper nods reluctantly.
“And you’ve still got a job?”
She nods again. “So far, although I’m not looking forward to my meeting with Tim after Christmas.”
All I want to do is take her in my arms and kiss her, but I can tell there’s more. “But?” I push.
“Even if Tim doesn’t directly fire me for this, I’m still in my probationary period. At the start of January, he’s going to choose me or another journalist, Callie. The truth is, Callie deserves it more than I do. I shouldn’t have lied in my interview. I feel like I’ve made a mess of my fresh start.”
“So talk to Tim,” I suggest, slipping my hand into hers and giving a reassuring squeeze. “He loves the notes you’ve been sending him and you’re going to write an amazing feature about me?—”
“You don’t know that. And I’m not exactly Tim’s favorite person right now.”
“I do know that. Come clean to him at the right moment and he’ll probably understand. You say he’s a good guy.”
“Yeah. One I’ve spent the last four months lying to.”
I nod toward her laptop. “Are you writing about me or are you writing about sexy vampires right now?”
Harper’s face lights up and the tension lifts. “Vampires.”
“It really makes you happy.”
“It does. But don’t worry,” she adds, tapping the purple notebook she takes with her everywhere. “All my notes about you are here. I want to wait until the end of the week to start writing the feature. Just to make sure I’ve got all the details.”
“Sounds like you still need to get to know me a bit better.” I flash a grin and run my thumb down the side of her face. “I’m happy to accommodate any interview techniques you have in mind.”
She tips her head back and laughs. “Says the man who spent our first week together scowling at me.”
I groan. “Yeah, sorry about that. Is there anything I can do to make it up to you?”
“What do you have in mind?” she asks with enough suggestion in her voice to wake my dick.
“Come for a swim with me.”
Harper pretends to think about it for a beat. “See you in the pool.”
Ten minutes later, I’ve never been so relieved to see a pool empty as Harper appears in that sexy red two-piece.
I give a low whistle of appreciation. “Damn, Cassidy. You’re trying to kill me, aren’t you?”
“You’ve seen me wear this before.”
“That was when I was trying to be a gentleman and keep our professional boundaries.”
She gives me a teasing smile. “So you’re not trying to be a gentleman anymore?” She trails her fingers over my chest where my muscles are still aching from the weights.
