They had never spoken. Roman stepped beside her.

“I apologize for being late,” he said.

Harper stared at him. Connor stared too. Roman rested one hand lightly at the small of Harper’s back — steady but not possessive. When Harper tensed, he immediately loosened his fingers.

Connor’s mouth opened. “You two came together?”

Roman ignored the question. He looked down at Harper. “Do you trust me for ten seconds?”

She should have said no. She didn’t know him. She knew only the rumors, the investigations, and the quiet terror that followed his name through boardrooms.