Billionaire Unexpected~Jax -J. S. Scott Page 0,11

she’s done at Montgomery. All of her reports and notes are extremely organized, and the way she researches is very disciplined. Hell, I thought she was just anal compared to some of our other researchers, and her attention to detail is actually an asset for Montgomery.”

“I think it’s just part of her personality, too,” Marshall told me. “According to her mother, Harlow was always a very disciplined overachiever.”

“I’m not sure that’s necessarily a good thing,” I informed him. “Overachievers have a very hard time cutting themselves any slack.”

Marshall looked at me curiously. “You speaking from personal experience?”

I shrugged. “Maybe.”

After growing up with dysfunctional parents like mine, it was hard not to be an overachiever.

Marshal shook his head. “I have no idea how your advisor relationship with Harlow is going to turn out, but it will be interesting to watch. I’m not sure which one of you is more bullheaded.”

“Me,” I assured him.

I have absolutely no intention of giving up on Harlow Lewis, no matter how obstinate she is about trying to shake me off.

He smirked. “You’re probably right. You did give up dating and women to help Harlow while you’re her advisor, which is pretty extreme.”

Shit! Apparently, Harlow hadn’t left out any of the details of our agreement.

I crossed my arms over my chest. “Why does everybody make such a big deal out of that? It’s not like I’ll die without a damn date. When I was a SEAL, there were times I didn’t even see a single female for months at a time.”

Recently, for some unknown reason, I’d had zero interest in dating at all, but he didn’t need to know that. Knowing Marshall, he’d dig at me until he knew why, and I didn’t have the answer to that question.

Marshall cleared his throat. “I think you gained your reputation because you’ve never been photographed with the same woman twice. It seems to me that the media makes such a big deal out of your one-and-done dating habits that every time you do it again, the reporters lose their minds.”

“I guess I’ve never really cared what they thought,” I grumbled.

“Can you really blame Harlow for turning down your offer to take her out?” he asked earnestly. “Maybe you didn’t care what the media thought, but she obviously did, and you know those reporters would have made her life hell for at least a week or two. Or until they had a new target.”

“It was definitely an ego-damaging experience,” I responded, trying to make light of the whole incident. “I’m not holding a grudge, if that’s what you’re asking. Well, no more than any guy would who had a woman laugh in his face when he asked for a date. Honestly, that particular day might have been the only time I actually regretted my reputation.”

Whether it was true or not, I preferred to think that Harlow would have said yes if it hadn’t been for my reputation as a player. She’d seemed perfectly comfortable discussing her research with me. It was only after that dinner invitation that she started looking at me like I was a lunatic.

Looking back, maybe I shouldn’t have just impulsively blurted out that dinner offer in the middle of our business discussion.

Even now, I wasn’t quite sure how it happened.

I’d never been that asshole boss who hit on every attractive Montgomery employee. In fact, my brothers and I made it a point not to date employees, and we took any sexual harassment complaints within the company very seriously.

In the end, I’d chalked my unusual behavior up to a moment of temporary insanity, even though I’d never had one of those episodes before or since that day.

Yeah, Hudson had fallen off the never-date-an-employee wagon after he’d met Taylor. However, my older brother could hardly say he’d only lost his mind temporarily. When it came to Taylor, Hudson was completely deranged all the time.

“Your ego obviously recovered,” Marshall drawled. “Don’t screw this one up, Jax. I think Harlow really needs you, and I’m going to turn all of her advisor responsibilities over to you.”

“I don’t plan on failing,” I assured him. “Just brief me on what you know, and I’ll take it from here.”

I wasn’t sure if Harlow really needed me. In fact, I was almost certain that she’d prefer to never see my face again.

Nevertheless, she could definitely use a friend and advisor who understood what she was going through. So, like it or not, Dr. Harlow Lewis was just going to have to get used to