Wanted to visit my US bf more fexibly but B2 visa got rejected because I work remotely ("no strong ties to home"). Will this now mess up my ESTA entry on future visits?

As the title says, I'm from Europe and my bf and I have been together for a year. I would go and visit him using the ESTA, since I'm more flexible as I'm self employed and set my own hours. He also visited me before but he barely gets any vacation days so it's tough. We also don't make enough to be travelling back and forth all the time, it's really expensive.

I applied for a B2 visa in the hopes that I could stay a bit longer with him this time, but got refused under 214(b) because my work is remote and that is viewed too risky as I could have an intention to immigrate.

I never had any intention to overstay my visa. I also have my family, residency, pay taxes, etc. to my home country. I also never overstayed in the past. The result was really disappointing. I feel like there's no point to reapply as my circumstances will likely not change for a while.

I'm now scared that on future visits the border officer may turn me away, thinking I have some intention to stay because of the B2 rejection. I would never break the rules, but how can I now prove that I don't want to?

I don't really have any obligations here, but I do have my life here.

We are planning to start a K1 process because we genuinely want to have a life together, but I'm really scared that now I won't be able to visit him / the officers won't believe me that I wouldn't break the rules on my visits while we wait.

I don't have a criminal record, I have a good digital footprint (multiple publications) and am very well educated with multiple awards to my name. But I feel like no matter what I do, people will just assume I'm here to make trouble and I have no idea how to prove that I'm not.