Sweat peppers my brow because this is all adding up to a goddamn disaster.
I glance toward the staircase. It makes perfect sense why she bolted when Sean showed up.
If he hadn’t, I would have taken her to bed, and…
“You won’t believe how much she’s changed, Harry.” He yanks his phone out of the front pocket of his jeans. “I took a picture of us together earlier at dinner. The braces on her teeth are a thing of the past and her hair is longer. She had Lasik eye surgery a few years ago, too, so no more glasses for her.”
I look even though I already know what I’ll see.
Sitting next to my best friend in what looks like a restaurant is the beautiful woman who is currently in my bed.
Fuck my life.
CHAPTER TEN
Ava
I wake with a start, my eyelids popping open to reveal a room I’m unfamiliar with.
Instant panic sets in.
I glance to the left and a bank of windows covered by dark blinds. The only light in this large, masculine bedroom is coming from a lamp on the nightstand.
As soon as I look to my right, my breath stutters because shit, just shit.
Harrison Keene is sitting in a leather armchair in the corner. The tie he was wearing at the bar is gone, but the rest of his attire is the same, except his shirtsleeves are now rolled up to his elbows.
His eyes don’t leave me as he tilts his chin up. “Good morning.”
“Morning?” I glance down to see that I’m still wearing the same red dress I was last night.
My shoes are gone, but they can’t be far from where I am. I know I had them on when I sat on the edge of his bed to debate whether or not I should go downstairs since my brother was there.
Why the hell did Sean have to show up at the worst possible time?
Harrison drops his gaze to the watch on his wrist. “It’s just past six.”
“Dammit.” I slide my ass to the side of the bed, being mindful of keeping everything covered with the blanket because silk is a bitch when you’re trying to get out of bed while looking graceful.
“Where are you going?” Harrison asks with a lazy ease that suggests he thinks I want to hang around.
I want out of here right fucking now because coming here in the first place was a mistake of epic proportions.
I don’t belong here.
I move to stand while still clinging to the blanket. I sneak a peek at the front of my dress, and even in the dim light in this room, I can tell that it’s stained from the scotch.
“To my brother’s apartment.” I run my fingers through my tangled hair. “He must be worried since I never made it home last night.”
I glance around the room in search of my clutch purse.
Harry reads my mind because his index finger points toward the nightstand on the right side of the bed. “Your purse is there. I believe your phone is in it. It’s been chiming all night.”
I round the bed in a rush, dropping the blanket to the floor. “All night? How do you know that? How long have you been sitting in that chair?”
I fumble with my clutch to open it and yank out my phone. I skim the screen looking for anything from Declan. Most of the alerts are social media notifications from friends about my birthday. I find only one text message from Declan sent right before midnight telling me he was going to bed and wouldn’t wake me in the morning so I could sleep in.
I let out a huge sigh of relief as I take a seat on the bed.
“I’ve been sitting here all night,” Harry says in a low tone.
My head pops up. “All night? You didn’t sleep?”
He gestures toward the bed. “My bed was occupied.”
I dart to my feet. I only meant to sit and wait for Sean to leave, but I must have fallen asleep. Jet lag is still kicking my ass, and all the alcohol I consumed last night didn’t help.
I shove my phone back into my purse.
I won’t attempt to sneak back into Declan’s apartment now. That would alert him that I’m just getting home. Since I always close the door to the guestroom, my brother will just assume I’m fast asleep when he leaves for work this morning.
I need to wait until at least eight before I go back there since he’ll be gone by then.
I contemplate calling Kerry, but I know I’ll be able to find a hotel to hang out in. I can grab a shower too.
“I’m sorry I fell asleep.” I scratch my forehead. “I didn’t mean to. I’ll get out of your way now.”
Harry glides to his feet. “You’ll stay and have a coffee with me.”
It’s not a question, but I must look like hell and smell like a glass of good scotch. I really need a shower.
I shake my head. “I shouldn’t, Harry.”
He steps closer to me. The sound of his shoes hitting the hardwood fills the quiet space.
He slows when he’s only inches away from me.
I look up and into his eyes. I should tell him who I am, but I need time to figure out exactly how I’ll say it. Or I’ll completely avoid him until I head back to London.
His hand jumps to trail over his jaw. There’s a faint shadow of whiskers there now that only adds to how unbearably beautiful he is.
In another lifetime I would have gone to bed with him last night.
The air between us is thick with something I’d label as desire or basic raw need, but I can’t read what’s on his mind.
I drop my gaze to the floor, but the second I do, I feel his hand on my chin, luring it up until our eyes meet.
“You’ll stay and have coffee with me,” he repeats in a deeper tone. “I insist.”
I try and shake my head, but he holds it in place, his touch sending a pulse straight through me.
Thank god I didn’t sleep with him. I can barely handle the man’s hand on my face. I’d come apart at the seams if he ran his fingers down my stomach toward my panties.
“I can’t,” I whisper. “I can’t stay, Harry.”
“You can and you will,” he says hoarsely, running the pad of his thumb over the scar on my chin. “Ava.”
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Harrison
Sweet little Ava Wells almost drops to her knees in front of me when she hears me say her name.
Hours ago, I would have welcomed that by unbuckling my belt, sliding open the zipper on my pants, and feeding my hard cock to her.
That can never happen now.
She’s Sean’s sister.
It’s taken me all night to process that fact. I struggled to accept that the young woman with short hair, glasses, and braces I first met years ago is this woman.
I never really looked at her back then because of her age.
If I had, I might have realized who she was in the elevator before I stared at her tits and imagined my face buried between her thighs.
“What did you say?” she whispers.
I hold in a chuckle because she heard me just fine. The way she’s trembling and the look of shocked confusion on her face is proof of that.
“You’re Ava Wells,” I tell her.
“I’m Ava Wells,” she repeats softly. “You’re Harrison Keene.”
“You’re right.” I take a step back because my dick has yet to get the memo that this is not a woman I can think about fucking.