Free My Unexpected Forever by Heidi McLaughlin Page B

sip, watching Josie the whole time. I try not to watch Harrison, but I’m curious. He stands at the bar and it doesn’t take a minute before a tall leggy blond is standing next him. Harrison turns and leans against bar. The woman moves closer. Too close if you ask me. Clearly they don’t know each other. She leans in and laughs at something he says. Her hand rubs along his chest and it doesn’t seem to bother him. He looks at our table briefly and catches me staring.
    Harrison raises his eyebrow as he pulls her hand into his. He carries his beer in his other hand as he leads them to the dance floor. I look away. I don’t care that he’s going to dance with her. It’s none of my business. He’s single and free to do whatever he wants.
    I signal the waitress again and order a round of shots for the table. When they arrive, only Josie does one with me. I don’t know why I ordered four. It’s clear that Harrison has left us to our vices for the rest of the night. I down my second as my eyes find him on the dance floor. The woman is draped all over him as they dance. His hand is on her ass. He’s pulling her to him and each time he does, her head falls back. Her hands rub up and down on his chest. My mouth drops when she slides his hoodie off and pushes her fingers into his dark locks that are cut short on the sides, but left longer on top. Not too long, just enough to grab a hold of. I’ve been waiting months and she’s known him for thirty-seconds and is already touching him. He says something to her causing her to nod as he takes her hand and leads them off the dance floor.
    “Where’s he going?” I ask again.
    Liam laughs. I turn and glare at him.
    “What’s your problem, Westbury?”
    “You, you’re my problem, Powell. That man likes you and you ignore him. Now you’re pissy that he’s found someone to give him attention. Either friend-zone him or let him in, but I’ve seen the teeter-totter you keep him on and it’s not fair.”
    “I don’t like him.”
    “Then don’t like him. No one is saying you have to, but don’t lead him on. Don’t get up in the middle of the night and talk to him like you want to get to know him.”
    “He told you that?”
    “Yeah, he did,” Liam throws down some money on the table. “I’m outta here. Are you coming?”
    Josie nods as she links hands with Liam. “Night, sweetie.”
    “Night,” I mumble as they walk off, leaving me at an empty table.
    I get up slowly on shaky legs. I have to steady myself against the edge of the table. I’ve definitely drunk too much. I slip off my shoes and attempt to walk in a straight line back to the elevator. The car I get in is full. I step on and wait for my floor. I’m sure these families are wondering what kind of trash I am. Drunk and shoeless in a resort hotel, riding the elevator at god knows what time of the night. I can’t get the image of Harrison and that woman out of my mind. The way he was holding her to him, it was rough and sexy. And she touched his hair; hair that I’ve been dying to see. He just let her do whatever she wanted as I sat there and watched their foreplay unfold on the dance floor.
    I step off and stare down the hall. My steps are slow as I pass his door. I stop and listen. Would he really bring a woman back to his room with Quinn in there? Of course he wouldn’t, but Quinn isn’t in there, he’s in Liam’s suite with the babysitter.
    I startle when a door opens. Harrison stands there with his hoodie on, covering his hair again. It’s zipped half way down so I can see multiple tattoos on his chest. He’s changed his jeans for khaki shorts.
    “What are you doing?”
    I shrug. “Shouldn’t you be busy?” the words are out before I can stop them. I don’t know why on earth I’d ask such a brazen question. It’s none of my business what he does. He looks sad that I’ve asked him and I feel my body sigh in relief. Why is that?
    “Who’s asking?”
    I look at him questioningly.
    “Are