Reasons Not To Fall In Love Read online

  I watched as he walked over to his co-worker and started talking to him. He put his hand on Eric’s arm as he leant in, looking him right in the eyes. I must admit, he was playing his part better than I thought he would. When Eric’s eyes widened and his shoulders stiffened, I burst out laughing as he moved his arm, letting Harrison’s hand slide off his elbow. It was a clear rejection, and now Harrison was back-pedalling, holding his hands up in protest as he pointed to me in explanation. I chuckled wickedly and sent a little wave in their direction. Finally, Eric’s shoulders loosened and they both laughed before Harrison slapped him on the shoulder and strutted back to me.

  When he got back to me, he downed his drink before taking mine from my hand and downing mine too. He waved to the barman. “Another round, make them doubles this time,” he requested before turning back to me. “Son of a bitch actually believed I was gay! Can you believe that? I thought he’d see through me immediately, but the bastard actually thought I was hitting on him,” he whined, shaking his head.

  I choked on fresh air as I burst out laughing. “He thought you were gay?” I practically screamed through my laughs.

  His hand clapped over my mouth as he looked at me pleadingly. “Just shush!” he hissed. I licked the palm of his hand and he let go, closing his eyes and putting his head down on the bar, groaning. “I want to die.”

  I rubbed the back of his head soothingly but I couldn’t stop laughing which really didn’t seem to help him much. “Aww poor baby. Maybe you should go tell him how many girls you’ve screwed over the years. Will that help your male ego?” I teased, leaning forward and resting my head on his back. I sighed as his smell filled my lungs. He literally smelt good enough to eat. He was so comfortable that I wanted to go to sleep on him.

  He shifted, so I pulled back and leant on the bar heavily. My head swam from the alcohol I’d consumed. “I’ll pay you anything you want if you never mention this to anyone, especially Skye,” he pleaded, giving me the begging look.

  I smiled and patted his cheek. “I don’t even think I’m gonna remember this in the morning, so you’re safe,” I joked, winking at him.

  He laughed and settled back onto his stool, looking at me with pursed lips. “Let’s carry on with the game. Truth or dare?”

  “Truth,” I slurred.

  “Why didn’t you call me and tell me you were getting divorced?” he asked immediately.

  I laughed at that. “I thought you were gay,” I joked.

  “Not even just a little bit funny,” he stated, looking at me warningly.

  I giggled and thought about the truthful answer to that question. “Well, let’s see. First off, why the heck would I? It’s not something that you would be interested in. And secondly, I don’t have your number,” I replied, hiccupping.

  He frowned and sighed. “Dare,” he said after a minute of silence.

  I chewed on my lip trying to think of something that would probably make him feel better after the whole coming out of the closet to his friend thing. “I dare you to kiss a woman in this room. Don’t ask her permission, just walk straight up to her and plant a big fat kiss right on her lips,” I suggested, crossing my arms over my chest and looking around to see who he would choose.

  “Dare accepted.”

  Before I could even comprehend what was about to happen, he’d cupped my face in his hands and the soft lips that I’d been secretly fantasising about for the last eight years covered mine. I squealed from the shock of it, not knowing what to do. He didn’t pull back. It wasn’t just a peck on the lips; this was a full-on passionate kiss. His eyes were closed and everything.

  His smell surrounded me as his lips moved against mine, one of his hands slid down to the side of my neck. His thumb stroked along the edge of my jawline, and the passion that washed over me almost knocked me off the stool I was perched on.

  My eyelids fluttered closed as I kissed him back. My hands made their way to the side of his shirt, pulling him closer to me so that his legs brushed against the side of mine.

  My mind was whirling so fast that it was making me dizzy. I’m kissing him. I’m seriously kissing Harrison Baxter right now!

  When his tongue touched my lip, I almost died and went to heaven right there as a thousand butterflies seemed to take flight in my stomach. I allowed him to deepen the kiss, moaning into his mouth as his taste filled all my senses. I hadn’t felt like this in years, maybe ever. My whole body was practically aching, and I wanted nothing more than to crush myself against him and melt into his skin so I could live there forever. This was pure luxury – sheer unadulterated bliss and I never wanted it to end. Unfortunately, all good things have to come to an end – well, according to Skye they do anyway.

  “What the heck are you two doing?” she hissed from next to me.

  Harrison broke the kiss, but I couldn’t open my eyes. I was lost in the luxury of how beautiful that one kiss was. I had never been kissed like that it my life. It was poetic and made me feel as if I were floating.

  When my eyes finally opened I saw he was smiling down at me. His hands still cupped my face as his chocolate brown orbs locked on mine, shining with excitement and lust. I gulped and tried to focus on what Skye was saying, but I couldn’t make out the words. She was obviously talking to me – or rather, at me, but my brain refused to acknowledge anything but the six foot hunk of perfection who was standing in front of me.

  I licked my lips, my brain not thinking about anything other than sex – fast, hard, nasty sex with him. “Harrison Baxter, the things I want to do to your body would make you blush in the morning,” I purred, smiling at him suggestively.

  Something tugged at my hand so I looked down to see a hand taking my drink off me. Skye raised the glass to her nose and sniffed. “Oh man, whiskey? Really, Bronwyn? Harrison, why did you let her drink that?” Skye whined, shaking her head. “Bronwyn, you should stop drinking now, you know whiskey makes you flirty,” Skye scolded.

  Harrison laughed and took the drink off the bar as Skye put it on there. “I think you should carry on drinking the whiskey. I’d love to continue this conversation,” he stated, winking at me.

  I giggled and gripped the front of his shirt, pulling him towards me roughly which made his eyes light up. “Oh you would?”

  Skye sighed deeply. “Seriously, Bronwyn, this is a terrible idea. Remember we once made a pact to tell each other if we thought that the other was making a mistake that they would regret in the morning? Well this is yours, sweetie. I’m making an intervention,” she said, looping her arm through mine and pulling me to my feet. I swayed slightly and pouted at her. I loved my sister dearly, but I actually hadn’t had sex in what felt like forever, because Finn and I had gone through an extremely rough patch before we finally called it quits and split. If I wasn’t drunk there would be no way I would be making advances to anyone, because I didn’t want people to see my body, but the alcohol was spurring me on. Maybe I could finally relieve some of this sexual tension that I had built up inside.

  “Intervention? That sucks,” I grumbled.

  She nodded before pointing at Harrison accusingly. “Bad, Harrison. No hitting on my sister, you know the rules,” she scolded, slapping his chest playfully. I allowed her to drag me to the bathrooms and I tried to adjust my eyes to the bright lighting, but it was no use, everything was slightly blurry from the alcohol. “Bronwyn, I think we should get you some coffee. Harrison Baxter, really?” she said sarcastically, raising one eyebrow at me.

  I shrugged and flopped onto the plush red velvet sofa that looked oddly out of place in a hotel bathroom. “He’s so irresistible,” I replied as if that was a legitimate excuse. “Besides, he kissed me, not the other way around.”

  She laughed and plopped down next to me. “From what I saw, you were doing your fair share of the kissing too,” she countered.

  I sighed and put my head on her shoulder. Tears were building in my eyes. It was probably just the alcohol or something, but I couldn’t shake the feeling t
hat when Harrison kissed me I just felt beautiful. For someone like Harrison Baxter to show the slightest bit of interest in me, I felt like a million pounds. But now I was crashing back down to earth with a bump.

  “What’s wrong with me, Skye?” I asked, swallowing the lump in my throat.

  She pulled back and stroked the side of my face. “Nothing. You’re a beautiful person, both inside and out. You’re just vulnerable right now what with the divorce and everything. Just give yourself time. A fling with Harrison isn’t the answer to your questions. For him it would just be a one night stand, nothing more. You would wake up tomorrow feeling used and dirty. You two get on so great, don’t ruin that for a quick roll in the sheets, OK?” She looked at me pleadingly.

  I nodded in agreement. Of course, I knew she was right. We did get on great, and if anything had happened it would be awkward next time I saw him at a birthday celebration or something. But in the back of my head, a one night stand just sounded so incredibly appealing. One night of feeling special, one night of being wanted, one night of not feeling second best to some other girl. I wanted that so badly.

  Skye sighed and hugged me tightly. “I’ve got go back out there. They’re gonna do speeches in a minute I think. Why don’t you get a taxi home to mine? You’re wasted.”

  I smiled and nodded. Going home was probably a smart idea right now. I didn’t exactly need any more drink, I didn’t want to turn into an emotional drunk and ruin her night. “Yeah, I think I will go actually. You sure Brandon won’t mind me sloping off early?” I asked, wincing.

  “Of course not.” She shook her head. “If you go to the hotel reception and tell them you’re with Baxter and Hanklin Consultancies, they’ll put your taxi on the company account. Brandon has a few taxis on standby tonight in case his clients take advantage of the free bar.” She took my hands and gave me a tug to get me on my feet.

  “I hope I didn’t ruin your night,” I said quietly.

  She clicked her tongue and shook her head adamantly. “You didn’t, don’t worry. Now go home before you puke,” she instructed, pulling me into a hug.

  I smiled. “OK, thanks. And do me a favour, make sure you get laid tonight, all right? I can then live my sex life vicariously through you, seeing as mine is non-existent.” I winked at her teasingly.

  She laughed and saluted me. “I promise to do my best,” she vowed. “You have a key to mine?” I nodded in answer, pointing to my little clutch bag that dangled loosely from my wrist.

  I watched as she headed back into the function room before I drunkenly walked to the hotel reception and asked them to get me a taxi to take me to Skye’s house. Less than a couple of minutes passed before the receptionist told me that a taxi was waiting out the front as requested. Kicking my shoes off, because I was wobbling drunkenly on my thin heels, I made my way to the front door. Just as I got there, a hand wrapped around my elbow and pulled me to a stop. I turned back, too drunk to be afraid that I was going to be mugged or abused. Luckily – or maybe unluckily, depending on how you looked at it – it was Harrison.

  He smiled quizzically. “Where you going?”

  “Home to Skye’s. I’ve had enough excitement for one day,” I replied, shrugging.

  He laughed, and a little shiver ran up my spine as he stepped closer to me. “That’s not right. I don’t think you’ve had enough excitement at all,” he purred before closing the distance between us and pressing those oh-so-soft lips against mine for the second time.

  The door behind me opened. “Excuse me, are you the one that ordered a taxi?” a male voice asked.

  Harrison pulled out of the kiss and looked at me pleadingly. “Let’s go get some coffee,” he suggested. “I’ll make sure you get to bed safely, cross my heart,” he promised, crossing one finger over his chest.

  I looked between the two males, undecided. My whole being was screaming: Harrison, Harrison, Harrison. But Skye’s words were echoing around my mind – one night stand, used and dirty. I had no idea what to do.

  “Come on, you can trust me to get you home safe. I swear,” Harrison whispered in my ear. His breath blew down across my bare shoulders, making me lean into his hard body unconsciously.

  I looked back at the taxi driver. “I’m going to get some coffee. Sorry for wasting your time,” I said, smiling apologetically. He shrugged and walked off without another word. He was probably grateful he got to go sit in his car for another couple of hours before one of the guests would need him again. I turned back to Harrison and smiled. “I don’t want coffee. I could go for another drink though,” I suggested. He grinned and slung his arm around my waist, pulling me tight against his side as he pushed open the front door, holding it open for me to go through.

  “So, how was the intervention?” he teased.

  “Worked a treat. I’m not attracted to you in the slightest,” I lied, raking my eyes down his body, chewing on my lip.

  He laughed and stepped closer to me. “I’m not attracted to you in the slightest either,” he whispered, kissing me forcefully.

  Something inside me snapped. It was years of being unappreciated, of feeling second best, of never feeling wanted. Without really knowing what I was doing, I grabbed him and literally dragged him in the dark alley next to the hotel. I couldn’t think about anything other than him as he pushed me against the wall. His hands gripped my waist, holding me in place as our tongues tangled together. I moaned into his mouth, circling my arms around his neck, gripping the back of his hair as the kiss turned a little animalistic. I’d never felt like this before. I felt free, needy and very, very sexy. The way his hands trailed my body was almost like he was worshipping my figure or something. When he pushed his hips against mine and I could feel how excited he was by this kiss, I whimpered with need and wrapped one of my legs around his, trapping him against me.

  I couldn’t believe the words I was about to say. I think this was eight years’ worth of fantasies of him all coming out in one go, the words tumbled from my mouth before I could stop them, but I meant every single one of them. “Harrison, fuck me, right up against this wall. Right now,” I growled forcefully.

  He nodded quickly. His hands slid down to my bum as he lifted me clean off my feet. Instinctively, my legs wrapped around his waist as my back scraped against the rough brick of the wall behind me. He pulled out of the kiss and looked at me curiously. “You sure this is what you want? You’re drunk, am I about to take advantage?” he asked worriedly.

  I grinned at him wickedly. “Trust me, if you don’t take advantage of me in the next five seconds, I’m throwing you on the floor and taking advantage of you instead,” I replied breathlessly as he kissed and sucked at my neck.

  He chuckled at that. “I never pictured you all kinky and dirty talking.”

  “Five seconds… Four seconds,” I counted.

  He gasped and shook his head, fumbling with the button on his trousers, desperately trying to get them undone. I giggled excitedly and pressed my lips against his.

  I was currently on the floor of Harrison’s bedroom. After the wild sex in the alleyway, we hailed a taxi and came to his place, only to start all over again, and again. I was starting to sober up now, but I hadn’t quite reached the point where I was blushing and needing to leave because I had really let go last night and we’d gotten a little out of control.

  I winced as I looked around his bedroom. His lamp was on its side with Skye’s dress carelessly thrown over it. The stuff from his dresser was all over the floor where he’d pushed it all off so he could fuck me on the drawers too. The bed was stripped of its covers because we’d gotten tangled in the sheets and fallen to the floor. There was a trail of clothes leading out of the door; one of his shoes had landed in his wall-mounted fish tank when he’d kicked it off, and my bra hung from the corner of his flat screen TV. All in all, it looked like a whirlwind had blown through his room. I felt a little like a whirlwind had blown through me too. My whole body was weak, aching, yet immensely satisfied.

 
When I licked my lips I could still taste him. The smell of the room made the hair on the back of my neck prickle with excitement. The sex smell, mixed with just the Harrison Baxter scent, was beautiful and intoxicating. That experience with him was everything I had ever dreamt it would be and more – much, much more. I snuggled into his side, kissing his chest. I could hear his heart beating steadily as his hand made long strokes down my body, starting at the top of my head and going all the way down to my bum before making the same sweep again.

  When he kissed the top of my head, I looked up at him and smiled. He grinned. “I’ve been wondering what you would taste like since the first time I met you. You’re too intoxicating for my sanity, Bronwyn Reynolds,” he whispered, pressing his forehead to mine.

  I smiled at that. “Bronwyn Johnson. Divorcee, remember?” I teased, drawing little patterns on his sweaty chest with my finger.

  He grinned. “Johnson suits you much better.” His hand moved down to my side before tracing over my tummy.

  I cringed, catching his hand in mine. I hated my body at the best of times, but naked I disgusted myself. Now that I was out of the moment, I suddenly started to feel self-conscious and actually couldn’t believe that I was lying there naked with a man. Especially a man as mouth-wateringly gorgeous as Harrison. I caught the sheets with my feet, tugging them up and quickly using them to cover my body.

  His eyebrows knitted together as his gaze dropped to the sheet I was gripping against my chest. “No use covering it up now, I’ve seen it all,” he teased, taking hold of the edge of the sheet and attempting to push it back down again.

  A blush crept over my face as I held tightly. “Yeah but…” I shook my head, not having the words to explain. He had to know what I was talking about anyway.

  “But what? You’re certainly not a prude, not after how wild you’ve just gotten, you dirty little minx.” He smirked at me, pressing his body against mine. “You’re not a naked post-coital cuddler?”

  I giggled, shaking my head. “Finn was never really into cuddling. Actually, he was never really into me full stop. He’d rather sleep with other girls than me. Prettier ones who don’t have a muffin top or stretch marks from childbirth. I can’t blame him really.” I chewed on my lip, instantly wishing I hadn’t said anything.

  One of his eyebrows rose in question. “The guy cheated on you?” he asked, seeming shocked about it. I nodded, looking away and focusing on the fish that was nervously checking out the shoe that sat at the bottom of its tank. “What a dick!” he grunted. I chuckled and nodded in agreement. “Wait, don’t tell me you’re self-conscious about your body because of that though,” he said, shaking his head in disbelief. I opened my mouth but closed it again when nothing came out. Harrison groaned. “You’re fucked up in the head, Bronwyn. You’re gorgeous. Would I seriously be looking at