Harley and I can’t have sex. It would be mortifying. I’m so not the type of woman Harley sleeps with, and I’m proud of that. I don’t need to be another notch on his proverbial bedpost; that’s for sure. It’d be awkward as hell. I can’t help but laugh at what could have been as I spit and rinse, but just as I’m wiping my mouth with the hand towel, I startle when the door behind me suddenly swings open.

Shielding what I can of my barely dressed self with the tiny hand towel, I turn, swaying unsteadily thanks to all the tequila I’ve consumed, and my eyes bulge at the sight of Harley standing in the doorway.

“What the hell?” I try to yell, but my voice cracks at the end when my traitorous eyes trail down over his naked chest, taking in the tattoos inked into his smooth skin, moving down over the peaks and troughs of his abs to the shadowed V line of his pelvis dipping beneath the low-hanging waist of his boxer briefs. Swallowing hard, I force my eyes back up to his, ready to give him a piece of my mind, but I’m rendered speechless when I find his gaze focused intently on my body, slowly raking up and down my form as if he simply can’t get enough of me. Me. Alice Murphy.

“W-what are you doing?” I stammer, cringing inwardly at my sudden inability to speak with even the slightest semblance of conviction.

Harley rests languidly against the doorjamb, folding his strong arms over his broad chest, which only emphasizes his tattooed biceps. The hint of a smile plays on his lips; a cocky smile that pulls at his dimples, and I actually feel my knees go weak, and again, I blame the tequila.

“Harley?” I press, trying so hard not to give away my breathlessness, but he just continues watching me, his eyes unabashedly taking me in.

I’m fully aware of my mismatched bra and panties, wishing I could go back to when I packed my bag three times for this trip. If I’d known I was going to be standing in front of Harley Shaw with little more than this on, I would have tossed in a lacy thong and matching bra. But I didn’t, and instinctively I pull my gaping shirt together, covering myself as best I can as I continue standing my ground, silently wagering him with a hard look.

Harley chuckles to himself, scratching the back of his neck. For a moment he averts his eyes, looking away, and I can almost see him considering turning away. But then his eyes find mine again and that infuriating smirk falls from his lips the very second his green eyes begin to darken. And suddenly I’m being looked at in a way I’ve never been looked at before, and my heart starts to race almost violently in my chest. I take a step back until I bump into the vanity. Realizing I have nowhere to go, I grip the counter behind me tightly as I stare into his eyes that are so dark they’re almost black.