I sank into my seat and glared out the window.

Just before takeoff, a stunning woman with long black hair and penetrating blue eyes slipped into the seat next to me. She smelt like jasmine and offered me a sparkling smile. She was pure Vegas and definitely my type.

Or at least, my type-right-now.

Our flight was delayed fifty minutes but thankfully the flight attendant brought around the drinks trolley because the air conditioning was playing up and it was getting hot and stuffy. I bought myself and the girl next to me a drink, followed by several more. I knew I shouldn’t. I did dumb shit on alcohol. But seeing my girl in the arms of her ex-boyfriend made for a good excuse to break the rules. I was going to do my best to drink the visions of her with her ex out of my head.

With so much time to kill during the delay, and a few bourbons mixed in, there was a lot of flirting and inappropriate innuendo and banter back and forth with the girl next to me. At one stage she even rested her hand on my thigh and gave me a seductive wink.

By the time we took off, I was on my way to being numb drunk. Fifteen minutes later, my co-passenger and I were becoming a part of the exclusive mile high club in the first class toilet cubicle to the front of the plane. She straddled me with her long legs and climbed on top of the erection she had so expertly rolled a condom onto.

Bourbon swirled in me as her tongue filled my mouth and I filled her. With an unrestrained moan, she sank onto me, her hands holding my face as she kissed me, moaning into my mouth.

Anger erupted inside of me, restless and prickly, swirling and mixing with the bourbon. In my alcohol soaked mind this was revenge on Harlow for ditching me for that asshole. I didn’t need her. I could have any woman I wanted.

If she wanted to be with someone else, then so the fuck what?

Wasn’t this proof that I didn’t need her?

I ripped open the girl’s shirt, popping buttons along the way. Her big, beautiful breasts spilled free and I buried my face in them as she continued to ride me. My tongue found a nipple and she sighed, moaning as she rocked against me, grinding herself and sucking me deeply into her.

It was frenzied and sticky. The cubicle was small, cramped and hotter than hell. She rode me like an expert, sliding up the length of me and plunging back down to the hilt. I grabbed her legs and pulled her hard against me, pumping into her, trying to reach that moment of purity where my mind would only feel pleasure.

“I’m going to come … oh baby, I’m—” she cried out with her orgasm and I followed moments later, pumping into her angrily, blinded by the pleasure of my climax and the rage it collided with.

My heart thundered with unrestrained fury but even in that moment of blinding, angry pleasure, all I could see was Harlow in Colton’s arms. I gritted my teeth and squeezed my eyes closed tighter, a guttural, agonized growl erupting from deep within me.

When we stilled my co-passenger looked down at me with her sultry eyes and smiled seductively. “Now that’s one way to pass the time,” she said, breathlessly. She shook her long hair out behind her and gave me a long hot kiss.

Thankfully she didn’t seem intent on hanging around. She climbed off me, replaced her thong and straightened her skirt. Then she shot me another sexy look, licked her lips and winked at me, and disappeared out the door.

I took a moment to think. Bourbon spun around in my head, making me hazy, although, it wasn’t enough to dull the ache in my chest or erase the realization that Harlow had picked that douche bag over me.

A quick glance in the mirror prompted me to smooth down my ruffled hair with my hands and without warning my face crumpled. I covered my eyes and held back a flood of emotion rising behind my usually unreadable face. I sucked in a deep breath. Jesus! I needed more alcohol or I was going to start crying.

Fighting off the pain and the tears, I mentally sought out the anger. If I could stay angry, I would be okay.

Back in my seat, I caught the drinks trolley again and threw back another bourbon. The girl—whose name I couldn’t remember—was thankfully not clingy or a talker. For the rest of the flight she spared me the unwanted small talk and after we landed she simply handed me her business card and said, “Maybe next time I can buy you a drink.”

It was late afternoon when I left the airport and despite being tanked, stopped at the bar in the hotel lobby for another round. I just wanted the pain to go away so I put away several more bourbons, and by the time I made it back my room I was fall down drunk.

I called Armie and left some ridiculously garbled message about not being able to make it to the meet and greet. Then letting my phone drop to the floor, I fell onto the bed and passed out.

It hurt less this way.

* * * * *

HARLOW

My plane landed in Vegas just after seven. With only an overnight bag I jumped straight into a cab out the front of the airport.

Earlier I had spoken to Piper and she’d told me where the guys were staying. As far as she knew, Heath was in his room, sleeping off a hangover that had kept him from some kind of publicity commitment. That explained why I hadn’t heard from him.

That, and he was probably still pissed at me.

It was getting dark when arrived at the hotel and the sky was a deep sapphire. The cab parked beside a row of palm trees and I was suddenly overcome with butterflies in my stomach, wondering if I had done the right thing in showing up unannounced.

I followed Piper’s instructions and took the elevator to Heath’s room and knocked on his door. When there was no answer I knocked again.

Again, there was no answer and I wondered if he had gone out, and what I was going to do until he came back.

Just as I was about to turn and walk away, the door cracked open and Heath’s rumpled face appeared in the doorway.

He didn’t say anything when he saw me but his brows pulled into a frown. I swallowed hard and my heart was stopped by the cold look on his face. He was still pissed at me.

“Hey … surprise,” I said quietly, instantly afraid I’d done the wrong thing in coming.

“Harlow.” His tone made my stomach churn.

Was he annoyed at me for turning up unannounced? Or was he still angry from our argument?

Oh God, did he have a girl in there with him?

“Are you okay?” I asked, suddenly feeling sick. “Do you want me to go?”

His sleepy eyes darkened. “Sorry, I just woke up.”

Pushing open the door he stepped aside for me to enter. The room was dark except for a light coming from the bathroom. Across the room the bed was made but I could see the dent from his body on top of the quilt.

Once he had closed the door behind us, I dropped my bag on the floor and put my arms around him. His familiar warmth was comforting and even though he hesitated when my lips found his, they soon parted and tangled with mine in a deep kiss. Strong arms came around me to pull me against him. He squeezed me tight and then let me go.

“I’m sorry about the argument,” I said. “I should’ve put you first and I’m sorry that I didn’t.”

“Harlow …” he went to say something, but stopped.

He moved away and sat on the bed, and I felt the cold trickle of foreboding in my veins.

Something was wrong.

Something big stood between us.

Something I couldn’t see but I could definitely feel.

“Heath?”

Unsure of what was going on I sat next to him. But the unseen presence between us was unnerving. I turned his head to look at me but he pulled away and abruptly stood up, walking towards the bathroom.

I felt the sting of his rejection but worse, I felt the rising anxiety that things were about to fall apart.

“What’s going on with you? Do you want me to leave?”