Playing Favorites: A Reverse Harem Romance Read online

  “You’re rich, then,” Donnell said. He made it sound like an accusation. I saw Kelsey get more upset.

  “Stop it, Donnell,” I said tightly. “So what if Kelsey’s rich? That’s her business.”

  Donnell looked at me and her, and then he just laughed.

  “Hell, Grayson,” he said.

  “What?” I growled.

  Heath reached over and put a hand on mine.

  “Calm down,” he said.

  I tensed. I didn’t want to jerk my hand away—I didn’t want to offend Heath like that, when he was just being reasonable. I also didn’t want to start a fight. Donnell was just sitting with a bland expression on his face, like he dared me to make his day and fight him. I let out a long sigh.

  “Okay,” I said.

  Kelsey was looking at me with wide eyes. I had no idea what that look meant—whether she was mad at me or ashamed of me or something else. I sighed.

  “Oh, look,” Donnell said. “There’s Clarke.”

  I turned. Indeed, there he was. In a crisp shirt with a big smile, Clarke came over to join us. He greeted Heath, then looked to his right, where Kelsey sat. She was between Heath and me, across from Donnell and the seat where Clarke would sit.

  “Oh! We have a visitor,” he said. He held out a hand, his grin broadening as he took in Kelsey’s evident beauty. Again I wanted to spit. It was silly—why was I acting all possessive? I hardly knew her!

  “Hi,” he said. “I’m Clarke Bradford. Brother of all these guys.”

  We all laughed. Kelsey smiled.

  “Kelsey Fulton,” she said. “Glad to meet you.”

  Clarke sat down opposite her. “Well, I want to ask where these guys managed to meet you,” Clarke said with a white-toothed grin. “But I guess the story must be quite complicated.”

  We all laughed.

  Kelsey smiled at him. “Well, actually, we met in the street just there,” she said. She turned and smiled at Heath. “I’m quite glad we did too.”

  He smiled back, a special smile. “Good,” he said.

  I finished my drink. I looked around for the waiter, desperately wanting another one. I waved to him and when I ordered my next drink, everyone else did too.

  When we’d all finished those, we ordered another one.

  Kelsey was laughing at some story Heath was telling her and I was feeling more morose by the second. The moment the waiter brought my next glass I drank it—going way too fast. I felt it go straight to my head and wished it hadn’t. The last thing I needed was to be drunk as well as behaving all resentful.

  “Grayson?” Heath said. His voice cut through the fog in my skull.

  “Yeah?”

  “Kelsey here was just asking me something,” he said.

  “Oh?” I frowned. I focused on Kelsey. She was looking a little out of it.

  “Well, I was asking if all of you are single,” she said. She blushed red.

  I went red too. I nodded.

  “Well, you could say that. Heath’s been single for ages. Donnell too. Clarke?”

  “You know I am,” Clarke said flippantly. I did know, but I was never sure with Clarke, as it seemed like half the girls in the office were flirting with him at any one time.

  “And you?” Kelsey asked.

  I nodded. “Yes.”

  She smiled. “That’s a surprise,” she said. She laughed. “I mean, you’re all good looking.”

  I felt my heart clench. “Really?” I frowned. “I mean, thanks.”

  She laughed. “Yes,” she said.

  She whispered something to Heath and his smile broadened. I felt that strange sick feeling. They seemed to be getting on really well together.

  They were getting on well—very well. In fact, I wasn’t that surprised when they left the club together. Jealous, yes. But not surprised.

  I saw Donnell looking after then and felt a twinge of alarm. If I was jealous, so, it seemed, was he.

  2

  Kelsey

  I clung onto the massively strong arm that clenched round me to support me as we walked down the steps.

  I knew I was a little under the weather, but the cool night air was sobering me up as we walked down toward the car.

  “Kelsey,” Heath said in a soft, baritone voice that melted something in my insides, “you’re sure, right?”

  I looked into his eyes. They were brown and stunning and serious.

  “Yes,” I said. “I really am.”

  He frowned, then the frown cleared to a look of relief. “Good,” he said. “That’s good.”

  I laughed. “It is too.”

  He smiled. We were standing near his car—an Audi, to judge from the insignia on the front. I leaned in and breathed in the scent of him. My blood pounded faster.

  “It is good,” he murmured. He moved closer and my lips parted as his moved firmly down over mine.

  I gasped as his tongue flicked in between my lips, probing and tasting them. I sighed and leaned against his chest, letting him draw me into his embrace. His mouth tasted sweet and I could feel his hard, toned body pressing firmly on mine as he drew me against him. I sighed and pressed into him, and was surprised when he tensed.

  “Hey, Heath,” a voice I knew said.

  “Donnell,” Heath said. His voice was flat and sounded dangerous.

  “You’re always the lucky one, eh?” he called. I tensed again and felt him draw me closer. I looked over at Donnell, where he stood in the car park. He had a smile on his face, but his eyes were hard. And sad. I saw him look at me with a look of deep longing. It moved me.

  “I know that I’m lucky,” Heath said in a low voice. “And that’s why I’m not going to do anything to spoil that luck.”

  His voice was tight and I felt the warning in it. He tensed his grip on me and then let me go as I gasped.

  “Sorry,” he said.

  “It’s okay,” I said. I looked over at Donnell. He smiled at me, without rancor. He seemed to be forgiving me for choosing his brother. Any vestige of alcohol seemed to leave my blood at that point, and I felt more sober. I looked up at Heath.

  Stunning, square jaw, pale hair and those compelling, kind brown eyes. His arms were so comforting and I could feel the hardness of his chest press into me. I felt my insides heat up and I knew I did still want him.

  He looked down into my eyes.

  “Shall we go?” he asked gently. “Only if you want.”

  I nodded. “Let’s go.”

  He opened the door for me and we drove away.

  “Donnell seemed mad,” I said. I saw his jaw clench.

  “Donnell’s like that,” he said stiffly. “Forget about him.”

  I sighed. “I’ll try.”

  It became somewhat easier to forget about him when we stopped and Heath leaned over toward me.

  “You’re so beautiful,” he breathed. He looked into my eyes and kissed my lips. I felt my insides throb.

  “You’re not bad either,” I said. He chuckled. He had a great smile.

  “Thanks,” he said.

  We started off again. His hand stayed on my knee, reaching up under my skirt. I felt my body start to ache with the familiar sense of need. His fingers stroked the soft skin of my thigh and I knew that I had to have him.

  He stopped.

  “Time to get out,” he said. “Here we are.”

  “Oh?” I stared out at the towering, stylishly finished apartment block. Modern and well built, with a smart iron fence around it, the place suggested Heath’s business was doing very well.

  “Shall we go?” he said. He had got out and held my door open. I smiled at him.

  “Yes. Let’s.”

  We walked together into the apartment block.

  I felt my insides heat up as he drew me against him, his hands clenching my buttocks as we kissed in the stairwell. I felt him grab my butt and draw me against him and I knew I wanted him badly.

  “Come on,” he said. His voice was thick with longing and it seemed as if he wanted me
too. We went to the lift together.

  “I’m on the fourth floor,” he said, drawing me into his embrace. I sighed and we kissed, his tongue teasing mine, sliding and gliding over it as he drew me close. It felt so good in my mouth, pushing and probing me.

  We reached his apartment and as soon as he’d let me in we kissed again. He drew me against him and I rubbed my body against his, relishing the lean hardness of him. He gasped.

  “You’re so sexy when you do that,” he murmured.

  I sighed and drew him against me, feeling the need to have him inside me. I wanted him so badly, the longing heating up every part of my body.

  He crushed me to him and I felt his arms lift me as if I was nothing and draw me into the bedroom.

  I sighed and let him draw me down onto the bed.

  “Baby,” he murmured.

  I smiled. He was sitting on the bed beside me, where I leaned back against the wall behind the bed. I felt so good, feeling his eyes linger on me. He leaned closer. I could smell the spicy scent of him and his hands were slowly stroking up my chest to find the fastening of my dress. I let him draw it down over my shoulders. He leaned back, looking at me.

  “You’re so beautiful,” he said again. I felt my body flush under his gaze.

  I could feel his eyes devouring me. I had never been shy of being stared at and he stared at every inch of me. His eyes traveled from my neck to my breasts, down my tummy and to my thighs. They lingered there, then moved up in slow reverse order. He reached lower, hooking his finger into my panties.

  He drew them down and off, and then carefully unclasped my bra. I closed my eyes as he kissed my breasts, drawing the nipple of my right breast into his mouth.

  His tongue worked magic, teasing my nipple in a way that made me want to sob aloud. His hand slid down between my thighs and he paused, as if waiting for me to object or encourage.

  “Yes,” I murmured. “Oh yes.”

  His hand slid between my thighs.

  I closed my eyes as he worked my clit. He drew it out between finger and thumb, rubbing and rolling it in a way that was so sweet I almost came. I started gasping.

  “I want you,” I murmured.

  “Oh?” he teased. He did the same thing again, making me gasp.

  “I do,” I said.

  When he stood up, he started undressing with lightning speed, the shirt coming off over his head, then the jeans. I stared at the muscles gleaming in the dimmed light.

  “You work out?” I said with a smile.

  “Yeah,” he nodded. “Thanks.”

  I smiled, letting my eyes devour his body too, for a moment. He was so stunning—I could barely believe I was seeing him. I was used to built men—after all, I’d gone through footballers like fashionistas go through tights. But I had never seen a guy who had such appeal.

  He sat down beside me on the bed and reached for me, drawing me toward him. He leaned against me. His body pushed down onto mine hard as he kissed me, a hungry, urgent kiss.

  He slid between my thighs and I gasped as he knelt up and played his cock across the entrance to my wet space. He was teasing me, letting its thick, warm presence slide across my clit in a way that made me want to cry with pleasure.

  “I want you,” I murmured, doing my best to keep my voice level. He gasped.

  “I want you,” he said. He slid into me.

  I let out a cry as he filled me, thrusting far into me in a way that felt entirely new. He was big, but it wasn’t painful—instead, he drew out and pushed back in a way that rubbed on a delicious spot inside me, making me want him more and more.

  I drew him into me, wrapping my legs round him as he drew out and pushed in. He reached down and touched me as he pushed in again and I closed my eyes, feeling my body start to throb. I was shaking, so close to climaxing that I could barely believe it. I felt him thrust in and pull out, thrust in and pull out and I felt my body start to ache and shudder and I felt myself getting closer.

  I cried out as I came. The feeling was so intense that I couldn’t hold it back. It was almost painful it was so wonderful.

  He still moved inside me, pushing and pushing and pushing. Then he cried out too.

  He collapsed against me.

  I sighed and held him and felt my body cool and my mind return from that far place where passion had taken me.

  He rolled off me and we lay there, gasping and breathless.

  “Oh, baby,” he said. His eyes stared into mine. “That was amazing.”

  I smiled. “It was.”

  He lay there and we must both have fallen asleep, because the next thing I knew he was standing.

  “I’m just going to clean up,” he said.

  I nodded. “Okay.”

  While he was in the bathroom, I found my mind wandering to the evening before. I hadn’t been so drunk I couldn’t remember everything that happened—I recalled the way Grayson had defended me, which was sweet and brotherly. And Donnell’s eyes.

  I sighed. I felt bad. I supposed I had been interested in him initially—at least, I’d chatted to him quite a lot. I wondered if I’d made him think I was interested. I had been. I just liked Heath more.

  “Baby?” he whispered as he sat down beside me on the bed.

  I sighed and let him draw me into his arms and I forgot, in that moment, about everyone else.

  He kissed me, his lips full and soft on mine as he gently nibbled at my mouth and then pushed his tongue inside. I sighed and felt his arms draw me in, holding me close. I could feel myself start to get aroused again as he stroked his hand down my back. I stroked his back, feeling the lean hard muscle underneath my hands. It excited me.

  I felt my thighs part under him and he smiled and reached down between my legs again. I laughed and rolled onto my front.

  “That way?” he frowned.

  “Yes,” I whispered. It was my favorite way—it feels completely different, I always find. I heard him chuckle as he slid round to behind me.

  “If you want,” he said.

  “I do.”

  He stroked my wet folds and I gasped as he drew me up to kneeling, then leaned in and put his mouth to my folds. I cried out as he licked their dampness, sliding his tongue up and down, wriggling it in between to find my clit. I gasped as he sucked it gently. It felt as if fire shot through my nerves, making my brain ignite.

  I sobbed with pleasure. I had lost all sense of everything. I was kneeling for him as he parted my folds and licked them and sucked them and touched them.

  His gasp echoed my own as I felt my body erupt in chills. I was so close to climax then it was almost unbearable.

  “Can I enter?” he whispered, moving back a little.

  “Yes,” I murmured. “Yes. Yes.”

  I felt the bed shift as he knelt up and then he was filling me up.

  I gasped and moved my hips so that the head of his cock found that throbbing place inside me.

  He moved back and pushed in and pulled out. I was gasping as he rubbed that place inside me, gasping and shivering and moving back to meet his movements as he filled me up so tight, pressing and pushing and pulsing.

  I screamed as I came.

  He kept on moving and I pushed back into him, matching thrust for thrust as he throbbed and pushed into me.

  He collapsed onto me, sighing, and I knew he came.

  I felt my own body collapse onto the bed, and I smiled as he lay down beside me, his body close to mine. He held me in his arms, and I felt sweet release.

  It was only when I woke up the next morning and showered, then dressed in the clothes from the night before, that I recalled Donnell and Grayson and Clarke and felt bad.

  I was glad I had chosen Heath, but I couldn’t help a sneaking sense of guilt at not having chosen one of them.

  Especially Donnell.

  3

  Kelsey

  I called a cab and took a drive back home. When I reached it, I stood in the drive and looked up at the vast, ornamented front door. I felt a bit hesi
tant.

  I wondered if Dad was back.

  “It’s Saturday, Kell,” I told myself impatiently. Of course he was back.

  I sighed and stretched, trying to convince myself into going up the stairs. My body still felt wonderful and I smiled to myself as I thought about the morning. We’d woken, had sex again and then showered and left. I still felt deliciously bruised.

  I was walking up the stairs to my room when Rochelle called me.

  “Morning, Miss Fulton.”

  “Morning, Rochelle,” I called. “Is Dad in?”

  “He’s in the study,” she said. She was in the doorway leading to the kitchen. “I just took him coffee.”

  I looked at my watch, noting it was nine A.M. “Oh,” I smiled. He always had coffee in his office at nine on a Saturday. Might as well not wear a watch. I don’t need one with Dad around.

  I smiled and tiptoed past his office.

  “Kelsey?” Dad called. “You going for breakfast?”

  My stomach twitched. I was really hungry. I nodded, hiding a smile at the thought of how ravenously hungry sex made me.

  “Yeah.”

  “Good,” he called.

  “A full breakfast? I’m starving,”

  I was also wearing the same clothes I had worn yesterday, but I was fairly sure he wouldn’t notice that.

  “Well?” he said, smiling at me. His eyes were blue—the only major difference between our faces besides the thinner lips.

  “Well?” I asked. I couldn’t help grinning back. His one brow was raised and it felt as if he was teasing me. “What?”

  “Well? You settling in?” he asked.

  “Yes, I am!” I said with a big grin. “I am so pleased to be home!”

  I had hardly seen him since he met me at the airport. I gave him a hug, noting, as I had at the airport, that he seemed to have shrunk. I guess he was over sixty now, and it scared me to think that he was starting to age a little.

  “Let’s eat. You need fattening up,” I teased.

  “Kelsey,” he smiled. “It’s so good to have you home.”

  My heart twisted as I followed him up the stairs to the small room at the top of the house where we’d always eaten breakfast. It had a terrace that caught the sunshine this time of day. I sighed and settled into the chair opposite.