Hers From The Start: A Collection of First In Series Reverse Harem

by Laura Greenwood

  Kris cleared his throat and turned slightly to face me. “You look beautiful tonight. I mean, not that you don’t every other night, or even day, but tonight, you are more so.” Even in the dark, I swore I could see a faint flush on his cheeks which intrigued me.

  Not knowing what to say as his words didn’t sound like his normal compliments, I stammered out my thanks.

  He leaned a little closer. “You know I’ve always liked you”—I nodded, but I had a sneaking suspicion that again I was missing out on the meaning of his words—“it’s something I’ve struggled with. But, tonight Brad reminded me of something… you’re sixteen which makes you no longer jailbait.”

  My eyes popped open in disbelief. I couldn’t believe what I thought I was hearing. Carefully, I pinched the far side of my thigh to see if I was dreaming. “I-I like you, too. But I thought you thought of me as a sister?”

  His hand reached up to stroke the side of my cheek as he leaned a little closer. “These last two years have been so difficult as I waited for you to become old enough. It was the only way I could be around you. I had to try to think of you like I did Desiree, but it didn’t work. Do you understand what I’m saying?”

  I nodded as his eyes locked onto mine. I wanted to drop them away from his intense gaze, but I couldn’t.

  His face hovered over mine, drawing out the suspense. Was I about to get my first kiss? I almost didn’t want to hope as it had been crushed so many times.

  “Is it all right, if…”

  He brought his face closer until only a feather could have slipped between our lips. Both of his large hands cradled my face within them as if I were a piece of delicate glass. His dark eyes continued to hold mine within their steely grip.

  “…I kiss you?”

  My chin dropped slightly in a nod before his lips brushed against mine. They were soft and warm for the fleeting second that I felt them. My heart clenched. Did I do something wrong?

  But then his lips returned with more pressure and my heart relaxed along with my body. My hands gripped his t-shirt where it rested just above his belt loops as I held on for the sensual ride he introduced me to. My nose filled with his nutmeg and sandalwood scent as his lips slid over mine, learning their very contour.

  His teeth nipped at my bottom lip, sending a bolt of molten lava right down through my core. I marveled at the new sensation as I struggled to breathe between kisses.

  When he pulled away, he rested his forehead against mine as our stuttering breaths fanned over each other. “Wow. I’m not going too fast for you, am I?”

  Shaking my head, I slid my arms around his back until my palms lay flat against his shirt. Tilting my chin up, I initiated the next kiss, trying to prove that this wasn’t too fast.

  I had no experience, but that didn’t mean I was without knowledge. Or at least a tiny bit from having seen others kiss and make out at school. I knew that there was something to do with a tongue, but I wasn’t sure how it went. What I did know was that I had an overwhelming desire to experience what he tasted like.

  With hesitating slowness, I parted my lips enough to allow the tip of my tongue to dart between them until it licked at the seam of his. His lips parted under mine, allowing my tongue to slip in as one of his hands slid down my neck and over my shoulder before continuing its descent to my waist.

  My hands pulled him closer, wanting to feel more of his heat surround me as my tongue mapped out the inside of his mouth, enjoying the taste of strawberries and cream from dessert.

  He was content to let me lead, to take things at my pace, but I didn’t know what that was. My thighs squeezed together at the fluttery sensation that I’d experienced a few times already this summer when I was close to their bodies.

  As my tongue retreated, his followed, taking control of the kiss. His hand slid around to the middle of my back and pushed me closer into his hard chest. The slight strength behind the move had me squirming in my seat, and he broke the kiss. “I’m so sorry, KK. I told myself to take things slow, but then you touch me and I forget my name.”

  The disappointment I felt when his lips left mine fled under those words. “You weren’t moving too fast. It was just…” My eyes dropped to his shoulder as embarrassment rushed through me over what I’d felt.

  The side of his index finger lifted my chin. “What, KK? You can tell me anything.”

  “It was, I guess”—I dropped my eyes unable to look at him—“I kind of liked it.”

  “Me, too,” he whispered before he pulled back a little. “But maybe, we should stop now, as I hear company coming.”

  Once he mentioned it, I, too, could hear the sound of footsteps on the path.

  “Hey, guys…”

  The sound of Ryan’s voice had us both scrambling back into our original positions.

  Ryan’s eyes narrowed as they roamed over the two of us. He opened his mouth to speak but was forestalled by the ringing of Kris’s phone.

  As Kris answered, Ryan sat down on my other side. “It’s beautiful out here isn’t it?”

  “It really is,” I agreed as his hand searched out mine, entwining our fingers together.

  Hanging up his phone, Kris stood and held out his hand to me. “Desiree needs me to pick her up from a party. Can you walk KK home?”

  Ryan agreed as Kris poked the tip of my nose. At first I was hurt, until I noticed the burning intensity in his eyes. “Until tomorrow.”

  I nodded, unable to speak a word as I put my hand in his and allowed him to help me up.

  He squeezed my fingers briefly before letting them go. Spinning on his heels, he headed out before Ryan and me. His long legs allowing him to outdistance us within a few strides.

  About half way back to the house, Ryan veered us onto the path leading to the gate between Aunt Susan’s and his house. Neither one of us spoke, but I could feel his thumb caressing the back of my hand, keeping most of my attention on him and not the first kiss I’d just experienced.

  Reaching the corner of the porch attached to the back of Aunt Susan’s house, Ryan pulled on my arm, spinning me toward him. “Kitkat,” he murmured.

  Tilting my head back to look him in the eyes, his lips landed on mine, nipping and licking until my mouth parted under the onslaught. There was no hesitation on his part, and I happily followed along.

  The taste of spearmint toothpaste exploded in my mouth as the scent of leather with a hint of lavender surrounded me. I melted into his chest, wanting to be closer.

  My hands slid around his neck as my fingers threaded through his hair, holding his head to mine.

  I felt his groan as a rumble through his chest, which set those flutters afire low in my belly. Something was missing, and I didn’t know what it was. But, thankfully, he did.

  His left hand slid around the middle of my back until he gripped my opposite side while his right arm locked itself under my butt. With a barely an exhale, he hoisted my feet off the ground. The move so sudden, a tiny squeak sounded from my lips.

  He chuckled between kisses as his lips left mine only to travel along my cheek and then down to my ear. This was what I was missing. The feel of his body against mine. Each of his breaths moved his body in interesting ways against mine, and I wanted more.

  For the first time that evening, I was grateful for the long slit in my skirt. It allowed my legs to wrap themselves around his waist, bringing the large bulge behind his zipper in contact with the area between my legs that had been set aflame.

  My back hit the porch railing, bringing us into closer contact. The entire universe shrunk to this point, the point where our two bodies met. I bit my lower lip as he ground against me, sending sparks and flames through me. My body shook as I tried to breathe, only making me ignite further.

  The light turned on in Aunt Susan’s kitchen, bringing our kiss to a stop. But Ryan continued to hold me against the porch. “Shit. I’m sorry, Kitkat. I wanted to ask before I kissed you, but one touch from you and I can’t stop. Forgive me?”

 
My mind spun. What was there to forgive? Not that I understood why he kissed me in the first place.

  “Just like this afternoon. It took everything to keep me from kissing you as I spread sunscreen all over your back.” He rested his forehead against mine.

  “I don’t understand. You said I was like a sister and didn’t want to let the other guy put the sunscreen on me.”

  “Of course, I wouldn’t let him put it on you.” He kissed my forehead as he stepped back and allowed my body to slide down his until my feet rested on solid ground. Well, it was supposed to be solid, but my knees still felt like jelly after his kiss, kisses.

  “The only horny teenager who can put their hands on you is me, but I couldn’t fully stake a claim on you without talking to you first.” He batted his eyelashes at me as he made his puppy dog face.

  I chuckled, knowing I had no hope when he looked at me like that. “So, this was talking?” I raised both my eyebrows as I bit on my bottom lip. I would have raised a single eyebrow, but it wasn’t a skill I’d been able to master.

  “Well, we did use our mouths.”

  I swatted his shoulder as I pulled my arms away from his neck.

  “Good night, Kitkat.” He dropped a quick kiss on my lips before backing up until an entire hockey team could fit between us.

  “Night, Ryan.” I waved as I climbed the porch stairs and entered the house.

  It wasn’t until I lay on my bed when I realized what I’d done. I kissed both of them. Now what?

  Chapter Six

  The patio table was set for breakfast when I dropped my butt into the chair. Sweat dripped from my forehead which I wiped up with the back of my hand. I’d barely slept the night before, too busy relieving each moment of my first two kisses—well, really make out sessions. But each remembrance ended with questions about the future. About today. I’d kissed both of them. The same night. And they were best friends. Even now, I worried.

  At least during the night I had been able to turn over, punch my pillow, and focus on the feelings of their lips on mine. I couldn’t exactly do that now. Well, I could, but only the part about reliving the feel of their lips on mine.

  A drop of condensation sparkling on the cold glass of orange juice drew my eye. Aunt Susan must have poured it only moments before. The sight had my throat begging for cool relief. Yet at the same time, the idea of holding that cold glass to my forehead, my cheeks, and even my chest warred within me. Lifting the glass, I licked my lips and my throat won the battle. Besides, I could always hold it to my chest after drinking.

  I smacked my lips in satisfaction. The cold juice refreshed my system as it slid down my throat.

  “Now, there’s a sound I love to hear.”

  The sound of Ryan’s voice had me jumping in my seat. My hands, including the one holding the glass, pushed against my chest, bringing goosebumps to my skin. “Ryan.”

  He sauntered to the base of the patio stairs and leaned against the post. “Don’t even think about wimping out this morning. We need you to push us during our workouts.”

  I dropped my eyes to the bacon and scrambled eggs on my plate, not wanting him to see the unease and conflict in my eyes. If I was being honest, I had been outside from the moment I awoke, hoping that if he couldn’t reach me on Aunt Susan’s phone, he would go to the gym with Kris but without me. I should have realized that my not answering the phone wouldn’t stop him.

  “I, uh—”

  “Don’t even start, Kitkat.”

  “Come on, KK. It’s time to go.”

  My heart took off to the races as Kris voice came closer. From underneath my eyelashes, I could see him leaning against the opposite porch post. Crap. What was I going to do now? I’d kissed both of them. Best friends. I didn’t want to break up their friendship. And the only way I knew to keep it intact was to remove myself from the equation.

  The longer the silence grew, the louder my heart sounded to my own ears. I began to wonder if either Kris or Ryan could hear it as well.

  “I think I know what’s going on here, Rye.”

  My eyes popped up as my lungs stopped functioning. He couldn’t know. And if he did, I didn’t want a ringside seat for the breakup of their friendship. But I couldn’t move. It was like my body was trapped by roots which grew over me, holding me to the chair against my will.

  A single eyebrow on Ryan’s face popped into his hairline. “Ahh. Yes, I could see how that could stop her.”

  My brow wrinkled. What were they talking about?

  “KK, come with us. We want to talk about last night.”

  Panic raced through me. I wanted to flee, but couldn’t move. My heart pounded. Without conscious thought, I found myself gnawing on my bottom lip. I tried not to show what I was feeling, but I didn’t think I succeeded.

  “Kris, do something,” Ryan pleaded.

  Kris bounded up the stairs until he crouched before me. His warm hand cupped my cheek, forcing my eyes to meet his. “Breathe, KK. Please breathe. We know what happened last night, and it isn’t your fault. You did nothing wrong.”

  “Yeah, Kitkat, it was us who made the mistake.”

  I gasped. My heart broke. Of course they made a mistake. The idea of both of them, let alone one of them liking me was so farfetched, it would be classified as a fairy tale. Or maybe a comedy. Either way, a true piece of fiction.

  “Way to go, Rye.” Kris’s thumb swiped away the escaping tear. “He didn’t mean that either of us regretted kissing you. We just went about it the wrong way. We talked last night—something we should have done earlier. Only then should we have explained it all to you.”

  “And then kissed you,” Ryan added with a wink.

  My heart felt like each shattered piece contained a magnetic pull. A pull which worked at bringing them back together. Each word from Kris’s mouth and the teasing tone of Ryan’s voice increased the pull. Could they really mean it? My eyes darted between them, searching for any hint of deceit. Not finding any, my chest relaxed, allowing my lungs to begin to function again.

  Kris held out his hand his other hand. “Come with us. Let us explain what we talked about last night.”

  I didn’t have a choice. Not if I wanted to save this single chance I had. It had to be good news if Kris and Ryan were still talking, still friends. Maybe something good would come of this foolishness?

  Placing my hand in his, I stood. His hand on my cheek remained there, keeping me grounded in him. His lips brushed fleetingly against mine before he dropped his hand and stepped back. “Let’s skip the workout and head somewhere quiet where we can talk.”

  Ryan snapped his fingers. “I know just the spot.” With a large smile on his face, he wrapped his hand around mine ensuring each finger caressed my corresponding one before they entwined. “Let’s go get into the car.” And with that, he nearly jogged to the car, dragging me and Kris behind him.

  Kris steered the car off the road into a small empty gravel parking lot. Clouds of dust stirred into the air as he pulled to a stop. Through a break in the trees, I could see the sun glinting off the Ottawa River.

  “Not too many people come to this lookout point anymore since they closed the water access.” Ryan opened his rear passenger door and exited before I even had my seatbelt undone.

  The door next to me opened. “Let me help with that, Kitkat.” His hand slid across my waist and down to the buckle release, bringing a gasp to my mouth and a heat to my cheeks. I heard the seatbelt pop open and sucked in my breath as he guided the clasp up and over my chest. The tips of his fingers were like feathers brushing against me.

  “Rye,” Kris all but growled the word in warning as Ryan’s eyes danced merrily and a smirk grew on his lips.

  I wanted to laugh, but I couldn’t. Not until I understood what was going on. Kris had sounded happy earlier, but now I wasn’t so sure. Biting my lip, I hesitantly placed my hand in Ryan’s as he helped me from the car.

  He worked his fingers through mine as he closed the door behind me.
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br />   The sound of the trunk slamming had me looking over my shoulder. Kris emerged from behind his car with a folded blanket in his hand. He snagged my hand as he passed by, leading us down the path toward the sound of the water.

  “Kris, were you ever a Boy Scout?”

  He glanced over his shoulder at me with a quizzical look. “No. Why?”

  “You’re always so prepared.” I dropped my gaze to the blanket. “Or did you have this impromptu outing already set up and that’s why you had the blanket?”

  His eyes clouded over as he licked his lips. I could see the wheels turning in his head as he wondered how to answer my question. Suddenly, I had a feeling I asked something wrong.

  But before he could answer, we broke through the trees in an open grassy area about ten feet above the water. Ryan rubbed his gurgling stomach. “If we truly planned this outing, we would have remembered to grab some food and drinks. I’m hungry.”

  Kris laughed, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “Well”—he tossed Ryan the car keys—“after we talk, you can go pick us up some things. I think this might be the perfect spot to spend a few hours.”

  Dropping both their hands, I stepped forward. The sounds of the rushing water crashing against the rocks and the blue sky dotted with wispy white clouds eased some of the tension from my shoulders. Breathing deep, my nose filled with the scents of the wild flowers and grass at my feet. While I worried having an unpleasant conversation in such a picturesque place would ruin the experience, I couldn’t help but let the beauty of the spot fill me with hope.

  Turning to face them both, I grinned from ear to ear. “I agree. This spot is beautiful. Water would make it perfect, but we would have to deal with all the people.” I dropped my eyes to the ground, but peered up at them through my lashes. “And I kind of like it being just the three of us.” I turned quickly to hide the redness I was sure was creeping up my cheeks.

  I stared out over the water as my nerves got the best of me. Chewing on my bottom lip, I wondered what it was that they were going to say. They said they didn’t regret kissing me, but what if that had been all an act? Maybe I was just a nearby body at a time they felt horny? I was nothing in comparison to the girls they had fawning over them at the pool, and the prettiest ones weren’t even there yesterday.