My Salvation: A Contemporary Reverse Harem Romance

by Stella Brie

  “I’m the chef. I didn’t cook it tonight, but it is my recipe. So, although we’re already going on a date, I’ll gladly take a kiss tonight for dinner.” His eyes move to my lips as I lick them clean.

  I stare at him for a second. “Why are we going to a restaurant for our date if you can cook this good?”

  He looks down for a second before leaning over the bar to murmur, “Honestly? I’m not sure I could keep my hands off you if we were alone in your apartment or my house. Dinner out will let us get to know each other better and help you feel more relaxed.”

  Looking into his green eyes, I think about it for a second. He’s right. I’m intensely attracted to this man, but I’m not ready to take it to the next level. Reining in my thoughts, I look at him and agree.

  “You’re right. Our first date should be out in public. If the first date goes well, we’ll see where the second date happens,” I tease him.

  His eyes darken, as if he is thinking of the possibilities, then someone calls out his name. Lev goes to deal with an issue in the kitchen, so I finish the meal. Groaning, I hold my stomach for a second. I definitely ate too much, but damn, that was worth it. As he comes back, I ask him for the bill.

  “It’s on the house.”

  “No, please don’t. This isn’t a date. I’d like to pay for my own meal,” I explain.

  He studies the look of determination on my face and realizes this is important to me. Going over to the register, he prints out a bill and sets it down.

  “Thank you,” I say quietly as I give him my card.

  He charges my card, hands it back to me, and I sign it. Grabbing his hand, I crook my finger at him, asking him to get closer. He leans over the bar, and I give him a soft kiss on the cheek.

  “Thank you for dinner,” I tell him huskily. “The meal was delicious. I can’t wait for our date.” I get up and walk out the door.

  CHAPTER 8

  KATE

  “Emergency!” I shriek to Sarah Thursday afternoon as we finish with our last patient of the day. The rest of the staff has already left, but Sarah and I always stay later and prep the practice for the next day.

  “What’s up? Did someone call for a walk-in?” she drawls as she walks around the corner.

  “Fashion emergency. I have a date tomorrow night, and I don’t know what to wear. I haven’t even gone on a date in the last ten years, and I’m seriously nervous. Do you have some time tonight or tomorrow at lunch to look through my closet and help me?”

  She looks shocked. “Ten years? Seriously? One day soon, we will have to go out and have a girls’ night so you can explain to me how someone as beautiful as you has not had a date in TEN YEARS?!”

  “Long story, filled with love and hate, and honestly, I’m tired of living that same old story. One day, I will tell you. Not today. Anyway, can you please help me?” Begging, I try to bribe her. “I will feed you, give you wine, or whatever you need.”

  “Deal. Food and wine. Lucky for you, I come cheap.”

  Picking up my phone, I search and find a Thai place nearby. “How about that Thai place down the street? Is that good?”

  “Jasmine’s great. I’ll have Pad Kee Mao with shrimp, please.”

  “That’s my favorite, too. I’ll get two orders and some dumplings.” I call in the order. “I’ve got plenty of superb wine at my place. I think Lev stocked it, and he’s got damn good taste.”

  Sarah finalizes her reports. When I finish, we wrap up the prep for tomorrow and head to my apartment.

  Walking in, she looks around in amazement. “This is gorgeous!” she exclaims. “I knew there was an apartment up here, but I thought it was like a plain old bachelor pad, not this gorgeous place. I’m soooo jealous. Do you mind if I look around?”

  Waving my hand, I motion for her to go ahead. “Do you want red or white?”

  “I’ll have white please. Is there a Sauvignon Blanc or something ‘tarty?’” Sarah asks.

  “Tarty.”

  I laugh as I pour each of us a glass of Sauvignon Blanc. It’s from Chile, and while my favorites are usually from New Zealand, I pick this one to try. Lev’s picks have been spot-on. He must get a lot of samples from his vendors. Taking a sip, I moan in appreciation.

  Hmm...crisp and only slightly ‘tarty.’ It’s perfect.

  I get a text on my phone, saying the delivery guy is downstairs, so I grab cash for a tip and head down. As I head back up with the food, I take a big whiff. It’s been a long time since I had good Thai, and it smells fantastic. Setting the food on the table, I grab our wine, a dish for the soy sauce, and some napkins.

  Sarah returns from her tour. “This place is incredible. It gives me so many ideas for redecorating my place. Hmm, that smells so good.”

  “Do you need silverware? Or do you use chopsticks?” I inquire as I set down the napkins.

  She picks up a pair of chopsticks and opens the pack. “Chopsticks work for me.”

  “Me, too.” I set her carton in front of her and the dumplings in the middle of the table. Dumping out the soy sauce into a little dish, I set that by the dumplings.

  I dive into the Pad Kee Mao. “Wow, this is probably the best Thai I’ve had outside of San Francisco.” Moaning, I finish my first bite.

  “Did you live in San Francisco long?” she asks as she picks up her wine and takes a drink. “Hmm, you were right. This wine is delish!”

  “Yeah, every wine I’ve tried so far has been fantastic. I will have to have Lev help me replenish his stash here.” I contemplate answering the first question. “I went to Stanford Medical School, and when I graduated, I ended up settling in San Francisco for my residency and my first job. I was there for about seven years.”

  Sarah’s eyebrows raise. “Stanford, wow. That’s a fantastic medical school. I can’t even imagine.”

  “It was definitely my dream. Thankfully, I got a scholarship, or I never could have afforded it.” I change the subject before we get too deep into the past. “So, tell me how long you have known Lev?”

  “Lev? OMG, you didn’t tell me your date is with Lev? Yummy.” She fans herself. “Spill.”

  Head buzzing, my worries spill from my brain. “That man is definitely the poster guy for sexy and hot. He asked me out for dinner tomorrow night. Well, first he asked me on a date to a winery, but then we decided it would be better for our first date to be just dinner so we could get to know each other. He seems to date a lot, though, and I’m worried he’s a playboy.”

  “He’s not, from what I hear around town. He dates, but he is not a heartbreaker. He is incredibly fun and an overall good guy,” she reassures me. “He moved here with Shaw, Lowell, and Thayer about three years ago, when they all got out of the Army. Well, Shaw was from Lockeland Valley, so I guess he just moved back, and they came with him.”

  “Thayer?”

  “Sorry, Dr. Bradford’s first name is Thayer,” she explains. “Shaw shocked us when he moved back. We went to high school together. He was three years ahead of me and outside my circles. Captain of the football team, All-American, dated the head cheerleader, straight-A student...basically, the town’s hero. We all thought he would go off to college and have a big football career, but after high school, he joined the Army, and we didn’t see him much for the next fourteen years. When he came back, Lev, Lowell, and Thayer came with him, and they all moved into Shaw’s family ranch together. They are all four outstanding men. They date, they have fun, but honestly, I’ve never heard anyone speak badly about any of them.”

  “They all live together? I remember you telling me that before, but I must have forgotten. That seems odd for four grown men.”

  Shrugging, she says, “I don’t know why. It’s a huge ranch with a lot of land, the house itself has ten bedrooms, so it’s not like they can’t all have their own rooms. Wait until you go out there. It’s incredible. Shaw’s family ran a large operation, and he inherited all of it when his dad died. We used to go to pool parties at his house when we were in high scho
ol, and they were a blast. Now, back to Lev. You said dinner?”

  “Yep. He said we were going to Helena. I don’t know what to wear. If we were in San Francisco, I’d probably throw on an LBD. I wasn’t sure if that was a good idea here? Also, I don’t know. I kind of want to wow his socks off, and I don’t know if my usual safe choice would make much of an impact.”

  “OK,” Sarah exclaims, throwing down her napkin, “Let’s go find a va-va-voom outfit to knock that man’s socks off.”

  Giggling, I put down my chopsticks and stand up. “Let’s go look in my closet and see if this mythical outfit exists.”

  Down the hall, I pull open the doors to my closet and stand back for her to dig through it.

  “Hmm, OK. Your clothes are more geared to conservative style instead of hot dates. I think we can work with some of the items, though.” She thinks for a moment. “It’s still kind of cold out. That narrows it down to a dress and boots or pants,” she says as she starts pulling a few things out of the closet. Motioning me to get up, she lays four outfits on the bed. A dark green sweater dress, a pair of tight-fitting black pants with a blazer and a red bodysuit top, dark jeans with a dressy burgundy blouse, and a black wrap dress. “These are all good contenders. Try them on, and we’ll give them a rating and see which one works.”

  I grab the black wrap dress, change, and parade in front of her.

  “I give it a six. Nice dress but doesn’t say date, much less sexy. Next!” she demands.

  I put on the dark jeans and burgundy blouse next.

  “Hmm, keep this one in mind for your winery date. Gorgeous, but not for your first date,” she suggests.

  I agree and put on the dark green sweater dress. It has a deep vee that shows off my breasts, skims closely to my body, and ends mid-thigh. Walking out, I turn in a circle.

  “Wow. Ten out of ten. Who knew you were hiding that body in your scrubs? This is definitely a sexy date night dress. Do you want to try on the last outfit or go with this one?” she says as she holds up the last outfit.

  I think about it for a second. I love the red bodysuit, but I’m going to hold off. Shaking my head no, I tell her, “It doesn’t really feel like it’s meant for a date with Lev. Lowell, maybe, but not Lev.” My eyes widen as I hear what I just said. “I mean, if I was having a date with Lowell, but I’m not.”

  She stares at me for a second, then bursts out laughing. “You have a thing for Lowell, too? Damn, girl.”

  Blushing, I groan and throw up my hands. “I do. It’s so weird. I haven’t dated anyone in years, and now I like two men...I mean, seriously?! What are the freaking odds? I can’t help it, though. Lev is hot, but it’s more than his physical appearance. He exudes this incredible warmth and sense of adventure. Lowell is definitely good-looking, but cool and restrained. More than that, his mind intrigues me. I don’t have a date with Lowell, though. I have a date with Lev. So, let’s go with the sweater dress.”

  “It’s OK to date more than one person, you know. I can see you with both of them. They each bring out a different side of you. Lowell is probably more like your own personality, and Lev is a bit of an opposite.” She shrugs. “Don’t sweat it. Go out with Lev, and see what happens.”

  Thinking about it for a second, I have to agree. It’s a date. “We’re not exclusive. I get it. But I want to be cognizant of the fact that they are friends. I don’t think I’d want the man I’m dating to also be dating my best friend, and I can’t imagine they would want to date the same woman.”

  “You’d be surprised,” she murmured. “OK, so that’s the dress. You have the knee-high black heeled boots to pair with it. I’d add some dangly gold earrings and a long necklace. Done!”

  “Phew, thanks so much.” As she stands up, I hug her. “I really appreciate it. Thanks for the advice, and the background info.”

  Sarah yawns as she walks to the front door. “Always. That’s what friends are for, right? OK, I’m out of here. Thanks for dinner and the wine. We’ll definitely have to plan a proper girls’ night out soon.”

  TURNING MY HEAD TO the left, then to the right, I scrutinize my make-up. My green eyes pop, while the rest of my make-up is more neutral. Since the dress is green, I played up my eyes to emphasize their color. Slipping into the bedroom, I put on the dress, my boots, and the jewelry. Looking into the full-length wall mirror, I love how I look. The dress and boots emphasize my long legs, and the dress overall makes my curves stand out more than usual. I feel sexy. Going over to the dresser again, I add a spritz of perfume. Hearing a knock on the door, I grab my clutch and head out.

  I open the door. Stunned, I take in Lev’s black jeans and black button down with a dark grey blazer. The man looks like sin incarnate. As my eyes travel from his feet to his face, it hits me that I’m going on a date with this hunk of man. In the past, I’ve always gone for the boy-next-door type of guy. Not tall, dark, and hunky.

  Humming, I finish my perusal of his body and look into his eyes. I notice they seem darker than usual.

  “You’re so damn beautiful.” He steps inside, while his eyes take in my outfit. He steps up close to me and inhales. “And you smell as good as you look.” He chuckles. “It’s a good thing we’re going out to dinner tonight. I don’t think I’d last long without kissing and holding you.” He grabs my hand and holds it to his chest so I can feel his truth in the rapid beat of his heart.

  Sucking in my breath, I hold my hand there and look up at him.

  “Breathe,” he commands me. He holds my cheek as I exhale. I hadn’t even realized I’d been holding my breath.

  Pulling in my lower lip for a second, I regroup before responding, “I didn’t realize I was holding my breath. You look handsome yourself.” Well, that was kind of lame, but damn, this man packs a punch.

  Still holding my hand, he pulls me out the door. “Thank you, sweetheart. Let’s go.”

  He continues to hold my hand as he drives to the restaurant in Helena, which is about forty minutes away. His thumb caresses back and forth, sending tingles from my hand up to my arm. We talk about each other’s week. I tell him about Sarah coming over last night for dinner and wine.

  “Both Sarah and I love your wine choices. To be honest, your reserve is almost depleted.” I grin. “I’m happy to stock it back up, but I might need your help to pick out the best wines.”

  “Drink all of it. I can always bring by more. A lot of them were samples from vendors I thought were excellent.” He squeezes my hand. “I’ll bring some more by when we have a dinner date at your place.”

  “We haven’t even finished this date yet,” I admonish him.

  “I already know I want a second date,” he responds quietly.

  Stunned, I just look over at him for a second to see he is serious. I smile. My nerves start to dissolve. This is going to be a good date.

  We reach the restaurant, and he hands the keys to the valet. As we walk into the restaurant, he reaches for my hand again.

  The hostess greets him by his first name and smiles. “Hello, Lev. We have a private booth reserved in the back, as requested. May I take your coats?”

  We hand our coats to coat check and follow the hostess back to our booth. As we walk, several people say hello to Lev, some men getting up to shake his hand. All smile or say hello to me, curiosity burning in their eyes.

  Lev must come here a lot, I muse.

  We finally get to our booth, and I realize just what she meant by a private booth. The booth is tucked away into an alcove, with a screen where you can shut off the rest of the dining area. Very private and romantic, too. Thanking the hostess, Lev motions for me to slide in first, then he slides in after me. I scoot to the center to give him some more room. The man looks like a giant sitting in this booth.

  “You are popular. Come here often?” I ask tentatively, now slightly worried I’m just the same as all the other dates he brings here. Biting my lip, I wait for his answer.

  Reaching out with his thumb, he pulls my lip from my teeth. He l
ooks pleased for some reason. “I own this restaurant,” he explains. “And two others down the street, so I’m here a lot on business. My customers usually visit all three, so I’ve gotten to know a few of them.”

  “You own this restaurant, the bar and two others.”

  He shrugs, watching me closely. “I love food and entertaining people. Seeing the satisfaction they get from eating a good meal, celebrating their most important milestones, and making new friends along the way. It’s the best job, and I love it.”

  Hearing this helps me understand another side of him. One that is serious about business and success, but more for the joy it brings himself and others.

  “I don’t know you very well, but I noticed when we first met that you exude this incredible warmth and joy of life. It drew me to you like a flame. And I’m sure your success comes just as much from people who are also drawn to this core part of you as it does the delicious food and ambiance.”

  Leaning back, he stares at me for a second as his fingers play with my hand. “Thank you. It means a lot to me that you see the man, not the success.”

  “Honey, you’re a hard man to miss,” I tease him. My stomach growls, and I feel myself blush. “Please excuse me.”

  Laughing, he raises my hand and gives it a kiss. He then lets go and hands me a menu. “I’d better feed you, or this will be the worst first date ever.”

  “This date is already better than my worst first date.” Snickering, I look down at the menu. “So, what’s good here?”

  “This is a story I think I need to hear,” he says as he looks at the specials on the back of the menu. “These are some of my favorites...the lamb chops, the ginger-glazed Mahi Mahi, and the crab-stuffed filet mignon.”

  I groan. Those were the same three dishes calling my name. “I don’t know how to choose. I wish my stomach was big enough for all three.”

  “How do you like your steak?”

  “Medium rare, on the rare side.”

  “What about wine? Red? A Malbec?”