Falling For Them Volume 2: Reverse Harem Collection

by Nikki Bolvair

  “Just bring yourself and some clothes…or no clothes. I’m good with either.” Devon nearly falls on the floor when my foot connects with his stomach.

  He grabs my knee and pulls me into his lap, his face close enough that his nose skims across my jaw. “There’s the smile I love. We’ll have fun this week and for weeks to come,” he whispers in my ear before helping me sit back in my spot.

  “I’m ready to get away. We’ve worked so hard to graduate, so making the most of the next couple of days will make it all worthwhile. I just have to make sure I tell my dad and not my mom.” My smile crumbles as I think about how Mom will react to this news.

  “Don’t tell them. We’ll just keep you with us.” Kace shrugs like never going home again is no big deal.

  “Uh, sure.” I laugh and shake my head at him. “I should actually head home now. I might as well get cleaned up and ready to help set everything out.”

  “We’ll help.” Devon hops up, his red boxer briefs hugging his thighs and showing off the muscle definition.

  He starts to pull them down until I squeal and turn my head. “What are you doing?”

  “Getting dressed? Don’t you put on clean panties in the morning? Do you even wear panties?” I throw a pillow over my shoulder, hoping to hit him, since I refuse to turn around in case he’s naked.

  “Are you dressed yet?” I ask over my shoulder as I look to Ryker for help.

  “I should get dressed, too.” Ryker stands and reaches for his waistband.

  My cheeks feel like they should be the color of Devon’s boxers. I close my eyes, then cover them with Kace’s blanket and my hand. “I hate you all.”

  “Hey, what did I do?” Kace tries to pull the blanket away from me. I tumble forward, hitting what I hope is his chest.

  “That! You did that.” I put both hands over my eyes since I don’t have the safety of the blanket.

  Kace moves to climb over the bed, knocking me down in the process. His body slides over mine, and his long torso and then erection hit my stomach. Without thinking about it, my eyes pop open.

  Beautiful, rich brown eyes shine down at me. “Still hate me?”

  “No.” I drag my fingernails down his chest, scraping over his nipples and down to his abs before switching direction and bringing them back to his shoulders. “Hate me?” My body arches to capture more of his skin against mine, desire pooling as the connection is made.

  “Never.” He leans down and kisses my cheek, teasing my skin with the whiskers from his five o’clock shadow.

  “Good.”

  Devon kisses my other cheek. Both of them are within inches of me. I ball my hands to stop from reaching out to both of them. “Gran and Pop are downstairs.” That thought sobers me up enough to relax my fingers, but not to push the guys away.

  “Are you telling me to be good?” Devon runs his fingers down my neck and along my collarbone.

  “I know better than to do that.” Closing my eyes again, the heat from before courses through my veins, and I moan lightly when Kace’s body scrapes against mine.

  “We are going to have fun camping, but right now, we need to get you home. Do you need any help?” Kace asks as he nips at my earlobe.

  “Camping sounds dangerous, maybe I should stay home.” Sleepless nights wondering what could be with each of them flood my thoughts. Are they just teasing me right now? I plan on finding the answers tonight.

  “I’ll protect you.” Ryker kneels on the floor next to my head, kissing my forehead while the others tease either side of my neck.

  My body goes limp as I relax and absorb the strange, new sensations. “I trust you.”

  Tilting my head back, Ryker’s smoky eyes capture mine. “We need to stop, but I promise it will all make sense later.” He kisses my nose before standing and grabbing his shorts.

  Devon and Kace both kiss my cheeks before getting up. I lie there trying to collect myself. I might explode if they keep doing this to me.

  Party

  As I walk home, I shake my hands to help relieve the pulse of energy flowing through me from being with the boys this morning. My heart jumps between nervous beats and excited ones. They promised me this trip would be fun and eye-opening; I just wish they would have given me more information.

  When I get home, I head to my dad’s office to let him know about my change in plans. Knocking softly, I wait by the door for him to answer, then follow him after he opens it and invites me in before I plop down in my chair. I used to do my homework in here while my dad worked.

  He settles back at his desk. “Hey! Did you have fun this morning?”

  I cough lightly. Fun wouldn’t be the word I would use, but I’m not about to tell my dad that. “We talked about our trip. They asked me to go for a couple days and not just tonight since they have time to kill before they get their assignments.”

  “Are you sure about that?” He stops messing with his tablet, his pensive eyes focusing on me.

  I worry that he thinks we’ll continue what we started this morning, but I have to remember he knows nothing about that. “Yes.”

  “You’ve never been camping before. It’s not like spending the night in the backyard. If I remember correctly”—his eyes become jovial now—“you got me out of bed to get a daddy long leg spider out of your room. There are much worse creatures in the great outdoors.”

  Why did he have to remind me of that? “I’ll make the guys check for spiders before I head into my tent.”

  “You don’t think they’ll tease you with it?” His deep laugh fills the room. “Have Kace check. If Devon does it, assume that he was the one to put the spider in there in the first place.”

  “I’m not talking to you anymore!” I mock glare at him. “I should finish packing, since I only pulled out clothes for one night and day. I also need to finish getting cleaned up for the party.”

  “Your mother seems to have it all together, but I’ll go check on her while you get ready.” My dad walks out of the room to find my mom while I head upstairs to get ready.

  The outfit I planned to wear to graduation seems appropriate enough for this party. After checking for wrinkles, I slip it on and style my hair into a French braid that starts just off center of my forehead and swirls around my head just under the opposite ear so the braid hangs over my shoulder. Normally, I would have painted colored glitter on the tips, but since we’re leaving after the party, I don’t want to have to wash it out.

  While securing my necklace in place, I do one last check of my outfit, making sure my mom can’t find any complaints with it. The skirt hits a couple inches over my knees, so it shouldn’t be considered too short. Without the color in my hair, I look like a respectable teenager, hopefully.

  To avoid going downstairs, I re-check the contents of my go-bag. All my essentials are in there, including extra toilet paper. The boys don’t know how easy they have it, but I’m sure they’ll make fun of me either way.

  I’ve lived in the city my entire life. We never went camping or hiking because we were told it was too dangerous. The government works to relocate people from the rural areas to safer housing in the city, but a few people still stay away. They live with no electricity or running water. Stories of how those people sneak into the city and steal possessions and sometimes kidnap people kept me up many nights when I was little.

  My hands shake from the stress of camping, but I trust the boys to keep me safe.

  “Bailey!” my mom yells up the stairs. “We have to start setting the food out.”

  With no more delays available to me, I trudge down the stairs and join my mom in the kitchen.

  “What did I tell you about that outfit?” Some of the gruffness from yesterday returns to my mom’s voice.

  “That it was perfect for today?” My dad enters the kitchen, giving me a half hug. “You look great, doodlebug.”

  My mom’s eyes tighten as she forces a smile. “Yes.” She turns to the open refrigerator and rummages through the contents, pulling ou
t bags and containers full of food. “Dale, will you pull out my glass platters. I can’t reach them.”

  “Sure thing.” He opens the pantry doors and stands on his tiptoes to reach the platters on the top shelf. “Do I need to wash them or wipe them off?”

  “Probably. We haven’t used them in a while.” She places more dishes onto the island. “Bailey, are you going to stand there or be useful?”

  “I’m just waiting for instructions. What would you like me to do?” I fold my hands and place them on the island to avoid making them into fists.

  She glares at me, but her voice is sweet when she tells me, “Go outside and bring in the meat trays and the meatballs. I just need to put those in the heating tray. If we don’t get them started now, the middles may be cold.”

  Walking outside, mumbles from my mom that I can’t make out reach me. My poor dad. Why is she taking this out on him now? I thought this was all for him.

  My legs swing out from underneath me as Kace sweeps me into his arms. My heart races as I slap at his chest. “You don’t have to kill me to get out of going camping,” I joke with him.

  “Never going to happen. We’ll kidnap you before someone stops us from bringing you with us.” Kace sets me back on my feet. “You look amazing.”

  I stifle a laugh. “Don’t say that in front of my mother.”

  “She has no taste.” Ryker spins me around. “How can we help?”

  “My mom asked me to bring in the food from the garage refrigerator. We probably need to grab whatever Gran has as well.” I pull the door open and blindly pass back items to one of them.

  I grab the last of what I think is needed, and we head inside. “The guys came to help. Do we need to get the food from Mrs. Volk, now?” My mom doesn’t like me calling Mrs. Volk, Gran, since she isn’t related to us.

  “Hi, boys. Thanks for helping. Set those items over there.” She points to the counter by the sink. “Bailey, please put the meats that need to be heated into one of the warming trays.”

  “Hi, Mrs. Deaton. You look just as lovely as your daughter. We know where she gets her style from.” Devon winks over at me. He’s going to get me in trouble one of these days.

  Mom blushes at the complement, forcing me to look the other direction. How can she talk so badly about them behind their backs and then respond like that?

  “Thank you, Devon. That’s so sweet,” my mom responds. “Why don’t you check with Dale? He was going to rearrange the back patio to fit in more chairs that his boss is bringing over.”

  “Will do!” The guys head to the backyard, while I finish sorting out tubs of meatballs and some sort of fish in a butter sauce. I place the contents in the correct containers and then rinse out the empty dishes.

  Sneaking up behind me, my mom drops a bowl of sauce for the meatballs in front of me, almost splattering red all over my white outfit. “It would be a shame for you to have to change since you look great and amazing. Be more careful.”

  “Yes, ma’am.” Only a couple more hours. Just get through this party. I’ll be gone for days. I chant to myself, taking a deep breath to keep from walking out.

  “Finish up in here. I’m going to go change. Be ready to answer the door. These are your guests, so you have to mingle. No hanging around the boys all day.”

  As she walks out of the room, my shoulders slump, tension I hadn’t realized was there releasing.

  Arms wrap around me. Flinching, I grab the counter and let out a deep breath.

  Devon spins me around and put his hands on my face. His green eyes squint as they run over my face, scrutinizing me. “What happened?”

  I shake my head as I place my forehead on his shoulder. “Is this day over yet?”

  “You don’t want to go tonight?” Hurt laces through his voice.

  “What? I do. I was talking about right now and not tonight. You guys promised me great things. I’m holding you to it.” Glancing up at him, he hides the pain I heard earlier. “Are you okay?”

  He squishes my cheeks together and rocks my head back and forth. “I came to check to see how you’re doing, fish face. I’m fine. We can skip the party and go straight to the camping area.” His face shifts back to its normal mask.

  Having no time to question him since my mom walks back in the room, I whisper, “Later,” to him as I glance her way.

  Devon glances over his shoulder. “We’ve arranged everything outside. Is there anything else we can do to help?” Devon releases my face and drapes his arm over my shoulders.

  “I think we’re as ready as we can get. The house is still not the way I want it, but nothing can change that, now.” My mom wrinkles her nose in disgust as she peruses the room. “Bailey, please go stand by the door to greet people as they show up. Even though it is an open house, they still may knock.”

  “Yes, Mom.” Grabbing one of the warming trays, I set it on the buffet in the dining room and plug it in before I go man the door.

  Devon mimics me by taking another tray and placing it next to mine, then he stands in the hallway with me, waiting for the guests to arrive. He leans against the wall and pulls me into his chest, his arms wrapped around my stomach. “Do you like living here?”

  My hands run up and down his forearms as I consider my answer. “Up until a few months ago, I was blissfully ignorant to most things, I guess. My parents sheltered me and treated me like a doll. My mom is ready to push me out into the world, though. I’m not sure I would want to stay here with the way it is today.”

  Warm breath brushes against my neck as Devon rests his chin on my shoulder. “If your parents weren’t a factor, would you want to live in an area like this versus where Ryker lives?”

  Confused, I try to turn and look at him, but he locks me in place. Since Ryker and Devon live next to each other, I can’t figure out why he would only ask about Ryker. “I’ve never really thought about it. You and Ryker normally come over to Kace’s or my house. I haven’t spent much time at yours. The time I did spend didn’t stand out to me, though. I think I would be just as comfortable here as there. Is that what you mean?”

  “I guess. I’m not sure what I mean. It’s just, when we’re helping around here, things are so new and perfect. You seem to always have the latest stuff. What would you do if you didn’t have bamboo flooring and shiny new appliances?”

  This time, I break away from him, my hands on my hips. Is that how he sees this place, because I only see the imperfections? Maybe Mom is right, and I am selfish. “Do you think I’m a snob? Have you always thought that about me?” I take a step away from him as my heart drops.

  “No. That’s not what I meant. Please don’t think that. I’m screwing this all up.” Devon runs his hands through his blond hair.

  “What’s going on?” Ryker walks into the room with Kace a step behind.

  Before I can answer, the doorbell rings. My shoulders slump. I’m not ready to be cheerful, but I put on a fake smile and open the door.

  My dad’s boss, Herman, steps into the foyer carrying a shiny, metallic blue package with a silver bow on top. “Congratulations, Bailey!” He hands me the present—which I wasn’t expecting—and slips off his dark-grey suit coat.

  “Thank you, sir. You didn’t have to bring me anything.” I cringe at the gesture, worrying that Devon will use this against me. My hands shake, nearly causing me to drop the large box.

  “Of course, I did. It’s your party. Do you have someplace where I can hang your coat?” Herman looks around, but with nowhere in sight to hang it, he drapes it over his arm.

  “I can take it for you,” Devon offers.

  “Thank you.” Herman hands Devon the coat.

  Without looking at me, Devon marches up the stairs. I’m not sure where he’s taking it, but at least I know where to look later if Herman can’t find it.

  “My parents are on the back patio. Do you remember the way?” Herman’s been here several times as a guess for dinner, but just in case, I wave my hand down the hall toward the double gl
ass doors in our family room.

  “Yes, the layout of your home is similar to mine.” Herman heads toward the back as Kace and Ryker descend on me.

  “What happened?” Ryker asks me, only to be interrupted again.

  I take a deep breath and plaster a fake smile on my face again. As I open the door, three groups of people stand there, each with a package or card in their hands. Before I’m able to get them through the door, more people line up to enter the house. Devon returns and helps Kace and Ryker with coats and presents as I shake hands and hug the myriad of people walking through the entryway, many of whom have to introduce themselves to me since I don’t recognize them.

  What feels like hours later, I’m able to shut the oak door and move to the kitchen to get a drink. When I reach the cooler that was set on the floor for people to use at their leisure, I find it empty.

  “I’ll be right back. This is empty,” I call to the guys as I walk to the garage.

  The house buzzes with sounds of conversations coming from the different rooms. Some talk about work, others about their child, while some comment about the state of the world. As I near the garage, I hear my mom’s voice, but I can’t make out what she’s saying until I’m by the door.

  “What do you mean you can’t meet me tomorrow? I’m not sure I can change plans, now.” My mom’s voice squeaks on the last word.

  “Margaret, you need to stop this. I don’t want to see you, again,” Herman tells her, agitation rolling through his voice.

  I slump back against the dryer, trying to determine if I should interrupt so I don’t have to hear any more of this or pretend like it never happened.

  “This isn’t over. You promised,” she whines.

  “I plan on keeping my word. Your husband is too valuable to us not to do everything in my power to keep him happy. You, on the other hand, had nothing to do with it. I just wanted to see what I could get away with. Dale wants your daughter to go to Jenkins University, so she will go there. She wouldn’t have made it in on her own. Maybe that friend of hers, but not her.”