Falling For Them: A New Adult Reverse Harem Collection

by C. L. Stone

  She grinned and stepped forwards slightly. “I’ll take you up on that, I really don’t swim well.”

  “Don’t you go often?” asked Matt. He was poking at his ear, head tilted to the side, to get the water out.

  “Not really. Never get the chance.”

  “Off you go then, Lily Flower. We’ll give you a thirty second start.”

  She grinned and struck out in a crawl. She made good progress but she didn’t have the power they did and they quickly caught up with her. They kept pace with her until about halfway to the other side. Then they powered ahead, and she knew they were racing each other now. She changed to the breast stroke, unable to keep up the crawl. She could see them clinging to the rocks, calling encouragement to her to keep going, and it spurred her on.

  Suddenly, something grabbed her foot and she went under, terror slamming through her. Images of crocodiles went through her head. Hands gripped her painfully, and she was pulled back through the water and then lifted high in the air. She was thrown forwards and landed awkwardly in the water. She fought to get to the surface, coughing and choking on the water, and then she was being grabbed and lifted again. She fought him, struggling in his hold, trying to get him to put her down, but he hoisted her easily out of the water, and she felt herself being thrown again. She went under, and terror filled every pore. They weren’t letting her get her breath and she was inhaling too much water. She was going to drown. Hands pulled at her arms, and she struck out again, not able to take anymore.

  “Lily!”

  She recognised Matt’s voice and stopped struggling. He hooked his hands under her armpits and began towing her back to the shallows. He dragged her out onto the bank, and she went to her hands and knees, coughing up the water she’d swallowed. Relief flowed through her as he banged her back firmly, helping her to bring the water up. He’d saved her.

  “It’s okay. You’re okay.” Matt’s voice was gentle in her ear, his head close to hers. She nodded, still coughing. She was safe. He had kept her safe, but it had been scary. The feeling of the water closing over her, unable to catch her breath, wasn’t something she wanted to repeat ever again.

  “What the fucking hell did you think you were doing?” She heard one of the twins shouting angrily.

  “We were just playing with her. You were chucking her about just a minute ago.”

  “You almost drowned her, asshole!” She heard a scuffle as she turned to slump down onto the grass. She could see Josh, Jake, and Nate facing off against the three other boys. She tried to get her breath, shivers wracking through her as the cold seeped through the material of the suit. Matt draped a towel around her and then pulled her onto his lap, holding her tightly. She cuddled into him, his chin on the top of her head. She realised it was an intimate hold, but she couldn’t move even if she wanted to, and she didn’t want to. She felt safe in his arms. Safe and comfortable.

  She saw Josh reach forward and shove one of the boys in the chest. He went backwards, but Josh just followed him, his finger poking his chest as he growled at him, too low for Lily to hear.

  “Don’t let them fight.” Her voice was a little husky from coughing.

  “They won’t fight,” Matt said. The boys stalked towards her, angry snarls on their faces. They hesitated as they looked down at her, and she saw regret in their faces. They hadn’t been trying to drown her, they were just being stupid.

  “We didn’t mean to hurt you, we were just having fun,” one of them spoke up.She nodded. “It’s okay,” she whispered.

  “No, it’s not,” Matt contradicted her. “You nearly drowned her.”

  “We’re fucking sorry, alright?” They carried on, muttering as they grabbed their bags and disappeared over the rise of the path.

  “Damn, that was not supposed to happen,” Josh grunted and sat down beside them. “Are you okay, Lily?”

  “I’m fine. I just couldn’t get my breath, but I’m fine now, honest. Thanks for rescuing me.” She patted Matt on the arm that encircled her waist.

  “And thank you for stopping them,” she said to the others.

  Josh plucked her out of Matt’s arms and onto his lap. Jake settled beside him, and she was moved till she was sitting half on Jake’s and half on Josh’s laps as they held her between them tightly. Their arms were wrapped right around her, and she stiffened, unsure why they were doing it. Lips brushed over the top of her head, and it no longer mattered why they were doing it. She melted into their hold with a sigh. She was attracted to all of them, but she realised it was more than that. It went deeper than mere attraction; she felt the same connection with all of them. Being held by them wasn’t awkward, it didn’t make her nervous. This was right, this was where she was supposed to be. With them.

  “We need to make a move, get dressed again before we get too cold.” Nate’s voice had the twins moving back. She started to shift forwards to get up, but hands slid under her arms and she was lifted to her feet, Nate’s face inches from hers.

  “Are you sure you’re okay?” he murmured, his blue eyes searching her face. She saw a smattering of tiny freckles over his nose that weren’t noticeable at a distance. His eyes caught hers, and she nodded at him, not sure she could trust her voice this close to him. He tilted his head and pulled her into him tightly, his arms wrapped around her, his face going into her neck. She felt his lips brush the skin under her ear, and she shuddered violently, but he just held her tighter and something settled deep inside her. He set her back from him and turned to the twins.

  “Go and make sure those losers have gone so Lily can change,” he ordered. They jumped to their feet and headed up the path. Nate looked back at Lily and reached out to touch the end of her nose. “You need to get dressed before you catch a chill. We’ll turn our backs, okay?”

  “Get dressed, Lily Flower,” Matt said softly as he moved past her. “We’ll take you to see a friend of ours in the village; he’ll get us warmed up with coffee.”

  “I don’t want to impose on him,” Lily spoke up, crossing to her bag.

  “We won’t be. He’s been putting up with us just dropping in at any time for years. He was our teacher in primary; he’s a great man, you’ll love him.”

  “Whose towel have I got?” she asked, seeing her own in the bag.

  “We brought extra, just in case,” Nate spoke up, pulling a towel from his bag. The twins came back, talking together quietly but stopped before she could hear what they were saying.

  “They’ve gone,” Jake said, and came over to Lily. He stepped up behind her and drew the zip down on her wetsuit, and then moved away again.

  Lily saw them turn their backs as they concentrated on getting out of their own wetsuits. She tried to work it off but it was tough, and she couldn’t get a grip on it to get it down her arms. No matter how hard she tugged, she couldn’t get it to move.

  She admitted defeat and called out to them. “Can I have a hand, please?” Matt came towards her and started to unpeel her from the suit, making her laugh.

  “It’s like peeling an onion.” She laughed as the wetsuit landed around her ankles with a wet plop. Matt crouched down and touched her foot. She balanced herself with one hand on his shoulder and lifted her leg. He tugged it off and then repeated the process with her other foot. He stood up and set his nose against her cheek and sniffed deeply.

  “You smell too good to be an onion.” He chuckled and turned back to carry on dressing. She lifted her towel and wrapped it around herself, suddenly conscious that she was going to be stripping out of her swimsuit with them there. They kept their backs to her as they peeled off their own wetsuits. Nate’s board shorts pulled down with the suit and she got an eyeful of his firm butt that made her breath catch in her throat. She turned away. Part of her wanted to watch, but she knew that was wrong on all sorts of levels, not least of all by betraying a privacy they were extending to her. She stayed under the towel and wriggled out of her swimsuit. She dried as best as she could and then shimmied into her clothes, sti
ll under the towel. She dropped the towel as she dragged her jeans up her hips. She did them up and turned to face them. They were finished before her, but they were still facing away, talking quietly together.

  “I’m ready.” She pushed her feet into the dry pair of trainers she’d brought with her.

  “When you get back tonight,” Josh said, coming towards her with Jake beside him. “Wash the wetsuit off, and then hang it to dry outside.”

  “I’ll give it back to you on Monday.”

  He shook his head. “We gave it to you. It’s yours now, Lily Pad.”

  “Thank you.” She leant forward and kissed Josh on the cheek and then turned to Jake. Just as she drew close, he turned his head and his lips brushed hers deliberately. She backed up quickly, turning to get her backpack, feeling flustered again. He’d kissed her. Matt had kissed her. She didn’t think friends kissed like that. But they hadn’t said anything, so it could be nothing more than friendship to them. She could see herself dating them, but she couldn’t see herself being able to choose one over the other. And that would be a problem if they liked her too.

  She couldn’t have them all; but she couldn’t, wouldn’t, choose just one.

  Other than kisses, and if she was honest they weren’t more than a peck, none of them gave any indication they wanted to date her. She was reading into things that just weren’t there. She was probably having internal debates over not falling for them, and all they wanted was another friend. She had to stop her heart from ruling her head. They were just friends. Good friends, and that was all they would stay.

  17

  THE SEER

  One of the advantages of being constantly on the move was that Lily learnt how to interact with people she didn’t know. She could put a smile on her face and be easy going while hiding all sorts of emotions, like nerves and shyness.

  Jonas Rutledge was like no one she had ever met before, though. Whether it was because she knew he was a teacher and she never interacted with them outside of classrooms, or whether it was because he had clear blue eyes that she was certain could see right into her soul, she didn’t know. Whatever it was, she didn’t feel completely comfortable with him. She felt as if she had to be on her best behaviour; her back ramrod straight as she perched on the edge of the sofa, a mug of coffee clutched in her hands.

  Her eyes darted around the room, trying not to be too nosey, but fascinated with what she could get quick glimpses of. The boys, however, had no such worries as they sprawled around his living room as if it was their own house. Matt had a cat, Mysty he’d called it, curled up on his lap, and he was scratching it behind the ear. Nate sat at a desk under the window, spinning the globe that sat on top of the desk. The twins were slumped on the other sofa staring at her, which made her feel even more uncomfortable.

  The room was crammed full of books. There were books on shelves, desks, and in piles on the floor. Lily had never seen so many books outside of a library, and it made her hands itch to see what he had. A large map of the ancient world was the only framed picture in the room that she could see at a quick glance. It hung above the fireplace. The mantelpiece was crammed with wooden carvings and a clock that was so old that it looked as if it had been made at the same time as the house. She could hear it ticking from where she sat. She let herself look at it for a few minutes and saw it was one that had the sun and the moon appearing on the face, depending on the time of day. Either side of the fireplace were wall fittings that looked like gas lights, but had probably been converted to electric.

  “Where did you move from, Lily?” Jonas sat in the armchair by the fire. His fingers steepled under his nose as he watched her, elbows resting on the arms of the chair.

  “Brighton, I mean Portsmouth. No, well, Brighton then Portsmouth,” she said, nerves making her babble. She coloured up and hastily looked down at her coffee mug. He was weighing her in the balance, and she could see that the jury was still out on his decision.

  “Lily moved to Portsmouth at the beginning of the summer from Brighton, but then came here just over a week ago.” Nate spoke up, and she nodded, thankful for his help clarifying. She took a sip of her coffee and spilled some down her chin. She wiped it away hastily, her cheeks bright red with embarrassment. She was messing this up big time, but every sense she had was on high alert. It wasn’t as if he could give her detention or give her fifty lines. She just knew that he was obviously important to the boys, and she didn’t want to let them down.

  “Matthew was explaining you have epilepsy.” Jonas stretched his legs out in front of him. “That must be quite tiring.” There was no hint of pity in his voice, and for that she was glad.

  Lily shrugged, her eyes on the pattern of her mug. “I’ve always had it, so I don’t really think about it,” she admitted.

  “Still, it would be restrictive,” he said and suddenly got to his feet. It startled her and she jumped, spilling some of the coffee onto her jeans. She hastily wiped at it, apologising as she did. He came over and took the mug from her and then gripped her hand. She made a strangled noise in the back of her throat at his unexpected actions.

  “Look at me.” His voice was deep, commanding, and she found herself obeying him.

  Her eyes met his, and it was instant. She could feel herself falling, her eyes rolling back into her head. Something was being pushed into her mind. She could hear voices, see flashes of images that didn’t make sense. She wasn’t in his house anymore. A schoolyard. A bird that was fluttering around on the ground. A much younger Matt picking it up. The bird flying away. The images raced through her mind quickly, like cartoons on a TV.

  Her hand was released, and she slumped back heavily. The images cleared; she was in his living room, not a schoolyard. A searing pain made her grip her head, crying out. Fear filled her as she struggled to comprehend what had happened. Did he cause that? Did she have another fit? She couldn’t think through the pure agony in her head.

  “Lily, Lily.” Matt’s voice in her ear had her struggling to get away from him. She didn’t understand what was happening to her. Fear morphed into terror as she felt her hands being pulled from her head.

  “No, get off me!” she cried out, the pain making tears course down her face. She was dying. Whatever he’d done, she was dying. She heard Nate order Matt to do something, and then a hand was placed over her forehead. It felt cool against her heated skin, and then as quickly as it came, the pain left her. Matt grunted, and she looked towards him in panic, her hands clutching the sofa she was sitting on. Blood was pouring from Matt’s nose. Josh, or was it Jake, stuffed a cloth under his nose, and then all four of them were surrounding her, hands on her knees, back, and shoulders.

  “What the fuck did you do to her?” Nate demanded, rounding on Jonas angrily. Matt had the cloth stuffed against his nose with one hand, his other on her shoulder, but they were all looking at Jonas. Lily looked over at him, the fear growing in her mind. He was sitting back in his chair, fingers once again steepled under his nose as he studied her. She couldn’t bring herself to meet his eyes. She needed to get out of there; she started to push herself up, trying to get through the boys. She didn’t know what was going on, but she knew she was in danger. There was something hugely wrong, and her fear was making her sweat.

  “I wanted to see one of her fits,” he said calmly. “Lily, I can tell you one thing, that was not an epileptic seizure. You do not have epilepsy.”

  “What?” His words, completely unexpected, stopped her in her tracks. She looked at him, her eyes going no higher than the top button of his polo shirt. “What are you talking about?” Fear crouched in her mind, threatening to overwhelm her.

  “You saw things, didn’t you,” he said calmly. “You saw Matthew as a boy, in a schoolyard. And a bird, didn’t you?”

  She gasped. How had he known that? She looked at his eyes, but he was no longer looking at her, but into the dead ashes of the fireplace.

  “Lily, we need to talk to you,” Nate said urgently. “But we need y
ou to keep an open mind, and we need you to promise that you won’t repeat what we talk about here.”

  “What?” She was repeating herself, she knew it. But nothing was making sense, and a feeling of impending doom was hovering over her. She wasn’t sure she wanted to hear what they were going to say. She shook her head in denial, but Josh and Jake caught her hands in theirs and crept closer till they were pressed against her knees. She couldn’t take her eyes away from Jonas staring into the fireplace. He was lost in thought, a frown tugging his eyebrows together. She didn’t understand what was happening to her. She felt as if she’d been cast adrift at sea with nothing to hold onto and she was terrified she was going to drown.

  “Please, Lily, listen,” Josh begged her. She dragged her eyes away from Jonas to meet Josh’s gaze.

  “What did he do to me?” she demanded. There had to be a logical explanation to all of this, she was just missing it in her panic. She forced herself to calm down, to think rationally, refusing to give into the confused terror.

  “We don’t think you get epileptic fits, Lily,” Nate said quietly. “That first time we met you, you fitted because you touched Matt.”

  “I don’t… no!” She shook her head, trying to process what he was saying. Why was he saying that? “I have epilepsy. I’ve been to enough doctors over the years, and had enough CAT scans to know what I have.” Confusion filled her as she looked back at Matt. His nose had stopped bleeding, and he was dabbing at it, his eyes on her. “What did you do to me?” she demanded.

  “I took away your headache,” he said quietly. “It’s not the first time I’ve done it. I made you sleep it off when you left last night.”

  “What do you mean you took away... no, no, that’s not possible.” She shook her head, trying to push herself back away from them. “Why are you doing this?”

  “Because we care about you, Lily May. You’re one of us.”