Playing Favorites: A Reverse Harem Romance

by Scarlet West

  “Oh,” I shrugged. “Is there anything I can say?”

  “Well, if you can look at the figures later, I’d appreciate it. You have a good head for figures.”

  He smirked then. At least, it felt like it to me. I shrugged angrily. I knew I was being suspicious and it wasn’t fair of me, but I couldn’t help it.

  I kept on thinking about the fact that both of them had her and I hadn’t.

  It was stupid of me, but every bit of furniture in the house sort of screamed the presence of the girl I wanted and everyone else had got. Even Clarke, I thought. I just didn’t know for sure yet.

  “Anyone want something to drink?” Heath asked, coming back in from the kitchen. “I put out those snacks you brought too,” he added, inclining his head toward Donnell, who smiled.

  “Great.”

  “Sure,” I said, feeling myself start to relax a little. “I’ll have beer, thanks.”

  “Me too,” Donnell nodded.

  Heath wandered off to the kitchen to get it, leaving Donnell and I alone together.

  I stared at him. His brown eyes were serious. I remembered that this was my brother. I could talk to him and ask him about this situation. I cleared my throat.

  “Donnell?” I asked.

  “Yeah?” he raised a brow, his strong shoulder lifting in a shrug. I remembered that I trusted him.

  “Donnell, have you and Clarke seen…”

  “I brought some of that craft beer,” Heath said, wandering in with a tray laden with small dishes and three bottles of beer. “Does anyone want some…what?” he trailed off, looking at my face.

  “Nothing,” I said wretchedly. “I was just preoccupied. What were you asking?”

  “I was just going to ask if anyone wants any pecan nuts?”

  Donnell raised a brow. “With that great selection you have there, I’m sure we’ll live without it. You?” He asked me with an engaging smile.

  “I’m fine,” I said woodenly.

  “So,” Heath was saying conversationally as he leaned back on the couch, looking very at ease, “you got this when you were out with Clarke?” he indicated the plate of cheese.

  “I did,” Donnell nodded in reply.

  “Good, good,” Heath nodded sagely. “What the heck did you do to your hand?” he asked.

  “My hand?” Donnell inquired mildly, one brow raised. I noticed his wrist was in a wrist guard.

  “Yeah,” Heath nodded, indicating the wrist. I had noticed he seemed to be having trouble with it during the week, though I hadn’t actually noticed that he was wearing a wrist guard. I noticed now. I frowned.

  “Nothing,” Donnell shrugged. “Nothing serious, that is. Just a sprain.” I noticed he was blushing and I felt my curiosity rise.

  “What did you do to it?” I asked.

  “Nothing,” Donnell said again, more firmly. “I just strained it, lifting something.”

  Again, he looked red and I wondered what was going on. I knew it was crazy, but I was instantly suspicious. I don’t know why my mind linked the injury to Kelsey, but it did. I reckoned I was going mad.

  “So?” Heath asked. “Shall we have a look at the dinner?”

  “Sure,” Donnell nodded easily. He stood, hastily, I thought, and followed Heath to the kitchen. I had a sense that there was something going on and I wanted to get to the bottom of it.

  After dinner, we sat on the terrace together. I caught Donnell’s eyes on me. Appraising, they instantly made me feel discomforted.

  “What?” I asked harshly.

  He raised a brow. “Nothing, Grayson.”

  I saw him throw a glance at Heath. It felt again like there was some sort of secret between them, one that excluded me. I turned to Heath.

  “You seen Clarke anywhere?” Heath asked. I could hear the sound of genuine concern in his voice and I wondered why.

  Donnell grinned. “No. Though I reckon he had a good time yesterday.”

  “Donnell, I…” Heath began warningly. I stared at both of them.

  “What?” I asked, feeling the anger of the whole week erupt. “If you two have a secret you might as well tell me what it is. We shouldn’t have secrets from each other.”

  Donnell cleared his throat. “Kelsey and Clarke.”

  “What?”

  I knew my voice was tight with rage and I knew it was silly—after all, I hardly knew her—but I couldn’t very well hide my reaction. It was too strong. Heath, and then maybe Donnell, and now Clarke?

  It wasn’t the fact that she’d slept with all my brothers that was bothering me. It was the fact that she hadn’t even considered sleeping with me. Of them all, I was the only one excluded from this game, and it really stung me.

  “Well, Grayson,” Heath said nervously, “I did ask Donnell not to let you know, but…” he trailed off, sounding very tired.

  “Dammit, Heath!” I exploded angrily. “How dare you ask him not to tell me? He should tell me!” I could hear my own voice cracking, but I couldn’t help it.

  “Now, Grayson,” Heath began, warningly. I stood. We glared at each other. The promise of violence heated the air in the room between us. I felt my hands clench into fists. My brain told me that this was Heath, my brother. I didn’t want to hurt him. But my body was racing with adrenaline and anger and I wanted to attack.

  “Grayson, stop it,” Donnell said, mildly, from where he sat. Of the three of us, he was the only one who wasn’t ruffled. “There’s no reason at all why you shouldn’t see her too.”

  I stared.

  “Donnell,” I said quietly, though wanted to shout it. “What the hell are you thinking of? If she’s with Clarke, then why would she even think of me?”

  Even more than jealousy I felt outrage. What the heck were my brothers doing now? Kelsey Fulton was a person! Not someone we could just play games with. If Kelsey hadn’t thought about sleeping with me, then she hadn’t. And this whole girlfriend swapping was just not on.

  “Grayson,” Heath said softly, “I know you have a temper, and you’re probably right to be mad at us. But Donnell and I think that…”

  I didn’t want to know what Donnell and Heath thought. I interrupted Heath. “I have a temper?” I spat. “Come on, Heath. You know damn well that I am in my rights to be a bit hurt. I think anyone would be.”

  “That’s true,” he nodded. “But I really think that to get mad at your own brothers over something that doesn’t actually make a difference in anyone’s life.”

  “Doesn’t make a difference?” I shouted. “Heath! How would you know whether it would make a difference to anyone else or not? How would you know if it makes a difference to her?”

  “True,” he agreed. He looked at me with a mild expression that made my temper rise. I wasn’t in the mood for his trying to smooth over the waters. I was jealous and angry and the thought that not only Donnell, but now Clarke too, had taken her.

  “Dammit, Heath,” I spat again. “Try not to be so bloody reasonable. I hate it.”

  “I am reasonable,” Heath said mildly.

  “Okay, fine,” I agreed. “You are. But it still makes me mad.” I shrugged, doing my best to calm down.

  Donnell looked at me. “I know it sounded bad, Grayson, but, I mean it. It seems like this is all a bit of a game. For her too. Maybe you can also play?”

  “A game?” I said hotly. “I don’t like this. Either you want to be with someone, or you don’t. You don’t just go around swapping partners for fun.”

  I went red, knowing that I probably sounded stupidly old-fashioned, saying that. I couldn’t help it, though—I really felt like that. The moment I’d seen Kelsey I’d felt, well, something. Not just like I wanted to get with her for a night, like all my brothers seemed to have felt. But something else.

  “Grayson,” Donnell said quietly. “Don’t go thinking you’re the only one who, well…likes her. It’s not that simple.”

  I shot him a look, but he wasn’t looking up. He was looking at his hands in a way that looked b
itter and hurt. I wondered in that moment why he had passed her on to Clarke. Maybe she had suggested it, not him. It seemed to me as if my brother Donnell was a bit entranced with her too.

  “Donnell?” I said, feeling sympathy for the first time today. “If you wanted her, why didn’t you?”

  “It’s not the point, is it?” Donnell said tightly. “The point is, it’s just a game. I can give you her number, if you want it.”

  I shook my head. “Listen, man. I can’t do that.”

  Donnell looked up, his own brown eyes bitter. “Well, Clarke did, so why not you?”

  “Clarke?” I was at once surprised and not that surprised. Clarke was not exactly known for being in touch with others’ feelings. It wasn’t that he was an unkind or selfish person—the absolute opposite, in fact. He was just so happy-go-lucky that he expected everyone else to be too.

  “Yeah,” Donnell nodded. “In fact, for all we know, he’s with her now.”

  I raised a brow. “You think so? Shall we call him?”

  A light of undiluted mischief came into Donnell’s eyes, then went out again. He shook his head.

  “We’d better not.”

  Heath looked from me to Donnell and back.

  “Okay, guys?” he asked. “Are we in an accord?”

  I shrugged. “I guess.”

  Donnell nodded. “Heath, Grayson should call her.”

  “No,” I said tightly. “No. I’m not doing it, okay? Don’t give me her number or anything. I don’t want to know about it. As far as I’m concerned, none of this is happening. Okay? Leave me out.”

  Neither of my brothers said anything. They both shrugged.

  “Now,” I said softly. “Can we all just go outside to the terrace and forget all about this?”

  Heath met Donnell’s eye, and he nodded.

  “Fine,” he said.

  We went out and sat on the terrace, admiring Heath’s view. It was dark now, the sky sapphire blue, the houses and high-rise buildings below pools of inky black, lit with windows shining brightly. I tried hard to relax.

  It felt, finally, as if there was an uneasy truce between us.

  And Kelsey, it seemed, was no longer a distraction. Not for any of the three of us, anyway.

  9

  Kelsey

  I went for a walk with Dad on Saturday afternoon. He seemed to be more energetic on Saturday, though he tired quite quickly as we got home. He went upstairs to lie down shortly after we got back.

  I slipped out again after he’d settled down upstairs. I needed a longer walk to clear my head. Or maybe the gym.

  I headed down the hill in my car, heading into town.

  At the gym, I worked out for about an hour, then went to go sit in the park. While I sat there, I was surprised to see someone I knew.

  He was in the distance, but with that black hair and straight nose, big shoulders, I had a feeling I knew who it was.

  Grayson?

  I looked down at the book I’d brought with me, and pretended I hadn’t noticed him, my heart thudding in my chest.

  Come on, Kells, I told myself crossly. Just ignore him.

  I did my best. I really wasn’t planning to go disrupt him. I stayed where I was, minding my own business.

  “Kelsey?”

  I looked up, my heart skipping as I heard his voice.

  “Hello,” I said mildly, though in reality my whole body was warming up. I put my book in my handbag and I looked up at him, trying for calm.

  “Um, hi,” he said. Nice smile, I thought. A swift, shy grin on that surprisingly full-lipped mouth. He really was sexy.

  “You enjoying the sunshine?” I asked, indicating the park and the summery surroundings.

  “Um, yeah,” he said. He swallowed, as if his throat was tense. I felt my toes tingle, feeling a similar tension in my own body.

  Slow down, girl.

  I shifted up on the seat. “You having a walk?” I asked.

  “Yeah,” he nodded. “Just been working out.”

  I smiled. “Me too.”

  He laughed. “That’s weird. I mean, that we were both just at the gym.”

  “Yeah,” I nodded. “Great minds think alike.”

  We both laughed. He made a rueful face.

  “Well, not sure about that,” he admitted mildly. “But thanks.”

  I smiled. We both looked at each other shyly. I swallowed. I chided myself inwardly. I was behaving like when I was sixteen, and Tom Chapman, the guy I had a crush on, asked me for coffee.

  “So?” Grayson said.

  “Um, sorry?” I frowned. “I was distracted. Did you ask me something?”

  He nodded. “Sorry. I just asked if you wanted to go check out the stall over there?” He indicated an ice cream stand.

  I smiled. “That’s a great idea! I would love an ice cream.”

  He went pink. “Okay,” he said.

  I felt something inside me melt. There was something so sweet, so uncomplicated, about the way we interacted. It really was like when I was sixteen and falling in love.

  Kelsey Fulton, stop it. You are not sixteen. You’re not falling in anything.

  I stood and followed Grayson out through the big gates.

  In the street, we stood and watched as the elderly couple ahead of us ordered an ice cream. Grayson grinned.

  “They must have been together for ages,” he said.

  I nodded. I felt my heart twist painfully, seeing them. It seemed like they’d been together so long they shared their thoughts without words. I smiled, a sorrowful smile. I wished so many things, just then. That my parents had been that close. That they were still together. That I knew someone I loved as much as they loved each other.

  “It must be weird,” I said, my throat tight.

  “Yeah,” he nodded.

  “They’re about the age of my dad,” I commented.

  “Oh,” he said. “I guess mine would have been their age too.”

  I nodded. I recalled Heath, or someone, having mentioned to me that their dad had passed when they were teenagers. “That must be weird,” I said carefully.

  “Um, I don’t really think about it,” he said softly. “I must admit I sometimes wonder if he and mom are somewhere together,” he said, his voice tight. “Probably they’re like these two.” He chuckled. “Though I imagine they argue more.”

  I looked at his bittersweet smile, my own heart twisting painfully in my chest.

  “Oh?” I asked.

  “Yeah,” he chuckled. “I get the feeling they had a pretty fiery relationship. Heath says he remembers they used to shout sometimes.”

  “Oh?” I said again. He was looking at some vista that only he saw, his eyes shining with memories. I felt that painful tug in my heart.

  “I don’t remember them fighting,” he said. “I just remember when Mom got sick—just after Clarke was born.”

  “That’s hectic,” I said.

  He shrugged. “I guess. I was, what? Five years old at the time? Heath was seven. I think it weighed on him more. Dad turned to him a lot.”

  I noticed a strange expression on his face when he said that, almost bitterness. I didn’t want to probe it.

  “It must have been really hard for you,” I said.

  He shrugged. “I guess you get used to these things. Oh,” he nodded, indicating the counter in front of us. “Choose something.”

  I grinned. Feeling like a little girl, I studied the array of flavored ice creams.

  “Caramel,” I said decidedly. Grayson grinned.

  “That was always my favorite too. That, and mint.”

  “Really?” I asked. “I hated mint.”

  He laughed. “Well, I think I’m going to order it now.”

  We thanked the stallholder, paid for our ice creams, and headed back into the park. Grayson walked next to me and, though I was sweetly aware of his strong body next to mine, it wasn’t what I was focused on. I felt my heart lift and I felt full of a strange sweetness; one I hadn’t experienced si
nce I was a little girl.

  “So,” he said as we walked, “you are settling in at your work?”

  “Mm,” I nodded. I took a bite of the cone, wincing as the cold ice cream stung my teeth. “Ow,” I said. “Coldness headache.”

  He laughed. “I know! I hate those. Try resting your teeth against your hand quickly, like this.” He demonstrated, pressing his right hand against his upper lip. “Warms them up.”

  “Oh!” I smiled. “Thanks. It’s better.”

  “Great,” he said.

  I stared up at his dark eyes. I couldn’t look away, and he stared into mine. Our gazes held and I felt a strange shifting sensation deep inside me, almost like the whole world had crept away and left us alone together.

  He shrugged. “I guess we should go back?”

  I nodded. “Yeah.”

  It seemed like we were both shaken by that deep connection, because we didn’t speak much as we walked to the gate, and there we said our goodbyes.

  Without his company to distract me, I found myself plagued by my thoughts. I drove home, my head in a crazy whirl.

  This whole situation had gotten just a bit too confusing for me. I spent the afternoon working out and that evening at around five P.M., I collapsed onto my bed, feeling weary and no less confused than before.

  “Damn it, Heath. And Donnell. And Clarke. And now Grayson too.”

  I grinned at myself in the mirror, even as I said it. I had no idea how I had gotten myself into such a crazy mess. But I had to admit that it did have its weird advantages.

  Gentlemanly Heath. Naughty Donnell. Fun-loving Clarke.

  I had just got an assorted candy selection of lovers and I felt like the most spoiled girl on Earth.

  I caught sight of myself in the mirror and blushed. I guess I was spoiled. But in a good way. I always had been. I lay back on my bed and looked up at the ceiling, feeling calmer.

  My phone rang. I reached for it. To my surprise, and pleasure, it was Clarke, sending me a text.

  Kelsey. Want to go to dinner this evening?

  I raised a brow. That was something unexpected.

  I shot back a reply.