Indecent Proposal: A Reverse Harem Romance

by J.C. Valentine

  Chapter Eleven

  The week passed unmolested, but Sabrina was on edge. She spent her days walking the office halls waiting for…what? For one of the Hargreaves to pounce? If so, she’d been horribly wrong. They were perfect gentlemen, as if knowing intuitively that she needed some time to adjust to the idea of what they had agreed to embark on together. They merely checked in with her in the morning to see how she was doing and if she needed anything from them and what was on the agenda for the day. Then, if it was warranted, they’d tackle it together.

  They didn’t touch her inappropriately, didn’t make verbal or visual passes at her. They were so respectful, in fact, she almost felt like she might have dreamed the whole agreement scenario. Then Friday evening came and blew any question she had right out of the water.

  It was 5:00 PM, the end of the workday, and Sabrina had already wished Shawna a good weekend and boarded the elevator, when she heard someone call out, “Hold the door!” On autopilot, she stuck her hand between the closing doors, and they bumped against it then opened again.

  In stepped William, Oliver, and Conner. They were otherworldly handsome in their custom-fitted black, navy, and charcoal-gray suits, sans ties because they’d already removed them and tucked them away in a breast pocket, as she’d come to notice they had a habit of doing at the end of each day.

  She couldn’t withhold a smile, glad to see them, even though she’d spent the whole day circulating around each of them in turn.

  They crowded in around her, surrounding Sabrina in their manly colognes that were all different but complemented each other in a way that made her head swim with desire. What was it about the smell of a man that triggered such a response? She’d always experienced that effect whenever she was walking through a throng of people or office or some other place and crossed paths with a man who smelled fantastic.

  But this was next-level attraction. Maybe because she wanted them in a carnal way… It was enough to heighten her awareness and flip the switch on her sexual desires in a way that was amplified more than was natural or expected in a casual situation such as this. But there was nothing casual about this moment. It was in the air. Something was shifting between them, despite there being no obvious indicator to lead her to such a conclusion. She couldn’t place her finger on it, but she knew her time was running out. They were going to make their move soon, and then she would find herself pinned between three men in Lord only knew what type of situation, but she was certain, however it played out, clothing was strictly prohibited and pleasure was the name of the game.

  Goose bumps pebbled her arms and legs beneath her clothing, despite the rising heat in the elevator. Sabrina was turned on, any reservations she had in her mind clearly not reflected in her body’s reaction.

  As the elevator counted down the floors, the men continued facing forward, but Conner spoke first. “What are your plans this weekend, Sabrina?”

  Momentarily caught off-guard, Sabrina stammered, “I-uh-I... Staying in, I guess?”

  He nodded once, as if finding this acceptable. “I have to go out of town tomorrow. Won’t be back until Sunday evening.”

  This was unexpected, and Sabrina wondered why she felt so disappointed. Had she been looking forward to spending time with him? Translation: had she been looking forward to their purposed sexual escapades?

  “But Will and Ollie will be keeping you company.”

  “Oh.” She didn’t mean to sound so surprised. Sabrina looked up at the two men framing her on the left and right, wondering what their plans with her would be. They’d expressed that they wanted to be with her all together, not one-on-one. Would that change with Conner being out of town?

  “If you’re not too tired,” Conner continued, “we’d like to come by tonight.” He angled his body toward her and looked down at her with a look that left nothing to the imagination. He wasn’t asking about watching movies and having dinner. Conner wanted her. He was requesting her time and body for all three of them. Tonight.

  She wasn’t ready!

  Panic set in as Sabrina’s mind raced. She hadn’t gotten waxed. Hadn’t trimmed the bush or the toenails or, hell, plucked the stupid dark hairs around her upper lip yet. She needed a shower and a shave, at least, and a really good exfoliation to make herself at least somewhat presentable.

  “I sense your hesitation,” Conner observed. It was obvious that he was the leader of the brothers. He took the frontlines and paved the way for their successes—in all walks of life, apparently. Right now, he was negotiating their evening together.

  Sabrina was feeling the pressure, but before she could express herself, Conner continued on.

  “Let’s make this easy for everyone. My brothers and I are going to put you in a cab. We’re going to go back home and pack a bag, and we’ll be at your place by 7:00. That should give you some time to change and get settled. Don’t eat anything. We’re ordering in tonight. Do you have On Demand?”

  What kind of question was that? Sabrina almost laughed, because as far as she knew, every single woman had access to ordering movies for those numerous moments of alone time that demanded entertainment in the form of rom-com or, in her case, thriller romances. She couldn’t get enough.

  “Of course,” she confirmed.

  He nodded and looked back up at the numbers over the door. They were nearing the ground floor and would debark soon. “Good. We’ll order a movie and relax tonight then. Enjoy a good meal together. Get to know each other better. Sound good?”

  That was all? Sabrina was…surprised. Something she seemed to be experiencing a lot around these three. But she was something else too: relieved. Sabrina liked the idea of slowing things down, not having that giant expectation looming over her to perform. Dinner and a movie sounded like just what the doctor ordered.

  “That sounds perfect to me.”

  Oliver—Ollie—cast her a comforting smile and playful wink before turning his attention forward again, and she found herself enjoying that quiet strength he exuded even more. In his own way, Oliver was easily the most attractive man in the elevator. Just like Connor’s forwardness and confidence was his, and William’s calculating, observant, and self-possession was his.

  They complimented each other, which made perfect sense, being siblings. Sabrina wondered, as they stepped out into the lobby, how that would translate to the bedroom. If she was lucky, she would find out soon. Maybe tonight, if things went well. But she was glad not to have to worry about it. If it happened, it happened, and if it didn’t, it didn’t. Either way, she knew she was in for a nice evening in with her men.

  ***

  Sabrina hurried through her nightly routine, ripping off her work clothes the moment she stepped through the door and heading straight for the shower. Once there, she slowed her process just enough to enjoy the heat of the water cascading over her overworked muscles, and then she got to work scrubbing rose-scented sugar over every inch of her skin and shaving every hair that was reasonable. Once she stepped out of the shower, her skin was glowing an abused but healthy shade of pink and covered in a light coating of essential oil that made it soft and supple.

  She felt fresher than she had in a month as she brushed her teeth twice and flossed—something she was always a bit flaky on—and then proceeded to slather on a healthy layer of rose-scented lotion to compliment the sugar scrub, before dressing in what would appear to be a casual, not-very-thought-out ensemble of black yoga capris, a sports bra, and a loose-fitting T-shirt that had a screen print reading “Coffee Helps Me People.”

  With not much time left to spare on the clock, she sat on the couch and waited, a hyper sort of energy infusing her and making her twitchy. Would they be on time, or would they make her wait?

  The answer to her question came soon after, proving the Hargreaves men’s punctuality didn’t stop at the office.

  “Hey there.” Conner was the first through the door, a pleased smile fixed in place as he leaned in, clutching the eco-friendly, reusable canvas b
ag so it didn’t spill its contents, as his eyes scanned her form, and he kissed her soundly on the mouth. Despite there being no intent behind it beyond a nice greeting, Sabrina’s body ignited with expectations she had no business entertaining right then.

  Maybe it had something to do with how delicious each one of the guys looked as they came through the door and took turns greeting her with a brief kiss. Each wore a casual look that she wasn’t used to, and they were just as sexy out of the suits as they were in street clothes. Tonight’s fare was lounge pants, sweat pants, and a pair of basketball shorts, all paired with a simple white T-shirt that could have easily come from a packet of Hanes in a regular box store but that she’d bet cost a pretty penny.

  Keeping up appearances was exhausting. She would know. Even raised in a wealthy household, Sabrina never quite took to the whole “rich” lifestyle. Of course, she had to have the right clothes and shoes and apartment to pass muster, but she had always been more comfortable blending in rather than holding herself above the average Joe.

  Hence, her restaurant choice the other night with Janet. It was a sort of connecting with the common people, as her father would call it.

  “So, what’s for dinner?” Sabrina followed them into the kitchen, where the men were making themselves right at home.

  Conner, who was behind the counter, unloaded the bag of food, which, she noticed, was of the pre-prepared variety. “I didn’t know what you liked or were in the mood for, so instead of ordering in, we picked up a few things.”

  “We went overboard,” William stated unabashedly as he reached past his brother and pulled out a bottle of wine from the bag. “I hope you like red.”

  “Um…” Sabrina scrunched up her face. “I wasn’t planning on drinking tonight, actually.” She only allowed herself an indulgence here and there, mostly because alcohol was bad for her figure, but also because she was only somewhat partial to the beverage. She would much rather a cocktail any day of the week over vino of any kind.

  “No problem,” Conner said as he walked to the fridge and peered inside. “Looks like you have plenty of choices here. Mind if I have one of these…flavored water things?”

  Sabrina almost laughed out loud. He said that as if he’d never heard of such a thing and the way his expression twisted ever so slightly only confirmed it. She waved her hand at him. “Go for it.” She’d love to see what he thought once he actually tried it.

  Oliver took over unpacking, casually brushing Binx aside when he made his presence known on the counter, curious to see what was in the bags, while Conner tried out his new discovery. “We have stuff to put together steak fajitas, pasta primavera, and chicken fried rice.”

  Sabrina met his expectant stare, unsure what to choose. “Wow, it all sounds great.” Where did one begin?

  “There’s plenty of each for everyone,” William supplied. “In case you can’t choose.”

  Sabrina propped a fist on her hip. “Was that a crack about women not being able to make up their mind?”

  His eye flared wide. “Of course not.”

  But his tone said everything. As did the crooked smile. Sabrina admonished him with narrowed eyes and an amused smile. She wasn’t mad. But he’d better not make a habit of it.

  “I’ll sample it all.” Unlike some women she knew and heard of, she wasn’t opposed to eating in front of men. Besides, she already had during several business meetings, so it was all water under the bridge.

  “A woman with an appetite,” Conner said appreciatively. “I like it.” He held up the opened bottle of water, now half-empty. “This is good.”

  She nodded, having had a feeling he would like it.

  William clapped his hands together, calling everyone’s attention. “All right, folks, let’s load up and cop a squat. We have a movie to watch.” As he searched her cupboards until he found her dinner plates, he spoke over his shoulder. “I hope you all like romantic comedies, because I brought How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days and I’m ready to laugh.”

  “He owns it,” Oliver imparted as they got out the silverware and started dishing up food.

  Sabrina covered a laugh with a sampling of steak delivered straight to her mouth by her fingers.

  It was a wonder why she’d ever been nervous about spending time with them tonight. They hadn’t been there an hour and already she was feeling perfectly at ease. They were cute, sociable, and funny. Even better, they seemed to like her cat and vice versa. No doubt about it, this was going to be a great night.

  Chapter Twelve

  Sabrina had never laughed so much in her life, or felt so much love. The movie was a hit, and the fact that William had it as part of his personal collection gave her just enough insight into who he was as a person and man to make him even more attractive to her.

  It was hard getting to know one person, let alone three at once, but she was finding that an evening together was just what the doctor ordered. It was the perfect opportunity to sketch out a rough idea of what each of these delectable men was truly like on the inside.

  William was soft and caring and loved to laugh, and she had a feeling he was a closet romantic. Oliver was still as stoic as ever, but she’d caught him grinning several times throughout the evening and, although he was still reserved, he didn’t hesitate to take her hand in his whenever it suited him or put his arm around her shoulders to keep her close. She was learning that he was a cuddler and not afraid to express his caring and admiration for another person.

  Conner, on the other hand, was harder to read. He was still the strongest personality of the three men. He smiled often at the movie and he paid close attention to the romantic moments while lavishing attention on Binx, but she couldn’t get a read on whether or not he was as into it as the rest of them. He seemed entertained but not particularly moved. Based on what she’d observed of him so far, he was very closed off, but he knew what he wanted and was determined to get it. He didn’t hesitate in business or pleasure, but he still knew how to practice control and measure a situation before jumping in. He was a planner, if ever she’d met one.

  The brothers each possessed qualities that she could appreciate and enjoy, but none of them seemed to have everything in one package. Maybe that was why they came as a package deal, she mused. Apart, they lacked things that a woman would look for and want in a partner. Together, they were the perfect balance of hard and soft, gentle and rough, romantic and practical.

  Was it possible that she’d found the perfect match in all three of them?

  “Are you tired?” Oliver asked as they turned off the film and television and set out to clean up the small mess they’d made in the process.

  Sabrina nearly said no, but then a yawn overtook her, and she suddenly realized just how exhausted she truly was. “A bit,” she said, tempering her response because she wasn’t sure she was ready for the night to end, and she also wasn’t sure if they planned to invite themselves to stay the night or if they intended to go home and leave her to her sleep.

  Sabrina herself couldn’t decide what side of the line she fell on either. On the one hand, she wanted to climb into bed and go to sleep unmolested. On the other hand, she’d already experienced what it was like to have sex with Conner, and if it was half as good with all three of them as it was with just him alone, then she was itching to give the threesome a try. Then again, the little, insecure voice in the back of her head argued, three men at once was still a pretty intimidating and terrifying yet alluring prospect that she just wasn’t sure she was entirely ready for. Could anyone ever really be ready for something like that, though?

  “Your eyes are bloodshot,” Conner observed, looking none too pleased with his assessment.

  Sabrina was immediately self-conscious under his scrutiny, unsure of how he was seeing her. Did she look bedraggled or unattractive in his eyes? She tucked some hair framing her face behind her ear in a nervous display that wasn’t lost on him.

  “You should get some rest.”

  Oliver cupped the s
ide of her face and closed the small gap between them to bend down and kiss her forehead. “I agree. You’ve had a long day and we’ve taken up enough of your time. You could use some sleep now.”

  “Well damn, there go my plans for a sleepover,” William said flippantly, although Sabrina thought she heard a note of disappointment in his voice. “Just let me finish cleaning this room up and then we can take off.”

  Sabrina remained glued in place, unsure what to do and what she wanted to do as she watched the guys move around the apartment straightening pillows and clearing dishes and garbage, and putting away leftover food. It was such a domestic sight, she couldn’t stop staring.

  But she had a decision to make. Did she want them to stay or go? Did she dare? The contract loomed in her mind, but she was starting to believe that throwing caution to the wind was the better way to go.

  As they moved toward their shoes and the door, Sabrina made a split-second decision and blurted out the request before she could change her mind.

  “Why don’t you guys just stay the night?”

  Conner, William, and Oliver stopped what they were doing to look at her.

  “I don’t think you have enough room for all of us, sweet.” Conner, ever the practical one, made a show of looking at the small loft space cramped by furniture and miscellaneous that made the walls kind of close in around them. It was cozy, but it didn’t leave a lot of room for much else, let alone three huge men.

  Sabrina saw his point, and she couldn’t believe she was even about to suggest it, but it was the only thing that made sense. “You could…stay in my bed?”

  This really caught their attention, and the men stared at her for a beat too long before silently conferring with one another with a look, much like she and Janet did. Huh. She never knew men could do that. Maybe it was a brother thing…

  “Are you sure?” Oliver asked.

  “Is your bed even big enough?” William added.