Playing the Player: Falling for Best friend's sister. (The Hartford Brothers Book 2)

by JA Low

  “Come, let’s get you cleaned up.” I pick up her sated body in my arms and walk her into the en-suite. I place her down onto the cool tiles and turn the shower on for her. I test the water and get it to the right temperature, which is scolding. She gets in, and I quickly undress and get rid of the condom before joining her. I pull her to me and kiss her, unable to stop myself because she looks so beautiful after being thoroughly fucked.

  “Fuck, I’ve missed you,” I tell her honestly. As I brush her wet hair from her face, she gives me a warm smile, and that smile is like an arrow to my chest. “I still love you, Nell.” The words fall from my lips, and maybe it’s too soon to say them, but it’s the truth it doesn’t matter how many people we are with. She still holds my heart.

  “Remi.”

  “I know it doesn’t change things between us, but I need you to know that you own me, Nell,” I tell her truthfully.

  “You broke my heart, Rem. You smashed it to smithereens.”

  “I know, baby.” I run my hand through her hair. “And I’m so sorry about that. I was young and dumb. I was scared because I know what we have together I’ll never find with someone else. And I’m not ready yet for that.”

  Nell gives me a frown. “You can’t say these things to me, Remi. I put you in a box, a box clearly marked one-night stand. I don’t want you declaring your love for me.” She pulls away from me and automatically I feel the distance creeping in between us again.

  “I know I will only ever have tonight with you, Nell. Just needed you to know how I felt,” I tell her honestly.

  “Don’t make me the bad guy here giving me those puppy dog eyes.” Her voice softens. “We agreed one night.”

  “What happens if I want more?” I ask seriously.

  “No,” she answers flatly, shaking her head at me. “I can’t let you in.”

  “You let me in between your legs,” I state, annoyed. Her hands come out and push me away from her, my back hitting the shower’s glass wall. I deserved that, letting my ego and pride get in the way. “I’m sorry, Nell. I didn’t mean that. Fuck, I’m a dick to you.” I swear furiously, disappointed with myself again.

  “It’s easier to have you between my legs than in my heart.” The words slip from her lips quickly before she turns around and reaches for the soap to wash herself. I close my eyes and suck in a deep breath as I take a step forward and press a kiss against her shoulder.

  I wrap my arms around her and grip her tightly. “If that is all I will ever get from you, I’ll take it. I’d rather have some part of you than none.”

  She stops lathering herself and turns around in my arms, then in silence she lathers me up with the bubbles from her own body. My dick twitches back to life.

  “Do you mean that?” she asks seriously.

  “What, that I’ll happily be a friend with benefits over no benefits at all? Yeah, one hundred percent.” Those brown eyes look at me as she wraps her arms around my neck, and she gives me a smile.

  “I think I can handle that.”

  Wait, she’s serious? She’s saying that this won’t be the last time I get to sink deep inside of her.

  “You can?” I ask, double-checking I’m hearing her correctly.

  “As long as we keep our relationship strictly sex then you can’t break my heart again.”

  Her comment makes me frown and my stomach sinks, but it’s a start. We can rebuild the other parts of our relationship at another time, but for now, the fact she will let me stay inside of her is all I could ask for. “I think we might need to christen our new relationship, don’t you think?”

  And we did all night long.

  So why did she disappear on me?

  15

  Nell

  “You dirty bitch.” Rainn jokes, answering the door to their hotel room. I push my way through, dump my stuff on the floor, and slump on the bed where Audrey is sitting, playing on her phone.

  “Are you okay?” she asks softly, looking at me with concern. I nod my head, answering her.

  “Please don’t tell me it wasn’t as good as you remembered?” Rainn asks with a laugh. I lift my hands from my face and glare at her, which makes her laugh harder. “Damn, the D is still that good.” I nod and cover my face again, burying it into the sheets. “What’s the problem then?”

  “He broke her heart, that’s what the problem is,” Audrey comments, shaking her head.

  “Nell isn’t looking to be in a relationship again with him, is she?”

  I uncover my face and see Rainn staring at me intensely, waiting for me to answer.

  “No. No way in the world. But he told me last night he still loves me.”

  “Oh my god.” Audrey squeals excitedly.

  “Did he say that during post-coital bliss?” Rainn asks, unconvinced.

  “Not the point. I told him too bad, that it was one night only, and…” memories of our conversations filter back through my mind. “Oh, no.”

  “What?” Rainn and Audrey reply.

  “I agreed to be friends with benefits with him.”

  “Of course, you did,” Rainn adds, rolling her eyes.

  “Do you think that’s a good idea?” Audrey asks, concerned.

  “No, I don’t, but at that moment, I thought it was a great idea. Thinking I could guard my heart against him ever breaking it again.”

  “I think that’s sound logic, Nell,” Rainn states simply.

  “Can you really sleep with Remi and keep your feelings in check?” Audrey asks sympathetically.

  “I don’t know.” Pressing my face back into the sheets. This is why tequila is never a good idea, poor decisions happen. They sound great, but upon reflection, probably not so good. Why the hell did I do this to myself? My phone rings, pulling me from my self-loathing, but Rainn grabs it out of my bag before I have a chance.

  “It’s Remi,” Rainn states with a grin.

  “Hang up,” I scream at her wildly.

  “He’s probably worried that you disappeared from his bed. He might think someone has kidnapped you. I should answer it just to let him know you’re okay. Hey, Remi, it’s Rainn. How are you?” I’m going to kill her. “She’s just got back to the room. Which, by the way, thank you. Audrey and I had such a splendid night's sleep. We may have ordered one too many bowls of truffle fries, but no hangover this morning, so I think they did the trick. Sorry, Nell’s in the shower. I’ll let her know you called, though. Want me to pass on a message or anything? No. Okay. Again, thanks for hooking us up. See ya, around.” She then hangs up and throws the phone at me. I catch it before it hits me in the head.

  “What did he say?” Audrey asks. Yes, I want to know too.

  “He’s worried that you weren’t in his room. That he wanted to make sure you were okay and if you could call him back,” Rainn states, smirking.

  “That’s nice of him,” Audrey adds.

  “I guess.”

  “Just text him back saying thanks and have a nice life,” Rainn insists.

  Maybe she’s right. It was nice of him to worry about me once he discovered me gone. I shouldn’t ghost him just because I’m embarrassed over what happened.

  “Right, I’m going to go have a shower,” Rainn explains, leaving the room.

  “Just text him,” Audrey urges me before putting her air pods back into her ears, leaving me to it.

  I stare down at my phone and type in my passcode to open it. I see Remi’s phone number on the call list and create a message from that.

  Nell: Hey, sorry I left. You were passed out. Didn’t want to disturb you.

  The three little bubbles immediately pop up, and my anxiety skyrockets.

  Remi: Was looking forward to round 2 or is it round 4 or 5?

  Remi: Was also looking forward to us having breakfast together.

  He’s right, it was four, but that’s not the point.

  Nell: As we established last night, we were just friends with benefits. Didn’t think I needed to stick around for wifey duties.


  Remi: Having breakfast after a night full of sex is wifey duty? Didn’t realize this.

  Nell: Didn’t think having breakfast with your conquests was in the player handbook.

  Remi: So now I’m a player. This keeps getting better and better. Tell me more.

  Nell: Please you know you’re a player. That ego of yours needs to be stroked constantly.

  Remi: It’s not the only thing that needs to be stroked constantly.

  Nell: I walked into that.

  Nell: Anyway, thanks for last night. It was fun. And thanks for putting my friends up, that was kind. Good luck and see you around.

  Remi: That’s it?

  Nell: Yep,

  Remi: When will I see you again?

  Nell: Not sure, but good luck with everything. You’re killing it.

  And with that, I throw my phone onto the bed and sigh.

  “All good?” Audrey asks, curious.

  “Yep, all good.”

  “I still can’t believe Dominic got invited to the private after party of Duo, the biggest DJs in the world, in Ibiza,” Rainn states excitedly.

  I like music, but I’m not as up to date with who is who like Rainn is. She surrounds herself with creative types of people. We changed our itinerary to come to Ibiza a couple of days earlier because of these tickets Dom was able to get for us. I haven’t been to Ibiza for a while. Dom’s letting us crash at his holiday home before we can check into ours. The island is fully booked this week, so we couldn’t get the extra couple of days beforehand at our place.

  “You made it,” Dom says happily as he opens the door for us. I give my brother a kiss on the cheek and bypass him, enchanted by the view. The luxury home is bathed in a neutral stone palate which doesn’t take away from the floor to ceiling glass doors that are pulled open, blurring the lines between indoor and outdoor space that takes you out to the infinity pool which juts out over the edge of the ravine and meets the azure of the ocean behind it. I think I’ve died and gone to paradise this; is gorgeous.

  “The view is unbelievable, isn’t it?” Dom states smugly, joining me by the railing.

  Turning my head to look at my brother, “How the hell can you afford this?” I ask curiously.

  Dom gives me a smug smile. “Oh, I didn’t. It’s one of Remi’s MILF admirers that’s letting us stay here,” he tells me, chuckling.

  Everything inside of me stills at the mention of Remi. “Remi’s here?” I ask. My brother sure as hell forgot to tell me that bit of information when he invited us down here.

  “Yeah, he’s probably thanking the woman as we speak.” Dom bursts out laughing, not realizing the knife he’s just twisted into my chest.

  “Dom, can you get us some drinks? We’re parched from the flight,” Audrey asks him in her sweetest voice.

  He gives her a grin and walks back inside.

  “Fuck, Nell. We can turn around and go straight back to the airport,” Rainn suggests.

  “What about Duo?” I ask her, knowing how excited she was to come here and see them.

  “It’s no biggy. I’ll see them again,” she adds, shrugging her shoulders.

  “I can’t believe Dom didn’t mention this was Remi’s place,” Audrey adds, unimpressed.

  “Remi’s booty call’s home,” Rainn corrects her.

  “We’re here now, there’s nothing we can do. I mean, look at this place it’s gorgeous,” I say, waving my hands at the gorgeous view.

  “But what about Remi?” Audrey asks.

  “What about him? We hooked up in London a couple of weeks ago. So what? We’re in Ibiza. Do you have any idea how many hot guys there are here?” I ask them, raising my brows.

  “Guys with Spanish accents too,” Rainn adds with a grin, but Audrey doesn’t look as convinced.

  “I’ll be fine. Remember, there’s a wall around this,” I tell her, tapping my heart with my hand.

  “Drinks, ladies,” Dom states, interrupting our conversation. We all take the cold drink because the Spanish sun has us all overheated.

  Moments later, Remi emerges from a room with a towel wrapped dangerously low around his hips, water droplets cascade down his toned body, and I hate that seeing him like that makes me tingle.

  “Nell?” Remi says my name like a question. His brows crinkle as those green eyes narrow on me. He shakes his head twice as if he can’t quite believe I’m standing here in front of him. I’m guessing Dom didn’t give him a heads up either. “What are you guys doing here?”

  “Dom invited us,” I answer for the girls.

  Remi turns and stares at his best friend in surprise.

  “I said I was inviting the girls,” Dom states, shrugging his shoulders as if our being here is no big deal.

  “I thought you meant different girls.”

  Then, behind Remi, a gorgeous brunette slides out of the door he exited moments before and stands beside him. She’s a lot older than him. I’d even say double his age, but she’s flawless. She’s wearing a white dress that molds to her toned body, her chocolate brown hair is pulled up into a high ponytail, and she is dripping in gold and diamonds. Then I watch in horror as she grabs Remi’s face and kisses him passionately. My fingers grip the glass that I’m holding. I’m worried it will shatter. She then pats his face and whispers something into his ear before turning around and looking at us.

  “Welcome to my home,” she says warmly. “I’m off, back to work. Have fun. Make yourselves at home.” That’s nice of her, damn it. She then gives Dom a heated kiss and gropes his ass before she strides out of the home like a goddess.

  “I want to be her when I grow up,” Rainn says quietly beside me.

  “I’m just going to get changed,” Remi says. He looks over at me with a frown, then disappears into his room. I will not let him ruin this holiday for my girls and me, plus there are plenty of other men to have fun with while we are here.

  I don’t need him.

  16

  Remi

  I could kill Dom for that bullshit in the living room. But I can’t because he does not know that anything’s happened between Nell and me. Watching Nell’s face as Leonora came out after our morning session, giving me a kiss before exiting, killed me. I could see the hurt that washed over her face and then the stubbornness of trying to hide it, but I saw it. Why did I think when Dom said girls, he meant someone different? Of course it was going to be his sister and her friends? I’m an idiot.

  I’ve known Leonora for a couple of years now from the polo scene. She’s known for her penchant for young, good-looking polo players. She likes to wine and dine them, have a little fun, and move on to the next. So, when she suggested I stay at her villa for some R&R and to bring my friends, I jumped at the chance. As soon as I introduced Dom to her when he arrived, she was thrilled over new meat. Dom was a little unsure at first when Leonora was hitting on him, but when I explained what the deal was with her, he stopped saying no to her advances. I could hear her screams throughout the villa most nights. It didn’t bother me in the slightest. Lenora is all about fun. She isn’t a jealous woman, and she expects the same back from you.

  But Nell doesn’t know that; all she’s seen is me emerging from Leonora’s bedroom, practically naked.

  The sun is shining, and it’s hot already. The pool is calling me as I walk out into the living room. I notice the girls and Dom lazing by the pool with cocktails in their hands, laughing. They haven’t noticed me yet, and I take the uninterrupted moment to take Nell in. She’s dressed in a barely-there white bikini that leaves nothing to the imagination at all. Her pert little ass is on display beneath the tiniest bikini bottoms, and her breasts are almost falling out of the tiny triangle top. All I can think about is what I would give to push that fabric to the side and sink deep inside of her. My dick twitches and I tell it to behave because walking out to the pool with a semi is going to look a little suspicious.

  “Oh my god, Nell. You, in this light, is everything. Quick, throw me your phone and I’ll get a picture of you
in that bikini for the brand,” Rainn exclaims eagerly. Nell throws it to her, and she opens it, then tells Nell to get into various poses by the pool’s edge, turning it into an instant photoshoot.

  “If you girls are going to do this all afternoon, I’m out.” Dom moans before standing up out of the lounge chair and heading back inside. “They are going to be awhile.” He groans, passing me.

  I don’t care, I’m happy watching Nell model in various seductive poses for the camera. Walking outside, I take a seat beside the girls. Nell turns her head before rolling her eyes at me and going back to her various poses. I can see why the girls get paid to model the clothing; the three of them are stunning. I can imagine how many creepers they get. And yes, I’m one of them. This photoshoot goes on for thirty minutes, and I understand now why Dominic bounced, it’s hot, and the pool is looking rather inviting. Fuck it. I’ve stayed out of their way long enough. The pool is to be used. Placing my phone and glasses down beside me. I take a couple of steps before bomb diving into the pool and spraying the girls with the water. When I emerge, I hear screams and curses as water drips down all over them, which makes me smile.

  “You’re such a dick, Remi!” Nell screams angrily at me, shaking off the water droplets from her skin.

  “I was hot and needed to cool down,” I say, smiling up at her as I backstroke across the pool. Nell just sends daggers my way, which makes me smile even wider. “Why don’t you come in. It’s nice?”

  “I’d rather be anywhere else,” Nell says, mumbling to herself.

  I will not let her negative words affect me, she’s angry because she caught me with another woman. I get it. But I know the fact that it bothers her so much makes me hard. I’ll bide my time for now, before I try to push the boundaries to our friendship again, but I will, mark my words.

  Ibiza is the party capital of the world, and no one really starts heading out until one in the morning. Most clubs continue through the morning till lunchtime. I can’t go too crazy because next week I’ll be back down the south of France playing again. I took some time off to hang out with Dom and relax for a little because I’ve been working hard and now thanks to my rising star, I’m allowed to take a couple of weeks off to enjoy the fruits of my labor. It’s late or early depending on which side of the coin you’re on by the time we head out from our villa and into town where all the major clubs are. The girls, of course, are dressed like sin, with Nell wearing a vintage t-shirt that stops just under her ass and knee-high boots that have my dick hard. She’s looking rock chick sex kitten and I’m here for it. We’re escorted from the car directly through to the VIP section, which is up on the balcony overlooking the mega club, where thousands of people are dancing beneath us. The DJ booth is to the right of us, and we get an up-close look at them working their magic. The gorgeous bottle girls arrive with sparklers attach to champagne bottles. They dance around a bit to hype up the crowd. The girls squeal with delight, pulling their phones out, capturing the moment. Once the sparklers have died down, the girls get about pouring us glasses and handing them out to us.