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

by JA Low

  One girl taps me on the shoulder and asks if I need anything else. I shake my head, showing that I’m fine, but she doesn’t move. She then leans in again and tells me she is at my service and her job is to make sure I’m having a good time. I look across our table and see Nell’s eyes narrow in on the girl who has her hands on me. Is that a flare of jealousy I see behind those brown eyes? I let the girl keep talking to me, telling me all the things that she would like to help me with while my eyes never leave Nell. She looks like she is moments away from jumping the table and clawing the girl’s eyes out and I’m here for it, as is my dick that begins a hard throb in my pants.

  “Seriously, can you not go anywhere and not have women hitting on you?” Dom questions me.

  “Jealous, buddy?”

  “Damn right I’m jealous,” he tells me honestly, which makes me chuckle. “Teach me your ways.” He grins.

  If only he knew I don’t care about all these other women. Yes, it’s fun to have fun with them, but I know this life isn’t forever that the shine of being used for a convenient fuck gets lonely after a while. I also know that I’m not ready to settle down yet which creates a conundrum in my head. Let’s be serious, it’s only a conundrum when Nell is around. Nell glares at me over her champagne glass, and I give her a flirtatious wink, which has her shaking her head at me.

  “You really love annoying my sister, don’t you?” Dom asks, raising a questioning brow in my direction. Panic flows through my veins because this is the first time he’s ever questioned me about her.

  “She makes it so easy.”

  “You don’t annoy her because you like her, do you?” he asks inquisitively.

  “What, no.” My answer comes out a little louder and higher-pitched than I was going for. Dom’s eyes narrow on me, sensing my discomfort over his question.

  “You two have always been close. I was always too busy to notice it, but I do now.” Dom turns his full attention on me. “Has anything happened between the two of you?”

  This is the moment I die. I knew it would happen one day, but I didn’t think it would be today. “No.” Yeah, I’m chicken shit. Dom rolls his eyes at me, not believing the bullshit that fell from my lips. “Fine, we’ve kissed twice, that’s all.” Dom stares at me for a couple of beats and nods as he takes a gulp of his champagne.

  “Thought so,” he says as he continues taking a sip of his drink.

  No raising of his voice. No telling me I’m a piece of shit. I’m still alive.

  “That’s it?” I ask him, wondering why he hasn’t lost his mind. Dom shrugs his shoulders. I stare at him for a couple of moments, wondering if it’s a delayed reaction or something?

  “Am I happy about it? No. That’s my sister. But we were kids and I get it. You two hung out a lot, so I assumed something may have accidentally happened. I mean, I hooked up with Rainn before.”

  I literally choke on my drink at his comment because this is the first I’ve heard about it.

  “Um, when?”

  “One holiday when she stayed with us. I think Nell was dating some douchebag and left Rainn on her own. We hung out and one thing led to another, and it just happened,” Dom states as if it’s no big deal.

  “Does Nell know?”

  “No. And she will not know. Rainn and I swore we would never tell her. You know what she’d be like, either weirded out or trying to set us up. So, don’t fucking tell her.” Dom points his finger at me. I throw my hands up in the air in defense and tell him she will not hear it from me.

  The night continues in a blur of drinks, music, and dancing. Now that the DJs have finished their set, they have started the after-party in the VIP section. I can see the excitement on the girls’ faces when they’re introduced to the DJs. I don’t understand what the appeal is. I especially don’t understand what Nell sees in one of them when he comes over and wraps his arm around her shoulder and starts whispering into her ear, making her laugh. Not sure what’s so funny.

  Dom’s left me for a hot blonde in the corner, and I’m sitting here with a scowl on my face while Nell flirts with someone else. It sucks. The cushion beside me dips, and I turn to see who’s taking a seat beside me. I’m surprised by the gorgeous redhead.

  “I think you and I might be kindred spirits,” she suggests with a purr.

  “How so?” I ask, intrigued.

  “You can’t seem to keep your eyes off those two either.”

  I follow her line of sight and realize she is looking at Nell and one of the DJs looking cozy on the couch together. “I’m going to assume you have a history with the beautiful girl?”

  “Shall I assume you have a history with the guy she’s flirting with too?” Looking back over at the redhead.

  “You’d be right.” A smirk falls across her lips. “Unfortunately, I fucked it up and I guess this is my penance watching him fawn over every groupie that falls into his lap.”

  “She’s not a groupie,” I tell her.

  The redhead raises a manicured brow in my direction and gives me a warm smile.

  “Let me guess, you fucked up?” Her green eyes dip and take me in. They flare with attraction as if she’s just noticed who she’s sat beside. A chuckle falls from her ruby red lips. “Oh yeah, you most definitely fucked up, pretty boy.”

  “You don’t know me,” I tell her, annoyed at her assumptions.

  She just gives me a shoulder shrug of indifference.

  “What did you do then? That causes you to be sitting here with me and not over there?”

  “I slept with the other guy in his band,” she tells me.

  A low whistle falls from my lips. “That would probably do it.”

  “It was an unfortunate mistake and one that cost me him,” she states sadly.

  “So how do you know them?” I ask her, intrigued suddenly.

  “Known them all my life, we were friends.” She lets out a sigh before shaking her head. “Then sex messed it all up.” Always does, as I look back over to where Nell is now sucking face with the DJ. “Guess they are both trying to prove a point.” The redhead explains, taking a sip of her drink while we watch the two people we both want, be together.

  “I’m assuming you’re sitting here, wondering if I’m up for a bit of mind fuckery?” I ask, turning my head back toward the beautiful redhead.

  “That’s exactly why I’m sitting here, pretty boy,” she explains to me with a grin. I raise a questioning brow at her before I lean in and capture her lips with my own.

  17

  Remi

  “What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Nell asks angrily as she grabs my arm as I exit the bathrooms.

  “Taking a piss.”

  Nell rolls her eyes at me, looking rather annoyed. “No, I mean with that redhead,” she sneers at me.

  “Same thing I’m assuming you’re doing with your DJ friend, having some fun.”

  “Are you going to take her back to the villa tonight?” Nell questions me.

  “Not sure. Are you taking your friend back to the villa to fuck him?”

  Those brown eyes narrow on me, and a fiery anger rages behind them. “What’s saying I haven’t already fucked him?” she hisses angrily.

  “I’m assuming it wasn’t that good then. Because you’ve come to find me,” I say confidently before spinning her around and pushing her up against the brick wall, crowding her personal space. Nell lets out a surprised gasp and a grunt as her back hits the wall. “You know I can finish the job properly,” I whisper into her ear.

  “You think you’re the biggest player, Remi, don’t you?” Nell asks me angrily. “Women drop to their knees anytime Remington Hartford asks them to. I’m not one of those girls.”

  “And yet here you are accosting me in the hallway.”

  “I was trying to warn you,” Nell exclaims.

  “Warn me?”

  “Yeah, that girl you’re with is only using you to make her ex jealous,” Nell tells me honestly.

  “And you don’t think
I’m doing the same thing?” I ask her, arching a questioning brow at her. Nell is a little stunned by my comment, her mouth falls open and those brown doe eyes blink slowly at me computing what I just confessed. “That’s right, little one. I wanted to make you jealous. Did it work?” I ask with a smirk as my thumb rubs against her cheek.

  “No,” she answers softly, as her teeth sink into her bottom lip.

  “You sure about that?” I ask her again.

  “Yes, I’m sure.” She answers breathlessly. “I was just being a good friend in case…”

  “In case what, sweetheart?” I ask, finishing her sentence.

  “That you wanted to date her,” she mumbles beneath her breath. Her comment catches me off guard and I burst out laughing, which makes her frown at me, and I can see she is getting upset by my laughter as her eyes narrow on me. “Stop being a dick, Remi,” Nell snaps back at me.

  “I think it’s cute that you’re worried about my heart getting broken, Nell,” I tell her, as my eyes drip down to her mouth, it’s been too long since I last tasted her. “The only woman that could ever break my heart is standing right in front of me.” Nell gasps and those brown eyes widen at my honesty. “I’ve never cared about another like I have you.”

  “Remi,” she says my name softly as her hand rests on my chest. I think she is going to push me away, but she pulls me to her as her lips meet mine. The kiss starts off softly, as she accepts that I still have feelings for her. I don’t want to rush Nell when she is the one that made the first move this time, so I let her set the pace. Her tongue runs along the seam of my lips, begging me to open fully for her, and I do. As soon as our tongues collide, it’s game over as sparks fly. Hunger takes over the two of us, and we consume each other as if we’re starving and we probably are because it’s been weeks since we were last together. I need more of her because once I’ve started tasting Nell, I must finish. Unhappily, I pull myself away from her lips and grab her hand and head into the disabled toilet cubical in the club. I shut and lock the door behind me, and unfortunately, stark fluorescent light fills the room, but I don’t care. My lips are hungry on her again, and I shove her up against the white-tiled wall and push one of her legs up so that I can get myself closer to her. I run my hardening dick against the seam of her panties, which pulls a moan from her lips. I don’t dare let my lips move from hers while she’s letting me put her in this position, not when she could change her mind at any moment, and I would have to let her leave. My hand slides down her smooth thigh before slipping between us. My fingers find her damp underwear, which makes my dick throb with greedy need that she’s turned on. My knuckles press against her underwear, teasing her. Breathless moans fall from her lips the harder my knuckle runs along her dampening slit. With a careful flick of my wrist, I move her flimsy underwear to the side and my knuckle is sliding between her sweet folds. Nell moans louder at the contact, which sends shivers of excitement over my primed body. It doesn’t take long till I sink one than a second finger inside her heated cunt.

  “Fuck, Remi!” Nell screams, throwing her head back against the tiles, her eyes sliding close as her chest heaves with each delicious thrust of my fingers inside of her. I don’t let up on my rhythm, curling my fingers inside of her, knowing exactly the spot that sends her flying higher, then when it’s time I add my thumb and caress her clit, which has her thighs shaking moments later. “Don’t stop.” She hisses and pants as I give her exactly what she asks for and don’t stop moving until I can feel her quake and her pussy clenches around my fingers until she screams my name as I push her over the edge. I don’t let her come down from the orgasm because my other hand has already unbuttoned my pants and pulled my dick out. With experienced fingers, I pull the condom from my back pocket, and in a well-practiced move, I roll it onto my dick one-handed and seconds later I am sinking deep inside of her. “Fuck, Rem,” she hisses on contact.

  “That’s exactly what I’m going to do to you,” I growl into her ear.

  “Yes. Harder. Make me forget you!” Nell screams in my ear.

  I’m so far gone that I don’t have time to understand what she means by “make me forget you.” I’m lost in the moment, unable to make a coherent thought, so I file it away for another time. I grab Nell’s leg and hoist her up higher, letting me sink deeper inside of her. “I’ll always know what makes you feel good, Nell.”

  “I know.” She moans as her nails dig into my shoulders.

  Tingles race up my spine, and my balls throb as I continue to fuck her.

  “I know.” She screams again as I hit her deep inside and her legs shake as I feel her walls tighten around me, squeezing the life out of my dick, making my eyes roll back inside my head at how delicious it feels to be wrapped tightly by her cunt.

  It doesn’t take me long until we are both coming against each other after a couple of deeper thrusts, each of us moaning our release against the other. My head falls forward onto Nell’s shoulder as I try to catch my breath because this woman literally takes my breath away each time I fuck her. I gently ease myself out of her and toss away the condom before tucking myself back into my pants. I grab some toilet paper and hand it to Nell to clean herself up with and she does before throwing the paper away in the toilet. Once Nell’s pulled herself back together again, I register the frown on her face.

  “Everything okay?”

  “I’m annoyed with myself,” she says, straightening herself up.

  “Why? Did I not make you come?” I ask, genuinely worried that the screams I pulled from her were fake.

  “Oh, no, you did. You always do,” she tells me, shaking her head, but she still doesn’t sound happy about that.

  “Then did I hurt you?” I ask, worried that in my frenzy that I may have done something that bruised her.

  “No. You didn’t hurt me, this time,” she adds. “I’m annoyed that I’ve fallen into…” She starts but stops herself as if realizing where she is for the first time “… a nightclub bathroom with you again.” Her lip curls sourly as she shakes her head in disgust.

  “You’re upset because it was with me, aren’t you?” I ask her angrily.

  “Of course, I am!” she yells at me, pushing me away from her. “Because you think you’re God’s gift to women, and I stupidly keep falling for it.”

  “Is that why you screamed ‘make me forget you’?” I ask.

  “Yes.”

  Dammit, I curse internally as I rake my hand through my hair. “Nell, I’m sorry for the shit that I did years ago. I truly am. Are you going to punish me forever over it?”

  “Yes. Because you broke me, Remi. You broke my heart into a million miserable pieces. You were the first boy I ever loved, and you destroyed it. You threw my heart back into my face as if it meant nothing to you. You ruined me. You left me with trust issues.” My heart thunders in my chest at hearing her words. That the stupidity of my youth created a permanent scar on her heart. Nell wraps her arms around herself as if she feels exposed now toward me. “And the stupid thing is, I keep coming back for more, even though I know the consequences of my actions will be another dent in my heart, thanks to you, Remington Hartford. But you’re like a drug that I need even though I know you’re no good for me.”

  “Nell.” I say her name softly as I reach my hand out to cup her face. “I hate being your regret.”

  “I’m not trying to hurt you,” she says, letting out a heavy sigh.

  “I know, sweetheart. I’m a big boy I can handle it,” I whisper in reply as my thumb continues to stroke my cheek.

  “I don’t think I can, Rem.” My stomach sinks at her words. “I don’t think we can be friends either,” she whispers gently.

  “Why?”

  “I’m just going to keep falling into bed with you at every moment.”

  “And what’s wrong with that?”

  “Because I’ll never get over you if I do,” she tells me sternly.

  “I don’t want you to get over me.”

  “But I do,” sh
e states firmly, tapping her chest. “You’re this polo playing playboy. Your star is rising and what comes with that is more women, more attention, and more money.”

  “So, I’ve worked fucking hard to achieve all that I have,” I tell her, annoyed by her comment.

  “And I’m your biggest fan, Rem. Please never doubt that,” she tells me, reaching out and touching my chest, my skin lighting up under her fingers. “But I still love you.”

  “What’s wrong with that? I still love you too,” I tell her honestly, placing my hand over hers on my chest. Her eyes look down at where our hands meet, and she stares at them for a couple of moments before she pulls them away. I feel their loss immediately.

  “I have to go,” she says impatiently as she pushes me to the side and tries to pull the locked bathroom door open without unlocking it first. She shakes the handle in frustration twice, even banging on the door with her fist. I walk over and press my front against her back, making her gasp. I place the barest of kisses on her neck and her skin breaks out in goosebumps under my lips. I reach out and turn the lock on the door, making it click, before turning the knob and pushing it open for her and moments later, she disappears into the club. The thought of not having her in my life feels like my entire being is being ripped from my soul, but seeing how upset I made her, maybe I should give her some space.