Hers From The Start: A Collection of First In Series Reverse Harem

by Laura Greenwood

  An arm snaked around my shoulders. Its attached body cast my own into a giant shadow. “Come on, Kitkat. Mom’s been counting down the days till your arrival. She says she needs someone to keep me from being underfoot.”

  The sob I’d been trying desperately to hang on to broke from my chest and morphed into a snort. I could feel the blood rushing to my cheeks as I chanted, “Just kill me, now,” over and over again in my head.

  His eyes sparkled as a grin broke across his face. “You snorted.” The hand resting on my shoulder turned into a grip as his other hand began to poke into my side. “That’s so cute. Do it again.”

  I tried to wrestle from his hold, but he towered over me and his muscles held me fast. His fingers relentlessly attacked my sides. My lips became numb from the pressure I put on them, trying to keep my laughter contained, but it was a losing cause.

  Sensing my defeat, he moved in for the kill. His fingers crawled across my side to my stomach in pursuit of my belly button. I sucked in my breath. My stomach muscles clenched as his fingers slid over them, returning the fluttery feeling from earlier.

  His fingers slowed. My breath hitched. The air between us crackled as it heated. I peered up under my eyelashes, wanting to know the expression on his face without revealing my own. The bottom corner of my lip found its way between my teeth while I watched him lick his lips. His electric blue eyes appeared darker than normal.

  “Kit—”

  “Ryan! I need you to run to the store for me.” We jumped apart. His hand dropped to his side as his mother’s voice rang out across the yard.

  “Coming, Mom.” Ryan stepped to the side, revealing me to his mother.

  “Kayla, come give me a hug, girl. I’m so glad to see you.” Ryan’s mother, Julianna, held out her arms as she stepped down off their front step. A large smile covered her face.

  An answering smile grew on my own face as I pushed past Ryan. “Momma Julianna. It’s so good to be here.”

  She pulled me into her arms as my own arms wrapped around her waist. I sunk into her hug. She gave the best mother hugs, and I relished each one I received. Although, the first few times she gave me one I shied away. They reminded me too much of the hugs I received from my own mother before she took off without a word.

  I breathed in deeply, allowing her scent of fresh flowers, sugar, and cinnamon to wash over me. My stomach rumbled at the smell, already anxious to devour some of her homemade treats. “You smell like your baking.”

  Her chest rumbled under me while her shoulders shook with laughter. “Kayla, sweetheart, I don’t know who wants to eat my treats more: you or the boys.”

  We pulled away as Ryan stopped beside me. Julianna handed him a list, some money, and the car keys before admonishing him to drive safe. He nodded but rolled his eyes at me once he’d turned away from his mother. “Be right back.” He wiggled his eyebrows before he jogged over to their car.

  Julianna wrapped her arm around my shoulders. “Can you come in for tea? I need to grab some time with you before my son hogs it all. He’s the only one of the boys here and it’s a new experience for him. He’s been moping for days and it’s driving me nuts.”

  With a nod, she led me into their house. The smile never left my face as I realized I was truly home, even if it was only for six weeks this year.

  Chapter Three

  The next two weeks were busy, but immensely satisfying. Kris and Ryan’s brothers remained away, busy with hockey related activities, leaving him all alone with me as his training partner. Or at least, the person writing and timing while he worked out. When he wasn’t training, we hung out, spending most of our time together. But outside of training, we tended not to be alone. Girls flocked to his side whenever we went out, especially when we spent time at the local outdoor pool.

  Their perfect bodies, which they flaunted without shame, made me feel self-conscious in my black and white striped one piece. They also had more life experience—which wasn’t difficult considering the rules I lived under with my stepmonster and father. During the school year, I wasn’t even allowed to join any clubs or engage in activities that occurred after school which sucked. It put a crimp in meeting and socializing with my peers, but I only lived for the summers anyway.

  Not that I could keep in contact with Kris and Ryan during the school year. I wasn’t allowed the internet unless it was class related. So, I had no access to social media or emails. Even my TV viewing was strictly limited, resulting in my inability to even understand half of what the girls spoke about. The only time I could outshine them was with hockey talk, but I knew that wouldn’t land me a boyfriend or two.

  Nope. I was firmly in the friend zone with any male I managed to say a few words to. That was if I even made it that far.

  But when we were alone, I never felt that way with Ryan. He treated me as an equal, although his little sister comment still stung.

  If I didn’t want to get my heart broken, I needed to transfer my crush to someone else, but who. Despite all the girls, and even some guys, who surrounded Ryan at the pool, he always kept the boys away from me. Just like an older brother.

  I woke up at the crack of dawn, unable to sleep any longer. After a quick shower, I rummaged through my clothes, looking for the perfect thing to wear. It was the day I’d waited for after two weeks alone with Ryan. And I knew I wasn’t the only one excited.

  “Whoa. What happened here?” I jumped at the sound of Aunt Susan’s voice. She chuckled as she picked her way through my room.

  In my haste and desperation to find something sophisticated and cute to wear, my entire wardrobe—or most of it—landed on the floor, the bed, even the ceiling fan. My cheeks heated when I saw my cream camisole spinning around on one of the fan blades.

  “Let me guess…” Aunt Susan tapped her chin with her index finger as I glared at her. “Could it be that our newest professional hockey player returns today? Excited to see Kris, are we?”

  I picked up an item of clothing next to me and chucked it at her. Thankfully, it ended up being a pair of clean socks, but she still laughed and tossed them back at me.

  “It’s all right, my sweet girl. I’ll help you find something, and if we can’t find it, I’ll take you shopping.”

  I rushed at her, throwing my arms around her. “You’re the best, Aunt Susan. A virtual life saver.”

  “Well, I don’t know about that, but I’m glad that I can help.” She bent and picked up a discarded item of clothing, folded it, and then put it away after giving me a pointed look. Shrugging my shoulders, I joined in. Together, we restored my room to its normal level of cleanliness. But we never found something I wanted to wear.

  After helping Ryan with his morning workout, Aunt Susan and Julianna bundled me into Aunt Susan’s car for an impromptu girls’ day of shopping and pampering. Both of them smiled and chuckled when I found it difficult to sit still for our manicures and pedicures. I wasn’t the only anxious person though as Ryan texted his mother frequently about when she was coming home to cook for Kris and his family.

  Julianna kept me busy expanding my cooking and baking knowledge that afternoon. She’d presented me with an apron, to wear over the gold sundress, Aunt Susan bought me. I’d never owned anything like it before and knew my father and stepmother would have heart attacks if I were to wear it at home. But I loved it.

  The gold color played off my tan and the caramel highlights in my hair. While the silver and gray Celtic design on the fabric played up my gray eyes. Spaghetti straps held the dress on my shoulders while the neckline dropped into a V or something Aunt Susan called a sweetheart neckline. Whatever it was, it gave my not so shapely body curves. Especially when added to the floaty skirt that twirled around me whenever I spun to grab a new item.

  We’d just placed the pan of strawberry-rhubarb tartlets into the oven when the crunch of tires on the gravel driveway sounded.

  “He’s here,” Ryan yelled before the sound of the front door slamming reached us in the kitchen.

>   “You would think the poor boy hadn’t seen him in years instead of weeks.” Julianna shook her head with a small chuckle before lifting her gaze to my beaming face. “Come on, sweet girl, let’s go show off this amazing dress.” She spun me around and rapidly untied the apron strings, pulling it off me.

  She spun me around again until I faced her. Her fingers smoothed back a few wayward pieces of hair that had escaped my French braid and then moved onto the dress itself. “Oh, Kayla. You look so sophisticated and older. You are going to have boys falling at your feet.”

  I smiled and thanked her for the compliment but didn’t really believe it. There was no way I could compete with the other girls out there, and even if I could, there were only two guys I wanted to fall at my feet. The problem—besides the obvious one that neither of the two guys viewed me as anything more than a sister—was that I couldn’t choose between the two of them.

  Maybe it’s better this way? If neither of them like me then I don’t have to choose or wish I was also with the other one.

  Taking a deep breath to calm my suddenly racing heart, I followed Julianna to the front door. My fingers smoothed my hair and dress, copying Julianna’s movements from earlier. With each step, I found it increasingly difficult to remain walking. All I wanted to do was to rush outside and into Kris’s arms.

  Standing on the edge of the front porch, my eyes were drawn to the sight of Kris and Ryan hugging and doing all the manly back slapping that guys tended to do. Their mouths moved in speech, but only single sounds from each of their voices reached my ear over the sounds of Ryan’s parents greeting Kris’s and his little sister, Desiree.

  I didn’t know what changed. I hadn’t moved, preferring to stand and watch Kris and Ryan’s reunion, but suddenly Kris’s eyes rose to mine. His smile of happiness morphed into a different smile. One that my sixteen years on earth couldn’t identify.

  He dropped his arms from Ryan and pushed past him. The smile on his face grew with every step. He bounded up the steps but stopped two steps below the porch floor, allowing me to nearly look him in the eye without having to tilt my head. “KK, I’m so happy to see you.” He wrapped his arms around me and pulled me into a brotherly hug.

  My nose sunk into the middle of his chest, and I took a deep breath. My nose wrinkled at the new scent he wore, but within a few seconds I fell in love with the spiciness of the nutmeg and the sandalwood undertones. Taking one last sniff, I pulled my head back. “Congratulations, Kris. I’m so excited for you.”

  He shifted his head slightly to move his overly long straight black hair from the top of his head out of his face. He kept the top long to pay homage to his Mi’kmaw heritage while the rest of his hair was kept closely cropped to avoid it hanging out from under his helmet. His dark soulful eyes brightened with excitement. “Thanks, KK. I’m so excited. I can’t believe that I get to stay so close to home. These past two weeks have been amazing.”

  As he continued to talk, telling me all about his rookie training camp, I stood in awe. His arms were still around me. His hands on my hips and lower back, with his fingertips grazing the top of my butt. I held completely still, soaking up each precious second, and not wanting to somehow tip him off to how he still held me.

  “The great news is that even if I don’t play for Ottawa immediately, I’ll play either back in Kingston or in Belleville.”

  “That’s awesome, Kris. I really am so excited for you.” My cheeks hurt from smiling.

  Ryan bumped into Kris’s shoulder. “How about you let Kitkat go and the three of us can go sit outside in the back with some snacks as we wait for supper.”

  Kris’s olive toned skin flushed at Ryan’s words, and he hastily removed his arms and hands. “Sorry about that, KK. I seem to be so excited that I forget everything I’m doing.”

  “I can certainly agree with that, considering the amount of drink spills and other food messes I’ve had to clean up since your draft.” Kris’s mother stepped onto the front porch with a smile. Her husband and Desiree stepped onto the porch behind her. “It’s nice to see you again, Kayla.”

  I smiled and greeted Mr. and Mrs. Gould. I didn’t know them very well and during our few previous meetings, I often felt intimidated by the strength and spiritual intensity that radiated off them.

  Ryan grabbed my hand, and without thinking, I reached back to snag Kris’s to ensure he followed wherever Ryan dragged me. Heat crept up my cheeks when I realized what I did. As I loosened my hold, Kris’s fingers wrapped tightly around mine. “I don’t want to get lost.” He winked as he moved past me to match Ryan’s pace. The movement left me at a near jog between them while trying to keep up with their long legs.

  The following weeks were filled with helping Kris and Ryan train, outings to the local pool, parks, and even a few movies, as well as time spent with my Aunt Susan in her garden and with either Julianna or Aunt Susan in their kitchens. My life overflowed with happiness until it reached the dreaded day on my calendar: two weeks left of my vacation with Aunt Susan.

  I woke up at the crack of dawn, unable to sleep any longer. Previous experience had taught me to start preparing for my return home at this point of my vacation or else I would suffer the consequences of missing my life here even more. And when I went home mopey, my stepmonster usually made me pay for it some way or another.

  She never hit me. It was one good thing I could say for her, and I suppose in her own way, she might have even loved me. After all, she spent a lot of time with me, trying to teach me how to be a lady. She also fed me and clothed me instead of sending me away. But it wasn’t the type of love I craved; the type of love I received in spades when I stayed with my Aunt Susan.

  The previous summer, I’d actually broached that very topic with Aunt Susan, asking her why I couldn’t just live with her for the whole year. Her eyes had clouded over as she shook her head. “Aw, sweetheart, I wish that you could, but it would kill your dad to lose you as well.”

  I didn’t fully believe her, but she’d never lied to me in the past. I also knew that there were some things related to my mother, my brother, and my stepmonster that everyone kept from me. While it might have helped to know what those things were, I somehow tended to push those thoughts away whenever I was with Kris or Ryan.

  Stretching in bed, my heart sank as my insides tightened. I wanted to puke, but held on as I reached for my red felt tip marker. With a hesitant stroke, I crossed the day off the calendar. Only thirteen mornings left.

  The day started off warm and humid. The sweat rolled down my back as I worked in Aunt Susan’s garden in the early morning hours. I wondered if the boys would be up for a trip to the pool after their workouts. A cool dip sounded perfect me.

  Thankfully, the boys agreed to my suggestion. After their workouts were completed and we’d all eaten our fill of the lunch Julianna made for us, Ryan drove us over to the local outdoor pool.

  We swam and cooled down. But as the crowd of girls and even some guys became too large, I swam to the side and attempted to heave myself onto the deck. Placing my hands on the edge, my mouth dropped open when I felt a body press up behind me. Looking over my shoulder, I stared into a pair of twinkling blue eyes.

  “What? I thought you might need a little extra help.” Ryan’s innocent voice didn’t fool me—I felt his hand land on my butt, pushing me up onto the deck—but I couldn’t understand why he used an innocent act.

  I rolled my eyes and giggled at his antics before picking my way through the people to where we’d snagged a sun lounger earlier.

  “KK, don’t forget to put on more sunscreen.”

  Nodding at Kris’s reminder, I pulled out the bottle of sunscreen from the front pocket of his bag. Squeezing the cream onto my skin, I proceeded to rub it in on my face, my arms, my legs. Sneaking a quick glance under my eyelashes toward the pool, I checked to make sure no one was watching before reapplying the sunscreen on my chest and bare belly.

  For the first time, I, Kayla Erickson, was wearing a bikin
i to the pool. A red and black one with gold accents on each hip and between my breasts. And I felt extremely self conscious about it.

  When we’d first arrived and I’d removed my shirt, I noticed a number of guys staring at my chest and flat stomach. A few comments made their way to my ears, bringing a rosy hue to my skin. The comments and rosiness increased as I lowered my shorts to the ground.

  A towel was thrust into my arms as Kris moved to stand in front of me with his back to the crowd. His large size ensured I couldn’t see what Ryan said or did behind him, but he did something from the scowls I could see on the faces on the people around us.

  Fingers gently touched my chin, lifting it until I had no choice but to look Kris in the eye. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to see what was surely going to be a look of disdain or revulsion on his face. Instead, I saw a kindness and gentleness I wasn’t expecting. My heart soared for a moment until I remembered that this was probably the same look he gave Desiree whenever she was being picked on and teased by boys.

  His thumb rubbed against my chin, sending bolts of electricity through my body as he swallowed. “That’s, uh, some, um, new bathing suit you, uh, have.” He threaded his fingers through the long patch of hair on the top of his head as his eyes dropped from mine. “It, uh, looks really nice on you.” He’d spun me around and quickly applied sunscreen to my back. Dropping the bottle back into his bag, he’d lifted me into his arms before jumping into the pool.

  I wanted to smile at the memory, but lifting my eyes, I spotted a few bikini clad girls surrounding Kris where he stood by the pool wall in the shallow end. With the water sitting at his waist, I could easily see how a few of them trailed their fingers up his bare chest.

  The green-eyed monster tried to climb its way out of my body. Each claw gripped and pulled at my insides until I wanted to cry from the pain. I was such an idiot. I flopped onto the lounger and shoved my sunglasses down over my eyes to hide any hint of the pain I felt.