Nailing Studs: A Contemporary Reverse Harem Romance

by Virna DePaul

  Nah, Logan would bring his sophistication and his loyalty. He came off as the arrogant asshole in his pinstripe suits, but he had this way of connecting with people. He was loyal, hardworking, and would give Kayla the world if she demanded it. He liked going to the opera and shit like that, the sort of stuff I wouldn’t want to do, but I’d love to take her on motorcycle rides or to the movies. Old movies were one of my weaknesses. I made a mental note to ask Kayla if she’d go to one with me sometime.

  It was hard not to feel worked up, excited, horny, and full of possibility. I’d already told Kayla I wanted to be braver, and even thinking this way showed progress. Yes, Laura and Ada had hurt me, but I was tired of living in the past.

  All I wanted now was to make Kayla happy. And if the other guys could help me do that, I was okay with it. Didn’t mean I wasn’t impatient to taste her and I was going to do exactly that the first chance I got.

  Taylor worked tight-lipped for the rest of the day. I’d never seen him so tense, and I knew he was struggling with his own feelings for Kayla, and how I, and possibly now Logan, would affect things.

  We were all walking into dangerous territory and we all could feel the intensity of what was building, what would come. This could end in the destruction of all of us: me, Taylor, Logan, and Kayla. Taylor might not be convinced yet, but I knew it was worth the risk.

  Crash and burn or happily ever after.

  With any other woman? Nah. But with Kayla? Fuck. I was in.

  15

  Kayla

  Logan left after breakfast, and although I wasn’t exactly happy about that, I felt excited to get my chance to be with Dominic. I wanted to move on with what had almost happened between us in the hallway before Logan had shown up. Dom had made such an effort, putting aside his naturally possessive, alpha nature to let me explore my new wanton ways.

  I couldn’t wait to kiss him.

  I needed to kiss him.

  The fact that I hadn’t kissed him yet was driving me a little crazy, to be honest, and part of me wondered if he deliberately hadn’t kissed me yet. Just like I’d wondered whether he’d deliberately stepped aside so I could be with Taylor first.

  It made sense. Even though outwardly Dom had given the impression he was “all in” to a threesome arrangement with Taylor and me, I hadn’t forgotten how he’d once described our arrangement as “dangerous.” I suspected that, consciously or unconsciously, he was holding himself back. Testing the waters. Testing me to make sure I wouldn’t hurt him, the way other women had in the past.

  The thought made me sad and anxious, and I wanted to reassure him, my Dominic, that I would never do anything to hurt him. But that was the rub. Sometimes we hurt those we loved and it didn’t even have to be intentional…it just happened. And though I didn’t love Dominic yet—I’d only known him a few days, after all—I knew I could love him. After all, I was already thinking of him, and Taylor for that matter, as mine.

  Rubbing my chest with how my thoughts had made my heart ache, I went in search of Dom, but though he winked, and smiled, and flirted with me, it was obvious he was focused on fixing those holes in the walls and not continuing what had almost happened between us. I ultimately gave up and went upstairs to check my e-mail.

  I had a message from the prospective employer I’d contacted about a remote writing position for a food magazine located about an hour away in Pleasanton, a small city in the East Bay. I scanned the e-mail quickly and replied back, accepting the offer for an interview in two weeks. The pay was low, so while the job wasn’t something I saw myself doing long-term, it would be a start to getting on my feet again. In some ways, I felt like things were coming together.

  The job wouldn’t pay much, but it would pay enough for me to live off of while my men made my home saleable. That’s all I could ask for.

  Later that day, Taylor and Dom finished up and headed off, but not before finding me and both giving me warm, strong hugs. I hadn’t wanted to let go. The muscles in Dom’s arms bunched when he held me tight, and Taylor nuzzled my neck and blew a wisp of hair off my forehead before he let me go. God, they made me hot. I’d thought about inviting them to stay, telling them I’d make them dinner, but Dom had made it clear he and Taylor were headed out. It was as if he knew the arrival of Logan into our midst had created a new dynamic and we all needed some time to sort stuff out, him most of all.

  After I ate dinner alone, I headed up to my room where I fiddled on the computer, propped up in the bed, still rumpled from where Taylor and I had romped and then slept all night long. But my mind had one direction and one direction only. I closed the laptop and slid under the sheets to inhale the scent of him left over from the night before. Sliding my hand down between my legs, I became lost in the fantasy of not just Taylor and me, but the four of us—me, Taylor, Dom, and Logan—all of us together, in this room, their hands all over me, their bodies warmer than the sunlight.

  Over the course of the next few days, my Fix-It Guys focused on what they did best, fixing up my house (okay, that was debatable). They weren’t ignoring me. Dom and Taylor stayed flirty and friendly. Dom, in particular, smiled at me and gave me an affectionate shoulder squeeze and a cute slap on the ass every once in a while. I finally figured out he was making an effort to let me know things were okay between us—no hard feelings about me having been with Taylor first, or me obviously having been attracted to Logan. I still felt as if he was holding a part of himself back, but I was determined to give him the time he needed to open up to me fully, just like he and Taylor had been so good about giving me time and space to make my decision about them.

  My patience paid off, big time.

  One afternoon, after the guys had had a particularly grueling time trying to replace the outdated electrical panel and running into some roadblocks, Dom stopped me in the hall, caged me in with his arms on either side of my head, and slowly, slowly gave me our very first kiss. It was like being on one of those rides at the fair that go round and round so fast you think you’re going to fly off. I’d been hectically alternating between cleaning out an old closet and putting stuff away in the house when suddenly, all of time slowed down. The ride went to slow-mo, and in the middle of it was a delicious mesh of warm mouths and tongues to make the stress of the last several days all worth it.

  I wanted so bad for him to pick me up like he’d done that day in the loft and take me to my room for more, but it’d only been a sweet break for him.

  “I’ll want more of that later,” he told me before heading back downstairs to work on the panel.

  But after that kiss, I couldn’t quench the fire he’d ignited in my body, and I didn’t want to interrupt their workflow either, so I went upstairs and took care of myself. I did it with the door cracked open, too, knowing full well that he and Taylor would hear what I was doing. I was right, because when I was done, gasping for breath from the intensity of my climax, I looked up and saw Dom leaning against the doorway, his gaze intense and raw, his teeth biting his lip. I was mostly under the covers, so all he could see was one leg sticking out the side and maybe a bra strap falling over my shoulder. We hadn’t seen each other naked yet, and I didn’t want this to be the way. I’d only wanted to entice him to make sure he came back for that “more” he’d promised.

  I managed to croak out a “Hey,” and was about to invite him to join me on the bed even though I was drained from my orgasm.

  But he palmed his bulging erection, and said, “Damn, Kayla, that was hot. Glad I was able to inspire that for you. You’re driving me fucking crazy.” He winked, then walked away.

  I heard Taylor burst into laughter somewhere in the house, and then I collapsed back on the bed with a huge smile. This was our new normal, and I had to admit—I was starting to really love it.

  As the days continued to pass, Dom and Taylor made it a point to kiss me often. It was a little strange at first, alternating between the sweet and sexy tastes of two different men’s mouths, but soon it became second nature. Taylo
r would pin me against the wall and run his hands up my body so they’d curl around my breasts while he kissed me deeply. Dom would catch me from behind and press his cock up against me. Each time, they’d let me go, teasing me, making me wet for more.

  They were experts at this tag team thing.

  Best of all, they gave me the smallest taste of what I could have if the three of us had sex together.

  And as the guys worked on my house and flirted, I found myself settling into Fosterman. I acquainted myself with the downtown area, the running trail that was nearby (though I walked it, not ran), and even splurged on a new outfit for my upcoming interview. The men didn’t take up my every waking moment anymore, and I felt free to use my time in other ways.

  Still, I poured more and more energy into baking, not for the boys, but for myself. Because baking reminded me of summers with Tabitha, of my childhood, of freedom and happy days. Even though they were the only ones besides myself who actually tasted my creations, one would think I was trying to woo them with baked goods as a promise of our future sexual exploits. But that was just a happy consequence of doing what I loved. Suddenly, everything I was doing in Fosterman seemed like I was doing it because it made me happy, not because it was required as part of a mindless routine I’d gotten used to, like my life in New York had been.

  Four days after Logan had stopped by for breakfast, I was in the kitchen, whipping up some almond blondies. All my near “sex-periences” with Dom and Taylor had piqued my interest and hunger in more ways than one. I wanted something sweet and rich, and I wanted it now. And if the guys were going to continue to tease me, I had to make my own deliciousness. Almond blondies would have to do.

  Suddenly I felt Dom’s arms curling around my shoulders from behind me. He tugged at my hair and pressed his mouth to my neck as I stood at the counter. Then, I felt Taylor on my other side, turning me to face him, taking the spatula from my hand and licking the blondie batter before kissing me deeply. Our kiss turned so hot, he reached down and felt the heat between my legs, looked at Dom holding me from behind.

  “I think these cookies are almost ready,” Taylor said, chuckling.

  “These cookies were ready days ago,” I told them. In fact, these “cookies” had been ready to be eaten on the first day the guys had started work. But I understood what they were doing. They were making things irresistible between us, and I couldn’t blame them. Still, when they backed away yet again, leaving me hot, dripping wet, and wanting, I’d finally had enough. The next time I had my hands on them, I vowed, I would not be letting them go until they’d fucked me good and hard.

  The next morning, however, Logan dropped by. Dom and Taylor must have let him in, because I was in my room, focused on my upcoming interview, writing mock-ups of articles I thought the magazine could use to illustrate my talents, when I heard a cough at my door. I stopped what I was doing the minute Logan popped his head into my room. We ended up chatting for an hour over cake and lemonade. He thanked me with a kiss so very near my lips and did what the other men had been doing: he walked away. I was too disoriented by him having been added to the mix to protest when Dom and Taylor left for the night after each kissing the breath out of me.

  Logan came back the very next day.

  I never could’ve imagined it, but I loved talking to him. When I met him, I thought he was all slick and shark-y. Once I got to know him, I learned that we had a lot in common. Both of us had had career failures that had set us back—Logan had started out in finance but he’d found his true passion in real estate.

  Hearing his story gave me hope that maybe I’d find a true career calling, too. My interview was in a couple of days, but I was already having some concerns about taking the job if they offered it to me. The pay wasn’t as great as I’d hoped for, and I was growing tired of writing about someone else’s cooking—I wanted to be the cook. Talking to Logan had me rethinking my trajectory. Here I’d come to Fosterman to find myself—what was I finding?

  Logan had something in common with Taylor and Dom, too, besides sharing women. He’d worked construction to put himself through college, and he loved working with power tools and with his hands. He was just telling me about it when Taylor and Dom walked into the kitchen. Taylor leaned against the door jamb while Dom grabbed a drink from the fridge then leaned back against it.

  “Hey,” I said. “Logan was just telling me how he did some construction during college. Did you ever work together?”

  “Yeah, we did. Several times,” Taylor said.

  He looked at Dom. Dom looked at Logan. Logan looked at Taylor.

  “You know,” Taylor said. “Now that you brought it up, Dom and I could use your help tomorrow if you happen to be free, Logan.”

  Logan cocked a brow. “Is that so?”

  “Yeah,” Dom said. “We want to remove and replace all the interior doors.” Before Logan could respond, Dom looked at me. “Assuming you’re okay with Logan helping out, that is, Kayla?”

  As I stared into Dom’s dark eyes, then into Taylor’s blue ones, I knew immediately what was actually going on. They’d just introduced the idea of having a third guy around to stick his finger in the honey pot. Considering I’d only been with Taylor, and not even Dom yet, it was a little surprising. But then again, given how obviously I was attracted to Logan, it wasn’t all that surprising.

  I looked once more at Dom, wanting to be certain he would be okay with Logan hanging around for more than installing new doors, and he smiled at me. All this time, I’d been thinking Dom had been holding a part of himself back from me, but I hadn’t even realized part of me was still holding back, as well. But now I truly understood that Dom wanted me to have whatever I needed, even if that included Logan. I smiled at Dom and lifted my chin. “Of course I don’t mind,” I said with a sly grin. “But only if he’s truly good with his hands.”

  I turned to Logan, who laughed and said, “Guess that means I have to prove myself. I look forward to it.”

  “So do I,” I said.

  I was a whole new person, and to be honest, I loved it. These boys were bringing out the uninhibited me, helping me connect with my sexuality and get rid of all that fear that was holding me back. It was no wonder I hadn’t gotten far in life with all that anxiety pinning me down. Now I could look forward to something else pinning me down.

  Three something elses to be exact.

  16

  Kayla

  The next morning, I answered the door to find Logan standing there, looking so fine in jeans and a T-shirt. Without his suit and tie, he looked younger, more carefree, but still sexy in a more casual way. For some reason, as he gazed at me with those green eyes, I felt suddenly shy, probably because I knew that he knew that I knew exactly why he was really there, and it wasn’t just to work on the house. He seemed to sense my embarrassment and for once, didn’t give me a hard time about it.

  “Good morning, Kayla,” he simply said.

  “Hi, Logan. Would you like something to eat before you…er…get started?”

  He pursed his lips and grinned, as if I was adorable, and I rolled my eyes and burst out laughing. He started laughing too, then he reached out and caressed my cheek with the back of his hand. I sucked in a breath because suddenly there he was, the Logan I’d just started to get to know and love, undressing me with his eyes, and making me go all soft and wilted, like a flower in the summer heat.

  But instead of following up on my opening and making some sexual innuendo about wanting something to eat, Logan stepped back and said, “I need to get started on taking down some doors. You good with that?”

  I stared at him, took a breath, then smiled and nodded. “I’m good with that.”

  A half hour later, Dom and Taylor arrived, and the house was once more abuzz with the sound of hammering and drilling. Over the next couple of hours, I chatted with each of them, bringing them drinks and stealing kisses from Dom and Taylor. Logan had yet to initiate contact, so to speak, and I wasn’t quite ready to make the
first move with him. Yet.

  I walked into the sun room, hoping to chill with my iPad for a bit when I found Logan there, replacing a glass panel. End of summer heat filled the room, and he was shirtless and so incredibly sweaty that his muscles glistened as they reflected the rays of the late afternoon sun. He didn’t know I was there, but after watching him chug a whole quart of water, head tilted back, streams of water spilling over his skin, I must’ve gasped because he turned and noticed me.

  He gave me a naughty look that sent fire into my core. His smile confirmed that he knew exactly what he was doing—driving me crazy. Suddenly, my newfound shyness where he was concerned dissipated like a cloud of smoke.

  I walked over to him and took his damp face into my hands. Pulling him down to me, I kissed him, strong with tongue and biting and full of all the repressed desire I’d been holding back this week. When I released him, still gasping, I saw the same urges and needs reflected in his grassy-toned eyes.

  It took me a moment to regroup, to come back to center. When I did, I stepped back from Logan and grinned, saying, “Nicely done, big boy.”

  In the hallway, Taylor and Dom were sanding down a hole they’d patched up earlier in the week. Both stood there in mid-pose, watching us with awe. After I cockily walked away from Logan, Taylor whistled and Dom gave me a big grin. “The cookies are definitely done.”

  “Definitely,” Taylor agreed. “Overdone.”

  “Burnt.”

  “On fire, actually. We need to put them out,” Taylor said.

  Dom shook his head. “Too damn hot in here.”

  I headed straight to both, then pulled Dom’s face into my hands and laid a kiss on him too. Different taste, sweeter with a fuller mouth. Then I had to taste Taylor. Slinking over to him, I had to reach higher, since he was taller, but his kiss was surprisingly more intense with bites and sucking of my tongue. I pulled away.