Indecent Proposal: A Reverse Harem Romance

by J.C. Valentine

  “Ugh?”

  Sabrina leaned into her friend so she could hear her better. “Not interested. He’s all yours.”

  Janet appeared startled for a moment before recovering with a sly smile. “In that case, I’ll be right back.”

  Sabrina watched her friend slip into the crowd and make her way around to the other side of the bar, and then she looked away before her friend reached him, not interested in seeing the man accept her friend’s indecent proposal.

  Forcing herself to get lost in the music, she sipped her drink, and when it was gone, ordered another.

  “Hasn’t anyone ever told you that you shouldn’t drink alone?”

  The male voice was deep, dark, and smooth like honey, and it sent an involuntary shiver down Sabrina’s spine and ignited a flame between her legs that shocked her. Turning on her barstool, she looked up at the man hovering over her right shoulder…and curled her lip again.

  Another one. “Mr. Hargreaves. I just spotted your brother. I assume that means you’re all here tonight.”

  He nodded as he claimed Janet’s empty seat. “We’re like wolves. We travel in a pack.” Those dark eyes that he shared with his brothers captured hers, and she recognized the hunger in them. It was the same look they’d given her in the office, but this time it was amplified.

  “Do you hunt in a pack too?” she asked somewhat snarkily. Their confidence could easily be mistaken for arrogance, except it wouldn’t be a mistake. The Hargreaves men had been bred for dominance. It was etched into their every look and move, an unmistakable power.

  Except that power had been transferred to her today when they’d come to her for help with their business, so Sabrina wasn’t dumb enough to think that this guy was interested in her for her brains or beauty. More like they wanted revenge of some kind for their inability to succeed in the business world without help from a woman.

  “Only when we see something we like and have to have,” he answered, his gaze openly roaming over her body.

  She rolled her eyes. “What do you want, Mr. Hargreaves?”

  “Mr. Hargreaves is my father. Please, call me Conner. And my brother over there”—he pointed to where Janet was standing, trying to hold the other man’s attention—“is William, and Oliver is floating around here somewhere…” He cast a glance around the room, but came up empty and smiled down at her instead.

  “Funny how you three just happen to be in the same club at the same time as me,” she mused.

  “You think we followed you?” She cocked an eyebrow, indicating that’s exactly what she was implying. “Actually, it was purely coincidence. But what isn’t coincidence is that my brothers and I have the same taste in women.” Again, his eyes scanned her form, and he ran his tongue over his bottom lip.

  Sabrina laughed and held up a hand. “If you say that taste happens to be me, I may have to actually kick you in the balls.” She was not a woman prone to flattery. In her position, she was met with daily male advances and the only thing they did for her was harden that shell she kept around herself to protect her from men who would only do her harm.

  “You were great in the boardroom today. We were impressed with how well you handled our father. He’s known to be a real bastard.”

  Sabrina had been taking a drink and choked at his declaration. He patted her on the back as she doubled over and hacked out a lung. With tears in her eyes and burning in her throat, she said, “You can’t talk about your father that way.”

  “Why not? It’s the truth,” he said with an expression as straight as a ruler. “My father is rigid and cutthroat. The only weakness he has is to my mother. Anything beyond that, he’d never admit to.”

  Sobering, she gave him a speculative look. “Oh? Then why did he humble himself to me today?”

  Backing off, Conner took a drink of the dark amber liquid in the glass he’d brought with him. “You’re wondering what the catch is,” he guessed. “Well, you’d be right to ask questions. My father has never sold out, never given up on anything in his life. But this… Well, let’s just say he’s turned his attention to a more lucrative project.”

  All of Sabrina’s internal alarms started ringing. “Let’s not say anything but exactly what’s going on here,” she countered. “What exactly is up your father’s sleeve? Or should I ask what’s up yours and your brothers’?” Because they were the ones who’d been negotiated into the deal and would be sticking around. Like watchdogs, she thought darkly…or spies.

  “If you think we’re inside traders or we’re staying on in order to fuck with you or your business, you’d be wrong,” Conner said, again holding nothing back. He was a straight shooter, and Sabrina didn’t know whether to trust it or not. Her gut was saying one thing, while her head was saying another.

  “Then what are you doing here?”

  “Right now?” He grinned, and his smile did funny things to her, things she didn’t want to admit to but could get her into trouble. So she polished off her drink and held up her hand to the bartender to order another. “I’m enjoying drinks with a beautiful woman and hoping she’ll give me just one…tiny…smile.”

  Sabrina tried not to. She really did. But the longer he stared at her with that goofy yet sexy grin on his face, the harder it was not to give in. When her next drink was set in front of her, she picked it up and brought it to her mouth. Just before she took a sip, her lips grew a mind of their own and parted into a bashful smile that was so unbecoming of her usual pout.

  But boy did it make him happy. As if he’d just finished first place in the Boston Marathon, Conner shouted to the bartender to bring him another whiskey and to keep his tab open.

  And when Sabrina didn’t immediately vacate her stool to find her friend and go home, but instead moved a hair closer to her newest client and employee, she knew she was in trouble.

  Chapter Three

  Sabrina didn’t know how she got there, but sandwiched between three hot men—all brothers—hadn’t been on this morning’s to-do list.

  She blamed the screwdrivers. All seven or eight…maybe it was ten…of them. She’d lost count and now her head was swimming and the music was blaring and she was grinding on The Brothers Hargreaves like a cat in heat, and despite the little voice in her head telling her to slow it down, her mind was fully set on making this good time last as long as possible.

  Conner’s hands were on her hips, his torso brushing up against hers with each move. Behind her, his brother, William, was pumping his hips and a massively hard cock into the crease of her ass, a hand on her thigh and the other flattened against her stomach. Oliver, whom she’d only exchanged a brief hello to, was at the bar. But his eyes hadn’t strayed from her and his brothers since they hit the dance floor over an hour ago.

  She would think he didn’t feel quite as strongly about her as Conner had suggested, but even from this distance, she could see the bulge riding his left leg and the unmistakable fire in his eyes.

  He wanted to eat her up.

  She wanted to let him.

  Somewhere between warning Conner she’d kick him in the sack and drink number…she’d lost count, Sabrina had been consumed with a desire strong enough to cloud her judgment.

  Or maybe she was simply throwing caution to the wind. She couldn’t be sure.

  But they were coming on as strong as a hurricane, and she was getting swept up in their game, unable to hold her footing, and her willingness to try had disappeared long ago.

  She’d even lost track of Janet, who, after being rejected by William, had thrown up her hands and went off to find another man to play with. That woman was hard to deter. If she’d found her mark, then Sabrina hoped she was being safe.

  “Come with us,” Conner said as the song ended and another took its place. Hooking an arm around her waist, he supported her weight as she followed him on shaky legs. Figuring they were going for another drink, her brows drew together in confusion when they continued past the bar and Oliver broke away to join them as they headed toward
the exit.

  “Where are we going?” she asked, a little hiccup catching her by surprise.

  “It’s late, and we’ve had enough drinking and dancing for the night,” William said from her right.

  The cool night air was refreshing after being cooped up inside the crowded club for so long, and Sabrina stopped on the sidewalk to close her eyes and breathe it in. When she opened them again, Conner was standing right in front of her, his kind eyes soft and almost smiling. He tucked her hair behind her ears, his large hands cupping her face.

  “How drunk are you, Sabrina?”

  She giggled, hating the sound but too far gone to care. Much. “I might have a tiny hangover in the morning, but nothing that’ll keep me out of the office.”

  His thumb stroked her cheekbones and he stepped into her personal space. Leaning down, Conner nuzzled her temple, breathed in her scent, and brought his lips to her ear. “Do you like me, Sabrina?”

  She sighed deeply. “Yes.”

  “How much?”

  “I want to kiss you right now,” she replied honestly.

  He chuckled under his breath and his lips met the sensitive spot beneath her ear, just above her neck, and Sabrina moaned, her hands reaching out to grip his sides so she didn’t fall over. Pure pleasure suffused her, with the promise of more to follow. She hoped. It would be a tragedy if she never got to taste those lush lips.

  “You can have one kiss,” he told her, and when he drew back and angled her head back, Sabrina’s heart beat a little faster.

  The moment his lips touched hers, she felt light-headed…or maybe that was the alcohol. Soft, gentle. He caressed her mouth with his…then pulled away before she was ready.

  One kiss. That’s what he’d said. But it was far too little for her. She needed more. So much more.

  Touching her fingers to her lips, Sabrina smiled to herself. “You’re a good kisser,” she said softly, hoping her simple praises would result in more.

  “You have a kissable mouth.”

  She flushed. Yet another first for her.

  “Sabrina, can we take you home?” Conner asked.

  Sobering somewhat, Sabrina realized she was standing in the middle of the sidewalk with three men she didn’t know, and who all seemed to want a piece of her. She still hadn’t decided if they were trying to trick her or not, but she was certain that, as men, they were at least trying to conquer her.

  She should be utterly offended, but she wasn’t. Sabrina had been to this rodeo too many times not to know how to ride the bronco and win. She was used to men trying to deceive her, and she always enjoyed the moment when they realized they couldn’t.

  Maybe she could get something she wanted out of this.

  Or maybe she’d ruin everything with a single night of passion.

  “Don’t think so hard,” William spoke up, rattling her thoughts. “It’s a simple question with a simple answer. Yes, you want us to see you home safely.”

  When Sabrina bristled, Conner held up his hand to his brother. “We won’t take no for an answer,” he said more gently. “You’ve had a lot to drink tonight, and we have a driver. We’re only concerned with your safety. We’d hate it if something happened to you when we could have prevented it.”

  Sabrina was wholly focused on Conner, but he kept saying “we,” reminding her that he wasn’t alone in his attraction. He and his brothers had formed a loose circle around her, their attention singular, but even surrounded by all that testosterone and clear intention, she didn’t feel threatened. If anything, she felt protected.

  Checking her gut had never steered her wrong. If she turned them down, how would she get home? By cab? At least with them, she knew they were at least responsible and their name alone put them in the spotlight if anything happened to her. She was reasonably certain they wouldn’t try to kill her and stash the body.

  “Okay, if it’ll make you feel better, I’ll take you up on that.”

  Conner’s smile grew and he lifted his arm to wave toward the street. A moment later, a long black sedan navigated through the midnight traffic to the curb where they waited. William dove into the back first. Shaking his head, Oliver stood beside it as if holding it open for her, and Conner’s hand on the small of her back urged her forward. Passing Oliver a thankful smile, Sabrina climbed inside and scooted in next to William, who was doing the man spread, leaving only enough room for him and her on the bench.

  Conner and Oliver slid into the opposite bench next, giving William a look of disapproval—not that he seemed to care. William was all arrogance, as if he’d scored the prize—her.

  Sabrina wasn’t impressed. She twitched an eyebrow at Conner who covered a laugh with his hand. Oliver appeared amused too, but he was so stoic, so steady, she found it difficult to read him. What was he thinking?

  As it turned out, there was no need to give directions. The driver already knew where she lived and took them there without any trouble.

  When the car pulled up in front of her place, Sabrina reached for the door, only to have it pulled open before she could touch it.

  Hesitating, she looked back at the Hargreaves, who were watching her with dark intensity. “Thank you for the ride.” They each nodded, and as the silence pressed on, she bit into her bottom lip, unused to the unsurety she was feeling. “I’ll see you in the office later.”

  “I’d like to walk you up, if you don’t mind,” Conner asserted, already moving for his door.

  She didn’t have time to say no before he was out of the car and waiting for her. Eyes darting to Oliver and William, she didn’t know what to say, so she smiled and eased out of the car herself.

  Conner was waiting for her on the sidewalk, and he held out his hand as she approached. A sudden bout of nerves attacked her stomach as she accepted his offer and slipped her hand into his. With that self-assuredness she was quickly growing accustomed to, he led her inside the building to the bank of waiting elevators that would carry her to her loft.

  But he didn’t leave her there. “Eight, right?” he asked as they stepped inside and he pressed the button for her floor. She merely nodded.

  This was so unlike her, being so quiet and allowing the man to take the lead. Sabrina was used to being the dominate one, but something about Conner quieted that need in her to be at the helm. All night, she kept catching herself falling back and deferring to him. And she couldn’t seem to find a reason to hate it as much as she told herself she should.

  It felt…good.

  She couldn’t remember the last time she shut her mind off and allowed someone to take care of her, which was what he was doing. Conner and his brothers had seen to her safety, and now Conner was personally finishing it.

  When the elevator rolled to a stop, the doors parted and they stepped out together. Sabrina took over and pulled her keys from her clutch as they approached the only door on that floor.

  “This is me,” she stated the obvious.

  “Here, allow me.” Plucking the keys from her hand, Conner inserted the correct key on the first try, as if he’d done it a hundred times before, and opened the way for her.

  Battling with her uncharacteristic nerves and what she knew was right versus what she wanted, Sabrina edged past him into her apartment. Setting her clutch down on the waiting sideboard, she stepped out of her high heels and turned to see Conner standing in the doorway, his gaze traveling over the ordinary Victorian prints on the walls and simple furniture she’d handpicked from numerous flea markets and antique malls over the years. Everything was old and eclectic, and a world away from what she’d bet he was used to—sophisticated and expensive.

  Feeling her eyes on him, Conner’s eyes met hers. He didn’t look unsure of himself. Just…patient. As if waiting for the invitation he hoped would come. Standing there like that, he looked strong and sexy and she was reminded of how his body felt rubbing up against hers at the club, how his hands felt on her hips…and that kiss. Wow. She could still taste him on her lips… That one kiss hadn’t be
en nearly enough to whet her appetite, and the throbbing need in her core hadn’t disappeared but merely dulled during the ride over. Now it was growing again, rapidly, and the longer he stood there staring at her, the worse it became.

  “You should stay,” Sabrina blurted. When he just stared her down, she realized how easy she must appear to a man like him and suddenly felt embarrassed. Looking away, she tried to play it off. “Or not. I know your brothers are waiting for you—”

  He was on her in a flash, catching her words on a kiss that took her by surprise. Sabrina gasped, then melted into his arms as he pulled her into him and devoured her mouth as if he’d been waiting all night and couldn’t stand to let another second pass.

  Sabrina wrapped herself around him and held on tight as he backed her into the living room and dropped them down onto the couch. It wasn’t nearly long enough for his tall frame, but they made it work. In moments like this, there was no such thing as being uncomfortable.

  Conner ripped at her clothes, and she ripped at his, starting with his shirt, smiling against his mouth at the satisfying sound of buttons scattering across the floor. As she reached for his belt buckle, he revealed her breasts, locked away in a thin, pale pink bra that couldn’t hide the fact her nipples were hard and dying to be sucked.

  Which he did. As his hot, wet mouth clamped down on her tender bud, Sabrina pried his pants open and grasped his rock-hard cock. It laid heavy in her palm, wetted by pre-cum as she stroked its long length, her own hand brushing up against her sensitive center with each stroke.

  “I want you inside me,” she breathed as he kissed and licked and sucked each breast.

  “Then that’s what you’re going to get.” Reaching between them, he hooked a finger in the crotch of her panties and yanked them aside. Still holding his cock firmly in her hand, Sabrina guided him into her, soaking her hand in her own juices, she was so wet.