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

by JA Low

  “You do?” she asks, not quite believing me. I don’t quite believe what I’m saying either, but I value our friendship over the sex. Ugh. Just saying that gives me the shivers.

  “I want us to be friends again. So, I’m game to try anything. The way we keep going is going to destroy whatever relationship we have. And if it means no sex and you are in my life, I choose that,” I tell her honestly.

  “That’s what I think too.” She gives me a small smile.

  “Shit, we’re maturing. Ew,” I add, making us both laugh. Nell stands up, and I do too.

  “Fresh start.” She holds out her hand for me to shake on it.

  “Fresh start,” I agree, which makes my dick want to throat punch me for agreeing to something so stupid.

  29

  Nell

  I didn’t see Remi for the rest of the summer after agreeing to be just friends with no sex. He flew out to Europe, and I may have compulsively stalked his socials. So many pictures of him surrounded by beautiful, sexy European heiresses, models, actresses, basically you name it, they were after him. Not that I didn’t have my fun over the summer with my menagerie of eligible men. We started texting more regularly now that the sexy times were over with, and it’s been nice. Since Remi’s no longer in a different time zone now that he’s back in the states, we’ve ended up on actual phone calls at least once a week. Not sure how we progressed to that, but here we are. Remi still flirts, I think it’s in his DNA to do so, but I find myself not minding because the pressure of sex is off the table, and we can just relax and enjoy each other’s company. The seasons changed from fall to winter in a heartbeat then before we know it, it’s the holidays. It’s Dom’s last year in England before he graduates, so the family has decided to do Christmas in the UK this year to celebrate. Audrey and her mom will be in London to have Christmas with Rhys, who’s just moved there after his divorce took a turn for the worse. So, seeing as Audrey and I will be in London, we tried to convince Rainn to spend New Year’s with us, which was a really hard thing to do because her family were in Bali and hello sun, but we agreed we would fly back with her and spend a couple of weeks exploring Asia with her. It’s going to be so much fun.

  Dom invited us to one of his friend’s country estates for a New Year’s weekend, three days in the English countryside. It’s freezing, but he reassured us it would be loads of fun.

  “How much further. I’m going to pee myself,” I moan as Dom drives his Land Rover through the English countryside; the constant bumps are putting pressure on my bladder. I shouldn’t have had the tea while we were driving because now, I’m seconds away from bursting if he hits another pothole.

  “We are almost there,” he says, reassuring us. Okay, maybe I can hang on. Through the white countryside, a tall red-bricked building emerges on the horizon like a castle.

  “Is that it?” I ask, pointing at the monumental building.

  “Yep. Jasper is royalty. His family has had this estate in his family for like four hundred years or something like that,” Dom explains. Oh wow. I can’t imagine what that would be like owning something so old. Pretty cool though. We make our way up the long driveway. Large pine trees line the entrance, but everything else is white, a pure white wasteland, but it’s beautiful. Eventually we make it to the front of the building and there standing out the front is this tall, well-built guy with blond hair, dressed in what looks to be tweed. I have a chuckle to myself because I thought that was a stereotype but seems like it’s not.

  “Look, Jasper’s cool, so don’t be weird,” Dom warns us. I turn around and look at my friends over my shoulder, and we all burst out laughing. “I know I shouldn’t have said anything.” Dom curses.

  “Welcome, guys, to Fox Estate,” the blond guy greets us. Oh, my goodness, his accent is the cutest and so is he. Hello, country manor guy.

  “This is my sister Nell and her friends Audrey and Rainn,” Dom says, introducing us reluctantly.

  “Come on inside. My staff will look after your bags. You must be freezing. The weather has taken a turn,” Jasper exclaims. I could listen to him for hours.

  “Sorry, excuse me. Could I use your washroom please?” I ask, hopping up and down on my feet now that we are moving, not sure if I can hold it any longer.

  “Of course, so sorry. It’s down the hall to the left. You can’t miss it,” he tells me.

  “We’re going to go too,” Rainn says, following me.

  “Girls.” Dom huffs, rolling his eyes at us. I flip him off when Jasper turns around and it just makes him shake his head in dismay at us.

  “Um, I think we might need a map for this place. Down the hall to your left was a little simplistic when the hallway is a mile long.” Rainn moans.

  “How many doors do you need in one house?” Audrey asks. It’s like we have walked into a museum, everywhere you look there are paintings of people from the olden days, antiques, tapestries hanging on the walls, and oriental rugs on the floors. Eventually, we find the right room. Who the hell has a brass toilet? How rich are these people?

  We make our way back to the foyer, where Dom and his friend have hot chocolates waiting for us. Now, this is better than a hotel.

  “The estate has over twenty rooms split over three buildings. Dom thought that you girls would like a little more privacy and something aesthetically pleasing for your photos,” Jaspers says with a question in his voice.

  “We’re influencers,” I explain to him. His blue eyes widen in surprise, but he nods politely.

  “Well, you are going to love the cottage off the main home here, it’s a rustic house. My sister is an influencer too, and she’s hosted many a photoshoot in there,” he explains to us. Oh wow, we need to see this cottage, I’m intrigued.

  “Will your sister be here then?” I ask, it would be nice to meet her.

  “Oh no, I think she’s in Australia; she’s traveling around. She’s a travel vlogger,” Jasper explains, shrugging his shoulders before asking us to follow him down the long corridor again and out the glass door which takes us over a white gravel pathway toward the cutest little cottage, it looks like something right out of Peter Rabbit. It’s adorable with its thatched roof covered in snow and tiny windows set against whitewashed walls. The English cottage garden’s covered in snow, but I can only imagine what it would be like in summer. Thankfully, there is a fire going when we enter the cottage because it’s freezing cold outside. We warm our hands against the flames in the front room. The ceilings are low with their whitewashed walls and exposed wooden beams. There is a large blue, red, and cream striped couch in the living room with a wall of books on either side of the fireplace. It has a luxurious, mismatched antique vibe going on, casual, yet probably expensive.

  “There are four bedrooms in this cottage, so you each get to have your own room. There is a fully stocked fridge in the kitchen for food or you can call up to the main house if you want to speak to the kitchen to order food,” Jasper explains. This is better than a hotel. “Make yourselves at home. We will have formal welcome drinks and dinner in the main house once everyone arrives at about eight tonight, semi-casual dress. See you, girls, there.”

  Dom and Jasper give us a wave and head on back to the main house.

  “This place is amazing.” Audrey squeals.

  “Let’s explore. Come on,” I tell the girls.

  After hours of exploring and taking a ridiculous number of photos, we all head off to our bedrooms to rest before meeting up with the rest of the crew for dinner tonight. My bedroom is wallpapered in a green and dusty pink floral with a gorgeous wooden four-posted bed dressed with white linens and pink and green pillows scattered across it. The floor is polished floorboards with oversized mismatched rugs. There is a fireplace on one wall and tiny rustic windows that look out over the snow-covered lawns. All I want to do is curl up in bed, read a book, and never leave my warm cocoon.

  As I sink under the layers of blankets my phone beeps, I pick it up and check who messaged me.

&nbs
p; Remi: Did you make it okay?

  Nell: Yes. It’s gorgeous here. I’ve just gotten into bed.

  Remi: Tease. Show me.

  My face heats over Remi’s flirtation, but I do as he asks and take a photo of me in bed with the blankets pulled up around my chest.

  Remi: Looks like there’s room for one more.

  Nell: Keep dreaming. I’m not sharing this bed with no one. It is divine it’s like being on a cloud.

  Remi: Wish I was there to test it out.

  Nell: Kind of wish you were too. You’d love it here. I’ll share some more photos later to make you jealous.

  Remi: Why don’t you just show me now?

  Nell: Pushy. I’m going to have a nap. I’ll send them when I’m up.

  The sound of the door opening pulls me from my phone.

  “Why don’t you just show me now?” Remi says, striding into my bedroom.

  What in the actual fuck? I sit up quickly in my bed and stare at Remi physically standing there before me. I thought he was back home on the East Coast, not here in fricken England.

  “What the hell are you doing here?” I gasp, stunned that he is in my room.

  “Dom invited me over. I had a week free and thought, why not,” he says, giving me a wide grin. He closes the door behind him, and I watch as he takes a running leap and jumps on the bed, making me bounce almost out of it. “Wow, this bed feels like a cloud,” he gushes, laying back placing his arms behind his head, looking way too comfortable here.

  “Get out,” I say, playfully shoving him.

  “Nope. I wanted to experience this bed that you were raving about, plus I’m jetlagged, so I could really use a nap myself,” he states, closing his eyes and ignoring my protests.

  “You can’t stay in here, someone will see.”

  “Dom told me I was staying in the cottage next door. And I may have told him I needed a nap after my flight. I also saw Rainn and Audrey leaving the cottage before I arrived. So, we are all alone. Plus, I locked the door,” he explains to me as he turns his head and gives me a mischievous grin.

  “Nothing is going to happen,” I warn him.

  “Get your mind out of the gutter, Nell. I just came in for a nap. Jeez,” he says jokingly. He’s a nut job, but I can’t help but smile. Then, before I realize, I reach out and wrap my arms around him because I’ve missed him and give him a big hug. He returns the hug, and we stay wrapped in each other’s arms in silence. Eventually we both must fall asleep because when I wake up, he’s gone, but he’s left a single rose on the pillow beside me. Aw. I get up and go have a shower and get ready for dinner.

  “Hey, you girls look great,” I say, walking down the stairs to where they are hanging out by the fire with glasses of champagne and a cheese platter. I settle on a pair of jeans with knee-high boots and a baggy white sweater that slides off one shoulder. I take a seat on the armchair and cut off a slice of cheese.

  “Are you going to tell her, or should I?” Audrey asks Rainn.

  “Oh no, you can. She won’t yell at you,” Rainn adds. I look at my two friends with a frown.

  “Remi is here staying at the estate,” Audrey explains.

  “Oh, I know I saw him earlier.”

  Rainn and Audrey look at each other, their eyes wide, wondering why I wasn’t freaking out. “And he brought a date,” Audrey adds.

  My stomach sinks. What the hell did she say? He brought a date. He was just in my bed hours ago. I don’t understand.

  “I’m assuming by that face you made he didn’t tell you that second part,” Audrey states.

  “He surprised me in bed,” were the only words that could stumble out of my mouth.

  “That fucking bastard,” Rainn curses.

  “Nothing happened, we hugged, and then we fell asleep. He left me a rose on my pillow after he had gone.”

  “Probably because his date just turned up. Was it a red rose by any chance?” Rainn asks.

  “Yeah, why?”

  “Because she had a bouquet of red roses in her arms when she arrived,” Rainn explains to me. That bastard. I suck in a deep breath and try to control the anger that is bubbling to the surface. There have been no photos on his socials. He’s been texting me, flirting, and now suddenly, he has a date? I can’t believe I let him in again.

  “We’ve got you, boo,” Audrey tells me.

  “Here, you need this.” Rainn hands me the glass of champagne, and I throw it back in one gulp. Audrey and Rainn stare at me, but Rainn refills my glass. Fuck you, Remington Hartford.

  We head on into the main house to join all the other guests for cocktails before dinner. Thankfully, Remi and his date are nowhere to be seen, so I can relax for the briefest of moments. Jasper introduces us to his friends, who are an eclectic bunch of people; they all seem rather nice, but my anxiety kicks in the longer I wait for Remi to arrive.

  “Remi,” Dom yells out, seeing his friend enter the room with a gorgeous brunette on his arm. My stomach sinks as I take in her glossy chocolate hair that falls around her shoulders like she’s stepped out of a shampoo commercial. She’s dressed in a black sweater with tight jeans that mold to her amazing body, matched with a pair of thigh-high boots. Bright red lipstick shows off her perfect lips, and the bitch has the perfect winged eyeliner going on. Ugh. Remi’s eyes capture mine as he hugs my brother, but I look away, turning my back to them. I don’t need to see this. I don’t know why he didn’t tell me. Of course, I would be a little upset, but I’d get over it if he was happy, but to blindside me like this I can’t. Remi thankfully doesn’t come over and introduce his date to us, and I can forget that they are even here.

  It’s not long till Jasper calls us to dinner and we all walk in and take our seats, Remi and his date at one end, my girls and I are on the other.

  “You, okay?” Audrey asks.

  “Sure,” I say, throwing back a couple of glasses of champagne one after the other.

  After that, the night becomes a blur.

  30

  Nell

  New Year’s Eve

  Oh my god, I’m dying as I roll over and scream into my pillow. Why the hell did I drink so much? Oh, that’s right. I had to watch Remi and his date all night, smiling and laughing. Remi is not that funny, bitch. My mind tumbles back to this time last year where I was feeling just as shit and was curled up in bed, but Remi was there looking after me, now he’s with her. Ugh. I’m such a fool, all these months of us rebuilding our friendship, and he didn’t even have the decency to tell me he had a girlfriend. I’m going to stay here all day as I roll back and pull the pillows over my head and promptly fall asleep.

  My phone beeping wakes me up and I reach out and grab it.

  Remi: We need to talk.

  “Fuck off!” I scream at my phone and throw it beside me. No. I pick it up again and viciously start blocking Remi all over my social network and text messages. He can fuck right off.

  Audrey and Rainn thankfully have been running block for me. Remi has turned up a handful of times to talk to me, but they have sent him away. I know as soon as we all meet up tonight, I cannot ignore him.

  “You ready?” Audrey asks as she pops her head around the corner. I’m still in bed. “Nell, come on, this is crazy. Forget Remi, don’t let him ruin tonight for you. You love New Year’s Eve.”

  “Remi’s ruined the holiday for me.” I pout.

  “Fuck him,” Audrey curses. “Put on the sexiest outfit you can find. There is an entire estate filled with single guys. Go have fun with them. Forget Remington Hartford.” And with that, Audrey slams the door to my bedroom closed.

  Right, well, I guess I better get ready then.

  In theory, my revenge dress sounded good, but now that I’m in it and walking through the snow to reach the rest of the party I’m second-guessing my choice; not because I don’t like it, I love it, but because it’s unexpected from me. It’s a sheer skin color evening dress with midnight blue sequins over the top part of my dress, but they scatter as they fall down t
he dress’s skirt. I’m wearing nude underwear beneath it, but it still looks like I’ve been body painted with sequins and just stepped right out dressed like that. It will make people do a double take that’s for sure, but hey, it’s an evening dress. The theme was black tie sparkle, and I believe I am delivering it. It’s couture.

  “What the hell are you wearing?” A growl comes from the side as an arm reaches out and grabs me, making me squeal with surprise. Angry green eyes stare back at me.

  “Get your hands off me, Remi,” I hiss, removing my arm from his touch. “How dare you touch me?” Remi takes a step back at the venom in my voice. “You have no say in what the hell I wear ever, do you hear me?” I raise my voice at him.

  “If you are trying to get my attention with this dress, then you have it,” he replies as those eyes rake over my skin, making it pebble with goosebumps. I’m disgusted with myself for letting him affect me like that.

  “All this is not for you. It won’t be your lips that will be on mine at midnight, that’s for sure,” I tell him angrily.

  “Nell.”

  “No, Remi. You have been flirting with me for months now, lulling me back into your fucking web and stupidly, I had been falling for it. Then you had the audacity to climb into my bed yesterday when your girlfriend was on the way to spend the weekend with you. Fuck you!” I yell, poking my finger into his hard chest.

  “Nell, I can explain, just not right now.”

  Is he fucking serious? Ugh. I shove him with my hands, and he stumbles back a couple of steps, surprised at my action. “Leave me the hell alone!” I scream at him before turning on my heels and storming down the corridor into the New Year’s party, where I make an entrance.

  Once I put Remi out of my mind, I ended up having a fantastic New Year’s. We danced, we sang, we drank way too much, but all in all, it was wonderful. And the best bit was I kissed some hot random with an English accent at midnight and everything was right in the world.