The Gallery_A Reverse Harem Romance Read online

  He traveled lower still, toward my aching sex. When he got close enough, his warm breath brushed over me before he actually touched me. I was wild with desire and frantic for release.

  And just when I thought I’d lose my mind, his tongue traveled the length of my slit, parting my lips to get to my soaked core. His finger teased at my opening and slowly worked its way in, making a come here motion that had me screaming in a matter of seconds.

  My head rolled back and forth over the sheepskin, and I wove my fingers into his hair, taking fistfuls and pulling hard to release the tension from my drawn-out orgasm.

  “Goddamn, your pussy tastes good.”

  He moved to zero in on my clit, his lips forming a perfect suction around my hard little nub.

  “God, Sumner. That feels so nice…” I murmured, just as I was shattered by another orgasm.

  He slowed his attentions, moaning lightly. I raised my head to see his hard cock in his hand, moving with slow strokes as he pulled back from my still-throbbing pussy.

  “I’m getting a condom, baby,” he said, turning to reach for the trousers that lay on the floor in the puddle of our clothing.

  My hands flew to my sensitive clit, and while I watched him unroll the condom over his brutally hard cock, I made light circles. My entire sex was soaked with my juices. I was ready for him and his thick erection.

  He positioned my knees over his shoulders and aimed his cock at the notch of my opening. I gasped as he entered an inch, opening me slowly, in preparation for all of him.

  He pushed further. “You okay, baby?”

  “Yeah…give it to me. Fuck me, Sumner,” I whimpered.

  It was inconceivable that, even though I’d already come twice, I needed more. I needed him.

  So he drove into me until he was balls-deep and pulled back out, pistoning with a fury that left us both breathless, him moaning, and me screaming. His orgasm, marked by a growl that grew louder and louder, sparked mine. This time, I felt a satisfaction that was complete. I was whole, and strong, and femininely powerful.

  “God, baby, I’m coming,” he murmured.

  I watched him, his eyes closed and face tense, grinding his teeth until the urge to explode was satisfied. His pumping slowed as his face relaxed and his eyes opened, gazing down at me.

  “You are fucking amazing,” he said, kissing me on the forehead.

  He lay next to me on the rug and pulled me into his arms. Our legs entwined, and I buried my head in his chest, lightly damp with perspiration from our exertion.

  I looked up at him. “That was incredible. So yummy.”

  He laughed. “Maybe we could do it again some day.”

  “Well, I was thinking the same thing, but you know, I don’t want to wear you out.”

  “Ha. That’ll never happen. But I might wear you out.”

  “Hmmm,” I said. “We’ll just have to see about that.”

  Chapter 20

  CHASE

  Shortly after that article in the New York Post had come out, the one about the RESLR team, Ruby’s nanny told me there’d been several hang-up calls on my landline. I thought nothing of it since solicitation calls were endemic, but about the fifth time she mentioned it, I started to wonder what the hell was going on.

  Turned out I didn’t have to wait long for my answer.

  While I normally let calls to my landline go to voicemail, I took a chance on picking up the phone while waiting for Avril to come over. She’d wanted to meet Ruby, and I wanted to spend more time with her. Perfect way to see both my girls at once.

  Oof. Did I really just say ‘my girls?’

  I reached for the phone on the fifth ring, just before voicemail picked up.

  “Hello.”

  Nothing.

  “Hello?”

  I waited for a moment, and then a woman’s voice came in, faint but also familiar.

  “Chase?”

  “Hello? Yes this is Chase. Could you please speak up?” I asked.

  “Chase, it’s me.”

  Who was me?

  “Excuse me? Can you tell me who this is?”

  “Minette.”

  Had someone just punched me in the gut? Because it sure felt like it.

  “Chase? Are you still there?”

  I had to fight the urge to throw the phone through the wall. I didn’t want to wake Ruby.

  Plus, I really didn’t want a hole in my wall.

  “Uh, yeah. I’m here”

  “It’s been awhile, Chase.”

  I pictured her long brown hair and how it swung in the wind when she walked. Wait. Stop. I didn’t want to have any happy memories of her.

  “Yeah, it has been a while, Minette. What do you want?” I was trying to be as nice as I could. I didn’t feel too hopeful about that, though.

  “I’ve missed you, Chase.”

  “Gee, thanks for calling to tell me that. What about your daughter, Ruby? Do you miss her?” My daughter’s mother didn’t bring out the best in me. Down boy. Getting worked up over this was not going to help anyone.

  “Of course I miss my baby. I want to come see you. Both of you.”

  My stomach churned again. “Not a good idea, Minette. And I gotta run. Next time send a postcard—”

  “Chase, wait…”

  I’d never heard her plead before. “Minette, why did you call? Do you need something? I thought things were going well at the ballet.”

  “They are. They really are. I got a solo for the upcoming season. It’s just that I saw the article about you in the New York Post, and I began realizing I made a mistake leaving you and Ruby.”

  There it was, transparent as glass. She’d found I was not only making good money but serious fucking money, the kind a dancer for the city ballet would never see. That is, unless she married it.

  And now she wanted to be a mom to Ruby? And a partner to me?

  I had to admit, for a moment, I was tempted to say yes if it would clean up the inevitable mess she’d left behind. My heart broke on a pretty much regular basis for my baby Ruby, who would one day find out her mother walked without looking back. I knew when that day came, my little girl would be left full of questions—and heartache.

  Until then, it was my job to protect her as best I could, and that included keeping the very woman who’d given up her baby for no other reason than ‘she didn’t feel like a mother’ at arm’s reach.

  “Minette, you left Ruby and me. At first, it was hard. But now we’re okay. You’re not welcome back in our lives. I’m sorry.”

  I felt like bastard for taking such a hard line, but my first priority was my daughter. That’s all there was to it.

  I took a deep breath to shake off the negative conversation with Minette, and was about to peek in on Ruby, when the door buzzer rang. My heart skipped a beat knowing Avril was on her way up. I pulled the baby’s door closed so we wouldn’t wake her and went to open the door for my beautiful guest.

  And what a beauty she was. I’d never seen her dressed casually, and boy, did she pull it off. With her slim capri pants and little flats, she looked like she’d stepped out of an Audrey Hepburn movie. She had her hair twisted into a long braid that hung over the front of her right shoulder, which was bare thanks to a little halter top that showed off her flawless skin.

  Her lips were painted with something pink and shiny. I took pleasure knowing I’d be kissing that off soon.

  “Hi there!” she said, giving me a chaste kiss as she entered my apartment.

  She spun around for a three-sixty degree view, looking all kinds of pleased.

  “Wow. Look at this!” she said, gazing down on Central Park.

  I pulled the cork out of some nice red sangiovese and poured us both a glass.

  “And this is an awesome kitchen,” she added.

  “Thank you and cheers,” I said. I couldn’t take my eyes off her.

  Her gaze locked with mine, and she tilted her head, giving me the smile that I’d found captivating from the first time I�
��d met her. All thoughts of my earlier, unpleasant conversation with Minette, were forgotten.

  She set down her wine glass. “Okay. I have to see the little miss.” She clapped her hands and jumped like an excited kid.

  I was thrilled when someone wanted to see my little girl. I was turning into such a sap, but all my friends told me daughters did that to you.

  “C’mon. She’s sleeping.”

  I took Avril by the hand and led her into Ruby’s bedroom. With the nightlight on, the room was just bright enough to see my little angel, who was once again sleeping with her head turned to the side and her arms spread out over her head. Her tiny double chin and stubby nose swelled my heart with pride.

  What could I say? I just couldn’t help it.

  “She is absolutely delicious,” Avril whispered, stroking a finger down Ruby’s pudgy cheek. The baby stirred, and Avril snatched her hand back.

  “Don’t worry,” I whispered. “Pretty much nothing can wake her once she’s down for the night.”

  “Does she sleep all the way through?”

  I took her hand to lead her from the room. I had other things on my mind, things that could not take place in a baby’s room.

  “She sleeps through the night now. In fact, she will straight through ‘til when the nanny arrives in the morning. I’ve been lucky that way.”

  I closed Ruby’s door lightly behind us, and Avril and I settled into the living room sofa with our wine after making sure the baby monitor was close by.

  “Do you mind if I ask about Ruby’s mom?”

  She could ask or do anything she wanted to me. I would never be able to say no to this woman. “Her mom is not in the picture. She left right after the baby was born. Told me I was on my own, and said goodbye.”

  “Oh my god, Chase. That’s incredible.”

  The compassion in her eyes just about killed me.

  I swirled wine around my glass. “It was hard. It still is hard. But you know how they say the worst thing that happens to you can also be the best?” Goddamn if I didn’t feel a lump in my throat. I took a swig of my wine to swallow it away.

  Avril nodded slowly.

  “It was all for the best. I don’t want Ruby to have a reluctant or uncommitted mother. That would hurt her more than the day when she’s old enough to realize her mother didn’t want her.”

  Avril squeezed my hand. “I’m sorry.”

  “Thank you.” The sincerity in her words that was such a contrast to the bullshit Minette had just tried to lay on me. It was uncanny.

  Warmth worked its way through me, easing the tension that telling the story of Ruby’s mother had brought up. I popped up to get us more wine, when the door buzzed again. I pressed the intercom buzzer.

  “Hello?”

  “Hey, buddy. I’m downstairs.”

  “Come on up.” I buzzed my building’s front door open.

  “Was that Sumner?”

  “Yep,” I said, returning to the sofa.

  “Oh, cool. But why is he coming over?” she asked, beyond puzzled.

  “Well, he wasn’t doing anything tonight, and we thought we’d surprise you.”

  The question mark clouding her face was replaced by a sexy look that told me we might be on the same page.

  “You’re so fucking beautiful,” I murmured, and I leaned toward her.

  Placing a hand behind her head, I pulled her in to meet my kiss. She smelled of light perfume and expensive red wine, and her lips were sexy and pliable beneath mine.

  Shit, I didn’t want to stop, but I heard Sumner approaching. Not that I had to stop for him, but someone had to open the damn door.

  “More of this later, baby,” I said, kissing her on the forehead.

  “Hey, Sum. C’mon in,” I said, welcoming my friend.

  ‘Thanks, dude,” Sumner said, his tall frame just fitting under the doorjamb.

  He spied Avril on the sofa and made a beeline for her.

  “Hey, gorgeous. Long time, no see.” In the process of giving her a bear hug he picked her up off the floor like she was nothing more than a ragdoll.

  “Well, well,” she said, her eyes twinkling. She looked from one of us to the other. “What am I gonna do with you two?”

  Sumner and I looked at each other.

  We had a few ideas.

  Chapter 21

  AVRIL

  Oh my.

  Sumner had joined Chase and me. What was that all about?

  He’d greeted me with a hug, and the scent of him brought back the flood of emotions that had struck me the evening before when he’d shared the story about his dad with me.

  And of course made me come. Multiple times.

  And now that I was looking at Chase, my heart swelled at how he’d rebuilt his life to take care of a little girl whose mother didn’t want her.

  God, I loved those guys. And Ash and Gio. Shit. Did I just say love? We were bonding over pain and healing with shared passion. What could be better than that?

  “Sum, you want a glass?” Chase asked, waving the bottle for him to see.

  “Yessir. I’m exhausted from last night…” He looked directly at me. “But I could have a little wine before I pass out for the night.”

  All right. I was beginning to see how this worked. The guys didn’t mind, and in fact seemed to like it, when I’d been with another of the group. And if they were okay with it, I sure as hell wasn’t going to be ashamed or embarrassed. I walked over to the kitchen where Chase was pouring.

  “Look at these marble countertops. They’re amazing,” I said.

  Sumner smoothed his hand over the white surface shot through with grey streaks. “I know I loved it when I lived here,” he said.

  “What? You lived here?” I asked.

  They both nodded.

  “Yeah. Back when we were starting up the biz, we were roommates,” Sumner said.

  “Yup. Just like in college,” Chase added.

  Wow. Quite the bond.

  And they were quite the pair—Sumner, tall with dark hair, and at least on that day, utterly sexy facial scruff, and Chase, blond with an adorable baby face. Maybe I’d start calling them “salt and pepper.”

  They were so damn handsome.

  And kind.

  And smart.

  And sexy…

  Focus, girl.

  “Is that when you developed your special… um, appetites?” I asked.

  The guys looked at each other.

  “It was, in fact,” Sumner said.

  Chase approached me and hooked a finger under my chin, tilting my face towards his.

  Without turning away, he asked, “Sum. What do you think we should do with our pretty lady, here?”

  “I’ve got some ideas.”

  Damn if the strongest shivers didn’t just run down my spine. I reached for the kitchen counter to steady myself.

  “I’ll bet,” Chase said, lowering his mouth to mine.

  My eyes fell closed as strong hands brushed my shoulders and stroked the length of my arms. They worked their way to my waist, where they could almost encircle me with their long, thick fingers. A growing erection pushed against my backside, not to mention Chase’s, which was pressed against my front.

  “I think we should return to the living room,” he said, leading me by the hand.

  I grabbed my wine glass and followed. I could still feel his kiss on my lips, and every inch of me vibrated with anticipation.

  “Sum, why don’t you sit there,” Chase said, pointing.

  My tall friend settled into an expensive leather chair, leaning back and smiling with his wine in one hand, his long legs stretched before him.

  Chase grabbed the chair opposite.

  Hmm. I was left standing in the middle. With both men looking me up and down, it was both oddly uncomfortable and also a turn-on. I could only imagine they were thinking about how to have their ways with me. And other naughty things.

  During a different time in my life—hell, just a couple weeks ag
o—I would have been crawling out of my skin with embarrassment. But now I felt powerful. And beautiful. And in control of my life. Well, almost

  So I decided to take charge. No time like the present, and all that…

  I kicked my flats off and put my hands on the side zip of my capri pants. But I was going to make this last, and I turned around slowly so I could see each guy, and so they could each get a good look at me. My nipples were hard and pointed, and I could feel the throbbing inside my pants. While I might have been ready to go, I was in no hurry.

  Take your time.

  Which made me wonder why Sumner had joined us when I’d been with him just the night before. Didn’t he want Chase to have his quality time with me? Unless…they each wanted to see me with the other guy…

  I guess that was the sharing thing in a nutshell.

  And shit, I’d never been with two guys.

  While swaying to the background music, I slowly unzipped my pants, let them drop, and kicked them aside. When I untied the bow on my halter, I was left standing in nothing more than a very skimpy, sheer thong that scarcely concealed my bare pussy.

  One of the guys—I wasn’t sure which—quietly whistled his approval. Since they were the ones I wanted to impress, I took that as a compliment.

  Since Sumner had had me the night before, I padded over to Chase and straddled him in his seat. His hands immediately flew to my breasts, pulling my girls together and sucking one aching nipple, then moving to the other.

  While he did this, I ground lightly on the erection straining inside his jeans. This sent a spark right into my throbbing core that echoed through my belly, leaving my flesh on fire. Then his lips found mine for a lush kiss.

  Sumner had come up behind me and pulled off the ponytail holder I’d placed on the end of my braid. He fumbled with my plaited hair, and in moments had it free. As my hair tumbled down my back, he took fistfuls of it and inhaled deeply, sighing.

  With Chase’s hands on the sides of my face as he kissed me, my breasts were now free for Sumner’s wandering hands. He reached around me, pulling on my aching nipples until I squirmed. But sandwiched between the two of them, with nowhere to go.