The Gallery_A Reverse Harem Romance Read online

  Which struck me as really funny. “Besties are for helping you blow your nose?” I asked with a big sniffle.

  Next thing I knew, I was shaking with laughter, and Blu joined me after he decided I wasn’t losing my mind.

  “You know it, sweetie,” he said, gasping for breath as he laughed with me.

  Chapter 28

  CHASE

  While we continued to try to talk Avril out of abandoning Kink Lab and the gallery, we had one more party on the calendar, and she agreed to go ahead with it. It promised to be a good one.

  Word had gotten out in the business community that we’d lost Smith, but no one had linked his accident to our parties. It wasn’t that we had anything to hide, but it was for the best that it remained quiet. One of the biggest selling points and attractions of our gatherings was our strong security, which delivered the privacy our guests paid so dearly for.

  “Hey, doll,” I said, having arrived while the team was still setting up.

  In her spiky heels, Avril was nearly eye-to-eye with me. I leaned in to kiss her and she returned my affection with pliant, welcoming lips. I wouldn’t have minded lifting up the floaty little skirt she was wearing to let her know how hot I thought she was, but if all went according to plan, I’d have the chance later that night.

  “I’m glad you’re okay with hosting tonight’s shindig.”

  “I’m happy to, Chase. I mean, I’m still thinking about what I’m going to do, but I couldn’t leave you guys high and dry.”

  She looked around as the room was magically transformed from an austere art gallery to a sensual playroom for grownups.

  “I do love Kink Lab, Chase. I really do. I just have to figure out what I’m doing with the gallery.”

  Her hair was twisted into a long, thick braid, something I’d hoped to grab a hold of at some point.

  Down boy.

  I settled into one of the sofas the movers had brought in. One of the cool things that Blu took care of for us was making sure each party was set up a little differently. The setting was always a bit of a surprise to our guests. They loved that.

  “If you closed the gallery, what else would you like to do?” I asked.

  Her face actually brightened. Maybe that was something she’d been giving a lot of thought to?

  “Well, you know that school for special kids, where I volunteer, teaching art? I’d love to expand the program into a small center that teaches all sorts of art classes, all year round. I mean, right now, the kids get one hour a week for art. What if they had it every day?”

  “Wow. That’s ambitious. I’m impressed, baby.”

  And I was. She was always thinking. She’d suffered a big set back with her husband leaving, and she was still thinking of other people.

  “On the other hand, the Kink Lab parties have brought me an entirely new clientele. This past month has been the best I’ve ever had. And since we’re selling more, more of the top artists want me to represent them. That’s a good thing. A very good thing. So I have a lot to think about,” she said, sighing.

  The office door blew open and Blu whooshed in. “Hey Chase.” Then he turned to Avril. “Did I hear you talking about closing the gallery again, Av? You need to just quit that crazy talk, okay? You’d be lost without this place.”

  “Well, part of the problem is that Devon’s on the lease—” she started

  “Yeah, well, that bitch is goin’ to prison—” Blu said, stopping himself short.

  “What?” A dark frown settled over Avril’s face. “What do you mean? Is he going to prison for sure, now?”

  Christ. She didn’t know about the extent of her ex’s legal troubles? It was easy to forget that in our business community, word traveled fast. But if you were outside of it, things tended to pass by, unnoticed.

  Blu sat with his mouth partly open, regret all over his face.

  “Um, yeah, Av. Devon’s in big trouble, sweetie. You’re lucky you got out when you did.”

  She looked back and forth between the two of us. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

  I decided to let Blu answer because one, he’d known her longer, and two, I was basically a chickenshit and hadn’t wanted to upset her.

  “Av, sweetie, you already have so much going on. I don’t think any of us wanted to upset you further.”

  She swallowed hard, her eyes wide.

  “So he was definitely engaged in illegal activity while we were married?”

  I decided to pipe in. “With all the charges filed against him, it looks like he’d been breaking the law for a long time.”

  “Oh my god.” She dropped her head into her hands.

  I reached to rub her back. I knew it hurt to deal with the shame of what someone else had done. After all, I’d been through some shit with Ruby’s mother. But I also knew my girl was strong enough to hold her head high.

  “C’mon,” I said, taking Avril’s hand. “You’ve been through worse, and you are not going to let this get you down.”

  With a deep sigh, she stood, forcing a wan smile.

  Blu gave her arm a squeeze. “Yeah, Av. There’s a party out there in your gallery, and you are going to goddamn rock it.”

  I led her out of the office, and we dove into the party, which was getting more crowded by the minute as the guests poured in.

  I waved across the room at a couple business acquaintances of mine, who nodded back discreetly. It was like the secret handshake. I might see some of these folks getting their freak on at Kink Lab, but once outside in the real world, it was like nothing had ever happened.

  Avril’s tension dissipated as we walked through the room—she held the crook of my elbow, smiling beautifully at our guests. She’d clearly grown comfortable with the Kink Lab scene and nodded with approval when a beautiful woman walked past us wearing nothing more than sequined panties and high heels. We paused to watch a couple, who I happened to know had been married for several years, enjoy each other like it was their first date. On more than one occasion, someone had told me Kink Lab had helped make their marriage stronger.

  As we wandered through the party, Avril gently pulled me over to a dark corner. We ducked behind a filmy curtain, and she placed her hands on either side of my face, brushing the lightest kiss over my lips. My hand wandered up to her long braid, and she gasped when I tugged on it.

  She murmured something so softly I couldn’t quite make it out. I pulled back and met her gaze, head-on.

  “What was that, baby? I didn’t hear you.”

  Her eyes glittered in the dim light of the room, and I realized they were wet with tears. “I said I love you, Chase.”

  Chapter 29

  AVRIL

  There. I’d done it.

  I’d told Chase I loved him, and before the evening was out, I was also going to tell Sumner, Ash, and Gio.

  I didn’t know what would become of my man-harem and the five of us, but I wanted them to know they had my love. It was the best gift I could give them.

  Chase ran his fingers through his blond hair, staring back at me. My heart stopped for a moment, and I wondered if I’d told him something he didn’t want to hear. If that was the case, I was prepared to deal with it. My love came with no obligations or strings attached. I didn’t say those three words with the expectation of hearing them back.

  Of course, it would be nice to have them returned, but it was also nice to stand there with my handsome Chase, in a dark corner of a sexy party.

  “I…uh…um,” he muttered.

  Shit. Had I ruined the evening?

  He looked down. “I...well, I wasn’t sure I would ever hear those words from you.”

  He touched his forehead to mine, and I closed my eyes to inhale his scent.

  “I love you too, baby.”

  Our lips met in a furious hunger, Chase’s hand slipping under my skirt, cupping the cheek of my ass. His other hand slipped down to my breast, which he teased with his flat palm.

  He pulled back. “C’mon.”

&n
bsp; He grabbed my hand and directed me toward the upstairs loft. It was set up as a play area like the rest of the gallery, but frequented by few since it was out of the way. On the way up, we stepped around a woman kneeling on the stairs, pistoning her mouth over her handsome partner’s cock.

  Just as I passed him, he let out a growl and started bucking his hips into the woman’s face. I looked back at them when I reached the top of the stairs and saw her licking him clean after what I guessed was an explosive orgasm.

  I followed Chase to a silky tufted mattress in the center of the room, which was lit only by a few flickering candles. He faced me away and bent me forward onto my hands and knees. In seconds, my dress was pushed up over my hips and my panties were pulled down, where they hung off one ankle. My knees were parted just enough to leave my most private parts exposed to anyone who happened by. The threat of shame and humiliation was almost more than I could take, and the excitement had me trembling.

  Cool air brushed over my sex when Chase spread me open, followed by his probing tongue. He ran it from my ass to my clit, so very softly that I had to push back against his face as a way to beg for more sensation. Just when his thick fingers paused at the opening to my pussy, there was a voice in my ear.

  “Baby, you know how beautiful you are?”

  My eyes flew open, and I found Sumner on the mattress with me.

  “Kiss me, Sumner, please,” I begged.

  His tongue in my mouth and Chase’s in my pussy were almost more than I could take.

  And then my dress was lifted the rest of the way over my head, leaving me completely naked, except for my heels.

  I opened my eyes to see that Ash and Gio had joined our little party, too.

  Holy shit. Was I actually messing around with FOUR guys?

  Jesus, how many women got to do that?

  “Sumner,” I said.

  “Yeah, baby?” he asked.

  “Give me your cock. In my mouth.”

  With Chase still behind me, Sumner opened his trousers and pulled out his brutally thick erection, moist at the tip from his precum. All I could think of was getting that thing down my throat. I opened my mouth wide, like a hungry baby bird.

  I wasn’t sure what I was turning into. It didn’t matter, though, because I didn’t care.

  I wanted all my guys, and I wanted them all at once.

  I sucked the head of Sumner’s cock, creating a suction that made him growl my name, releasing it, and then sucking again.

  “Darling, I’m gonna fuck you, okay?” Chase said in a low voice.

  I nodded as best I could with a mouthful of cock and closed my eyes to enjoy the ride.

  Four pair of hands wandered over my body, tormenting my heated skin and pushing me toward a state of delirium.

  Chase drove his cock inside me in one sliding motion, filling me up and nearly sending me over my edge. Someone played with my nipples, pulling and twisting them, and another hand worked my clit. I bucked against Chase to fuck him harder. I needed to come as much or more than I needed air.

  And I got what I needed. He fucked me, his hands holding my hips so hard, I’d certainly have bruises later. And while he pumped me, the hands on my clit and breasts intensified the sensation. While I sucked Sumner, I reached a hand under his heavy balls and gently tugged.

  I pulled him out of my mouth, just for a moment. “Oh…oh…oh…fuck me,” I mumbled. “Fuck me, please.”

  I wasn’t saying that just to Chase, but to everyone. They—all four of my guys—were making love to me at the same time, and they all brought me to an orgasm that left my head bucking and all my limbs quivering. I felt someone’s hot cum squirt over my back. Sumner was back in my mouth just in time to explode there, and I knew by the way Chase held my hips and drove inside me as deeply as he could, that he was coming, too.

  Holy shit.

  As soon as Chase released me, I collapsed on the mattress, surrounded by my men. I held hands with someone—who, I wasn’t exactly sure—and the others had their arms around whatever part of my body they were closest to.

  “I have something to tell you,” I started, “all of you.”

  “What’s that, cara?” Gio asked.

  “You okay, sweetie?” Sumner asked.

  I nodded my head on someone’s outstretched arm. “I love you,” I said. “All of you. Sumner, Ash, and Gio.”

  I was surrounded by four beautiful, loving men.

  “Hey, didn’t you forget someone?” Ash said.

  “No dude, she didn’t forget me. She actually told me first.” He puffed out his chest and the other guys chuckled.

  I looked at the men draped around me on the mattress.

  Was this really happening? To me?

  “Like I said, gentlemen, I love you all.” I sat up and took the chance to meet each of their gazes.

  They looked so happy. Content.

  “And because I love you all,” I continued, “I can’t choose just one. I am just unable to. So I’m going to walk away. I won’t have any of you, but then I don’t have to live with the pain of having hurt any of you.”

  I could feel my heart breaking into a thousand pieces. I’d known what it was like to pine for someone I loved, but to feel that way for FOUR guys?

  I grabbed my dress and pulled it over my head. I had no idea what happened to my panties. But it didn’t matter.

  Chapter 30

  GIO

  Well, if that wasn’t the damnedest thing.

  “What the hell just happened?” Ash asked.

  Sumner finished straightening his clothes and stood. “Christ, I don’t know if I’ve ever seen anyone hightail that fast. I’m going after her.”

  “Wait a minute,” Ash said. “Maybe she needs some time.”

  “I don’t know. This is bullshit. She needs to know we want to share—” Sumner said.

  I reached to grab my friend by the arm. “Hold on, fratello. Let’s think this through, first. The woman needed to get away from us for a reason. Let her have a moment.”

  Sumner shook his head. “Look, Gio, I appreciate your European sensibility of taking things slow, but this is a woman we love. We can’t let her run away without trying to stop her.”

  Chase held his hands up. “Hold on, Sum. I think Gio has a point. She’s been through a lot. I mean, that party at the Hamptons where everyone was talking about her was only a few weeks ago. Her life’s gone upside down. And then, we came along.” A small smile washed over his face, and he rubbed his temples.

  “He has a point, Sum,” Ash added.

  I turned to see Blu bounding up the stairs to the loft, his red curls flying in every direction. “I just saw Avril leaving like her pants were on fire. She didn’t even say good night.”

  With his hands on his hips, he looked at each of us, his eyes narrowed. “What happened?” he asked, accusation written all over his face. “What did you do?”

  “Blu, nothing happened. She’s just conflicted.”

  The other guys nodded in agreement.

  “It’s perfectly understandable,” I said.

  He lowered his shoulders back to their normal position. “All right. What are you assholes going to do?” he asked with a smile. “I mean, are you gonna sit there like a bunch of idiots, or go get your girl?”

  He’d always known how to handle a tense moment.

  The guys nominated me and my ‘European ways’—which asshole had said that, anyway?—to talk to the beautiful Avril. We had full respect for whatever decision she might make, and we wanted her to know that, first and foremost.

  “Darling?” I asked, when she picked up my call on her cell. I was afraid she might be avoiding our calls, but it would seem luck was on my side.

  “Gio,” she said softly.

  “Cara, you sound so sad. Please do not be sad because of me and the ragazzi.”

  She sighed deeply. “I know. I just got…overwhelmed, I guess.”

  “Do you feel like some company? How ‘bout I come over?” I aske
d.

  “Okay. I was getting ready for bed, but I’ll wait up.”

  Not ten minutes later, I was riding the elevator up to Avril’s apartment. It was an incredible building where she lived, but I doubted she’d be staying there for much longer, with her ex on his way to prison.

  Yes, that was conjecture on my part, but it wasn’t looking good for the man. And that made me immensely happy.

  Anyone who hurt my Avril, not to mention the hundreds of people her ex directly and indirectly stole from, would never be a friend of mine.

  Avril was standing in her doorway when I turned the corner. She was beautiful in a plushy pink robe, but her eyes were red, and she had a hanky in her hand.

  “My poor bambina. Looking at you so sad is making my heart break right in two.”

  She threw herself into my arms, shaking lightly as I hoped she was releasing the last of her tears.

  “Come in,” she said, sniffling.

  I followed her to the sofa, where she sat down and put her head in her hands.

  “I don’t know, Gio. I don’t know how I got into this mess.”

  “I don’t see a mess. I see a bellissima woman who has some decisions to make about what her life should look like going forward. That’s what I wanted to talk to you about.”

  She raised her head and looked at me. “What do you mean? What did you want to talk to me about?”

  “The guys and I were talking. We have a couple things we want you to know,” I said.

  She gave a small laugh. “I bet you have a couple things to talk to me about. Like how I am such a bitch for getting involved with all of you.”

  “No, that is not true. You’ve got it wrong.”

  Her eyebrows furrowed. “What? What do I have wrong?”

  I held out my hand for hers, and she grasped mine back. “I wanted to tell you two things on behalf of the four of us guys.”