The Five Brothers Next Door: A Reverse Harem Romance Read online

  I think she was really hurt by what we did—or rather, what we didn’t do—last night.

  I can tell she’s at least fond of us. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have staged that daring defense of us in front of Joseph (and potentially in front of her colleagues, her students, and their parents, as well).

  I was surprised—in a good way—and impressed that she did that. Flattered, too. Not because she called us “pretty,” but because she thought we were worth defending.

  But has she considered the consequences of dating us—all five of us, at the same time?

  Have we?

  Even our parents get weird looks just because they’re still dating each other despite being divorced.

  I’ve never understood the hate. Why does it matter? My parents’ aren’t hurting anybody with their choices.

  But people are strange creatures. They care about the most trivial things and overlook the most important things.

  Especially here, in a small town like Ashbourne, where everybody knows the dirt on everybody else, and there’s no such thing as a personal life because everything’s out in the open.

  “Why so glum, chums?” Mom approaches the table with a deep-dish casserole that smells like a glutton’s heaven. She’s wearing an apron over her old T-shirt and a big grin on her face.

  As Mom places the glass dish on the table, she says, “It’s been so long since I cooked this much. You know there’s a book called Microwave Cooking for One? I know, I know. It’s a sad title. But it actually has a lot of useful tips.” She takes a seat and glances around the table. “Anyway, I hope you’re hungry.”

  “We should be,” Noah says. “We didn’t have breakfast.”

  Mom frowns. “What’s wrong? Something’s wrong. You’re not inhaling the food like you usually do, even though you didn’t have breakfast. And none of you came home last night, and I think the night before that, too . . . ? Anyway, I thought you were at your dad’s, but you weren’t, were you?”

  We shake our heads, our mouths too numb to speak.

  “Where were you? And what’s wrong with you?” Mom pauses. When she hears no answer, she asks, “It’s the business, isn’t it? Is it difficult to manage everything from here?

  “You know, you work too much. You should take a vacation one of these days. Maybe just take it easy while you’re in town. The country air will do you good. Life isn’t just about work, you know.”

  “The business is fine,” Mason says with a sigh.

  “What, then?” She looks around the table, scrutinizing our faces one by one. “Girl problem?”

  “You can say that,” Liam admits.

  “Ooh!” Mom exclaims gleefully. “What’s her name? When can I meet her? What does she look like? Do you have pictures of her? You know what they say: ’pics or it didn’t happen.’”

  “Mom, can you not read the mood? That’s not happy news.” Nathan says. Someone’s irritable today.

  “Okay, okay.” Mom clears her throat and puts on a somber face. “So who’s the one with the problem?”

  Still not feeling like saying anything, all of us, one by one, raise a hand.

  “All of you?” Mom asks. “Hmmm . . . And we’re talking about just one girl?”

  Nods all around.

  Mom grows quiet, but her eyes study us. “You like the same girl . . . and she doesn’t like you back . . .” She narrows her eyes at us. “No. That’s not it.”

  She keeps trying, making random guesses and taking our reactions as some kind of a yes-or-no response.

  “You like the same girl . . . and she likes you back.”

  She nods, obviously satisfied by our reaction.

  “You like the same girl . . . and she only likes one of you.”

  She purses her lips.

  “You like the same girl . . . and she likes all of you.”

  She nods to herself.

  Then, as she seems to realize the implications of her conclusion, she frowns and looks off into the distance.

  Somehow, Mom gets it right.

  “Oh, I know. You like the same girl, she likes all of you, and now you’re waiting for her to pick just one of you. Or, she said ‘no’ to all of you because she couldn’t choose. Or, she doesn’t want to choose but you wish she would.” My mom folds her arms. “Damn. Lucky girl . . . So, which one is it?”

  “None of the above,” Nathan and Noah say, almost at the same time. They do that occasionally, although it’s gotten less frequent as they get older.

  Mom knits her dark eyebrows in concentration. “Well, the only other possibility I can think of is . . . you like the same girl, she likes all of you, and . . . you don’t want her to pick just one of you?”

  As I glance at my brothers’ faces, I know I’m wearing the same expression they are. Confused, annoyed, and impressed at the same time.

  Our mom’s a witch! How did she figure all that out without us telling her anything?

  “Does she want to pick just one of you?” Mom asks.

  We shake our heads. May as well save time by just telling her outright.

  “So what’s the problem, then?” she asks, as if that’s the most obvious question in the world.

  “The problem, Mom, is that there’s one of her, and there are five of us,” Mason says.

  “But if she doesn’t want to pick one, and you don’t mind sharing, I don’t see what the problem is.”

  “You don’t, but other people will,” I say. She has to know that . . . right?

  “So what?”

  “So people will talk. Her reputation will be ruined. Her job will be in jeopardy,” Nathan says.

  “Where does she work?”

  “At the high school. She’s a teacher,” Liam says.

  “As far as I know, the high school principal’s pretty progressive. There shouldn’t be any threat to her job. And you—” Mom points at us “—don’t have to worry about anybody firing you.”

  “That’s true,” Noah admits, “although we should still pay attention to what the press says about us. Not that it matters. I don’t think our clients care about our personal lives.”

  “But Mom . . . do you think it’s even possible for us to have a normal relationship?” I’m the one asking the question, but I know all my brothers are thinking the same thing.

  “Well . . . Let’s just say ‘normal’ isn’t a realistic goal for you if you want to pursue this . . . “ Mom says pensively. “But that doesn’t mean it can’t be a healthy relationship. Just look at your dad and me.”

  Ava

  I’ve been hiding from the Hunters all day.

  This morning, I deliberately went to work early, tiptoeing past the living room so I wouldn’t wake them up. Then, I just headed to the library in school to work on my lesson plans.

  After work, I hung out at Tony’s. I met Greg and their adorable kids, but I didn’t feel like socializing and I was getting worried about coming across as a bitch, so I decided to go home.

  Last night ended so awkwardly that I dreaded coming home to the same situation.

  So I totally didn’t expect to come home to this.

  As soon as I walk in through the door, a flurry of male hands and lips descends upon me. I can’t even tell how many because it’s so dark here, although they all feel familiar.

  “Wait a minute,” I protest as someone takes my bag away and someone else pulls on my coat. “What’s going on?”

  “There’s no time to explain,” Ollie says.

  “What? Why? Did something big happen?” I scold myself in my head for asking such a stupid question. As if they’d be kissing and groping me if we were in some kind of an emergency.

  I wonder if . . .

  Maybe they weren’t just being polite last night when they left my room in single file with their tails between their legs. Maybe they really were planning on picking things back up on another day.

  Like today.

  “Not yet. But something’s about to happen,” Nathan whispers in my ear.


  “Something big.” Mason takes my hand and presses my palm against the bulge in his jeans, the one that got me so transfixed last night.

  He’s already hard—and yes, big, too. That wasn’t false advertising.

  One by one, my clothes are peeled off my body, until I’m standing naked in the entryway. Hell, I’m practically pressed against the door.

  “I thought you wanted to take things slow.”

  “Well, that’s why we stopped last night. But now, it just feels like we’ve waited long enough,” Nathan says.

  I shriek as a pair of strong hands picks me up effortlessly. I’m carried into the bedroom and deposited onto my bed.

  Someone’s kissing my neck, while another mouth wraps around my nipple. A manly hand grips my chin and pulls me into a hot, passionate kiss—the kind that shoot tingles of pleasure to my core, making me yearn for more.

  “Let there be light.” I hear Ollie’s voice as I lie in bed, surrounded by the Hunters.

  Oh, no. I was afraid of this.

  The ceiling light is pretty harsh . . . which is to say, it’s not flattering at all . . . which is to say, all the bumps and marks on my body will become glaringly obvious.

  I open my eyes with alarm, only to see a soft, warm glow splashed onto all four walls of my bedroom. I look up to see my normal ceiling light—only it doesn’t blind me tonight for some reason.

  “Somebody took a trip to the hardware store today,” Noah says.

  “It only makes sense,” Ollie says. “Those candles were a huge pain in the ass to light up one by one. This dimmer is just going to make things easier in the future.”

  I want to ask what he means by “in the future.” And also, it’s “going to make things easier” for who?

  For me? Like, in the general sense of having a dimmer being a convenience?

  Or for all of us? As in, we’re going to spend a lot of time in this dimly-lit room together?

  “You said you wanted to see us naked, right?” Ollie doesn’t wait for my answer to take off his shirt.

  I stare at Ollie’s body in amazement. He has a magnificent body, but that’s not what surprises me. Sweet Ollie has a lot of ink on his body; it’s all just been hidden under his clothes.

  Before I can say anything, hands push and pull my body until I’m on all fours with my feet hanging just off the edge of the bed.

  I sigh as a hand travels up my thigh. Noah’s lying on his back with his head by my knees, pulling my legs apart.

  “You’re so wet,” Noah says as he slides his head between my thighs. He’s staring right at my pussy. “So wet you’re almost dripping.”

  My breath catches when I feel the tip of his tongue at my opening, collecting my wetness.

  “You taste so sweet, Ava,” Noah says. “I could see why Ollie was so happy here last night.”

  When I notice Nathan climbing into bed, he’s already taken off his shirt and jeans. God, he’s ripped—all muscles and power. I shudder to think of all that energy unleashed on me.

  Nathan’s erection is clearly outlined by his black boxer briefs, and I can’t stop staring.

  I never liked the taste or the feel of a dick in my mouth. But right now, as I follow the happy trail of fuzz leading down from Nathan’s belly button and disappearing into his underwear, I’m practically salivating.

  But before I can find out what Nathan’s packing, a finger lands on my butt cheek and glides down playfully to land on my wet opening.

  I look over my shoulder to see Mason standing by the foot of the bed. He’s right behind me, where he can see everything.

  Mason’s finger slides deeper inside me and rubs all over my pussy walls until he hears me make a sharp gasp. Then, he zeroes in on that sweet spot, changing his speed and pressure to keep me on my toes.

  With Mason’s finger inside me and Ollie’s mouth on my clit, soft shudders spread all over my body.

  “Why don’t you be a good girl and take Nathan’s cock in your mouth, beautiful?” Mason asks.

  Nathan places a hand on my head and turns me to face him. He’s wearing a wicked smile and nothing else. My gaze drops to his crotch, where a thick, hard cock is pointing right at my mouth. He’s big—intimidatingly so.

  “Want to give it a little taste?” Nathan asks as he leans back on the headboard.

  I nod, sighing as Liam and Ollie run their hands all over my back, my tits, and my ass—grabbing, pinching, and caressing.

  Pre-cum gathers at the tip of Nathan’s cock, glistening tantalizingly. I lick it up and, to my surprise, I like the way he tastes—thick, a little salty, and sensual.

  Smack!

  I gasp as a dull pain spreads across my ass.

  “I said take his cock in your mouth,” Mason says.

  His tone is playful, and he really didn’t hit me all that hard, but something about Mason’s behavior makes me wonder if he has dominant tendencies. I’ve always wanted to try things like blindfolds and handcuffs, but Joseph said they were stupid.

  Mason takes his fingers out of me, making me clench with need as I wrap my lips around Nathan’s shaft and take him deeper, inch by inch.

  Try as I may, I can only fit half of Nathan’s length in my mouth. I wrap my fingers around the base of his cock and move it up and down.

  “Oh god, you’re good,” Nathan says as he rests his hand on my head. He doesn’t push me down like Joseph used to do, and the weight of his hand feels strangely intimate.

  At the same time, something’s pressing against my opening—it’s hot, it’s spongy, and it feels amazing.

  “You look like you’re ready to be fucked,” Ollie says from behind me.

  I can’t say anything with Nathan’s cock in my mouth, so I simply arch my back and push my hips back against Ollie’s cock.

  Ollie enters slowly. It’s almost like he’s letting me impale myself on him. My own back-and-forth motion from sucking Nathan’s dick means I’m sliding up and down Ollie’s cock, too.

  I groan as Ollie gets deeper and deeper, until at one point he grabs the top of my thighs and pulls me back, flush against him. We stay still as I savor the feeling of being filled up completely.

  I’ve never had anyone get that deep inside me before. These Hunter brothers and what they’re packing in their pants . . . I wonder if all of them are big. Maybe it’s their genes.

  Gradually, Nathan, Ollie, and I find a shared rhythm that works. Every time Ollie thrusts inside me, the force pushes me forward onto Nathan’s cock. Noah, who’s still lying underneath me, sucks on a nipple as his fingers play with my clit.

  I’ve never done anything like this in my life. I can think of a few people who, if they knew what I’m doing right now, they’d never speak to me again.

  But at the same time, I’ve never felt so alive. My days were grey and dull before, even though I didn’t know it.

  Ever since the Hunter brothers re-entered my life, I’ve realized what was missing: affection. These five men give me the affection that I’ve always craved my whole life, and they make my days so much more exciting.

  These thoughts swim in my head—abstract concepts my brain can’t quite bother to name, thanks to sensory overload.

  Ollie picks up his speed, making my lips slide more quickly over Nathan’s cock, too. His hand grips my hair, firmly but without exerting pain.

  I look up and see Nathan’s eyebrows pulled together in concentration as his strong jaw falls open. He stares at me with a mixture of arousal and frustration. He’s close.

  Ollie’s close, too. I can feel his movements getting faster and more frantic. It’s getting more difficult for me to focus on Nathan at all because Ollie’s cock is just absolutely ramming into me right now.

  Someone’s fingers find my clit and start rubbing furiously, making me shake and shudder as Ollie fucks me hard and fast.

  Ollie slams into me one last time and grinds against me. I know he’s come when I feel his cock twitch and spurt inside me.

  Slowly, Nathan thrusts
up into my mouth. “Now it’s just you and me, baby.”

  He watches my face for any sign of displeasure, and I . . . I don’t know . . . I fully expected not to like this, but I actually don’t mind having Nathan take control.

  “Fuck, your mouth . . . Your mouth is heaven.” If Nathan didn’t sound so unbelievably sexy, I’d be laughing at that line.

  Nathan grabs my hair and stares at me as he fucks my mouth. “You’re going to swallow me, sweetheart?”

  I nod.

  “Fuck,” he curses. Nathan grows bigger in mouth before he explodes, shooting his hot cum into my mouth.

  As promised, I swallow his seed, letting it slip thickly down my throat.

  Before I can take a breath, Mason pulls me up to my knees to straddle him.

  “Take me inside you, beautiful,” Mason says. Lying down on his back, he smirks.

  The others are watching us, a couple of them while stroking their hard-ons.

  I don’t know why I’m getting self-conscious now. That’s ridiculous, considering all the things that we’ve already done tonight. But I feel like I’m being asked to put on a show . . .

  I drop my gaze—somehow, that feels like the right thing to do—and wrap my hand around Mason’s cock. It’s thick, hard, pulsing, and did I say thick?

  Jesus, I’ve heard people use the phrase “thick as a soda can” before and let’s be honest, no dick in the world is that thick, but Mason’s must come really close.

  I grab the base of his cock and slide myself onto him. I don’t know what it is, but something about the way he stares at me makes my hairs stand on end. Something tells me Mason’s dangerous.

  But that’s just one of the things I like about him.

  I put my hands on Mason’s chest and start to grind myself against him. But he gathers my wrists and says, “No hands. Hold your own elbows behind your back.”

  Following his orders, I rock back and forth, letting my pussy walls stretching to accommodate Mason’s girth.

  “Faster.” Mason grabs my hips, then pushes and pulls me to control my speed.

  All the while, Mason traps my gaze. It’s like there’s something hypnotizing in his green eyes that robs me of the ability to say “no.” All I want is to obey.