Surrendering To Four: A Reverse Harem Story

Chapter 5

ZOE

Game-fixing," Lucas said. His voice was low as he leaned closer across the table. "Derek Thompson's team has been involved in it for months."

I tried to focus on his words, but the warmth of his hand occasionally touching mine as he spoke sent tiny sparks racing up my arm. His scent, that wild, woodsy cologne mixed with something purely male, wrapped around me in the intimate setting, and I almost swooned.

"You're saying Derek's team has been deliberately losing games?" I asked, trying to keep my mind on the conversation and not on how Lucas's eyes seemed to catch every flicker of the candlelight.

"Not losing specifically. They’re controlling the points." His thumb absently stroked the back of my hand. "They make sure they win by some specific margins. The gambling implications are huge."

A shiver ran through me that had nothing to do with the restaurant's temperature. Had I really spent three years with someone who was capable of that kind of deception?

Lucas must have sensed my discomfort because his touch softened, and now his fingertips were barely grazing my skin. "Hey, it's not your fault, Zoe. Men like Thompson are good at hiding who they really are." Something in his tone made me wonder if he was speaking from more than just observation.

"And you're not?" I challenged, finding myself smiling despite the serious topic.

His laugh was unexpected. It sounded rich and genuine. The corners of his eyes crinkled in a way that transformed his entire face from intimidating to charming in a boyish way.

"I'm exactly who I appear to be," he said, and I found myself almost believing him. Almost.

Our conversation shifted naturally, flowing from hockey back to marketing to favorite songs and movies. I discovered Lucas had a dry but good sense of humor that often caught me by surprise, making me laugh more than I had in a while.

When my wine glass emptied, he reached for the bottle, and refilled it with ease. His fingers deliberately traced my wrist as he handed me the glass, and they lingered just long enough to be intentional.

"I've been meaning to tell you," he said, his voice dropping lower in the intimate setting. "I couldn't take my eyes off you that night at the bar."

Heat immediately spread across my chest. "Before you knew who I was?" I questioned.

"I didn't care who you were," he replied. "I just knew that I needed to meet you."

He leaned closer, close enough that I could see some flecks of yellow in his gray eyes. His gaze dropped to my lips, and for a moment, I thought he might kiss me right there and then in the restaurant.

The door suddenly opened and Lucas pulled back slightly. Something that looked like frustration spread across his features.

Ethan, James, and Alex were approaching our table. All three men were impeccably dressed in suits that stretched across their broad shoulders. There was no sign that they had been delayed by practice. Their eyes took in the scene: me and Lucas, sitting close with the wine half gone, and our empty plates pushed aside.

"Starting without us?" Ethan asked as he slid into the seat next to me. His thigh pressed against mine as he settled in, and his body heat was immediately noticeable to me through the thin fabric of my dress.

James took the seat opposite me, then he loosened his tie with one fluid motion that drew my attention to his strong neck. His fingers were long and elegant as they worked the knot, and I found myself wondering what those fingers would feel like against my skin.

“Hope we didn't miss anything important,” he commented. His smile was playful, but I caught something sharper in his eyes as he glanced at Lucas.

Alex took the last chair, and his gaze never left my face as he asked the waiter for water. When it arrived, he sipped it slowly as he watched me over the rim with an intensity that made my skin prickle pleasantly.

The easy flow of conversation I'd enjoyed with Lucas alone shifted into something more intense as each man seemed determined to capture my attention.

Ethan stretched beside me, and his arm brushed my back in a move that was too deliberate to be accidental. "So what were you two discussing so intently when we arrived?" His voice had a bit of a growl to it that vibrated through me where our legs touched.

"Lucas was telling me about some concerns with Derek's team," I answered, trying to regain my composure.

"Just concerns?" James asked, raising an eyebrow. "Not the whole story, then."

When dessert arrived, which was a chocolate confection I didn't remember ordering, James pulled it toward him. He sliced off a small piece with his fork and held it out to me.

"Try this," he said. His eyes were fixed on my mouth and I hesitated for a bit before I finally leaned forward to accept the bite. His gaze darkened as my lips closed around the fork, and I felt a rush of power at his obvious reaction to me.

"Good?" he asked. Now his voice was slightly rougher than before.

As I nodded, I was suddenly very aware of how all four men were watching me swallow.

"You know," Alex said, breaking the tension, "you remind me of the moon."

"The moon?" I laughed, surprised.

"Yes. It’s beautiful, and distant. It pulls at us."

Lucas snorted softly. "Subtle, Volkov."

Alex shrugged, then he murmured something in Russian that made Lucas's eyes narrow.

"What did that mean?" I asked. I was curious.

"It means you're the most beautiful woman in the room," Alex translated smoothly, though Lucas's frown suggested that wasn't exactly what he had said.

Under the table, I felt something trace slowly up my calf. James's foot, I realized with a start, as I watched his innocent expression that didn't match his actions at all.

The combination of wine, attention, and the heat of Ethan pressed against my side was making me lightheaded. "Excuse me," I said, standing too quickly. "I need to use the bathroom."

As I walked away, I felt all four pairs of eyes following my movement across the restaurant. The sensation wasn't unpleasant. It felt like I was being hunted by predators that I secretly wanted to catch me.

I splashed cool water on my wrists in the bathroom, trying to clear my head. What was I doing? One hockey player had already broken my heart. Now I was sitting at a table with four of them, and each one was making my body respond in ways that made it hard to think straight.

On my way back, voices from our table reached me. The voices came off as sharp and tense to me, and that made me pause behind a decorative screen near the hallway. Through a crack between the panels, I could see Lucas standing and leaning toward the others.

"We had a deal," he hissed. He tried to keep his voice low but it was still intense. "One at a time to see who she chooses."

James laughed, then leaned back in his chair with a casual kind of confidence. "The deal's off. May the best man win."

"This isn't a game," Lucas growled, and for a second, I could have sworn his eyes flashed yellow in the dim light.

"Isn't it though?" Ethan smirked while rolling his shoulders like an athlete preparing for competition. "She's clearly interested in all of us. Why not let her decide?"

"Because…" Lucas started, but Alex cut him off with a phrase in Russian that silenced them all. Whatever he said made the air around them fill with tension.

Ethan's jaw clenched, and a vein throbbed at his temple. James's playful expression immediately turned into something more dangerous. Lucas straightened, and his nostrils flared as if he was tracing a scent.

All four suddenly turned in my direction at once with their movements unnaturally synchronized. I stepped out from my hiding place and tried to pretend that I hadn't been eavesdropping.

Their expressions instantly transformed back into relaxed smiles, though I noticed that their hands were gripping the edge of the table hard, and their knuckles were white.

"Is everything okay?" I asked as I slid back into my seat.

Lucas nodded. His composure was now perfectly restored. "We were just discussing strategy."

"For the marketing campaign?" I pressed on. I didn’t believe him for a second.

"Something like that," James replied. His smile didn’t quite reach his eyes.

The tension gradually dissipated as we finished our drinks. When the check came, all four of them reached for it simultaneously before Lucas won with a look that made the others back down. I noticed how they deferred to him like they were acknowledging their leader.

As I gathered my purse to leave, my phone slipped out and clattered to the floor. Lucas picked it up quickly–almost too quickly, because his reflexes were so sharp–just as the screen lit up with a text notification.

A text from Derek glowed on the screen: "Ask them about the bet they made over who gets you in bed first."

Lucas suddenly froze.