Beautiful Enemies: Enemies-to-Lovers Reverse Harem

Excerpt

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Chapter One

Scarlett

Someone’s gaze roamed over me.

As I left my building and headed to my vehicle, goosebumps raced up and down my arms. Though daylight clung onto the early evening, I couldn’t spot the owner of that gaze when I stopped and looked around; only empty, parked cars lined the quiet street.

I must have imagined it.

Taking a deep breath, I pushed down the unsettling yet intriguing sensation and embarked in my car to join my best friends at the bar for our celebration.

 

***

 

“If you had the chance, which one would you fuck?” Playfulness sparkled in Gracelyn’s blue eyes.

Almost choking on my margarita, I coughed. The question—that had caught me completely by surprise—concerned the four movie stars who would be starring in The Immortal Protectors 2, my upcoming directing gig.

My lips twitched into a smile. “I’m not going to answer that.”

A lighthearted pout touched Kayla’s face, framed with black ringlets. “Oh, you’re no fun.”

“Fine.” I looked around, pretending to check if anyone nearby was eavesdropping.

Happy patrons brimmed the chic and cozy bar, which exuded a romantic vibe with its red velour chairs and sofas and the golden glow of antique lamps.

Then, as I curled my fingers around my mouth and my friends shifted closer, riveted, I whispered, “None of them.”

Kayla grumbled, and Gracelyn snorted. “You’re not human.”

Both were seemingly unsatisfied with my answer, and I couldn’t contain my grin. “All right, I think you’ve had enough to drink tonight.”

A chorus of protests rumbled around the table.

“We only got a sip,” Kayla griped.

We were on our first round of margaritas and had ordered a platter of veggies with cream sauce, tortilla chips and guacamole, and Brie cheese and crackers.

“Okay, I’ll get you guys another round, but no more talking about these actors. They might not even be single.”

“Oh, they are, baby.” Gracelyn swayed her hips on the seat, thrilled to share the news.

“That’s right. Ashton Knight just got dumped, and they say he’s been quite bitter about it.”

Gracelyn dipped a tortilla chip into the guacamole. “Not surprising since his ex cheated on him all the time.”

My chest tightened in compassion for Ashton.

“Sawyer Lockwood got dumped recently, too.” Gracelyn crunched down on a chip.

“Yeah,” Kayla confirmed, sliding her fingers through her black hair.

Let’s hope Sawyer’s breakup hasn’t hit him hard, too. My friends enjoyed acting as private investigators too much, briefing me about the movie stars I’d soon work with. Under any other circumstances, their tumultuous personal lives would be the least of my worries, but now, I had the responsibility to ensure their well-being on set. This was my first studio movie, and I couldn’t afford to mess it up.

“Ooh, did you hear about this?” Kayla twisted toward Gracelyn, flapping her hand, and lowered her voice. “Rumor has it Sawyer hasn’t taken the breakup very well and has been stalking her.”

Gracelyn’s brows arched in surprise. “Gosh, really? Where’d you hear that one?”

“My masseuse.”

Oh, brother, I was about to deal with The Grinch and Mr. Fatal Attraction. Please, let the lives of the other two be problem-free.

“Sawyer Lockwood just needs someone to make him forget about her. Scarlett, help the poor guy,” Kayla said.

“You want me to get involved with the male version of Alex Forrest?” I teased, tilting my head to the side. “And I thought you were my friend.”

Kayla shook her head. “No, hun, you got it all wrong. He’d stop being a stalker ‘cause he’d be madly in love with you, and since you would be in love with him, too, he wouldn’t need to stalk you or anyone else.”

“Oh, really?” I popped a cherry tomato into my mouth, about to spoil the little fantasy she’d just made about me. “Well, the hiccup in your story is that neither of us will ever fall in love with the other.”

Kayla stared blankly as if my words had gotten stuck on the way to her brain. “Don’t you find him attractive at all?”

I shrugged. “He’s all right.”

“All right?” Gracelyn’s voice rose in a bewildered tone as her hand froze mid-air, holding a chip. “Have you never taken a look at him?”

“You find him attractive,” Kayla chirped. “You just won’t admit it. So, since you seem to predict the future, can you tell mine?”

“Stop….” My finger glided over the rim of my glass. Fine, perhaps I found Sawyer Lockwood handsome, and perhaps he would be a wonderful life partner. But on so many levels, the scenario of us falling in love was just impossible.

Gracelyn squeezed my hand in comfort, familiar with the lack of love and romance in my life. “Let’s move on to the last two, okay? R.J. Delmont and Bellamy Black? Well…” she grimaced, “you wouldn’t like them.”

Kayla crunched a pickle. “Ooh. Definitely not.”

Somehow, this piqued my curiosity. The more I knew about them, even personally, the better prepared I’d be for filming.

“Why not?”

“These two are known to be fuckboys,” Kayla said.

Definitely not an improvement from the other two. Dangerous Liaisons Boy and Crazy, Stupid, Love Ladykiller on the same set? Just kill me now.

Gracelyn drew closer, her chest kissing the table, and murmured, “R.J. Delmont frequents a sex club.”

“Ooh, I’d be curious to see what it’s like to be in a sex club, especially if R.J. Delmont is one of the members.” Excitement danced in Kayla’s brown eyes.

To keep the volume low, Gracelyn cupped her mouth with one hand. “Don’t tell Gary, but you and me both.” Gary was her long-term boyfriend.

“That’s my girl.” Kayla high-fived Gracelyn, whose cheeks had turned pink.

My besties had gotten wind of too many details about these men, and I was caught between being intrigued and embarrassed when I hadn’t even met them in person.

“How would you know all this stuff?”

Satisfaction lit up Gracelyn’s eyes as she took a sip of her cocktail. “We have our sources.”

“In other words, we’ve heard them all from the tabloids and our acquaintances.” Pleased with herself, Kayla bit into a slice of carrot dipped in dressing.

“You mean, in other words, about ninety-five percent of what you just told me is false.”

“Au contraire, my friend.” Gracelyn reclined against the red velour chair. “Most rumors turn out to be true.”

Oh, splendid. Now filming sounded like I’d be in for big headaches and sleepless nights with my stars’ personal chaos.

“So, did these tidbits of info help you pick one?” Kayla teased.

“Remember this, girls. Never in my life will I get involved with a movie star. It would be synonymous with asking for trouble, which I’d rather stay away from. And you should, too. Also, they’re my collaborators. Not to mention, if the rumors about them are true, these men are even worse than trouble.”

A wicked smile played on Gracelyn’s lips. “What’s wrong with a bit of trouble from time to time?”

Once more, Kayla gave her a high five in response. “I don’t mind a bit of trouble, either.”

I smiled. “You’re both hopeless. Well, I’d like to report that I’m still not looking for anything serious.”

“You’re looking for something casual?” Kayla asked in a tongue-in-cheek way.

I narrowed my eyes at the little scamp. “I didn’t say that. Anyway, my whole focus will be on the movie, and having these guys on set daily sounds like plenty to deal with already.”

Kayla laid a slice of Brie on a cracker. “You’re gonna be spending all your time with these four Greek gods. Something’s bound to go down.”

“Not gonna happen.” To move the spotlight from me, I turned to Kayla, “Enough about me; tell us about your last date.”

“Easily forgotten. You know what’s unfair? You regularly interact with movie stars, and you don’t even want them. I’d sell one of my arms to be in your shoes.”

“Maybe I can introduce you if they’re nice.”

“You’re the best.” Kayla wrapped her arms around my shoulders, elation rippling off her body. We laughed, and it felt so good. What would I do without them? They’d been my best friends since high school and were my rocks through it all.

“Just remember this, Scarlett.” Gracelyn squeezed my hand. “When the right man comes into your life, don’t push him away. Your life may very well transform in ways you never thought possible.”

Could I be ready for a serious relationship? To have someone who could be there for me. Someone I could share everything with. What if there was a man out there worth fighting all my demons for?

“What man would love me enough to the point where I trust him completely and feel totally safe with him?”

“You’ve got to start believing there’s a sexy and wonderful man out there who’ll love you so deeply he’ll crush all your fears,” Kayla said. “Who knows? Maybe it’s one of your actors.” She winked, lifting her glass. “Anyway…”

Gracelyn and I did the same, hanging on her upcoming speech.

“You’re a badass for landing this job. You’re one of the most hard-working people I’ve ever met, and you deserve this success. I’m so happy and proud of you. Show them all how talented you are. Oh, and you better invite us to the premiere.”

“Cheers!” Gracelyn exclaimed as we clinked our glasses together.

Tossing off the last drop of her drink, Kayla pulled a face. “Shoot, my glass’s empty. Scarlett, how about that second round?”

I couldn’t spot a server. “I’ll order at the bar.”

My heels clicking on the wooden floor, I crossed the room toward the counter. My friends were impossible, trying to entice me to go out with men I would work with and who didn’t sound like the best options for a life-changing relationship.

While I was waiting for my drinks, a guy sitting on a stool to my left flashed a smug smile. “Want company?”

“No, thanks.”

“What if I can’t accept that answer?” His condescending tone grated on me.

Right, another asshole convinced the whole world revolved around him.

“That’s just the way it is, buddy.”

He gripped my wrist hard, digging his fingers into my skin, and gritted his teeth. “Be nice, or I’ll make you regret it.”

Fear clawed my chest. “Let go of me before I scream,” I bit out.

“Don’t be a bitch. Chat with me for a min—”

Someone else took hold of my arm, sending tingles through my body. “If you don’t remove your dirty fingers from my girl, you’re a dead man.”

The stranger’s strong and sexy—and oddly familiar—voice squeezed my insides with a desire I’d never felt. His girl. Though I was far from wanting someone to call me their girl, the endearment, which I hadn’t had any time to block, reverberated deep down into my soul.

end of excerpt