Accidental Daddies: A Reverse Harem Age-Gap Romance, page 1
Accidental Daddies
Rebel Bloom
Copyright © 2024 by Rebel Bloom
All rights reserved.
No portion of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher or author, except as permitted by U.S. copyright law.
Contents
1. ***Fiona***
2. ***Fiona***
3. ***Ryder***
4. ***Fiona***
5. ***Fiona***
6. ***Fiona***
7. ***Sebastian***
8. ***Jake***
9. ***Sebastian***
10. ***Fiona***
11. ***Fiona***
12. ***Fiona***
13. ***Fiona***
14. ***Fiona***
15. ***Fiona***
16. ***Ryder***
17. ***Fiona***
18. ***Fiona***
19. ***Fiona***
20. ***Fiona***
21. ***Fiona***
22. ***Jake***
23. ***Fiona***
24. ***Ryder***
25. ***Fiona***
26. ***Fiona***
27. ***Fiona***
28. ***Fiona***
29. ***Fiona***
30. ***Fiona***
31. ***Jake***
32. ***Jake***
33. ***Fiona***
34. ***Fiona***
35. ***Fiona***
36. ***Sebastian***
37. ***Fiona***
38. ***Fiona***
39. ***Fiona***
40. ***Fiona***
41. ***Fiona***
42. ***Sebastian***
43. ***Fiona***
44. ***Sebastian***
45. ***Jake***
46. ***Ryder***
47. ***Fiona***
48. ***Fiona***
49. ***Ryder***
50. ***Fiona***
51. ***Fiona***
52. ***Fiona***
53. ***Jake***
54. ***Fiona***
55. ***Sebastian***
56. Epilogue
57. Epilogue II
58. Free Preview of My Boss's Sons
1
***Fiona***
Divine intervention. That was what the leader of the Bending Branches Mindfulness Retreat was telling me was to blame for there not being a space for me. Not just me, I guessed, but to the three men who were standing next to me, also listening to a particularly stinky pile of crap. We were all standing in complete silence as the man in front of us fluttered around. I’d never looked at someone and thought of their movements as fluttery before Carl Levine, but there we were. Leader of the retreat and great yogi master, Carl was still talking about fate and the ways of the world.
I wanted to think the best of him, but I’d had a hard life. I was tired and all I wanted to do was curl up in a lumpy camp-style bed so I could sleep for at least twelve hours. I silently went over a list of things I was going to call my older sister, Mallory, for sending me to a retreat that was proving to be anything but relaxing.
“...twenty years and this has never happened. This is the universe at work, for sure. I always say that when the universe talks, we’d do well to listen to her.” Carl drew my focus again as he paced in front of us, speaking with his entire arms. The gauzy top he wore floated around him like it was a harried intern doing its best to keep up with its boss. “I will give up my personal cabin for your experience.”
The silence stretched on and the awkwardness gnawed at me, urging me to fill it with something, anything. I opened my mouth to do just that but one of the men next to me beat me to it. Only, it seemed like he knew exactly what he was saying.
“Is it clean?” The raspy voice came from a man I shockingly recognized from my teenage rock years. It took me less than a handful of seconds to come up with the name of his band, Trashed. “It’s been a long day, man, and I don’t care what the mother universe is saying unless she’s telling me where the closest bed is.”
Before I was done gawking over standing near a small-time celebrity, Carl was back at his fluttering. “It’s clean, of course. A clean mind requires a clean environment. There’s just one problem. A small problem, of course. Nothing fate didn’t plan for, I’m sure.”
“I hope fate planned for an indoor bathroom and temperature control.” I felt my eyes widen as I realized I’d spoken the sassy words aloud. Clearing my throat, I forced a smile and kept my eyes on Carl, even as I felt the eyes of the men next to me turn to me. “Um, I’m sure fate knows what it’s doing…”
Carl stopped in front of me and gently rested his hands on my shoulders. “I can sense your exhaustion, young one. To be so young and so heavy is a crime. This weekend will be good for you.”
I scoffed as he managed to trigger my insecurities and therefore, my anger. “Did you just call me fat? Look, buddy, I don’t know what the universe is telling you, but she should’ve told you to keep your lips zipped about a woman’s weight.”
Carl fluttered a few steps back from me and shook his head, causing his long brown hair to dust over his shoulders. “No, no. I meant that you’re weighed down by life, dear. It’s something I see in a lot of people who come here. Life can be so heavy when you don’t have the tools to truly just be.”
I felt my face turn dark red as I realized I’d just snapped at him for no reason. I heard one of the men next to me try to cover a laugh with a cough and glued my eyes to the floor. “I am so sorry. Just ignore me.”
“I think you will benefit greatly from this experience, young one.” Carl fluttered so close to me that his shirt sleeve brushed over my down-turned face. “Now, back to the small issue with my cabin. I am just one man and as I’ve attuned my life to be one with nature, I’ve let go of most physical things in this world. I have a bed and a couch in the cabin, along with a small bathroom, of course.”
I jerked my eyes up to him and then over the three large men standing there with me. A jolt of awareness hit me as I looked at them and realized they were each as handsome as the next. Before I could really look at them, Carl was dragging focus back to himself.
“Normally, I would never suggest guests share such a small space, but I encourage each of you to stay and participate fully in this wonderful opportunity. The universe wants you here and not listening to her would be tempting fate.” He fluttered to the small desk at the far side of the front office. “I will have the bed made with fresh linens right away. The couch folds out into a bed, as well, so maybe two to a bed?”
My jaw practically unhinged as my mouth fell open. He wanted me to share a bed with one of the handsome giants next to me? I’d been trying to reserve judgment on the fluttery man, but he was pushing me. The word nut was starting to float around just as freely as his shirt.
“You want this woman, who knows none of us, to share a bed with one of us?” That came from the man farthest from me. He ran a big hand through a head full of thick, black hair, leaving it standing on end. “This has to be a fucking joke.”
Carl turned his attention to me again and smiled so serenely that I almost believed everything was fine. “I believe in equality, Mr. Grant. If the young one has an issue with sharing a sleeping space with one of you, she can tell us herself.”
Put on the spot, I froze. I didn’t particularly want to share a bed with anyone, much less a stranger, but Mallory had spent so much of her hard-earned money to send me to the retreat. I hadn’t exactly asked to be sent to one of her woo-woo retreats, but I recognized that I needed a break. I snapped my mouth closed and then opened it again, just to have no sound come out as I tried to form words.
“You would tell us if you had an issue, correct?” Carl kept right on smiling and I kept right on staring at him.
Finally, I made a sound that sounded a lot like I was suggesting that I was okay with sharing a space with one of the men. I looked down to the side and widened my eyes as I mouthed to myself. What the hell did I just agree to?
“Fine. At this point, I just need a shower and a place to sleep.” Mr. Tall, Dark, and Handsome sighed. “I’m assuming we missed dinner.”
“You did. You also missed my introduction speech. Don’t worry, though. I’ll give you fateful four the abbreviated version on the walk to my cabin. If you’ll just wait here while I arrange the changes, I’d be so grateful.” Carl pressed his hands together in front of his chest and bowed. He turned to leave and then dramatically spun back around. “There are vending machines for emergencies just through that door. I recommend avoiding the highly processed food and meditating through your hunger tonight. It’s much better for your bodies.”
I scowled as he disappeared through a door at the back of the office and shut it snuggly behind him. “Meditate through my hunger? He definitely called me fat.”
Three pairs of eyes turned on me and I started to wonder if Carl’s divine intervention wasn’t intent on killing me through stress. I wasn’t sure if I’d survive a weekend of feeling three intense gazes burning through me.
2
***Fiona***
“Okay, I’ll leave you to sort everything out. Let the universe guide you in your decision.” Carl vanished into the night but popped back into the open doorway almost instantly. “We like to rise with the sun here at Bending Branches. See you all bright and early!”
Jake Moreno, whose name came to me the longer I stared at him, kicked the cabin door shut and grunted.
I snorted without meaning to and snapped my eyes away from Jake just to have them land on another famous face I easily recognized now that we were basically face to face in the small cabin. Ryder Steele, celebrity chef and restaurateur. I swallowed so hard that it made a weird noise that he definitely heard.
Ryder freaking Steele’s bright green eyes crinkled at the corners when he smirked at me. “I guess we should make introductions. I’m Ryder.”
I looked down at the hand he extended my way and saw the tell-tale scars of a chef that littered his hands and forearms. I shoved my much smaller hand at his and ignored the way my pulse skittered at the feel of his rough skin on mine. “Fiona. I know who you are, though. My sister has probably watched every cooking show you’ve ever done despite the fact that she believes TVs are carcinogenic.”
The man I didn’t recognize raised his eyebrows. His dark eyes were firmly on my face and didn’t crinkle as he smiled. “She thinks TVs are carcinogenic?”
I nodded. “She’s a little out there. She chose this place for me and even paid for it herself. That’s the only reason I’m not leaving. That and I really need a vacation.”
“I’m not sure this is the vacation you were hoping for, Fiona.” He extended his hand and that’s when I realized I was still clutching Ryder’s hand.
I quickly let go and pressed my other hand to my hot face. “Sorry. Sorry…”
“Sebastian Grant.” The man whose eyes didn’t smile with his lips stepped closer and shook my hand.
I remembered to let go of his hand and turned to Jake with word vomit bubbling up and out of my throat. “I listened to Trashed growing up. If teenage me could see current me standing in this cabin with Jake Moreno, she’d lose her mind.”
Jake took my hand and shook his head. “How long ago were you a teenager? That might make me feel a little less old after hearing that.”
I laughed awkwardly and found that Carl’s fluttering was contagious. I forced myself to stand still and crossed my arms under my chest, mimicking their unbothered attitude. “I’m twenty-five, almost twenty-six.”
All three of them groaned. I frowned and dropped my hands to play with the bottom of my shirt. “What’s wrong?”
Ryder let out a dry laugh. “You’re young. What are you even doing at a retreat like this? Did your sister not realize this was the divorcee weekend meant for bitter old singles?”
I went up on my toes and balanced there as I shook my head. “I’m a bitter younger single with a six-year-old. Mallory didn’t tell me this weekend would be co-ed, but then again, she rarely tells me the important details.”
“You’re too young to be bitter.” Sebastian reached up and gripped the back of his neck. It made his suit jacket stretch over his biceps and his shirt strain across his chest.
I swallowed against another wave of awareness. “You’re not old enough to be so condescending about my age.”
His eyes crinkled when he smiled that time. “Thank you, I guess.”
Jake shrugged off the worn flannel shirt he had on and exposed arms full of tattoos. I could see more peeking out from the collar of his t-shirt, too. He ran his hands over his nearly buzzed blonde hair and focused intense blue eyes on me. “We should get to sorting out the sleeping arrangements, I guess. Fucking yoga master Carl wasn’t very helpful with that, was he?”
Ryder looked back at the couch that had been folded out into a bed. Across the small cabin, not even in a separate room, was a full-sized bed. Neither of them looked big enough for one of the big men, much less two of them. I giggled at the image that popped into my mind of them spooning each other to make room.
Jake flicked his gaze over me. “I don’t want to know what that giggle was about, do I?”
I shook my head but blurted it out anyway. “The beds are too small for y’all. I was picturing you having to spoon to fit.”
Sebastian groaned. “I can still leave. I’ll never hear the end of it from my ex, but it might be worth it.”
“You know, you’re going to have to spoon, too, right? You’re tiny but these beds are a joke.” Ryder laughed at the shocked look that came over my face. “Yeah. Not so funny anymore, huh, young one?”
I made a face at him using the name Carl kept using on me. “You won me over by calling me tiny and then you lost me with young one.”
“Alright, how do we do this? Draw sticks?” Jake yawned and rolled his shoulders.
“Shortest stick has to share a bed with me?” I unzipped my backpack and pulled out the sticks I’d already gathered on the way into the retreat. I held them up and found the guys studying me like I was a foreign object. “What? I thought they’d be good for an art project. I’m an art teacher at an underfunded public school. The more things I can find, the less things I have to buy.”
Sebastian pinched the bridge of his nose. “There are so many things I could say but I’m just going to pick a stick and shut the fuck up.”
Ryder patted him on the shoulder. “Good call, man.”
I found my face nearing a pout and straightened it out. “Alright. Four sticks. Here we go.”
They each drew one and we exposed them just to see that I had the shortest stick. Jake growled and shoved one of the sticks back in my bag. The three of them repeated the process without me and Jake ended up with the shortest stick that time.
I took my sticks back and frowned up at him. “Sorry.”
He shook his head and shared a look with the other two men. “I’m not going to make you share a bed with me. You don’t know me and I wouldn’t blame you if you didn’t trust me. You shouldn’t. You should really be more freaked out by this. Why are you so calm?”
I smiled and shrugged. “I was before we started talking but I basically know two of you. After sharing a small apartment with a six-year-old boy, there’s not a lot any of you could do to surprise me.”
“I’m too tired to tell you all the ways you’re wrong right now. I’ll make a spot on the floor to sleep. Just don’t kick me if you get up in the middle of the night.” Jake yawned again and briefly shook hands with the other two men as he passed them. “Good to see y’all again.”
I followed Jake and lightly tapped him on his shoulder when he didn’t automatically turn to face me. “Jake? I’m not going to make you sleep on the floor. You seem tired and I know I wouldn’t get any rest if I slept on the floor. We can share. It’s fine. We’re both adults.”
He stared down at me from much closer than we’d been before and I held my breath as he raked his eyes over my face. “You’re either the sweetest or craziest woman I’ve ever met.”
I laughed. “I doubt that. I saw an MTV special about your band once. The things-”
“Fine. We can share the bed. Just don’t say anything else.” Jake blew out a deep sigh that ruffled my hair and clued me into the fact that his breath smelled like spearmint.
“Okay. I just need to take a shower before bed. I don’t like bringing the outside into the bed, you know? Not that it’ll bother me if you do. It won’t.” I rushed on. “You can do whatever you want. Not anything, actually. We’re strangers and you should probably keep your underwear on. Everything else-”
A big, rough hand gently closed over my mouth and I looked up to see Ryder’s eyes crinkled at the corners. “Shhh. Go take your shower and stop talking to the tired rockstar, Fiona.”
I narrowed my eyes at him but he raised his eyebrows and gave me a look that made me feel like I’d been sent to the principal’s office. I rolled my eyes and held up my hands to show that I came in peace and would shut up.
Sebastian thrust my backpack into my arms and Ryder marched me towards the only walled-in space in the cabin. He didn’t stop until I was inside the tiny bathroom and he’d closed the door after me.
“Overstepping Neanderthal. Who does he think he is, pushing me around? I can find my way to the bathroom, thank you very much.” I growled as I bent over and went through my bag to find my shower things. “Did he even wash his hands today? You can’t just put your hand over someone’s mouth. I lick these lips! Whatever he touched, I’m now licking. Jesus.”
The sound of the door opening made me jerk upright and around, just to see Ryder leaning against the doorframe, silently laughing. He wiped tears from his face and shook his head. “Wow. I needed that laugh. For future reference, these walls are paper-thin.”
