WIP: Harem House Chapter 24 Part 1

Kelly woke in the morning without remembering exactly where she was. It took her a second to get her bearings, but the familiar scent of Arthur’s shampoo on the pillowcase helped her realize she was in Arthur’s bed. The curtains blocked the morning light from entering the room, so she had no idea what time it was until she checked her phone. Seven o’clock. They weren’t due to meet the others at the campus until nine. She reached for Arthur beside her but touched only the blanket instead. Groggy, she sat up and looked around.

“Arthur?” Kelly asked, but there was no answer. “He must be in the bathroom.” She sighed but climbed out of the bed. She staggered around, using her phone for light but not worrying about getting dressed. She was entirely naked, but she wanted to see Arthur’s reaction to her early-morning nudity. Maybe they could shower together and then get ready for the day. Last night hadn't gone strictly as she’d hoped, given Arthur’s distraction in the evening and the interruption of Katelyn’s emergency, but they’d still managed to have fun. She hoped they could have a little more to compensate for the interruption.

She cracked open the door to the rest of the apartment and blinked at the light. The gray light of early morning was coming through the windows. It wasn’t bright, but it was surprisingly strong in contrast to the bedroom. When she blinked through it, she managed to get a good look at the living room area.

The couch was occupied, but not by Arthur. Kat was asleep, a blanket over her curled-up form, only taking up two of the three couch cushions. Her curls splayed out on the armrest under her head by the windows, and she looked peaceful. There was a pair of muddy pink cowgirl boots by the door.

The bathroom door was open, but the rope was gone, and the bathroom was unoccupied. The second bedroom was likewise empty of Arthur, though full of bundled rope, so Kelly continued to look for him by walking around the corner. Her naked feet made no noise as she padded toward him on the tile.

Arthur stood before the stove, wearing a fresh pair of boxers and cooking a spinach omelet. He raised his eyebrows at Kelly as she stepped over to him. She leaned up and kissed him. He kissed her back.

“Good morning.” Kelly whispered.

“Good morning, Gorgeous.” Arthur whispered back.

“When did Katerine get here?” Kelly asked.

Arthur shrugged. “No idea. She came in while we were sleeping.”

Kelly was surprised. “She has a key?” She didn’t have a key, but she knew Selene did, so maybe she had Selene’s key.

Arthur shrugged again. “Selene has one for emergencies. I guess she used that? Or made a copy?” He didn’t like the idea of Selene making copies of his apartment key without clearing it with him, but whatever Kat was doing on his sofa, he assumed she had a reason, and it wasn’t as if she wasn’t welcome there. She had a right to it as much as his other girlfriends. Though this was still, technically, Kelly’s time.

“What are you doing?” Kelly asked, gesturing to the food.

“Hula dancing.” Arthur responded sarcastically.

Kelly slapped his arm as quietly as possible.

“I’m making you breakfast in bed.” Arthur answered her honestly. “So go get in bed, or it’s just breakfast.”

Kelly smirked up at him and kissed his cheek. “You’re sweet.” She happened to glance down, and her smirk grew. “But it looks like you’d rather use the bed for something else.”

Arthur smirked back at her. “Can you blame me? Seeing you naked like this? You’re lucky I don’t drag you by the hair back to the bedroom right now.”

Kelly's casually nude body was enticing from the top of her mussed wavy red hair to the large and freckled bell-shaped breasts it fell over, to the taut abs that traveled down and narrowed into her ginger landing strip, her pink pussy lips, her toned thighs, peach-shaped ass, and her long calves. Her body was a dream, and she knew how to tease Arthur with it. She pretended as though she only just realized she was naked, covering her breasts with one hand and her crotch with the other.

Arthur smirked, and his other physical reaction to seeing her arm push her breasts up was unmissable.

Kelly hugged him, which didn’t help matters.

Arthur sighed but hugged her back. “Do you want breakfast or not?”

“I do.” She said. “But I want to take care of you.” She reached down and started stroking him while he stood in front of the stove. “Maybe when the eggs are done, you can season them with your… special sauce?”

Arthur snorted, then looked around her as if expecting to hear Kat stir, but he only heard gentle snoring.

“On second thought. Maybe an appetizer.” Kelly said. She sank to the floor and moved between him and the stove.

Arthur stepped back, but Kelly beckoned him forward until he stood a step away from the stove. Kelly sat with her bum on the floor with her legs straight and Arthur with a foot on either side of her legs.

She took his hard, bouncing cock into her mouth and sucked as he cooked. It was bliss. She went slow since it was early, but Arthur was in heaven the entire time he cooked. He made three omelets since there were three of them in the apartment. Each was folded nearly perfectly, though the second was almost burnt. He took that one for himself.

He plated the best one for Kelly, took the worst, and gave the mid-grade one to Kat. He felt terrible waking her, but it was either wake her for food, or she'd wake up to him inevitably fucking the shit out of Kelly over the kitchen table because he was about three seconds away from losing control and doing just that.

He was so distracted with cooking that he wasn't able to focus and cum from the excellent blowjob Kelly gave him as he stood at the stove. It was hot, and he wanted to, but the eggs would be cold if he waited until he was ready to blow.

“Better get to the table, Misses.” Arthur whispered. “The eggs will get cold otherwise.”

Kelly raised an eyebrow and tried to take him into her throat, but Arthur stepped away. She frowned and pouted at him.

“Eggs up.” Arthur said. “You sit. I'll wake Miss B&E.”

Kelly made a ‘what the hell’ shrug from her seat on the floor.

Arthur, laughing silently, put her and Kat’s plates on the kitchen table and helped her.

“I appreciate the effort.” He said as quietly as possible. “Trust me, I want some relief, but I can wait until we’re in the shower.” He gave her a wink.

Kelly rolled her eyes and shook her head but obediently moved to the table where Arthur gestured for her to sit. He pulled out her chair, and she sat down, watching as he woke Katerine, still asleep on the sofa.

Arthur crouched down next to the sofa and gently laid his hand on Kat’s shoulder. “Good morning, little Miss.” He said quietly.

Kat stirred, her gentle snoring turning into the cutest snort before her eyes blinked open to look at Arthur.

She was curled up on his sofa, lying on her side as though hugging herself to sleep. She’d been in that position since Arthur exited his bedroom, found her on the couch wearing nothing but a faded pink robe, and threw an extra blanket over her.

Kat’s sleepy expression blinked as she took in the world around her, and her brain worked slowly to calibrate reality and find her place in it. Arthur was very close to her, and the room was dark, but it was neither his bedroom nor her bedroom. Over his shoulder, Kat could see Kelly sitting at the kitchen table, looking at them.

Arthur leaned in, and Kat backed away, unsure what he was about to do, until his lips landed on her forehead. He kissed her on the forehead, and Kat started to cry. It was not the reaction he or Kelly expected.

“What happened?” Arthur asked. “What’s the matter?” He had more questions than that, but the specifics could likely be filled in by broad answers to those two questions. Where were her clothes? Did she come right here after dropping Katelyn off? Did she go home first and decide she didn’t want to sleep in an empty apartment? She had complained of that before, so it would make sense if she were here, but if her apartment was empty, where was Selene? Did something else happen last night, and if so, why didn’t they wake him or Kelly to deal with it?

“I’m okay.” Kat said quickly, still crying.

“Uh…” Arthur didn’t always know what was going on regarding his women. He tried, bless him, but Kat was always the most difficult to decipher. If Selene cried, he could usually work out why. He knew her pretty well to know her thoughts, moods, and predictable actions by her patterns. Kat’s patterns were only starting to make sense, and so far, none of them involved hugging him and crying.

“What’s wrong?” Kelly asked, already on her way over from the table.

“I’m okay.” Kat repeated, but the sniffle following the words didn’t bear them out.

“Okay.” Arthur said, accepting her declaration as fact. He hugged her back as she sat up and hugged him, and wished he could make eye contact with Kelly, but his back was to her.

“Is everyone okay? You and Katelyn made it home safe last night? Selene and Rani are okay? Nothing happened after we left you?” Kelly asked.

“As far as I know, Selene’s fine. She told me she was staying at Rani’s last night. They’re probably still asleep. Rani doesn’t strike me as an early riser.” Kat wasn’t an early riser either, by Arthur or Kelly’s standards, but she was still an earlier riser than she imagined Rani to be, so she felt confident enough to be judgmental about it. “Katelyn’s fine. She’s home safe. I… I just didn’t want to sleep in an empty apartment last night.” She glanced up behind Arthur’s shoulder, and Arthur turned to see Kelly standing nearby, concern across her face.

“But you’re okay?” Kelly asked.

“I’m okay.” Kat nodded. “I just… had a bad dream. Sorry.”

“It’s okay.” Arthur said. “If you want it, I made you an omelet.”

“They’re good.” Kelly added, trying to be helpful.

“Any chance you made coffee?” Kat asked.

“I still don’t have a coffee pot.” Arthur reminded her.

“UGH!” Kat shoved him away and fell back onto the couch. “Mister health-nut over here. Not drinking coffee doesn’t make you special. Embrace the bean.” She wiped her face with the robe’s sleeve, trying to laugh or be angry to stop the crying.

Arthur almost laughed, but he was still undergoing whiplash from the tears to the face Kat was wiping now that she’d pushed him away.

“She’s kinda right.” Kelly piped up. “I understand why you don’t drink it, but plain black coffee won’t hurt your gains or nutrition.”

“Adding creamer isn’t a cardinal sin.” Kat said defensively.

“I just don’t like it.” Arthur held up his hands in surrender. “I’m sorry. I can run to Starbucks, though, if you want.”

“I’ve heard morning sex is better than a cup of coffee.” Kelly suggested. “Or working out to get the heart rate up is always an option.”

“Morning sex is great and all, but have you tried a good cup of coffee?” Kat countered.

Kelly laughed. “Come on. Your omelet’s getting cold, and Arthur made them, especially for us.”

“Alright, alright.” Kat sighed and sat up. “Where did this blanket come from?” She asked.

Arthur stood. “Oh, you looked a little chilly when I came out here this morning, so I-”

Kat stood and hugged him. “Thanks.”

“Not a problem.” Arthur shrugged. “We did some laundry last night, so it was clean and nearby.”

Kat nodded and followed them over to the table. “Wait, you did laundry last night?”

“My idea.” Kelly admitted. She sat at the table across from Kat, with Arthur at the head toward the small apartment kitchen. “I wanted to do a French Maid roleplay, so… we did some laundry.”

Kat smirked. “I’m not complaining.” She shrugged. “To each their own.”

“And thank you for cooking the meal for us last night.” Kelly returned the gratitude. “Arthur said you did most of it while he got ready.”

“Yes.” Kat admitted after a glance at Arthur. “You’re welcome.”

Breakfast flowed quite comfortably after that. The three ate in relative silence, though it didn’t take them long. Just as Kat was finishing her omelet, she got a text. The phone buzzed in her purse, and she excused herself from the table to go and check it. Arthur and Kelly’s phones buzzed, too, as the House Chat lit up with a new notification, but their phones were in the bedroom.

Slut: So, slight change of plans. Rani and I are already on campus. Just woke up. Rani’s going to fetch some coffee for us. Master, can you pick out some clothes for me and bring them to campus with you?

“It’s for you.” Kat held up her phone.

“What is it?” Arthur asked, and Kat told him. “Tell her I’ll pick out something for her, but I want her to wear the plug she had on last night. Not the vibe, just the plug.

Brat: Master says he’ll bring some clothes for you, and he wants you to wear the plug from last night. Not the vibe.

Slut: You’re with him right now?

Brat: Yeah.

Slut: Remember, no hanky panky before tonight!

Brat: I’ll do what I want!

Whore: You’ll do what the Boss wants, you mean.

Slut: Mindyyyy! We missed you last night!

Whore: I missed you too! What did I miss?

Slut: So much. I’m in Rani’s room. Are you in the dorm?

Whore: Yeah. You want me to come up?

Slut: Plz?

Whore: Be right there.

Kat put the phone away, shaking her head. “While you’re picking out clothes for your slut, do you mind picking some out for me? I’m uh…” She flashed open the robe and closed it again. “Reluctant to go outside like this.” The brief show of pale flesh and pink nipples shouldn’t have been as tantalizing as it was, but Arthur couldn’t help his body turning on at the sight.

Arthur scoffed. “I’ve half a mind to slap a leash and collar on you and take you with me for a morning jog.”

Kelly and Kat raised their eyebrows, simultaneously intrigued and moderately aroused by the idea. Kelly thought it sounded risque and fun. Kat thought it sounded embarrassing.

“I brought some running clothes.” Kelly offered.

“I didn’t.” Kat said flatly. “So… please don’t.”

Arthur thought about it but recognized the difference between ‘please don’t’ and ‘you can’t make me’ when Kat said them. ‘Please don’t’ meant she wasn’t in the mood and would probably safeword out. She would have been defiant rather than pleading if she’d wanted him to make her do it. At least, he thought that was how she worked. It was all theory at this point, but he was testing. Submissively begging meant she didn’t want to do it, while angry defiance meant she wanted him to make her do it, even if it was still something she didn’t want to do. Honestly, Arthur thought women were confusing enough without adding BDSM to the equation, but he couldn’t complain.

“Why don’t you have any clothes?” Kelly asked suddenly. “What happened to the outfit you had on last night?”

“Katelyn threw it in the wash since it had so much uh… need of being laundered.” She said. She hadn’t been hit by any of the vomit flying around, but she’d stewed near it, and there was a lot of mud on her boots by the door.

Kelly nodded. “And she kicked you out with nothing but a bathrobe?” Kelly asked. She was trying not to be nosy, but the puzzle pieces still didn’t quite fit into place.

Kat sighed and retook her seat at the table. “Can I talk to you when Arthur gets his shower?” She asked.

“I’m right here.” Arthur said. He took the last bite of his eggs and chewed it down. “You can talk to me. What happened?”

“It uh…” Kat looked at Arthur and shook her head.

“Kat.” Arthur spoke her name in a steady, almost pleading tone. “You promised to talk to me when things upset you, remember? We can talk it out, whatever it is.”

Kat sighed. “I’m not caffeinated enough for this, but fine. It involves you anyway.” And she told them the story. “Last night, Katelyn and I talked, and… we had a good time up to a certain point. She was mostly asking me questions about the harem and what it’s like sharing a boyfriend, which is weird, admittedly, but kinda cool, I guess.”

“It’s alright.” Kelly gave Arthur a wink.

“Then she mentioned that she didn’t think Arthur liked her very much, and I asked why, and she…” Kat couldn’t bring herself to look at Arthur, but she looked at Kelly across the table. “She told me about trying to take the towel from Arthur. Trying to force herself on him while you were in the shower.” Her tone went dark on her last sentence, as though every syllable added a death by patient wrath.

Kelly was quiet but nodded slightly for Kat to continue.

Arthur looked between the two women. “It wasn’t as serious as you made it sound.” Arthur assured her. “I mean, it wasn’t great, but she apologized and-”

“And nothing.” Kat said quickly. “She’s lucky you didn’t press charges.”

“I think that’s blowing things a little out of-” Arthur started but stopped when Kelly raised her hand to silence him.

“So what happened?” Kelly asked.

Kat had her hand in a fist on the table and looked grim. “We fought.” Kat said. “We argued. I lost my temper. She lost her temper. I don’t remember who started it, but we started throwing things. At first, it was just popcorn, then it was whatever we could reach. Pillows and cushions mostly.”

“Popcorn?” Arthur asked, obviously missing the point.

“We had a girls' night in after I took her home. She made popcorn. She was already injured from the mechanical bull last night.” Kat continued. “And I-” She grimaced. “I might have made it worse.”

“Is she okay?” Kelly asked. She couldn’t hide the concern in her voice and didn’t try.

“Physically?” Kat asked. “Yeah. I didn't hit her with anything.”

Kelly sighed in relief.

“But I don’t think we’re friends anymore.” Kat shook her head.

“What?” Arthur asked, surprised. “But you two are best friends, right?”

“We were.” Kat nodded. Her expression turned dark as though she were ashamed of admitting it.

Kelly looked at Arthur, but he wasn’t sure what she was trying to communicate. He looked at Kat, but she stared at her empty plate.

“But it’s okay.” Arthur assured her. He reached for her hand and put his hand over hers. “I’m okay. She didn’t assault me or anything.” He said.

“She tried.” Kat’s mouth was a fine, thin line. “The only reason she failed was because you physically stopped her. Because you’re so much stronger than she is. Don’t you get it?” Kat turned on Arthur like she was pissed at him, but there were tears in the corner of her eyes now. “She knew we were together!” She yelled.

“She knew you and Kelly were together too!” Her voice was still raised but wavering as the tears escaped her eyes. “And she tried to- to- against your will! And, of course, you’re trying not to make a big deal of it because you’re sexy, and you don’t mind the attention from all these girls, but that doesn’t make it right! You told her, no, and she tried anyway! Not in a ‘you had a prior arrangement, and it was all part of a game way,’ but in a very real, she didn’t care that you told her no and she wanted it anyway, kind of way! And you call me a brat? You’re my boyfriend! She tried to fuck my boyfriend after you told her no!”

Kat slammed her fists on the table. The plates rattled.

“Kat…” Arthur’s voice trembled a little as he reached for her shoulder. “Kat.” He said again, a little more clearly. Then he didn’t say anything. He stood up, pulled her from her chair, and hugged her. “It’s okay.” He stroked her head.

Kat shook her head against his chest. The hot, wet tears she’d been holding in warmed his skin as they fell.

“You have every right to be angry.” Kelly agreed. “I was angry with her too, just like you are now. I… was sorely tempted to beat her up and probably would have if I didn’t care so much about her. But Kat… it’s Katelyn. You know her. You love her. She wasn’t in her right mind.”

“She wasn’t drunk or high.” Kat snapped. “I know she was upset about Sean, but that doesn’t excuse it. That doesn’t let her treat him like… like…” She failed to find the words she wanted to say, and Arthur squeezed her in his arms. Whether Kat wanted it or not, the hug had a calming effect on her. His strong, steady embrace was secure and solid, making her feel safe, even if he was the one she wanted to feel safe. “You're my boyfriend. Our boyfriend. Not hers.”

Kat’s reaction to the scenario was valid; he knew that, but it was also much more substantial than his. Kelly was upset, too, and Arthur knew he should have been, but it was different for him. He hadn’t been afraid of Katelyn. Katelyn posed a negative physical threat to him.

His biggest fear at the time was accidentally hurting her somehow if he had to physically repel her. Events could have gone sour if Katelyn had lied or tried to manipulate the situation against him to others somehow, but she’d told Kelly and Kat the truth. Kelly was probably the only one who could conceivably threaten him physically, and with his muscles, he knew he could still overpower her. Being physically overpowered wasn’t Arthur’s fear. Falling victim to lies, false testimony, and other evils that could rob him of his entire life and well-being were his fears. Katelyn hadn’t threatened that at all.

On the other hand, the girls in the harem were beautiful young women. Arthur was attracted to each and every one of them. He knew that others were also attracted to them, not only in their pasts but in their present. Sanjay had, arguably, attempted to physically hurt Mindy, for which Rani had kneed him so hard in the nuts that he thought trying to fight Arthur in a parking lot was a better idea than trying to go after Rani again.

Had someone once tried to push Kat the way Katelyn pushed Arthur? Was that why she was reacting so strongly to it? Was there some fundamental difference in how Arthur told the story to Kelly and the narrative of the same event from Katelyn’s point of view? Had she vilified herself to Kat somehow?

“Kat, was there something she said that made it sound worse than it was?” Arthur asked. “Why are you reacting so strongly? Your feelings are valid, but it seems like you’re making a huge deal out of something that wasn’t that big a deal. I get hit on a lot. It’s fine.”

Both women’s expressions hardened at Arthur’s question.

“I’m not blowing anything out of proportion.” Kat answered. “This isn’t about me. This is about you and Katelyn, and I don’t want that bitch coming anywhere near you. Or me.”

“Kat…” Arthur said in his most soothing voice as possible.

“I mean it.” Kat glared defiantly into Arthur’s face, but the softness she saw there, directed her way, made her soften a little. “I mean it.” She repeated more softly. “She doesn’t get to touch you.”

“She apologized.” Arthur said. “We-”

“No.” Kat shook her head. “I don’t care. It was wrong, and there are consequences. You don’t get to try and molest someone’s boyfriend and then go out drinking with them later, pretending like nothing happened.”

“Nothing happened.” Arthur said.

Kelly’s hand on his arm and the wince on her face told him he’d fucked up.

“She didn’t succeed!” Kat shouted. “There’s a difference!”

A dull, rhythmic thumping from below let them know that the neighbors were awake and annoyed to hear more shouting from Arthur’s apartment.

The noise seemed to snap something in Kat. Kat stamped her foot and bent in half to yell at the floor. “OH GO FUCK EACH OTHER ALREADY AND LEAVE US THE FUCK ALONE!”

Arthur flinched away as Kat broke the embrace, and Kelly stifled a giggle. The broomstick-on-the-ceiling thumping stopped. They were silent for a moment, expecting to hear a door slam and trumping footsteps on the stairs, but there was only silence until Kat moved.

Kat, breathing heavily, stomped over to the couch and sat down, jamming her robe closed when it attempted to fly open.

“Okay.” Arthur held up his hands. “You have every right to be angry, Kat.” He walked up to her, knelt before her with his hands on her knees, and looked her in the eye. “Thank you for looking out for me. I’m sorry that Katelyn hurt you when she tried to-”

Kat was tearing up already, and more tears came. “I’m sorry she-” Kat couldn’t get the rest of the words out.

Arthur hugged her and stroked her hair.

Kelly, unsure of what to do, started clearing away the dishes in the kitchen. She had some thoughts to contemplate and did her thinking as she cleaned. She’d always done some of her best thinking while doing mindless work.

Arthur and Kat stayed like that for a few minutes. Kat got the rest of her cry out, and Arthur held her and stroked her hair until he was confident it was time for them to rally.

“We will need to talk to Katelyn again, eventually, but not right now.” Arthur said. “Today is just me and my girls.” He assured her. “Now, why don’t you get a nice hot shower?” Arthur gestured. “And when you get out, there will be something sexy, bordering on inappropriate, for you to step into.”

Kat scoffed. “I wouldn’t mind some comfortable jeans and a nice baggy hoodie today.” She admitted. “I don’t feel particularly sexy right now.”

“Well, I don’t know what to tell you.” Arthur shrugged. “You are sexy, and you’ve left me in complete control of your clothing options for today, so… you’ll be lucky to get more than lingerie.”

Kat laughed. “Please, sir?” She batted her eyelashes at him, though the effect was hampered by her red and puffy eyes. “Please let me wear some clothes today?”

“Maybe a bikini.” Arthur shrugged.

Kat slapped his shoulder. “I don’t own one. I’m a one-piece swimsuit kind of girl.”

“Really?” Arthur asked, surprised. “I suspect that to be a lie of sorts… Well, you can wear one of Selene’s then.” He stood up and offered Kat his hand for her to stand.

“They’re all too small.” Kat protested. She stood and followed his lead as he brought her to the bathroom door.

“No such thing.” Arthur shook his head. “A too-small bikini is just an even sexier bikini.” He shrugged. “I don’t make the rules.”

“You literally make all the rules.” Kat protested. “You’re the Master, remember?”

“Hey, you’re right.” Arthur booped her nose. “I do make the rules.” He kissed her forehead. “Now get in there, shower, and get ready to wear whatever I pick out for you like a good girl. And if you’re well-behaved today, you’ll get a special reward tonight.”

Kat smiled, showing off her dimples. “Alright, alright.” She stepped toward the bathroom and took Arthur’s playful swat on her ass like a good girl. She hesitated at the bathroom threshold and looked back at Arthur, who looked at her expectantly. Kat returned to him, threw her arms around him suddenly, and gave him the biggest hug they’d ever shared. She went up on her tiptoes, and Arthur kissed her. Then she went into the bathroom and shut the door.