Without Claire: The Hastings Brothers, #2

By Mallory Funk

Claire has spent the last six years not living her life, hiding from the world and only living through her books. When she meets a group of friends who act like family she realizes how much she wasn't living and decided to start living herself. When Sam Hastings sets his eyes on her she can't help question why a guy like him would want someone like her.

Sam has been envious of his brother's relationships but he will never admit it out loud. When the girls bring home a friend he already knows that Claire was meant to be his. Can he go slow in order not to scare her away? Will she let him in or will she run back into her shell of just existing?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Mallory Funk
• Release date: Oct 1, 2017
• ISBN: 9798223230328

Book preview

Chapter One

Claire

Oh my god. What am I doing here? What was I thinking when I agreed to come along with total strangers to a house that I am unfamiliar with? The girls seemed genuinely nice at the grocery store. I looked at them only seeing kindness, and when they looked at me with those puppy dog eyes, I couldn’t say no. I had no idea what I would be walking into.

There are so many people here. I thought that it would only be the women I met, and maybe the boyfriend that the one was talking to on the phone, not this many people! There are eight men outside! Eight! I counted! How do these women know so many good-looking men? I don’t know if they can tell how freaked out I am, but I am trying to play it cool. I hope that no one can see me shaking.

Do you ever get that feeling like you have known someone your whole life? How about the feeling that you get when you become friends, and it feels like they have already been your friend for years? That’s what these women feel like to me. Their easy-going attitude calms me. I don’t get the feeling that they are mean, or trying to play a joke on me. Spending my life on the sidelines, I tend to read people well. It helps that I am a writer. I started writing because it was easier to write than to leave my house. I would get lost in my own world. I had no idea that one day I would become a best-selling author.

Other than shopping for food or necessities, I haven’t been around this many people in a long time. I have spent so many years alone. Ever since I lost my parents and sister in a car accident, I haven’t really been spending very much time with other people. What would happen if I let myself get close to someone, and end up losing them too? I didn’t want to risk it.

Sometimes I feel alone. This feeling of loneliness has increased lately, and I often find myself wishing that I had someone to talk to, or even to spend time with. I had left all my friends behind, and took off to this town where nobody knew me. I rarely leave my apartment. The only person that I let get close to me in years was my doorman, Thomas. He’s a sweet guy who always makes sure that I have everything I need. He always tells me how he hates to see me so sad. I always shrug it off, and tell him that I’m fine.

There was something about these women. They were close, and I don’t think I have ever felt that close with anyone except my sister.  By the way that they talked to each other, they seemed more like siblings than friends.  

This was the sixth birthday that I had spent alone. I’m twenty-six, and before you ask; yes, I am still a virgin. I know that instead of expecting Mr. Right to come knocking on my door to sweep me off my feet, I should actually go out and socialize. That is, unless I wanted to take a chance on the way-too-young-for-me pizza delivery boy which is definitely not happening.

When I had looked out the window to the backyard, and had seen all those men standing outside talking and laughing with each other; I will admit, I got scared. I mean, all these guys look like they should be in a magazine that I would totally buy without any shame. I felt so out of place. I’m not exactly ugly, but I have never felt sexy. I have curves, and I am proud to admit that. I like food, so what? At a size eighteen, I have made myself believe that there is no way that one of those guys outside would give me the time of day. Right now, I am wearing jean shorts and a red top that has one shoulder showing. It’s nothing sexy or revealing. I didn’t leave my house today with the intention of meeting people who I hoped would be my new friends, and I especially didn’t dress for the part of meeting a slew of chiselled men.

The girls finally drag me outside, and I learn the names of all the men. Wow, there are a lot. They all say hi except for one. He stares at me without saying a word. He has light brown hair, light brown eyes, and a strong jaw with some scruff that works well on him. He also has a big build. I can tell that he works out a lot. The muscles this guy is packing is seriously making me drool. Anyone want to fetch me a bucket for the drool? No joke, he is that hot. He is tall, too. I would say about six feet, four inches which is tall compared to me as I am only five feet, six inches. I think that this guy will definitely become a regular in my fantasies. I didn’t know what was going on with the way he was staring at me. I couldn’t tell if he wanted me here or not. The look in his eyes was intense.

The women pull me over to one of the patio sets and sit me down. There are two sets right up against each other in a long line. Wow, I guess they did need both tables for all the people that they have here. The next thing I know, a strawberry daiquiri is in front of me. I look up at the person who gave it to me, and it is Sam, the guy with the intense gaze. He gives me a nod, and walks over to the grill to talk to the guys standing over there. I guess he doesn’t say much. I still can’t help the blush that comes over my face. I hope no one notices that he made me blush without looking at me. That would be embarrassing.

So, Claire, how old are you turning anyway? Courtney asks.

Oh, I am twenty-six today, I tell them as I take a sip of my drink. Wow, this drink is good, and it doesn’t have too much alcohol in it.

Well I hope that this birthday will be one to remember, Tara says to me as they raise their glasses in the air to give me cheers. I smile at the friendliness that I feel coming off these women.

Hey, what are we toasting to? one of the guys comes up to us asking. I think his name is Kyle?

Claire here. It’s her birthday today, Paige says.

What! It’s your birthday? What are you doing with a bunch of strangers? another guy asks. Wow, too many names to remember.

Liam!! Courtney exclaims glaring at the guy. I hear an Oomph, so I’m guessing that someone has elbowed him in the stomach.

Thinking that I might as well get this out of the way, I blow out a breath, and then say, I am here because these lovely women have invited me after finding out that I have no one. No boyfriend, husband, friends, or family. When these girls saw me in the grocery store buying every kind of flavour of cake for my birthday, they seemed to decide that there was no way that I was spending my birthday alone. Now that it’s out of the way, can we not discuss anything sad about my life right now? It is my birthday after all. I slap my hand over my mouth in shock. Wow, I can’t believe I did that. Being upfront is something that the old me would have done when someone was being nosy. I would just give it to them straight. Usually out of annoyance or frustration, I tended to blurt out what I was thinking. I haven’t done that in a while, but I also haven’t been around this many people for a very long time.

I look up at everyone, and the guys have their mouths open in shock. The girls are smiling at me nodding their heads in approval.

I think she is going to fit right in with us, Tara tells everyone.

You girls are just looking for more warriors for your side, the guy who I think is Cole, because he looks like the Liam dude only with different colored eyes, says.

I look at them in confusion, but I don’t say anything.

Paige looks at me, and states, we don’t need warriors, but it does help.

I’m afraid to ask. Warriors for what? I look over at every one. The girls have a look of amusement on their faces, and the guys are glaring back at them.

Courtney clears her throat, so I look at her for the explanation. Well, it’s like this, she starts. We women have taken it upon ourselves to mess with these guys from time to time. They had finally retaliated against us a couple months ago, so you must be warned if you spend any more time here. You will be automatically on team girl.

Okay... So what did you do to the guys so far? I ask. This sounds a little bit weird, but also interesting. It shows me that they like to have fun.

They tell me everything that has happened between all of them over the months. They all laugh at it, so I know that it is all just in good fun. I know that I could think of a few things that I would do if I were them. Hey, you never know, maybe I will be.

Chapter Two

Sam

I was outside with my brothers and the Johnson brothers when Trevor had got a text from Paige saying that they had someone else joining them. They also said something about daiquiris, but I never paid much attention.

The moment that she walked into my line of site, I noticed her. She’s got curves in all the right places. I had looked inside when I heard the girls, and I had seen them pushing Claire towards the back yard. She looked scared when she had noticed all of us guys standing outside. I could tell that she was shaking from here. She was curvy. I always loved the curves of a woman. I love grabbing onto a curvy girl’s hips when I am taking her from behind, and observe the fullness of her breasts when they are bouncing in my face. The softness of a curvy woman is something that I have always been attracted to.

I look at Claire, and she is fucking stunning.  I swear, I instantly got hard just from looking at her. The blush on her cheeks when I handed her a drink was almost too much for me. I would love to see how far that blush goes. She’s sitting here talking and laughing with my family like she has known them for a long time, like she has always been there. Tara is right, she fits. I don’t know if that makes me happy or scared.

Trevor and Derek have both said that when the right woman comes along, you no longer want, or can think about anyone else but her. We all laughed at them, but I think maybe they might have been right. The instant that I saw her, I knew that I didn’t want anyone else, only her. Trevor felt that way when he had first been with Paige. You could see how far gone he was just from one look at her.

Hey brother, you might want to quit the staring before you freak her out. Liam says and nudges me with his elbow. I glare at him.

I’m not staring, I say. Okay I am, but I will not admit that.

You kind of are, Trevor says with an amused smile. I know what he’s thinking. Asshole.

Maybe I was looking at Paige. I smirk at him. He narrows his eyes at me, and Liam starts laughing gaining more attention.

Maybe we should all stare at Paige? I say loudly.

Liam, Cole, Derek and I all look at Paige to piss off Trevor. He gets pretty protective of her which makes us want to bug him more for it.

I see Court nudge her and point to us, and Paige looks at us with, no doubt, creepy leers since she sees us all as brothers.

Would you guys quit trying to piss him off? she says as she rolls her eyes. I see the smile on her face, so I know that she isn’t really mad or creeped out. Paige walks up to him, and he automatically puts an arm around her shoulder like he has to tell us that he belongs to her. We all laugh at him. He knows that we wouldn’t bother doing anything, or trying anything with her.

Don’t get me wrong, Paige is curvy, and I like curvy women. Paige wasn’t as curvy as Claire though.  I look at Claire, and I can see the innocence that comes off of her. I would guess that she hasn’t been touched in a long time, if ever. I can’t help feeling like a dick because that makes me want her more. She has either had little experience or none, and I hope that she hasn’t had any because I would love to be the guy to teach her everything; to