The Game

by Natalie Clarke

  “Like how you didn’t take his money when he offered it to you in exchange for me,” I throw back at him. His head drops. “Yeah, that’s what I thought. For the record, I don’t like this anymore than you do, but we don’t have much of a choice now do we? He’s making some calls, I’ve told him the only way we’ll go through with this is if he lets us repay him.”

  My dad shakes his head disapprovingly. “I just don’t like him Hayley.”

  “Yeah, you’ve made that pretty clear.”

  “What is his hold over you?”

  I love him. That’s the hold he has on me.

  “Dad, I lo-” I’m cut off by Kyle’s return to the room.

  He comes to stand next to me, he smiles down at me. “All done.” He looks up at my dad. “You don’t have to worry anymore, the mortgage and all of your debts are paid.”

  “Thank you,” I say, as I lean into his body.

  My dad remains silent, stubbornly, his face hard. “Dad?” I prompt.

  Nothing. My blood boils with anger. “Kyle, get me out of here, please?”

  He begins to steer me away, but he turns to look over his shoulder at my dad. “Nice to see you again, Jack.” He nods politely at my uncle. “Pleasure as always, Mr Roberts.”

  “Prick,” my dad utters under his breath.

  Kyle stops. “You know what, I came here to make amends, for your daughter’s sake. I love your daughter, more than I ever anticipated, and I have no plans to leave her any time soon. I figured I’d try to make peace with you, to make it easier on her. Hayley misses you, she won’t say it out loud, but she does, that’s why I’m here, she already lost her mother, don’t make her lose her dad too.”

  My dad stills, his eyes flick to mine, his face softening a fraction. “I don’t want that. I never wanted that.” His gaze flicks back to Kyle. “We were fine until you muscled your way into our lives.”

  “Dad,” I warn. “I don’t want to lose you, and I’m tired of fighting. You have to drop this vendetta you have against Kyle, he’s here to stay, I love him too and I want him in my life, you need to accept that.”

  My dad sighs. “I know you’ve heard it before, Hayley, but I really am sorry. I never wanted this mess, I never wanted to drag you into it,” he says. “I love you, Hayley. I’m your dad, I’m supposed to protect you from all of this, but I messed everything up.” He sighs, his voice softening. “After your mom died, I needed to find a release, the gambling started as a hobby, if you can call it that, a way to make me forget for a while, but before I knew it, I couldn’t stop, it turned into an obsession. The truth is, I’ve never gotten over your mom, that’s no excuse but… Hayley, please, forgive me.”

  My heart squeezes. I can’t bear to fight with him anymore, it hurts too much.

  He didn’t ask to lose his wife, he didn’t ask to be heartbroken, so he did what anyone tries to do when they are hurting, trying to take their minds off of the pain.

  “I love you too dad,” I say quietly. “So much.”

  I rush up to him and his arms engulfs me in a hug. My arms wrap tight around his waist. I feel him let out a deep sigh against me as I rest my head on his chest.

  “You need to get help, dad, please get help.”

  “We’ll get through this, Hales, I promise. I’m seeing a counsellor next week, I’m going to get help. It’ll all work out. I just need you with me.”

  I nod against his chest, hugging him tighter.

  We finally let go of each other and I turn to leave with Kyle. “I’ll see you soon, okay?”

  “Bye, Hales.” He smiles, something that I haven’t seen in a while. He then turns his attention to Kyle. “If you hurt her…”

  “That won’t happen I assure you.”

  He nods slowly, eyeing him skeptically.

  “I expect to see you bright and early at work tomorrow young lady,” Uncle Jack chimes in.

  “Okay, Uncle Jack,” I laugh. “Bye.” I say to them both, as Kyle guides me out of the living room and out of the house.

  We climb into his car drives me back to Gwen’s.

  He walks me to the door and kisses me deeply.

  “Thank you again, for today, for everything.”

  “No problem.” He smiles. He leans in and presses his lips to mine. My palm touches his cheek, holding him to me, not ready to let him go just yet. The kiss deepens before he pulls away, his lips brushing mine ever so slightly. “I love you,” he whispers against my lips.

  I smile. “I love you too.”

  He pecks a quick kiss to my lips before he turns and disappears out of sight as he rounds the corner to the stairs.

  Chapter 30

  Hayley

  "So, this is my office,” Kyle says, leading me by the hand into the room. The decor is Kyle through and through, white, and grey. Modern and stylish, spacious, and not cluttered. A wide, antique desk that is a close match to the one in his study sits by the huge floor length window overlooking the city. A huge bookcase takes up most of the wall opposite the window.

  “It’s really nice.”

  The door squeaks open slightly and a young woman, in her mid-twenties with long, wavy black hair that cascades around her shoulders, pokes her head around the door. “Oh, hello, Kyle, I wasn’t expecting you to be in the office today.”

  “Hi, Cassie. I wasn’t going to, but I wanted to show my girlfriend here what I get up to all day long.”

  Her eyes flick to me, she looks me up and down. “Hi, it’s nice to meet you,” she says, giving me a smile that almost seems forced.

  “Yeah, you too.” There is something off about this girl. “Are you Kyle’s assistant?” I ask, returning her smile with one of my own.

  “I am, yes, I’ve been working here for about two years now. Kyle is the best boss I’ve ever had.” I don’t know whether it’s just me, but the edge in her voice when she said ‘had’, makes me think she means something more. A pang of jealousy slices through me.

  “Is that a fact.”

  “Cassie, would you get us some coffees please?” Kyle asks, changing the subject.

  “Absolutely, won’t be long,” she says, she gives me one more look over before she leaves, closing the door behind her.

  I look over at Kyle, an eyebrow raised. “Best boss she ever had, huh?”

  “It was a long time ago, it’s nothing at all for you to worry about.”

  “She still seems pretty hopeful that history will repeat itself.”

  He cups my face in his hands and pins be against the desk. “That is not going to happen.”

  “She’s really pretty,” I say. I’m ashamed at how jealousy is building up inside me, it’s a foreign feeling, something I’ve never felt before.

  “And not half as beautiful as you.” He kisses me, roughly, his tongue sweeping into my mouth. My hands fly up to his face, my fingers running against the short stubble that covers his jaw. He leans further into me, pinning me harder against his desk that is digging into the backs of my thighs. His hands slide down my body, one holding onto my waist, the other holding the edge of the desk to steady himself.

  The door squeaks open but we don’t stop. Instead, Kyle deepens the kiss and grips me harder, I can feel his erection against my stomach. After another minute, we finally break apart as Cassie comes further into the room carrying two coffees, a bright pink blush spreads across her cheeks, the look of shock and a hint of disappointment painted across her face. She looks between the two of us before backing out of the door without a word.

  “I think she understands that you’re the only woman in my life, don’t you?” Kyle says, clearly pleased with our performance.

  I giggle. “Good. If I ever find out she’s had her hands on you again, I’ll scratch her eyes out,” I warn, amused.

  “I quite like this little jealousy thing you have going on.”

  “Really?” I ask. He nods. I reach up and play with the collar on his jacket, pulling him in close. “Show me just how much you like it, Mr King.”


  He lets out a low growl before backing towards the door and locking it. He stalks back towards me, his steps eating up the floor as he reaches me. He pulls me into him, talking my mouth roughly, hungrily. One of his hands holds me tight on my waist, the other tangled deep into my hair. “Turn around and bend over the desk."

  A bolt of electricity shoots to my core, my clit begins to throb with desire.

  I turn around and slowly bend over the desk, my chest, and my cheek flush against it. Kyle steps closer so his erection is wedged up against my ass. I kick off my shoes as he reaches around my front and undoes my jeans before sliding them down my legs, along with my panties. He then turns to my shirt, which he tugs over my head and drops it on the floor. Next goes my bra.

  I’m completely naked. I feel so exposed.

  The anticipation of what is to come has my heart pounding, wetness beginning to pool between my thighs, my legs starting to tremble. He runs his hand up the insides of my thighs before touching me there. I let out a whimper as he slides his fingers through my wet folds, he rubs against my swollen clit before dipping two, no, three fingers inside me, stretching me. He moves them in and out a few moments more before pulling out. I moan with the loss of his fingers inside me.

  I turn my head as far as I can, straining my neck. I watch as Kyle brings his fingers up to his lips, tasting me, the action sending jolts of desire to my core. He rids himself of his jacket and his shirt. I watch as he unbuckles his belt, undoes the buttons on his jeans and pulls down the zipper. He pulls his cock out of his pants and strokes himself as he looks down at me, our eyes lock and he groans. He pulls out a condom and slides it down his long hard length.

  He grips my hips and spreads my legs apart with his knees, his feet planted in between mine.

  I’m pinned, unable to move.

  “This is going to be hard, baby. That okay?” His voice is low and shaky.

  I whimper. “Yes,” I breathe out.

  “Hold onto the desk,” he commands. I reach my hands above my head and grip the opposite edge of the desk.

  He lines himself up with my entrance before taking me in one hard thrust of his hips. I cry out with the force of the blow. He rocks into me, my hips hitting the edge of the desk so hard it’s almost painful, each thrust moves the desk slightly, the legs scraping across the hard floor as he fucks me. His hands grip my hips tightly. I arch my back a little, sending him even deeper inside me, my climax building hard and fast.

  “Kyle,” I moan.

  “Wanted you on my desk for so long,” he moans breathlessly.

  I come, harder than I ever have before. I can’t contain my cry as my orgasm consumes me, spreading like a wildfire throughout my body.

  Kyle’s thrusts become faster as he chases his own release. He comes hard, his groans echoing around the room, his cock pulsing inside me as he steadies. He collapses on top of me, his face in my neck.

  “Fuck, Hayley,” he pants.

  My ears begin to ring and the outer edges of my vision going black and fuzzy as I start to come down from the most intense orgasm I’ve ever experienced.

  He begins to pull out of me slowly, I wince.

  Kyle stops. “Did I hurt you?” he asks, concerned.

  “No, I’m just a little sore.” Once he pull all the way out, I spin around to face him when a twinge between my legs has me tensing up slightly.

  The colour drains from his face. “Fuck, I did hurt you.” He back away from me slowly. “Hayley, I’m so fucking sorry.”

  “Kyle, you didn’t hurt me.” I reach for my clothes and begin getting dressed.

  He sheds the condom, tossing it into the waste basket before doing his jeans back up and pulling his shirt back on.

  I start to walk towards him but he back away further. His back hits the wall behind him, allowing me to reach him. I cup his face in my hands, forcing him to look at me. “Kyle, listen to me. You did not hurt me,” I repeat. “If you had, I would have told you. What we just did, was… incredible. Don’t ruin this.”

  His eyes close and he exhales deeply. “I’m sorry. I’m just so scared of hurting you… like he did.”

  “Kyle, I trust you, and I wanted it... I want you.” I step closer, my body flush against his. “You are not him, you are so much more. You are the man that makes my heart skip a beat, the man that makes me fall in love with him even more every single day. I know we’ve only known each other for almost two months, but you’re the man that I can’t imagine my life without,” I confess. “I love you.” I crash my lips to his, wrapping my arms around his neck. His arms snake around my waist, lifting me off the ground.

  “I love you, too,” he says. “You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me. How the fuck did I ever deserve you?”

  Chapter 31

  Hayley

  “You see your dad lately?” My uncle asks as he mops the floor of the diner.

  I tidy up the empty glasses and plates left on a number of tables and place them on the counter, ready to be washed.

  Since that day at my house with Kyle and my dad almost a week ago, I’ve moved back home to be closer to him, to help him through all the counselling as much as I can. I’ve realised that I can’t abandon him through this, if I leave now, he’ll only get worse. He needs me by his side to help him through it.

  I still haven’t fully forgiven him for what he did, but I’m getting there. We’ve spent many hours talking things over, my relationship with Kyle being the main topic of conversation.

  “I forgot to tell you, I’ve moved back home now, I wanted to be there with him through all this. I went with him to see his counsellor, it seems to be going well, he’s meeting with a support group on Friday and then a couple more next week.”

  “That’s great news. I’m happy that you two are speaking again.”

  “Yeah, me too. We’ve been talking about stuff and he’s really been trying.”

  “I’m glad to hear that.” He smiles. “Things okay between you and Kyle?”

  “Things are perfect.”

  “Excuse me, can we get the bill, please?” the man at the last occupied table asks.

  “Of course.” I take him the check and he hands me the money as his family begin the get up and leave.

  Uncle jack disappears in the back, taking the empty plates and glasses with him.

  “Thank you. Have a nice evening,” I call as the family of four turn to leave. They were my last customers of the day. The door swings shut behind them.

  “Uncle Jack, last customers have gone, I'm closing up,” I shout, as I make my way over to lock the front doors before returning to clear the table and wipe it down with my cloth.

  I’m humming a tune from a song I heard on the radio this morning, when two arms wrap around my middle from behind. I smile. I know it's Kyle from the smell of his cologne, woody with notes of citrus drifting into my nostrils. He buries his face in my neck, in my hair, breathing me in, his warm breath making the hairs on my neck stand up.

  “Hey.”

  “Hi,” he says, tipping my chin back and leaning in, claiming my mouth with his. His grip tightens as he holds me closer to him. “I missed you.”

  “You saw me this morning, remember? When you insisted you come all the way from the city just to drive me to work, a journey which usually only takes me fifteen minutes on foot.”

  I didn’t expect to open my front door this morning to find him stood at the end of my driveway waiting to take me to work. He must have left before I’d even woken up just to be here on time. The way my heart leapt in my chest at the sight of him standing there with his arms folded across his chest, dressed in a tight white t shirt, a worn vintage brown leather jacket and faded blue jeans, his hair blowing gently in the breeze, his ankles crossed as he leant up against the small stone wall.

  God, I love this man so much.

  “I know, and I’ve missed you.”

  I laugh softly. “I missed you too.” I lean back against him and rest my head on his chest. “
So, what are we doing tonight?”

  “Whatever you want.”

  “How about we get takeout and watch a movie?” I suggest.

  “That sounds perfect,” he says, kissing my lips.

  “How did you get in anyway, I locked the doors?”

  “You’re uncle let me in around back.”

  “Did he now?”

  Kyle nods. “So listen, my mom has a charity event a week on Saturday, it was meant to happen at some hotel uptown, but something happened at the venue and was cancelled at the last minute, so I offered for her to have the casino for the night. All the money won will go to the charity. You want to go?”