Hailey's Game

by Hailey's Game (lit)

“Darlin’, we both know that if push comes to shove I can have you laid out like a feast before me.” Cole stepped up to stand beside Kyle, a silent reminder that Kyle would eventually fold. Then her problems would be doubled. “I’m showing you more respect and consideration than any other, but don’t think my patience is endless. Name your price, Hailey, or I’ll set one myself.”

  Hailey eyes narrowed down on that threat. Her pride wanted to throw it back in his face, but her wisdom held that urge back. Cole had it right. She didn’t have the defenses to hold him off. If Cole wore a leash it would be one he put on himself. Only one thing would probably make him accept that fate.

  “Okay, Cole.” Hailey smiled slightly. “You want a mark to meet, I’ll give you one. Four weeks, no sex. Meaning no kissing, no sucking, no petting, not even flirting or dancing or checking out every woman’s breast size when you first meet her or at any other point. You need to be not a dog, Cole, but an actual decent man for four straight weeks.”

  That had his head shifting back a little. Those sparkling eyes even widened a tad, but he didn’t jerk back with an immediate dismissal. Hailey had to give him one for actually thinking it over before Cole stuck his foot in his mouth.

  “And that no sex rule? That apply to you?” His eyes dipped pointedly to where her nipples still strained against her wet shirt.

  Crossing her arms over her chest, Hailey’s response popped out of her without thought. “You must really love the taste of that foot.”

  Like she hit him with a bolt of electricity, Kyle jerked with a shot of laughter that drew Cole’s annoyed gaze his way for a second. “Shut up, Kyle.”

  “Sorry.” Kyle’s grin made a mockery of that apology, but Cole seemed to accept. More like his interest still remained focused on her.

  “I’ll take that as a yes.”

  “I would.” Hailey couldn’t help but to let a little smirk slip.

  Cole didn’t return the gesture. Instead, he jerked his head at Kyle and asked, “What about him?”

  She knew exactly where he was headed but took a perverse amount of pleasure in making him say it. “What about him?”

  “You gonna be sleeping with him for the next four weeks?”

  “Would that bother you, Cole?”

  Her gloating tone hardened his scowl as he snarled. “We’re a package deal, darlin’.”

  “Oh? And here I thought the options were him or you.”

  “That’s as your master, darlin’.” Cole grinned. “Make no mistake, Hailey, there’s going to come a day when it’ll be both of us in your bed.”

  Hailey matched his smug smirk with her own. “And if I say no, you really think Kyle’s going to follow you out that door?”

  The both looked to Kyle for that answer. Helplessly, as if he actually couldn’t make up his mind, Kyle looked between them before settling his gaze on Hailey to ask a very reasonable question. “Am I really going to be getting sex out of this deal if I say no?”

  “Son of a bitch,” Cole muttered in absolute disgust.

  Pissed beyond anything she’d seen before, Cole circled in a motion born of pure agitation. He made it a full three hundred and sixty degrees to pin her with a look so heated she knew if he made his mark he’d be leaving it on her body. Fortunately for her, Hailey already knew he wouldn’t make it. She’d already seen to that.

  Of course, he might be demanding that payment sooner, as in now. The threat came through in feral growl that vibrated out of his chest. It mated with the predatory gleam that hardened his eyes back to pure jade. When he reached out to curl a hand around her neck, Hailey held still, like most prey not daring to startle the hunter with sudden motion.

  Tilting her head back, he held her still until the heat of his gaze made her swallow. “You can have your four weeks, Hailey, but when your time is up it’s going to be my way, anyway I want it, all night long. What you heard that night under my bed,” his lips quivered up ever so slightly, “darlin’, that’s going to pale in comparison to what I’m gonna do to you.”

  With that he released her. Shrugging past her and giving Kyle a shove that toppled him over the back of her couch, Cole stormed off down the hall. A moment later, the back door slammed closed, leaving her staring after him with one single thought in her head.

  She’d better make damn sure Cole didn’t make it those four weeks. If the plan fell through, she might be regretting giving in to this moment. It felt good, though.

  And the punishment might feel even better. Hailey shook her head at that thought.

  If Patton heard about this, she’d wig out. From the perspective of the grand plan, Hailey’s little mini-bet with Cole could be seen as an act of sabotage. The master plan relied on Cole giving in to Kitty Anne’s seductive powers, but now she’d just given him a reason not to.

  Not that Hailey really expected Cole to resist Kitty Anne. He’d try for both and get nothing but that much more humiliation heaped in the end. That almost had Hailey laughing as she turned back to Kyle. The laughter snorted out of her when she caught sight of the man already naked from the waist up. With his navy blue T-shirt hanging from the back of her couch, Kyle had his chin tucked into his chest as he focused hard on working his buckle free.

  “What are you doing?”

  That had him pausing and blinking and looking at her as if he had the right to be confused. “I thought we were going to have sex.”

  He couldn’t get that line out without the edges of his lips quivering upward, drawing Hailey’s narrowed gaze, even if she felt a similar tremble of humor in her gut.

  “Nice try.”

  That had him straightening up and his lips flattening out. “You know, considering your unappreciative attitude, I just might make you wait four weeks before I scratch any itches.”

  “Yeah, I’ll be losing sleep over that every night.”

  That brought his grin back. A sight that had hers dipping as he swaggered over. A woman just couldn’t take a shirtless Kyle too lightly, especially when he came within touching range. Her hands managed to stay at crossed over her chest even when one of his lifted to brush a thumb under her eyes.

  “Looks like you’re already losing sleep, princess.”

  “You really like calling me that.”

  “Because that’s what you are, all spice and spit with that attitude that thinks she’s too good for any man.”

  “I never said—”

  “Too good for Cole, right?”

  Hailey snorted at that and jerked back from his touch. “Any woman with a smidgeon of dignity would be too good for Cole.”

  “There’s the spit.” Kyle backed off with that, reaching for his shirt. “But then again maybe you’re one of those people.”

  “And what people is that?”

  She had to wait for him to pull his T-shirt down over the rippled wall of his stomach to get her answer. “The kind that bites when they get hungry.”

  He actually had that one right. Not that Hailey would give him the satisfaction of agreeing. “No. I’m one of those people who get upset when two men break into her house and then assault her.”

  “Assault?”

  “Molest.”

  That earned her a nod. “Yeah, that was kind of hot.” Kyle’s gaze darkened slightly as it did a lazy stroll down her body, igniting a wave of heat that tempted her to say “yes” to his previous offer. “You sure you don’t want to have sex?”

  Toughening up her reserve, Hailey even managed a chin lift with her retort. “I thought you were going to hold out on me to make me beg, but yet you’re the one who keeps bringing it up.”

  “Well, princess.” Kyle moved as he talked, looping an arm around her waist to steer her down the hall along with him. “I am a man, and we are always hopeful.”

  “As in you never say no, and you wonder why I called Cole a whore?” Hailey couldn’t let that opportunity pass by her even as Kyle maneuvered her into the kitchen.

  “Nah, princess, not a whore. We’re willing to give it away
for free. That’s more like a slut, just to be technical. I got to admit it was funny seeing Cole’s reaction when—”

  “Uh, Kyle.”

  Hailey latched on to the doorframe as Kyle tried to steer her through it. That brought them both to a stop, but one that Kyle didn’t really recognize. Continuing on, he pried her hand free and used his hold to force her out through the door.

  “—you called him a whore. I don’t think any woman’s ever rejected Cole, let alone insulted him like that.” With her wrist firmly trapped in his grip, he tucked her into his side while he shut her back door. “Now if you’d been a man, he’d have hit ya…he still might. Cole’s definitely into spanking.

  “And I ain’t talking no ass here, either, princess. Cole’s specialty is packing a pussy full of dick and then whipping the hell out of that cunt. Normally, he forces at least two orgasms out of a poor woman. By then they’re so hard up for a fucking or a breather they’d agree to just about anything.”

  Hailey pointedly refused to respond to Kyle, even if his words sank beneath her to inflame a wicked curl of delight that she’d never own up to experiencing. Not that Kyle asked. Bringing her to a stop by his truck, he pointedly ignored her ignoring him as he rambled on.

  “I’m sure Cole is going to be quite thankful then that you gave him all the excuse he needs to be relentless and push you further.” Kyle hoisted her up into the truck like some kid. “In fact, it just wouldn’t shock me at all if he drove you through four orgasms that way.”

  That sounded like a promise more than idle speculation, but that might have had something to do with the door slamming shut. Sitting there almost humming now with need thanks to Kyle’s dirty musings, Hailey didn’t even think about getting back out of the truck as he went around the front to open the driver’s door.

  “Then he’ll probably eat you out.” Kyle slammed the door, leaning in unnecessarily far to growl, “You’re gonna love that, princess.”

  Straightening up he jammed the key into the ignition with one hand as he pulled his seat belt across his chest with the other. “Hell, we might have to change your name to Kitten because after Cole finishes with you, you’ll probably mew and purr at just the sight of him. Of course, he’ll probably be drooling and desperate to get that tongue back in your pussy because, princess, you really are a decadent treat.”

  It just got worse from there as he popped the truck brake free and took off down the road. Pittsview being Pittsview she really didn’t have to wait long to figure out what Kyle’s intentions were. Less than ten minutes later, they were rolling through the Micky D’s parking lot, angling for the drive through.

  He intended to stuff some food into her but didn’t even ask her what she wanted. Assuming all control of the order, Kyle didn’t even give Hailey the chance to object. The lust Kyle had been stoking in her gut with all his lewd contemplations sizzled into annoyance that only grew as the truck rolled up to the window.

  That’s when she realized just how thoroughly she’d been played. The moment the little blonde attendant’s eyes widened at the sight her and Kyle, Hailey knew what rumor would be added to the pile they already built today. She, Cole, and Kyle were working on the saga of the summer, and Hailey had a big bang ending planned.

  Kyle probably thought he’d boxed her in good with this move, but Hailey honestly objected. She just played at it as he shoved the oversized sodas into her lap and then pushed hot, greasy bags in her direction. He left her to fumble with everything as he pulled out of the lot, going back into his monologue.

  “Now I could offer to help you, train you. Trust me, it’ll go a lot easier, and you really do need the training ’cause unless you noticed you gave me a nice shiner that first night. Kicked me square in the face, you so damn squirmy and that was just me trying to get your clothes off.

  “You squirm like that with Cole and he’s going to start getting out the ropes. He’s not as tolerant as I am on a normal day, and you got him so riled up it would just be wrong of me to let you go into that situation without a little preparation.”

  The flat click of the turn signal clucked out for a moment as he turned the truck down the lonely road that divided the state park from the Cattleman’s Club. It gave Hailey a slight pause, wondering just where he planned to bring his truck to stop next.

  “Of course, I’ll be helping you through the moment, and I’ll certainly try to keep Cole from making you come too many damn times, but you got to know that I just might enjoy the show enough to kind of get distracted. Either way, if it gets too much you can always black out. That’s what the weak ones normally do.

  “Here we are.”

  Whatever here was. Hailey looked around as Kyle killed the engine and threw his door wide open. The clear, reflective surface of the lake gave her the only reference she knew in the tree-laden view. Kyle pulled down some dirt lane, and Hailey began to get a better sense of just what mischief Kyle devised.

  Why he bothered with such an elaborate seduction setting, she didn’t know. He could have gotten away with just a kiss and then they could be doing it in a nice comfortable bed. She didn’t bother to ask him why, either, just silently sat as he wrenched her door open to grab the bags of food from her lap.

  When he disappeared, Hailey stopped bothering with her statue impersonation and conceded defeat. Leaping down to the pine straw laden ground, her gaze caught on the sudden flash of a light to her right. A pink blanket of all things floated out through the air as Kyle spread it out across the bed of his truck.

  Smoothing it out while she came around to the open gate, Kyle just kept on going. He didn’t stop until their gazes finally connected as he turned to take the drinks from her. In the reflected sparkle of moonlight, Hailey could see that his little game backfired on the big, rugged Cattleman.

  The hunger darkening his eyes made her own primitive lusts abate as humor slipped in to lighten the edges. A smirk pulled at her lips as she cocked a brow at him.

  “A pink blanket? What, you keep that around to show what a sweet and sensitive guy you are?”

  That had his gaze narrowing as he considered that for all of a second. “Have you ever had your nipples clamped?”

  “Oh, stop it, Kyle.” Hailey handed off the drinks and crawled up into the bed, forcing him back. “If you wanted to have sex, we could have done that back at the house and been a hell of a lot more comfortable. Then I wouldn’t have to worry about mosquitoes biting my ass.”

  Kyle stilled, his gaze darkening as his voice lowered. “Don’t you think I know that? Don’t you think I know how to get you wet, naked and leg spread in five minutes whenever I want?”

  Hailey swallowed, wanting to defend herself from the predatory hunger in his gaze, but fear overwhelmed her and she remained silently still. Kyle didn’t wait for a response.

  “You’re trying to play me against my best friend and you either think I’m dumb enough or besotted enough to let you get away with it.” Not a warm gesture, the grin twisting across his face was pure wicked. “All those things Cole’s going to do to you, they’re going to pale in comparison to my revenge.

  “But that’s in four weeks and right now,” Kyle fell back into a sit, letting all the tension drain out of him as her returned his normal easy going self. “After all you said no to the sex, so I think I’m going to hold you to your word, darlin’.”

  He’d been messing with her mind, Hailey decided then. Kyle might threaten and strut, but he didn’t have it in him. At his core, he was a good guy. Breathing out a sigh of a release, Hailey felt safe to crawl up into the truck bed beside him.

  She even managed to tease him.

  “Oh, yeah right.”

  “You don’t think I can hold out?”

  “Kyle, there are a good ten inches of cock bulging out of your jeans right now that says ‘no’, or ‘yes’. You know what I mean.”

  “I ain’t a slave to a single one of those inches, princess, so you better be real careful before betting on that dog. Burger?”


  The scent of meat and cheese wafted up her nostrils as a wrapped delight suddenly floated in front of her. Too hungry to argue, Hailey still managed a complaint as she snatched the burger from him.

  “And no pink blanket is going to woo me out of being annoyed that you didn’t ask what I wanted to eat.”

  “Fine.” The burger jerked out of her hand. “Then don’t eat.”

  “Give that back.” Hailey lunged for the burger, but Kyle stretched his arm all the way up to hold it out of her reach.

  “Not until you say please.”

  “You know I could just bite you, don’t you?”

  “And you know I bite back, and I expect a thank you when I hand it over, too.”

  Hailey straightened up, meeting his amused gaze with her own scowl. “Please, Kyle, don’t make me have to spend years in prison for assault with intent over a cheeseburger.”

  His lips quivered at that, but he kept the laughter in as he lowered his arm. Bringing the burger to hover just above her hand, he paused. Hailey rolled her eyes and gave him what he wanted.

  “Thank you for not making me have to spend the night at the hospital worrying over your ass.”

  The burger dropped into her hands as his brow shot up. “And you would worry?”

  She gave him a dirty look for even asking that question before she focused her attention on stealing fries from his container. “Of course, the difference between assault and murder is quite a number of years in jail, so any sane person would worry.”

  “But you’re not sane. Are you, princess?”

  Obviously not. Didn’t this entire day stand as testament to that fact? If not the fact she actually kind of just a little enjoyed herself did.

  Chapter 16

  Kyle sighed and flexed his arm, curling Hailey closer into his side. Perfect, that’s just what this moment was. Well, actually, it could have been refined. They could be naked, worn out. That would certainly elevate the moment. Not that he couldn’t have gotten Hailey there with much difficulty, but getting her here took a lot more finesse.

  After the past week, a lot of pieces had started to fall into place in this one day. Kyle could finally understand what had gone so horribly wrong in Hailey’s shower. It wasn’t the commitment that scared her, but the loss of control that would come with it.