Shifting Priorities

"We can have an amazing-" Gwen began.

"No. There is no we." He sighed. "There never really was," he said sadly.

They sat looking at each other across the table. Gwen was struggling not to cry. She knew Kyle would leave at the first tear.

The question that haunted Kyle surged to the surface of his mind once more. His frustration flared and he gripped the edges of the table with white knuckles. He leaned forward, staring directly into her eyes to hold her complete attention. "You invested so much time and effort into making me exactly what you wanted. What the fuck was missing that you couldn't live without?" he growled through his gritted teeth.

Gwen squeaked in surprise at his aggression. She was stunned. This wasn't her Kyle at all. The man she knew was sweet and endlessly giving, but also passive. This man was... fierce, assertive, and more than a little intimidating. Fuck... he was hot!

"This."

Kyle heard her whispered word and froze. He watched her biting her lip as the word sunk into his mind.

This.

How he was behaving, right now.

The answer felt like a slap in the face. She'd changed him in many ways to be a better boyfriend and lover for herself but... until now, he hadn't owned it. It was hers and when she wanted it he gave it to her but he'd never instigated... because he'd allowed himself to become her puppet. She had to pull the strings.

Ultimately, she didn't want what he'd become. When she realized that's all he was, she moved on... but not before punishing him for failing to be what she'd actually wanted. Just another example of her brand of manipulation.

He leaned back in his chair to stare across the table at her. "So, now you want what I've become after you abandoned me?"

"I told you, Antoine seduced me-"

"No. Sorry, I'm calling bullshit on your excuse. I'm not buying. He may have come on to you as an attractive alternative to me but not for one second do I believe you weren't fully in control of the decisions you were making. You need to own up to them."

Gwen pouted as she wasn't used to not getting her way with Kyle. It felt like she was trying to walk through a minefield. One wrong word and Kyle would feel manipulated and she'd lose him permanently. That thought sent a spike of panic through her. Another new sensation.

"I don't want to lose you!" she gasped, desperation in her eyes.

"Let me put your mind at rest on that topic. You lost me when you left that letter for me to find in the hotel," he replied with finality.

Gwen glanced at the nearby table where the other members of the tour were having breakfast... and keeping an eye on them. It was the gaze of the woman with the big tits that unnerved her the most. Gwen could almost hear her satisfied purr as the woman's eyes never left Kyle. She suddenly recalled the hot kiss Kyle gave the small redhead the day before and the facts finally sunk in. She was stunned she'd missed it before. Gwen turned her shocked eyes towards Kyle.

"You're having sex with those women!" she hissed quietly in surprise.

Kyle's expression became defiant.

"Those women are wonderful people who shared their time, dinner tables, and yes, their beds with me!" He looked a little flustered. "Not all of them but Helen, Skye, and Fiona have. They're beautiful people, inside and out!" he insisted. He smiled as he realized how much he'd enjoyed their companionship. "It's been really nice getting to know them!"

"They're using you!" Gwen asserted and Kyle looked back incredulously.

"Are you kidding me? You are going to actually accuse others of using me?"

Once more Gwen pouted as she couldn't argue the point. Her eyes dropped to the table top and she forced back her tears of frustration and despair. She felt... helpless. She couldn't think of anything to say to sway Kyle's opinion, to make him let her into his life. She'd come here to let him back into hers but she never expected him to reject her. Sure, he'd be upset at her treatment of him but he'd rush to her side so she could take him back. Instead, he was demonstrating how much he'd grown since they broke up. She was desperate to claim him for herself. This was the man she'd worked so hard to make. He was hers! Why couldn't he understand that? She tried a different angle.

"What... what do I have to do?" she asked quietly.

Kyle saw her fighting to keep the tears from her lovely eyes and his heart ached for her but he clenched his jaw and looked away. He caught the smiles of the ladies at the table a short distance from theirs. He saw genuine affection, happiness, and yes, lust in those eyes but it was honest and open. He wasn't going to give that up.

"I don't believe there's anything left to say. I like who I'm becoming. Finding out what I want to do with my life and setting my own course. I like sharing my time with these ladies. If you thought I'd be eager to give all that up to fall back under your control, you're sadly mistaken. That's not going to happen."

"You- you feel nothing but contempt for me?" Gwen asked, her control on her grief slipping.

Kyle watched her struggling and his heart fought his mind as he desperately wanted to hold her, to ease her pain. His mind knew he couldn't trust his emotions around her. His conditioning was too strong to trust his heart.

"You still don't understand. I love you-" He stopped her from rising from her chair with a hand held up. "That love is based on five years of conditioning, not five years of mutual respect and reciprocal love. I see that now. You were in love with the ideal you were working towards while I was in love with you, unconditionally. I still believe you're one of the most beautiful creatures that ever graced the earth but now I fear that beauty goes no deeper than the surface."

"When we go home you'll see how much I love you!" she blurted.

His heart leapt and his head buzzed with giddy joy to hear her say the words and he felt his face beginning to show those intense emotions before he closed his eyes and leaned his head forward. Once more, he looked within and felt his rejection of the idea of going back to that apartment and slipping into his old life. He shook his head sadly. "I'm not going back to that life. I'm giving up the apartment and resigning my position at work." This still felt... right. "I'm going to find out what life has to offer me."

"But I live there too!" she moaned.

"You haven't for months and the rental agreement is in my name. Maybe the landlord will accept your taking over the apartment. That'll be between you and him," he said with a tired finality.

He looked across the table and once more was shaken by how incredibly lovely she was. He understood a small part of his attraction was born of his emotional dependence on her. He also realized this was the least healthy part of who he was. It had to go.

"It's over."

"NO! No! I want you to give me another chance! You can't do this to me! I don't deserve this!" she cried in frustration and desperation.

"No. What you want no longer concerns me," he said quietly. He frowned hearing his own words. "It's not my intent to be cruel. It's not in me to be like that." He thought about what she truly 'deserved'. "I can honestly say that I'm grateful for some of the changes you brought to my life. If only your intentions hadn't been so self-serving."

He stood and looked back at her as he turned. "I'm going to enjoy the rest of my vacation with my friends and once I get home I'll pack up my stuff and email you to let you know when you can come by to get your stuff. The landlord will change the locks in the interim. Goodbye and I do wish you happiness in your future." He walked away without looking back.

Before he left the dining room he put together a quick sandwich at the breakfast bar and grabbed a banana. Then he walked outside to the parking lot. He pulled out his cell and called Mike, the landlord of his apartment complex and left him a message filling him in on the recent changes. He asked the landlord to change the locks and said he'd see him when he got back.

Then Kyle wandered over to the bikes and caught smiles from the guides.

"Kyle! What happened?" Vivian asked, seeing the food in his hands.

"I spoke with Gwen and officially broke up with her. I didn't feel like sticking around to finish breakfast," he explained.

She gave him a wide smile. "Good for you!"

He shrugged with a smile then found a bench in the sun and quickly ate his breakfast.

As he finished he saw the rest of the group walking out of the building and was truly relieved to see Gwen wasn't with them.

Fiona stopped before him and handed him his helmet. He saw his gloves were inside. "Thanks!"

"You handled that with far less drama than I could have," the platinum blonde said with a smile.

Dita walked over to smile at Kyle. "You broke up with her?"

He nodded and Fiona grinned wolfishly. "He turned her down far more gently than I would have!"

Helen walked up to Kyle and kissed his uninjured cheek. "You handled yourself very well in a difficult situation."

"Far better than she deserved," Skye growled as she walked up next to her mum.

"How about we just enjoy our last full day of riding?" Kyle asked giving the ladies a raised eyebrow.

"That reminds me, did you get an upgraded room in the next chateau?" Skye asked with an impish smile.

Kyle closed his eyes and sighed as he remembered. He had. "Right. The Empress Suite," he moaned aloud.

"Ooo! It's got a lovely name!" Helen sighed.

His mind was still unsettled from his confrontation with Gwen so there was no way he could choose. Seeing his dilemma, Carl came to his rescue. "Why don't you just pick a number between one and one hundred, tell it to Dita who's driving today so she can't be swayed to tell any of us, and after the ride we'll try to guess it. Closest guess wins!"

Kyle grinned at the man and nodded. He whispered a number into Dita's ear and she smiled happily.

"See you at the chateau!" she said, smiling at the others as she walked off towards the van.

They got on their bikes and headed down the lane to the main road. They followed that for a while then pulled off onto a quieter less traveled road.

The route was mostly through the rolling hills of the countryside and they were able to relax and enjoy themselves. It was their last full day ride as tomorrow's ride would only be for a few hours in the morning. Then they'd be driven to the train station at their final destination.

They stopped for lunch next to a vineyard and sampled the wine. They allowed Kimberly only one glass and she still managed to become giggly by the time they finished the meal. Kyle rode with her for a while to keep an eye on her but she seemed fine.

"Silly Kyle, one glass of wine isn't enough to make me drunk!" she grinned at him.

"Well, you were really... spirited at lunch."

"I was just happy! Very, very happy! I haven't felt this good in a long time. The only thing that's making me sad is knowing the trip is coming to an end," she sighed.

"I know, I'm sorry it's coming to an end as well. It's been a really great tour. I'm so glad I met everyone!" he said with a smile.

They rode on in companionable silence and stopped at a particularly picturesque lookout where Kyle brought out is cell to capture some shots. The rest of their party caught up and Kyle got some great group photos. Then they shared their contact details. Helen got him to promise to visit after he spent some time in California.

For the rest of the ride they stayed together, talking and laughing as they went, and their pace was relaxed as no one wanted it to end. Too soon they were rolling into the long laneway leading up to the beautiful chateau. The gardens surrounding the building were gorgeous and they smiled in appreciation.

They met Dita in the parking lot next to the main building and everyone gathered around.

"Are you ready to guess the number?" she asked with a grin and they cheered.

Dita pointed to each person, except Kyle, and they spoke their guess aloud. Once she'd heard from everyone she paused dramatically, enjoying their anticipation.

"The number Kyle told me was 77 so Kimberly's guess of 75 was closest!" Dita cheered.

The petite redhead squealed with joy and jumped to give Dita a hug. The rest clapped as Kimberly turned and got a hug from Kyle.

Jules stepped forward to address the group. "This is your last stay and dinner at their three star Michelin restaurant is included. Wine is not but they have an exquisite selection to pair up with the meals so please indulge." They grinned at the man as it felt like they'd been indulging all week.

They made their way inside and Kyle was once more first at the reception desk. "Hello! Kyle MacDenny checking in."

"Yes! We have you in the Empress Suite," the woman behind the desk said with a smile.

"Actually, there's been a switch. I'll be tradin-" he began but stopped when he felt a small hand tugging at his cycling jersey. He looked behind him and Kimberly was clinging to the fabric. "What's wrong?" he asked quietly. Her normally pale skin was glowing pink from a blush and she was having trouble looking at him. "Kimberly?"

"Could- could we share?" she squeaked.

He looked at her in surprise then over her head at Carl who gaped at him then looked at his wife who was trying to hide her smile.

"Why don't we have dinner and drinks and see how we're feeling after that?" Kyle said gently to her and her eyes darted up to his. She relaxed seeing he wasn't rejecting her and nodded faintly. "For now let's switch rooms. We can... move a bag later should we decide to."

Her smile came back as her eyes twinkled with mischief. He got another nod from her.

Kyle turned back to the clerk. "Yes, the Empress Suite. Could we swap the luggage between the suite and the room assigned to Kimberly Wallis?"

"Of course!" the woman said with a smile. She gestured for a bellhop to step closer for the instructions.

Kimberly and Kyle stood aside for the others to check in while they waited for the bellhop to return. Once they got their keys and were told where the rooms were they agreed to meet in the lobby in an hour. Kimberly rushed off to see the Empress Suite but Kyle hung back as he had another question to ask the clerk. "A Gwen Carrington hasn't checked in, has she?"

The woman looked at her screen and quickly read through the guest list. "No, monsieur. No one by that name has checked in. Oh! I see she was booked to share your room."

"Not anymore. Thanks!" he said sighing with relief and headed to his new room. He smiled at the staff as he made his way upstairs and nodded to two other guests as he approached the door to his room. The chateau was bustling with activity. But it was also closer to a major city so this proximity and its Michelin rated restaurant probably drew business.

He opened the door and stepped into his new room. He looked around and smiled at the very posh décor. He wondered if he'd be staying in it tonight.

First things first. He had to shower. He opened his duffle and took out his toiletry kit to carry it into the large bathroom.

The room was gorgeous and he enjoyed a nice hot shower, washing the day's sweat and grime from his body. He shaved and applied deodorant then walked out to get dressed.

"Hello Kyle."

He froze as he stared at the naked woman resting back on her elbows, legs spread and hanging off the edge of his bed.

"Gwen? What the hell?" he gasped as his traitorous eyes roamed the flawless skin of her taut stomach.

"You never let me tell my side of the story," she purred as she slid her hands up her silky skin to cup her perfect tits, the nipples already beginning to stand at attention.

His mouth went dry as he watched her take her nipples between her fingers and tug on them. She cooed and rocked her hips as she watched his rapt attention.

"How- how did you find me?" he mumbled.

"The woman at the front desk was kind enough to give me a key to your new room when I gave her my name." Her right hand was trailing down her stomach as it made its way to her shaven pussy. He unconsciously licked his lips as he saw the glistening wetness on her lower lips.

"Ooo fuck, I'm so wet," she sighed as she ran the tip of her middle finger up and down the slick skin. When she slid the digit inside her pussy, he moaned from the wet noises it made and the way her mouth dropped open. Her lips were begging to be kissed and his heart was screaming at him to take her! He struggled to break free of his daze.

"Your... story?" he managed to force out before she shoved a second finger into her hot, pink pussy. He moaned again. She was so incredibly sexy and the sounds she was making were mesmerizing, drawing him closer and closer to her.

"Yesssss..." she sighed in ecstasy as she drove her fingers deep, watching Kyle's cock thicken and rise between his legs. She allowed herself the slightest smile of satisfaction. Her plan to get him back was working but she had to play him very carefully from this point onwards. She knew he desperately wanted her and if she could get him to take her, she knew he was as good as hers as his heart wouldn't let him give her up.

"I'm so wet, Kyle! Please, I need it!" she whimpered plaintively. Her big blue eyes begged him and her lips promised unmeasurable pleasures.

Before he was aware he'd moved, Kyle had his hands behind her knees, forcing them back to her chest and opening her for his access. After her initial surprise, she was desperately guiding the head of his stiff cock into position.

The sensation of her grip on his cock and the silky softness of her pussy kissing the sensitive tip sent a shock through his body and he froze. At that split second he became aware of another screaming voice in the back of his mind. It was telling him to escape, to step back from the edge and flee. He blinked and looked at the intent look on Gwen's face. The sweet intensity of her need had been replaced with a grin of victory as she tugged his cock to force him deeper inside. He felt an almost physical slap across his mind as he realized how close he'd come to betraying himself.

He pushed back and staggered a little as his cock pulled from her hand. Her eyes immediately rose to lock onto his in surprise. Kyle was still reeling from the flood of endorphins rushing through his brain from the close call.

"NO! You have to make love to me!" she cried as she launched herself at him from the edge of the bed.

He wasn't prepared to have Gwen leap on his chest and take him down to the floor in a tangle of limbs. His head thumped painfully against the leg of a chair on his way down and he saw stars.

Then came the bliss of his cock sinking into her wet heat. His jaw dropped open in a gasp as he tried to get his hands between them to push her away. She blocked his efforts then grabbed his face to kiss him as her hips drove him into her pussy again and again, frantically.

Her lips were heaven but her aggressive attack was keeping him from falling under her control.

He didn't want this.

"Stop it, Gwen! Get off of me!" he said as he pushed her face away from his.

"No! You owe me this! You said it yourself! I made you into the man you are today! You belong to me! I mean- we belong together!" she asserted as her hips ground and twisted over his body, pumping him in and out of her gushing opening while he struggled to free himself. This was seriously turning her on.

For Kyle, her words were a splash of cold water. He felt his passion fade with the exposure of Gwen's selfish desires. This felt wrong, very wrong. The more excited she became the worse he felt. He went still as he stared up at her.