Shifting Priorities

Kyle shared a look with Dita as the woman rode off to speak with Jules who was standing by the support van.

"No, barring you're injuring another of our guides I believe I'll be waiting for you at the finish line tomorrow," he said calmly.

"Injuring- if she hadn't been wobbling around on the road she wouldn't have ridden into me! As for beating me, if you're feeling so cocky why don't we up the wager to include your upgraded accommodations for the rest of the trip. As for your reward, name it." Alfred leaned closer to Kyle. "Anything."

Kimberly was watching them with wide eyes.

Kyle suddenly grinned. "OK, you pick up the cost of all of my upgrades. That includes both bikes."

Alfred grinned as his eyes showed his amusement. They shook on it. "And here I thought you'd have the balls to ask for a night with Fiona." He snorted and walked away chuckling to himself.

Kyle and Kimberly shared a surprise look. The petite redhead shook her head and watched Alfred walk into the hotel.

Chapter 4

The group was on their own for dinner that night. Luckily they were in a lovely village with a good selection of restaurants. There was also a very nice bar in the hotel they were staying in and word got around that they would meet back at the bar after dinner and a little sight-seeing.

Jules approached Kyle as he left the hotel and thanked him for taking care of Dita.

"It is my understanding there is a wager between you and Monsieur Hollings for tomorrow's ride. The alternate route is a strenuous one with a tricky descent. I want to be sure the two of you will be cycling safely."

"I believe we're both experienced riders. I have a lot of experience with riding in the mountains as I do it at home. You'd have to ask Alfred about his skill level with descents," Kyle remarked.

"He is a very strong rider and a good climber. That said, we hope you crush him."

Kyle blinked in surprise as the man walked away.

He decided to head into the village on his own as he wasn't feeling that social. The main street had a number of restaurants and he spotted Alfred and Fiona entering one he'd just chosen. He stopped in the square and frowned. He didn't want to spoil his dinner looking at that man's smug expression.

He decided to follow a group of locals who he'd overheard talking about dinner. As he wandered down a small lane leading down to the river he spotted a small restaurant in an alley off the lane. The hostess took pity on his poor French and offered him their last small table in the corner.

As he reviewed his menu he spotted Vivian and Dita standing in the doorway looking for an empty table. He saw Vivian pout as she saw no free tables but Dita waved to him. He gestured they were welcome to share his table. There was just enough room for two more though it would be tight. Smiling happily, the ladies squeezed themselves in.

"This place is only known to the locals and those who work in the village. How did you find it?" Vivian exclaimed.

"I know a little about traveling. Eat where the locals eat for the best food and value," he explained.

He got smiles for that.

When the waitress arrived he ordered the fish as he spotted it on a neighboring table and it looked quite good. Dita followed suit but Vivian ordered a chicken dish. Kyle ordered a bottle of wine for the table.

"How's your calf?" he asked and got another smile from the ladies.

"My left calf is perfect but my right one is jealous of the massage the other one got!" Dita pouted.

Kyle laughed and Vivian gave her friend a raised eyebrow and a subtle warning glance which Dita waved off.

The wine arrived and Kyle did the honors of tasting it. He nodded happily to the waitress and she served the ladies then topped his glass up.

Vivian closed her eyes and sighed with happiness as she swallowed the wine. She looked to Kyle. "Good choice!"

"Yes, very nice!" Dita smiled.

Kyle nodded to the ladies. Then he fixed his eyes on Vivian. "Jules tells me you're rooting for me in tomorrow's ride."

They started to laugh and nodded. "Yes, officially we cannot take sides but Mr. Hollings is a bully and we heard he was going to offer you a night with his wife if you won. What a creep!"

"Yeah, I couldn't believe he said it but he may not have been serious!" He suddenly paused and looked at her. "Wait- where did you hear that?" Kyle asked, puzzled.

Dita looked at Vivian. "I overheard Mrs. Wallis telling her husband. She wasn't exactly being quiet about it. Some of the others were within earshot."

"Damn. I hope Fiona doesn't hear it through the grape vine. That would be humiliating," Kyle said with a wince.

"She wasn't worried about your feelings when she told everyone about spotting you coming out of the Livingston's room." Dita said as she examined Kyle. "Did you really sleep with both of them."

"You don't really expect me to answer that question, do you?" Kyle said with a frown.

"You're discreet. That's good, at least," Vivian nodded cautiously.

"May I ask about your relationship with your fiancé?" Dita said carefully.

He looked at her and nodded.

"Was it a long-distance relationship?"

He sighed. "We were together for five years and lived together for most of that time. Seven months ago she was asked to be the editor for this author in France. She leapt at the chance and I fully supported her move as it was a definite promotion for her. It wasn't supposed to be permanent. I tried to visit as often as I could." His expression became sad as he thought of the good times they'd had. He now saw that time in a different light. Knowing how discontented she'd become with their life, a life he'd believed was a damn good one, it felt like such a waste of time now.

Dita gave him a sympathetic look as she recalled the breakup of her own marriage. "It is just a new start. It gets better."

Kyle smiled and nodded.

"My marriage lasted only three years. I was on the road doing these tours and my husband took a lover while I was away. I returned home and found divorce papers in my apartment. He'd moved out," Dita said with a shrug. "That was three years ago. I know now I'm better off without him."

"As I am, without Gwen," Kyle said and raised his glass to touch it to Dita's and Vivian's.

The food arrived and they sighed with happiness at the delicious aromas. The taste was equally good and they dug in.

Kyle topped up their glasses a few times, and ordered a second bottle, as the meal went on and they ate until they could eat no more. He surprised them by picking up the tab and they thanked him graciously.

"Are you going to be good for the ride tomorrow?" Dita asked, looking at their second empty wine bottle.

Kyle nodded. "I'm good. No more drinks for me tonight and right to bed with a large bottle of water."

"Good!" Vivian exclaimed.

They made their way outside and Kyle waved to the ladies as he turned to head back to the hotel.

"Hold up! I'm heading back your way," Dita called out.

Kyle waited and Dita gave Vivian a quick hug before jogging up to Kyle's side.

"I'm staying with a friend tonight just past the hotel," Dita explained as they walked back up the lane towards the more touristy area near the central courtyard.

The night was lovely and Kyle was feeling really good. He looked up at the stars as they passed between the buildings. He loved looking at the stars as they always put things in perspective for him.

"It's really lovely here. I wonder what it would be like to live in a quaint little historical village," he sighed.

Dita snorted. "Do you live in a big city back in Canada?" she asked with a smile.

He looked over at her but he could barely see her now as this section of the lane had no street lights. Just ahead was the brightly lit central court and he thought of the tourist areas back home. He smiled.

"Yeah, Vancouver is pretty big. Not huge, but it certainly doesn't have a small village vibe like this." He took a deep breath and smiled wistfully. "Maybe... maybe it would just be running away, escaping the rush and pressure of home but... I could get used to this," he said as his steps slowed to a stop and he closed his eyes. He felt is mind and heart opening up to the energy of the place.

Soft lips pressed against his and his eyes flew open. Dita was standing very close and she was looking at him to see his reaction. He was watching her curiously but he didn't pull away so she leaned in again and their lips met once more. His arms automatically went to her back as she placed her hands on his shoulders. She was maybe an inch taller than his 5' 10" and Gwen had been shorter. It was a novel experience to have to tilt his head up to kiss her but her mouth fit his so very well.

She dipped her tongue into his mouth and he caressed it with his own making her hold him tighter.

He felt her gently pushing his shoulders so he moved his hands from her back to her hips. She finally ended the kiss though he ran his lower lip across hers as she did and she gasped.

Dita patted his shoulders gently as she leaned her forehead against his. "That was... very nice!" she sighed quietly.

"What was that for?" he asked.

She pulled her face away and smiled at him as she tilted her head to the side. "An apology for this morning? A thank you for helping me this afternoon? A kiss for good luck tomorrow perhaps?"

"I accept. Your welcome. Thank you," he said as he dropped his hands to let her step back.

"I cannot do more, though I would like to," she said with a pout.

"I get it. I do. This was really nice. I had a really great night!" he replied.

They got moving once more and stepped out of the dark lane to join the tourists and locals in the main square. Two oblivious visitors set off flashes right in their faces as they tried to get past the pedestrian clogged street.

He grinned at Dita. "Ok, I could do without the tourists."

She returned the grin and nodded.

Helen and Skye were window shopping with the Burkettes. They'd bumped into the couple at a restaurant just off the main square and shared a table. Dinner was good if less than memorable. Now they were all looking for something to bring home to remind themselves of the fun they were having. Nothing was jumping out at them as the unique item that summed up the trip so far.

Skye was waiting outside the last store on the east side of the square when her mother and the Burkettes exited from the shop empty handed.

Helen noticed Skye was smiling dreamily. She followed her eyes and saw the silhouette of a young couple standing in the shadows of an alley, backlit by a streetlight in the distance. They were kissing and Helen flashed back to her night with Kyle. He was a great kisser and she'd really enjoyed herself! She sighed and heard Skye sigh as well.

Carl spotted what they were sighing about and gestured to Larissa.

"Oh my! That's lovely! I wish I'd brought my telephoto lens!" Larissa said, snapping a photo of the couple.

When the subject of her photo separated and walked out into the light of the square, the four of them gasped. It was Kyle and Dita! They were smiling and talking like good friends but that kiss had been far more than a friendly peck.

"Well..." Carl began but was at a loss as to what to say next. His wife just slipped her arm through his and smiled at Helen and Skye who were staring at Kyle in shock.

"Shall we get a drink in the bar at the hotel?" she asked.

Helen nodded and smiled in return though her daughter was still watching Kyle.

They made their way back to the hotel, following Kyle and Dita at a distance but always in sight. The young couple never got close or touched again as they walked though they appeared to be speaking and laughing together. Dita waved and went on her way when they reached the hotel and Kyle went inside.

When their group reached the hotel bar, Kyle was nowhere to be seen. Kimberly and Fiona were sharing a table but they weren't smiling. There was no sign of either of their husbands.

"Hi Kimberly, Fiona. Is something wrong?" Helen asked the women.

Fiona appeared to be angry about something. "Did Kyle come back with you?" she asked tersely.

"No, he got back before us. We saw him come in. I guess he went straight up to his room," Carl offered.

"If you will excuse me," Fiona said as she slipped from the booth and walked out of the bar.

"What was that about?" Skye asked Kimberly.

The petite woman looked uncomfortable but couldn't stop herself from sharing once more. "After today's ride Alfred told Kyle he wasn't much of a challenge but Kyle said tomorrow he'd win. Alfred upped the wager. He's racing tomorrow for all of Kyle's remaining upgrades."

Helen made a sound of protest as she'd hoped to convince Kyle to give her one and planned to offer to share it with him. The others looked at her and her face flushed in embarrassment.

"What's Kyle asking for?" Skye asked with a crooked grin and Kimberly frowned at her.

"He just asked for Alfred to pay for all of the upgrades," she answered.

"That's probably a good piece of change but I don't see how that would upset Fiona," Larissa said and Carl nodded in agreement.

Kimberly's eyes twinkled with the juicy tidbit she'd saved until last. "Alfred told Kyle he thought he'd have the balls to ask for a night with Fiona."

"What?!?" Carl gasped and Larissa's jaw dropped. Skye was grinning wickedly but Helen was shocked.

Kimberly leaned closer to the group. "I really believe Alfred would have agreed to it too. He's that confident."

"He's that much of a sexist bastard, you mean," Helen growled.

Kimberly shrugged. "Kyle hasn't exactly proven his innocence on this trip." She gave Helen and Skye a knowing look.

The four thought about the passionate kiss they'd witnessed and couldn't argue. They grabbed chairs around the table.

"Where's David?" Carl asked.

"He drank too much at dinner and is sleeping it off," Kimberly said with a scowl.

"And Alfred?" Larissa asked.

"Went to bed early to be in top shape for tomorrow's ride. He really wants to destroy Kyle," Kimberly said with wide eyes. "Kyle seemed to have trouble keeping up with us on the climb so I don't know why he told Alfred he was going to beat him. He seemed so confident when he said it too."

"Now I'm really rooting for Kyle," Helen said with a determined smile and Skye gave her a knowing grin of her own. The mother swatted her daughter's arm but their smiles remained.

Kyle heard a loud, insistent knocking on his door. Fresh from a quick shower, he wrapped his towel around his waist and answered the door. He was surprised to see Fiona standing on the other side. Her stern expression changed to surprise and her eyes flew wide as she stared at the wet, hard muscles of his arms, chest, and stomach.

"Fiona? What's wrong?" he asked.

She blinked and seemed to gather her wits. "May I come in?"

He hesitated. "Uh, I'm still wet from the shower and not dressed."

"It will only take a moment," she insisted as her frown returned.

"OK, but I don't want to hear any rumors about my conduct tomorrow," he said with a frown of his own, knowing she'd been the one to squeal on him about the Livingstons.

She squared her shoulders back and nodded firmly with a serious expression.

Still holding some misgivings, he stood aside and she entered the room, eyeing his chest once more as she passed.

He closed the door and followed her in. "What's up?" he asked. He moved past her but saw he'd forgotten to take clothes out. He turned to face her.

"Kimberly told me what Alfred said to you after the ride today," she blurted.

Kyle sighed. "Of course, she did." He ran his free hand through his hair then wiped it on his towel as he realized he was still dripping wet.

Fiona faced him wearing a frustrated pout as she put her fists on her hips. "I want you to know something. I'm not some airhead trophy wife! Alfred treats me like one sometimes but the truth is I have more money than he does! I came from a wealthy family and I manage my parent's chain of hotels!" Fiona exclaimed defensively.

She moved her hands under her tits and lifted them as she stared him in the eye. "I got these for me, not Alfred! He doesn't have any say in what I do with my body! I was a flat chested ugly duckling my entire life and I wanted these so I bought them. I like them! I like how they make me feel pretty!"

Kyle watched her outburst with surprise and saw her full bottom lip was starting to tremble. His guilt weighed heavily on him. "You're right. I completely judged you by your looks and that was a terrible thing to do. I sincerely apologize for that. You deserved better. I'm very sorry." He watched her expression as she took a deep breath. She seemed to be getting control of her emotions once more. She released her tits and they didn't drop very much. He pulled his attention back from them.

"I want you to know I never assumed you were his to use in the wager," he said to clarify his position.

"I'm done with him treating me like his personal plaything! He's going to apologize to me!" she asserted.

Kyle gave her a smile. "Good for you! You deserve to be treated better!"

Her face lit up with a huge smile then it turned serious. "You have to beat him tomorrow!"

He snorted in amusement then grinned as he thought of how many people were rooting for him. Alfred wasn't making many friends. "That's my intention. I'll certainly do my best but I can't make any guarantees. He's a strong rider."

She was back to staring at his body with wide eyes. She bit her lip. "You- you look... strong."

He heard something in her tone that made him feel a little uneasy about standing in front of her in only a damp towel. "Thanks. I think you should probably head back to your room now before the others start returning to theirs."

She nodded but moved a little closer to him. Her eyes were roaming is chest and the ridges of his stomach muscles. Her voice became a little breathy. "Alfred pretends to be so confident and aggressive but the truth is... it's all an act. He overcompensates because he has Micropenis."

"What?!?" Kyle blurted in surprise.

"He had a hormone deficiency. It didn't form fully when he was a baby." She moved a little closer to Kyle and he took a step back, then another as she followed slowly, her eyes now on his towel.

Kyle suddenly felt really bad for Alfred, not that it excused his acting like an asshole. His sympathy was quickly replaced by how nervous Fiona was making him with her stare. "Uh, Fiona? Shouldn't you be heading back to your room-"

"Can I see it?"

"See what?" he asked nervously.

"Your cock. Can I see it?" she asked again, never taking her eyes from the surface of the towel which was beginning to show a ridge. Her eyes widened.

"Fiona, you're married. This is really not a good idea! I- I think you'd better leave now."

"Please Kyle! I just want to see it." She stepped closer still and he tried to back away but his legs hit the cushioned bench at the end of his bed and he toppled backwards. His towel flew open as he threw his hands back to catch himself as he hit the mattress.

"Oh!" she sighed as she feasted her eyes on his growing erection. "Oh my god! It isn't even fully hard yet!" she gasped as she dropped to her knees before the bench and placed her hands on his thighs. The sensation of her touch sent a jolt through his cock and it surged as she watched. She cooed with delight.

"Geezus, Fiona! You can't do this!" Kyle growled as he struggled to sit up, pushing the mattress behind himself. Her left hand shot forward to press against his hard stomach muscles and she pushed him back down as she wrapped the slim fingers of her right hand around the base of his cock.