017. THE GAME // ROUND 001

"Hello?" Paired with an annoyed tone, Rory snapped her fingers in front of his face. "Did you even hear me?"

"No," Harry replied, allowing his eyes to roam over her dress.

It wasn't Harry's fault he became distracted. The tiny piece of fabric Rory called a dress pulled his attention when she walked out at eleven o'clock sharp. Harry had never leered at someone's choice of clothing before, but he couldn't help himself; it fit her like a second skin.

"I asked if your gun was on you. You can't bring that shit to the place we are going tonight."

"I don't bring my gun out on date night, Bambi."

Rory laughed, assuming he was joking. "Seriously, Harry. Do you have it on you?"

"I told you I don't. Would it make you feel better if you searched me?" He grabbed the material of his shirt and pulled it up to expose his torso. "I don't mind. In fact, I think I would quite enjoy it."

"Yeah, probably too much," she muttered, checking the time. "We should get going."

Harry waved down a cab, which they only took due to him agreeing to pay for it. After she gave the address to the driver, she leaned back into her seat, resting against Harry's side. He liked having her close. Not to speak with, of course. But because having her nearby meant his senses became filled with her intoxicating scent of vanilla.

"What?"

The sound of her voice pulled him out of his thoughts.

"What?" Harry repeated.

"You were staring at me."

"No, I wasn't."

She scoffed. "Yes, you were."

"No, I wasn't. Stop sounding so arrogant, Bambi. It's not a good look for you."

There was a pause of silence. Resting his arm over her shoulder, Harry shifted his gaze to the window. Rory studied his stoic expression briefly before turning her head to the side, watching his index finger trace circles on her skin. His touch caused a shiver to creep up her spine - she had to force her eyes away. The last thing she needed was to get lost in her thoughts by how the lightest touch made her feel.

"Where were you all week?"

Without tearing his eyes away from the passing view, he answered with a short, "Working."

"On what?"

"On things for work."

"You couldn't work from your office?"

Harry turned his head. "Such a curious thing you are tonight. What's with all the questions? Did you miss me, Bambi?"

"No," she replied, almost too quickly, "I work much better without you around."

"Is that so?"

She nodded her head proudly. "I'm guessing it has something to do with the whole not being watched by you twenty-four-seven on the second-floor thing."

"Interesting," he murmured, his attention focused on her lips.

"Don't you dare."

Unsure of what she was trying to insinuate, Harry raised a brow.

"Don't get any ideas," she warned.

"What are you on about, Bambi?"

"You already broke my rule tonight. So I'm giving you one warning, Harry. Don't you dare try and do it again."

Running his hand along the skin of her bare thigh, an amused smile appeared. "Did you not enjoy it?"

"Not at all."

"Really?" His fingers toyed with the hem of her dress. "You sure looked like you did."

Rory stiffened with his touch moving dangerously high as she attempted to keep her composure together, not wanting him to see her sweat. "Maybe you need to get your eyes checked."

"I've been told I have perfect vision."

"Then someone clearly lied to you."

Harry chuckled. "You are quite a charming one, aren't you, Bambi?"

Rory swallowed the lump in her throat, thankful the cab driver had stopped outside their location when he had. Reaching for the handle, she quickly said, "Make sure you give him a nice tip," and hurried out of the car.

Get it together, Rory, the voice inside her head screamed. He's just doing what he always does - he's trying to get under your skin. 

Rory looked to the side as Harry cracked a joke with the driver. 

But what if he's not? What if this isn't a game?

Don't be an idiot, the voice sneered, It's always a game with him. 

As Harry made his way to her side, he secured an arm around her waist as they walked towards the entrance. If this was a game, Rory was happy to play along. And if it wasn't, she was about to turn it into one.

"Harry, hold on," she announced, halting her steps and forcing him to stop alongside her. "I want to clear something up before we go in there."

"What is it?"

Chewing her bottom lip, she did her best to appear nervous as she turned to face him, avoiding direct eye contact. "Well, I just wanted to ask..." Slowly tilting her head up, her cheeks reddened as she met his glance. "Nevermind. It's not important."

"I'm sure it is," he said, resting his hand on her waist. "Tell me, Rory."

Yeah, that's it, the voice in her head sounded smug, Say my name.

"Why did you kiss me earlier?"

"Because I just wanted to," he answered, "And, after our date the other night, I assumed it was alright to do. Was I wrong?"

Her shoulders tensed as she shrugged. "I don't know."

"You do know, Bambi. Be honest with me." He took a step towards her. "I need an answer from you."

"You're acting weird."

"I am?" He raised a brow. "I don't think there is anything weird about checking for consent. I want to make sure I didn't cross a line."

"You always cross the line."

Harry grinned. "Maybe so. But not about this. Do you not want me to kiss you anymore?"

"I want you to respect my rules."

"Understood."

Rory raised her hand to the collar of his shirt. "Just so we are on the same page..." she leaned forward, brushing her lips ever so slightly against his and whispered, "I did enjoy it."

"I told you I have perfect vision."

She sank her teeth into the inside of her cheek, not wanting him to see any hint of amusement over his response. It wasn't funny. Not at all. He was only repeating something he had said earlier - it wasn't even new content from him.

God, what is wrong with you? The voice sneered.

Pushing the thoughts - and the voice - to the back of her mind, she asked, "Why did you come out tonight?"

Harry caught his bottom lip between his thumb and index finger, stalling his answer. "I wanted to spend time with you."

"What? Why?"

"I already told you I find you charming, Rory. Are you trying to get me to repeat it?"

"No, I'm just surprised." Her finger traced the ink of one of his various tattoos on his chest, exposed by the lack of buttons he had done up on his shirt. "It wasn't too long ago that you wanted to kill me. Now you're voluntarily offering to hang out with my friends and have a problem with kissing me whenever you please."

"A little time and perspective can change someone's view on even the wildest things."

"Like your sudden disinterest in killing me?"

The corner of his mouth tugged upward. "The night is still young, Bambi." Reaching forward, Harry brushed a strand of hair behind her ear. "Now, can we go inside and enjoy our night or do you have something else on your mind?"

"One more thing." Her hand moved behind his neck, closing the remaining gap between them by pressing her lips to his.

Harry kissed her back without a second thought - an action that caused her stupid shiver to creep up her spine again. She hated the way this made her feel. Kissing someone had never caused her chest to flutter before. And now, it never stopped when he was near. The constant quick thump of her heart was a brutal reminder that a part of her thought she might be okay if Harry wasn't playing a game with her.

She needed a drink. Scratch that. She needed many drinks.

"What was that for?"

Play the game, Rory.

"You kissed me earlier by surprise, so I kissed you." She reached forward, wiping off the light sheen of her gloss that transferred to his bottom lip. "Now, we're even."

Harry raised a brow, intrigued by her remark. "Are you trying to play a game with me, Bambi?"

Not trying. Succeeding.

"Why would I do that, Harry?" she asked innocently, pouting her bottom lip ever so slightly and batting her lashes for dramatic effect. "You kept kissing me by surprise, so I wanted to try it. But, we should head in before it gets too late," she grabbed hold of his hand, tugging for him to follow as she walked towards the entrance, "Benny's probably looking for us."

Catching a glimpse at his expression from the corner of her eye, Rory was delighted. Harry appeared confused, slightly off guard. He was never obvious; she had to admit he wore a convincing poker face. But the hint of his furrowed brow was the tell she needed.

Round one had been a success.

Without realizing, Rory's fingers had intertwined with his and stayed that way as she led them past the line-up of waiting patrons, walking right up to the security guard at the front door. Her hand was still in his as she gave her name and waited for the man to check the list, but she lost his touch when being searched by security. The second the two oversized men finished, their hands reconnected, and the two of them walked inside and headed down the stairs.

Reaching the last step, Rory looked to her side as they walked down the narrow hall. "Have you ever been here before?"

His eyes scanned the dark black walls covered with words of profanity and graphic images in neon paint. "I think I'd remember a place like this. So, no, I don't believe I have."

"It's fun." Her ears perked up at the sound of music blasting through the walls. "As long as you let yourself give in to your desires."

"Will you be doing that, Bambi?"

Lips tugging into a smirk, she answered, "If you're lucky."

The moment the door opened and they stepped into the venue, the loud music overwhelmed her senses, making it almost impossible to hear her thoughts. That was her favourite part of coming to places like this; it forced her to stop thinking.

Flashing lights danced violently over the packed crowd. It was amazing so many people could fit in such a small space. Unfortunately for Rory, there was nothing that took away her fear of a swarm of bodies pressed closely together - not unless she was filled to the brim with liquid courage.

Harry's tight grip on her hand and being pulled into his side was a welcomed veil of protection.

Standing up on the couch, Benny waved his arms frantically in the air to catch their attention.

"There you guys are! I was getting worried you would have bailed!"

"Why would we do that?" Rory called out over the music.

Benny shrugged. "I thought you two started making out in the alley and got distracted."

While Rory narrowed her eyes at her friend - annoyed more with herself that he wasn't far off - Harry let out an amused chuckle.

"Where's Mia?" Benny poured a fresh drink. "Wasn't she supposed to come with you?"

"She was," she replied, annoyance obvious in her tone. "But she texted me right before we left saying she forgot about a date. And then had the nerve to ask about borrowing an outfit!"

Benny rolled his eyes. "No way! What did you say?"

"What could I say? She has a key to my place, and I knew she was already on her way." 

"Her loss. Drink?"

"Definitely."

As her eyes surveyed the crowd of drunken bodies, she assumed she was in for a standard night of fun until she spotted a particular individual across the room. Thinking Harry was too distracted by his phone to overhear, Rory turned to Benny and spoke in a hushed tone. "You didn't tell me he would be here tonight."

Upon realizing who else was in the venue tonight, Rory quickly grabbed the bottle out of her friend's hand and poured herself a hefty beverage.

"What? Who?" There was a pause as Benny followed his friend's gaze. "Wait - what? They typically only visit the more upscale venues. Why are they here?"

She knocked back another shot. "I have no idea. How do I look?"

"You don't have to go over there."

Rory sighed. "Yes, I do. Do you want anything?"

"Do you even know me, Roro?" He handed her a few bills of cash. "Premium, as always."

Rory rolled her eyes and pocketed the cash in her cleavage. "How unusual for you," she replied sarcastically. Turning her attention to Harry, she nudged his side and said, "I'll be right back."

When the words left her lips, Rory noticed Harry finally look up from his phone and open his mouth to question where she was going. But Rory was quick and able to escape his side before he had the chance to ask. That wasn't a conversation she was willing to get into tonight, and she was happy to disappear into the sea of people, despite her fears, to avoid such a thing.

"Amore Mio," the man greeted with a velvet tone once she reached the other side, "I thought that was you."

Rory looked up at the older gentleman with a playful smile. A muscular man covered in tattoos, and cash burning a hole in his pocket, he was the walking definition of a wet dream for some. Not her, of course. She preferred her men to be, well, not the ones she did business with.

"Have you been spying on me, Gio?"

"Well, when a stunning woman like you walks into the place, it is hard for others around not to take notice." Gesturing to the spot next to him, Giovanni took a sip of his drink. "Sit." He waited until she settled on the couch before asking, "Who's your friend?"

"Benny? You don't recognize him?"

"Don't be smart with me. You know I meant your other friend, Bambolina."

Rory never thought she would miss hearing Bambi instead of Giovanni's insistent desire to always refer to her as a little doll. Or she hoped that's what it meant. Since he never translated the nicknames he used, she had to refer to her textbook on basic Italian. 

At least Bambolina was better than when he called her princess - or as he would say, Principessa. That always made her gag.

"Oh, you mean Harry?" She looked over her shoulder. "I'm not sure if I would call him a friend."

"No? Is he a lover?"

Lover? More like fucker.

"I would say he's more like an... unfortunate acquaintance."

Giovanni chuckled at her statement. "Poor guy. Is he aware of that?"

"Does it matter?" Rory leaned closer, resting her hand on his thigh. "Besides, he knows my rules about mixing business with pleasure."

"As do I. Which means I know why your unfortunate acquaintance, as you so kindly put it, looks like he wants to beat the shit out of me."

Rory giggled, moving her hand further up his thigh as she stole a glance over her shoulder. She knew exactly why the frustration was evident across Harry's expression. And it made her ecstatic to know she was the cause of it. 

"Oh, I wouldn't worry about him," she said, returning her attention to the heavily tattooed man in front of her, "He is quite the marshmallow. He can't even hurt a fly."

"So I shouldn't worry about the furious daggers he's sending me?"

"Come on, Gio. Don't tell me you have gone soft too." A devious smirk appeared. "You could take him."

Giovanni nodded in agreement and took a sip from his glass. "I know I could, Bambolina. But you know me. I don't like worrying my paying customers by seeing acts of violence."

"How kind."

"I do what I can." He tucked two fingers under her chin, allowing his thumb to graze her bottom lip. "Now, what can I do for you? Did you only come by to make him jealous?"

"Of course not. You know what I want," she purred, eyes gleaming with desire.

Rory knew how her current position must have looked to Harry - leaning towards the older man with her hand running dangerously high up his thigh. She loved every second of it. The longer she spent flirting with Gio, the more enraged Harry became - which only meant one thing.

The game for the night was only beginning to heat up.

And round two was about to break all of her rules. 

WE'RE BACK BABY

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