Playing Games (Endgame Series Book 3) Read online

  Playing Games.

  Book Three

  Endgame Series

  Published by Cara E. Holt.

  Copyright © 2021 by Cara E. Holt.

  No reproduction without permission.

  All rights reserved.

  License notes

  This e-book is an original work of fiction. Names, characters, places and events are the product of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons or events is purely coincidental. No part of this book may be reproduced or used in any manner without the written permission of the publisher.

  Cover by Mullaney e-book covers.

  Table of Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Grayson.

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Epilogue

  Chapter 1

  I HOLD MY HANDS OUT in front of me as I take small uncertain steps forward, unable to see a thing. Olly giggles excitedly beside me and squeezes my hand with excitement. My family has pulled me out of my bed this morning and placed a blindfold over my eyes, and I am now being led by them to what I could only assume was my 18th birthday present. Yes, today was my birthday. I was eighteen, officially an adult. My first birthday without my lovely Mum, and my first one with my dad.

  “No peeking, Evy,” Olly commands. “Get the door, Daddy.”

  “I am, I am,” my dad replies and I hear the front door click open.

  “We’re going outside?” I ask, and I hear another giggle from Olly in response.

  “Okay, stop right here,” Olly orders me.

  Dom’s hands on my shoulders stop me from going any further.

  “Take it off, Dom,” Olly demands and Dom unties the scarf that is over my eyes. “Quicker Dom!”

  “Okay, Okay!” Dom says, the humour clear in his tone of voice as he undoes the last knot.

  “Wait. Let’s countdown. You ready, Olly?” Sophie asks him. “Three, two, one!”

  Dom whips the scarf from my eyes and I blink twice at what I see in front of me. I look from the shiny new car on the drive to my dad and then Sophie.

  “You’re shittin me!” I immediately cover my mouth, realising I have just sworn in front of my little brother.

  “Everly said a swear word, Mummy.”

  Sophie fights a smile. “Yes, she did, but we’ll let her off today because it’s her birthday.”

  In a daze, I walk towards the car that has a large red bow on the front and run my hand along its paint work.

  “I can’t believe you got me a car, and not just any car.” I feel tears brimming in my eyes as I fight the emotions inside of me. You see, a VW Beetle had been my mum’s trusty old car and when it gave up the ghost two years ago, she’d said a tearful goodbye to it and bought a cheap little Kia run-around. So, when I’d had a casual conversation about cars with my family and they had asked me what my dream first car was, I wistfully told them I wanted a cream VW convertible that I would name Gretta. Never in my wildest dreams did I expect them to buy me one for my birthday.

  “Are you okay, honey?” My dad comes up beside me and dangles the keys in front of me.

  I take the keys from him, jumping up and down like an excited child at Christmas. “It’s perfect! I love it. God, Mum would love this car.”

  My dad places his arm around my shoulder and hugs me into his side. “I’m so pleased you like it.”

  I shake my head, beaming from head to toe. “Dad, I don’t like this car, I adore it.”

  “Want to take it for a spin?” he asks, holding up two ‘L’ plates.

  “Yes! Yes,” I reply immediately and before he can say another word, I press the unlock button, whip open the door and take a seat inside my new baby. I run my hands over the steering wheel and take in the interior. On the dash is a wobbly head united football player.

  “Whose touch is this?” I ask, laughing.

  “That is Dom’s touch,” Sophie tells me, pointing at Dom, who grins and rolls his eyes.

  “Yeah, that is the first and last time you will ever catch me buying anything from the United online shop.”

  I flick the head of the wobbly figure and watch it bob side to side. My dad opens the passenger door and slides in beside me. “Ready?”

  “Hell, yes. Watch out world here I come,” I shout as I start the engine and find the biting point. Ever so slowly, we move forward and head down the drive.

  “This is amazing,” I squeal as I drive out on to the street.

  “Remember to use your mirrors,” my dad reminds me. I’ve been having driving lessons for just over a month and I am slowly getting the hang of things, but I have never been out with my dad before, so this is a novel experience.

  “Are you happy, honey?” he asks me. I can feel him studying my face intently.

  I know what he is asking me this. Today is not going to be an easy day. It is my first birthday without my lovely mum. I officially became an adult today and my mum is not here to see it.

  “I’m as happy as I can be,” I tell him with a brave smile. “It’s not the same without her, but I’m doing okay.”

  He nods and reaches over and squeezes my hand that rests on the gear stick. “She would be proud of the young woman you’re becoming.”

  “I hope so,” I reply with a smile.

  We go around the block three times and then dad checks his watch and says we should head back for breakfast. My heart thumps in my chest when we pull into the drive, and I see Grayson waiting. He’s leaning back against his car looking every inch the deliciously hot snack he was. Our college uniform clings to him in all the right places, the shirt straining against his muscled chest, and I inwardly sigh at the sight of my boyfriend. I kill the engine and I am up out of the car and launching myself at him.

  “Hey baby,” he says into my ear, as I wrap my arms tightly around his neck. “Happy Birthday beautiful.”

  I pull back slightly so I can see his face. “Hey, you.” I lean in and kiss him, just as my Dad walks past us and tugs on a strand of my hair.

  “Your little brother is watching.”

  I look to my side and giggle when I see Olly standing at the door, pulling a disgusted face at us.

  Grayson leans up off his car and slides my hand into his. “Come on, birthday girl.”

  I can never get enough alone time with my man. We’ve been dating for nine months now, and I am still as hung up on him as I was that day in the school cafeteria when I’d realised I’d fallen in love with him and publicly declared my feelings. I still have to pinch myself sometimes that this fine specimen of a man is all mine.

  “We made pancakes,” Olly announces as I take my seat at the table. “Look, I put a smiley face on yours with a banana.” He points proudly at the plate that Sophie places in front of me.

  “Wow. Olly thanks buddy. I love it,” I tell him, giving his hair a quick playful ruffle.

  Olly beams at me in delight. “We got you a cake too, it’s got—”

  “Shush,” Dom tells him, placing a hand over Oll’s mouth. “It’s a surprise, Olly.”

  Olly bounces in his seat, nodding and grinning, and he taps his nose. “It’s okay I won’t tell her it’s a Game of Thrones cake.”

  “Olly!” Everyone says simultaneously around the table and I chuckle. Olly is useless at keeping secrets. He just can’t hold them in, no matter how hard he tries.

  “Okay, everyone eat up,” Sophie urges as she sits herself down.

  I bite into my pancake and groan. “Oh, y
ou did peanut butter ones, Soph.”

  “Well, I had to do your favourites on a day like today.”

  I look around the table at these six people who have become my family. It is strange to think that just over seven months ago they were all strangers to me. I stuff myself with four pancakes and rub my belly in satisfaction.

  “We should get going,” Dom announces, looking at his watch.

  “Why do we have to go to school, Mummy? I want to stay home and eat birthday cake with Evy.”

  Evy is what Olly calls me now. He has decided Everly was too long.

  “I’m sorry, buddy,” I tell him, dropping a kiss on his head as I pass him. “We’ll eat lots of cake later, I promise.”

  I follow the others to the door and slip on my shoes and grab my bag. Grayson comes up behind me and wraps his arms around my waist as we walk to the car and nuzzles into my neck.

  “Mmm,” he says into my ear. “I want to eat lots of cake later too.”

  I blush, my heart beating faster. “Grayson, you’re insatiable.”

  I feel his smile against my neck. “Only for you, Manchester. Only for you.”

  We pick up Izzy on the way to school and she climbs into the back with Abi and I. She has her red hair up in a messy bun and still manages to look flawlessly beautiful.

  “Happy birthday!” She cheers as she gets in. She leans over Abi and drops a kiss on my cheek. “Grayson, I hope you bought her a big fat expensive present.”

  Grayson looks over his shoulder and offers her a wink. “Wait and see.”

  We pull up at college and everyone climbs out. I stop halfway out of the car when I realise Grayson is still wearing his seat belt up in the front.

  “You coming?”

  He shakes his head. “Get in the front, we’re not going in there today.”

  “We’re not?”

  He shakes his head, just as Izzy leans in through his window and drops a set of keys in his hands.

  “Enjoy, kids,” she says with a wink and a smile, before she hurries off and catches up to Dom.

  Curious, I fasten my seat belt as Grayson pulls off. He beeps his horn twice to Dom and Izzy as we race off back down the long drive of Harper Grange.

  “Where are we going?” I ask excitedly.

  He doesn’t take his eyes off the road but just smiles wickedly. “We’re spending the day together.”

  I squeal in excitement, and he laughs, taking my hand in his.

  I watch avidly at the direction we are going in to try to figure out where he’s taking me. I look at him puzzled when we pull off the road and the electric gates for Izzy’s house open.

  “Why are we going to Izzy’s house?” I ask him, my nose wrinkling in confusion. If taking me to Izzy’s house is his idea of a birthday surprise, then he is in trouble. He pulls up at the side of the house. With a lazy grin, he takes my hand and tugs me around the back of the house towards the pool house.

  “We’re going swimming for my birthday?” I say flatly.

  Grayson chuckles and pulls me inside the pool house. He closes the door behind us and hits a button on a small remote that brings the blinds down on all the windows. He hits another button and softly warm fairy lights that decorate the ceiling twinkle to life.

  Okay, so maybe he is good at this birthday surprise business. Chewing on my lip, I allow him to guide me along the side of the pool until we reach the hot tub, which is filled with red rose petals. At the side is a bucket with a bottle chilling inside. I jump slightly as music plays and I shake my head, laughing as I hear the opening line for the song - Endgame. He has never let me forget that I’d said Lottie thought we were endgame.

  He comes up behind me and reaches round and starts unbuttoning my school shirt. “Time to get into your birthday suit, Manchester.”

  He pops the last button open and my shirt slides down my arms to the floor. Then his hands are at my waist and he pulls the zip down on my pleated school skirt. His hands slide over my hips as he tugs it down. I chew on my lip as he unclasps my bra and I shiver as his hands slowly drag it down my arms and off. His warm hands slide teasingly slowly to my panties and he hooks his fingers in the elastic and pulls them down until they pool at my feet.

  “Would the birthday girl like champagne?” He asks. He drops barely there kisses down my neck, making me forget how to formulate words.

  “I thought northern girls like me don’t drink champagne?” I tease and I feel his smile against my skin. The night we had first met, he had suggested I have some champagne so I could taste what class was.

  “Ouch,” I yelp as he playfully slaps my backside.

  “Get in the tub Manchester.”

  Giving him a brief but playful glare, I walk into the tub and immerse myself in the water. Grayson walks over to the champagne and pours me a glass, and he leans over and offers it to me.

  I go to take it from his hand, but he moves it out of reach and smirks. “Kiss first.”

  I stretch up and kiss him ever so softly and briefly on his lips. He fights a smile. “Tease.” He exclaims before he hands me the glass.

  I lean back against the side of the tub and sip my champagne. It is the only champagne I like, and it tastes like heaven. My attention diverts when Grayson undoes his shirt. I watch every button as it opens and chew on my lip as I drink him in. My man has a body to die for. Chiselled abs and a flawless washboard stomach. Oh, and did I mention his arse is the finest I’ve ever laid eyes on? He smirks confidently, his eyes never leave mine. Grayson is confident in his own skin, and that just makes him all that more desirable. He pulls the zipper down on his trousers, making me squirm in my seat as my core heats with want. Grayson pulls his boxers down with his trousers and his hard length springs free, and it begs to be touched and worshipped. He steps into the hot tub and reaches behind him to grab his glass. He looks at me with such heat and need that it melts me from the inside out.

  “Come here Manchester,” he orders, beckoning me with his finger. He knows I love it when he is demanding in the bedroom.

  With my heart thundering in my chest, I place my glass down on the side and move across the tub until I am standing in front of him. He lazily takes a slow torturous drink while he looks me over before he reaches for me and lowers me down onto him.

  “Oh god,” I groan as he fills me.

  He smirks. “I love it when you call me god.”

  I playfully slap his cheek and he chuckles. He moves his hips and I forget anything else other than the feel of him. The world can burn around us and I would be oblivious, lost in how he fills me, how he moves inside me, in how he makes me feel so worshipped and adored.

  “So fucking perfect,” he moans as he moves his hips harder and faster and the water splashes around us. His finger presses against my clit, intensifying my pleasure.

  “So good,” I moan, my head rolling back as I lose myself in the ascent to my release.

  “Look at me, Manchester,” he orders, gently gripping my chin with one hand, forcing me to meet his eyes. “Look at me baby, I want to see you come.”

  I grip on his shoulders tightly and move my hips wanting him to go faster and harder chasing that crest that I need so badly.

  “Fuck,” I shout out loud as I explode into a thousand pieces, crying out his name. He smiles with satisfaction before he picks up speed and chases his own release. His hips move faster and harder until I feel him spill inside of me, whispering my name as he does. There is nothing more satisfying in this world than watching him come.

  I lean my forehead against his as we both come down from our high and catch our breaths. He reaches out and brushes my hair off from my face.

  “That day we had sex, right here in this tub, I knew I was a goner. I knew you had me under your spell, Manchester.”

  I can’t help but smile as memories of that moment fill my mind. “I love you.”

  He cups my neck and kisses me with blinding passion, making sure I know he feels the same. “Ditto, Manchester. Fucking ditto.”r />
  “This is the best way to spend my birthday, ever,” I tell him with a satisfied grin. “Sex and pink champagne.”

  He taps my nose playfully. “Hold that thought baby, because this day is far from over, and neither is the sex.”

  “Okay,” I reply breathlessly, I am always down for more sex. He carefully lifts me off him and passes me my glass and picks up his own.

  “To the birthday girl.”

  I clink my glass against his. “To me.”

  We finish our drinks and I watch with appreciation as he steps out of the tub, as naked as the day he was born and he holds out a towel for me.

  “We’re leaving? I thought we were just getting started?” I ask in a playful tone.

  He winks. “Baby, this was just the starter. The main course and the cake come later.”

  Well, what can a girl say to that? I stand to my feet and walk towards him and he wraps me up in the towel and has a quick grope of my backside before he turns and covers himself with his towel.

  “Get dressed, Manchester. We have somewhere to be.”

  Giddy with excitement at what he has planned next, I dry myself quickly and throw my uniform back on. Grayson locks up the pool house and we climb back into his car.

  We drive for about ten minutes until we pull down a familiar road.

  “Were going to the cemetery on my birthday?” I frown.

  Grayson winks and squeezes my leg. “A weird birthday for my little weirdo.” He often teases me about being weird because I love anything supernatural.

  We climb out and today we don’t need to climb the wrought-iron gates to get in, as we are actually here when the place is open. Grayson takes my hand, and he guides me gently along the lines of graves until we are almost at the back of the cemetery.

  “So, here is your second present.” I look at him puzzled as the confidence in his voice waivers. “Look.” He gestures with his head and I follow his gaze.

  “Grayson,” I reply, my voice shaky with emotion as I take it in. In front of me is a marble plaque with my mum’s name and the date she died, with the inscription ‘Mother, friend, inspiration.’ It is finished with the Celtic symbol for Mother and Daughter. The very same one tattooed on my chest, in memory of my mother.