‘If you win, it won’t matter, will it?’ He reached for his pawn and made the first move.
‘I’ve already said that I am terrible at chess. And it’s a bad idea.’ Even so, she claimed his pawn as her own.
‘Kissing you is never a bad idea,’ he countered. ‘But I will not force you into anything. If I win, it’s your choice whether to grant my request.’
She appeared unconvinced but turned her attention back to their match. As they began to play, he saw her strategy. Whether she would admit it or not, Regina was quite good. She sacrificed a few pieces to make bigger moves, and he found that the game was more challenging than he’d imagined.
It intrigued him, and when he placed her in check, she studied him with interest. ‘You lied about your skill, Dalton.’
‘So did you. But does it matter?’ He watched as she considered her next move.
‘I still want to go riding. I love horses,’ she admitted.
He eyed her closely. ‘You realise, we could both win this game. Even if I take the match, I’d be glad to take you out riding.’
After his answer, she eyed him, her head slightly tilted in consideration. Then she made her last move, putting herself in checkmate.
The game was his. And yet, it was only beginning.
Regina hesitated, waiting for Dalton to speak. But he said nothing to her—he only waited with infinite patience.
I can’t do this, her brain protested. Not because kissing him was frightening—quite the opposite. The last time he had kissed her, she had felt a part of herself awakening. Yearning, even. She wasn’t afraid of Dalton demanding more from her. She was afraid of her own response to him.
Her heart was thundering in her chest, and Dalton remained motionless. He’d asked for a kiss, freely given. And she could not deny that she wanted to kiss him.
His eyes were dark and hooded, and he waited for her to approach. She wasn’t certain whether to lean down, but when she drew near, he pulled her to sit on his lap. Then he let his hands fall away, in a silent invitation.
She rested her hands on his shoulders, feeling uncertain. Restless emotions rose up within her, along with her own insecurities. Dalton’s body was strung tight, as if he was barely hanging on to control.
And yet, she was drawn to this man.
He was handsome, with dark blond hair and green eyes that were sometimes blue, depending on the way the light played. His face was clean shaven, and she reached out to touch his cheek. The angle of his jaw and the strong face made him more masculine. He was waiting for her to kiss him, but she could not yet abandon her fears.
It had been years since she had been violated, and the harsh reality kept invading the present moment.
But he seemed to guess her hesitation, and he reminded her, ‘I will never harm you, Regina. You are in command.’
She believed him, for in his voice, there was complete sincerity. And perhaps he would help her to move forward, to put the past behind her. She put her arms around his neck and leaned in for the promised kiss.
But when her mouth came to his, she felt a breathless longing. The moment she kissed him, he kissed her back. She tasted his lips, and there was a hint of ale upon them from their earlier meal. His mouth was heated, giving a sensual caress that reached deep inside her. She had only meant for it to be a brief kiss, but she found herself captivated. Against her hip, she could feel the hard ridge of his arousal, and panic rose up.
But he did nothing, except continue to kiss her. And when she drew back, his eyes were dark and filled with desire.
Regina waited for him to make demands, to press her, but he did nothing except drink in the sight of her. She felt breathless, unable to grasp the fleeting thoughts that went through her mind. She didn’t know what to do now. She wanted to kiss him again...and yet, she feared it would only evoke temptation. She didn’t want a true marriage with Dalton. It wasn’t possible to forget the past.
But right now, she wanted to weep, for he had made the kiss so good. He made her feel things she’d never imagined she could feel. And it terrified her.
‘Why did you marry me, Dalton?’ she whispered.
‘Because you needed my help.’ He drew his hand over her, gently stroking the base of her spine.
‘That doesn’t truly answer my question. We’ve known each other for years, yes. But I never gave you any signs of...more.’
He kept his hands upon her spine while she remained seated on his lap. ‘When my brother died, most people kept a respectful distance because of my parents’ grief. You were the only one to notice that I was in pain.’
‘I saw you leave the burial,’ she argued. ‘You didn’t need to be alone.’
‘No one else came but you.’ He reached up and drew his thumb down the line of her jaw. The simple touch undid her, and she felt the heat down to her bones. ‘To you, it was nothing. To me, it was everything.’
He kept his palm against her cheek. ‘But I know I’m not the man you wanted.’ With that, he pulled his hand away, giving her the chance to leave.
She knew she should get up from his lap, but she couldn’t bring herself to move. His touch had made her crave more, and she didn’t understand what he had evoked. The heat of his skin and the thrumming of her heart only heightened the sensations rising inside.
‘We should go to sleep now,’ she whispered. ‘It’s late.’
‘It is.’ He eyed her for a moment and asked, ‘Do you want me to loosen your stays so it’s easier for you to sleep?’
She shook her head, not wanting to
