“Wait.” I lounged back in my chair and crossed one leg over the other. “Did you just admit to being…happy?”
Dimitri took a sip of his whiskey. “Now who’s being smug?”
“Me. But it’s well earned. You’re a tough nut to crack.”
“And is that what you’re trying to do? Crack me?”
I swirled the wine around the bottom of my glass and eyed the flickering shadows dancing across his face.“Just trying to get to know the man I’m?—”
“Sleeping with?”
“There wasn’t all that much sleeping going on last night. Before or after we tested out the mattress.”
Dimitri’s eyes narrowed. “You didn’t sleep well?”
“I don’t mean me,mon monstre.You’re the one who slipped out in the early morning.”
“I told you, I don’t like to stay in the same place for too long.”
“Even a night?” I finished off my wine with a final sip and placed the glass down. “I think there’s more to it than that.”
“And I thinkyou’reoverthinking it.” Dimitri eyed the board. “It’s your turn.”
I let out a sigh and sat forward, trying to determine what countermove he’d make depending on each of the moves open to me, but it wasn’t easy. Compared to Dimitri, I was a noviceat playing this game. So much so I almost second-guessed theothergame I was playing with him—almost.
I picked up my rook and moved it into the spot left open by the pawn he’d just knocked off the table. When he chuckled, I realized my mistake and went to pick it back up.
Faster than I could blink, Dimitri reached across the board and took hold of my wrist.
“What do you think you’re doing?”
I raised my eyes to his and almost melted on the spot under his incendiary stare. “I thought of a better move.”
“Too bad. Once you relinquish your grip on the piece, your turn is over.”
“You’re making that up.”
“Am I?”
“Yes. Everyone knows there’s a clock that you push when you finish your move.”
“And when there’s no clock,” he said, drawing me around the board until I stood in front of him, “your move is over when you stoptouchingyour piece.”
“Says you.”
“Says me.” Dimitri tugged me down onto his lap. “And I haven’t stopped touching you yet, so it’s still my move.”
He slid his hand up my arm and then drew the tip of his finger down the V of the neckline.
“So I’m your ‘piece,’ then?” I whispered, my dick apparently not having an issue with that at all. Play piece, piece of ass, piece on the side—okay, I kind of had a problem with the last one. But I already knew there wasn’t anyone else warming his bed, so for now I was okay with this scenario.
Especially when Dimitri dipped his head and put his lips to the side of my neck.
“For the purpose of this game?” He smoothed his hand down to my waist and pulled me higher on his lap, sucking on the sweet spot just behind my ear. “Definitely.”
I hummed and wriggled in his lap, wrapping my arm around his neck. “And are we going to stay in this musty old castle and play games for the rest of our stay? Or are you going to take me out to explore?”
Dimitri flicked his tongue over my lobe, then moved the hand at my waist down to my thighs and urged them apart. Never once did he lift his palm, relinquishing his move.
