Page 62 of Checks & Bonds

The silence stretched as we studied our hands. I forced myself to focus on the cards instead of the way his chest rose and fell with each breath.

Focus, Freya, I scolded myself.

"Showtime," Henry announced, laying down his cards with a flourish—three of a kind.

My heart skipped a beat. I looked down at my hand and smiled. "Full house," I declared, spreading out my cards on the table.

Henry's eyes widened slightly before he chuckled. "Looks like you got me this time."

Relief washed over me as he reached for his belt buckle. He hesitated for a moment, then undid it with a smooth motion, sliding off his pants and leaving him in just his boxers. He didn't seem embarrassed at all—if anything; he looked even more confident.

I took a deep breath and leaned back in my chair, savoring the small victory. The game had shifted in my favor for now, but I knew better than to let my guard down around Henry.

"I win," I said, unable to keep the triumph out of my voice.

Henry smiled sardonically. "So you did."

I leaned forward, resting my elbows on the table. "I get you any way I want you," I reminded him, savoring the power shift.

"And how do you want me?" he asked, his tone both challenging and curious.

I pressed my index finger against my chin, pretending to think deeply. "I suppose on an airplane and out of the country is too much to hope for?"

He gave me a look that could have melted steel. The intensity in his eyes made my heart race, but I held his gaze, refusing to back down.

"I'll think about it," I said after a moment, my voice steady. "And then I'll let you know."

Henry stood up, moving around the table with a predator's grace. He stopped just inches from me, close enough that I could feel the heat radiating off his skin. "Take your time," he murmured, his breath ghosting over my cheek. "I'm not going anywhere."

The air between us crackled with tension. It was as if the whole world had narrowed down to this moment, this standoff between us. My pulse thrummed in my ears, loud and insistent.

I swallowed hard and pushed back from the table, needing some space to breathe. As I moved away, Henry watched me with that same inscrutable expression. His confidence was infuriating and intoxicating all at once.

Turning my back on him, I walked to the window and stared out at the sprawling estate below. The grounds looked serene in the twilight.

"Do you always play games like this?" I asked without looking back at him.

"Only when there's something worth winning," he replied smoothly.

I clenched my fists at my sides. His words were a reminder of how high the stakes had become between us—more than just a card game now.

"Well," I said finally, turning to face him again. "Let's see if you're as good at keeping your word as you are at playing cards."

Henry's lips curved into a slow smile. "You might be surprised." He folded his arms over his chest. "You're better than I expected."

"I learn from the best," I replied, trying to keep my tone light even as my pulse raced. I turned back to Henry, leaning against the window frame. "My grandfather was the best," I said, my voice softer now. "In every way, actually."

His eyebrows raised slightly. "Really?"

A smile tugged at my lips as memories flooded in. "Grandpa Joe was... something else. He used to run a little general store in our hometown. Every evening, after closing up shop, he'd sit at this rickety old table out back and deal out cards. It didn't matter if it was poker, gin rummy, or solitaire—he loved them all."

Henry leaned against the table, genuinely interested. "Sounds like quite a character."

"Oh, he was," I laughed. "He'd always have a story to tell. My favorite was about how he once hustled a professional poker player who wandered into town by mistake. 'He thought he could take an old man’s money,' Grandpa Joe would say with a wink. 'But he didn't know he was dealing with the best.'"

Henry chuckled, shaking his head. "I can picture it."

"Grandpa Joe taught me more than just how to play cards," I continued, feeling warmth spread through me at the thought of him. "He taught me strategy and patience. And he'd always say, 'The real game is in the mind, Freya. It's not about the cards you're dealt but how you play them.' I guess it was hard for me to learn that lesson, considering my temper tends to get the best of me at times. But he was always patient with me. He was always there, you know?"

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