Page 40 of His Duchess' Wicked List

“Very pretty,” he said dryly. “But they are your army. You have a queen, two bishops, two knights, two rooks, and several pawns, whose aim is to protect your king. The objective of the game is to secure the other player’s king—to force it into a position of checkmate, where it is unable to avoid capture. You must try to protect your king at all costs.”

“I see.” She leaned over and peered at the board. “That makes sense. And how do I move the pieces?”

He smiled. “Ah, well, that will test your powers of memory,” he said. “Each one moves in different directions. I shall explain which way when you decide to move the piece.”

Maddie nodded. “That is straightforward! Shall we begin?”

“Not yet.” He gave her a piercing look. “There is something else.”

“What is it?”

“When either of us loses a piece,” he said, his mouth twitching, “we must remove an item of clothing.”

Maddie’s jaw dropped. “I have never observed a game of chess where the players removed their clothes!”

He shrugged, giving her a wicked smile. “That is a rule I have just added. Just for the sheer fun of it.” He stared at her, his grey eyes glittering dangerously. “Are you up for it?”

Maddie’s heart started racing. She should have known that he would do something like this to her. Learning how to play chess wasn’t quite so benign, after all.

She knew she should politely decline and get up and walk out of his study. But he had challenged her, and she was already experiencing shivers of desire just by looking into his smoldering eyes.

“I am,” she asserted, raising her chin again. “Ineverback down from a challenge.”

His eyes glittered. Did she see admiration in them?

“Let us play, then,” he said solemnly. “White always moves first. So, I shall begin. Watch carefully.”

Maddie tried to focus on the game. Under his tutelage, she cautiously progressed, moving her pieces in the direction he indicated they could move, trying to keep mindful of where he was moving his. But suddenly, he whisked one of her pawns off the board, placing it on his side of the table.

“Oh,” she gasped. “That was foolish of me.”

He grinned. “You must remove one item of clothing,” he reminded her, his mouth twitching. “As agreed.”

Maddie sighed dramatically. Puzzled, she looked down at her gown. There was nothing else she could remove. She had taken off her gloves in her room.

“My shoes?” she asked in a hopeful voice.

He shook his head in a mock sorrowful way. “I am afraid not. It must be an item of clothing.”

“But I am only wearing my gown,” she protested, shrugging her shoulders. “Not even a shawl or a jacket!”

His eyes were boring into hers. “Youarewearing other items of clothing,” he said slowly. “Or at least I assume you are wearing them.”

Maddie blushed fiercely. He must be referring to her undergarments. She was still wearing her chemise, her stays, her petticoats, and her stockings beneath her white silk ball gown. She hadn’t changed at all, except to peel off her gloves.

She had given Jane an early night, feeling sorry for the lady’s maid, who was often falling asleep by the time she arrived at her chambers after balls. Thus, she had seen to her toilette alone tonight.

“That… that is rather risqué,” she squeaked.

“It is, isn’t it?” His eyes widened. “How scandalous. A true adventure for you. Before you know it, you will be attempting to climb Mont Blanc.”

“Stop teasing me,” she chided, her blush deepening, even as her mouth twitched as well. “I cannot bear it!”

He laughed easily. “One piece of clothing for every piece taken. That is what was agreed.”

“Oh, all right,” she muttered, taking off a shoe, before rolling down one of her stockings. She tossed it at him in a defiant way. “There. One piece of clothing. Shall we play on?”

He caught the stocking, smiling broadly, looking delighted. She watched him slowly run his fingers along the silk. When he looked at her again, her stomach lurched, seeing the raw hunger in his eyes.

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