Page 132 of Bride of the Midnight Prince

I don’t know what my face looks like, but Rahk’s eyes visibly widen—first surprise, then confusion. It’s a relief to be able to read his emotions.

“Katherine?” he asks, his hands slowing.

My gaze trails to the object in his hand.His Fool’s Circle boardgame.I pause, my mouth slightly open, as I try to quickly recalibrate my brain from the sudden whiplash.

“Are we going to play?” My voice comes out slightly shrill.

His gaze flicks from my face to my hands, then beyond me to the bed. Understanding seems to dawn in his expression, which seems to soften infinitesimally. “If you would like to.”

I nod vigorously. My cheeks flame hot.

He sets the game on the low table. Then he comes to where I stand. He stops too close—the kind of close one stands when kissing happens. My instinctive reaction is to step back, but I don’t want him to think I’m afraid of him. I manage not to move, but my eyes shift away from his gaze, latching onto the evening sun pouring through the window and melting across the rug. When he doesn’t speak, I drag my eyes up to meet his.

He seems to be measuring my reaction to his closeness.

I swallow. His hand lifts and the pad of his thumb lightly brushes my shoulder. His voice is low and rumbly when he speaks softly. “Why don’t you get your Thief?”

He speaks of the variation piece from my game. I drag in a deep breath, nod, and then escape his presence. The moment I’m safely ensconced in my room, I find my game and fumble around for the special piece—all while I mouth a silent stream of curses.

Then I return, forcing a sunny smile and dropping the piece onto the half-set board. He sits on his cushions while I take my usual spot opposite him.

He might chop off my head in the future, but I’m determined to keep it screwed on properly in the meantime. He can try to unnerve me with his proximity all he wants. I am not undone by intense black eyes or muscular chests. Or, at least, I can make strides in that direction.

I cluck my tongue. “You can go first. I’m feeling especially lucky today and I think you need all the help you can get to beat me.”

Those black eyes of his flick up to mine for a brief second before he moves three of his pieces a single spot each. I spend all my moves on one piece.

We go back and forth in quiet, until he makes a specific move that has my finger flying out to point and the words bursting from my mouth: “I know that trick! I just read about it since the last time we played!”

His lips curve. “Do you remember the proper defense?”

“I’m sure I do not,” I confess.

A full, true smile bursts upon his face, followed by a low chuckle. “Shall I show you? Or will your luck carry you through?”

I shoot to my feet and all but run to my room to retrieve my strategy book. “I don’t trust anything you say once the game is going! You’ve got a conflict of interest. Now let me find the page . . .”

When I sit down, he lightly snatches the book from my grip. I immediately begin protesting and reaching for it, but almost as fast, he returns it to me, opened to the proper page.

“Unnecessary, but thank you anyway,” I reply, sticking out my tongue as I read. “See! This is why I didn’t remember it. It’s a five-step defense. It’ll take me two turns to properly recover.”

He watches me huff impatiently as I move my pieces. “The best defense to this move is to not create an opportunity for it. And to recognize when your opponent might be setting up for it.”

I glare at him. “Your turn.”

He makes his move. I make mine, finally recovering from his snotty little maneuver. He moves again.

“Nope!” I call at once, picking up the piece and returning it to its spot.

“What?” he replies, his eyes twinkling, though the rest of his face doesn’t betray anything. “Too clever of a move for you?”

“I know when you’re purposefully making stupid moves to throw the game. I’ve told you before—I’m going to beat you one of these days and it isn’t going to be from charity!”

Now he definitely fights a smile. “How is this a stupid move?”

I lean over the table so I can show him the moves for the next three turns. “See? You just gave up one of the spots surrounding the Fool. It is a stupid move, indeed, and you know it is.”

I glare up at him, only to find that he isn’t looking at the board. “It’s rude to call your husband stupid.”

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