Page 57 of Baron in Check
“You can take any pieces I have.” Greg took her earlobe between his teeth. A cool chill mixed with pleasure rippled through her and she nearly yelped.
“I’m not going to let you kick the White Knight and renew the threat of Queen h4,” Hermy said.
“I’d do anything to see the white queen. Will you show me the French things in the hat box?” Greg pleaded, bringing his hand to the small of her back and fumbling with the buttons on the back of her gown.
“You just want to see them in the box?” She pushed him aside and reached for the round container. “Here.” Hermy opened the leather strap and the brass buckle clinked when she detached the top of the box. She could tell Greg was reluctant to let her go but she knew he was curious and would look.
He blinked.
Again.
Then he narrowed his eyes.
“It’s very dark in here,” he said as he reached into the box and produced some sheer muslin with lace edges and the most delicate embroidery Hermy had ever seen.
“Careful, the embroidery is made with Chinese mulberry silk.”
“Is this a veil?” Greg asked, trying to find the beginning or top of the garment. Hermy wasn’t sure whether he was joking, for surely he must have had mistresses since…
“Greg, can I ask you something?”
“Always.” He turned the garment upside down. “That’s not right.”
“Have you … I mean … since we…”
He dropped the fabric and looked at her. “Why do you ask?”
“I haven’t,” she admitted.
“Good.”
“Why?”
“Because neither have I.”
“Ever?”
“I have found release, if that’s what you’re asking. I haven’t looked, nor have I ever found love.” He spoke with certainty like a man who’d found it now.
“That doesn’t make any sense.”
“For men it does. It’s like … imagine you’re hungry and you get a bucket of apples. If you eat them, you’ll be full. But will you be as satisfied as if you’d had pheasant, quiche, and pear compote? No!”
“I don’t like your analogy. I didn’t ‘eat’ anything, nor am I a stuffed bird.”
“Then you must be starving.” He gave a crooked smile down her cleavage. “I knowIam.”
The impossible rake who’d stolen her heart all those years ago apparently still had a firm hold of it.
“I want to make you starve right now.” She wasn’t angry exactly because she had no right to be jealous, but it seemed that she didn’t need the right to be jealous to be awash with the sentiment.
“Well, nobody ever wore something like that for me,” Greg said, dropping the lingerie back in the hat box. “We’re almost home, can you show me where the top and bottom on this thing is?”
“Why do you need to know?” She tasted the danger crackling in the air as she spoke the words.
“Because I need to orient my next attacks.” And with these words, he pressed his mouth onto hers. Devoid of any reason to protest, Hermy responded, wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him in. She finally had her Black Knight, and she gladly let him conquer her.
CHAPTER 26
