Page 20 of The Duchess in His Bed
Smack!
The ball rolled quickly toward the corner, bounced away to hit the opposite side, and rolled diagonally toward the other corner where it hit, bounded back, and came to rest a few inches from the red ball. Disappointment washed over her face. “May I try again?”
“If you like. We’re not playing yet. Simply practicing.”
The next strike hit the opposite side and rolled to a stop. She sighed. “I suppose it takes a good deal of practice to be as good as you are.”
The third time was a charm, or part of one at least. She hit his white ball. She looked at him hopefully, her smile tentative. “Perhaps we should use your modified rules. If we did, I would have scored?”
“One point.”
“And I’d get another turn? I wouldn’t have to hand the cue over to you yet?”
“Correct. We’ll go with the more flexible rules.”
“You’re incredibly kind and sporting. Are you going to allow me to go first?”
“There’s a method for determining who goes first. It has to do with each of us hitting our balls, bouncing them off the far end, and the one—” He shook his head. This was all for fun. The wager didn’t involve money or pride. “It doesn’t matter. As my guest, you may go first.”
“Thank you. May I alterourrules a bit?”
Leaning his hip against the side of the table, he crossed his arms over his chest. “What did you have in mind?”
“When one of us scores a point, he—orshe—gets to ask the other a question, which must be answered truthfully or a forfeit must be paid.”
“What will the forfeit be?”
Nibbling on that lower lip again. He could barely wait to do his own nibbling. “Whatever the point maker decides. I think it will add a level of excitement not to know what might be required.”
Bless her. Fortune had smiled on her with the last hit, might again with a couple more shots, but once the cue came to him, he’d rack up eight points in a row. Eight questions. He could ask anything of her. He nodded. “Done.”
She smiled brightly. “Very good. Will you set it up properly for us to begin?”
He placed the red ball at the opposite end, both whites at theirs.
Closing her eyes, she inhaled a deep breath, slowly released it. Opening her eyes, she bent over the table, holding the cue just as he’d instructed, her grip relaxed. Her eyes were focused with a predatory gleam in them.
She struck her ball, thesmackechoing around the room, as it rapidly rolled toward its destination, bouncing off three walls before clacking against the red ball, and spinning off to send his white one upstream. With a triumphant smile, she placed the end of the cue on the floor, holding it as a knight might have held his liege lord’s banner after claiming the castle. He couldn’t blame her. She’d gotten incredibly lucky with that shot.
“That’s a point for me, and a question for you. Tell me about your first time with a girl.”
So that was the direction in which she wanted to take the inquiry. He was grateful she’d gotten an opportunity to ask such a brazen thing of him because he would return the favor when it was his turn. “That’s not a question. That’s a command.”
“Fair enough. How old were you?”
“Sixteen.”
Her eyes widening a bit, she gave a nod and moved around the corner to take up a position on that side of the table. She glanced down the length of the table one way, then the other. Two steps to the right. Lined up her shot—
Smack!
Bounce. Bounce. Bounce.Clackagainst the red ball. Bounce.Clackagainst his white one. A slow roll into stillness. Retrieving the chalk, she began dusting it over the end of her cue. “Did you love her?”
He was surprised to find himself having to answer another question. “No.”
She arched a brow, indicating his answer had been insufficient, although it had been to the point.
“I like women. I enjoy them immensely. But I don’t fall in love, which I should think you’d find reassuring. I won’t be a clingy lover.”
