Page 23 of A Kiss Of Lies

Christian ran his finger over his right cheek. “Some memories are impossible to forget.” His mouth curved in a rueful smile. “Unless we create pleasanter ones to replace them.”

She had no answer for that. He was right.

They sat for several minutes in companionable silence, both drinking coffee.

Sarah spied a fine chess set on the sideboard. “Do you play?” She pointed a finger at the finely carved pieces. He nodded. “Your chess set is exquisite. Where did you get it?”

Christian smiled. “My friend and fellow soldier, Grayson Devlin, Viscount Blackwood, gave it to me. It’s from one of his trips through the north of Africa. The pieces are made of ivory from elephant tusks. I played constantly in the army. Not much else to do at night when camped at the edge of a battlefield.” He stood and moved to the sideboard, where he picked up the king.

“It’s a finely wrought set,” Sarah observed, “but I hate to think of how such magnificent creatures had to die to make it. They have to kill the elephants first in order to extract their tusks, don’t they?”

Christian nodded. Then, seeing the mention of the elephants saddened her, he changed the subject. “Grayson and I played all the time. It helped clear our minds and focused us on strategy. Do you play?”

“I’m not bad,” she admitted.Not bad? You little fibber!She’d yet to meet anyone—man or woman—who could beat her.

“Care for a game?”

She inwardly laughed at the challenge in his voice. Men. They were so predictable. “Why not? It’s too hot to go to my cabin. At least in the main cabin we have the breeze.”

“Is your stateroom too hot? We could swap if you wish. I leave the door to my stateroom open and the breeze from the main cabin flows through.”

Sarah’s face heated. He’d give her his cabin? That would be like announcing to the world she was his mistress—and she wasn’t.Worse luck,she thought automatically, and flushed even more when she realized where her thoughts had been.Stop it!“My cabin is quite adequate for a governess, thank you. I need to be near Lily.”

His tight jawline indicated his irritation at her comment. Without another word he picked up the board and, without disturbing the pieces, carried the chess set to the small table positioned between their chairs.

Once he’d placed it on the table he said, “Thank goodness it’s not against the governesses’ code to play chess, or I’d become bored with my own company.”

“Perhaps I won’t be much of a challenge. That can be just as tedious.”

He raised one dark eyebrow and his eyes took on a rakish glint. “Then I’ll simply have to find another way to relieve our boredom.” He leaned in to refill her coffee.

She didn’t waver from his piercing gaze. “I’m sure I’ll not be bored.” She gave a sinful grin of her own. “I’m sorry to state that you will more than likely have to relieve your own boredom.”

He grimaced. “Since the responsibility of becoming Lily’s guardian has taken up much of my time, I’ve had to do far too much relieving.”

Sarah knew perfectly well what “relieving” meant in this context. This conversation was now beyond scandalous, the insinuations too direct. Sarah ignored his words and asked primly, “Shall we play? My move, I assume. Ladies first.”

“I don’t necessarily leave it up to the lady to make the first move. Often they are reluctant to go after what they long for. I, on the other hand, am never shy about going after what I want.” His voice was a low, husky caress. His long, slender fingers picked up a white pawn and moved it before she could reply. “To the winner go the spoils of war. What shall be my prize when I checkmate your king?”

Her traitorous body wanted to lean forward, stroke the hand that held the pawn, and purr,Me—I’m your prize. Reining in such disturbing thoughts, she bent over the board to concentrate on the game. His lordship believed he would be the victor, and she had no intention of surrendering this particular campaign without at least a strenuous battle.

A tense hour later, Christian uttered, “I see you have played this game many times, and that you’ve had a remarkable teacher. Who taught you?”

Damn. She’d forgotten that a woman of her standing would be unlikely to know how to play chess. “Serena’s governess. A lady whose family had fallen on hard times. She was an amazingly open-minded, well-educated, liberal woman.”

“Intelligent too, I wager. If you teach Lily even half of what she must have taught you and Lady Serena, then my ward will be quite capable of making her way in English society.”

“Thank you,” was all Sarah could manage. Inside she wanted to scream that intelligence, titles and money did not always save you. She looked at the chess board and inwardly smiled before moving her next piece.

With a look of horror, he uttered, “You’ve sacrificed your bishop to take my rook, but I see what you’re planning.” His voice, dripping with patrician arrogance and the calmness of male supremacy, indicated that he thought he could still win. He’d yet to realize he was already defeated.

Christian pounced, as she knew he would. The game would soon be over.

It was an altogether different curse he issued a few minutes later. “I’m defeated.” He sat back in disbelief, shaking his head. Then he looked at her and offered a seated half bow. “I always surrender gracefully to a beautiful woman. I lost, but I’m hoping that my punishment is even more enjoyable than the game.” He lifted her hand, brought her fingers to his lips, and brushed her bare knuckles with a provocative kiss.

Abruptly Sarah snatched her hand away, but the laugh Christian gave was not one of defeat. It held warmth and something more. Had he too felt the scorching heat between them? Sarah couldn’t seem to help herself. She immediately began thinking of ways to have him kiss her hand again. Kissing a woman’s hand was the norm, acceptable and safe. What she dreamed of doing with Christian, however, was dangerous.

Christian rose. “I need a proper drink. Would you care for a brandy?” He moved to pick up the decanter and, leaning closer than required, offered her a glass. Even after she had accepted it, Christian remained close and whispered, his breath a soft caress on her neck, “As the winner, you may choose the spoils of war? As the loser, I shall do my utmost to ensure you receive your heart’s desire.”

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