Page 92 of Arianna

Ella is currently busy bouncing in her chair while watching an episode of the talking pig while Benjamin is in the pool area, for the second day in a row, training the security’s new members.

“Soyez silencieux.” I tell him as I move my pawn toward his king two squares forward.

I know that with him, it is a losing game.

The clever bastard never loses, although I’ve noticed he tries to prolong the game, giving me time to study his moves.

I find the game of chess fascinating, but I am not oblivious to the fact that Sebastian is a skilled player, not so easily defeated. What makes him a worthy rival is that he finds satisfaction in crushing his opponents.

Sebastian’s throaty laugh washes over me like a warm bath in the middle of a freezing winter. The man has the kind of laugh that would make even the most miserable of bitches stop and stare to admire how rare it is.

He has many laughs.

The one that he only does when he is being an asshole. Mocking.

The laugh that he reserves only for Ella. Full of love and tenderness.

Then, there is the one that he shares with me lately.

A laugh full of wonder. A laugh that makes him look younger, even more beautiful than he usually does.

The charming and beautiful bastard does things to me.

Things I can’t fully name yet.

New and exciting things that I've never felt before or care enough for.

“Souviens-toi de ce que je t’ai appris. Surveille toujours tes arrieres.” Remember what I taught you. Always watch your back. Sebastian tells me before positioning his bishop in the center of the board. All his bishops and knights are ready for attack.

He shared with me all I need to know to make sure I win the game.

First, I need to learn the moves because each piece can move only a certain way. Second, to always open with a pawn. This opens pathways for your bishops and queen to enter the game. Three, to make sure to get my bishops and knights out and ready to attack. Fourth, the pawns are just as important as any other piece. Pawns can become queens.

But the most important lesson, one that I have ingrained in my mind every time I play now, is always to watch my back, and to do that, I need to study my opponent’s last move and anticipate what they’ll do next. Nothing is for certain when playing the game, but it is important to get a good read on your rival because they might be laying traps to capture my piece.

Knowing there is no chance of me winning the game now, I reach forward and pick up a piece, but before I place the pawn right where I want it, Sebastian stops me.

“Here is another tip for you, darling. Be patient. Never play too fast because, like in real life, patience is the key to chess success.” I raise my gaze from the board, and my eyes clash with his.

There is not an ounce of cockiness in his gaze. No. They’re warm, and I dare say there is a twinkle in them, almost playful. He looks at me as if he is waiting for something, but I don’t know what.

His stare makes me uncomfortable, but not in a creepy, perverted way as I hoped it would in the beginning but the opposite. It’s an uncomfortable feeling when someone looks at you as if they’ve known you all their life and as if they’re peering through the window of your soul.

It is exciting, too.

And I had to come to terms with the fact that Sebastian Kenton excites me in all the ways a man does a woman.

"Respirez, réfléchissez puis attaquez. N'agissez pas de manière impulsive en cas de doute." He says in a husky tone while staring at my face. Not angry. Not annoyed or impatient. He tells me to breathe, think, and then attack. How ironic that a couple of weeks ago, all I wanted to do was just that.

Attack.

And now?

I don’t think I could ever hurt this man.

Not the man that gave me so much in so little time.

The man that gave me Ella.

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