Page 14 of Reckless Desire

For a moment, she was caught off guard by his choice of words to praise her. Dominique’s body temperature soared, making her face flush. She shifted in her chair, clearing her throat before speaking, “Never underestimate your opponent, especially when they’re as determined as I am.”

Vincent merely nodded, giving her an intense, hooded stare. “Indeed. That’s something I’ll have to remember,” he replied.

For a moment, they simply stared at one another without saying a word.

Vincent cleared his throat, ending the silence between them. “So, uhh, did you always have a passion for chess?”

“Yes, since I was little. Maybe I was eight or nine years old when I started. Now, I use it as a way to escape the chaos of the world.”

“Hmm. An escape,” Vincent mused, his gaze never leaving her face. “I can understand that. We all need a refuge from our demons, don’t we?”

A tremor ran through Dominique at his words, teetering between safety and surrender. She hesitated for a moment, then took a deep breath and nodded. “Sometimes, those demons have a way of following us, though. No matter how hard we try to outrun them.”

“Tell me about your demons, Dominique,” Vincent whispered, his hand brushing against hers on the table.

The contact sent a shockwave through her. She peered down at their clasped hands and back up into his eyes, shaking her head ruefully. “I shouldn’t talk about my past. I don’t think it’s appropriate.”

“But I asked. No judgment zone.”

“Okay. So, umm, I was married before. And well, my ex-husband, Xander, was my Dom, and he betrayed me in the worst possible way. He cheated on me. I felt like it was my fault. I mean, I know it wasn’t. Anyway, I couldn’t get over it for a while. Therapy and chess helped me get through it.”

“I see. Could I ask you something? I hope you don’t take offense.”

“Sure.”

“Is that why you chose to become a Dominatrix instead of staying a submissive?”

“Partly,” Dominique admitted, her heart aching with the memory of her shattered marriage. “I needed to regain the control that Xan had taken from me. I needed to prove to myself that I deserved better than what he’d put me through.”

“Domination can be liberating. But it can also be isolating. Don’t let your past dictate your future, Dominique. You deserve so much more than that.” Vincent acknowledged, his voice gentle and empathetic.

His grip on her hand tightened, and she could feel the warmth of his understanding seeping into her bones. For the first time in over a year, she felt truly seen–not as an object or a possession, but as a woman with desires and fears and dreams all her own.

“Thank you.” Dominique felt tears prickling at the corners of her eyes. She looked down at their clasped hands, then back up into Vincent’s penetrating gaze.

“Of course, you’re welcome.” He replied, his thumb stroking the back of her hand. “Now, how about another game? I promise not to underestimate you this time.”

“Good. ‘Cause I need to see if you’re really going to bring your A-game this time.” Dominique joked as she took off her lightweight jacket and hung it on the back of her chair.

Vincent took hold of her arm when she sat down. “Your tattoo?” his voice a low rumble. “Now I know this … us meeting can’t be a mere coincidence.”

Dominique pinched her brows together as Vincent released her arm and shucked off his jacket, pointing to the tattoo inked onto his right shoulder. ‘King’ was written there along with a chess piece. Following his gaze down to her own arm, she took in the word ‘Queen’ accompanied by its chess piece counterpart. Peering back up at him, Vincent gave her a knowing look.

He nodded, his gaze never leaving hers. “I think it’s a bond that ties us together–a connection deeper than the surface.”

Starting the next game, Dominique found her heart swelling with pride and something else, something deeper, more powerful than mere victory or satisfaction. The connection between them had grown stronger throughout the evening, fueled by their shared passion for the game and the unprecedented openness they’d displayed with one another. And as she stared into Vincent’s eyes, she knew that this was no ordinary encounter–that what they’d discovered tonight might just be the beginning of something extraordinary.

“Checkmate,” Dominique declared, her voice steady and confident as she moved her queen into position.

Vincent raised an eyebrow, a slow smile spreading across his face. “Damn. I just knew your queen was out in the open for me to snatch up. I had a chance to make a move.”

“No, what you failed to realize, or rather understand, is the queen is not in danger. The queen is the danger.” She said, unable to hide her own satisfaction.

Vincent’s phone vibrated. He excused himself to take the call. Dominique watched his confident strut, a sexy, wide gait that made her jaw fall open.Damn!She felt a flutter in her stomach thinking of the potential of being with him, and her lips parted instinctively. Saliva pooled in her mouth as she imagined it. But it wasn’t the thought to Dom him that’d crossed her mind. She fantasized about surrendering to him.What the fuck?

“I’m afraid I have to leave, Dominique. It’s a case that requires my attention.”

The sound of his voice made her heart skip a beat. Startled, she let out an involuntary gasp and clutched her chest.

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