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“It’s all about the king. The queen is important, but without the king the game is over. He’s the main man.” He held her eyes.
“Is that how you win? When you capture the king?” Valentina asked breathlessly.
“Yeah, baby. That’s how you win.” Hal’s blue eyes twinkled at her.
With effort, she drew her eyes away from his and forced her attention back on the board. Valentina picked up a piece that looked like a horse’s head. “I think this is the knight, am I right?”
“Very good, that’s the knight. He’s most powerful in close positions and should always be where the action is,” Hal told her. “The knight is the only piece that can move at the beginning of the game without first moving a pawn.” He took the knight away from her and pressed another piece into her hand. “This is the pawn—as a new player you will be tempted to…” Hal’s voice was a low rumble as he continued to place pieces in her hand and explain the game to her.
She wanted him to touch her again.
And in other places.
Valentina let out a low, wistful sigh. When she raised her eyes to his, she found him staring at her with an intensity that make her weak.
Predator—prey,came the unbidden thought. Then with a blush she amended the notion topredator—willing prey.Because really, at that moment, she couldn’t think of a thing that he could do to her that she wouldn’t want done.
“Do you think you understand how the game is played now?”
“I can be a pretty slow learner.” She admitted with a pang of regret, because honestly, the game he was playing was way out of her league.
Valentina put down the piece she was holding.
Hal regarded her solemnly for a moment. “I don’t think that’s gonna be a problem for us, Tia.”
“You don’t?” Valentina couldn’t stop the thread of hope that sounded out in her voice. “Why don’t you?”
Hal took in her wide-eyes and wistful expression. Then his own eyes softened, and the corner of his mouth lifted.
“Because, I’ve got a strong feeling that you’re gonna be real good at letting me know if I’m moving too fast.”
Twenty minutes later, Hal was scrubbing a hand over his face in frustration.
Because they were back there again.
“Tia, want to stop putting that shit away, and tell me what the fuck I said to make you so freaked out that you can’t even look at me?”
When Valentina remained with her head in the refrigerator and her perfect ass sticking out of it, Hal thought she looked like a very cute ostrich stuck in the sand. But he knew that something he said had triggered her, she seemed to have gotten used to his teasing by now, so he really had no idea what it was.
In answer, Valentina stood up, closed the door, and said irritably, “I just don’t take showers, that’s all.”
“Okay, so don’t take one.” Hal didn’t see the problem.” I just figured that it’s hotter than hell out, and I’m gonna hop in the shower, thought you might want to do the same. I know that Glory left a shitload of clothes here, so you’ll have something to change into if you want. But if you don’t want … that’s cool, too. It’s not a big deal.
Her face had drained to white.
So, it was a big deal.
“So, the shower thing not—ever?” Hal kept his tone even.
“Not for a long time,” was her terse reply.
Valentina’s body language was screaming at him to let the matter rest, and the two or three moral fibers that were left in him agreed.
Hal knew he was an imperfect man, but he also knew he wanted todobetter, tobebetter, when it came to Valentina. And whatever this was, it might be stronger than she was, but it sure as hell wasn’t stronger than what he felt for her.
“So, I’m guessing this has something to do with when you were caught in that quake?” Hal went in for the kill. “You had water coming at you, is that it?”
Dead silence.
