opposite her and stretched out his long legs. His bare toes came perilously close to touching her boots, and she tucked her footwear another inch under her seat.
“You left me waiting in the parlor,” she said in a slightly flustered voice.
“I was getting dressed.”
She withheld a snort. It had taken him a quarter of an hour to don a pair of trousers and a shirt? A shirt he had yet to button? A shirt that revealed his strapping muscles and dark chest hair?
“Well?” he said in a lazy manner. “To what do I owe the honor of your visit?”
She glanced away from the man’s admirable physique, looked into his eyes with purpose. “We need to talk about the past.”
He lifted a dark brow. “Do we?”
She clasped her hands more firmly around the box, resisting the impulse to quarrel. “I want you to promise me you will not reveal our island affair.”
Slowly he laced his fingers together and rested them across his midriff. “And why should I do that?”
“So I don’t out you as Black Hawk.”
A small smile touched his lips. “You won’t betray me, Sophia.”
She ignored the sultry way he said her name. “Don’t be so sure of that. If you ruin my plan to marry the earl, I will seek revenge…I’ve changed, Black Hawk.”
He considered her thoughtfully. “You think to threaten me again? That did not work so well for you the other night.”
Would you like me to confess my sins, Sophia? Would you like me to reveal my transgressions…with you?
She shivered again at the memory. He was right. She was letting the conversation get away from her. If she threatened him with betrayal, he would only threaten her with it in return. And what point would that serve?
She took in a deep breath, then slowly skimmed her fingers around the edges of the box. “Shall we play a game?”
He lifted a sooty brow. “Are you sure you want to play with me, sweetheart? You might lose.”
She dismissed the tremors that rolled along her spine. She might lose, true. But what other choice did she have? It was the only way to settle their dispute. It was the only way they had ever settled a dispute in the past.
“I’m willing to take the chance,” she said. But her rampant heartbeats belied her steady voice.
He pointed toward the empty table beside the window.
Quietly she approached the piece of handsome furniture and set the elegant box in the center. She snapped the gold lock and lifted the lid, revealing the chessboard.
James took the seat opposite her and collected the players. He arranged the pieces in the proper starting positions. “Ladies first.”
She removed her mantle and flexed her shaky fingers under the table to hide her discomfort. She had not played the game in years, not since she had parted from James. And sitting across from the blackguard now was a giddy distraction.
But one thought about her future, dashed to bits if she failed, and her scattered wits gathered in order.
She moved the ivory pawn one square.
He remained quiet, his eyes hot and hard—and centered on her. At length he pushed a jade piece forward. “I never did thank you for the beautiful timepiece.” He lowered his gaze to the board and said in a blasé manner: “I still have the pieces somewhere.”
Slowly she raised her eyes and said with an equal air of indifference: “You’re welcome.”
She noticed the man’s chest muscles stiffen under his parted shirt. If he intended to intimidate her, she was prepared to stand her ground. She had no regrets in leaving him. Or even the manner in which she had deserted him. He had deserved the cold farewell, the biting inscription on the timepiece. Though she was sorry to hear it was damaged. It truly had been a beautiful watch.
“Does the earl know you’re not a virgin?” he said in a low voice.
Her heart missed a beat. “No.”
“Don’t you think it wicked to deceive the man?”
“No.”
He lifted his eyes and glared at her. “I think it very cruel of you, Sophia.”
She set the ivory knight on the
“You left me waiting in the parlor,” she said in a slightly flustered voice.
“I was getting dressed.”
She withheld a snort. It had taken him a quarter of an hour to don a pair of trousers and a shirt? A shirt he had yet to button? A shirt that revealed his strapping muscles and dark chest hair?
“Well?” he said in a lazy manner. “To what do I owe the honor of your visit?”
She glanced away from the man’s admirable physique, looked into his eyes with purpose. “We need to talk about the past.”
He lifted a dark brow. “Do we?”
She clasped her hands more firmly around the box, resisting the impulse to quarrel. “I want you to promise me you will not reveal our island affair.”
Slowly he laced his fingers together and rested them across his midriff. “And why should I do that?”
“So I don’t out you as Black Hawk.”
A small smile touched his lips. “You won’t betray me, Sophia.”
She ignored the sultry way he said her name. “Don’t be so sure of that. If you ruin my plan to marry the earl, I will seek revenge…I’ve changed, Black Hawk.”
He considered her thoughtfully. “You think to threaten me again? That did not work so well for you the other night.”
Would you like me to confess my sins, Sophia? Would you like me to reveal my transgressions…with you?
She shivered again at the memory. He was right. She was letting the conversation get away from her. If she threatened him with betrayal, he would only threaten her with it in return. And what point would that serve?
She took in a deep breath, then slowly skimmed her fingers around the edges of the box. “Shall we play a game?”
He lifted a sooty brow. “Are you sure you want to play with me, sweetheart? You might lose.”
She dismissed the tremors that rolled along her spine. She might lose, true. But what other choice did she have? It was the only way to settle their dispute. It was the only way they had ever settled a dispute in the past.
“I’m willing to take the chance,” she said. But her rampant heartbeats belied her steady voice.
He pointed toward the empty table beside the window.
Quietly she approached the piece of handsome furniture and set the elegant box in the center. She snapped the gold lock and lifted the lid, revealing the chessboard.
James took the seat opposite her and collected the players. He arranged the pieces in the proper starting positions. “Ladies first.”
She removed her mantle and flexed her shaky fingers under the table to hide her discomfort. She had not played the game in years, not since she had parted from James. And sitting across from the blackguard now was a giddy distraction.
But one thought about her future, dashed to bits if she failed, and her scattered wits gathered in order.
She moved the ivory pawn one square.
He remained quiet, his eyes hot and hard—and centered on her. At length he pushed a jade piece forward. “I never did thank you for the beautiful timepiece.” He lowered his gaze to the board and said in a blasé manner: “I still have the pieces somewhere.”
Slowly she raised her eyes and said with an equal air of indifference: “You’re welcome.”
She noticed the man’s chest muscles stiffen under his parted shirt. If he intended to intimidate her, she was prepared to stand her ground. She had no regrets in leaving him. Or even the manner in which she had deserted him. He had deserved the cold farewell, the biting inscription on the timepiece. Though she was sorry to hear it was damaged. It truly had been a beautiful watch.
“Does the earl know you’re not a virgin?” he said in a low voice.
Her heart missed a beat. “No.”
“Don’t you think it wicked to deceive the man?”
“No.”
He lifted his eyes and glared at her. “I think it very cruel of you, Sophia.”
She set the ivory knight on the
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