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"Mr Hunt, you are the rin "Youadjectives athimself to the chair, Hunt pressed a chess piece into her palm The carved onyx was heavy and cool, its slick surface war slowly to the touch

"It’s not adjectives that I want to hurl at you," Annabelle said "A sharp object or tould suffice"

A deep laugh stirred in his chest, and his thuers before he withdrew his hand She felt the rasp of a callus on his thu scrape of a cat’s tongue Bemused by her own response to him, Annabelle looked down at the chess piece in her hand

"That is the queen--the most powerful piece on the board She can o as far as she wishes"

There was nothing overtly suggestive in hisat that moment, there was a husky depth in his voice that made her toes curl inside her slippers

"More powerful than the king?" she asked

"Yes The king can onlyis the most important piece"

"Why is he more important than the queen if he’s not the most powerful?"

"Because once he is captured, the gaiven her, Hunt exchanged it for a pawn His fingers brushed over hers, lingering in a brief but unh Annabelle knew that she should disallow the outrageous fa in a near daze, her knuckles whitening as she held the carved ivory in far too tight a grip Hunt’s voice was low and velvety as he continued "This is the pahich moves one square at a ti another piece Most novice players like to er area on the chessboard But it’s a better strategy to ood use of your other pieces…"

As Hunt continued to explain each chess piece and its uses, he pressed them into her palm one at a time Annabelle was mesmerized by the hypnotic brushes of his hands, her senses lilting in anticipation Her usual defenses seerain beneath ahad happened to her, or Hunt, or perhaps to both of the them to interact with an ease that had not existed before She did not want to invite hiood could possibly come of it…and yet she couldn’t help but enjoy his nearness

Hunt coaxed her into a ga patiently as she considered each possibleadvice when she asked for it Histhat she almost didn’t care on Almost When she slid her piece into a position that attacked not one but two of his pieces, Hunt glanced at her with an approving grin "That’s called a pin-and-fork strategy As I suspected, you have a natural instinct for chess"

"Now you have no choice, other than to retreat," Annabelle said triumphantly

"Not yet" He moved another piece in another area on the board, instantly threatening her queen

Puzzling over the strategy, Annabelle realized that he had just put her in the position of having to retreat

"That’s not fair," she protested, and he chuckled

Lacing her fingers together, Annabelle leaned her chin on her hands and contemplated the board A fullseemed appropriate "I don’t knohat to do," she finally ad at her in an odd way, his gaze caressing and concerned It unraveled her, that look, and she sed hard against a sensation of thick sweetness, like honey coating her throat

"I’ve tired you," Hunt ame later You’ll see your next move more clearly when you’ve rested"

"I don’t want to stop," she said, annoyed by his refusal "Besides, neither of us will re her protests, Hunt stood and moved the table aside, out of her reach "You need a nap Do you require so back to my room," she said stubbornly "I’m sick of it In fact, I would rather sleep in the hallway than--"

"All right," Hunthis seat "Cal that you don’t want to do" He laced his fingers together and leaned back in a deceptively casual pose, his gaze narrowing on her "Touests will be back at the manor in full force," he remarked "I suppose you’ll resume your pursuit of Kendall soon?"

"Probably," Annabelle ad her mouth as an insistent yawn stretched her lips

"You don’t want him," Hunt said softly