He studied the board for so long she thought he might not answer.Then he reached for his king, fingers brushing hers as he shifted it aside to break the check.The touch was nothing, really—a simple, accidental thing—but her breath caught just the same.
“Still safe,” he murmured, but his eyes weren’t on the board.
“Not for long,” she said.Her voice was softer now, almost unsteady.
The fire snapped, sending a spray of sparks up the chimney.The icy rain still pinged against the windows.He looked down, then back up at her.“You’re not bad at this game.”
“Thank you.Such a compliment!”
The corner of his mouth lifted, creases fanned from his eyes.“Are you going to be okay staying here with me for another day?”
“I’ve survived this long, haven’t I?”
“But we’re alone now, and that changes things.”
She looked into his eyes and smiled, her body treacherously warm.“A little.”
“But you’re sticking with your plans?You’re still going back to London as soon as the weather improves.”
“Yes.”
“And then you’re going to Michigan after you see Sarah.”
“Correct.”
“We have both finished most of our work,” he added.
She nodded.“Just minor things now, minimal time on computers.”
“Which means we’d have a lot of time… together… on our hands.”
“Danger.”Her queen hovered above the next square.“Now tell me the downside of my staying?”
He met her eyes then, steady and unguarded.“If I don’t want you to leave now, I really won’t want you to leave later.You know I’ll use this time to try to convince you to stay.”
The piece slipped from her fingers, landing with a quiet thud.“You’ll be disappointed then,” she said, voice low.
For a few moments, neither spoke.
When Cat finally moved, she reached for his hand, not a chess piece.“Maybe it’s better for us not to… take risks.Being hurt isn’t fun.”
“And yet we have now.”His fingers curled around hers.“We can navigate this.”
“Can we?How?”
“We just be us, and don’t get too far ahead of ourselves.”He turned his palm upward, letting her fingers settle into his.“What do you think?”
“I think… I don’t want to think.I just want to enjoy being here.”
They moved easily through the evening, making dinner together, sharing the small space as if they always cooked together.Cat chopped vegetables while he cooked the steaks, making a red wine sauce for the side.Every now and then, their shoulders brushed—a small thing, accidental, but each touch lingered a little longer than it should have.
They ate by the fire; plates balanced on their laps.The lovely dinner, the glass of red wine, and the warmth of the fire seeped into her bones, making her feel calmer than she had in weeks.
They talked about ordinary things.A new novel he looked forward to reading, the girls’ message that they had arrived on the island and loved Roger’s place, and how much longer the winter storm would last.But beneath the talk there was an awareness of each other, a desire and tension that was coiling tighter, drawing them closer.
Cat went to the kitchen to do the dishes, thinking it was that or fall into bed with Rhys.
He followed behind her to dry while she washed.
