He pressed his eyelids tightly shut before looking up. ‘We’ll skip straight to the making up.’
* * *
‘The game is calledwhat?’ Harlan asked, watching Blake draw a large circle in the dirt with a stick.
‘Barley Break.’ She straightened to admire her work, then tossed the stick away.
‘Maybe we should wait until the rain stops.’
Her eyes went to the sky. ‘That might take years. Besides, I see you standing on the wall in the rain all the time.’
He crossed his arms. ‘I’m used to it. You should be dry and warming yourself by the fire.’
‘We both know what happens when we relax in front of that fireplace. Two minutes later we’re naked, then napping.’
‘You had me at “naked”.’
She looked at him. ‘Pay attention so you understand the rules, please.’
A heavy breath left him. ‘Fine.’
‘I cannot leave the circle.’ She walked the perimeter, deepening the line with the toe of her boot. ‘And you must run through the area without being tagged. If you’re tagged, then you go into the middle.’
‘That’s it?’
‘That’s it.’
‘How does one win?’
Blake looked around the circle. ‘With more players, the last person to be tagged is the winner, so let’s say the person who passes through the circle the most times in a row without being tagged wins.’
He stared at her. ‘And you think you stand a chance?’
Her head snapped in his direction, the beginnings of a smile on her face. ‘I stand a very good chance. I’m far more agile than you.’
His eyebrows rose. ‘You think you’re more agile than a defender?’
‘Yes. Plus, I have the advantage of having played before.’
His gaze fell to the marked area. ‘The advantage of having run through a circle?’
She did not bother answering him, just moved into the middle, knees bent as she eyed him. ‘Ready when you are.’
He regarded her as she swayed from side to side—game ready. He normally grew bored of women rather quickly, but he could not imagine a time when he would ever bore of Blake. She just kept finding ways to deepen his affection for her.
Removing his tunic, he walked over to the chopping block and dumped it on top. ‘Fine. One game.’ He turned back, deciding on a strategy. ‘Ready?’
‘I was ready ten minutes ago, Commander.’
Shaking his head, he broke into a jog towards the circle. She moved towards him, ensuring her foot never crossed the boundary. He moved in a straight line, eyes ahead and gait even. Then, just as he reached the perimeter, he pivoted. She was ready though, pushing off in the direction he was going, arms pumping at her side, prepared for the chase. He spun, moving around her in the other direction. She was going too fast at that point to catch him. Her feet slid as she tried to correct herself. By the time she had, he was already jogging over the line on the other side.
He turned to her with a triumphant smile.
She leaned on her knees, nodding slowly. ‘Clever. I’ll be watching your feet next time instead of your face.’
He jogged on the spot, pretending to warm up for the next round. ‘You can watch my feet all the way to the other side of the circle.’
‘Oh, an arrogant defender. Who would have thought?’
