Then, in the space of a breath, I trap her queen.
She blinks, realizing too late what I’ve done.
“Checkmate.”
She opens her mouth, then closes it, shaking her head. “Wait—what?”
I sit back, watching her study the board again. The disbelief on her face is almost endearing. “No one’s ever beaten me here before,” she murmurs, half to herself.
“There’s a first time for everything.”
She narrows her eyes. “You’ve played more than you implied.”
“Or maybe, I’m just lucky.”
Her smile returns, slow and warm. “No, you’re dangerous.”
“Only on the board.”
She leans forward, chin resting on her hand. “You’re lying.”
I almost laugh. No one ever calls me out that easily. “Maybe.”
For a long moment, neither of us speaks. The city is moving around us—distant traffic, laughter, footsteps—but the noise seems to fade into nothingness. Then, there’s only her, the sunlight reflecting off her dark golden curls. She drops her gaze first, dragging her lower lip between her teeth. It’s an innocent, probably shy action, but it’s got me thinking of the many things I could do to those lips.
Fuck.
This was supposed to be routine. A simple setup.
But sitting here, watching her watch me with those gorgeous eyes… it dawns on me that there's not going to be anything simple about dealing with Mireille Turner.
She starts packing up the pieces. “You’ll have to come back tomorrow. I need a rematch.”
“I’ll be here.”
I mean it more than I should.
She stands up, slinging her bag over her shoulder. “You never told me your name.”
“Dmitri,” I say. “And you?”
“Mireille.”
“Mireille,” I repeat slowly, tasting the syllables. Soft. Beautiful. Just like her.
“Don’t forget it,” she says with a grin.
“I couldn’t if I tried.”
She walks away, the sway of her hips drawing my eyes to her perfect body. I stay seated, staring at the empty board, every piece in perfect order– well, except me.
Because for the first time in a long time, I can’t tell if I’ve made the right move.
Is the guilt twisting in my chest because I’m betraying my brothers? Or because I’m already betraying her?
Either way, I know one thing for certain…this game isn’t over.
And I have no intention of walking away.
