Page 38 of A Duke's Sinful Bargain
Several minutes later, they found themselves in the parlor, and a deck of cards was brought to the table. They sat opposite each other, and he couldn’t help but notice how her nostrils flared at the thought of potentially losing to him. There was so much to this woman that the world did not see, that he himself had not seen before. But he was adamant not to make that mistake ever again.
As the cards were shuffled, he realized they had not agreed on a game. “Whist?” he suggested.
“Is that the game you know best?” she wondered.
“Maybe.” He eyed her in a sly manner. “But I am a gentleman. You choose.”
“Whist it is,” she said stubbornly. “I want to beat you at your own game.”
He couldn’t help but chuckle. “Spoken like a worthy opponent indeed. But do prepare for a challenging game, my lady.”
She arched her brow in mock skepticism, equally confident if not even more so. “Your Grace, I have always been a firm believer in the old adage that actions speak louder than words. Let the cards decide who holds the true mastery of whist.”
They locked eyes, and for a moment, Alexander considered pushing all the cards off the table and taking her right there. He knew their lovemaking would be incredible, just as it had been the two times before. But what they had here, this camaraderie, this closeness, he feared it was just a fluke that would not happen again, and he dared not break the magical cycle he had found himself in.
The cards were dealt, the atmosphere immediately charged with competitive energy. He could not remember the last time he felt that he wanted to win and lose at the same time. As it turned out, Anna was a skilled player as well, mostly because of her ability to keep a straight face.
He could not, for the life of him, read her facial expressions, which made her a formidable opponent. In addition to this, she played her cards with strategic precision. As he observed her moves, he raised his eyebrow in mock surprise.
“I say, my lady, you are certainly not to be trifled with at the card table,” he remarked, in a tone revealing true admiration. “A worthy opponent indeed, but still not victorious.”
Anna had a subtle smile on her lips. “My lord, in matters of strategy, one must always be one step ahead.”
He loved how they reverted to their official titles. It only heightened the sense of competition. It made the evening different in ways he could not even imagine. The game progressed quickly and in much fun.
“Perhaps you ought to reconsider your claim of invincibility, Your Grace,” she retorted.
“Never!” he said, realizing he was one step away from losing the game. So, in mock theatricality, he threw the cards up into the air, making them slowly flutter down onto the ground.
“Why on earth did you do that?” Anna cried, barely resisting to burst into a chuckle.
“It wasn’t me,” he lifted his hands in mock surrender. “It was a gust of wind!”
“Wind? Inside?” She laughed.
“Why yes, the window.” He pointed to the window.
“It is closed, Alexander,” she teased. “Just admit it. You lost. I won.”
“I’ll admit I lost,” he agreed. “But not that you won.”
This statement made her laugh even harder, a delightful cacophony of noise that he could listen to all night.
“Well, the card game was my idea,” he said, once the onslaught of laughter had subsided. “I think I know what you would like to do now.”
She smiled. “What would I like to do now?”
“Come,” he said, standing up and offering her his hand. Without thinking, she took it.
“Where are we going?” she asked as he led her through the dark corridors.
“You’ll see,” he whispered mysteriously.
***
This was madness, roaming the manor house in the middle of the night when a servant might wake up and see her there. But Anna didn’t care. She just wanted to be with him wherever he decided to take her.
As it turned out, their destination was the library. She inhaled deeply, relishing the scent of aged leather and the sight of towering shelves that seemed to hold centuries’ worth of literature.
