Page 32 of Chess Not Checkers
Chapter eighteen
At Ease
Jasmine Chamberlain
I move my rook.
“If you’re trying to trap me, it’s not going to work,” I say.
Shepherd moves his free bishop over to my side of the board, taking the pawn diagonal from where I just placed my rook. “I’d say it’s going pretty well so far.”
“I meant in our conversation.”
“So did I.”
I look up from the board. His blue eyes are crinkled at the edges. He’s enjoying this.I am too, I think. Which feels wrong on several levels, but that isn’t stopping my stomach from fluttering.
“You’ve told me what you think of me on several occasions,” Shepherd comments as I move my rook safely out of harm’s way. “What’s stopping you now?”
I smirk. I might win this game. “It feels too cruel to insult you in your own home.”
“You have my permission,” Shepherd says wryly before moving his rook from the backline.
“If I’ve told you what I think of you, then why do you want me to tell you now?”
He leans back against his couch, his blue eyes locked on me. “The same reason you won’t tell me.”
I raise a brow. “Which is?”
He huffs a short laugh, like he can’t believe me. “Because your opinion of me has changed.”
I sit there, not saying anything.Has it?I guess I wouldn’t be here if it hadn’t, but it’s difficult to admit. Aside from him changing the chess club schedule—which he immediately tried to fix—Shepherd is a good guy. Annoying at times, but still a good guy. The entire world seems to agree, touting his excellence all over social media and news headlines.
Holding back my answer, I advance toward his king with my knight now that my rook is safe.
Shepherd rakes a hand through his hair. “Or maybe it hasn’t, and I look like an idiot right now,” he says.
“You do.” He gapes. “But not because my opinion hasn’t changed. It’s just sort of your resting state.”
He throws his head back and laughs. I can’t help but join in.
“You are something else, Chamberlain,” he breathes out.
“I’d say the same about you, Captain.”
He swipes a hand over his smile and down his jaw. “I’ll settle for that description, so long as you don’t hate me.”
I shake my head. “I never hated you.”
“Keep that in mind,” he says with a smirk, then moves his rook over to where he set his bishop up earlier. “Checkmate.”
I cover my face and groan. “I take it all back,” I say in a muffled voice. “You’re loathsome and intolerable, and I despise you.”
He chuckles. “No, you don’t. Wanna know how I know?”
I peek at him between my fingers.
“Because you baked for me,” he says smugly.
