Page 50 of Corrupt Crown

Rather than go into a long-winded story about the stupid reason I’m really here, I just nod.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Elodie.” Her smile is fucking stunning. Perfect white teeth framed by full pink lips.

Lips made to be kissed.

The thought flashes across my mind as her cell rings, and she rolls her eyes good-naturedly. “Duty calls.” Then she shoots me a wink. “See you around, Handsome.”

“It’s Rafe.”

She stops just before she goes over the threshold and back into her suite. Her smile is shy when she nods softly.

“Goodnight, Rafe.”

Elodie’s eyesbrim with emotion as they flicker back and forth between mine. I drop my brow to rest against hers, confessing, “I’ve relived that moment no less than a million times.”

She sucks in a breath, and I can feel her forehead pucker beneath mine. I pull back enough to look deeply into her stormy blue gaze, giving her my honest truth. “You’ve never been far from my thoughts in the two years since.”

ELODIE

Rafe’s eyesare filled with intent, and I feel the force of his admission like a bolt of lightning.

“I didn’t see you again until the next day while the Congress was in full swing. I walked into the compound library, and there you were?—”

“Playing chess by myself.”

I blink rapidly as memories begin to flow through my mind, falling into place like puzzle pieces. My stomach dips with a strange blend of excitement and anxiety as I whisper, “I taught you how to play chess, didn’t I?”

I raise my eyes to Rafe’s, drawing strength from his dark gaze as he nods. “I really sucked ass, when all I wanted was to impress you.”

My peal of laughter rings out even as tears fill my eyes. “You kept getting the bishop and the rook confused.”

His smile is bittersweet. “I haven’t played since.”

I try to swallow my half-sob, as I slowly allow myself to remember the memories I’ve kept buried within the scary Pandora’s Box in my head.

“What’s your favorite pastime?”

Rafe tilts his head to one side and taps his chin in thought as I collect my white chess pieces to reset the board between us.

“I enjoy playing the piano to unwind.”

My eyes widen as a smile grows on my face. “I took lessons for years.” Then I roll my eyes with a shrug. “I mean, I’m absolutely crap, but who doesn’t love a trier.”

We laugh easily together, as he throws the question back at me. “So, how do you unwind, Elodie?”

“I bake when I’m stressed. Or mad. Or sad.” I giggle as he shakes his head. “I’m an emotional baker.”

His eyes twinkle as he watches me closely, placing his chess pieces in the wrong order for the gazillionth time today.

“No, no.” I throw my head back, laughing uproariously. “He doesn’t go there, silly.”

I reach across the board to stop Rafe from placing his rook where his bishop should be, but jerk back my hand when it brushes off his skin. Tingles shoot up my arm, settling in my chest as my eyes meet his midnight gaze.

The look there tells me he felt it, too, and suddenly, despite spending most of the day sequestered in the library with him, I feel very exposed.

I tuck my hair behind both ears, giving my hands something to do aside from reaching over to touch him again.

“I’m too distracted by your beauty to focus on which piece goes where.”