Page 49 of Her Beast of a Duke

Trying to ignore her reaction, Oscar turned back to his work—only to be disturbed once more by Isabella pushing the door open. His eyes flicked to his pocket watch. It had not even been another full half-hour.

“One cannot work without a sweet treat,” she insisted, holding aloft a tray of chocolates. “And if you have already eaten, I am a firm believer—thanks to Hermia—that one cannot eat a meal without following it up with a sweet dessert afterward.”

“And are you a believer in dessertbeforea meal?” he smirked at her.

“According to Alicia, there ought to be no rules at all,” she insisted. “So, I will indulge, and you may join me, or not.”

She held the tray up happily, plucking a chocolate from it and popping it into her mouth. Part of him withered uncomfortably at her remembering that he had a sweet tooth, and he feared it might just be the way into his softer side.

Right as she moved to offer the tray to him, more thunder roared over the hills outside, and lightning flashed through the window. Isabella yelped, startling so hard the tray almost clattered to the floor.

“Isabella,” he finally said, knowing she would not put her pride aside. “Isabella, would you like to stay in the study?”

“No,” she answered. “You have made it clear company is not what you want this afternoon.”

“Isabella.”

“I am fine. I only wished to offer you chocolate.”

“Isabella.Sit with me in here.”

Before she could protest, he stood up from his desk and set the tray of chocolate onto his desk, forgotten in the face of the promise of spending time with his wife. He often denied himself, but he had long given up on being able to focus on work. He gestured to the chessboard that he had alongside the right-hand wall.

“Do you play?” he asked.

She nodded, smiling knowingly. “Rather well.”

Oscar did not ask her outright if she was afraid of the thunder; he didn’t make her admit it, but he offered her a veiled comfort to distract her. He would feign his own fear or boredom if it would help her. There was a voice in his head that sounded vaguely like Edmund’s that insisted he cared about her.

His own voice wasn’t as loud as he wanted it to be against the argument.

As they took a seat opposite one another across the chessboard, Oscar fixed her with a satisfied smile.

“We will play,” he said slowly, “but with a twist.”

Chapter Eleven

“Atwist?”

“How confident are you in your chess skills?”

“Very.”

“I see.” He cocked his head at her, scratching over his beard in thought. “Then, a challenge.”

His heart began to pound in his chest at what he was about to ask. Isabella had been brazen in approaching him, and he had pushed her away.

Everything in him demanded that he stop himself now before he made any inane suggestions, yet he could not. He kept on resisting her, but she kept on coming back. Surely that meant something. Besides, what was a little teasing during a thunderstorm to distract her?

Yes, he told himself.That is it. Even if she cannot be attracted to me, she will surely welcome a distraction.

“I have been pushing you away,” he acknowledged. “But if you will let me, I do not wish to this afternoon.” Isabella’s eyes widened, and he heard her breath catch. It caught again in the next moment when another growl of thunder rumbled. He spoke quickly, drawing her attention back from the window. “If you are so capable, this challenge will not be hard. Whenever I take a piece from your side of the board, I will get a kiss from you.”

Isabella gasped softly, and Oscar let his smirk deepen.

“And in return?” Her voice was breathless. “If I take a piece from you?”

“Then I will remove an item of clothing. A boot, my cravat, my shirt. It can depend on your choice. But the choices are all yours, Isabella.”