Tell No One by Barbara Elsborg

Author:Barbara Elsborg [Elsborg, Barbara]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: MM adventure romance
Publisher: self-pubbed
Published: 2022-09-28T18:30:00+00:00

They ate chicken and roasted cauliflower with a thick sauce that Delaney had made from blitzed fried onions, toasted cashews and some spice or other. It was delicious. After they’d cleaned up, Delaney settled on the couch. There was a chess board on the coffee table, a game in progress.

“Do you have any friends?” Tag asked.

“No. That’s why I’ve lived as long as I have.”

“That’s sad. Not that you’ve lived as long as you have, but that you don’t have friends.”

“Do you?”

“Not really. They end up letting you down.”

“The less contact I have with anyone, the fewer the potential ways I might find myself betrayed. Safer not to trust anyone. But while that makes sense for me, I don’t see why it does for you.”

Tag ignored that. “Do you play yourself at chess?”

“Not much fun but I always win.”

Tag huffed.

“Do you play?” Delaney asked.

“A bit.”

“Want a game?”

“What do I get if I win?”

Delaney rolled his eyes. “You’re not going to win.”

“If I win, I get to fuck you,” Tag said.

“And if I win?”

“Er… Let me think. I get to fuck you.”

Delaney laughed so hard he ended up coughing. “Try again.”

“If you win, you can do anything you like to me.”

Delaney raised his eyebrows.

“Without me complaining,” Tag added.

“And if I win?” Delaney repeated.

“I can do anything I like to you.”

“And how is that different from what you suggested before?”

“I promise not to try and fist you.”

“Now you’ve taken all the fun out of it.”

Tag glared. “Fine. Which side of the bed do you sleep on? The one who wins gets to choose.”

“I sleep on any side I like.”

“If I win, I get to order you around,” Tag said.

Delaney shrugged. “Fine.”

He picked up black and white pawns, moved them between his hands and held out his clenched fists.

Tag picked left and it was white. He put the pawn back on the board as Delaney rearranged the out-of-place pieces.

“Make your move,” Delaney said.

Tag knew Delaney was going to be good, but Tag didn’t want to show that he was good too, not right away. Plus, maybe Delaney was so brilliant that Tag would lose.

Ten moves in, Delaney leaned back on the couch, cupped the back of his head in his hands, and looked at him. “Do you play? That was my question. A bit, was your answer?”

“I haven’t played for years.”

Delaney leaned forward again. Tag found it hard not to look at him when he should have been concentrating on the board. He wanted to win, but he knew Delaney wanted it more.

Thirty-six moves later, Tag had the game.

“Well done,” Delaney said.

“Thank you.”

“Who taught you to play?”

“An inmate. Want another game? If I win, I’ll be the bait if they arrange that hunt.”

“No.” Delaney pushed to his feet. “I’m going to bed. Everything’s locked up. There are alarms set, so don’t leave the house.”

Tag sagged as he watched him go. He hadn’t meant to piss him off.

He gave Delaney time to get into bed, then went up himself. When he’d finished in the bathroom, he stripped and climbed in beside Delaney doing everything he could to disturb him.

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