The Unicorn's Tail by A. W. Exley

Author:A. W. Exley [Exley, A. W.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: BluA
Amazon: B00LNR8YG6
Published: 2014-07-09T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter Seven

Saturday, 9th January

She spent all day roaming the house on her own, missing the chatter and laughter that disappeared when the others left. She worked on plans for Nate's study and thought of the little cottage by the river. Her mind fixated on the word family, and she thought what a wonderful nursery one of the top rooms would make. But what would a former pugilist and enforcer need of a nursery? Why would a man who saw his family slaughtered want to risk that again?

Tired of picking fabric swatches and paint colours, she retired to the library. In the dusty old room she found a variety of volumes and, much to her relief, a complete absence of penny romances. Her brain rejoiced as she fed the long-neglected cells a steady diet of text books and treaties. She soaked up knowledge like a sponge. Her father had allowed her to learn several languages although he raised bushy eyebrows over her insistence on Latin and Greek. Anything more intellectual was forbidden, least she become less lady-like by espousing opinions of her own.

Jackson knocked on the door. "Thought you might like some company for the evenin'."

She laid down her book on anatomy. The naked male form on the page manifested itself and tried to superimpose itself over the clothed form in front of her. She snapped the book shut as a way of telling it to be quiet.

"Oh. That would be nice." Her gaze flitted about the room and rested on the set in front of the fire. "Perhaps a game of chess?"

A scowl darkened his face and she kicked herself. How thoughtless, of course he wouldn't be able to play.

"Sorry, um, cards?" She grasped for some other game to offer up without further insulting the lower-class man.

"Why not chess?" He walked to the sofa and the low table.

"I—" Her brain opted out, not sure how to extract her from this pickle. "I thought you might prefer something else."

The black brows knitted. "Think I can't play, don't you." He sat down and reset the half-finished game.

"Not at all," her lips said while her brain whispered, Yes actually. Perhaps he thinks it's checkers? They both have a black and white board. If he moves his pieces like checkers I shall keep quiet and play through. Satisfied she had a plan, she sat down opposite him.

He held out two fists, each containing a piece. "You pick."

She tapped one large hand, keeping down the blush as she remembered the warmth of his embrace. Everything had changed on Thursday; the world tilted on its axis and now she viewed things from a different angle. His broad and brawny became as appealing as Lachlan's lean and lithe.

He turned his palm over to reveal a white pawn. "You start."

She took the carved ivory and placed it on the empty square. She advanced her man two squares and waited, telling herself to go easy and let him take several pieces. Perhaps she should let him win to make

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