Unless he breaks his word and holds me here indefinitely. He’s determined enough to do it.
The threat hangs over my head every day that I spend in his secret, imprisoned paradise. Since the incident in the lagoon, he’s given me space, his exercise in patience admirable. But I don’t need an interpreter to understand the intense longing in his expression every time he looks at me.
Like the way he’s looking at me now.
A light breeze rustles his coppery locks—on the longer side now that he’s gone without a trim since he kidnapped me over three weeks ago. Liam holds my gaze, his lips parting the slightest bit as he moves his queen three spaces to the left.
“I don’t know why I keep playing this stupid game with you,” I say. “You’re impossible to beat.”
He shoots me a tilted grin. “It’s not impossible.”
“I’m finding that hard to believe.”
“To be fair, I’ve only known one other person capable of beating me.”
As I move my last pawn, I lean forward, shifting my ass on the blanket. We decided to play today’s game outside, staying cool under the shade of a palm tree. Rhythmic waves crash onto the shore a hundred yards away. “Who had the pleasure of besting the unbeatable Liam Castle?”
“Oddly enough, your brother.”
I jolt at the mention of Landon. Hearing Liam refer to him as my brother is as disconcerting as it was the first time he told me he knew the truth.
“Were the two of you close when you were younger?”
“My father raised me to be a leader, not a friend.” He says it matter-of-factly, without a hint of sadness, but I’m sad for him anyway. Maybe because I know what it’s like to have someone dictate my life to me, from the people I’m allowed to call friends to the man I’ll marry. Liam is as guilty of caging me as my uncle, and no matter the level of chemistry between us, I can’t erase that fact from my mind.
“Were you close to any of them?”
“It’s a day for ironies, my sweet girl.”
“Why’s that?”
“Sebastian and I got along well at one point.”
“What happened?”
“Duty happened. You happened.” He takes his next move, his expression as calm as ever. “Historically, meeting a queen for the first time tends to drive a wedge between budding friendships. Lines are drawn, allegiances are formed…tragedies change things.” His show of calm turns into sorrow, all traces of nonchalance gone as his mind returns to the past. “Being the future chancellor is a lonely existence.”
“Did you ever want something different for yourself?”
“I guess I never thought about it.” He glances at the turquoise waves. “But I’m thinking about it now.”
What he’s thinking about makes me nervous, because Libra’s time comes to an end soon, and I still don’t know if Liam will take me back to Zodiac Island. After spending these weeks with him, on the ship and in our private paradise, it’s difficult to want to go back…
Until a certain sexy-as-sin man invades my thoughts.
Letting the subject drop, I study the chessboard for several minutes, mentally calculating the possibilities, but I can’t find a way out of this. With a resigned sigh, I knock over my king.
Liam leans back on his elbows and smiles. “I think I deserve a prize for making you surrender. Come swimming with me.”
I narrow my eyes. “How is that a reward for winning?”
“Because you haven’t gone for a swim with me since the lagoon?”
“I don’t want to go back to the house to change.”
Slowly, his gaze travels down my chest. “I’ve already seen it all. You don’t need a swimsuit.”
“What?” My eyes widen. “No.”
I can’t strip in front of him. Not today—not when I chose a scandalous bra and panty set I have no business wearing in his presence. It was a spur-of-the-moment decision, and I’m not sure why I pulled the undergarments from the sordid chest of drawers overflowing with scant and sexy things.
Except that tugging the thong up my thighs and feeling my nipples poke through the see-through soft lace felt like keeping a secret. I did it for me…and maybe on a subconscious level, I did it for the potential of possibilities. I’m ashamed to admit that to myself.
“It’s not a good idea.” I shake my head as panic mounts, ready to gallop ahead. What did I get myself into?
“Suit yourself,” he says with the type of careless shrug I don’t believe. He stands in the sand, his hands moving to the button of his shorts, and my mouth goes dry as he strips in front of me—unabashedly and with too much smug confidence as he drops his clothing on top of the chessboard.
“Are you…?” Unable to help myself, I gawk at his erection. “Are you always hard like that?”
Bending, he raises my chin, warm and gentle fingers forcing my eyes to his. “Only when I’m around you, or thinking about you, or stroking myself while thinking about—”