Dark Duke by Sabrina York Read Free Book Online

without resorting to such base tactics.”
    “Oh, I will win.”
    “Will you?” He loved the way her lips curled. They were perfect
lips, ripe for suckling. He’d love to have her suckling on him. His ardor
stirred.
    “Do you fancy a wager?”
    At her words, her tone, her look, his cock shot straight up.
“Most definitely. What shall we play for?”
    At the same time he said “A kiss,” she suggested, “Money.”
    He steeped his fingers and studied her. “What do you need
money for?” Good God, whatever it was, he’d be delighted to provide it for her.
A new dress? Ribbons? Furbelows? Done.
    But she didn’t answer him. She sat back and folded her hands
in her lap. “Do you want to wager or not?”
    He did. “All right. A kiss if I win. Ten guineas if you
win.” He was definitely winning.
    “Twenty.”
    He winced, but only in play. Twenty guineas was a fortune to
a girl like her. To a duke, it was a fart. But it would be worth it. Because he
was going to win. He could see it on the board. “Fine. Twenty guineas wagered
against a kiss. Play on, Macduff.”
    She snorted a laugh and hunkered over the board,
determination written on her face. It was adorable. She was rather fun to
watch.
    He should have paid more attention to the game.
    Five minutes later, she had his king in check. Six minutes
later, in mate.
    Hell. She’d won. He stared at the board. How had that
happened?
    “I will accept a bank note,” she murmured, arranging the
pieces in their velvet nest.
    He stayed her hand. “One more game. Double or nothing.”
    She smiled at him and shook her head. “I will have the
twenty guineas, thank you.”
    “Fine. They are yours. But I would like another game.”
    “Would you?” She glanced about. With the exception of
Malcolm, sitting across the room in the wingchair and staring into the fire,
they were alone. “It’s getting late.”
    “One more game. Thirty guineas against a kiss.”
    She gasped.
    “No.” For that much, he should get more. “Thirty guineas against
thirty kisses.”
    “Thirty kisses?” Her brow quirked. “Your Grace, your lips
would be sore.”
    He leaned in and lowered his voice. “Who said anything about
lips? That’s the part of the wager I forgot to mention. I get to choose where
those thirty kisses fall.”
    She stared at him. Her lips worked. Ah, that they were
working on him. “Your Grace, I cannot help making the connection to selling
one’s soul for thirty pieces of silver.”
    He grinned. “Nonsense.” He began setting the pieces on the
board. “Guineas aren’t silver.”
     
    Kaitlin stared at the board as Edward arranged the men. Fifty
guineas. In one night. Lord. That was an opportunity she couldn’t dare to
miss. It wasn’t by far enough to wipe out the debt weighing on her soul, but
she would be fifty guineas closer to freedom. And if she lost—
    She shuddered at the thought of thirty kisses…then thrust
the inconvenient lust aside. She wouldn’t lose. She wouldn’t. She’d played
Edward. She knew his tactics. She could counter them at every turn.
    She would win.
    “Well?” The pieces were all in place. The board waited. As
did her opponent. A confident look limned his handsome face. “What do you say,
Kaitlin?” He said her name in a raspy whisper.
    “Yes.”
    His nostrils flared. “Yes?”
    “Yes.”
    “Wonderful.” He made his first move. “I shall enjoy my
kisses.”
    She snorted and countered. “You will enjoy dreaming about
them tonight in your cold bed.”
    He gaped at her and then barked a laugh.
    And then they both settled in, fiercely scrutinizing each
and every move.
    An hour later, they had made little progress. It was clear,
when both were playing to their full potential, they were evenly matched.
    She rather liked that.
    Few men had impressed her so.
    One of the many who had not, Malcolm, strolled over to the
board with a pout on his face. “Are you two going to play all night?”
    “I certainly hope so.” At Edward’s