Driven Snow by Tara Lain Read Free Book Online

baby?”
    Her knee bumped Snow’s thigh, and he leaped up like he’d been shot. “Oh gosh, look at the time. Better get back to work myself. Have to study for the tournament and all.” Sweet God, he had to get out of there.
    Riley stood Courtney on her feet and stepped over beside Snow. “When can you help me again? I’ve only got two weeks. I made so much progress today. I know you’re busy, and I hate to ask, but could you please—”
    “Yes, of course. Just text me, okay?” He ripped out the pages they’d been working on, shoved the notebooks into his backpack, and headed for the door. He seemed to be running from everyone these days. “Bye. Bye, uh, Courtney.”
    Outside the door, he clambered down the steep staircase and stopped at the bottom just to breathe.
    What were you thinking, you idiot? That somehow his girlfriend had magically transformed into a teapot?
    He started to tell me something. He said he’s wanted to tell me for a long time.
    What are you dreaming? That he suddenly quit being straight and is attracted to a wimpy little queen like you? Spare me.
    Okay. Okay.
    The door to Eudora’s apartment flew open, and a hand emerged, holding a glass. “Hey, cutie. Have some water.”
    Like it was perfectly normal to accept water while standing in hallways, he grasped the glass and drank the liquid down. Amazing how much better he felt.
    She took the empty glass. “Lessons for the day. Don’t sell yourself short. And don’t believe everything you see. Got it?”
    “I… I guess so.”
    “Good.” She patted his cheek, and then the door closed behind her. If a caterpillar suddenly appeared saying “Who are you?”, he wouldn’t be even slightly surprised.

CHAPTER 5
     
     
    SNOW STARED at the board with a frown.
    The professor walked back from the cabinet where he kept the chess supplies. “Let’s not use the Kasparov/Topolov Netherlands game. You know that one by heart. I’m going to set up another one of their games, and you see if you can intuit Kasparov’s moves, knowing what you do about his play.”
    “You want me to play like Kasparov?”
    “Yes. It will increase your ability to anticipate an opponent’s moves.”
    “All right.”
    The professor arranged the pieces. “I’ll make your first move for you to launch the game, and you can proceed from there.” He moved Snow’s pawn to d4.
    Snow grinned. “Since that’s Kasparov’s favorite opening, it doesn’t tell me much.”
    “Ah, true.” The professor moved his black knight to f6.
    Snow breathed out. I’m Kasparov. He slid his pawn to c4, Kasparov’s most likely follow-on. “Let’s see what game you’re playing.”
    E6. The professor moved the black pawn beside the knight.
    Knight to f3. There. That white knight looks harmless enough.
    The professor nodded. “Good. So how did your tutoring session go?” He moved to b6.
    Snow caught his breath. Hope he didn’t hear that. “It went well. I used some formulas he’d relate to. By the end of the time, he was doing the work on his own.” Snow responded with a3. Petrosian Variation.
    “Excellent. I’m sure the coach will be eternally grateful.” Bishop to b7.
    The giant elephant in the room sat on his lap. Was he going to ask? “Uh, Professor?” He tapped the knight to c3.
    “Well done. Yes?” The professor stared at the board.
    “Why didn’t you tell me about your engagement?”
    A slight pause in his hand was all that showed Kingsley’s reaction. Knight to e4. “I must confess, it all happened so fast.”
    “How did it happen?” Try not to frown. Knight takes e4.
    He cleared his throat. “I went to that conference of educators, remember? Anitra was there as well and introduced herself. She told me she’d applied for the assistant dean’s position largely because she wanted to be on the same campus as me. Call me an old fool, but I was flattered.” His bishop snatched up the knight at e4.
    “I imagine.”
    The professor kind of giggled. “One thing