The Accidental Monarch

Chasing

This chapter is R18.

-x-

The actress tips over her king as a sign of surrender and downs another shot of soju as agreed. Irritation blooms inside her chest caused by her wounded pride and his cocky smile. She blames the prince for her losing streak and her wandering mind. Instead of focusing on the chess board, she keeps getting distracted by his hands, remembering how those very fingers made her come.

"Your father told me that you are the only person who can win against him in chess," Jeong-hyeok interrupts her thoughts. The mere sound of his voice makes her insides clench in anticipation. What on earth has he done to her? "You are not losing to me on purpose, are you?"

She scoffs and downs another shot for good measure. "Trust me, I'm not. You're distracting me."

He laughs as if she delivered the best punchline he has ever heard. "Quite the contrary, darling. You are the one distracting me," he points out with his eyes lowering down to the white shirt that she wore. She suddenly feels inexplicably warm. "You shouldn't look that good in my clothes."

She had taken the liberty of stealing the shirt he wore earlier. Realizing she has the upper hand, she releases her hair from the clip holding it in place and feels the weight of his stare. Her neck feels stiff from being in one position for so long, and so she stretches it in a slow circle. She releases a little sound of satisfaction when her tense muscles relax from the movement.

"That's better," she sighs before opening her eyes once again. "Shall we play another round?"

His gaze has darkened after her little stunt. He watches her like a predator to its prey, and her body thrums with tension. He takes a shot of soju and takes her up on her offer. "One more round."

The only sounds in the living area other than the crashing of the waves in the distance are the wood cracking in the heat of the fireplace and the chess pieces moving on the board. Everyone else has left for the festival almost an hour ago, but neither of them have relented. They have proven themselves as two stubborn individuals refusing to give into the temptation of the other.

Seeing her chance, the actress moves her queen into position and grins at her opponent. "I win."

"Congratulations."

His low tone successfully ignites an inferno between them. Their eyes meet in a loaded stare before all pretenses are tossed aside. She pushes the board off the table, ignoring the crash that protested against the action, and crawls over to where he sits. He welcomes her onto his lap and meets her halfway in a passionate kiss with his hands holding and gripping all the right places.

The tension that has been steadily growing between them since their dalliance at the pool snaps like a rubber band pulled tight. His mouth feels like a revelation, introducing her to an urgency she has never encountered before. His hands fall down the length of her spine and cup her hips, bringing awareness to the ache between her thighs and knocking the breath out of her lungs.

She pulls back as air becomes a necessity, and he continues to nip and suck on every patch of skin his lips land on. He pulls the shirt she wore over her head and rewards her with a sharp inhale at the sight of her lacy bralette that left little to the imagination. "It's official," he groans as his greedy eyes take in every facet of the incriminating lingerie. "You are trying to kill me."

"You underestimate me, my prince," she murmurs ominously before sliding her hands from his chest down to his navel. He watches her helplessly as she unbuttons his slacks and reaches beneath the fabrics to pull him out. She leans in to whisper in his ear. "Now that we're alone..."