She shakily nodded her head, hid her lips, and stood to her feet. She felt his hand slide down her lower back to rest on her bum. Rose instinctively jumped away from his grasp, and his hand fell to his thigh.
She didn't look at him; rather, she returned to her former position, pretending nothing had happened. She could feel his gaze on her as she bent over the chessboard, but Rose didn't dare look up. She couldn't afford to.
Right now, she was trying to think of several excuses for why she shouldn't play this game anymore. She never should have agreed to the wager. There was no chance she could beat him, and beating him didn't actually mean it would be a good thing. Unfortunately, Rose knew better than to say no. The first and last time she had refused him had landed her in this problem.
