A Game of Chess

Stayne rummaged through his trunk, muttering under his breath. "Where is that blasted thing? I couldn't have thrown it away, it's got to be around here some…AHA!" he exclaimed in triumph, pulling a long, dust covered box out from the very bottom of the trunk. He blew the dust off the cover, and smiled. He could just barely make out the faded writing across the top. 'Chess Board'-the words written in a flowing, ornate script. He opened the box, sighing in relief. All the pieces were there. He tucked the box under his arm and went into the living room. Alannah was sitting on the couch. "What's that under your arm, love?"

Stayne grinned, and produced the box with a flourish, holding it so she could see the writing. "I haven't played in a while, and I thought maybe we could? That is, if…do you know how?" he asked, curious.

Alannah laughed. "Every Underlander knows how to play chess, Ilosivic. It's a part of who we are, after all. Set the board up, love." She scooted over so he could sit beside her.

He sat down, and opened the box, balancing the board on the space between them. Alannah picked up a pawn, turning it over in her hands. "This is a beautiful board. Who gave it to you?"

Stayne smiled briefly. "My mum, in one of her rare moments of noticing that she had a son. She also taught me how to play. You want to be red or white?"

"I'll be red." She said, placing the piece back in its place. Stayne nodded, and then set the board up. When all the pieces were in their place, he began to move, only to have Alannah place her hand on his. "What's the matter?"

She grinned. "How about a friendly wager? Each time one of us captures the others piece, the person captured has to remove one piece of clothing."

Stayne gulped. "That's….an interesting wager, my beauty." His eye swept up and down her lovely frame, and he grinned wickedly. "This could be a very quick game."

Alannah impishly stuck her tongue out at him. "Behave yourself. Do we have a wager?"

He nodded. "We do." He moved his pawn, and grinned. "Let the game begin."

The game progressed for a bit, and then Alannah captured Stayne's pawn. She looked at him, grinning in wicked anticipation. "Start stripping, love."

He mock glared at her, and then slowly peeled off his left glove. Alannah gulped as his long fingers came into view. 'For someone who has led the life he has, his hands are surprisingly delicate', she thought. She knew from much wonderful experience how skilled those hands could be. She was brought out of her reverie by his laugh.

"You seem a bit distracted, love. Is there something on your mind?" He asked, grinning. He knew quite well what was on her mind-her deep blush and quick breathing left no doubt in his mind.

Alannah glared at him. "I'm perfectly fine, Ilosivic, and I believe that it is your move."

A few moments later, she felt him gently stroking her arm with his left hand. She sighed, and watched as he moved his knight, capturing her pawn. He grinned at her. "Now you get to strip."

She grinned wickedly, then lifted her leg and began to peel off her sock, going at a slow pace. Stayne groaned, and she looked sideways at him. "You're the distracted one now, my Lord. Do you perhaps want to stop?"

Stayne shook his head. "I can manage quite nicely, thank you. Your move, my beauty."

She grinned, then shifted so her bare leg rested on his lap. He gulped, and she smiled innocently at him. "I wanted to get a bit more comfortable. You don't mind, do you?"

He shook his head, his mouth dry. "Not a bit", he croaked. 'Oh Time my wife is gorgeous.' Alannah grinned at him.

"I didn't think you would. By the way, I've just captured your pawn."

Stayne looked down at the board, and smiled. "So you did. I guess I was distracted."

He smirked at her, and slowly peeled off his remaining glove, then ghosted his fingers across her leg, grinning as her breath hitched. "Do you want to continue the game?" he asked in a low, seductive tone. She nodded, not trusting her voice. Stayne smirked. "As you wish, Milady."

When he captured her castle, she was hardly surprised. After all, she had put it in a most vulnerable position. She did put up a mock show of sighing in protest, but he merely rolled his eye at her, smirking. She sighed in pretend annoyance, and then peeled off her remaining sock.

Stayne gulped as she laid her leg bare to his gaze. He had seen her naked many times before, but somehow the sight of her bare legs in the silky green dress she was wearing was more erotic than any of those times. His head was spinning, and it was taking every ounce of willpower he had to not toss the board to the floor and take her. Instead, he focused on moving his knight.

She smirked as she captured his knight with hers. He frowned, and then smiled. "I don't have any more gloves to take off. So…" he smirked, and then began to unbutton his shirt. Alannah bit her lip, moaning quietly as he shrugged out of his shirt, revealing his smoothly scarred and muscular chest. He tossed the shirt aside, and looked at her with a wicked grin. "Like what you see, love?"

Alannah nodded, and managed to squeak out a 'yes'. Stayne grinned, then leaned forward and spoke in a low tone, sending a delicious shiver through her. "I like what I'm seeing too. I like it quite a lot." He stroked the smooth expanse of her leg, stopping just at her thigh, and she moaned in desire and frustration. He smirked, and kissed her throat. She moaned quietly. He moved his lips to her ear. "Your turn."

She glared at him, and then moved her remaining knight. He stared at the board for a few moments, and then moved his castle, capturing the knight. She smirked, and then reached around to the back of her dress, slowly unzipping it. She shrugged out of the top, letting the material pool into her lap. Stayne let his gaze rake up and down her breasts, which were covered in a thin silk shift. He looked down at her lap, and frowned. "I thought the wager was we each remove an item of clothing completely, my beauty. You are still wearing your dress."

Alannah smirked. "I know, but it hardly seems fair to have to take it off all at once. I would much rather stretch out your…anticipation." She grinned wickedly. "No fun in that for me."

He glared at her. "So the idea is to torment your husband? I see. Well, two can play at that game."

He squeezed her leg, then leaned in and kissed her deeply. She moaned, and eagerly kissed him back, brushing her tongue along his lips.

After what seemed like hours, he finally broke the kiss, gazing at her with a dazed, lustful expression. She gazed back with lidded eyes, and he crumpled.

He swept the board to the floor, and pounced on her, capturing her lips in a fierce kiss.

"Checkmate."