Knight (Chess Chronicles Book 1)

by Riley Walker

“You have been with me the entire time?”

  “Of course. Where else would I have been?” I push a stray lock of hair off his forehead. “Are you feeling alright?”

  “Yeah I think I am. Do you think you could help me get up? A shower might help my body wake up fully.”

  I nod, unable to say anything. One large hand engulfs mine and he eases himself up and towards the side of the bed. I shudder at the sight in front of me. Edrik without his shirt on is something I could look at all the time. His muscles constrict with each movement and I have to wipe under my mouth to make sure I am not drooling. His body is a work of art. I hear him clear his throat and I know I have just been caught ogling him. A blush creeps up my cheeks and I offer him my other hand.

  Edrik stands and begins walking toward my door.

  “Where are you going?”

  “I told you I wanted to take a shower. I am headed to the bathroom down the hall.”

  “Don’t be silly Edrik. You can use my bathroom.”

  “Chess, I do not have any clean clothes with me.”

  “I’ll run to your room while you are in the shower and grab you some. Please, stay here.”

  Edrik gives me a small smile and begins to walk towards my bathroom. Once in there, I watch him while he looks over himself in the mirror. His face is a little more lean since he has not eaten in the last three days but other than him being paler, he looks the same. He reaches for the button on his pants and I see him flinch trying to push them down.

  “Here,” I say. “Let me help you.”

  I move his hands out of the way and help push his pants down to the floor. I try to keep my eyes down but they seem to have a mind of their own. When I glance up, I am level with his very impressive, and I am assuming, very happy manhood.

  “See something you like Princess?” Edrik purrs at me.

  I stand up quickly, too quickly and I fall forward. My head smacks Edrik’s thigh and I jump back and stumble right into the vanity. That is definitely going to leave a mark.

  Edrik is now laughing at me and begging me to please be still so he can help me. Apparently, all this laughter at my expense is painful for him. He helps me stand and I lift my nose, hoping to look dignified while I walk out of the bathroom.

  I walk into Edrik’s room and begin to rummage through his drawers, looking for something comfortable for him to wear. When I open the top drawer, I find his socks and underwear. Oh my. My Edrik is a boxer brief guy. I grab a pair of forest green undies, some thick socks, and a pair of grey sweats. I forgo a shirt. Gretchen will need to look at his wounds and it would just get in the way.

  At least, that’s my story and I’m sticking to it.

  Back in my room I drop all his clothes on my bed and go find Gretchen. Edrik needs food. I know he must be starving. My stomach starts growling at that exact moment reminding me I too am hungry.

  I find her in the kitchen and when I tell her Edrik has woken up she starts ladling the soup she made into a bowl and grabs the makings for sandwiches out of the fridge. We work together, Gretchen preparing his soup and something to drink while I am putting sandwiches together. After everything is ready, we both take the stairs to my room, each of us carrying a platter loaded with food.

  When we enter my bedroom, Edrik is dressed, his hair still damp and sitting up in my bed with his back against the headboard.

  “Princess, funny thing. I could not find a shirt anywhere to put on.”

  Geez how many times is this man going to make me blush today?

  “Well, I figured that it would just get in the way. Gretchen needs to check your stitches and change the bandage.”

  “How thoughtful of you,” he said to me with that smirk of his.

  Gretchen laughs, “Children. Keep your banter to yourselves so I can tend to Edrik’s wounds please.”

  Edrik lays down and turns so his side is facing up. Gretchen gently cuts away the bandage and I am shocked by how much it has healed. You can see the skin is still puckered around the stitches but that is all that is left of the stab wound. Gretchen states that the stitches are ready to be removed. Seeing her stitch him up was hard, but watching her cut each one and pull them out through his skin, not so much.

  Edrik never moves or makes a sound but I can tell by the look on his face this is uncomfortable. After she is done removing all of the stitches, she wipes his side down with medicine and places a bandage over it.

  “Make sure to keep this medicine and a bandage on it for a few more days. You need to eat and rest now.”

  “Thank you Gretchen for everything,” Edrik tells her.

  Gretchen bows her head and leaves us alone. Edrik sits back up and I place the platter with the soup on his lap. I put the second one with the sandwiches on the bed beside him. “Eat. You need to regain your strength.”

  Edrik picks up his spoon and devours his soup and I slowly eat my sandwich. We eat in comfortable silence, neither of us taking our eyes off of the other.

  “Are you really okay Chess? I know you were blindsided by Bianca. Hell, we were all made fools of by her.”

  I set the remainder of my sandwich down, my appetite now gone.

  “I still cannot get over her working with the Renegades. Why did she hate me so much? She told me she was using you because she knew all along how I felt about you.”

  “How do you feel about me, Chess?”

  “Edrik. Please, let’s not talk about this now. You are still healing, the Renegades are becoming more vicious in their attacks and we still have to finalize our plans to rescue Shelby.”

  “When will it be time for us Chess? If we wait until everything is good, then we could be waiting forever. If being hurt taught me anything, it is that life is short and I need to be brave enough to go after what I want. I know what I want and that is you. The question is, do you want me too?”

  Is this man crazy? How does he not know how much I want him? How much he means to me? I don’t think I can look him in the eye and confess my deepest secret. How do I tell my Knight that I have had feelings for him since the day he swore to protect me?

  I do the only thing I know to do, I remove the soup platter from his lap and place it on the floor beside the platter of uneaten sandwiches. I scoot up the bed until I am sitting right beside him. I run my fingers slowly down the scruff on his face and I close my eyes and lean towards him. I kiss his full lips tenderly and run my tongue over his bottom one. It takes me a second to realize that Edrik is not responding. Did I misunderstand him?

  As I start to pull away, it’s like he finally snaps out of it and he takes over our kiss. His lips are not tender on mine. They are hard and demanding. He takes my bottom lip in between his teeth and pulls it back. I open my mouth to let out a moan and he uses the opportunity to sweep his tongue in my mouth. Our tongues and teeth are clashing against each other. This kiss is full of passion and is all consuming. I pull back to catch my breath and Edrik begins kissing along my jaw and down my neck. I tilt my head to the side to give him the access he desires. I love feeling him pepper kisses across my neck but right now my lips are jealous so I pull him back to me and begin kissing him all over again. We finally start to slow and Edrik kisses me on each of my eyelids, my forehead and one last peck on my swollen lips.

  “Rest, Princess. I know you have not been sleeping well while looking after me. I know I will rest better with you in my arms.”

  I close my eyes and lay my head on his shoulder, placing my right hand on his chest, letting it rise and fall with each breath he takes. Edrik’s left hand is running lazy circles down my spine. In no time my eyes have grown heavy and for the first time since he was injured, I fall into a deep sleep.

  29

  Big O

  When I wake several hours later, I notice I am sleeping on something hard. Oh right. I fell asleep in Edrik’s strong arms.

  He is still asleep so I take the opportunity to run my hand over his hard chest. He is so beautiful. I am not sure how this is going to work but I pl
an to keep my Knight forever.

  It is at that moment I feel a twitch on my thigh and realize my leg is draped across his very hard, very large manhood. I am so embarrassed and completely turned on. I can feel the pool of wetness between my thighs. I decided to slowly get out of the bed before I make a fool of myself.

  Just as I raise up a strong arm grabs me around my waist and pulls me back down. Edrik’s deep brown eyes are looking at me with so much adoration and lust. He smiles down at me through hooded lids.

  “Just where do you think you are going, Chess?”

  I look over at him. “I was going to get up so you could rest just a bit longer.”

  Edrik shifts us so his body is now over mine.

  “What are you doing, Edrik?”

  He bends his head and nips at my chin then follows the line of my neck with sweet kisses. I grab hold of both his forearms as he works across my collar bone. He then lifts his head, his brown eyes searching mine. He sits up, grabbing the amulet from around his neck and removes it, placing it on the bedside table. I mimic his move, removing my amulet and lay it beside his.

  “I told you, I will not hide myself when we are together.”

  As soon as those words leave his mouth, I grab him by the back of his head and fuse our lips back together.

  I feel Edrik’s hand begin to slide up my ribs, his thumb brushing against the side of my breast. I arch my back on instinct and he takes that as a sign of approval. His hand pushes up my shirt and pinches my nipple. I spread my thighs as he lowers his body against mine. He leaves my mouth and kisses his way down to where his hand is fondling me. His mouth replaces it and he begins to gently suck on my nipple while pinching my other one between his fingers. The sensation he is creating in my body are mind numbing.

  He kisses back up my neck, his hardness pressed against my core. The friction of my yoga pants and his sweats rubbing between us is sending an unknown tingling throughout my entire body. Edrik kisses me like his life is dependent on this one kiss while he continues to rub himself against me. His movements are getting faster and more intense. I feel a pressure building and I scream into Edriks mouth. I feel his muscles tighten under my hands as he rips his mouth away from mine. He tucks his face into the crook of my neck and groans at the same time I feel fireworks going off inside of my body. My limbs feel heavy and there is a wetness between my legs and on my belly.

  “Princess. Chess. I am so sorry,” he says while he breathes heavily.

  “Why would you be sorry? That was the most intense moment of my life. Can we do that again?”

  Edrik looks down at me, giving me a glimpse of my favorite half smile and chuckles at me, “Yes Chess. We can definitely do that again.”

  After cleaning up I head down to the library. I am surprised to see Colton already in there going over the maps of the Renegade camps.

  “Hey Colton. How long have you been down here?”

  “I just got down here. I figured I’d get some study time in before our training session this afternoon.”

  “Have you made any new discoveries? I still think entering on the south-east side is our best bet.”

  “I think you’re right. I keep going over every point of entry and it seems like that is the only one that isn’t so heavily guarded. It’s probably that way because it is right at the forest line so they don’t think anyone can see the opening.”

  I sit down beside him and study the outline of the camp again. The day for us to attempt to get to Shelby, if she is even there, is coming soon.

  “Franchesca, can we talk for a minute?”

  “I thought we were talking.”

  Colton runs his hair through his head in frustration.

  “Look, I’m just going to be honest and lay it all out there okay? I came here to help get Shelby back but that isn’t the only reason.” He turns his body towards mine and grabs my hands, one in each of his. “I like you Franchesca. I have from the moment I first met you. I don’t want to go into this situation, not knowing what could happen, without telling you the truth.”

  “Colton…”

  “Don’t. You don’t have to say anything. I just wanted you to know how I feel.”

  I know what he is going to say before he even says it. Colton has not professed any feelings for me since that one night a few years ago in front of my dorm room. I let him down gently back then but now, now I need to be honest with him. He needs to understand that my life is with Edrik and it always will be.

  “I love you Colton. You and Shelby are my best friends and I don’t know what I would do without either of you. You are an amazing person, but I love him. Nothing will change that.”

  “You mean Edrik?”

  “I am so sorry Colton. I would never hurt you, but he has had my heart for a long time and just like I cannot see my life without you and Shelby as my friends, I cannot see it without him either.”

  “I understand Franchesca. Thank you for being honest with me. I already knew how you felt but I just had to lay it all out there.”

  I hug his neck and whisper in his ear, “You will always have a special place in my heart Colton. No one could ever take you away from me.”

  Colton eases back, gives me a kiss on the forehead and leaves the library. I hope I didn’t hurt him. That was never my intention but I refuse to ever lead him on.

  30

  Priorities (Colton’s POV)

  I knew she didn’t feel the same way about me that I felt about her. But there is just something about Franchesca that pulls you in and will not let go. I have known from the first time I laid my eyes on her that she was different from anybody else I had ever met.

  I won’t lie. I’m sad that she doesn’t feel the same intensity for me but I understand that she has known him for a long time. She tells me she and Edrik are fated. Bonded souls. I never had a chance.

  I meant what I said when I told her I was here for Shelby. They have both become the most important people in my world. I was never one to let others in, but somehow they eased their way past all my barriers and dug in deep.

  I am walking down the hall, my head facing the floor when I stumble into a wall. Nope. Not a wall. A Knight.

  “Hey Edrik. What’s up man?”

  “Colton.”

  He doesn’t seem too happy to see me. Wonder why….

  “I was just leaving the library. I was looking over the Renegade maps and seeing if I could find any other weak points.”

  “Uh-huh.”

  Well okay then.

  “Guess I will see you later then.”

  I start walking again, but a hand lands on my shoulder and stops me.

  “Colton, can I have a word with you?”

  Damn. This can’t be good.

  “Of course. What is on your mind?”

  “Franchesca is on my mind. I overheard your conversation with her and I want to make sure that no matter what she told you, you will not allow this to affect you during our mission to get Shelby back. I need your undivided attention out there. She is my first priority and I cannot have you distracted and something happen to her. I am sorry if you were hurt by her words but the only thing that should matter is her safety once we are out there. I need to know that you will not let our relationship hinder your decisions in any way.”

  What the hell is this fool asking me?

  “Are you asking me if I will turn my back and allow her to get hurt just because she doesn’t want me? Dude, I may be upset that she chose you over me, but she’s still my best friend and I ain't no chump that would leave her unprotected for any reason.”

  This man is really starting to piss me off.

  I take a deep breath and stand taller. I am still not as tall as him, but whatever.

  “Look, Edrik. I understand you are concerned about her. I am too. I would never let anything happen. I will protect Franchesca with my last breath. Is there anything else you needed?”

  “Just making sure our priorities are the same. I know we aren’t friends, b
ut for Chess, I am willing to be friendly.”

  I nod my head, brushing my shoulder against his as I walk past.

  “Colton.”

  I turn to look at him.

  “Good talk.” Edrik winks at me then heads off towards the library.

  Did he just wink at me? This has to have been the most awkward conversation ever.

  31

  All Wrapped Up

  Ouch! Dang it Edrik.You don’t have to actually cut me.”

  “You are not paying attention Chess. I need your head here with me right now.”

  “My head is here. I just can’t best you with a sword. I have been training every day for a week and you have been at it for how many years? Give me a break and stop freaking cutting me with that stupid sword.”

  I am so tired and frustrated today. Nerves are running high because we still do not know what to expect tomorrow. We have gone over the maps until each of us could draw them with our eyes closed. Unfortunately, we know no matter how much studying we do, nothing can prepare us for what we may actually face.

  Shelby never leaves my mind and the guilt I carry for getting her involved.

  “Again Chess! We are not going to stop until you can block me then counter attack. If you want to go with us, I need to know you can defend yourself if we become separated.”

  “Fine. Again!”

  We continue the back and forth sword fight for another hour before Edrik finally states that he is not confident in my sword abilities, but confident enough that I could defend myself and then run to safety. We put up the swords and begin our hand to hand combat. The three years of MMA I took help me here, but I am still no match for him. He takes me to the floor over and over again. It is beginning to piss me off.

  “Put your arms up Chess! Protect your face and your head. Punch me when you see an opening. Do not just stand there and cower!”

  “I. Am. Not. A. Coward!” I roar at him.