Jax wasn’t a good loser. Never had been, which was why he tried to excel at everything.
At the moment, I was transfixed by what Taylor was doing. Honestly, it had taken me a while to figure it out, but Jax was apparently still clueless.
Where in the hell had she learned to play chess like this?
I watched her face, her gorgeous green eyes intent, but giving up absolutely nothing.
She looked perfectly serene, just like she had earlier when I’d found her in my gym, going through her Tai Chi routine in a pair of yoga pants and a skimpy tank top that had done nothing to hide a pair of perfect breasts.
Taylor had moved like poetry in motion, every movement precise, but so free flowing that I’d wanted to be lost in the same peacefulness with her.
The physical therapist had agreed that Taylor could go back to her Tai Chi practices, as long as she didn’t do anything combative that would strain any of her muscles before they were strong enough to handle it.
Fuck! I probably could have watched her for days, leaning against the door of my gym like an idiot, awed by how much gentle power resided in that petite body of hers.
In the end, my thoughts had, of course, gotten carnal, so I’d had to walk away.
Her breasts were small enough that they hadn’t needed to be confined, but so round and pert, the outline of her nipples so well-defined through the thin material of her tank, that I’d nearly lost it. Add in one shapely ass well worth watching, and I’d been so close to the edge that I wanted to lay her down on the mat that my brothers and I often used for kickboxing, and fuck her until she was screaming my name. Loudly.
I clenched my fists, forcing myself to keep my eyes on the chess game, but mostly, I just watched Taylor’s face because she was so damn adorable that I couldn’t tear my eyes away.
I started to grin as I realized that Taylor was going in for the win.
Okay, it’s about to happen.
Right.
Fucking.
Now.
“Checkmate,” Taylor said grimly as she made her final move.
She wasn’t gloating.
Or arrogant.
Taylor wasn’t triumphant about winning. She was just stating a fact.
Jax was, in fact, checkmated, and I knew he’d figure that out for himself soon enough.
“Not possible,” Jax grumbled as his eyes frantically searched the board for a way to free his king.
I knew the second he realized there was no escape. A brief look of disgust crossed his face.
Jax being Jax, he got over his defeat fairly quickly since he wasn’t the type of guy to start badgering a female, especially one who had recently been through hell and back.
Like it or not, he had to be a graceful loser this time.
“How in the hell did you do that?” Jax asked as he studied the board carefully.
“Sneak attack,” I informed. “One of the best ones I’ve ever seen, and nothing I’ve ever learned.”
Taylor shrugged, looking almost embarrassed. “Just something I learned. You’re a really good player, Jax.”
God, the woman was intuitive. She knew exactly how to stroke Jax’s ego after she’d kicked his ass. Taylor was so…inherently kind, that it would be incredibly hard for anybody not to like her.
My brother shot her a wry smile. “Thanks.” He leaned back in his chair after he’d figured out exactly how Taylor had won. “Where in the hell did you learn to play? There aren’t that many people who can beat me up like that.”
She smiled at Jax softly as she stretched her back. “My very first Tai Chi instructor was an amazing chess player, too. He started teaching me chess when I was twelve. I didn’t win a single game against him, even after years of playing with him, but I learned a lot.”
“What was his name?” I asked curiously.
“Mac Tanaka,” she answered in a gentle tone. “He was a truly amazing man.”
“Shit!” Jax cursed. “He wasn’t just an excellent player; he was a Grand Master. The guy was a legend. If he was your teacher, I probably never stood a chance,” he ended good-naturedly.
Like Jax, I was completely familiar with Mac Tanaka’s name, even though I’d never had the pleasure of meeting him in person. Anyone who knew chess would recognize it.
I watched as Jax folded his arms over his chest, a teasing grin on his face as he asked, “So tell me, my Obi-Wan of chess players, where did I slip up?”