The vodka was working a bit too well. Thankfully, Chance made his reappearance before Irina could offer her another shot.

Juliet watched him closely, searching for answers. Chance kept his poker face on, which was a good thing since Juliet wasn’t the only one concentrating on him. Irina’s eyes scanned his body up and down, coming to rest appreciatively on his face.

Watch it there, girly girl, he’s taken.

Chance gave Irina the briefest glance before focusing on Juliet. “Let’s go,” was all he said.

Juliet didn’t argue. She popped up off her stool, stumbling a bit before Chance deftly caught her to guide her out of the restaurant.

Once they were through the front door, the questions bubbling inside her head came streaming out of her mouth.

“How was it? Is he going to give you the money? Irina said something about a war? What does that mean? Did he say anything about—?”

“Later,” he said, softly, casting his eyes around them.

This made Juliet look around with paranoid glances. Were they being followed?

He walked them both in silence until they were at the boardwalk then he filled her in on everything. When he was done, she could feel him reading her.

Juliet looked out to the water to process this new development. Viktor was right; it definitely changed things.

“It works,” she said finally, turning to face him. “In fact, this could be better.”

Chance nodded as though she was confirming what he already thought.

“So there will be a war.” It was half a question, half a statement of fact. She looked back at the water as she waited for his answer.

“Looks that way.”

“What will happen to you?”

“I’m more concerned about you.”

“Chance,” she sighed.

“Juliet,” he said, bringing his hand around to take her chin and turn it to face him. “Don’t worry about me. This is the only thing that will keep both me and you safe. We have to do this.”

“I know,” she said.

He brought her in to hug her and she squeezed tight.

“Let’s get back to the hotel,” he said.

* * *

This time they were slower and more emotional, eyes and hands wandering over every part of each other as if discovering one another for the first time.

“Chance,” Juliet breathed as he planted soft kisses on her neck.

“Don’t think,” he murmured against her throat.

She tried to tune out everything in her head. The hand that slid up her side to cup one breast as she lay on the bed helped.

She brought his face up to look at hers. She wanted to say so much, but kissed him instead.

He slid on top of her, then inside of her. Juliet arched her body up to meet his so every part of her was pressed against him.

They rocked in rhythm with one another until each came in unison.

Chance rolled over on his back and Juliet curled into him, never wanting to let him go.

* * *

The next morning they lingered in bed. Their flight didn’t leave for a few hours.

“You’ve been pretty quiet there,” Chance said, stroking her back as she rested her head on that familiar place between his arm and his chest.

She had been quiet, barely saying more than a few words since last night. She was too stuck in her head.

Every detail they had poured over in anticipation of the upcoming game was being run through a million different scenarios in her head.

“Stop,” Chance said, as though reading her mind.

“I can’t,” She said, not daring to look at him. As absurd as it seemed at the moment, she would have given anything for a stack of origami paper to work on right now.

“Hey,” he said, nudging his shoulder to jostle her so that she turned to look up at him. He nodded toward her forehead. “Tell me what’s going up there.”

“You know what’s going on up there.”

“Listen, I was never one to rely on luck in this game, but I have a feeling I’m going to need all I can get. So please don’t jinx it with those little trails in your brain all leading to bad outcomes. Focus on the one that has this crazy plan working.”

She stared at him trying to figure out how to respond. He was being deliberately lighthearted about it, mostly for her sake she knew.

She owed it to him to do the same. But first she had to get the few nagging issues in her head out.

“Your eyes,” she said. “You have to find a way to control them.”

“I will,” he said.

“Don’t give me platitudes, Chance. I’m serious. This game isn’t going to be like your usual games. There’s too much at stake. You want these men dead and they feel the same way about you.”

He just stared at her, acknowledging the truth of that statement.

She brought her hand up to touch his face. “When you feel your emotions coming, think of me. Think of me in the butterfly center. Think of me in the museum. Think of me right now. That’s when your eyes are the calmest. Don’t give anything away, Chance.”

He brought his hand up against her cheek. “I’m not giving anything away, Juliet. Especially not you.”

“Okay then,” She said placing her hand on his chest and looking him dead in the eye. “Tell me you’ll come back. If you say it, I’ll believe it. I’ll know it’s true.”

Chance’s eyes were clear as ever as he looked up at her. “Juliet, I’m coming back to you.”