After dinner, hearing that Haskell was going to play a game of chess with Zoltan, Larissa decided to stay instead of returning to the Judson estate immediately, watching with keen interest.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Haskell\u2019s posture as he played was remarkably relaxed. He leaned back slightly against his chair, a chess piece dancing between his long, elegant fingers like a nimble sprite. His gaze was deep and focused, each move seeming both carefully calculated and effortlessly casual. Under the soft light, his handsome features were perfectly defined\u2013the high bridge of his nose, his deep\u2013set eyes, and the slight curve of his lips captivating Larissa completely.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Every time he placed a piece on the board, she felt her own heart flutter, as if each move rippled across the surface of her soul. The thought that this impossibly handsome man belonged to her, that they would soon share the most intimate closeness, sent a thrill of excitement through her. The feeling was so sweet, so deliciously private, that she had to bite her lip to keep from smiling aloud.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cBeaten again,\u201d Zoltan said, looking at the board before slowly setting down his piece. He glanced up at the wall clock.\u00a0<\/p>\n
After two games, it was nearly ten. It was getting late.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAlright, that\u2019s enough for tonight,\u201d Zoltan said to his grandson. \u201cHaskell, you should take Larissa home.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Haskell nodded. \u201cOf course.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
As they left the study, Larissa took the handles of Haskell\u2019s wheelchair, guiding him slowly down the hall and toward the front door.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Once there, she couldn\u2019t help but say, \u201cHaskell, you were absolutely magnetic back there. I couldn\u2019t take my eyes off you.\u201d Her own eyes sparkled with admiration and affection.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Haskell paused, a faint smile touching his lips. \u201cIs that so? It\u2019s not often I manage to surprise you. Sometimes I wonder if someone as brilliant as you might find me\u2026 ordinary.\u201d.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Larissa let out a soft laugh. \u201cYou? Ordinary? Never. Honestly, Haskell, with a face like yours, you could have absolutely nothing to your name and you\u2019d still be anything but ordinary.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He chuckled. \u201cSo, if this face were ruined, would you stop liking me?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
It was the classic no\u2013win question, the modern equivalent of \u201cIf your mother and I were drowning, who would you save?\u201d For many women, it would be a relationship minefield, but for Larissa, it was simple.\u00a0<\/p>\n
1\/2\u00a0<\/p>\n
MAR\u00a0<\/p>\n
:\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 521\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI think,\u201d she said without a moment\u2019s hesitation, \u201cthat after what happened with Draven, you\u2019re smart enough to never let anyone get close enough to hurt you again, except for me. So that face of yours is perfectly safe. And even if something did happen, I\u2019d make sure it was restored to its former glory.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
She couldn\u2019t bring herself to utter a dishonest platitude like, \u201cEven if you were disfigured, I\u2019d still love you\u201c. Who, really, could love someone whose face was horrifically scarred? She might continue to admire Haskell\u2019s mind and respect his strength, but the romantic spark would be gone. Desire, after all, began with the physical before it could ever reach the soul. Without the vessel, the rest was just an abstract idea.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Haskell\u2019s smile widened with a hint of self\u2013deprecation. \u201cYou\u2019re right. From now on, no one gets to hurt me. I\u2019ll protect this face, if only to keep you pleased.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIn that case, I think I\u2019ll enjoy it right now,\u201d Larissa murmured, leaning down and planting a soft kiss on his cheek.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Haskell\u2019s expression softened with a touch of longing. \u201cI wish that at this time of night, we were heading to our room together instead of me sending you home.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Larissa straightened up, her\u00a0<\/p>\n
wn voice full of hope. \u201cSoon. Once your legs have healed,\u00a0<\/p>\n
we can start planning the wedding.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
By the time Larissa arrived back at the Judson estate, it\u00a0w<\/p>\n
Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland\u2019s breathtaking cold.<\/p>\n
Wings of Broken Time by Alina Das 521 After dinner, hearing that Haskell was going to play a game of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[89],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-31046","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-the-throne-of-thorns-novel"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31046","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=31046"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31046\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=31046"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=31046"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=31046"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}