Checkmate (Sequel to Game On)

Chapter 1: In His Arms

I look into his eyes, a small smile playing on my lips, and trace his jawline with my fingertips, slightly brushing his soft skin.

It feels like I can drown in his eyes and if I could choose, I would want to stay in the moment forever.

Just he and I, our bodies pressed against each other, his body heat radiating off on me.

I bite my lip as I break our intense stare and look down at my hands, feeling a blush starting to form on my cheeks.

"Aw, you look absolutely adorable when you blush", he cooes in my ear, causing me to blush even more.

I feel his fingertips, warm against my cold skin, lightly push my chin up.

Now, it's he who smile's but unlike any other smiles I've ever seen, the ones he gives me causes butterflies to erupt in my stomach.

"How could I be so lucky to win the heart of a girl like you?" he mumbles, his lips brushing against mine.

"What makes you so sure that you have?" I tease him and press my lips against his before he has time to argue. Our lips move in perfect sync and it feels right to kiss him, to be with him.

"The fact that I can do this", he whispers and towers himself over me, causing me to fall back onto the soft cushions on the sofa, "without getting punched in the face."

I giggle for a short second before his lips are once again planted on mine, this time kissing me more roughly, but still perfectly.

He licks my bottom lip, asking for entrance, and I smile and gladly give him access. I pull at his hair as our tongues fight for dominance and he smirks and pulls away as he wins, as usual.

"You're right", I breath out, "you really have won my heart."

The words come straight from my heart as well, every ounce of it as true as my existence.

I've never thought I would fall for him, it all came as a surprise for both of us, and the realization had hit me like a lightning bolt.

Never had I ever thought that I could fall for his bad boy attitude, cocky and arrogant, like if he owned the world and knew it. I thought I would have too many bad memories but somehow, I've managed to see through the dark clouds and did, indeed, fall for him. Falling for him is the best that's happened to me in ages.

In his arms, I feel strong.

In his arms, I can finally move on.

In his arms, I can never stay for too long.

Every moment with him should last forever, every kiss we share should mean as much as they do now and whatever happens, I hope our love won't fade away.

If true love exists, I'm sure that what's we share.

"What are you thinking about?" he whispers as he twirls a lock of my hair around his index finger. If someone knows what my actions - unseen by the eye unless you know what to look for - means, it's him.

He knows that I twirl a strand of hair between my fingers as I'm restless or uncomfortable as well as I'm biting my lip when I feel nervous, and he can recognize the glimpses in my eyes from what feels like miles away.

Right now, he realizes that I zoned out from the world and sunk deep into my thoughts and I sigh heavily as I return back to reality.

"I'm thinking about how crazy I am about you even though we haven't known each other for that long."

He takes a gentle grip onto my small hand, leaning his weight on his other muscled arm since he's still on top of me, and gaze deep into my eyes, the glimpse of distance being replaced with a glimpse of love. I let him lead my hand to his chest where he places my palm on his dark shirt, a little bit to the right from the middle.

"You feel that?" he asks me without waiting for an answer, "it's my heart, and it's beating for you."

I do feel his heartbeat, even and steady exactly as it should be, and his words send a rush of warmth through me, spreading from my heart out to my fingertips.

"The months, hours and minutes we've been together don't matter", he says in a soft voice, sounding almost angelic in my ears, "what matters is how we choose to spend the time we have and live in the moment."

I can't stop myself from smiling broadly at his words and I grip onto his shirt and pull him down on top of me.

"I choose to spend it with you", I whisper and kiss him gently, wrapping my arms around his neck.

"I love you", he breathes out in-between the kiss that gradually deepens.

"I love you even more, Nathaniel", I respond truthfully.