“No. That we’ve been dating all this time and we’ve never gone a round in the ring together.”
A ghost of a smile curved his lips. “You want to get in the ring?”
“With you? Absolutely.” She grinned before stepping out of his arms and crossing to the octagonal ring. Without a word, she slipped off her shoes, pulled off her sweatshirt, and held out her hands. “Glove me.”
Humor danced in his eyes. But he grabbed two pairs of gloves from the equipment box. She barely held in the shudder as he strapped the gloves onto her hands. There was something so sexy about having a man—no, not a man,Zane—getting her ready to step into the ring.
When he had his gloves on, they both slipped into the ring.
“Ready?” he asked, the humor still there.
She lifted her gloved hands and softened her knees into a fighting stance. “Do you find something funny, Zane Merrick?”
“Of course not. I know better than to underestimate a beautiful woman wearing gloves.”
“Damn straight.” She danced forward and threw her first punch.
Zane dodged it with practiced ease. “That was good.”
She lifted a brow. “Surprised?”
“By you? Always.”
She grinned before throwing two more punches, followed by an uppercut.
Zane blocked all of them with his gloves but did look at least a bit impressed. “Who taught you this?”
She moved around him, staying light on her feet. “I told you. I did mixed martial arts when I left Amber Ridge. I had a lot of emotions to work through. I got kind of good.”
“Are you telling me you could wrestle me to the floor right now?”
“Hot, right?”
He didn’t even crack a smile, but the intensity in his eyes almost made her lose her breath.
“You haven’t thrown a punch yet,” she said, jabbing at his chest.
He absorbed the jab and threw a right hook, but it was more of a tap to her shoulder.
She lifted a brow. “You can do better than that.”
He smiled, then threw an almost playful hook that grazed her chin.
God, she loved that smile. “You might not be treating me like a real threat, but don’t think that means I’m gonna go easy on you.” She threw two jabs, both dodged by him, followed by a hard and fast kick to his thigh.
He caught her leg and spun her so her back was pressed to his front, her leg still in his hold. Then his mouth touched her ear as he whispered, “That was good, Bon. But you give yourself away with your eyes.”
“I do not!”
“You’re too open.” He kissed her ear. “Want a break?”
“No.” Hell no. She threw a hard elbow to his gut. No reaction from him. No grunt or hunching. But still, he released her.
She lifted her hands to protect her face and danced around him.
He threw another playful punch, and as he did, she ducked and slipped under his arm, going to his back. She kicked at the back of his knee, but as if he had eyes in the back of his head, he moved. And the second she was thrown off balance, his strong arm wrapped around her waist and they fell to the floor, his back hitting it first before he rolled them and pinned her down.
“Gotcha.” He grinned.
