This time, he hit the mat with a surprised laugh. As he rolled to his feet, however, he didn’t pull away. Instead, he came at me again, his eyes locked on mine.
Each of our movements became a wordless conversation. I was supposed to teach and demonstrate and keep him safe, but the heat of our proximity made it difficult to separate professionalism from instinct.
“You’re quick,” he panted, grinning widely, and there was a flicker ofsomethingin his eyes. Something more than admiration.
His black hair fell into his forehead in soft, slightly wavy strands that never quite behaved, always framing his face, no matter how many times he brushed them back. Somehow, he was all the more distracting for this imperfection.
“And you’re … not terrible,” I said, my voice carrying a teasing edge I hadn't intended.
We moved in a slow circle, each testing the other. He tried a low sweep, then a snap to my forearm, his hand brushing mine just enough to make my pulse spike. Not that Iwantedit to. This was sparring, not a … whatever this was turning into.
Yet, as I pivoted and danced out of his reach, I realized the thrill wasn't just from the fight. It washim. It was the way he moved, the way he responded and the way he looked at me.
And he was grinning. God, his grin was infuriating.
Kai lunged again, this time with more force, a playful snarl tugging at the corners of his mouth. I blocked and spun under his arm, but he didn’t retreat. He pressed forward, forcing me to pivot faster and shift my weight against his.
The mat beneath us seemed to shrink; every time our bodies brushed and I scrambled for balance, my pulse spiked in ways I didn’t want.
“You’re aggressive.” Smirking, I ducked low and caught his wrist. “Careful, or I’ll start thinking you like this too much.”
He laughed breathlessly, a low, wild sound that resonated deeper than I expected. “Maybe I do,” he shot back, his eyes glinting and the same challenging grin lighting up his face.
We circled each other again, this time more closely, each step a careful negotiation, and he matched me move for move. The sparks between us were impossible to ignore as our hands brushed and our shoulders collided.
Every glance, every subtle shift of his weight, carried something electric.
I told myself to stay professional. This was my job, after all, and he was no different to any of my other students. But the way he moved, the way he laughed when I got the upper hand and the way his eyes never left mine wasdifferent.
Kai lunged for a sweep and I reacted instinctively, dropping my hips and stepping into his attack. I redirected his momentum with my grip, allowing him to hit the mat lightly.
My breath caught. He was tooclose. There was a charged energy between us, and I clenched my teeth as a deep throb swept through my core.
“Better,” I muttered, trying to sound casual while my brain scrambled.
“Better?” he echoed, grinning wider, his chest rising and falling with each breath. “You’re not easily impressed, hey?”
I rolled my eyes but was unable to hide my own grin. “We haven’t seen anything impressive yet.”
Reaching down, I offered him a hand. He took it, his palm rough and warm.
“Didn’t think you’d actually get me on the ground this fast,” he admitted.
“Didn’t think you’d stay down for so long.”
Kai’s disarming grin widened. “Careful, Tori. Keep talking like that and I’ll think you like having me under you.”
“Dream on, Rugby Boy.”
He laughed and shook his head. For a second — just a second — I wanted to laugh with him.
The gym around us faded into the background. It was just him, me, and the mat beneath our feet, pushing boundaries in a way neither of us could ignore.
We circled again, closer this time, and I swept his leg. He hit the mat with a thud, but he rolled cleanly and sprang back onto his feet as if it were nothing. Therewas an odd glimmer in his dark eyes, contradicting his easy-going smile and laid-back attitude.
“Come on.” I adjusted my braid with a smirk. “Work on your balance.”
Kai grinned, brushing off his shoulder, completely unfazed. “Just trying to let you feel like you’re winning.”
