Eventually, somewhere between reps, she feinted instead of striking and shoved me lightly in the chest.
I exaggerated the stumble. “Oi! Cheap shot.”
“That was a test.” A smug smile played around her full lips.
“Oh, and I failed, did I?”
“Spectacularly.”
Tori stepped closer, playful now, and before I could react, she tapped my shoulder and darted away like we were kids.
Without thinking, I chased her, caught her around the waist, and we ended up half-laughing, half-wrestling on the mats. She elbowed me gently in the ribs.
“Careful,” I said, a mocking seriousness laced my tone. “I’m fragile.”
She rolled her pretty green eyes. “You’re literally a linebacker.”
“Emotionallyfragile.”
This earned me a genuine laugh. When we finally calmed down, Tori was breathing heavily and had pressed her forehead briefly against my chest. She didn’t immediately move away.
I noticed a fresh bruise on her shoulder. Purple this time. Without thinking, I leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to it. She froze for a second, then she sighed shakily and rested her head against me.
“Does that help?” she murmured.
“Dunno,” I replied honestly. “But it just feels right.”
Tori pulled back just enough to look at me; her eyes were softer than I had ever seen them before. She looked vulnerable in a way that somehow felt … special.
“I suppose it does.”
I smiled as she shook her head, her lips twitching. Then she tapped my chest once with her knuckles.
“Thanks. For holding the pads.”
“Anytime.” And I meant it. “I’ll hold whatever you need.”
Tori studied me for a long moment, like she was weighing something up.
Eventually, she turned back toward the setup in the garage.
“Okay. Let’s do one more round.”
I lifted the pads again, my heart bursting with emotion and my arms at the ready, knowing I’d stand there for as long as she needed me to.
Chapter 18
Tori
Thepowerwentoutwith a loud pop, making me freeze. One second, the hum of the fridge and the overhead lights had filled the air. Next, total darkness was swallowing the living room whole.
“Seriously?” I flicked the light switch on and off, as if it would make a difference.
Nothing. Not even a flicker. The entire street was out — porch lights, streetlamps, everything.
IknewI’d paid the damn electricity bill, so why the hell was the freaking power off?
Then, as if answering my question, the silence was broken by a clap of thunder, making me turn my head to peer out of the window. The inky sky was briefly illuminated by a bright bolt of lightning; the flickering light threw my surroundings into sharp relief.
