“Fuck you.” The words lacked heat. “I win plenty.”
“That doesn’t mean you don’t get hit.”
Nicholas jabbed just as Theo had before and then aimed lower when Theo blocked it, thumping him in the gut.
Theo didn’t react except to bop Nicholas on the side of his head while his guard was down.
He blinked as his vision swam for a moment, but the blow hadn’t been too hard, and it adjusted quickly. He backed off, waiting for Theo to take the initiative this time.
They continued on, exchanging punches every now and then, until both brothers had grown weary of being so careful, and they came at each other with less forethought and more aggression.
Theo’s right fist plowed toward Nicholas, and he dodgedit and aimed for his brother’s torso again, then wrapped his arms around Theo and wrestled him to the floor.
“Foul,” Theo grunted, trying to throw him off. “Wrestling isn’t part of boxing.”
Nicholas grinned down at him. “I don’t see anyone officiating. Let’s grapple.”
Theo rolled his eyes but indulged Nicholas. Adrenaline thrummed in Nicholas’s veins as he and his brother used their arms and legs to move each other around, both vying for the upper hand.
Wrestling in such a way might not be as bloodthirsty as boxing, but it was an excellent way to wring every extra drop of energy from his body.
He’d been in a funk when Theo had asked to spar, but he certainly wasn’t anymore.
He bared his teeth as Theo flipped him, and his back hit the floor, knocking the air from him. Racking his brain, he tried to remember how to escape a position like this one, but before his brain supplied any options, Theo had maneuvered him into a position where, if he tried to break free, he’d likely snap his arm.
“I cede,” Nicholas barked, tension seeping from his muscles when Theo released him. He flopped his head to the ground, panting. “You win.”
“Do you feel better, though?” Theo asked, levering himself into a cross-legged position. “Because I do.”
“Much.”
Theo scrambled to his feet and offered his hand to Nicholas, helping him up. “Right. I must clean off and visit Ollie.”
“Do you need cuddles with the baby after beating the stuffing out of me?” Nicholas teased.
Theo grinned, and the sight of it warmed Nicholas inside. For so many years, his brother had been cold and distant, lostin his own misery. Marrying Kate had been the best thing to ever happen to him.
Theo opened the door, and they spilled out into the corridor, only to come face-to-face with the lady in question.
Kate crinkled her nose as she took them in. “Please tell me no one is hurt.”
“We’re both fine,” Theo said, bending to kiss her cheek.
She narrowed her eyes suspiciously but then nodded. “Will you join me in the ballroom in half an hour? There’s a matter I’d like to discuss with you both.”
“Both of us?” Nicholas clarified, even though she’d said as much. It was just unusual for her to seek his opinion on household matters, which she typically had well in hand.
She smiled. “If you’ve the time.”
“For you? Of course.”
Theo rolled his eyes and muttered something about flirting. As if Nicholas would really flirt with his brother’s wife.
He just liked to tease.
Nicholas found one of the maids before going to his room and asked for a basin of water to be brought to him. He didn’t have time for a proper bath, but he refused to attend a family meeting stinking of stale sweat. A quick wash would do the job.
He sat on the chair at his desk and unwrapped his hands, noting the deep grooves in his skin left from where he’d pulled the fabric a little too tight. Never mind. The grooves would fade within the house, and no one at home would look at him sideways. They all knew that he and Theo enjoyed the occasional casual bout.
