They were both streaked with dirt, flushed, and a little sweaty, as if they’d been working hard, and something about that set Gregor on edge.
Christ, she looked like she’d been romping in a bed all night!
They were so focused and looking so intently at one another, Gregor didn’t think they realized he was there—except that he knew his brother was too good a warrior not to have noticed.
John feigned a move toward her, trying to get her to react, but she didn’t bite. He was goading her with words also—words Gregor couldn’t hear—but from the look on his brother’s face she was giving them right back.
Gregor felt his temper prick. He didn’t like not knowing what they were talking about. It felt too damnedintimate, which was ridiculous given what they were doing.
He never would have believed what happened next if he hadn’t seen it for himself. John lunged for her, jabbing his fist toward her face. Taking advantage of his momentum, Cate blocked the strike by bringing her left arm up and grabbing his wrist as she turned, pulling John’s arm down to roll him over her hip and flip him to the ground. From there, with control of his wrist and John on his side, she jerked the arm back to brace it against her thigh. If she’d wanted to, she could have snapped it. Instead, she pinned him with her knee and feigned a palm thrust toward his face that would have sent John’s nose straight to the back of his skull, possibly killing him, if it had been real.
Gregor was stunned. She’d moved so quickly, and with such certainty. She’d looked…strong. She looked like a real warrior.
Cate—little Cate—was doing some of the same defensive maneuvers that Boyd had taught him, and that he’d passed on to John. Except they looked different when she was doing them. His jaw clenched.Verydifferent. Bodies-touching-too-closely different.
But he couldn’t deny that she’d impressed him.
“Perfect,” John said. “No hesitation, with plenty of intent. If you are going to get in the fight, you have to be ready to hurt someone.”
She grinned and started to get up. But as soon as she removed her knee, John grabbed her wrist and pulled her down on the ground, rolling on top of her and pinning her hands above her head.
Gregor’s heart was in his throat with what could only be called fear. God, was she hurt? He started forward, but his brother’s laugh stopped him.
“Now what?” John challenged.
“You cheated!” she said, struggling, her eyes shooting daggers at him. Clearly she wasn’t hurt; she was furious.
“I what?” John said, leaning down to pin her harder.
Gregor’s hands fisted at his sides, unable to pull his eyes away from the way her body was straining against his brother’s…
Bloody hell, John looked like he was thinking about kissing her!
Gregor’s mouth fell in a hard line. Perhaps his brother hadn’t seen him, after all. It seemed like John was oblivious to anyone else in the world but the lass underneath him.
She mumbled what Gregor suspected were a few decidedlyun-maidenly words, and then to his surprise, started to laugh. “There is no cheating in warfare,” she said, mimicking his brother’s deep voice. “I know.”
I should have been the one to teach her this. The knowledge landed somewhere in his gut and twisted. She was his responsibility, not John’s. But John didn’t look as if he knew that. John was looking far too possessive.
“So what are you going to do?” John taunted.
Gregor was going to put a stop to this. John had made his point. Cate was helpless. She would never be able to overcome his strength and weight. John was nearly as big as Gregor. Damn it, he was probably crushing her. If there was one bruise on her body…
“This,” she answered. With John’s legs positioned on either side of her hips she used her right knee against his arse to knock him forward, wrapped her arm under his chest, and then brought her heels under her bottom to lift her hips up and roll him so that she was now mounted on top of him.
Bloody hell. Gregor couldn’t believe it. She’d extricated herself with shocking ease.
His brother had taught her well. Gregor had underestimated her and never imagined that a tiny lass could fight a trained warrior—despite what he’d said.
“That’s my lass,” John said with a smile.
The hell she was. Gregor’s reaction was so fierce and instantaneous that had he been thinking rationally, it might have concerned him. But he wasn’t rational at all. He was furious. There was something about the way his brother was looking at her that sent warning bells off in Gregor’s head and made him want to go over there and rip them apart. Actually, what made him want to rip them apart had been seeing his brother on top of Cate, and now seeing her on top of him.
He didn’t like seeingthatone damned bit. It was too reminiscent of a position that had nothing to do with fighting. And if his brother’s expression right now was any indication, he was aware of it as well.
Cate wasn’t for him, and Gregor was going to put a stop to this before his brother started to get other ideas. If anyone was going to train her, it would be him. John was about to be relieved of duty.
“I think that’s enough,” he said, stepping forward.
