He barked out a victorious laugh. “One point to me.”
She glanced down to see her heel raked through the circle. She snarled, thrusting out again and forcing him back into the ring.
He retreated to the other edge, twirling his sword in a single hand.
She scurried toward him, her blade up like a spear.
He knocked the tip away with his own, then grabbed her wrist and spun her against his body, folding her arm until her own blade was at her throat.
She struggled to break out of his unyielding grip, her back flush with his naked chest. Her skin flooded with electric heat, and she tried to push away, but he held firm.
The cool edge of his sword dragged across her stomach, and his chin grazed her shoulder as he whispered, “That’s two points for me now. What were you saying about having plenty of time to practice?”
She swallowed a frustrated growl as she squirmed against him, unable to break free.
But there were other ways to retaliate. And she wasn’t above using them.
She melted back against him, pushing her ass into his groin. A long-dead part of her lit up at his responding groan. One he desperately tried to stifle. He may notwantto want her anymore, but his body betrayed him.
His cock twitched against her ass before he shoved her away. “Dirty fucking tactic,” he growled, holding his sword in one hand as he adjusted himself with the other.
She shot him a lupine smile, her wolf panting and yipping within her. “You used to like it when I played dirty.”
He bared his fangs and rushed for her again, though his focus was rattled. He broadcast his move well before he made it, and she ducked beneath his sword, angling her own and smacking it across his rock-hard abs. He grunted in pain, and satisfaction pulsed through her veins.
“One point for me,” she sang out, then planted her foot in his ass and knocked him out of the ring. “And now that’s two points. Seems we’re all tied up.”
He huffed out a laugh as he stood, brushing the dirt off of his knees. “Don’t threaten me with a good time, Valette.”
“Get back on your knees for me, and it’ll be more than just a threat.”
Unguarded hunger flashed through his eye, and she realized how foolish it had been to taunt him, to poke the beast.
He tossed his sword aside and barreled toward her, tackling her at the waist and snaking a hand behind her skull to protect her head as they crashed to the ground. He pinned her body down, then snatched her wrists and pushed her hands outside the ring.
He chuckled. “Looks like that’s three points to me.”
She scowled and bucked her hips up into his cock. Terrible idea.
Really terrible idea.
He dragged a fang along the edge of her jaw, and fucking Faurana spare her, she couldn’t help the bone-deep shudder that trembled through her body.
“I win,” he whispered against her neck.
“Get off.”
“Not until I get my prize.” His voice was a silken caress. “I believe I’m owed a truth.”
His weight on top of her, his breath on her skin, his fingers wrapped around her wrists—she had to bite her tongue to keep from moaning. Or begging. “Fuckingaskit, then.”
His teasing expression melted into heartbreaking vulnerability. “Why did you take the fall? After the Cathedral of Bones? Why did you protect me?”
She clenched her hands into fists and squeezed her eyes shut. “Ronin, I?—”
“Ah, ah,” he whispered. “Thetruth. You promised.”
“Because I was still in love with you!” The answer wrenched out through gritted teeth, and she popped her eyes open. Ronin’s own looked shocked. As if he hadn’t expected that.
