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“Jesus,” he breathes, voice rough. “That was⁠—”

“Incredible,” I finish, laughter bubbling up despite the intensity. “Insane. We’d be in serious trouble if someone had walked in.”

His mouth twitches with a hint of a smile. “Worth it.”

I let my legs slide down from around his waist, my feet finding the floor. My dress is bunched up, hair a wild mess around my face. I probably look completely undone, but Carter’s expression, like I’m something extraordinary, pushes any self-consciousness away.

He reaches past me to unlock the door, then pulls me close, arms caging me in, both protective and possessive. His heart pounds in my ear, gradually slowing to something calmer.

“We should sneak out before anyone comes looking for you,” I murmur against his skin, though I don’t move from his embrace.

“Probably,” he agrees, kissing the top of my head.

He smooths my hair from my face, his thumb tracing my swollen lips before he straightens my dress. I try to fix the collar of his shirt, my fingers clumsy. We move with a shared, unspoken urgency. When Carter finally unlocks the door, the hallway is blissfully empty.

“Are you coming back to watch training?” he asks, his hand sliding into mine, fingers weaving together.

I squeeze his hand, smiling up at him. “Wouldn’t miss it.”

As we walk back toward the gym, his thumb brushes back and forth over my knuckles, a quiet, intimate gesture that feels like a promise. The sound of people training picks up around us, the thud of fists against bags, the sharp commands of instructors, the grunts of exertion. But right now, it all feels distant, secondary to the warmth of his hand in mine.

He leads me to the bench where I left my bag, pressing a quick kiss to my temple before heading back to the ring. I watch him duck through the ropes, nodding to his sparring partner, and catch him stealing a glance my way, that intense look still in his eyes.

The afternoon unfolds, the routines of the gym the same as always. But the air between us has changed. My skin still tingles where he touched me. I feel the weight of his gaze from across the room. My own body settles, finally sure of its place next to his.

Carter kicks off his demo and starts explaining this technique to the fighter across from him. I settle onto the bench, ready to watch. He moves with a fluid grace, each punch packed with controlled power. But when his eyes lock with mine through the ropes, something shifts in his face, a softening, a warmth that’s just for me.

At that moment, surrounded by the gym’s familiar clatter, watching this man who’s silently adored me for years finally let me in, I feel something I haven’t felt since before that night in the courtyard.

I feel whole.

Chapter 11

Carter

I feel her eyes on me from across the gym, her gaze as heavy and familiar as my own heartbeat. It’s all I can do not to turn around, to resist leaving the fighter I’m training to go to her. The memory of her body pressed against mine in that cramped bathroom makes my hands unsteady, and I clench them into fists to stop the shaking.

“Your form’s slipping,” I tell the kid in front of me. Derek is nineteen, brimming with potential he’s too lazy to chase. “Guard up.”

He adjusts, but his eyes keep flicking over to Trixie. A possessive heat builds in my chest. I can’t blame him for looking—she’s a fucking vision in that sundress, skin still glowing. But the way his eyes linger on the mark I left on her neck makes me want to put him through a wall.

I pull my focus back to Derek, forcing myself to home in on his technique. “Again. Jab, cross, hook.”

He throws the combo, messy but a little better. I correct his stance, giving his foot a nudge. “You’re wide open. Anyone could slip inside your guard. Take five,” I tell Derek, already turning toward Trixie.

She looks up as I draw near, her smile spreading across her face, and the air gets punched from my lungs. I slide onto the bench beside her, close enough for our thighs to touch.

“You’re distracting me,” I murmur.

Her eyebrow lifts. “Me? I’m just sitting here, minding my own business.”

“Exactly.” I catch her hand, our fingers lacing together like they were made to fit. “Just sitting there, and you’re all I can think about.”

Her blush rises, making me want to find another private corner. I lean in, my lips near her ear. “I keep thinking about your legs wrapped around me.”

She shivers, and her soft sound goes straight to my core. “Carter,” she whispers, glancing around to check if anyone’s watching. “We’re in public.”

“I know.” I kiss her temple, lingering just long enough to take her in. “That’s what makes it so hard.”