I struck first this time, and he blocked it as expected. We fell back into the same pattern of trading blows. A few minutes lapsed before I deliberately moved too slowly, allowing his fist to graze my shoulder. I staggered backward and let out a small sound of pain.
Chris rushed forward to catch me. As soon as his hands landed on my shoulders, I swept my leg around, hooking his knees and sending him to the floor. I followed him down, twisting us so his bigger body was facedown with me on top of him, my signature move that had bested everyone in my training class. I had his arms pinned behind his back and my legs twisted around his before he could utter a sound.
I lowered my head until my mouth almost touched the rim of his ear. “You done?”
A hoot of laughter came from Seamus, and I heard the unmistakable sound of hands slapping in a high five. I was no fool. I knew the only reason I’d been able to take Chris down was by using his concern for me against him. But I was still going to enjoy the moment while it lasted.
It lasted all of ten seconds.
Chris moved so fast I was on my back before I could blink, his big body pressing me into the mat. He rose up on his elbows and gave me a wicked smile that made me breathless and tingly all over.
“You cheated,” he admonished huskily.
“Did not. My opponent had a weakness, and I used it against him.”
“Smart girl.”
He brushed away some of my hair that was plastered to my cheek. I was a sweaty mess, but the warmth in his eyes told me he cared about that less than I did. I didn’t move, willing my heart to slow down and my lungs to function normally.
“You’re not bad for a newbie.”
I quirked an eyebrow. “Not bad?”
He rewarded me with another slow smile. “Above average.”
“Whatever.”
I huffed and tried to buck him off, which proved to be a big mistake. His eyes darkened perceptibly when our lower bodies pressed intimately against each other, and heat suffused me. My lips parted slightly, and his gaze fell to them.
“You guys want us to give you some privacy?” Mason called with a snort of laughter.
My face flamed. Chris grinned.
He rolled off me and to his feet. Before I could move, he reached down and took my hands, pulling me up. I hoped the others would attribute my red face to exertion from the fight and not from my embarrassment at nearly making out with Chris on the gym floor.
Seamus smirked at me as I walked over to grab a towel.
“You’ve got some moves, lass.”
“Thanks.”
“I taught her everything she knows,” Mason joked.
Chris laughed. “Good, because you’re up next.”
Mason’s smile fell. “What?”
Chris picked up my water bottle and carried it over to me. He gave me a conspiratorial wink before he turned to Mason.
“You need to up your game, too, if you don’t want Beth kicking your ass. So, who do you want to take on? Me or my Irish friend here?”
Mason swallowed. “That depends. Who likes me more?”
Seamus let out a guffaw. “Come on, lad. I’ll take it easy on you. Chris is still sporting a hangover from last night, so he’s a bit testy this morning.”
I looked at Chris, who was showing no signs of the terrible hangover he’d had when he woke up. He’d been in such a sorry state that it had been impossible not to feel bad for him, even if he had brought it on himself.
“I thought you were feeling better,” I said when Mason and Seamus walked away.
“The gunna paste and your nursing skills took care of the worst of it, but it takes a few hours to work the effect of murren out of your system.”
“Oh.”
“But I definitely wouldn’t say no to more nursing.”
I scoffed. “Nice try.”
We watched Mason and Seamus exchange blows for a minute before I broke the comfortable silence between us.
“Did I look that slow when I fought you?”
Chris leaned in, lowering his voice. “Seamus is tapping his Mori’s speed to play with Mason. You both fight well.”
Pleasure washed over me. “Thanks.”
“We can do this again tomorrow if you want to. I did promise to practice with you.”
“Yes,” I said quickly.
He chuckled, and I grinned at my own eagerness.
“I should warn you I know your tricks now and I won’t fall for them next time.”
I lifted a shoulder, feigning nonchalance. “Guess I’ll have to come up with some new ones.”
Chapter 17
Chris
If I’d known getting drunk on demon liquor was the way to get Beth back, I would have downed a gallon of murren weeks ago. The hangover was brutal, but it was more than a fair price to see her smile again.
I watched her laugh at something Sara said as they carried plates and a large bowl of salad outside and set them on the patio table. As if Beth sensed my gaze on her, she looked my way and quickly averted her eyes. But not before I saw the telltale pink in her cheeks.
It had been like that between us ever since our practice session in the gym this morning. Every time she did it, I wanted her a little more, but I’d promised her we’d go slow, and I meant to keep that promise, even if it killed me.
“You better turn those steaks unless you want them well-done,” Nikolas said as he walked past me.
I pulled my attention away from Beth and finished grilling the steaks for dinner. Piling them on a plate, I brought them to the table where Beth, Sara, and Nikolas were already seated. I took the open chair next to Beth, and she gave me a little smile when I sat closer than was necessary.
When we’d talked about grilling steaks for dinner, I’d figured there would be more of us, considering how many people we had staying at the house. I had a suspicion the rest of them had deliberately made themselves scarce to allow the four of us to have a quiet evening together.
The conversation was light as we talked about Westhorne, and Sara lamented over missing her pets and the imps. I’d long since stopped shaking my head whenever she talked about the three imps that lived in their apartment at home. Only Sara could convince Nikolas to share his home with those pesky little fiends.
Talk turned to motorcycles, and Beth’s face lit up when we started discussing what bikes would be right for Sara’s smaller frame. Beth knew her motorcycles, and she soon engaged in a lively debate with Nikolas on the pros and cons of the models he was considering. Few people, other than Sara, could hold their own against Nikolas in an argument, even a friendly one, but Beth didn’t back down.
Eventually, the conversation came around to the topic that was foremost in everyone’s minds these days. Where was the Lilin, and why had he been so quiet lately?
“Maybe he left Los Angeles because we were getting too close,” Beth suggested.
I almost wished she was right because it would mean he was far away from her, but I knew better.
“Based on how long he’s been active here, he’s close to the peak of his breeding cycle. It would take too long for him to set up in another city, and it’s too risky to move the girls he’s taken.”
The mood around the table grew more somber at the reminder that those girls were running out of time.
Sara tapped her water glass thoughtfully. “Could it be that he has all the girls he wants, and that’s why he’s being so quiet?”
Nikolas nodded grimly. He and I had discussed this exact possibility today. We hadn’t heard of any girls disappearing since the two we’d rescued in San Francisco, but the Lilin could have taken girls from outside the state and had them brought here if he was growing desperate.
Beth’s brow creased with worry. “I can’t bear to think of what those girls are going through. They must be so scared.”
“Lilin treat their female captives well,” I told her. “He will pamper them and keep them in luxury.”
“But they’re still prisoners.”
“Yes. But they probably don’t know that. He’ll keep them under the influence of his power to make sure they are calm and happy and in the best physical health.”
Beth paled. “God, it sounds like a breeding stable for horses.”