“Neither are you, apparently.” I gauge his stance, waiting for the tell-tale movement of his hips to signal another strike. Some fighters signal their intentions with their eyes or shoulders, but Beast is too well-trained for that kind of rookie mistake. But even he can’t go from stationary to attacking without some kind of tell.
The gym around us is empty, courtesy of our late-night workout. He hasn’t been able to sleep well this week, not with the news coming out of Sabine Valley. Every time Isabelle or I bring it up, he shuts us down. Isabelle might be content to give him his space and let him work through whatever’s going on in that pretty head of his, but that’s now how I roll.
I lean forward on my toes and laugh when he tenses. “Almost got you.”
“You know what they say about ‘almost,’ Gaeton.”
Yeah, I do. Just like I know that this is exactly what he needs; work off some tension and then we’re going to sit down and talk. The lack of communication is what fucked all three of us the first time, and there’s no way in hell I’m willing to let us travel down those old roads.
Not even if Beast’s ex, Cohen, is alive.
I move back a step, and Beast follows. The ring is the standard size, but it always feels smaller when I’m in here with him. He’s too damn fast. I can’t let my guard down for even a second. He’s also patient enough to outlast me. That is, he’s patient when I’m not in the mood to provoke him. I flick my fingers at him. “How about a friendly wager?”
His blue eyes narrow. “Only if you feel like offering something you’re willing to lose.”
“None of that bullshit.” I grin. “Whoever wins gets to fuck the other…right here in the ring.”
Beast goes so still, he doesn’t seem to even breathe. “Risky. Someone could walk in.”
“Yeah, they could.” I start edging to one side, and he rotates to follow me without hesitation. “But the only person likely to interrupt is Isabelle, and she’ll just join in.” Though, really, Isabelle isn’t going to interrupt. She’s been running herself ragged trying to keep up with her sisters. Our woman is all-in for the territory, but she’s not used to the amount of energy required. She’ll find her feet eventually, but add in her worry about Beast and she’s exhausted. Tonight we stayed long enough to get her mind off things and wait for her to fall asleep before coming here. She won’t wake until morning. Hopefully by then, I’ll be able to tell her honestly that we have nothing to worry about with Beast.
“You’re on.” He comes at me before I have a chance to brace, and I barely block his punches and kicks before they make contact with my torso. The fucker is fast, and he fights dirty, even in sparring.
That’s okay.
I fight dirty, too.
I count off in my head. When Beast is exhausted and distracted, like he is now, he falls into a pattern. Punch, punch, kick. When he tries to kick my thigh, I grab his ankle and yank, toppling him to the ground. I follow him to the ground, barely catching his shoulders before he rolls out of the way. I use my larger size to try to pin him.
It’s like trying to pin down water. We’re both sweaty and panting and I’m going to be covered in bruises tomorrow. He will be, too. Beast almost gets out from under me, but like I said—I play dirty.
I kiss him.
Just like that, pent up aggression turns to pure desire. He stops trying to get away and digs his hands into my hair, holding me as he takes my mouth. My cock was already semi-hard thinking about the stakes, and I groan against him as I go rock hard. Our loose shorts are barely a barrier between us. If anything, they allow my cock to slide alongside his even easier.
I break away enough to say. “After this, we’re talking.”
Beast hesitates the barest fraction of a second. “Yeah. Okay.”
Thank fuck. I brace myself on my elbows and thrust against him. “You’re pinned, motherfucker.”
His grin makes my stomach do a little flip like I’m at the top of a roller coaster and about to slip into a freefall. Beast tows me back down. “Yeah, I am.”
I want to sink into the kiss, to just make-out like a pair of horny teenagers for a bit, but I need him too much. Still, it’s harder to pull away than it should be. Even after nearly a year together, I can’t get enough of him. “Don’t move.”
Beast props himself up on his elbows and watches me climb out of the ring and walk to the bag I brought with us. His brows inch up when I return with a bottle of lube. “Someone’s prepared.”