“Oh sure, poke fun. I’m still right,” she replied, letting go of his shoulders and stepping away. “We better let you warm up.”
“I guess this means I need to get better fast if I want a chance at beating you,” Alex said with a grin. “You’re the only one I have a shot at winning against, and that shot will vanish if your animal stops being a taint weevil.”
Seth threw his head back with a laugh. “Taint weevil. That’s a good one. You’re almost there, Alex. You learned to fight, and became good at it in a really short time. I think you have a shot at beating me soon.”
“Good to know. Listen, good luck out there tonight. We’ll see you after your win.”
“Damn straight, we will,” Cammie said as they moved to leave. Turning her head, she mouthed you got this, and then they disappeared from sight.
Exhaling, and feeling lighter and even more confident than he had before, he turned to the speed bag and began throwing punches, using his shifter speed, moving so fast that neither his hands or the bag were ever visible. It was the sound of a throat clearing that had him stopping, putting his hands out and halting the movement of the bag while he turned his head, hoping whoever it was hadn’t noticed how fast he’d been going.
Amelia was standing in the doorway with her eyes down, like she wasn’t sure if she was welcome. Breath catching, he ran his eyes up and down her tall frame, drinking her in. She had boots on and wore snug jeans. Her top was a blue and green plaid shirt with pearl buttons, and it nipped in at the waist, showing her curves. She looked like a born and bred country girl.
Dragging his eyes to her face, he saw that her makeup was minimal, and she’d slicked her lips with a pale pink gloss. Her square, black frame glasses rested on her pert nose, and her short black curls were pulled back in a high ponytail.
He sucked in a breath, realizing just then that he hadn’t been breathing. His mate was gorgeous, and say what he would about his cantankerous, unruly animal, his leopard sure knew how to pick ‘em.
“Am I interrupting? Greg just announced Jax and Ian, and I haven’t seen you since last night. I wanted to before your match,” she said softly, her words almost running together like she was nervous.
“You’re the most welcome interruption I’ve ever had,” he said softly, unable to help placing his hands on her hips and pulling her closer.
“I’m glad,” she replied, voice huskier than normal. “I wanted to wish you luck before you went out there.”
“And maybe send me off with that good luck kiss?” he asked, his own voice turning gravelly.
“That too,” she said, eyes dropping to his lips.
Lowering his head, he put his lips to hers, heat rushing through his veins. She moaned, wrapping her arms around his neck, and plastered her body to his. Sliding his hands to the small of her back, he held her tighter still, and passed his tongue across her lips. The lip gloss she had on was flavored, and the taste of strawberries danced across his tongue as she opened, letting him in. Sweeping his tongue inside, he tangled it with hers, the taste that was uniquely Amelia overpowering his senses. Amelia and strawberries, and it was quickly becoming his favorite taste in the world.
They made out like teenagers for a few moments, until the roar of the crowd cheering loudly broke them apart.
“We should probably put a hold on that thought for now,” she said, panting.
It took all his willpower to let her go, but he managed it, chest heaving for air as he ran his fingers through his hair. “Yeah, that’s probably best. It would be difficult, not to mention dangerous to go into a fight with a massive boner.”
Her eyes dropped to his groin where his dick was tenting up the front of his shorts, her eyes forming full moons. “Oh my,” she replied faintly.
“Exactly,” he said wryly, not bothering to adjust himself. He had a feeling any touch other than hers, including his own, would be too painful to endure in this state. He willed his erection to deflate, and after it slowly subsided, he ran a hand through his hair and turned back to her.
She looked deliciously disheveled, her lips swollen and glistening from his kiss, her shirt askew, and little tendrils of hair escaping from her ponytail to curl around the back of her neck. Cursi
ng beneath his breath, he looked for a distraction as he fought his body’s instant reaction to her.
“How are you doing today? You know, after the pictures and the letter?”
“I haven’t read the letter yet. I can’t seem to make myself. I guess I haven’t been ready. If it’s not from her, I’ll be disappointed. And if it is… well, I’m just not ready for it. But I will be soon, I think. I need to know either way. I don’t deal with unanswered questions well. The pictures are amazing, though. I can’t stop staring at them.”
“You’ll be okay when you read it. I’ll be with you, if you want. Silent support,” he replied, grabbing her hands and giving them a squeeze. He opened his mouth so say more, but paused when he heard Greg call out that it was almost time for him and Zane to fight.
Keeping one of Amelia’s hands in his, he walked out of the stall. Zane was already there waiting, and his eyes fell to where their hands were clasped together. When he lifted his gaze, his eyes were burning, but he held his silence while Amelia wished Seth good luck one last time, and left to find her seat.
“You think you’ve already won, but you have not,” the tiger shifter spat. “Soon she’ll see who the superior shifter is.”
“Give it a rest,” Seth replied mildly, refusing to let Zane ruffle him. “She’s not interested in you.”
“Maybe not now, while she’s slumming it with trash. But it won’t last long. She is a scientist, no? And you’re nothing more than an uneducated hick, living in an equally uneducated backwater town. She’ll get bored soon enough. And then who will she come running to?”
Seth stiffened, but refused to react. He couldn’t let Zane know he was getting to him. And that was exactly what he was trying to do. He wanted to provoke Seth, get a reaction, throw him off his game.