Stranger danger advice popping into my head, I do zigzag my way over to the chair as Seven claws at me from behind. I dive behind it in an effort to put something between myself and the giant man as I try to catch my breath.
The back of the chair is too high for me to peer over, not that it matters as Seven suddenly appears, looming over it.
"Nice try, but now you've backed yourself into a corner," he says, shoving the chair back and pinning me against the wall. Seven leans over the back of the chair, reaching out to tuck a finger under my chin as he drops his face beside mine, his cheek brushing against mine as his voice drops to a whisper. "Always try to keep an escape route open. Unless you're sure that something can stall or keep your attacker at bay, don't put yourself in a situation that in which those same things can be used against you."
"You mean like this?" I ask, suddenly turning my head to bite down as hard as I dare on his ear, the metal of his piercings and the taste of blood filling my mouth with the taste of metal.
Seven remains frozen for all of a second before a low chuckle rolls through him. Before I even have a chance to see him move, he's resting blade against his ear.
"Yes, but be sure whatever you're using isn't something they're willing to lose."
"Don't," I gasp, pulling away even as he moves to cut off part of his own ear. Seven leans back, shaking his head in disappointment.
Moving the chair, he lets me out of my corner before turning toward Luci.
"Your turn."
"That's it?" I ask, stepping out from behind the chair to look between the two of them. "We’ve only just begun, how is that supposed to ready me for Valentine?"
Seven whirls on me, taking me by surprise as he lunges across the room toward me. I duck, somehow managing to avoid his attack while backing away and keeping my escape routes open.
"See now, I'd say you've learned something," Seven says, giving me a nod of approval that somehow makes me feel all warm and fuzzy ... even coming from him, or maybebecauseit's coming from him, of all people.
I glance over at Luci, the smile fading from my face as I'm met with a grim expression in return. I'm so distracted by this that I don't notice Seven sneaking up on me. He suddenly ambushes me, dropping me to my hands and knees as he bears down on me from behind.
"That wasn't fair," I groan, as Seven leans forward over me, one hand moving to rest on my thigh, the other braced against the floor.
"Who said fighting was fair?" he growls low in my ear. "Besides, I think I'm starting to prefer you like this."
"Like what?"
He doesn't answer as is hand glides up and around my thigh, resting against my lower belly as he pulls me back against him. It's impossiblenotto feel how excited he is by this.
“Tell me to stop. Tell me you don’t want me.”
I don’t answer, and Seven only seems to grow more excited by this.
I can't help but feel like if our training is starting to get a bit sidetracked when he suddenly slips his hand between my legs. I gasp, crumpling forward at his touch, which only helps his body press in on me as it moves forward with me.
“Seven, what are you doing?” Luci suddenly asks.
“Are you sure you don’t want me?” Seven breathes against my ear, ignoring Luci. “I can stop.”
“Don’t,” I whisper, surprising myself as the same ache I’d felt at Dante’s touch burns furiously to life within me.
“Good, then you’re going to have to trust me,” he whispers before his lips trace the length of my neck, the cool metal of his piercings sending a shiver racing down my spine as he comes to rest at the base of my neck. His fingers playing with me in surprisingly gentle way that only makes the fire that’s sparked to life in me burn hotter.
“Trust you?” I ask when I have a moment of clear thought.
The question barely leaves my mouth before I let out a strangled moan as a sharp pain shoots through my neck, almost instantly followed by an overwhelming sense of ecstasy.
“Seven! Release her,” Luci shouts, suddenly appearing at our side to yank Seven off me by the back of his shirt.
Wet heat radiates from my shoulder as I reach up to touch it, only to pull my hand away to find it glistening with a strange mixture of blood. Glancing up in terror, it’s only now that I realize Seven’s is wiping something from his mouth as Luci drops down beside me.
“This is going to hurt,” Luci warns me before pulling me to him and placing his own mouth over where Seven’s was just a moment ago.
Hurt is an understatement.