I flinched before typing a messageback.
Harlow:No... Knix iscoming.
When Grayson didn't immediately reply like the last time, I knew he was upset. I set the phone to the side and pulled on my shoes over my socks and began tying the laces. I was halfway through the second set when my phonebuzzed.
Grayson:They can't just leave you alone, canthey?
Ifrowned.
Harlow:It's not like they're stalking me and forcing me to doanything.
Grayson:It doesn't seem like it, doesit?
I wasn't sure what that meant, but before I could respond, he sent me anothertext.
Grayson:I'll bethere.
Someone knocked on my door and I shoved my phone under my thigh as I called out for them to come in. Knix stepped in and propped his shoulder on the door frame. I finished tying my shoes andstood.
"Ready?"
I nodded – and so the daybegan.
* * *
Sweat drippedinto my eyes and my muscles screamed at me to stop. I grunted as I clenched my thighs tighter and pushed with my hips. Knix sighed and reached back, cupping mythigh.
"This is not working, Little Bit," he said patiently. "Just letgo."
"No!" I yelled. "I've got you exactly where I want you. Any second now and you'll be begging for mercy." I squeezed my arms around his neck and pulled back. His low chuckling cutoff.
Ha!I thought.Let that teach him a lesson.Now...if only I could figure out to get him laid out on the ground. I looked over my shoulder and down...and down some more. That might be a bit moredifficult.
"Little Bit," Knix huffed. "Youaregetting better, I promise. But this is not the way to proveyourself."
"I have nothing to prove to you," Ireplied.
Whoa. It was really high up here. Was the airthinner?
Knix chuckled again and I narrowed my eyes at the back of his head, readjusting and tightening my hold. He sighed and reached up to pull my arms away from his neck easily, as if I offered no resistance. "Jumping on me during a break to catch me by surprise is not what I've been teaching you," hesaid.
I groaned. "Yea, well, if I don't catch you by surprise then there's no way I can beat you." I let my arms rest lazily over his shoulders and he reached back with his other hand, both now under my thighs, holding meup.
"Are you going to get down now?" heasked.
I sighed. "It's a little high up forme."
"How did you get uphere?"
"Ileaped."
The backdoor opened as Knix crossed around the area of the yard we had set up as our sparring corner and stepped onto the stones. I peeked over Knix's shoulder as Texas stood by the door with no shirt and low sagging trunk shorts that had a giant red Hawaiian flower on the side. His mouth dropped when he saw us, and he blinked a few times as if he couldn't believe what he was seeing. I grimaced and just waited. I didn't have to waitlong.
"What–" Texas choked off as he started laughing. "I-I can't...she's..." I rolled my eyes as a blush stole over my cheeks. "How did–no–no, don't tell me, she jumped on you, didn'tshe?"
Knix chuckled and I thumped my forehead on one of his shoulders. "She did," he replied. I yanked back and glared at his blond head, wanting to smack it. But I also didn't want him to drop me, so Ididn't.
"Spider-Monkey." Texas shook his head as Knix turned and lowered himself so that I could let my legs drop and touch theground.