him in this face when he charged again. She retreated watching him check his face for blood. His head would never be affected by any number of her kicks or punches, but it didn’t mean it wouldn’t hurt.
She tried not to squeal when he cut off her retreat and lassoed an arm around her neck. She tucked her legs and let her body weight draw her through the crook in his arm. Once her butt hit the ground, she took a less than gentlemanly crotch shot with her fist. Dragon juice or no, that particular region was still vulnerable.
Ethan groaned and hissed. She rolled away and shot up jack rabbit fast. He glared at her offended she had broken the cardinal rule of fair fighting. “I’m sorry did we clarify no below the waist hits?”
“No, we didn’t,” he ground out.
She couldn’t help, but let a smile slip, which prompted another round of battle that was more kick boxing than wrestling. Cori was no longer thinking about clever repartee. Belus’s guidance and the memory of Efrat’s many murder attempts focused her into survival mode.
Ethan must have noticed the change, because he increased his speed to meet her vigorous defensive tactics. She was impressed that he wasn’t using his full strength. At least he wasn’t a complete ass.
Cori managed to get in a punch to his stomach and an elbow to his face. He grabbed her from behind when the elbow receded, but she was already prepared for that.
Ethan’s compacted muscle was certainly heavier than Efrat’s, but under the strength of her legs she still managed to flip him over her back. One gravitational body slam later and Cori drove her fist as hard as she could into his intercostal muscles of his ribs. He clenched his teeth in irritated pain.
Gypsy hooted by the door. “You go, girl!” She applauded.
Cori couldn’t afford a glance at her, but Ethan did and she tried to twist his shoulder out of socket like she had with Gypsy’s earlier. Embittered by either Cori’s slight upper hand, or Gypsy’s cheering duplicity, he growled and pulled back on his arm with full strength.
No match for his full strength, she was pulled over him and onto the floor. She would have preferred to skid across the glossy white floor, but Ethan kept hold of her hand, and she yanked to a stop as soon as she landed. With a quick tug on her arm she was under him with his hips pinning hers and his hands pressing her right hand and left shoulder down hard.
His panting mimicked hers, but not to the same degree. He was mad to say the least. It wasn’t every day that a few cheap shots got past him. She didn’t bother fighting him. It was certainly always his intention to win. It was just a matter of how long he let her flounder. His intention was probably to watch her embarrass herself, or at least evaluate her skill. He was obviously displeased that she wasn’t a complete klutz.
As his breathing slowed he let his eyes travel her body, but only for a moment. She wasn’t sure how to feel about that. He looked up at Gypsy who was offering a thumbs-up at the door. “Go find out what’s keeping Danato and Belus. Either we’re testing her or we’re not.” Gypsy gave a compliant nod and headed out the door.
“Gypsy,” Cori called much too late, when she realized this was just his excuse to get her alone.
Ethan released her arm and shoulder, but stayed on top of her. “You’re pretty good,” he admitted without exception.
“Belus is a good teacher,” she said looking at the door.
“Yes, he is. I recognize some of his work.” He leaned on his hands to release some of the pressure on her hips. He was still straddling her, but now on all fours.
“Does that mean you are starting to believe me?”
He shrugged as best he could in his current position. “Anything’s possible in this place, right?”
She nodded. “Yeah, it really is.”
Ethan relaxed down slowly putting the weight of his body back on her more evenly. He kept himself propped on his elbows so he could look
She tried not to squeal when he cut off her retreat and lassoed an arm around her neck. She tucked her legs and let her body weight draw her through the crook in his arm. Once her butt hit the ground, she took a less than gentlemanly crotch shot with her fist. Dragon juice or no, that particular region was still vulnerable.
Ethan groaned and hissed. She rolled away and shot up jack rabbit fast. He glared at her offended she had broken the cardinal rule of fair fighting. “I’m sorry did we clarify no below the waist hits?”
“No, we didn’t,” he ground out.
She couldn’t help, but let a smile slip, which prompted another round of battle that was more kick boxing than wrestling. Cori was no longer thinking about clever repartee. Belus’s guidance and the memory of Efrat’s many murder attempts focused her into survival mode.
Ethan must have noticed the change, because he increased his speed to meet her vigorous defensive tactics. She was impressed that he wasn’t using his full strength. At least he wasn’t a complete ass.
Cori managed to get in a punch to his stomach and an elbow to his face. He grabbed her from behind when the elbow receded, but she was already prepared for that.
Ethan’s compacted muscle was certainly heavier than Efrat’s, but under the strength of her legs she still managed to flip him over her back. One gravitational body slam later and Cori drove her fist as hard as she could into his intercostal muscles of his ribs. He clenched his teeth in irritated pain.
Gypsy hooted by the door. “You go, girl!” She applauded.
Cori couldn’t afford a glance at her, but Ethan did and she tried to twist his shoulder out of socket like she had with Gypsy’s earlier. Embittered by either Cori’s slight upper hand, or Gypsy’s cheering duplicity, he growled and pulled back on his arm with full strength.
No match for his full strength, she was pulled over him and onto the floor. She would have preferred to skid across the glossy white floor, but Ethan kept hold of her hand, and she yanked to a stop as soon as she landed. With a quick tug on her arm she was under him with his hips pinning hers and his hands pressing her right hand and left shoulder down hard.
His panting mimicked hers, but not to the same degree. He was mad to say the least. It wasn’t every day that a few cheap shots got past him. She didn’t bother fighting him. It was certainly always his intention to win. It was just a matter of how long he let her flounder. His intention was probably to watch her embarrass herself, or at least evaluate her skill. He was obviously displeased that she wasn’t a complete klutz.
As his breathing slowed he let his eyes travel her body, but only for a moment. She wasn’t sure how to feel about that. He looked up at Gypsy who was offering a thumbs-up at the door. “Go find out what’s keeping Danato and Belus. Either we’re testing her or we’re not.” Gypsy gave a compliant nod and headed out the door.
“Gypsy,” Cori called much too late, when she realized this was just his excuse to get her alone.
Ethan released her arm and shoulder, but stayed on top of her. “You’re pretty good,” he admitted without exception.
“Belus is a good teacher,” she said looking at the door.
“Yes, he is. I recognize some of his work.” He leaned on his hands to release some of the pressure on her hips. He was still straddling her, but now on all fours.
“Does that mean you are starting to believe me?”
He shrugged as best he could in his current position. “Anything’s possible in this place, right?”
She nodded. “Yeah, it really is.”
Ethan relaxed down slowly putting the weight of his body back on her more evenly. He kept himself propped on his elbows so he could look
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