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Sweet mercy of God…

Patience, Cillian.

Patience!

“—and has you pinned like this, you don’t panic,” Knox instructs right in my ear, sending a sudden wave of shivers down my spine. “You lower your center of gravity by dropping your hips and driving your elbow back.”

I drop my weight, but instead of throwing a proper elbow, I slip on the damn grass and crash into his chest.

My hip brushes against his thigh and Knox grunts, his grip tightening around my ribs so hard I gasp.

Uh-oh…

“Focus, Cillian,” he growls, his lips hovering against the corner of my jaw.

“I am focused,” I breathe out, turning my head just enough so his lips brush my skin. “On you.”

Knox swears under his breath, spins me around, and shoves my back against the nearest tree trunk. His right hand lifts, pinning both of my wrists above my head in a single grip.

His body traps mine, his thighs pressing against my legs.

Best. Lesson. Ever.

Wow…

Now let’s push his buttons and see how long he can pretend he doesn’t want this as badly as I do.

“You’re supposed to be learning how to break a grip,” Knox growls, glaring down at me. “Not flirting your way out of a hostage situation.”

“I’m adapting my strategy. You told me to tweak how I handle things, and this feels pretty effective to me.”

Knox’s jaw flexes, his green eyes darkening as they drop to my mouth. He leans in until his forehead rests against mine, his breath hot against my lips.

Oh, my God, yes, Knox.

Please kiss me… I beg in my thoughts.

“Second move,” Knox says, his breathing already ragged as he pulls back just enough to look me in the eye. “Escaping a ground pin.”

Before I can react, he sweeps my legs out from under me, taking us both down onto the grass. Knox lands on top of me, trapping me with his arm hooked around my head, his forearm pressing against my neck just enough to make my blood rush.

“What now?” I ask, breathless.

He lowers his body, pressing his warm, gloriously naked chest against mine.

Fuck patience!!!

I seize the moment.

Because after the most intense, sweat-soaked foreplay of my entire life, my body is going to burst into flames if I don’t touch this man.

I reach up, grabbing the back of his neck and yanking him down until our noses touch.

Knox opens his mouth to object.

But he knows there’s nothing he can say to make me believe he’s against this. At least not when I can feel his hard length pressing against my hip.

“Touch me,” I whisper, my gaze dropping to his lips.