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I jumped back and slipped back into my favored formation, ready to deliver a roundhouse.
Tyler half turned, and half stepped back, a fluid quarter turn like he knew I was primed and ready to take him down. He hedged my kick, then whipped back through the reverse quarter-circle toward me, twisting himself to deliver a left hook. He slammed me back, giving as good as I gave to him. Then he was burying punches, over and over again to my hands held up, blocking my face.
His punches were packed as he struck out at unguarded parts of my body. That wasn’t going to stop me. I remembered his words, “Don’t hold back.” And I wasn’t. He was a good opponent, and if I could spar with him regularly, I could learn a thing or two from him. Still, as he said, this wasn’t about pain or punishment. But I was in it to win it.
I was able to shove him back. He lifted both palms in front of him as I punched straight into his open palms, giving him three left-right-left jab sequences.
He took a deep breath and threw a right hook.
I blocked.
A left hook.
I blocked him again. I grinned before I struck out with an uppercut, which he successfully blocked.
I stepped forward. He stepped back—each of us throwing punches and landing most of them in the intended target areas. We were breathing hard as we danced around the mat, flowing together like we choreographed a routine.
I steadied my stance and brought my fist to the side of his stomach. I knew he felt it as I watched him blow out a breath. But other than that, he didn’t seem the least bit phased.
“You’ve got some nice moves there, Sandman,” I said.
“I know,” he said, copying me from our previous round with the bags. “Right back atcha,” he said.
I lunged for him and missed.
“You’re not getting tired, are you?” he asked.
“Ha!” I said, breathless. “Not even close. I could do this all day.”
“Good to hear. As you know, I can go the distance. I’m trained for all-night marathon sessions.”
His sexual innuendo hit me right between the legs.¡Ay, Dios mío!I just wanted his hands on me. Running them over my shoulders, down my arms, and to my hips where he’d grab on and position me just the way he wanted.
It was as if he was reading my mind when he told me, “I gotta tell you, I don't know how much longer I can keep this up.”
Instead of being honest and calling a truce to get him out of here and in my bed, I said, “You know, I hear it helps if you think about baseball.”
His face broke out into a smile when he laughed.
I took the opportunity to my advantage and swept my left leg out toward his feet. He fell backward, losing his balance. I was on top of him in an instant.
My hands were planted on either side of his head. “Gotcha,” I said, smiling triumphantly.
We were both gasping for breath. His blue eyes looked like glittering sapphires as they locked onto mine.
My breath was erratic.
And it wasn’t just from our sparring.
I wanted this man. As much as I wanted to win, I wanted this man naked and inside me right now.
“I don’t think so,” he grunted. Before I could even fathom what was happening, Tyler flipped me onto my back.
The air left my body in a whoosh. He had one arm hooked under my knee and the other pressing against my chest, pinning me effectively to the floor.
“The deal was whoever pinned their opponent first was the winner.”
“You tricked me!” My face burned. An animal snarl threatened to claw its way up my throat. “I’m gonna get you for that.”
