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My offensive moves were getting heavier, harder. Noah, too, was starting to fight harder, and our frustration with each other was being worked into our elaborate training dance. We spun, connected blades and huffed, panting as we sparred and kept arguing the same argument we’d been having for weeks now.
“If we could just take a small group—”
“Cora,” Noah warned.
“It would make sense—” Noah’s swing cut me off as he ran his sword up the length of mine and pulled me in.
“Enough,” he said. His eyes locked on mine as we panted from the exertion and concentration of our spar. “And especially not here.” His eyes hadn’t moved from my lips.
My body betrayed me, moving toward him despite the sharp blades between us. I stared at his lips now too. My chest grew heavy, it was hard to continue breathing as we stayed locked in place, up against each other.
I moved my leg, trying to overcome him and get away from the feelings welling inside of me at his proximity. Instead, he grabbed me, moving faster than I could, and had me pinned down on the mat in a moment.
“Back to the mat, as expected,” he said. But his tone was heated. And his gaze remained on my lips.
This time, it wasn’t just my body struggling. I could feel Prince Noah’s entire body pressed against mine. I shifted my hips slightly, rising to meet his, and he closed his eyes.
So close. He was so close.
“Bravo, you two.” Captain Coltrain’s compliment was complete with him yanking Noah up from his position on top of me. His back was to me, as he placed a hand on Noah’s shoulder.
I heard him mutter to Noah, “Cool down and remember where we are.”
I lowered my eyes to the ground as I rolled onto my knees and rose.
“Training will end when you and your partner have completed fifteen offensive and fifteen defensive maneuvers on each other,” the captain announced to the room. “You’re with me,” he said before I could walk off.
Thinking I’d be excused since Noah had been clearly was wrong.
The captain’s movements were much more robotic, like he did this in his sleep. Noah moved fluidly, as if he and I were truly dancing as we trained. The captain was all mechanics, a well-oiled machine of strength and purpose.
And he didn’t utter a word the entire time.
I caught Nicole’s glances from the corner of my eye. I’d expected her to be moving, doing her own thing with Gabe so they could warm up. But she inhaled sharply a few times, shaking her wrist or arm. I heard Gabe ask if she was okay more than once.
I whipped my head around while I was resetting with Aron. Why was she watching me?
I caught her once more, but this time, something clicked. She wasn’t watching me. She was watching…the captain?
Not talking ended up working out well for me as I focused on the movements. If he was upset at our little unhinged pinning, he didn’t show it. He simply did the exercises as he’d instructed and then bowed.
“Your technique is improving greatly, Cora. Make sure you stay…” He paused and glanced toward the door where Noah had appeared. “Focused.”
I nodded.
“Last set,” he declared, waiting for me to engage.
This time I watched Nicole more carefully. She wasn’t just watching. She was intensely staring. A hungry expression taking over her features as though she couldn’t help enjoying what she saw.
I knew that expression.
All too well because I could feel that hunger every time I was around Noah.
Nicole was into the captain.
Big time.
Into Aron.
The smile rising inside shifted to a sting as I wondered why on earth my best friend hadn’t bothered to mention that she had a full-on crush on the captain of the Unseelie Guard.
