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“Never mind.” He started yanking off his boots.
“What are you doing?” she asked.
“Donny said your footwork was rusty.”
“You’re really going to practice with me?”
He cocked an eyebrow. “Are you worried that I’ll best you?”
“Is that a challenge, Dr. Kendrick?”
“Sounds like it, doesn’t it?”
Samantha rose and picked up her practice blade. “Then may the better man win.”
He snorted and came to his feet to test the weight of Donny’s blade. “This is an excellent substitute, but don’t you ever practice with the real thing? Capped, of course.”
“My tip fell off once when we were practicing. Let’s just say that Donny couldn’t sit down for a week.”
“That does sound alarming. I’d best be on my guard.”
She flashed him a smile as they both assumed their stances. Blade met blade with a satisfying crack.
For several minutes, they danced and slid across the floor, parry meeting thrust. Braden was clearly an accomplished fencer, which made her wonder if there was anything he couldn’t do exceptionally well.
Perhaps he’s as adept in bed as he is with a blade?
As a physician, he should certainly know his way around a woman’s body.
He suddenly passed under her guard to press his tip against her shoulder.
“Oh, blast,” she muttered.
He disengaged and stepped back. “Lucky on my part, but I think you’re flagging.”
She shook her head. “I just let my mind wander. Five more minutes, all right?”
“Samantha—”
She pointed her blade at him. “And no more holding back. I can tell you’re doing that.”
“Och, lass, I’d never—”
She lunged, catching him off guard. He twisted aside, then he pressed forward with his attack. It was clear now that he had been holding back, because he wasverygood. Samantha had to call up all her skill and reserves of energy, dancing around him as he steadily forced her to give ground.
Suddenly, she saw an opening. She sidestepped his blade and ducked under his arm, forcing him to turn. When his heel caught the edge of the partially rolled up carpet, Braden pinwheeled his arms to try to recover his balance, but his stocking feet went out from under him.
He landed on the floor with a thud.
Samantha dropped to her knees and put a hand on his chest. “Did you hurt yourself? Are you all right?”
He stared up at her, momentarily stunned. Then mischief flashed through his eyes. He reached for her waist and, in one swift move, lifted her right off her knees and onto his body.
Gasping, she grabbed his shoulders. She now straddled him and her skirts were hiked high, exposing her garters and the tops of her stockings. Braden’s hand slid down to rest on her naked thigh.
“At the moment, I am more than all right,” he murmured.
Samantha stared down at him, her heart thundering with excitement and shock.
