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My life was Fray. Working. My friends were here, and those like Rafe who I considered family. I didn’t have anyone else.
Squeezing my hands into tight fists, my nails biting into my palms, I nodded—and sealed a fate of working with a man I loved who couldn’t love me back.
Chapter Nine
Killian
“Hands up. Good. Feet back—not like that.” Biting back a curse, I tried not to touch her. Not an easy option when teaching someone to spar hand to hand, but seeing that was the job Rafe chose to torture me with, I refused to back down.
Lux filled my waking hours and had since the night in the dungeons, her birthday gift from me.
And wasn’t that a royal fuck up.
I wound my way around Lux’s slim form, her lithe limbs enhanced by the black workout gear she favored. The pale gray croptop made her skin appear softer, and her glossy hair hung down her back in a razor-edged cut that grazed the top of her luscious, curved ass.
Every second of my day I itched to touch her.
She hadn’t worn her collar since that night either, and I hadn’toffered her one. The black stainless steel piece I’d chosen for her months before sat untouched in its ribboned box at the bottom of my locker at Fray.
The sparring mats at Reserve offered a greater chance to expend excess energy than moping about in my office. It also offered the greater opportunity to come into contact with the girl who lived inside the blackened shell of my heart.
In the bar I could avoid her, stealing glances while I pretended to assess the club each night, while pulling out my innerstalker to ensure James kept his hands the fuck off my Little Bird.
Not that I had any right to claim her as such.
Here, there was no chance I could get away with a distant obsession. Here, she was right in my damn face.
My mouth dried as I tapped her feet apart, containing the urge to wrap my hands around her toned waist and rip a hole in those tights, use the mats to support her as I fucked us both into next year.
Rafe would have my balls for it if I did, and so I kept the fantasy to myself.
One night, and I’m fucking pussy whipped.
Not that I cared.
James and Rafe, however, took immense joy in torturing me with one-liners and jokes that made me want her pressed to me all the more. Waking alone became a new form of penance for pushing her away. I’d thought I was doing the right thing, but … hell, the girl sought me out as much as I did her, though she tried to hide it.
At least I could take a little sadistic pleasure in that.
“Legs apart. Jab. Hook. Elbow.Turn.” Clenching my teeth, I placed my hands on her waist.
She spun as I intended, executing the turn with grace. A bare heel flew my way. I blocked it with my forearm.
Just.
“Figured there might be some asshole behind me who wanted to cop a feel.” She smirked, lowering her leg.
“Good plan.” Inodded like she hadn’t just insulted me and dropped, sweeping my foot in a broad circle to knock hers from beneath her.
Lux hit the mat. “Oomph. Told you. There was an asshole there.”
She challenged me from the mat in a blatant, bratty display.
Not my sub.
But if she were—
I tiltedmy head, unsmiling, and held out my hand. She gripped it and I hauled her upright, adding a little extra pull into my tug. She landed against my chest, her heart hammering so hard I could feel it in my blood.
