Page 30 of Beyond Enemy Vows

I narrow my eyes and throw a quick combination. Jab, cross, hook. He blocks each one.

"There we go. Not bad," he says, and I can hear the genuine appreciation in his voice.

We continue like this, a dance of attack and defense. I land a few hits; he blocks most. He doesn't throw many punches of his own, just light taps that let me know he could have hit harder if he wanted to. It's both infuriating and thrilling.

"Stop holding back," I say between breaths.

"You sure about that?" His voice drops lower, a challenge threading through it.

"Positive."

He moves faster then, his footwork impressive as he pushes me back, forcing me to be defensive. I duck under one of his strikes and manage to land a solid hit to his ribs. He catches my next punch and uses my momentum to spin me.

Before I can recover, his arm wraps around my waist, pulling me against him. My back presses to his chest as he locks my arms in place.

"Good," he says, his breath hot against my ear. "But I can show you some better moves."

Our bodies are flush together. I can feel the hard planes of his chest, his heavy breathing, the warmth of his skin.

He releases me, and I turn to face him, looking up.

"When someone comes at you like this," he says, moving his right arm, "you need to weave down and to the side before they lock you in a corner and throw a combo."

He mimics the throw, and I duck as he says and throw the punches he told me to.

"Good," he says, moving behind me. "Let me show you."

His hands slide down my arms until they reach my gloved fists. He guides my arms through the motions of the counter-strike.

I can barely focus with his breath at my neck. My skin tingles where he touches me, every nerve ending lit up, and this skin-to-skin contact we're having, it's driving me up a wall. His chest occasionally brushes against my back, and each touch sends a jolt straight to my core.

"Like this," he says, guiding me through it again. "Feel how that works?"

I nod, not trusting my voice. It feels like fire and ice all at once, his touch burning me while sending cool tingles down my body. I've never been more aware of my own desires rising.

He guides me through a few more moves, his touch growing lighter, his voice dropping lower. The tension between us builds with every shared breath until it's almost unbearable.

I can't take it anymore. I turn to face him, breaking his hold.

We just look at each other.

His chest is starting to sweat, making his skin glow. There's something in his eyes, a dark hunger that he's desperately trying to contain.

His hand slides up, cradles my jaw, and his thumb brushes across my bottom lip.

"Calli," he says, and then?—

I don't know who moves first. Maybe we both do. But suddenly his lips are on mine, and the kiss explodes through me like a volcanic eruption.

It starts slow, gentle. But when I open to him, it transforms into something consuming. His tongue slides against mine, and I make a sound I've never heard myself make before, something between a whimper and a moan.

He tastes like the wine we shared, rich and intoxicating. His hand on my jaw holds me steady as he deepens the kiss, while his other arm wraps around my waist, pulling me closer. I go to touch him, but my gloved hands won't let me feel him properly.

Even still, his lips on mine feel like everything and too much and not enough all at once.

As if reading my mind, Niko breaks the kiss and his fingers find the Velcro straps of my gloves. He pulls them free and tosses them to the ground.

I begin unwrapping my left hand, the fabric loosening as I unwind it. Niko kisses my neck, and I move faster, trying to get them off my hands so I can grab him.