Page 37 of The Pakhan's Forced Bride

I’m breathless, tired, hot, annoyed, and clearly not cut out for this.

“I need a break,” I sigh.

“No, you don’t. Keep going,” he demands, and before I can protest, he’s coming towards me again.

In a flash, I’m on the ground again, the full weight of his body pinning me down. I get angry, kick, fight back, not focused on any of my training—I’m just going wild beneath him.

But the results are the complete opposite of what I was aiming for.

They were messy, panicked, and uncoordinated, and basically, they backfired.

Ardalion has grabbed my wrists and pinned them above my head. My legs are spread around his hips, and my knees arebent. My heart is racing as I feel him pressing into me. He takes in a sharp breath as he stares down at me. I can feel his heart beating against my breast. It’s racing just as fast as mine.

Electricity sparks between us, tingling across my skin.

Our chests heave as we breathe together, silence and tension building around us.

His cock isn’t hard, but it isn’t exactly soft, either.

His eyes drift to my lips, studying them as though he wants to kiss me. But why—why would he want to kiss me when he’s the one who pulled away last time?

I want him to kiss me.

Dammit.

No, this is a disaster. I turn my face away, trying to stop thinking about how close his mouth is to mine. How I could press my lips against his—

He releases my wrists, muttering an apology as he shifts his weight to the left.

He’s distracted.

He’s distracted!

I push my ass up, thrusting my hips against him; this is the last thing he would expect me to do, given the position we’re in. He’s already in the process of lifting himself, so I kick up with all my strength as I roll my body in the same direction he’s going.

I see the confusion and shock flash across his face as he rolls off me, landing with a thud on the mat next to me.

In a second, I’m on top of him, straddling his chest, my hands pressed into his shoulders. At first, I’m in complete shock that it worked. I actually pinned him down. Despite the obvioussize and strength difference, I pinned him down. My mouth is hanging open as I stare at him in disbelief.

He looks just as stunned as I am.

My shock wears off, and triumph spreads across my face in the form of a massive smile. I’m giggling, excited.

He starts laughing.

“Holy crap, that came out of nowhere,” he says, his eyes still wide.

“I know, you weredistracted, I did it. I did the thing!” I say excitedly, wiggling my hips, dancing happily.

His laughter rumbles through his body and into mine, vibrating against me.

It’s exhilarating. I feel strong and capable and really freaking proud of myself.

“Is that your celebratory dance?” he asks, his hands resting on my thighs.

“I have to celebrate. I can’t believe I actually did that,” I say happily.

“We should celebrate. What do you want to do?” he asks.