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He moved forward, bringing the stick down, mindful not to use all his strength, and aiming for her neck, as she’d directed. But she deflected his stick with surprising strength and a loud knock. She made a circular movement he didn’t see coming until it was too late, and his stick lay on the ground.

Whoa. He’d seen her spar with other warriors, and she was incredible. But it was one thing to see it, and quite another to experience that this gorgeous female could kick his ass.

“Pick it up.” Her lips curved in a wry, satisfied smile. “Attack. Don’t hold back. As ye see, I can take it.”

Konnor leaned down and picked up his stick. She was no fragile flower. She was a Snow White who could fight her own battles against evil.

“I see I need to watch my ass,” he said and took the position.

“Come on,” she said, stepping back several steps to give him space to attack her.

With a lightness in the center of his diaphragm, like the joy of a game, something he hadn’t felt often, he moved towards her. Hesitation pulled at his arms as he brought the stick down on her, but she met his blow with a strong, precise counterstrike. He slashed at her with his stick again, and she deflected. He hit for the third time, and she protected herself with the ease of a master.

She was good.

“Come on, Konnor!” she shouted with fervor and a huge grin that lit up her face. “Harder.”

He couldn’t stop the grin on his own face. She bit her lip. “I dinna think I’ve seen ye smile before,” she said. “We should train more often.”

He found himself thinking that as long as he could put a smile like that on her face, he was ready to do anything.

He came at her, attacking with a different feeling now. He knew she could take it, and he knew she was a master. What a woman. She’d been through a lot, and yet she’d risen above and gained more strength and power than before. The experience hadn’t broken her. It had molded her like fire could shape steel.

He reached a state he’d often gotten to in judo training—when he let his mind take a backseat and his body took over. Marjorie and he danced in the courtyard, exchanging blows, fluid and connected. She let him attack, and she deflected and then attacked him, too, giving him a run for his money.

The sticks clunked together, and Marjorie rained blows down on him, left, right, left, right. His ankle ached, the muscles in his shoulders strained from the exercise. He missed a block or two and groaned as her stick landed on his ribs and his hip. She certainly didn’t go easy on him.

He backed up, stepping back to protect himself from her attack, and his foot caught on something. His bad ankle gave in with a sharp snap of pain. He tripped, and Marjorie leaned towards him, as though trying to hold on to him so he wouldn’t fall. He caught her sleeve, and they both tumbled down.

He landed on his back, her warm and soft weight pleasant on top of him. The smell of her, flowery and musky from the exercise, combined with her breasts pressed against him and her legs spread, made him harden. She felt it. Her eyes widened, her lips parted, and her eyebrows snapped together.

What the devil was he doing, getting hard like that? He didn’t give a damn about anyone’s reaction but hers. He must have frightened her, probably triggered memories or something. But she didn’t look afraid. Her lips were so close, he could just lean forward an inch and kiss her.

She actually looked like she was…

Excited?

Realization widened her eyes, and fear flickered through them. She pushed herself off him, red-cheeked, her eyes watering.

Tamhas was at her side in a moment.

“Mistress?” he said, standing between her and Konnor. She hugged herself.

Konnor slowly stood. “I didn’t mean anything.”

“I dinna feel so good,” she said. “Mayhap ‘tis best ye continue yer training with Tamhas.”

She turned and walked away, retreating to her tower. Konnor helplessly watched her hunched form, feeling like shit. Tamhas looked at him, an angry snarl forming on his upper lip.

“Did ye hurt her?” he barked.

“No,” Konnor said, watching the entrance to the tower where she’d just disappeared.

“What happened?” Tamhas said.

What happened was he’d exposed her to something she was still not ready for. He should really stay away from her. The last thing she needed was a guy getting horny around her like that.

“I must have bruised her, after all,” Konnor murmured.