Page 104 of Shadowman
It’s nothing more than a physical release, anyway…
Trevel is good-looking. I mean, he’s actuallyreallyfucking pretty. Masculine at the forefront, but with these sharp angles that could certainly lure in a straight guy with ambiguous tastes.
Shifting from side to side, I wring my hands while my eyes flit around the room, searching foranythingother than him to focus on because this shit is tripping me up. I don’t know thisguy. We’renotfriends, and I’m certainly not crushing on him or whatever. Yet I can’t seem to stop eyeing him subtly, all kinds of whacky things piling up in my head.
Am I really that sexually frustrated??
My inner turmoil is disrupted when Linetti barks, “New guy! You’re up.”
Shit.I was so invested in my creepy obsessing, I hadn’t even noticed the fight was over.
Trevel is wearing a deer-in-headlights expression as he gawks at Linetti, then at me. He swallows visibly, but that’s really the only hesitation before he kicks into movement, weaving through bodies toward the center of the circle. Like a reflex, my hand almost juts out to stop him, because I don’t think he should be doing this.
Is he really gonna do this??
“Who else needs to go?” Linetti looks around. “Bren, who do you want?”
“I don’t give a fuck,” Brenner rumbles, counting his money. “I think they’ve all gone…”
“Alright, then. Virgin’s choice.” Linetti aims a smug smirk at Trevel. “Pick your poison, 102.”
Trevel appears deep in concentration, for all of five seconds. And then his violet eyes land on me, lips quirking as he chirps, “I’ll take Mr. Undefeated Champion, please.”
Murmurs are immediate, everyone else mirroring my surprise while I gape at this oddball motherfucker…
The dude I’ve been chatting with all night like we’re besties now wants me to kick the shit out of him??
My mouth hangs open for too long, until Linetti snaps, “You heard Harry Styles! Get in there, 62!”
The crowd is cheering. Trevel is waiting, andI’mhesitating.Me. The warrior.
How the hell am I supposed to fuck this dude up without feeling like an asshole??He literally just said he doesn’t like to fight!
Stumbling into the circle, I lock eyes with Trevel. He doesn’t appear worried in the slightest, which is working up even more tension in my muscles. He knows what I can do… He just watched me take down someone twice his size.
Why doesn’t he look scared??
He must really be psychotic.
“Don’t hold back, mate.” He winks at me.
My brows zip, disturbed as Linetti yells, “Fight!”
Okay, I guess we’re doing this…
Trevel and I instantly begin orbiting one another. For someone who claims to be alover, his form isn’t terrible. He actually looks like he knows what he’s doing, which I wouldn’t have guessed from the way he was prying me for details before. Our gazes are magnetized while we circle and circle, both of us refusing to make the first move.
It goes on long enough that the crowd is growing impatient, so I move in closer and start needling him. Tossing him little taps and shoves, trying to get him to hit me first.
I refuse to hit him first. This ishisfault.He wanted this…
“I know what you’re doing,” Trevel rumbles under his breath.
“What am I doing?” I keep going, tapping him with my knuckles, advancing just enough, though he’s not even backing up.
In a flash, we’re up close. Close enough that I can hear him breathing. His height advantage doesn’t worry me, but itdoesmake it feel like he’s enveloping me with his proximity.
Goading him with more light shots, I jab him in the chest, then on his abs. They’re extremely firm… Not sure what I expected, but the feel of it throws me off for some reason.
