Page 88 of Brutal Knight

“Well, if you want me to so badly, I’ll hand you your ass a second time.”

Aiden crows in delight and Lachlan starts to push chairs out of the way beside the bar. I almost can’t believe this is about to happen.

Connor comes over to me and leans down. His kiss is hot, deeper than I expected it to be. When he pulls back, he hands me the bottle in his hand.

“Here. Keep this safe for me, will you?”

CHAPTER32

Connor

It’s been a while since I’ve sparred with Finn, and I can’t help the grin on my face or the adrenaline that floods my veins. There’s only one thing better than a fight to let off a little steam, and that’s fucking the beautiful woman who’s currently looking up at me with luminous eyes.

“Don’t worry,” I tell her in a low voice. “It’s just a bit of fun.”

The surprise fades from her eyes as a smile curves her lips. “Well then, have fun. And show him what my husband can do.”

I kiss her once more, palming the back of her head as my tongue slides between her lips. Then I turn toward Finn.

Lachlan and the others finish clearing a space for us, and we make a show of facing off on opposite sides. I watch Finn carefully. He’s not as hungover as he was the last time we sparred.

That doesn’t mean he’ll beat me this time. But I’m sure he’ll get in some good hits.

“You remember the rules?” I ask him, just a little condescending. It’s all in good fun.

Finn shrugs, holding his hand out. “Let me know when you need a break, old man.”

We shake hands, and the second our hands break apart, they curl into fists.

Just like in the gym, we go hard—but it’s not a real fight. We’re not trying to cause real damage or fight for our lives.

Finn tries to throw a punch, and I dodge it easily. We test each other for a few rounds, seeing how drunk we are, seeing how quick our reflexes are. Finn is aware, alert. He tries to fake out, dodging one way and hitting the other, but I catch him and manage to evade it.

I throw my own punches. Most of them are just testing, but when the first one lands, I smirk at him.

“Come on!” Aiden calls, laughing from where he’s standing with his drink. “I’ve seen old women fight better than the two of you!”

I focus on the fight, but I’m still aware of Willow’s gaze, of her eyes on me. I know she’s never seen us like this before, never seen me like this. It spurs me on, making me put in a bit of extra effort.

I’m trying to impress her, showing off more than I usually would.

Unfortunately, my awareness of her is a bit of a distraction too, allowing Finn to land his first hit. It glances off my shoulder, and I give it to him for catching me off guard.

Finn is doing better than he did hungover. He manages to get under a few of my next punches, then hits my body with sharp shots that roll off the way we make them when we’re sparring.

But I’m determined. I pull Finn in when he gets too close, then spin him around and goad him into losing focus by slapping his back when he stumbles past me. I can hear the others laugh, see Aiden cheering us on from where he’s lounging by the bar.

Finn takes a step too far, and I let him pass me, then wait for him to turn around. He scowls a little, but I know he’s probably berating himself.

“That all you got?” he asks, throwing his hands up. “Just dodging me?”

“At least I can dodge!”

Finn dives for me. I laugh and rush right back at him.

These sparring sessions are good for us, even though we don’t usually do them in bars. They remind us to stay sharp, just like they remind us how close we are. And right now, I’m having a grand time.

Finn tries to land a punch that misses. I duck out of the way and throw a shot that grazes his face, just enough to let him know I’m closer than he thinks I am. He growls when he throws a punch. It’s just close enough to hit my shoulder.

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