Kayden notes, his tone growing serious. “And I do think you should go home. Family’s important.”
“I know.” I let out a long sigh, plopping myself on the bench and resting my elbows on my knees. Kayden joins me, taking the empty space beside me and angling his body toward mine.
“You need a lift back home?” He offers. “I can drive you.”
“No. Don’t worry about it. I’ll figure it out.” I wave a dismissive hand. “Plus, you need to train tomorrow. And I won’t have you skipping it for my sake.”
“You’re just as important,” he murmurs. My eyes widen at the comment, and he suddenly looks flustered. “I’m just saying, if you need any support . . .” He quickly backtracks but it’s too late.
My attention rockets to his face. “Have you gone soft on me, Killer?”
“I . . .”
A smirk climbs onto my lips as he gets more unnerved with each second. I jump out of my seat, humor seeping out of me. “I told you I’d wear you down.”
“My defenses have never been more up,” he replies coolly as he rises from the bench, fists clenched, and arms propped up in front of him. “Impenetrable, even.”
“Liar.”
Laughing, I drive a mock jab-cross at him. He blocks it easily, completely leaving his left flank exposed so I dive toward him. But I realize too late that it’s a setup when he grabs my arm and twists it so my back collides with his chest and uses his other arm to cage me, putting me in a lock.
I can’t believe it.
I actually took the bait.
“I never lie, Lucky,” he whispers, lips grazing the shell of my ear, his breathing rough and uneven. “Only mislead.”
Holy shit.
My pulse gives an unsteady lurch as Kayden feathers my face with the back of his hand, the weight of his touch pressing deeply on my skin and warming my entire face. I feel the muscles of his body contracting, like he’s struggling to restrain himself from what he wants to do with me. All the words that I wanted to say before have completely dried up in my throat at the possibility that he might just lose control and take me right then and there.
And I’m not sure if I’d even stop him.
Suddenly, as if the fire flaming underneath my skin had seared him, Kayden releases his hold on me. He rubs his hands together and takes a nervous step back.
“See you back in the cage,” he mutters, and I drop down to the bench, utterly dazed.