Page 94 of 4th Degree

“I’m not a very good coach with you,” I tell Skylar, backing her toward the mat where, barely an hour ago, we had been training with thirty other people. “Do you know what I was thinking of when I was teaching you tonight?”

I can feel her smile against my mouth before she shakes her head. “Tell me,” she whispers.

The hand that was teasing along the edge of her tank top smooths down the front of her shorts, under her thong and arrowing directly to her clit. I swallow her gasp with a desperate kiss.

“The whole time we were working submissions from the mount, I couldn’t stop thinking about the one I would kill to have you try on me.”

As my finger moves in circles over her slick skin, her breaths come quicker. “Which one?”

I draw out the moment by slowing my fingers and taking my time kissing her. She looks almost ready to snap at me when I finally say, “Mounted triangle. I want you sitting on my face with your legs wrapped around my head.”

“Oh my God, yes,” she moans. “I want that, too.”

I take her mouth in another, filthy kiss. “Yeah? You want to mount my face so I can taste this sweet pussy?”

She nods hurriedly, clutching at my shirt as her tongue swipes mine.

“Say it,” I demand, pushing her shorts down her legs before dragging her down to the mat with me. I settle her over my face, inhaling her intoxicating scent but not touching her yet. Instead, I grip her hips, holding her in place, and look up the length of her body to meet her eyes. “You know what I want to hear.”

She’s almost too dazed, too eager for my touch, to understand. But then the sexiest smile brightens her face. And my dick gets so hard, I’m worried I might come without even touching it.

“Yes, Coach,” Skylar purrs.

I smile against her inner thigh. “Good girl,” I murmur with a kiss. Then I turn my head so my mouth is centered beneath her pussy, so close that I can smell the wetness shining on her skin. “Now sit on my face, baby.”

She doesn’t hesitate. And just like every time I touch Skylar, I become so lost in her that the flash from outside doesn’t register in my subconscious until days later.

32

DOMINIC

The day of the jiu-jitsu tournament, Skylar is the first person to show up, to no one’s surprise. When she walks into the arena, my heart stutters at the sight of her.

Fuck, I think I’m more anxious for her to compete than I ever was during my own fights.

“Hey,” she says when she eventually spots me and walks over. There’s a smile on her face, but I can see the tension sizzling beneath it.

I return the smile, wishing I could kiss her hello. “Hey. You ready? Feeling okay?”

She shrugs, the tension in her shoulders obvious. “As ready as I’ll ever be. I managed to get some sleep last night, though, so that’s a win in itself.” She hesitates, then admits, “I’m just a little nervous.”

God, I want to touch her so bad. I just want to hug her and assure her that she’s going to do great.

I stick my hands in my pockets to curb the impulse. “I’d be worried if you weren’t nervous, Skylar. But don’t worry, the nerves go away after the adrenaline of the first match. You’re going to do great.”

“Then let’s hope I win the first match,” she grumbles.

“You will,” I say confidently. “I’ll be right there with you. I’ll coach you straight to the gold medal.”

That earns me a warm smile, and my heart trips over itself.

Before I can do something foolish—like taste her smile on my tongue—I say hurriedly, “I have to go, the coach’s meeting is up next. You’ll probably start in an hour, since the women’s divisions go before the men’s. I’ll try to catch you for some warmup drills, but if I’m running late, just warm up with your jump rope and stretch out on the mats.”

She swallows thickly with a shaky nod.

“You’re going to do great,” I tell her quietly. Glancing around to make sure no one can hear, I add, “We’ll celebrate your victories tonight.”

She smiles knowingly, and then she’s jerking her head toward the mats. “Go. I’ll see you soon.”