Page 28 of Betrayed By Dragons

"Okay..."

I direct her to stand the way that I am. "A wide stance makes you harder to knock down."

"Makes sense," she allows.

"Whether you're kicking or punching, your foot or your hand is an extension of the rest of you." I throw a couple of mock punches at the air, emphasizing the way I put my whole shoulder into the blow. "You twist your hips and you give yourself even more power."

"Drawing it up from the earth," she muses.

I chuckle darkly. "Sounds like some Stone Kingdom dogma."

"It is," she agrees, "but they have some good points."

I pretend that doesn't rankle me. I'm not here to talk about Stone Kingdom bullshit right now.

"Do you know how to throw a punch?"

She shakes her head, and I come over to her. I take her hand in mine. Electricity zips up my arm, the connection between us as hot as ever.

I ignore it, letting the attraction simmer instead of giving it air to flare.

"Curl your fingers into your palm." I show her how, positioning her thumb with my own. "Keep your thumb outside your fingers, but tucked away against them—always." I touch the knuckles at the top of her index and middle fingers. "And lead with these."

"Got it." Her voice is rough. She's as affected by our closeness as much as I am.

She looks up at me, and the warmth in her gaze sears me through. But then I get a whiff of Jianyu's scent on her skin.

I want to wipe him off her body, want to claim her as my own. I know I have to share her. For the rest of our lives, it's going to be me and her and him, and I'm all right with that. A couple of days ago, I thought I'd made my peace.

Right now, though, I have no peace.

Releasing her hand, I take a half step back.

"Show me, then." I point at the spot on my shoulder where I want her to hit me. At her look of apprehension, I clarify, "Just practice. Push me with your fist. Light at first, if that makes you feel better."

"I don't know..."

"You won't hurt me."

She wouldn't. Not on purpose. I know that.

Frowning, she crinkles her brow. But she takes on the stance I showed her. Nice and stable and strong. She makes her fist, placing her thumb just so. I nod my approval and tap my shoulder again.

She fixes her jaw and touches me with her knuckles, so lightly I barely feel it.

"Good." I catch her fist and try again to ignore the sizzling heat of contact before I let her go. "Harder this time. Put your whole body into it."

She tries again, and her form is better, but she isn't really trying to connect.

And it's not as if I want her to deck me, but my skin is buzzing, my nerves jangling with this energy I need to let out. Taking a punch would be a relief.

She hits me a couple more times, but she's holding back, and I get it--I do. But I need her to stop.

"Like this." I turn away and punch the air, demonstrating how to use her shoulder and her knees and hips, but it's not enough. I want impact.

There's no practice dummy in here or anything, but there is a pile of exercise mats stacked in the corner. I grab a couple and prop them against the wall.

This time, when I slam my fist into the padded vinyl, the thud stings my knuckles and vibrates through my bones. I throw another punch and another before switching it up to the other side.

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