Page 59 of Hear Me Roar

And I was only gettingstarted.

Coach Carr was about to find himself very dizzy and very flat on the mat. In the year we’d been together, I'd yet to topple him, but that was changing right here, right now. All I had to do was spin him out long enough and it'd be a done deal. A challenge, obviously, seeing as Knox wasquick.

But I wasfaster.

Let's see how long my man could stand upright, shallwe?

A devious grin spread across my face, the fact he had no clue he was minutes away from hitting the mat fueling me on in my feat. Charging toward him, I came out swinging without hesitation, hoping the sudden rush would psych him out. And it did. He didn’t know whether to block or swing, which worked to my advantage. I clipped him twice in the jaw, stunning him momentarily, and eased away, granting him the opportunity to gather hisbearings.

Or so hethought.

As he recovered, I shuffled around him in light, brisk bounces, keeping my arms in protective stance. Poor man tried his damndest to keep up with me, but after the all excitement, I was at least three steps ahead of him, and when he swayed to one side, I knew I had him. With a feral growl, I swung a leg out low and clipped him right at the calves, toppling him flawlessly like a tree, onto the black mat beneath ourfeet.

The sound of his body falling in a heap bounced off the walls along with a deep, guttural groan that shot out from his mouth. It was the sound of sweet,sweetvictory, and I was on him not a second later, locking his arms above his head to seal the deal. Dropping my forehead to his, I smiled triumphantly and pecked his lips throughout the ten-second countdown. He struggled against me in a feeble attempt to regain control, but I had him.I fucking hadhim.

And by the time I whispered, “One,” he’d given upentirely.

What caught me by surprise, though, was when he yanked himself from my grasp, took hold of my wrist, and threw my arm up in theair.

“Your victor, ladies and gentlemennn, Hazelll “Lionesss” Perryyy!” He followed that with the typical hushed cheering, holding a hand to his mouth andall.

With my heart racing wildly, I leaned in closely to claim his mouth once more, a soft giggle bubbling in my throat when he nibbled my lip, prompting me to nipback.

“You better not have let me win,” I mumbled through hisassault.

“Never. That was all you, baby. I most definitely was not expecting to hit themat.”

“I know. That's why I didit.”

“Sneaky, but well-calculated. I'm not sure whether that falls under naughty kitten territory, or feralLioness.”

“A little of both, I’dsay.”

He hummed, though it sounded more like a growl. “You better tuck kitty back into her box before I let her outplay.”

“And what if kitty wants to play?” I asked, grinding my hips into himreflexively.

“Here?”

“Now.”

“Anyone one could come in,” he advised, prompting me to drag a finger along hisjaw.

“And the point would be,coach?”

His eyes darkened. “You’re beingverynaughty rightnow…”

“I know, and you love it. So,hush....”

“Don’t tell me what to do, kitten. I’m the coach. I call the shots,remember?”

A quick hand deftly wound around my ponytail, the other clamping down on my ass in a deathgrip.

“How could I forget? You’re sodemanding.”

“And you love it, sohush.”

“Make me…” Iwhispered.

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