Page 39 of Saving Meri

She twisted her wrists, testing his hold. “You weigh twice what I do.”

“You’re quick, but you’re hesitating,” Bear countered.

“I’m thinking.”

“Thinking gets you killed.”

Meri’s nostrils flared. She hated being told what she was doing wrong. But she wasn’t shutting down. She was listening.

Bear lifted one hand from her wrist, only to let his fingers brush over her throat—not squeezing, just a reminder that he could. “What now?” he murmured.

She didn’t even blink. She lifted her legs, hooking them around his torso, and twisted.

Bear grunted as she flipped them, her weight shifting perfectly, catching him off guard enough that she ended up straddling him this time, her hand fisting in his shirt, yanking his face close.

Something hot and possessive curled in his gut. Meri’s breath came in sharp, controlled gasps. She knew what she’d just done. She’d bested him—if only for a second.

His lips curled. “Now that’s what I was looking for.”

Meri’s fingers tightened on his shirt. “Did I pass?”

Bear reached up, gripping her jaw, forcing her to meet his eyes. “You tell me. You still afraid?”

She swallowed, and he felt it against his palm. Then her chin lifted. “No.”

Good girl.

He sat up, still holding her face, making sure she felt his approval. “Again.”

Her eyes flashed. “Again?”

Bear nodded. “You think one fight means you’re ready? That one brief moment where you got the upper hand makes you untouchable?” His thumb stroked over her bottom lip, soft, taunting. “No, little one. You fight until I say you’re ready.”

Meri’s thighs clenched around him, her nails biting into his chest. The stubborn set of her jaw told him she wanted to argue, but deep down, she knew he was right. He threw her off him,making her hit the floor with a grunt. She barely took a second before launching back at him.

That was what he needed to see.

For nearly an hour, he tested her, pushing her limits, demanding more, making sure she wasn’t just reacting in controlled chaos but could actually handle herself when things got messy.

By the time he called it, she was dripping in sweat, her muscles shaking, but her eyes bright.

Fitz whistled from the sidelines. “Well, damn. She fights like Archer.”

Archer huffed. “Of course she does. Who do you think taught her?”

Bear ran a hand down Meri’s back, grounding her as he murmured, “You’re coming.”

She tensed, as if waiting for another challenge.

Bear grabbed her chin, forcing her to focus. “But you listen to me, little one.” His voice darkened, his dominance curling around every word. “You obey.”

Her breath shuddered, her body softening under his grip. “I will, Daddy,” she said with a wicked grin as Archer groaned.

“Well then,” said Fitz, clapping his hands together, “let’s go shut this bastard down… permanently.”

10

MERI

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