Page 39 of Shattered By Grace

Victoria snorted mid-laugh, the sound surprising even her. Tristan chuckled, deep and genuine, and for a moment, she forgot the stakes. Forgot she was being followed. Forgot why she should stay away from him.

“You good, Grace?” Tristan leaned against the ropes, his smirk lazy, but his eyes hungry with something darker.

She flexed her fingers in the gloves, not backing down. “Wonderful.” She checked her gloves, rolling her shoulders. “Ready to lose again?”

Tristan’s smirk deepened, a flash of something almost predatory in his gaze. “Lose? I don’t lose. I just make sure everyone else does.” He straightened, stepping closer, his voicedropping to a low, dangerous murmur. “Including you… if you’re not careful.”

The moment they squared off, the world blurred. All that remained was the simmering heat between them, the way Tristan watched her with a hunger that scraped at her insides, like he wanted to tear her apart and put her back together again. The gym pulsed with the energy of the fight, but the tension between them was palpable, a spark that could ignite at any moment.

Focus, V.

Tristan struck first, a swift jab to test her defenses. She dodged, feeling the rush of air as his fist sliced by her face. He wasn’t messing around, but neither was she. She waited, letting him inch closer, reading him like a book, calculating her next move. He came at her again, trying to push her into a corner, but she flowed like water, slipping out of reach.

He smirked. “That’s all you got?”

Her reply was quick with a right hook, direct to his ribs. The sound of the impact sent a shiver of satisfaction through her. His grunt was rough, and he stumbled back, momentarily off balance. His eyes narrowed, surprised but intrigued.

“Not bad,” he said, his tone almost admiring. “But you’ll have to do better.”

Then he came at her with everything he had, faster, harder, relentless. She couldn’t keep up. One low sweep of his leg, and she was off balance, crashing to the mat before she could even think.

Before she could recover, Tristan pinned her beneath him. She felt every inch of him, the weight of his body pressing down, the heat of his breath against her skin, the strength in his hands as they held her wrists. She could’ve sworn she could feel the thud of his heartbeat through the thrum of her own. His grip wasfirm but not crushing, just enough to remind her of who was in control.

“I think we’ve been here before,” he murmured, voice dark and husky. His lips hovered dangerously close, his breath mingling with hers in the space between them. The challenge in his eyes was undeniable, but there was something else there too—an unspoken dare.

Her heart pounded, but not from the fight. The proximity. The pressure of his body over hers. The way he was looking at her like she was the only thing that mattered in this moment.

For a heartbeat, it felt like everything had paused.

Tristan thought he had her. He thought he was the one holding the cards.

But he didn’t know her.

She went still, letting him believe she’d surrendered. She held her breath, waiting for him to loosen his grip. And when he did, just for a second, her legs shot up, wrapping around his waist with the force of a steel trap springing closed. In a fluid, practiced movement, she flipped them, straddling him in an instant, her thighs locked tight around his torso, pinning him beneath her.

His eyes widened, the surprise quickly darkening into something far more dangerous.

“Think again,” she whispered, her lips brushing against his ear. She leaned in just enough so he could feel the heat of her breath skimming his skin, felt his chest heave beneath her. His hands twitched as if he wanted to grab her, but he didn’t dare.

Neither of them moved.

His eyes dropped to her lips.

She smirked.

“You underestimated the wrong girl again, Tristan. And that’s dangerous.”

Pushing off his chest, she wiped the sweat from her brow, wincing as her fingers grazed her cheek.Great. Just great.

Turning, she walked past him, nodding at Tony. “Tony.”

She stepped off the sparring mat, leaving Tristan and Tony behind, the weight of the fight still buzzing in her veins. She didn’t look back.

Chapter Nineteen

Victoria’s heart hammered as she rushed to the locker room, the adrenaline still buzzing under her skin. She slammed the door behind her and headed straight for the showers, her thoughts a blur of heat, confusion, and undeniable craving. Stripping off her clothes, she stepped into the warm spray, letting the water cascade over her like a thin shield, hoping it would somehow cool the fire ignited by Tristan. The steam filled the room, swirling around her, thickening the air as if the room itself was as suffocating as the ache in her chest.

Her thoughts didn’t obey her commands to calm down.Focus, Victoria. Focus.This isn’t who you are. But his eyes, the way they darkened when he pinned her down, how his lips felt when they brushed against hers, how his touch had burned her skin, flashed before her mind, stirring a desire she couldn’t outrun. She tried to ignore the tightening in her stomach, the heat that pooled low in her belly, but it only intensified.

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