Page 40 of Shattered By Grace

Her fingers clenched into fists, but her body was already betraying her. She closed her eyes, letting the warm water soothe her tense muscles, but every drop of water seemed to push hercloser to the edge.This is reckless, she thought.You can’t do this. Not now. Not with him.

But then she felt a presence behind her. Her body tensed, heart racing. Slowly, she turned. There he was. Tristan. His dark eyes were locked on hers, and the air between them was heavy with something unspoken.What the hell is he doing here?

“Get out,” she breathed, voice barely a whisper, but her hands fumbled to cover herself. He didn’t answer. Just stepped forward into the spray, clothes still clinging to his body, heavy with water. His gaze never left hers. She should’ve told him to leave. Should’ve fought harder. But her body betrayed her.

“You’re not supposed to be in here,” she managed, but the words were weak, useless against the pull of his proximity. His eyes flickered with something dangerous as his hand slid around her waist, pulling her closer. She wanted to resist, to break free from this magnetic pull, but the harder she fought, the stronger it became.

Tristan smirked, low and dark. “And yet, here I am.”

His hand traced her arm, sending heat rushing through her. She gasped, but before she could say another word, his lips crashed against hers, forcing her to stop thinking, to stop fighting. His kiss was raw, hungry, and it consumed her, pushing all logic out of her mind. She tried to pull away, but Tristan only pulled her deeper into it, his body pressing against hers in a way that left her breathless.

When he finally pulled back, his lips curved into a taunting smile. “Tell me you don’t want this,” he murmured, voice thick with desire.

She tried to find her voice, but all she could manage was a breathless whisper. “I don’t want you.” Victoria’s body screamed a different answer, but her mind was still reeling.

LIAR!

Tristan chuckled darkly, his hands still on her, as if he’d already won. “Stop lying to yourself. Your body gives you away.” he said, before stepping back, leaving her shaking, exposed, and craving more.

Her heart pounded in her chest as she stood there, trying to piece herself together.

What the fuck just happened?

Chapter Twenty

Victoria glanced at her phone to check for any hospital messages. Nothing.

“Damn, it’s already seven? I’ve been here for two hours.” Her heart was still racing, her mind a tangled mess.

The gym was alive with energy, the clang of weights and hum of machines filling the space. It was a stark contrast to the storm still raging inside her. She exhaled sharply, forcing herself to focus.

Her gaze flicked toward Tristan. To her surprise, he was back at the machines, lifting with a focused intensity, like nothing had happened. Like he hadn’t just seen her completely exposed, at her most vulnerable.

How can he act like that meant nothing?Her fingers curled into fists as she wrestled with the urge to march over and demand answers. But her feet felt rooted to the spot, caught between confrontation and escape.

Before she could decide, Tony and Casey approached, their faces lit up with enthusiasm.

“Hey, Grace!” Tony greeted, grinning. “You really went all out today. I’ve gotta say, I’m impressed. Ever thought about competing?”

Victoria blinked, momentarily thrown. Competitions? She barely processed his words, her mind still trapped in the aftermath of the showers. “What?”

Casey chuckled. “You’ve got talent. You should consider fighting in the ring.”

She stared at them, feeling like they’d just grown five heads. “Umm… no, I haven’t.” Her voice carried more disbelief than she intended.

Tony exchanged a look with Casey before turning back to her. “Well, there’s an amateur fight night at the Crimson Veil coming up.” His excitement was unmistakable. “Casey, hand her a flyer.”

Casey pulled a crumpled flyer from his pocket and passed it to her. The paper crinkled slightly in her grip as she forced herself to focus on the details.

“They run fight nights a couple of times a month,” Tony continued. “It’s a great way to get experience and maybe even catch some attention if you’re serious about this.”

Grace let out a dry laugh, shaking her head. “Could you imagine? Me showing up to deliver a baby with a black eye and bruised ribs? ‘Congrats, it’s a boy. Don’t mind the fact that I look like I lost a fight with a brick wall.’”

Casey snorted. “I mean, it would definitely make for an interesting conversation starter.”

Tony grinned. “Or make the dads twice as nervous.”

Victoria smirked, but her fingers still toyed with the edge of the flyer. Despite her sarcasm, something about the idea had hooked her.

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