Her heartbeat picked up as he pulled her into his warm body. She made every effort to keep her eyes on his face instead of his exposed chest and torso, his towel was lingering dangerously low on his hips. She pulled herself out from under his arm, turning to face him so she could hand off the plate. “How are you feeling?”
The smile faded from his face, a more somber expression taking its place. “I’m okay. I’m sorry about earlier, I just wasn’t feeling up to it.” He cracked open the top of the pot pie, the scent of warmth and heartiness wafting in the air between them.
“No need to apologize. Take the time you need.”
“I’ll be ready to get back to it tomorrow. Although, your technique has become very good. I’m not sure what else there is you want to learn. We can keep running the same drills, but I don’t know how much more help I can be…you’ve learned my tells too well.” A smirk played across his lips as he watched her reaction tothe compliment.
His praise wrapped around her, comforting her like a warm blanket on a winter night. Things had been so uncertain between them lately, their relationship growing more complicated as they unraveled each other’s most intimate secrets. This is what she needed to hear and she couldn’t fight the broad smile that burst forth.
“Are you saying I’m good enough to take you on in a real spar?” She cocked her brow, knowing he would not be able to resist a challenge.
“Hmm.” He sized her up playfully, the glint that had been missing from his expressiveeyes returned.
Pride swelled within her at the triumph.
“We’ll have to see tomorrow, won’t we?”
She turned to leave, swaying her hips a bit more than natural before she shot over her shoulder. “I suppose we will.”
“Goodnight, Rhi.” He said it under his breath, but she heard it nonetheless. As she closed the door behind her, she bit her lip to suppress the nervous laugh that tried to break free.