flora
It wasn’t the lack of immediate victory that made her breath catch—it was how close it all suddenly was. The way Liam didn’t drop her; didn’t flinch. Didn’t fumble or flush too hard or stammer out an apology the way she would have expected. No, he just shifted—smooth and confident—and pinned her tighter, locking her arms down and catching her wandering hand with enough control to make her stomach flutter.
Delighted and just a little disappointed—because she hadn’t gotten the easy win, and gods, she loved a win—Flora exhaled a sound that was half-laugh, half-huff of surrender. Not that she planned on staying that way. "You're better at this than I thought you'd be," she murmured, still breathless from the sparring, but now with something else coiled warm beneath her skin. The brush of his arm across her chest hadn’t gone unnoticed, and neither had the solid heat of his body against hers. She let her hips shift against him, the curve of her ass teasingly drawn from side to side to see if she could get him to tense again.
"Guess you’ll find out," she panted in his ear, her grin wicked even if he couldn’t see it.
Quickly, she bounced on her toes just once before jumping, drawing her legs up like a dancer mid-spin so that her weight pulled down against him, her arms still bound tight. It wasn’t much—she didn’t weigh much—but it was hopefully enough to force a shift. To test his balance and see if he’d hold on or stumble forward or—gods willing—tumble them both to the ground.
Delighted and just a little disappointed—because she hadn’t gotten the easy win, and gods, she loved a win—Flora exhaled a sound that was half-laugh, half-huff of surrender. Not that she planned on staying that way. "You're better at this than I thought you'd be," she murmured, still breathless from the sparring, but now with something else coiled warm beneath her skin. The brush of his arm across her chest hadn’t gone unnoticed, and neither had the solid heat of his body against hers. She let her hips shift against him, the curve of her ass teasingly drawn from side to side to see if she could get him to tense again.
"Guess you’ll find out," she panted in his ear, her grin wicked even if he couldn’t see it.
Quickly, she bounced on her toes just once before jumping, drawing her legs up like a dancer mid-spin so that her weight pulled down against him, her arms still bound tight. It wasn’t much—she didn’t weigh much—but it was hopefully enough to force a shift. To test his balance and see if he’d hold on or stumble forward or—gods willing—tumble them both to the ground.
Every single thing I touch becomes sick with sadness
'Cause it's all over now, all out to sea
'Cause it's all over now, all out to sea
