Chapter 33
The duel seemedappropriate for the moment. Frustration whirled in me, and it needed an outlet.
Since he was the reason for my frustration, he had to deal with my rage.
The way he looked at me added a layer of feelings I didn’t want to acknowledge. But maybe it was what I needed to move beyond all these feelings.
I had planned on finalizing the rules of the duel and what I’d get out of it. But right now, I didn’t have the energy to care about rules and regulations.
Arrow had wanted to be with me from the beginning. He had continuously pursued me even after I’d rejected him twice. He was either a fool or a determined man who didn’t back down. Regardless, I admired his persistence. And to be honest, it made me feel special that I was his target. So I shouldn’t have been too angry with him, but I was.
I was an emotional mess because of him, and that needed a resolution today.
“If I win, you’ll do anything I ask?” He eyed me.
Was that the original deal? I vaguely remembered something like that. At that time, I wasn’t sure what I wanted him to do. In truth, A Kiss is Not Enough was to determine if he was serious about me or if I was simply a means to an end—little more than winning a game. That after he got what he wanted, he’d push me aside to focus on someone else. This operation posed a threat to my heart though. My attraction to him had grown despite my refusal to let him affect me.
But if I didn’t go along with this duel, I’d never know the truth.
“Sure,” I said. “But you won’t win.”
Arrow paced the massive living room with neutral-colored walls and modern furniture in shades of grays, blues, and browns. He surveyed me like a wolf eyeing his prey. His gray eyes gleamed as though he knew the conclusion of the duel before it even began.
Too confident and sexy as hell.
He wore a black T-shirt and knit pants, which allowed him swift and easy movements. That was an advantage I didn’t have. I wore jeans and a thick sweater.
Oh well.
I hadn’t prepared for a physical battle when I came here this evening. A verbal battle had been on my mind, but the influx of emotions spawned something I had to deal with now.
“What martial arts did you study, Bullseye?” I asked, watching him the way he watched me.
“Krav Maga and Shaolin Kung Fu. You?”
I hadn’t studied Krav Maga. It was an Israeli martial art combining fighting techniques from judo, aikido, karate, boxing, and wrestling. That was too many variants for me. My focus had been on the five classic animal stances from the Shaolin Kung Fu: the dragon, tiger, leopard, snake, and crane. The way animals fought to survive in the wild intrigued me because people often had to fight for their survival too. Each style didn’t mimic the actual animal, but its essence and temperament.
“Shaolin.”
“Which animal is your favorite?” he asked with a smirk.
A smirk that had a dare etched on it.
“This one.” I charged forward with my snake head stance, an open-handed technique where the fingers were clenched tightly together. The tips of the finger created a hard surface to attack. I aimed for the soft spot on his neck, but he blocked it with his dragon claw and grinned.
I pivoted and switched to a crane beak, striking him in the arm and chest. He fell a step back and considered me, sweeping a gaze up and down my body. I didn’t know why, but my body tingled from his inspection.
He inhaled a deep breath and took on the tiger formation, making him look like a feral beast ready to apprehend his enemy. His fingers formed the tiger claw, which was effective for tearing and grabbing.
Arrow came at me, but I blocked it and dodged his other hand. A battle erupted between us in a series of swinging arms, swift hands, and powerful kicks. His moves were controlled, speedy, and strategic. I wasn’t sure if I could win this duel. My mind spun, trying to figure out how I could defeat him.
Somehow, he gripped my sweater, pulled me flush to him, and kissed me on the cheek. “That’s a swan peck.”
“There’s no such thing,” I retorted, extracting from him.
“It is now. It’s my personal style inspired by you.” His arrogant smile turned to something else. “You’re fucking turning me on with this battle.”
The statement took me by surprise. At that moment of pause, he gave me a delicate kick to my shin and grabbed my shoulder with his tiger. But I got away, hopped onto his couch, and jumped onto his back like a spider monkey.
Sliding my forearm around his neck, I nipped at his ear. “This is the deadly monkey choke and the spider bite.”
He laughed, knowing I’d just made them up. To my surprise, he secured my ass with his hands and ran around his house.
What just happened here?
I laughed because it was silly, absurd, and unexpected. The duel had pivoted to something entirely different, with me on his back for another piggyback ride. It seemed like that was an ongoing theme between us.
“What are you doing?” I asked. “Put me down!”
“Trying to make you dizzy so you can lose.” He stopped and pressed my back into a wall with a mirror across from us.
I bit gently on his neck and felt his racing pulse.
He met my gaze in the mirror. “I love the way your sex is pressing into my back, Tulip.” He shifted and wiggled, bringing my core evencloser to him.
A moan released from me, and he grinned, knowing exactly what he was doing.
I’d never been in this aroused position and didn’t know what to say.
“How about we call it a truce?” he asked.
I swallowed, caught my breath, and slid down from his back.
He turned around and braced his arms on either side of me. “You’re the ambush I wasn’t ready for. You’ve knocked all the sense out of me. Especially with the monkey choke and spider bite.”
My heart drummed, and I wondered if he could hear it.
Hebreathed near my ear, inhaled my hair, and growled. “We have to deal with this attraction, Vivian. It’s unavoidable.”
I lifted my face to stare up at his hungry gray eyes. Spears of cool blue burst from his irises, creating a mesmerizing mosaic that drew me in even more.
He ran his knuckles down my cheek, and electricity zipped through me. This man could command my body in unimaginable ways. The sexual energy was spiraling out of control. I didn’t want to analyze anything. I just wanted to feel him touch me.
He was right. This explosive attraction needed to be dealt with. The duel shouldn’t have increased the attraction, but it did. I loved that he was my match. If we had continued, he would’ve defeated me. He was a lot bigger and stronger than me.
For tonight, I wanted to be taken care of.
A Kiss is Not Enough could be confirmed after tonight. Would Arrow move on once this attraction was dealt with?
Would I?
Could I?
I placed my palms on his chest, feeling his warmth and heartbeat. “Arrow?”
“Yes, Tulip?”
“Kiss me.”