Chapter Eight #2
What she really wanted to do was wipe that smile off Talik’s face.
And if it meant beating him in a fight, that was perfectly fine with her.
She looked at him, eyeing him as an opponent.
He hadn’t lost his muscular physique and was clearly still quick on his feet.
Their recent brutal encounter with the wayfarers had reminded her how ferocious on the battlefield he could be.
She’d beaten him before. Numerous times. Over the centuries, she had honed her skills to a level few Atlanteans could equal, and there was no reason to go easy on him. He was bigger than her, but she was faster and more agile.
“Do you need a break?” Talik looked her over. “You look exhausted. And I wouldn’t want to be accused of cheating.”
Khalida forced herself to smile. Talik was as cocky as ever. That part of him hadn’t changed. “It’s called a warm-up.”
She walked toward the dark-gray mats and motioned for him to follow her. A large white square outlined the boundary of the dojo. The outer area of the gym was full of equipment, but the center was predominantly used for sparring.
“Do you remember the rules?”
“It hasn’t been that long,” Talik dryly replied.
It had been centuries. But that didn’t slow down the onslaught of memories, some tinged with happiness, that rose to the forefront. She instantly shut it down. After Rome, the hunt for the Anki could continue without them both being on the same continent.
“I changed my mind,” Khalida said. “About the wager.”
“I’m listening.”
“Once we finish this mission, we never see each other again,” Khalida said.
The words came out neutral, but underneath, if Talik cared to pay attention, her heart was racing, and it had nothing to do with her workout.
She would have loved to have demanded they not work together, but she didn’t want to go against the vision of a seer, even if she didn’t entirely trust them.
“You aren’t asking for much,” Talik slowly responded. “Never is a long time, since our lifespans are connected.”
She didn’t need to be reminded. “Minor detail.”
“And if I win.” Talik paused. Letting the silence between them draw out unnaturally. “I own three months of your life.”
Khalida didn’t like the sound of that. “Three months to do what?”
Talik smiled. “You will have to wait and see. Deal?”
She crossed her arms across her chest. “And the reconnaissance, are you willing to go against Sypha’s vision?”
She stepped back on her heels. It didn’t matter what he would do with the three months. She was going to wipe the floor with him and happily watch him limp out of the gym and out of her life. Forever.
Talik didn’t move. He was a gambler, but he wouldn’t go against Sypha’s visions, likely for the same reason as her. He just needed to be reminded why they had to work together.
His eyes darkened. “No. We go to Rome together.”
“Then we have a deal.”
***
TALIK
It was a bad idea to challenge Khalida. A bad idea to run his mouth without thinking and to demand three months as the payment. What the fuck was he was supposed to do for three months with Khalida—drive himself out of his mind with lust? So much for not letting his cock do the thinking.
It was probably one of his more impulsive decisions, and in a lifetime full of impulsive and reckless ideas, that was saying a lot.
But he hadn’t been thinking, had just blurted out what was in his subconscious.
A stupid challenge. Khalida wouldn’t be able to resist. Competition was encoded into her DNA.
And he had known that and used it against her, but what he hadn’t been expecting was the way his entire body had stilled when he had registered her demand.
The blood rushed out of his head, and his ears started ringing as tunnel vision took over.
The words were out of his mouth before he realized.
He should have known that no matter what Khalida would demand to do, the mission, duty, and familial responsibility were like breathing to her.
Now he was forced to accept the consequences of his big mouth. But that wasn’t the worst of it. The thought of touching her was agonizing. He’d only gotten a taste of it before, and now it was all he could think of.
His intention when he had entered the gym had been to civilly discuss how they both were not required to find the Anki.
He could go to Rome, and Khalida could stay in Egypt and search for the underground tunnels.
It was a two-pronged attack—both paths could help them find Ninhursag and the Anki.
But that idea had disappeared the moment he’d spied on her training.
Just like the first time he had seen her.
Entranced by her brutal choreography and lithe body, he was once again led by his cock rather than his brain.
Some things never changed.
Khalida still moved like liquid silver when she trained, as if the surrounding air bowed down to her movements. He’d never seen anything like it, and he had traveled the world searching. Khalida would make the most talented dancer envious, except violence was Khalida’s art of choice.
Too bad she thought she was going to win.
He stifled a laugh. All those stupid training sessions Kade made him participate in would actually work in his favor.
Khalida would not be expecting him to have become a better fighter, and Kade’s sessions had taught him how to beat an unbeatable opponent—he would use everything to win.
We never see each other again.
The words kept repeating in his mind. Each time with more finality than the last.
“Are you going to stand there daydreaming?” Khalida stared at him, her hands on her hips as she slowly smiled.
Sharp white teeth and wolf-like yellow eyes.
Her skin glistened in the artificial light, her clothes clung to every curve.
He’d never been jealous of Khalida’s lovers, but he was jealous of her clothes.
His cock twitched. But somehow, he managed to focus on what Khalida was saying. “How long are the rounds?”
“Three minutes. No weapons. Best of three wins,” Khalida answered. “Timer is on the gym wall.” She pointed at the digital timer to his left. It took up a large portion of sandstone surface.
“Five minutes. One round,” Talik countered. “Or are you afraid of those odds?”
Khalida silently glared at him for a moment before she nodded. “It works for me. Any other rules you want to throw in?” Khalida moved to the edge of the mat and tapped at the keyboard. The timer changed to five minutes. The countdown began as Khalida stalked toward him.
“No.”
Khalida returned to her original position. “I hope you enjoyed your stay in Egypt while it lasted.”
The timer chimed, and Khalida moved.
Fuck. He’d forgotten how quick she was. Or how damn aggressive she could be.
Talik blocked the blow to his head and used the momentum to push Khalida back. She held her ground, barely moving.
Khalida was out for blood.
“You know, there are easier ways to ask for me to touch you,” Talik taunted as he sidestepped a kick to his stomach and grabbed her leg before flipping her backward. Khalida landed gracefully, the move not buying him as much time as he’d hoped. “I’m not exactly sure if you want to fight...or fuck.”
She moved forward, throwing an array of punches that forced him into a defensive position. He blocked most of them, each one sending a jolt of pain through his arm when he connected with Khalida.
Blocking another punch, he lowered his guard.
“Oomph...” His sternum cracked as pain exploded across his chest, forcing him to lean forward as he caught his breath. What had she been training on...concrete? Damnit. In the past, she must have been holding back when they had sparred together.
“For this to be a fair fight, you need to fight back,” Khalida said, a predatory gleam in her eyes as she advanced. She was enjoying this far too much. “Unless you really don’t want to win.”
He wasn’t sure what it said about him, that he was far too turned on by this than he should be. And he was going to win. “Just letting you warm up, Kiki.”
At the sound of the nickname, her eyes narrowed dangerously.
He glanced up at the timer.
This was going to be the longest five minutes of his life.