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When Tanvir lunged forward yet again, this time going for a debilitating torso wound, Evelayn used his momentum to hook his arm, swing herself around his body, and drag her blade across his back."Point to Princess Evelayn!" Kel called out. But not a killing blow.She moved to disentangle her arm, but instead, in that one moment of hesitation when she'd allowed herself a pause of triumph, Tanvir dropped one of his blades to grab her wrist, squeezing so hard it compressed a nerve that forced her hand to convulse and drop her own knife. Simultaneously, he wrenched her forward so he could spin her in front of him, his arm now firmly wrapped around both of hers, and then, so fast she didn't even have a chance to struggle, his blade angled against her throat, ready to slit it.A killing strike. Evelayn exhaled angrily even as her stomach sank."Lord Tanvir takes the match," Kel announced unnecessarily.But Tanvir didn't move yet, his arm still holding her close and his blade still touching her skin, both of them breathing heavily. Her irritation at losing faded as she became aware of the heat of him pressed through her leathers, of a heady musk that suddenly colored his scent, sparking a responding warmth deep within her. A different kind than she'd ever felt before, it called for more, beckoned her to move even closer to the hard length of his body.And then suddenly, he let go, stepping back. Evelayn stumbled forward, shocked at her own thoughts. Shocked that he'd beat her so quickly. Shocked that for a moment, she'd forgotten about her mother leaving, the war, not being able to shift, or anything beyond Lord Tanvir's arm around her and his muscled chest and abdomen against her back.
