𝘚𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘵 𝘝𝘪𝘤𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺

𝘛𝘩𝘳𝘦𝘦

Their faces are a breath apart. Hanging upside down, Granit's completely at her mercy. "Granit, you want a kiss that badly?" Aurora asked. "And you don't?" Granit asked. His eyes flick to her lips, glinting wickedly.

"I've got a talented tongue, Ro. Most girls are eager to see what it can do." Granit said with a smirk. "What gave you the impression that I'm like most girls?" Aurora said with a raised brow. A low, pleased chuckle rumbles in Granit's throat. He likes that answer.

Slowly, letting her see just how strong his abs are, Granit lifts his upper body in a crunch. He grips the pull-up bar by his hands, straightens his body, and lands on the floor with a soft thump. "Come here." To her surprise, Granit leads her over to the ring. He tosses her a pair of boxing gloves.

"Put those on." He said. "Uh... bossy, much?" Aurora said. "Only on the mat... and in the bedroom, if a lady wants to play like that." He said. "Why does that not surprise me?" Aurora said. "Indulge me, Ro." Granit said.

Narrowing her eyes with playful skepticism, she tugs on the boxing gloves. Granit throws on hand wraps of his own. "Hot." He mumbled but Aurora heard that. She raised her brows. "Is this a kink of yours?" She asked. "On you? It might be." Granit said.

"Now tell me, Ro. Why you think us getting married is such a bad idea? Be honest." He said. Aurora and Granit circle each other in the boxing ring. "Because the way I see it? It's a no brainer. We already did the hard part with the fake engagement. You need to be married within the month, right? Now, all we've got to do is get hitched." Granit said.

"If we can play married couple for a month, convincingly... we get everything we want." He said. "My uncle is more clever than you think, Granit. He could figure out that it's a lie. He already suspects us." Aurora said. "So what? We'll prove him wrong. We live together for a month. We kiss in public. We play the part." Granit said.

"And once the month is up? We return to our regularly scheduled lives. Boom. Easy." He said. "You're used to winning arguments, aren't you?" Aurora asked. "Arguments? Not really. I'm not good with words and all that. But fights? Yes." Granit said.

"I always win those." He said. That must be nice. I never seem to win. First, I lose my parents in a car accident. Then, I'm forced to put my grandmother in a retirement home I barely afford once she became too feeable to run our family bakery. And now, I might lose that bakery. The one and only thing I have left.

Steely determination fills her body. Granit seems to notice the change and takes a step closer to her. "Show me, Granit. Show me how you win." Aurora said. A smile ghosts over his lips. With a surprisingly gentle touch, he takes her by the hip and guides her into fighting stance.

Ooh. Okay, Granit. I'll tease him a little. Aurora deliberately moves, forcing Granit to adjust her again. She blinks innocently at him. "Oops." She said. Granit bites back a grin, trying hard to stay cool. "Arms up, Ro. Just like this." He said. His hands are alive with restrained power. She admires the tattoos running between his scarred knuckles.

Despite all the power his hands hold, they're nothing but gentle with her. His voice purrs low in her ear, his accent rough and gravelly at the edges. "I'm going to show you how to punch. Can you handle that?" He asked.

Aurora nods, breathing shallowly as his fingers ghost down the length of her arms, guiding her into position. His body heat is flush against her. An intoxicating smell, a mix of sweat and spicy cologne, fills her senses.

"First things first. When you make a fist, your thumb goes under your knuckles, not inside. If it's inside, it gets crushed." Granit said. Aurora copies his fist position. His fingers linger on her wrist, sending a spark of electricity in his wake. "The basic moves to start with are hooks, crosses, and jabs. Which do you fancy?" He asked.