Her Guardian pulled off his tunic and tossed it to the floor. Effie’s stomach swooped as she greedily drank in the sight of all that tanned skin on display. He’d always been an imposing figure due to his sheer size, but she’d had no idea what he had been hiding beneath his clothes.
Lucian’s body looked like it had been sculpted from granite, each part of him perfectly cut and defined. The muscles in his upper arms were twice the size of Ronan’s, which didn’t seem like it should even be possible. As it was, both of her hands could span just one of his pecs.
Effie shook her head. Lucian couldn’t possibly be human. He was a giant.
Eyes dropping lower, she started to count the bunches of muscles stacked down the center of his stomach, following each ripple until her eyes reached the defined vee that trailed down into the dark leather covering his hips.
“Mother’s tits,” she whispered, feeling light-headed.
“I think you mean Lucian’s dick,” Kael snickered, plopping down beside her.
Effie blinked and shook her head, not even pretending she wasn’t shamelessly ogling her Guardian. “Mother have mercy, I’ve forgotten my name.”
Kael laughed harder. “One would think you’d never seen a shirtless man the way you’re carrying on.”
She’d dropped her eyes to Kael’s bared torso. “There’s shirtless men, and then there’s that,” she said, purposefully returning her gaze to Lucian.
“I’m going to tell him you said so.”
“You’re going to give him an even bigger ego than he already has if you do.”
“Fair point,” Kael murmured as Lucian and Ronan moved into their starting stances.
Effie’s breath caught as she waited for the first strike. She’d seen Lucian fight before, but it had always been while she was in the middle of trying not to die. Seeing him now, with nothing to distract her, was like watching art in motion. Each move was flawlessly executed with a grace and speed that was unmatched.
Ronan quickly lost his smug smile as he had to work hard to defend himself from the blows Lucian was raining down with incredible precision.
Thank the Mother they were fighting without weapons. Even with a blunted blade, Effie didn’t think Ronan would walk away without a series of new scars. Lucian was brutal; striking hard and fast while Ronan was unable to successfully land a single blow of his own.
Beside her Kael was chuckling.
Effie’s eyes cut to him briefly before returning to the fight. “What’s so funny?”
“Lucian’s toying with him.”
“He looks like he’s about two seconds away from murdering him,” Effie said, her heart rate increasing as Lucian landed another strike.
“You haven’t seen anything yet,” Kael said. “Just watch.”
Ronan shuffled back, narrowly missing a kick to the side of his head, but Lucian was unfazed. As soon as his foot landed on the floor, Lucian leaped into the air, practically flying as he drew back his arm and landed a strike to Ronan’s chest with the flat of his hand.
Ronan flew back, hitting the ground with a resounding thud.
“One,” Lucian said, landing and holding out a hand to help Ronan back up off of the mat. He didn’t even look winded.
Wincing, Ronan rubbed his chest. “I thought we agreed not to use our power . . .”
Lucian’s smile grew. “I’m not.”
Grunting, Ronan moved back into position. “Again.”
Effie squirmed, watching Lucian in action was doing something to her. She could feel the flush of desire heating her cheeks, and a dull ache was growing deep within her. Is it normal to get so turned on watching men fight?
Missing none of her discomfort, Kael continued to snicker beside her. “I had no idea your bloodlust was so strong, little warrior.”
“You can go sit somewhere else,” she bit out. “Preferably on top of your sword.”
Kael threw his head back and laughed, causing Lucian to look toward them, one of his brows raised.
It was the opening Ronan needed, and he didn’t waste it. He tackled Lucian to the ground.
“One!” he crowed.
Lucian bucked, and in one fluid move he threw Ronan from his body before flipping to a crouch and pinning Ronan with a knee on the chest. It happened so fast Effie wasn’t sure she was even tracking all of the men’s movements. One second Lucian was on his back, the next he was on top of Ronan.
“Two,” Lucian smirked.
“Fuck you, Guardian,” Ronan scowled.
“Think I’ll pass, Shield.”
Effie let out a soft moan, her eyes glued to Lucian’s ass as the leather-clad muscles flexed, giving her all sorts of delightful thoughts. Sweat trickled down her back and Effie’s mouth went dry. Mother save me. She was going to combust then and there if she didn’t get ahold of herself.
Kael tossed his towel at her head, momentarily obscuring her vision.
“Jerk,” she muttered.
“Sorry, looks like you needed it. You’re leaving a puddle beneath you.”
In horror, Effie checked her seat. There was no puddle.
Kael was howling with laughter.
She hit him, hard, her fist slamming into his shoulder.
“I’ll bet if it was two topless women grinding on each other over there, you’d be the one requiring a towel.”
“Without a doubt,” Kael agreed, his dimples flashing. “Doesn’t mean I’m going to miss this opportunity. I don’t think I’ve ever seen this side of you.”
“What side is that?”
“Horn—”
Effie bared her teeth at him. “You keep laughing and my next punch is going somewhere much lower.”
Kael’s green eyes were twinkling, but he mimed buttoning his lips.
While they’d been bickering, Lucian and Ronan had finished their match. Her Guardian was helping Ronan stand.
Ronan shook his head. “You’ll have to show me some of those moves after I’ve nursed my wounds.”
Lucian slapped his back. “It would be my pleasure.”
“You ever get tired of working for those robed fuckers, you’re always welcome to serve with me.”
“I’ll keep that in mind,” Lucian murmured.
Ronan and Lucian continued their chat, but Effie was too distracted by Lucian’s body to pay attention. She tracked a bead of sweat as it rolled down his chest and over the planes of his stomach, her legs squeezing together to try and relieve some of the ache building in the core of her. Never had she had this kind of reaction to a man before, and certainly not just from watching him spar. What is wrong with me?
“Who’s next?” Lucian asked, a towel slung around his shoulders.
Effie licked her lips, ready to volunteer for damn near anything that would get her under him.
As if he could read her thoughts, Kael pinched her and Effie flew up, shooting him a dark look.
“I think our little warrior wants a go,” Kael said with a grin.
“Is that so, fledgling?” Lucian asked, his own lips lifting.
“I-I,” she stammered, her mind emptying of all thoughts except a sweaty Lucian pressed up against her.
Her body’s response was immediate. There was no way she could try and fight Lucian right now. On her best day she would lose in two seconds flat, but today she was way too distracted to even try. With her luck, she’d forget people were watching them and start rubbing herself against him like some kind of cat in heat.