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cracked through the air.
    His head snapped back, but he did not so much as stagger from the blow.
    She waited, balanced on the balls of her feet, watching as he rolled his head around to face her once again, blood trickling from his nose.
    She stifled a pang of guilt. Remorse was weakness, and she couldn’t afford to be weak.
    So he wasn’t her standard target. Even mortal, he was still a pain in her ass, and needed to be dealt with.
    Smiling, he wiped the blood away with the back of his hand, staring at it for a moment before licking it clean.
    Her stomach clenched at the act. So primitive, so male.
    â€œImpressive. What else have you got?”
    â€œOh, there’s more where that came from.”
    â€œLet’s see it then,” he invited, with annoying calm, beckoning her with a mocking wave of his hand.
    Irritation zipped through her, feeding her a shot of needed adrenaline.
    She came at him, taking a quick jab at his face.
    He blocked her fist, smiling that arrogant grin.
    Growling, she came at him again. And again.
    Each time, he either ducked or blocked her. They moved off the street into a yard. A dog barked somewhere nearby, its frenzied yaps imitating her every strike and punch.
    After several more attempts, she paused, panting from both exertion and fury.
    Oh, he was good. Her eyes narrowed on him.
    He cocked an eyebrow, waiting. Waiting .
    He was toying with her! Blocking all her blows, but never coming at her or trying to hit her.
    â€œFight back,” she snarled, diving at him.
    He ducked and circled her. “I would hate to bruise your face.” Laughter gleamed in his dark eyes, which shone down at her in the night.
    â€œDon’t hold back! Fight, dammit. Fight! It doesn’t matter that I’m a woman.”
    â€œNo?”
    She charged him with an angry bellow, swinging wildly.
    He stepped to the side. Before she knew what had happened, he gripped her arm behind her back. Propelling her forward, he slammed her against a tree. Her cheek ground into rough bark.
    â€œWatch your anger,” he advised.
    â€œGo to hell!” She kicked behind her, digging her heel into his shin.
    He tightened his hold on her arm almost to the point of pain. “Your temper works against you.”
    â€œThere you go,” she spat out, trying to look around at his face. “I knew you had it in you. Knew you could hurt a woman. Nice play at chivalry, though.”
    He pressed his body against her back, every hard line of him sinking against her softness. His hold on her arm loosened.
    â€œI’ll give it you. You are pretty tough.” His breath feathered her ear. She shivered, jerking as he brushed a hair off the side of her face. “For a woman,” he added.
    â€œFor a man,” she flung back, heat licking her cheeks, indignation firing through her.
    â€œI suppose,” he agreed. “Most men would find you a force to reckon with.”
    But not him ? That was his implication. And it burned a bilious trail down her throat. I’ll show you .
    Swallowing her anger, she let herself relax, soften. Thrusting her hips back, she subtly brushed herself against him.
    â€œMost men do,” she agreed, dropping her voice in pitch, nearly choking on the provocative words.
    His breath caught behind her, the sharp sound rising the tiny hairs on her nape. He released her arm, and she brought it around, splaying her palm against the trunk. She rubbed her ass against his hardness.
    She smiled as he pushed himself against her. Then her smile slipped when she felt a certain hardness grind into her ass. Her belly tightened at the feel of him there.
    Before things got too far out of hand, she rolled herself around, her back against the tree.
    He remained as close as ever, a wall of heat flush against her, staring deeply into her eyes, unsmiling. The hard ridge of him prodded her belly.
    â€œIs this what you do when you’re in a tough jam? Tease and give a guy a