Free Claiming The Prize by Nadja Notariani

office. Thankful when Jeremy
appeared for jujitsu, she used the conflicting emotions to her
advantage and pressed the lesson hard. Forty minutes later, her
mind was clear, her tension left behind on the mat.
    As Jeremy reached for her
leg to begin the post-workout stretching, Drago stepped in. He had
finished his first morning session, and watching from the mat's
edge knew he would not be able to idly observe Henner
handling his Grace in such an intimate way. It had been hard enough to
tolerate Yves' hands on her, even with the knowledge that the man
thought of her as a younger sister, and his possessiveness could
not abide young Henner's doing the same.
    “ I'll take
over.”
    The insistence in his voice was more
than enough to send Jeremy on his way to the locker.
    Drago drew Grace's thigh into his
grasp as she leaned against the sparring ring's side from the mat
covered floor below. Her arm wrapped over the lowest rope to steady
herself as Drago slowly extended her calf out and then began the
slow press that would end when her leg reached her shoulder. His
wide palm cupped the inside of her thigh while the other cradled
her calf, and the heat of his touch seeped into her muscles. His
gaze held hers in its grip, and Drago heated with desire when she
did not look away. The closeness of her body, so near as he leaned
into the stretch, brought a new awareness of the intimacy of the
position. Watching her brown eyes widen and the rising blush wash
over her skin, Drago eased the stretch and slowly lowered her leg. He repeated the exercise on the opposite side with deliberate
leisure, enjoying her reaction to his touch. When he at last
released her, they sat, and Drago initiated conversation,
lightening the mood. Guy and Yves came down, bags in hand, and
Grace went to her father and hugged him.
    “ Be safe, Anto.”
    “ No worries. The Friar will
lead me to the right gate and exits.”
    The men shook hands.
    “ Carson's not happy, but I
don't think he'll make any trouble. Even so, keep your eyes open,”
Guy shared with Drago. “We'll get back sometime Sunday night. I
have men taking care of the property, but I'll leave you to check
in on Grace.”
    “ It is 'no problem', as you
say in America,” Drago answered with a grin.
    “ That's what I figured,”
Guy replied with dry humor. “All right, we're heading over to pick
up Jeremy. He took his car home so it wouldn't sit in the lot over
the weekend. Tommy Moore is meeting us there. Call if you need
me.”
    “ Call when you get there,”
Grace reminded.
    “ I'll leave that to the
Friar,” her father smirked, certain that Grace would be glaring at
him in exasperation as he climbed into the car.
    Yves and Guy pulled away, leaving
Grace and Drago to return to the warmth of indoors. Drinking the
last of her water, Grace moved to begin cleaning the mats, but
Drago's arms encircled her from behind and pulled her down
playfully. Laughing, each scrambled for the dominant position. Drago rolled over, pinning her to the padded gym floor. His size
and strength made it impossible for her to roll through. Scooting
her hips backward in an unsuccessful attempt to escape, she gave
in, conceding her loss, and stilled under him. Rolling again, Drago
reversed their position.
    “ You'll be sorry you gave
me the advantage,” she teased, assuming a full mount.
    “ You are mistaken, moj
milenka . It is I
who hold the advantage,” he returned.
    Sitting up straight, Grace asked,
“What did you say?” as she tried to repeat his foreign
words.
    “ I said you are
mistaken, my sweet. ”
    His smile was beautiful, she thought,
and she was thankful to have these moments alone. He was unguarded
when it was just the two of them, his harsh mask gone to reveal the
man underneath.
    “ I like the sound of the
words when you say them,” she confessed sweetly.
    “ Then I will speak them
often.”
    They resumed their play without
reserve, laughing as they grappled to win the upper hand, enjoying
one