But Knox intercepted Shiori, and Amery caught the tail end of their heated conversation.

“. . . sporting that just-fucked look.”

“Not your concern,” Shiori retorted.

“What’s going on here?”

Knox retreated. “Nothing.” He executed a military turn and was gone.

Amery studied Shiori, staring thoughtfully after Knox. “You plan to lie and say nothing is going on either?”

Shiori faced her. “The truth? After I spar, grapple, or fight, adrenaline charges through me. I get horny. Evidently it’s all right for guys to take the edge off, but not a woman.”

“So you . . . ?”

“Just f**ked some hot young guy out in my limo. Without apology. Which I explained to Ob-Knox-ious.”

Ouch, not a nice nickname. “Good for you. And no offense, but you are looking less uptight and a lot more rumpled.”

Shiori smiled. “Good. And I also hope to have the glassy-eyed look of a drunk soon.” She sauntered to the bar.

Amery caught Ronin’s eye and gestured with her chin to go talk to his sister.

“I sure as hell wouldn’t want to tangle with her after watching her fight tonight,” Molly said.

“Hey! I hoped you’d show up. Sorry we didn’t get to sit together.”

“It’s okay. Chaz kept up a raunchy commentary.”

“I bet it was very entertaining.”

“That it was. I never thought of the dirty connotation of the phrase rear mount.”

She laughed. “Are you and Sandan Zach still avoiding each other?”

“I don’t believe he’s looked past Miss Perky Boobs all night to notice who else is here,” she said dryly.

Amery had noticed Zach in the throng of Katie admirers.

“Anyway, I’m not avoiding him. I’m avoiding—shit, shit, shit, I gotta go.” Molly turned her back to Amery. But before Molly could skulk away, Deacon’s hand circled her upper arm.

“Goin’ somewhere, darlin’?”

Molly blushed. “Ah, hey, Yondan. Great fight tonight. You looked amazing, like, really amazing.” She blushed harder. “I mean your fighting skills were something else.”

Deacon stared placidly at Molly in that ninja-master manner that Ronin used on Amery.

Even Amery fought the urge to fidget and run the hell away.

Molly blurted out, “When are you going to teach me the spinning back fist technique?”

“You’ve missed class the last two weeks.”

She jerked her thumb at Amery. “Boss lady is keeping me late. We’re really busy with some, ah, stuff.”

Amery cringed. Molly was such a bad liar.

Deacon—beefed-up, bald-headed, tattooed badass, never-smile Deacon—threw back his head and laughed.

Several ring bunnies turned and gaped; Deacon’s deep laugh was as sexy as his slow southern drawl.

“What?” Molly said testily. “It’s true.”

“No, darlin’, it’s not remotely close to the truth. Since Amery and Sensei are joined at the hip, I know she was in the dojo during those last two classes, which means you weren’t workin’.”

Molly raised her chin and glared at him.

“Need a repeat of the rules? Every class you miss requires a private makeup session. So you are now four classes behind. I will expect you in the training room next week. You do not want me to track you down.”

“You wouldn’t dare.”

“I suggest you don’t test me on that.” He started to walk off.

“Doesn’t matter, Yondan. I quit,” Molly said to his back.

Before Molly blinked, Deacon was nose to nose with her. “No one quits my class without my permission. Including you. Maybe especially you.”

Not surprisingly Molly didn’t have a retort that time. But rather than huff and complain to Amery, she hightailed it in the opposite direction to Chaz.

When Amery turned to gauge Deacon’s reaction, the man had vanished.

Damn these guys and their stealthy ninja tricks.

Ronin’s warm hand settled on Amery’s lower back. “Problem?”

“What is it with your instructors tonight? They all need an attitude adjustment.”

“Maybe they’re high on victory.” His lips touched the top of her ear. “You look beautiful tonight.”

She smiled. “So you’ve said. Thank you. You are smokin’ hot yourself.” Didn’t matter what Ronin wore; her mind conjured up the image of him in his black gi pants with no shirt. Sweaty. His damp hair brushing his shoulders. Or pulled back in that sexy little ponytail.

Ronin tilted her face up to peer into her eyes. “You made the sexy hum that makes my dick hard.”

“I was just thinking about you almost naked.”

“I’m tempted to say screw it and haul you out into the alley and f**k you against the brick wall until you scream my name.”

“Why don’t you? It’d take me two seconds to ditch my panties.”

Ronin traced the upper bow of her lip. “But the small, sane part of me that’s not already mentally dragging you outside is reminded why I swore off sex in public.”

“You fingered me under the table at the sports banquet,” she reminded him.

“Not the same. I’m talking full-out pounding-into-your-wet-pussy, leaving-suck-marks-on-your-neck-and-feeling-your-nails-digging-into-my-ass sex.”

“Hard and fast with no time for romance and silken ribbons?”