He wore nothing but simple shorts, his body glistening with a sheen of sweat that highlighted every sculpted muscle and sinewed limb.
Every strike and fluid pivot of his torso spoke of years of disciplined training and a natural, almost effortless grace.
His movements were like poetry in motion, each gesture a perfect blend of strength and precision.
Saba marveled at how his muscles rippled beneath his skin as he attacked an invisible foe, the air around him charged with raw energy.
Her heart pounded as she gazed at him with awe and forbidden admiration, basking in a rarely seen side of him.
One that reminded her of the fierce, indomitable man she had married.
Even as she admired his prowess, a blush crept up her cheeks, and she instinctively pressed herself into the shadowed recess of the doorway.
Then, as if sensing her presence, Mak’s head snapped up, his sweat-wet hair falling over his eyes.
Fokk, the man was hot.
Their eyes met; his intense, focused gaze clashed with hers, startling and unguarded. Saba froze, caught in the collision of their secret moments before her embarrassment overtook her.
Without a word, she turned and slipped away, the sound of her soft footsteps swallowed by the silence of the dojo, leaving behind only the memory of that fleeting, charged encounter.
Her heart was racing so hard that at one of the staircases, she slid to a step and sat, her knees weak, holding to the banister.
How was she attracted to the man who was rejecting and treating her with such disdain?
Hating herself, she remained there for many long minutes, staring unseeing at the view outside the window that overlooked the lake; despondent, on the verge of screaming out her frustration.
Suddenly, she thought she heard the whisper of feet.
Panicked, she rose and raced downstairs, her head turning back when she slammed into a body.
She gasped and startled as she glanced up at Koda.
He stepped back and eyed her with some suspicion. ‘You needed something,Šarim?’ he asked.
Saba floundered for a moment. She had to come up with an explanation for her wild flight.
‘Uh,naam, I was wondering if I may please ask one of you to get me a skimmer and pilot?’
It was true; she needed air, a different environment, one away from Mak.
A day of exploringThe Sombraand its legendary course and its shops might be the distraction she needed.
‘What do you require,Šarim? I can get one of our staff to get it for you.’
‘I need to get out of here, to take a damn break,’ she replied.
‘Has theŠarsanctioned this?’
Saba sighed. ‘Nada, he has not.’
‘I’m afraid I cannot grant your request without theŠar’sapproval,’ Koda stated, his expression giving nothing away.
The familiar feeling of being trapped in a gilded cage tightened its grip, but she refused to back down.
She met Koda’s gaze head-on, obstinacy flashing in her eyes. ‘I understand your position, but I assure you, this is of utmost importance,’ she said, willing him to see the sincerity in her words.
Koda hesitated. A flicker of doubt crossed his features before he straightened up, his resolve returning. ‘I cannot defy theŠar’sorders,’ he expressed, his tone final. ‘While I comprehend your frustration, the punishment I’d receive by aiding you to leave the house without permission would be unprecedented for my men and me.’
