Cassian grinned. "Wanna fight?" Natalie nodded. "Bring it on!" They had promised to spar after an hour, but the movie had stretched into two. Both stood up, excitement sparking in their eyes. Natalie struck first. Since it was just practice, she held back. But Cassian dodged easily and countered with lightning speed. Natalie stumbled to avoid a few moves, then got serious. Cassian was stronger than she thought. Even without using his right arm, just like he promised, he still pushed her to her limits. That only fired her up. She stopped holding back and went all in, fists and kicks flying. Cassian was forced to step back again and again. Her style was messy but fierce. She mixed college martial arts with street fighting and the lethal tricks she'd learned over four years of survival. She didn't care if it was pretty; she just threw everything at him. Cassian faltered for a second, caught off guard by her wild attacks. But then he steadied himself, blocking and countering calmly. His moves weren't as aggressive, but he was quicker and stronger. They clashed back and forth, neither gaining the upper hand. On the couch, Lucky was sleeping soundly until the noise woke her. She blinked, only to be knocked over by a stray kick. The dog yelped in outrage, scrambled back up, and stared in disbelief.Wait! My human is locked in combat with the hottie? What in the world? Just earlier they were cooking and eating together. I just took a nap, and now they're brawling? Lucky looked left and right, anxious. Who should she help? After a quick moment of thought, she made her choice. Loyal dog that she was, she would always stand by Natalie's side. I'm a loyal dog! No good-looking guy can change that! With a sharp bark, she launched herself at Cassian. Both of them froze in shock. Lucky wasn't playing around—if she sank her teeth into his throat, it would be game over for Cassian. He pulled back fast, retreating to avoid her. But Natalie was already mid-attack, her momentum unstoppable. She couldn't stop in time and came crashing straight toward him. Cassian stepped back too fast and lost his balance. Natalie bumped into him. The two of them fell together onto the couch. Luckily, behind them was the couch, so neither hit their head. A sharp crack sounded, but before Natalie could figure out what it was, she realized her lips had landed on something soft. She blinked and found herself staring right into Cassian's eyes. She was on top of him. Their lips were pressed together. The room went dead silent. Her heart thudded in her chest, loud and heavy.She pressed a hand against it but then paused. Wait. That isn't my heartbeat—it's his. Beside them, Lucky, who had lunged too late, tilted her head in confusion. What is this? A minute ago they were fighting. Now they're kissing? Humans are way too complicated. Natalie froze for a few seconds, then scrambled off Cassian, her face burning. "I—I'm sorry, I didn't mean to ... " Seriously? Seriously? I've been single my whole life, and the one time I ever crossed a line with a man, it turns out like this? This isn't how it was supposed to happen! All I wanted was a sparring match! Cassian was still lying there, not getting up. She grew even more embarrassed. "You ... you should get up." Please don't stay in that humiliating position! Cassian clenched his teeth. "I can't." Natalie blinked, then noticed his left arm hanging wrong. Dislocated?! Panic shot through her. She rushed to help him up. The first thing she felt was how solid he was. Wow! That muscle—he clearly worked out a lot.She bowed her head, only to meet his piercing eyes, as if nothing could escape them. Flustered, she looked away and pulled him upright. "Ahem! Are you okay?" Cassian let out a helpless breath. "It's nothing serious." Except that he couldn't lift his arm. Natalie felt crushed with guilt. She'd asked him to spar, and now she'd injured his other arm too. If she had beaten him fair and square, fine. Injuries happen in a fight. But this? He could have dodged easily—until Lucky jumped in, turning it into a two-on-one, and he ended up badly injured. She shot the dog a furious glare. Stupid dog, you fight dirty! Cassian pushed himself up, dropped to one knee, and braced his good hand on the floor. This time, he was injured on his left side. With a hard twist— Crack. The sound made Natalie shiver. Sweat poured down his face as he stood. She hurried over with a tissue and gently wiped his forehead. Trying to soften her tone, she asked, "Well? Back in place now?" Cassian gave a short nod. "Yeah." Natalie quickly added, "I'll make you some bone soup tonight. You need to eat something that helps you heal."Cassian rolled his shoulder carefully. "It was an accident. You don't need to feel guilty." But hearing that only made Natalie feel worse. She lowered her eyes and whispered, "I'm really sorry. I hurt you again."