Damage Control (Valiant Knox) by Jess Anastasi

shrugged out of his uniform jacket and handed it off to Seb, then unfastened the top few catches of his shirt.
    “Congratulations, Wolfe, you’ve got yourself a free pass.” Bren motioned to him, and Leigh found his feet taking him out onto the mat. “Now, if you can take down Captain Alphin, you get a fast track into the final days of the program, whether you pass the initial days or not.”
    An awed murmur rippled through the crowd. Yeah, it was an honor worth killing over, but not a single person had managed to win it yet.
    He came to a stop in front of Mia, who appeared to be sizing him up.
    “So, Wolfe, are you willing to take on the CAFF?” Bren shouted the last few words as the other recruits started cheering.
    Mia nodded, her expression determined. But Leigh caught something else in the flash of her velvet-brown eyes, something entirely uncertain. Maybe he wasn’t the only one who thought this was a bad idea.
    Bren called to begin and a hush fell over the crowd, but he and Mia just stood there and stared at each other. A long moment went by, and then another, while he tried to decide exactly how he was going to do this and hold on to his sanity.
    Mia shifted into a defensive stance, obviously not willing to go on the attack with him as she had with the others. Well, he could accommodate her there. The sooner they got this over with, the better for their agreement to keep their distance.
    Leigh lunged at her, but before he could get her in a grip, she’d slipped out of his way. Damn, she was quick and light. Yeah, he’d seen it while observing her engage the other opponents, but experiencing it firsthand was another matter. He got her back in his sights and tried a few other moves, once almost getting the better of her. But each time, she managed to elude him. It didn’t help that the feel of her silken, damp skin under his hands or coming up against her body was damned distracting.
    Mia got underneath his arm and almost unbalanced him.
    Concentrate, moron, or she’ll end up being the first recruit to beat your stupid ass down.
    Leigh regained his footing and turned the tables on her. Just as he’d wanted, Mia started dropping. Except, instead of tripping because he’d bested her, she seemed to be tucking into the fall…and taking him with her.
    He couldn’t get his footing because he’d overcommitted to the attack and propelled himself off-balance. They both hit the mat, Mia half on top of him.
    Goddamn .
    She’d actually done it—managed to put him down. A head-clearing dose of shock burst through him, and before Mia could pin him and win the match, he rolled, putting her underneath him.
    Her wrists were trapped against the mat beneath his hands, her breasts pressing into his chest with each uneven breath she took and her hips cradling his.
    The feel of her beneath him started tearing up the steady rhythm of his pounding heart.
    “I guess you won.” Mia shifted beneath him only the slightest bit, but it was enough to make his blood rush. Sucking in an uneven breath, he fortified his self-control and pushed to his feet, making sure he kept his movements efficient and calm as if it were no big deal. Every muscle in his body burning and tight, he sent Bren a nod, indicating she should move the recruits on to the next task, and then walked away from where Mia stood getting congratulated by her fellow trainees.
    At the edge of the mat, Seb held out his jacket and shot him a questioning look. Leigh shook his head and brushed by his friend, not in the mood for chitchat. Unfortunately, Seb didn’t take the hint, moving from where he’d been standing with Lawler to follow him. His buddy stopped him with a tight grip on his shoulder.
    “Hey, man. What gives? I know she almost beat you, but that’s nothing to get all huffy over. If you ask me, it looks like Recruit Wolfe has some real potential, despite her size.”
    Leigh couldn’t help himself. He stole a glance across to where Mia listened to Bren