“Trin.” Zayne’s voice was a low warning, and I knew what he was saying.

Air stirred around me again, and I lashed out with my arm. I went a little wild with the punch, but it was too late to pull back. Going too far, I lost my balance. Zayne must’ve seen that, because I felt his hands on my shoulders. Neither of us could regain our footing, so when I fell, he went down with me. I landed on my back with a grunt, Zayne on top of me.

I swung at him again, since I knew exactly where he was now, but Zayne caught my wrists and pinned them above my head before I could make contact.

“You lost your focus,” Zayne said.

Fury roared through me as I lifted my hips, managing to get one leg free. “No, I didn’t!”

“Yes,” he said softly. He pressed down, and when he inhaled, his chest pressed against mine. In the darkness of the blindfold, all I could feel was him and his warm breath against my lips. I stopped fighting and didn’t dare move. Not a fraction of an inch. “You did lose focus.”

My hands opened and closed fruitlessly against the mat. “How do you know?”

“Because you got frustrated.” His voice was low, still incredibly soft and gentle considering he was pinning me down. “And that got the best of you.”

I pressed my lips together to stop the denial.

Zayne’s grip on my wrists slackened. His hand slid down the length of my arm, over my shoulder. He cupped my cheek. “You were doing really well.”

“No, I wasn’t.” Sweat dampened my brow. “I was barely able to get near you.”

“But you did get near me.” He shifted slightly, and his thumb grazed my lower lip. “This is the first time you’ve tried this. You’re not going to be perfect right off the bat.” His chest rose against mine again, sending a prickle of heat down my spine. “You have to give yourself time.”

“I don’t know if I can do this,” I admitted in a whisper.

“I know you can,” he insisted, and my next breath came out shaky. “I don’t have a single doubt in my mind.”

I wished I could see him. His eyes. His face. See how he was looking at me, because if I could see that faith he had in me, then maybe I could feel it.

Zayne’s thumb moved again, this time sweeping across my bottom lip. My breath hitched as a sweet rush of unwanted anticipation surged. “Okay?”