She stormed into the gym, cursing herself for being stupid. She didn't see Wolverine move in behind her, nor did she hear his claws extend. She knew nothing until he grabbed her by the arms and she felt the claws against her throat.

Before he could react she dropped her shoulder enough to flip him over head first, and he crashed to the mat. He came up fast, but she was faster. She launched herself at him, her own claws extended, and swiped at his chest as she whirled past him, then swept his legs out from under him and he went down again. This time, when he came up, there was murder in his eye.

"Yer gettin better, darlin, but ya still ain't good enough!" he snarled as he rushed her. She sidestepped and he slid past, but not before his claws left their mark on her side. She felt the burn of the cuts before she realized he'd even touched her.

"Good one, shorty," she spat back. "Let's see how y' do 'gainst dis!" She whirled, attempting a spin-kick, but at the last second dropped her leg and jammed her fist against his nose. She heard it break. He stumbled backward, then came at her again. *Merde, don' _nothin_ slow him down?* She spun to the side as he charged, but he anticipated the move and tackled her. She ended up with him sitting on her chest, her arms pinned above her head, and his claws just inches from her face.

"Damn, darlin, this looks familiar," he said lightly as he retracted his claws. "Give up?"

She snarled at him and bucked, trying to throw him off. He just sat there, with that infuriating grin on his face, holding her arms effortlessly with one hand. She forced herself to relax under him and his face took on a guarded look. "What are you up to?" he asked suspiciously. She only smiled.

Then she did the unexpected. She rocked her legs forward, then using the momentum of their downward path, she flipped them both over so she was sitting on him, her claws at his throat, her face only a couple of inches from his. "What y' t'ink, mon amour?" she purred. "Y' still t'ink Cougar need t' give up? T'ink it be your turn fo' dat."

He shifted, and she moved the claws across his throat, grazing the skin there, as a warning. "Give up?" she asked again, mockingly. Surprisingly, he grinned.

"Much better, darlin," he said quietly. "Ya won this round. Now lemme up."

She sat there, smiling down at him. "Non. Y' got t' pay up, first."

His grin broadened as he realized what she wanted. Slowly he brought his hand up behind her head and tangled it in her hair, enjoying the feel of the silky strands on his fingers. Gently, he pressed her head down where he could catch her lips with his own. Neither of them was prepared for the passion that suddenly flared between them.

She had removed her claws from his throat, and he rolled them over so she was laying beside him as he continued to kiss her deeply, his arms around her, holding her tightly against him, one hand still tangled in her hair, the other lightly stroking her back and side.

The sound of footsteps shocked them back to a sense of their surroundings and they rose hastily. *Mon Dieu, dat was close!* She was relieved to see Gambit enter the gym. *Could been worse. Might've been Fearless Leader. Den where would Cadie be, hehn? On her way out de door, mos likely. Girl y' got t' get a grip on y' hormones when Logan be 'round, dat's all dere is t' it.*

*Damn, there I go actin like a kid again. What _is_ it about this girl that makes me act so stupid? Good thing it was the Cajun an not Cyke. We'd have never heard the end of it. _Got_ to get a grip here.*

Gambit wasn't fooled by the fact that they were on opposite sides of the room when he finally came out of the walkway and saw them. Cadie's flushed face and the fact that they were no longer sparring told him the whole story. He grinned as he idly began flipping a card through his fingers. He didn't look at either of them. "Y' realize y' bot' pretty damn lucky it was me come in here right den, I hope. Wouldn' do fo' Scott t' catch y' like dat."

Cadie dropped her head into her hands. She couldn't look at either man without blushing. *Merde. What a mess. An dis time, y' got nobody t' blame it on but y'self, Cadie-girl. _What_ were y' t'inkin?*

Logan's voice was quiet when he finally spoke. "Go get cleaned up, darlin," he said without looking at her. He didn't quite trust himself to do that just yet. "Ya done good. Just remember what I told you; don't _ever_ let your guard down. Not even for a second."

Cadie fled.