31. Have you never seen a man naked?

Devon's eyes flickered with something unreadable before a slow, knowing smirk curved his lips. He tilted his head, watching her struggle to force a single word out of her mouth. The way she stammered, her lips parting and closing with no sound but broken fragments of a syllable—it amused him.

"I… c… I… c'…" she stammered, frustration flickering in her wide eyes.

"Such genuine effort," he mused, his laughter low and indulgent. "Now you're using your words without me asking. I see now we've both been working hard, not smart. Why should I train you out there"—he gestured, referring to their brutal sessions—"when your real training should be in here? In a week, you'd be speaking more than a fucking scholar."