14. Ashford
FOURTEEN
Ashford
I swung the plastic bat a few times. It made a singing sound in the air.
“Showing off for Emma?” Callum asked under his breath as he passed me, heading out to pitch.
“Fuck off.”
“So inappropriate. There are children present.”
“Fuck off, please .”
The kids weren’t close enough to hear us. They were over getting popsicles and crowding around Stella. Several of us guys had taken the equipment to play a quick game.
Also, I was very much showing off for Emma. As much as one could with a plastic bat and wiffle ball.
Callum pitched. I hit a line drive and jogged to first base, glancing in Emma’s direction when I got there. Her eyes were on me, which filled my lower belly with anticipation.
Not like I had anything specific to anticipate. But my body had ideas lately, and it wouldn’t listen to the rational voice of my brain.
Over the past week since Emma had moved in, I’d needed a lot of solo sessions in my bed and the shower. It was like my libido had suddenly woken from a long sleep, and it was ravenous . Yet the woman had been spending as little time around me as possible, and that lack of her attention just made me crave it more. It was embarrassing. I wasn’t usually that guy. I was steady, dependable, responsible.
And here I was, stealing a base during a pickup wiffle ball game in hopes of impressing a woman who wasn’t interested in me.
At least all the kids cheered.
I ran past the stump we were calling home base. The game didn’t last much longer, and after checking on Maisie, I found a spot on the picnic blanket near Emma. She was wearing cutoff denim shorts and a tank top, and she leaned back in a relaxed posture with her hands braced behind her.
“Having fun?” I asked, tipping my water bottle to drink.
She nodded. “You were right about the hot dogs. They’re pretty bad, and yet somehow they taste so good going down.”
I sputtered and wiped spilled water from my face. Emma had a devious little smile, though she had her eyes on Stella romping around. Maisie had let her off leash.
“It’s that summertime effect,” I said. “Everything tastes better when the grass is green and the sun is shining.”
“That must be it.”
I bent my legs and rested my arms on my knees. “I’m teaching a women’s self-defense course tomorrow afternoon. There’s an open spot. You should come.”
What are you doing, O’Neal? I asked myself.
The answer: something I shouldn’t. But these days, ever since Emma had appeared in my life, what else was new?
Her gaze flew to mine. “What about Maisie?”
“Grace or Callum will watch her. That’s usually what I do when I teach on the weekends.”
“But isn’t that my job now?”
“Not when you have other plans. Like joining my class. Useful, too. This is stuff everyone should know.”
“I know basic self-defense. Dad and stepmom are cops, remember?”
“Then I’ll teach you some advanced moves.” I kept my gaze steady on her face instead of drifting down her body like I wanted to. “Come on. It’ll be fun.”
She chewed her lip, hesitating. “Okay. Sure.”
I smiled and looked out over the park. The sun was going down, yet as I watched my kid laughing and playing with Emma beside me, everything seemed brighter. Even if my latest bright idea wasn’t such a good one.
Maybe I didn’t care any more.
After introducing myself and my high school-aged assistant, Timothy, I started off the class with a few easy moves to warm everyone up.
“The first thing you always want to do is to listen to your instincts. If you feel uncomfortable, say something. Make noise. Don’t be afraid to be loud and obnoxious. It’s how I go through life every day, and I’m doing just fine.”
There was polite laughter, as usual when I made that joke, lame as it was. I always tried to keep things light in these classes.
Of course, this afternoon I had a very attractive distraction warring for my attention.
Emma’s hair was swept into a high ponytail, and she wore a tight pair of athletic leggings and a crop top.
She was mouthwatering.
Every time I looked in her direction, I forgot what I was doing. Not the kind of impression I wanted to make on any of my students, but her especially.
“Now, sometimes it’s impossible to avoid a physical confrontation. So we’re going to practice some moves to create distance between you and a potential attacker. It’s all about moving fast and being aggressive.” I demonstrated the first techniques on Timothy.
“Everyone pair off to practice. Groups of two or three. Be sure to stay on the mats.”
I made my rounds, giving instructions and suggestions, and correcting form. Yet I noticed from the corner of my eye that Timothy had drifted to Emma’s side of the room and stayed there.
He had just graduated from Silver Ridge High a couple of months ago. Thought he was hot stuff. There was also an odd number of ladies in the class, so he had appointed himself Emma’s partner.
Nice try, Tim . If anyone was going to be giving Emma extra attention, it would be me.
I chose not to think about the fact that he was nineteen, far closer to Emma in age than I was.
Slowly, I made my way over.
“Tim, I think Mrs. Stuckey over there needs some help. Go give her a hand?”
Mrs. Stuckey had taken my self-defense classes before. She did look like she needed supervising. She kept waving her arms like she planned to karate chop the young mom next to her.
Tim tried to hide his grimace, but he wasn’t quite fast enough. “Yes, sir.”
I watched him cross the room. Then I turned to Emma. “Show me what you’ve got so far.”
“Sure you can handle me?”
Her flirty tone sent a thrill of arousal through me. “Let’s find out.”
When I approached, she barred her arm to shove me back. She had more strength than I’d expected. “Nice.”
“Told you I’ve got moves.”
“I never doubted you.”
“I think you doubted me a little .”
“Okay. That’s true. Learned my lesson.”
We practiced a few more times. I went back to the front of the room, but the uptick in my pulse and the sweat on my brow didn’t match how little I’d been moving. It had just gotten a lot hotter in here.
I clapped my hands. “Let’s go on to body strikes. When you’re in danger, you fight dirty. That means going after weak points. Eyes, throat, groin. Tim, would you join me? Mrs. Stuckey, you’ve got these moves down. Come up and demonstrate on Tim.”
My assistant glared at me.
After strikes, we moved on to the bear-hug defense. “Let’s say someone comes up behind you before you know he’s there. He grabs you, pinning your arms. Immediately, he’s limited your options. This is how to get them back.”
Tim and I demonstrated how to get free, then I asked for a volunteer. Emma raised her hand. So did a couple of other women, but I picked Emma.
Because I had zero shame.
I placed her in front of me, facing the others. “I’m going to pin you. Try to use the defensive moves we showed to get out.”
I came up behind her. We had no mirrors, aside from the window of one-way glass to the lobby, so I couldn’t see her expression as my arms closed around her. But everyone else in the room was watching us.
Emma twisted her body, just like Tim had demonstrated. With a war cry, she mimed driving her elbow into my torso. Spun and aimed a hammer fist at my face, pulling the punch at the last second. Then, instead of retreating, she knocked me off my balance and had me flat on the mat in two seconds.
Damn .
“She’s a ringer,” Mrs. Stuckey complained. “Why haven’t you taught us that move yet?”
“Sorry,” Emma whispered as I got up. But her grin said she wasn’t sorry at all.
It took every iota of my willpower to tear my gaze away from her. And to not pin her against the wall and see if she could get away from me then.
Everyone paired off to practice the bear-hug defense. I placed Emma in a threesome with two other ladies, while Timothy and I moved around to check form.
Then, since Emma had already taken me to the mat, I asked Tim to help me demonstrate a couple of jiu-jitsu-inspired defenses for the ladies to try on the ground.
By the end of the two hours, my students seemed happy and a lot more confident. They shuffled toward the lobby to grab their belongings. Tim was eyeing Emma again like he might ask for her number, so I clapped a hand on his shoulder and steered him toward the door. “Great job today, Timmy. See you next time. Say hi to your mom.”
Emma lingered, grabbing a sip of water from her bottle. Every part of me was aware of her as I thanked the last of my students and made sure they were out the door.
Then I turned to face Emma, my blood zinging through my veins.
“I would offer to show you those advanced moves I promised. But now, I’m wondering how much you already know.”
She shrugged, smiling. “Gotta admit, that was fun.”
I put my fingertip beneath her chin and lifted it. Her eyes were blue as the cloudless sky outside the front window. “What else have you got?” I said, dropping my voice as deep as it would go.
I figured I was being obvious, but I didn’t have it in me to be subtle right now.
Still smiling, she pivoted and went back to the mats. I followed. When she reached the center of the space, Emma held out her hand and beckoned. “Try me.”
Yes, please . Whatever she had in mind, I was here for it.
I came toward her. Emma dodged out of my way, adopting an easy fighting stance. Nice. Her form lacked refinement, but she was confident and quick.
Mischief glinted in her eyes.
She feinted, but I didn’t fall for it. Instead, I lunged. Took her to the mats to see what she would do.
Emma’s pupils dilated. Her lips parted.
Then she wrapped her legs around my waist to put me in the guard position, the proper defensive move. Her body wriggled against mine. Nngh . She tried to get me in a chokehold, but she didn’t quite close it.
“Like this,” I said, changing her arm position slightly, which drew us even closer. Our bodies pressed together. We were sparring, but this was also a very intimate position.
Lavender and vanilla flooded my senses. My cock twitched with interest.
She released me, and I got up, holding my hand out to help her stand. Phew, I needed a cold shower right about now. This woman was dangerous.
Honestly, I didn’t know how much of this was practice. How much was foreplay. I knew what I wanted it to be, but I couldn’t tell yet if Emma was really on board.
“Go again?” I asked.
She nodded.
This time, I let Emma take me to the mat. She straddled my torso. I hugged her tight around the middle and flipped her. Not too rough. When she was on her back, she tried the same chokehold. My head was tucked close against her, enough that her pulse thrummed straight into my skin.
“That’s it,” I said. “You’ve got it.”
We were both breathing hard. She loosened her grip enough that I could look down at her.
Two stormy blue eyes gazed up at me.
Fuck, I wanted her.
I’d been teaching defensive moves all afternoon, but really, I was at war with myself. If I kissed her, there was no going back. No matter how she reacted.
Emma glanced away.
We both got up and went to grab our water bottles. My mind was a buzz of conflicting thoughts. I was teetering right on the edge.
No. I had to play it safe.
“We should stop while we’re ahead,” I said. I studied her expression for disappointment, for any kind of hint she was feeling what I was, but she just shrugged.
“Good idea. Thanks for the lesson. My turn next time.”
“You’re going to teach me music? I’m warning you now, that’s hopeless.”
“Won’t know until you try. I’m a good teacher.”
“I’d rather sit and listen to you play.”
“Play what?”
“How about the piano?” I nodded at the keyboard in the corner. It had a protective cover, and I’d had to be strict with the jiu-jitsu kids to stay away from it.
“Do you mean now ?”
“Yeah,” I decided suddenly. “Why not?”
We had a few until Callum would bring Maisie home from uncle time. Now that Emma had mentioned it, I couldn’t imagine a better way to spend these minutes.
And I didn’t actually want her to go yet.
“Play something for me?” I asked softly.
For some reason, I was holding my breath.
She went to the keyboard, removed the cover, and switched it on. I drifted closer as she sat at the bench and played a few notes. It sounded exactly like a real piano rather than an electronic instrument. Fancy.
I couldn’t tell if she was warming up or searching for some melody. She stopped and started, shaking her head a few times, before her fingers began to move swiftly across the keys.
I was not ready for it.
My feet carried me toward her until I was standing at her shoulder, watching her fingers gracefully move. At the same time, her body swayed and her head nodded, like she was playing with her entire being.
I didn’t know the words to describe what I was hearing, except things like jaw-dropping . Heart-stopping . The fact that it was Emma playing these notes in my training room just made it more surreal.
It was over too soon. When she stopped, I just stood there dumbstruck.
She turned and looked up. “What did you think?”
Emma’s spine was straight, head high, but I saw vulnerability in her eyes. Like she didn’t know what I was going to say and my uninformed opinion was somehow important.
“That was…wow.” I straddled the bench, facing her. “What was that called? Who wrote it?”
“It doesn’t have a name yet. And I wrote it. I’ve been trying to figure it out for a few weeks, but it suddenly came together. You liked it?”
I still didn’t have words that would do justice to what I’d heard.
Or words that would do Emma justice.
She was so far out of my league.
This incredible woman who I had tried so damn hard not to care about. But then she went about her day, stealing my breath again and again just by existing. A man was only so strong.
I reached out to tuck a stray lock of hair behind her ear. She didn’t pull away.
Fuck it , I thought.
I leaned forward and brushed my lips against hers.
She made a small, shocked sound. But her fist grabbed hold of my T-shirt, keeping me close instead of knocking me off the bench.
So far, so good.
I eased my mouth onto hers again. Slow, sensuous. Even though I wanted everything and I wanted it now . This was something I shouldn’t rush.
If I was going to have her, then I planned to be thorough about it.
Her lips pressed back, sliding against mine in a gentle exploration. Emma’s breath hitched. I felt the soft nudge of her tongue. I groaned, opening up to meet her tongue with mine. She tasted sweet. Like never-ending summer.
One of my hands went to her waist, the other to the back of her head where I lightly gripped the root of her ponytail.
Then came the unwelcome sound of a door opening, of voices. Emma wrenched away from me. I caught her wrist before she could get up. “Wait,” I whispered. “Please.”
Emma stared at me, uncertainty written on her face. I heard my brother out in the lobby, along with Maisie. But the door to the training room was closed.
Callum and Maisie headed upstairs to the apartment. The sound of their footsteps receded.
I scooted closer and cupped the side of Emma’s neck. My thumb traced up and down her rapid-fire pulse. Her chest lifted and fell as she breathed.
I leaned in for another deep kiss, my mouth lingering against hers before we separated again.
“We have to go,” I said, “but can we talk later? After Maisie goes to bed?” Without waiting for an answer, my lips went to her jawline, then her neck. I wasn’t fighting fair. But I knew what I wanted, and I was pretty set on having it. If she wanted it too.
“Yes,” she breathed.
That was all I needed to hear.