Four
FOUR
Cierra
All day long, I felt a strange sense of anticipation.
It was so unusual.
Normally, I found myself entirely focused on my students and my work that experiencing this today had really thrown me off kilter.
Of course, that didn’t mean I wasn’t engaged with my students throughout the day. I had been. I simply had this weird trembling I’d experienced in my belly all day long.
And when Tucker’s class came in for library time earlier in the day and my mind immediately drifted to Greyson, that’s when it hit me. I was nervous.
I was nervous about the self-defense classes, about making a fool of myself in front of Greyson. If he was capable of doing everything that I saw being done in that class yesterday—probably that and then some—I was certain he’d laugh at my lack of skill.
It was enough to get me to reconsider the classes altogether. In fact, on my lunch break, I pulled out my phone and had been prepared to call Harper Security Ops to cancel the appointment.
But then that chilling look Richard Lynch had given me flashed in my mind. No matter how embarrassing this would be, I didn’t have a choice. I couldn’t risk not having some training, even minimal, should Richard decide to follow through on that promise to make me pay for ruining his life.
So, I put my phone away, slowly ate some lunch—I was terrified the nerves were going to make me sick—and got on with the rest of my day. I’d done okay and managed to make it through.
As soon as the students were on the bus and on their way home, I grabbed my things and made my way home to change. Now, I was here, dressed, and ready to walk out the door.
This was it.
I had to take this step, and no matter if I looked silly or didn’t grasp the instruction as easily as I might like, I couldn’t look back.
After blowing out a shaky breath, I walked out of the house and got in my car. And before I knew it, I was walking through the front door of Harper Security Ops.
“Hi, Cierra. You’re back.”
I smiled at Avalon. “I am. I have my first self-defense lesson with Greyson this afternoon.”
Beaming at me, she nodded. “Oh, I remember. I’m so excited you two were able to figure out a time that worked so soon for the both of you.”
“Yeah, I am, too.” I wasn’t sure just how truthful that had been. “Do I need to fill out any paperwork?”
She shook her head. “Nope. It is my understanding that you’re going to try this out today, see how it goes, and decide what to do from there. Your first visit is on the house.”
Well, if I embarrassed myself so badly that I couldn’t bring myself to come back, at least I wouldn’t be out the money, too. “That’s great. Thank you.”
“No problem. Do you remember where to go, or did you want me to walk you back there?”
“I think I remember.”
“If you get lost, just come back, and I’ll lead the way.”
I gave her a nod of thanks and understanding before I walked off through the building toward that hall that would lead me to the self-defense training room. I hoped I’d easily find Greyson when I got there.
I made it to the end of the hall, looked in through the same window as yesterday, and saw Greyson inside. He was with three other men, one I’d recognized as an instructor from that self-defense class the day before. Greyson was laughing.
Since he was occupied and hadn’t noticed me, I gave myself a moment to really take him in. Greyson was substantially taller than me. He had short medium-brown hair that had been clipped close around the back and sides and shaved completely along his neckline and around his ears. A skin fade, if I recalled correctly. Greyson’s dark brown eyes and kind smile were as warm as his tanned skin.
And fit.
Wow, he was fit.
He was wearing a plain black T-shirt, but that shirt was molded perfectly around his sculpted arms, broad chest, and muscular shoulders.
My mouth watered.
A guy like him, someone who had the skills he likely possessed to be able to teach self-defense classes, probably had the ability to wrap a woman in his arms and make her feel safe.
Greyson wasn’t wearing a ring, but it wasn’t unreasonable to believe he probably already had a girlfriend.
I sighed.
That was another one of the areas of my life where I hadn’t had much luck lately. I’d ended a two-year relationship three years ago, and ever since, I hadn’t gotten into another one. The most I’d managed was a handful of dates that never amounted to much more than that.
“Did you need help?”
I gasped at the unexpected voice and jumped back, my hand flying to my chest. Tearing my attention away from Greyson, I found one of the men who’d been teaching in that class yesterday afternoon was standing there.
Realizing he’d frightened me, he immediately apologized. “I’m sorry for sneaking up on you like that. I didn’t realize you hadn’t heard me.”
I offered a slight shake of my head. “It’s okay. I was… I wasn’t paying attention.”
Technically, I’d been paying far too much attention. It was just that all my focus was on Greyson and not on what was happening around me.
“I’m Kane,” the man said. “I work here as part of the self-defense and tactical training unit team. I’ve not seen you around.”
“Oh, um, well, I stopped in for the first time yesterday,” I explained. “I’m supposed to be having my first private session today. My name’s Cierra.”
Kane’s brows drew together. “Did Avalon get you set up with private lessons? Did she mention who you’d be working with?”
My eyes darted to the side and through that window again. Greyson was still occupied with the rest of the guys inside. “I met Avalon, but she didn’t schedule this session today. I wound up speaking directly with Greyson, and we worked out the time for this afternoon.”
A sly grin spread across Kane’s face. “Ah, okay. Well, why don’t we head inside, so you can get your lesson started?”
“I didn’t want to interrupt.”
Telling him I’d been ogling his coworker didn’t seem like the wisest decision. Plus, I had to admit that part of my reason for not wanting to run inside the room immediately was that my doubt was rearing its ugly head.
“Interrupt?” He lifted a hand and pointed through the glass. “These guys? They aren’t doing anything productive right now, so it’ll be good if we interrupt them. Come on.”
Kane didn’t stand there and wait for me to decide. He moved past me and rounded the corner, so I had no choice but to follow him. When Kane opened the door, he stuck his head inside and yelled out. “Yo, Greyson.”
“What?”
Instead of responding with words, Kane stepped back, opened the door wider, and urged me inside. My eyes met Greyson’s as I nervously bit my lip. I could feel the penetrating stares of his coworkers on me, the questions swirling around us, but I didn’t dare look away from him.
“Cierra.” He sounded delighted to see me, his expression telling me the same.
Wildly uncomfortable, I offered a half-hearted smile in return. “Hi, Greyson.”
He crossed the room, moving in my direction, as he made introductions. “Guys, this is Cierra Wallace.”
I received a bunch of chin lifts in response as Greyson went on. “Cierra, these are my coworkers.” He pointed to each as he went along. “Jake, Brix, and Huck. And I assume you already met Kane.”
“I did.” My voice was soft, barely audible.
Greyson shot me a look of concern and held my stare for a few beats. Then he turned his attention to the rest of the team and declared, “We’ve got a private lesson, so we’ll take the room across the hall.”
Without waiting for a response, Greyson swung his arm out toward the door I’d just walked through. Kane held it open, keeping his eyes and smile on Greyson as he did. “Have a great lesson.”
His tone had been light and teasing, enough for me to know there was some inside joke I was missing.
Greyson led me across the hall to a different training room. When the door closed behind him, he immediately asked, “Is everything okay?”
I nodded.
“You seemed rather uncomfortable over there. Did something happen with Kane?”
“Oh, gosh, no. No, it’s nothing like that. I was just, well, I’ve been worried all day about this, and when I walked into that room, it dawned on me that you and I were having a private lesson but that without another class going on, I might have to learn everything in front of your coworkers.”
Understanding dawned on his features. “Ah, I see. No need to worry. There is a class coming in like yesterday that Brix and Huck will teach. Kane and Jake will be covering the shooting range.”
My brows shot up. “The shooting range?”
“We have classes for that, too. Many people want to learn how to use a firearm properly, which is smart, so we offer that option as well.”
Guns.
They taught people how to use them.
I wondered if Greyson could teach me how to defend myself against someone who was attacking me with a knife.
When I stayed silent for too long considering that possibility, Greyson asked, “Are you interested in spending some time learning the shooting range, too?”
Immediately, I shook my head. “No. No, I don’t have a gun. I’d… no. That would be very bad.”
His lips twitched, seemingly amused by my response. “It’s up to you. If you change your mind, just let me know. We can work that into your training when we figure out a schedule.”
“I’ll keep that in mind, but it’s highly unlikely.”
With a quick nod, he said, “Alright. Are you ready to get started? You can take off your jacket and set it over there in the corner of the room.”
I unzipped my jacket as I moved to the corner he indicated. After I slid it down my arms and tossed it on the pile of mats there, I turned to face him again. Greyson, whether he realized it or not, was looking at me in a way I hadn’t been looked at in a long time. His eyes roamed over my body appreciatively, which made me reconsider the possibility of him already having a girlfriend. He wouldn’t do that if he was in a relationship, right?
I cleared my throat, and Greyson seemed to snap out of it. “Sorry. You can come back over here, and we’ll get things going. Before we begin, do you have any specific concerns?”
Coming to a stop just a few feet in front of him, I decided to be honest. “I’m a little worried.”
“About what, specifically?”
I licked my lips, wondering if Greyson would think this was going to be nothing but a struggle to teach me. “I was never one for sports, and I don’t have much athletic ability, so I’m concerned that I won’t be able to learn any of this very quickly. I don’t know what your level of patience is, but I’m willing to bet that working with me might test it for you.”
Greyson let out a laugh, reached for the outer cap of my shoulder, and offered a reassuring squeeze. “I don’t want you to worry about that at all. I’m fully aware that you’re a beginner at this, and I promise we’re going to take it slow.”
“I appreciate that. I just wanted to warn you that this might be challenging.”
He held my gaze for a few beats, something working inside his mind. Finally, he said, “You’re the librarian, right?”
What did that have to do with anything? “Yes.”
“Okay. Well, are all the students you work with at the same level when it comes to reading?”
I shook my head. “No.”
Greyson smiled, giving me another squeeze. “And do you hold that against those students, or do you find ways to work with them and accommodate their skill level, so they can get to where they need to be?”
“I do whatever I can to help them.”
He released my shoulder, crossed his arms over his broad chest, and arched a brow. “Do you get irritated with them?”
“Of course not.” When he shot me a knowing look in response, I finally understood the purpose behind his line of questioning. “I get it.”
“I hope so. I’m good at what I do, Cierra. I’m not training little minds, but I’m capable of evaluating where you are in this and adjusting how we learn accordingly. You don’t have to worry, and like I said before, I promise to take this slow.” I nodded my understanding just as he continued. “I’m a patient man, and I understand everyone learns at a different pace. If there’s anything I teach you that you’re struggling with, I want you to stop and ask questions. The point of all of this is to make sure you feel confident in everything you’re learning, so if you’re ever in a place where you need to use these skills, you won’t have to think twice about it.”
For the first time all day, I let out a sigh of relief and felt the tension ease from my body. I had no reason not to trust what Greyson was saying to be the truth. Unless he showed me differently, I was going to believe what he’d said. “Okay. Then I guess I’m ready to get started.”
“Perfect.”
So, we got started. And whether it was typical for anyone taking lessons for the first time or Greyson decided to take things extra slow, he took the time to give me a lot of verbal instruction about situational awareness. I hadn’t even known it was a thing, and once he explained it to me, I realized precisely how unsafe I’d been in just about everything I did. I never practiced situational awareness, not even after I’d witnessed Richard Lynch stab a woman nearly to death.
Even if I hadn’t learned a single physical move to defend myself, I already believed these lessons were going to be hugely beneficial to me. And that was enough to get me just a touch excited about what came after the verbal lesson.
True to his promise, Greyson took things slowly. He kept things simple to start, and he worked with me on some basic hand strikes and fighting stances. Apparently, balance was a huge deal, and for someone with my lack of athletic ability, it was a trying process. Oddly enough, the hand strikes were just a touch simpler for me. Obviously, I didn’t think I was going to be successful yet in taking someone down who might have been a threat, but I felt reassured in learning something.
When Greyson signaled it was the end of our lesson, I was surprised by how disappointed I felt.
“Wow. That went fast. I thought this was going to drag on and on or that I was going to wish I hadn’t agreed to these lessons,” I confessed.
“I’m glad I could exceed your expectations and make this fun for you. Can I take that to mean you’re interested in continuing with more lessons?”
Even if I hadn’t enjoyed it, this session with Greyson showed me just how unprepared I was if something bad were to happen. Quitting wasn’t an option. “I am definitely interested in coming back, as long as you’re willing to teach me.”
His face lit up. “Good. Let’s talk schedules and see what we can work out.”
For the next few minutes, Greyson and I talked through our work schedules and the frequency with which I wanted to come in for lessons. I figured the more often I came, the better off I’d be. So, I was going to attend four times a week. Three times during the work week, once on the weekend.
“I’m really glad you enjoyed this today, Cierra. I promise it’s going to get easier the more you practice. And I think it’s excellent you’re willing to put so much time and effort into it. Before you know it, you’re going to be able to take me down to the mat without giving it a second thought.”
My eyes widened. “I think that’s unlikely.”
“No, it’s not. Trust me, and I’ll get you there.”
“If you say so.”
Before I walked out, Greyson offered, “Hey, why don’t I give you my number?”
“Pardon?”
“Well, I was just thinking that if you have anything pop up at school or even on the weekend and need to reschedule, you can just give me a call. It’ll be easier than you having to call the office, and since Avalon isn’t even here on Saturdays, you wouldn’t be able to get through to her anyway.”
I wondered if he offered his number to all his clients. Was that typical? Was this different? Maybe it was simply because I was taking private lessons and had scheduled weekend time.
Yes.
Yes, that had to be it.
“Sure. I guess that makes sense.” I pulled out my phone, unlocked it, and held it out to him to put in his number. Once he handed it back to me, I programmed his name into the phone and saved him as a new contact.
“Great job today, Cierra.”
“Thanks, Greyson. I feel like I learned a lot already.”
“Good. I’m glad. So, I’ll see you on Friday.”
I gave him a nod and a smile. “You will.”
“Drive safe.”
“I will. Have a good night.”
Something darkened in his gaze. “Oh, I will.”
I kept his stare for just a few seconds. Then I stepped through the door he held open for me and walked away. I felt far more confident about taking these lessons than I had when I arrived, but I wasn’t so sure I wouldn’t be able to stop myself from developing a crush on my new instructor.