Chapter 18
Loud grunts and the banging of weights erupted around the open space. Men with bulging biceps and women in skintight clothes ran on treadmills and lifted dumbbells. “How long will we be here?” Evelyn wrapped her hoodie tighter around her.
Working out had never been high on her priority list. She’d spent most of her life trying to detract attention from her body, not tone it up so people would want to look at it. Her sweatpants, T-shirt, and baggy hoodie made her look like a bum compared to the other women in their skimpy outfits.
And why were there so many mirrors everywhere? Who wanted to stare at themselves while they sweated and couldn’t catch their breath?
Maybe I’m the only one who has that issue.
Connor shrugged and maintained his clipped pace toward the back of the room.
A duffel bag dangled from his shoulder, and toned calves peeked from beneath his gym shorts.
“Not long. I just need to relieve some tension. This is the best way to do it. I’m usually at the gym every morning.
I haven’t been since Monica went missing.
” His words came out tight, reminding Evelyn of the thin thread holding him together.
She stole a glance at the chiseled muscles pressed against the back of his T-shirt, and a shiver raced down her spine. Of course he went to the gym every day. No one could have a body like his without working on it often. “What are you going to do? Lift weights? Punch a bag?”
He chuckled. “No. We’re going to do some self-defense moves.” He stopped at the far corner of the room, opening a door that led them into a quiet space free of other people. He threw down his bag and kicked it out of the way.
Taking a step backward, Evelyn searched for the nearest exit. “I’m good, thanks. You do your thing and I’ll watch.”
Connor clamped a hand around her wrist and pulled her forward. “Isn’t this what Gabriel did? Grabbed your wrist?”
She swallowed hard and locked her gaze on the hand rooting her to the spot. Her heart beat erratically, and beads of sweat clung to her forehead. Panic stole her motor functions, even if all logic told her Connor would never hurt her.
She yanked her hand back, but he tightened his grip and closed the small gap between them. “Stop. I don’t like this.”
Connor loosened his hold but didn’t let go. “You need to learn how to defend yourself.”
A humorless laugh bubbled in her throat. “I can’t defend myself against Gabriel. Hell, I’ve never defended myself against anyone. That’s why I’m sticking by your side until he’s caught. You’re like a living, breathing superhero.”
“Thanks, I think, but you can defend yourself. I’m not saying you could kick Gabriel’s ass, which for the record you probably could, but you can learn a few techniques to buy yourself some time to get away if the worst happened.”
Connor had shown her she didn’t want to hide anymore. She wanted to be seen for the woman she was. She wanted to be strong. She wanted to be proud of herself.
She lifted her gaze to his and tightened her jaw. “Fine. What do I need to do?”
A smile lit his face, and he reestablished a tight hold on her wrist. “Okay. In this situation, put your free hand over my knuckles.”
She placed her hand over his.
“Good. Squeeze tight. Now swing your arm,” he said, shaking the wrist he still held. “Grab my wrist and push down. The pressure will push your attacker to the floor, no matter how big he is.”
Evelyn sucked in a deep breath and swung her arm, along with Connor’s hand she still clasped, in a wide circle. She pulled his straightened arm behind his back, and he bent forward. The corded muscles of his forearm tightened, and she used all her weight to push him forward.
He released his grip and fell to the ground.
Excitement lifted her to her toes. “Did I do it right?”
Connor rolled over on his back and grinned. “What do you think?”
Her gaze flew to his full lips. His wide smile held a playfulness she hadn’t seen from him, and it twisted his words in her mind. Heat burned in her belly, but she shoved it aside and concentrated on what they were here to do. She narrowed her gaze. “Did you fall on purpose?”
“Never.” He jumped to his feet. “Want to try another one?”
She nodded.
“Okay. Last night you had your hair in a ponytail. A lot of attackers go after women with their hair up, because it gives them something easy to grab onto.”
She touched the crown of her head where a rubber band secured her hair then trailed her hand over her long ponytail. She shuddered. She never imaged it could make her a target. “Should I leave it down?”
“Your hair’s still long, so someone could always grab a handful.
It’s better to learn what to do if someone grabs it.
” He grabbed a fistful of hair, adding just enough pressure to pull her head back.
“Your instinct would be to yank your head forward to get away, but that won’t work.
You need to swing your arm over mine—the one that has your hair—and hook the bend behind my elbow under your armpit. ”
Evelyn focused on his words then lifted her arm over her head. His elbow pressed against her armpit, causing him to release his hold and fall to his knees.
He stayed on the floor and rubbed his elbow. “At this point, hit him while he’s down, then run. If you can use the heel of your hand against his nose you can cause some real damage. Or kick him in the groin as hard as you can. Once he’s incapacitated, get away.”
Adrenaline shot through her veins as she stared at him. She’d brought him to his knees. Twice.
She could defend herself. Connor wasn’t just protecting her, he wanted to teach her how to protect herself. Pride and gratitude squeezed her heart. “Thank you. I never thought I could take care of myself.”
“Honey, you can do anything you want. Do you want me to teach you more?”
His words sank through her, filling a deep void inside her. She rubbed her knuckles together as he got to his feet. A deep pulse beat through her inner walls.
Once upon a time, this kind of proximity would have had her backpedaling. But it wasn’t distance she craved. Her gaze drifted up his thighs, and her throat tightened as she took in the obvious erection outlined in the thin material of his gym shorts.
God, she wanted him. All of him. She forced her head to nod in answer to his question, but it took a few seconds for her to drag her focus to his face. A wide grin settled on his face, making her toes curl.
He’d caught her fantasizing, and she didn’t want her thoughts to be just a fantasy anymore.
The heat in Evelyn’s eyes almost brought him back to his knees. He couldn’t tell if her ragged breaths were from the physical activity of taking him down twice, or if she wanted him.
She fanned herself. “I didn’t think I’d be the one working out today.”
“Why don’t you take off your hoodie? You’ve got to be burning up in that thing.” Sweat dotted his forehead, even though he wore a T-shirt and shorts.
Hell, he wasn’t even working out the way he’d planned. He’d wanted to push his body to the limits, sweat out his frustrations until his screaming muscles and burning lungs took his mind away from everything else.
But the idea of teaching Evelyn self- defense had sprung to mind and taken priority.
Seeing excitement light up her face and her confidence grow had filled him with a happiness he didn’t know he’d been missing.
He couldn’t stop Monica from being taken, but he’d make damn sure Evelyn could defend herself.
She fisted the hem of her hoodie and cast a glance out the windows. Finally, she pulled the hoodie over her head and threw it to the corner of the room. Her T-shirt couldn’t hide the killer curves that lay beneath it, or the way her sports bra pushed her full breasts into a tempting mound.
“Now let’s go over what to do if he comes from behind.” Connor moved behind her. He molded his body against hers and breathed in the scent of her coconut shampoo. He hooked an arm around her neck and brought his mouth to her ear. “Are you ready?”
“Yes.” A shiver shook the word, and she shimmied.
The movement caused awareness to flare inside him. Touching her, smelling her, hell, even kissing her was one thing. But that tiny shudder of movement where her lithe body skimmed against his made desire shoot to his groin.
He gritted his teeth. “If someone grabs you from behind, the first thing you need to do is protect your airway. Grab my wrist then drop down in a crouch, turning your face to the side to protect your neck.”
Evelyn did as he instructed.
His chest pressed against her back, and her ass nestled against his crotch.
He bit his top lip to stop a groan. His blood pressure soared, and he used all his self-control to focus on her next step.
“Now swivel to the side until you’re behind me.
Grab behind my knees, try to pick me up or knock me off-balance, then drop me to the ground. ”
She followed his commands, and Connor hit the hard rubber mats with a thump and a sharp pang of pain pressed into his side. He twisted onto his back.
Evelyn crouched over him with the heel of her hand ready to strike. “This is when I hit you, right?” Her hair had slipped from her ponytail and trailed over her shoulder. Soft pants lifted her chest, and she slid her mouth into a smirk.
He peeled his shoulders from the mat and studied the victory etched on her face. “Are you getting cocky?”
She dropped her hand and shrugged, the smirk remaining in place.
He lunged for her waist, wrapping his arms around her and twisting to pin her onto the floor.
Wide eyes stared up at him.
He hovered over her, placing his flattened palms on either side of her head. Coming to his knees, he locked eyes with her and grinned. “What about now? How would you get away from me?”
“I...I don’t know.” Her smirk slid into a frown.
“Wrap your legs around my waist.” Lust thickened his throat, and his pulse pounded.
“Are you serious?”
The uncertainty in her voice made him laugh. “Just do it.”
She wrapped her legs around his waist and the heat of her center pressed into his growing hard-on.
Christ, how could he control himself when nothing but thin material separated them?
Her breasts molded against him. God, this was torture. He could do this. “I’m going to put my hands on your neck as if I wanted to choke you, okay?”
Evelyn nodded, her body still beneath his.
He positioned his hands on either side of her slender neck.
“Lock your arms around my elbows and push down. Bring your legs over my shoulders and thrust your hips upward. The harder you thrust your hips, the more pressure you put on my arms—mostly likely breaking them if you put all your strength behind it.”
“I don’t want to hurt you.”
He smiled. “Just let go as soon as I fall off. Same thing as before, though. In a real-life situation, you hit a vulnerable place as hard as you can, then run.”
Hesitation slowed her movements as she went through the steps. He tried like hell not to lower his mouth to hers. Her legs came to his shoulders and pressed her center even closer to him. The smell of her invaded his senses, nearly knocking him off-balance.
“Keep going,” he said, his jaw clenched and muscles tight. He deserved a medal for not stripping her naked in the middle of the gym.
She thrust her hips upward, his elbows buckled, and he winced.
Evelyn loosened her hold, raising her arms to loop around his neck instead. Her legs slid back to the ground, and red stained her cheeks. “Are we done?”
Desire constricted his throat. He nodded, his gaze traveling from her wide eyes to her full lips.
Evelyn pulled him down until his body crushed hers against the mat.
He braced himself on his forearms so he wouldn’t hurt her, but he wanted to be closer...much closer.
“I’m ready to get out of here.”
The purr of her words had him searching her eyes for answers. Maybe it was just wishful thinking that made her statement sound like a suggestion.
He pushed against his forearms, but she tightened her grip and kept him in place. She moved her hands down his back, dipped them under his shirt, and skimmed the tips of her fingers along his skin.
He closed his eyes as every nerve in his body sparked to life.
“Look at me,” Evelyn whispered.
He opened his eyes and gazed down at her. Her now- loose hair swept around her and sweat clung to her skin. Pink stained her cheeks and heat smoldered in her eyes, turning the light brown the color of melted chocolate.
“I want you to see me when I tell you exactly what I want. When I tell you I want you.”
Her words squeezed his heart, and he cupped her cheek with his hand, grazing the pad of his thumb across the corner of her mouth. “You’re sure?”
A smile slid across her face, and his erection throbbed against her. If she wasn’t sure, he’d need a cold shower before they left.
She lifted her head until her mouth pressed against his. Her tongue parted his lips and invaded his mouth.
She tasted so damn good.
Evelyn kept her arms locked around his neck but broke apart their kiss. “I’ve never been surer of anything in my life. Let’s get out of here.”