Chapter Fifteen
Isabella buried her face deeper into her pillow, refusing to acknowledge she was awake.
Or that she had to deal with Danny.
He was teaching her self-defense this morning. Which meant getting close to him again—and pretending she didn’t crave the feel of his hands on her.
She rolled out of bed. Stretched. Then dressed in shorts and a T-shirt, putting her hair up in a ponytail.
It was all good. This was his job.
That didn’t make it easier.
Trip whined and pawed at the door.
“I know, sweetie. You probably have to go potty.” She opened the door, following Trip’s bounding steps down the stairs to the living room.
The smell of coffee drifted from the kitchen.
Trip first, then coffee. She let him out, then poured herself a cup, adding a splash of milk from the fridge.
Where was Danny?
A thumping sound in her garage came a moment later.
She opened the door to find him hauling blue mats into the space where her car normally sat parked. He had on navy blue athletic shorts and a deep red camo Wounded Warrior Project T-shirt. His hair was tied back with an elastic band.
“Morning, sunshine.” He looked over his shoulder with a breezy grin that made her pulse stutter. “Ready to get to work?”
It looked like they were going to pretend last night’s make-out session never happened.
She hid her disappointment behind her mug. “After I wake up.”
Danny dropped the second mat into place and turned to face her, planting hands on hips. The movement stretched the T-shirt across his chest, highlighting the muscles beneath.
Isabella took a hasty sip of her coffee, nearly choking as hot liquid scorched her throat.
His sharp gaze missed nothing. “You alright?”
“Fine,” she wheezed. “I’ll be back in a sec.”
After depositing her mug in the kitchen, she let Trip back in, filled two water bottles, and returned to the garage.
The garage door stood open for ventilation. Outside, her car sat beside the Mustang in the driveway, blocking the view from anyone passing on the sidewalk or street.
He motioned her over.
“First thing is situational awareness. Head up. No phone, no earbuds. Walk with purpose. Make eye contact. Key fob in hand. Check your car before opening it, and lock your doors as soon as you’re inside.”
After positioning her feet shoulder-width apart and bending her knees slightly, he stepped back.
“The most vulnerable areas on a man are the eyes, nose, throat, groin, and knees.”
Taking her hand, he ran a finger over one of her manicured nails.
“You see these?”
His calloused palm closed around hers, sending a flutter through her stomach. “These are a weapon. You jab a guy in the eyes with these nails, and he’ll let go, I guarantee it. Then you run.”
The sensation turned to lead as she imagined sinking her fingers into eyeball jelly. “Ewww.”
“Don’t think about it. Just do it.” Danny showed her how to drive her palm up into an assailant’s nose, then claw at his eyes.
“What if he punches me in the face first?”
“I’ll show you how to block it. Most guys telegraph their punches, and they usually go for the face.”
He demonstrated how to deflect a punch with her forearm and counter with her free hand, putting her through the motion several times before gesturing toward her ponytail.
“Your hair is another way an attacker—man or woman—might try to control you.”
Reaching out, he wrapped her ponytail in his fist and gave a gentle tug, forcing her head back. “What do you do, Bella?”
She grimaced at the awkward pull on her neck. Her hands flew up instinctively, trying—and failing—to pry open his hand. “I don’t know.”
“First, trap my hand against your head.” He guided her hands into position. “Now I can’t yank your head around.”
The pressure on her scalp lessened immediately.
“Next, turn into your attacker.”
Pivoting beneath his outstretched arm, she faced him.
“That’s it. From there, knee, kick, stomp any of the vulnerable areas we discussed—whatever creates an opening to get away.” Amusement flickered across Danny’s face. “You know the most obvious target on a guy, but I’d be really grateful if you only pretended to hit me there.”
A snicker escaped. “Then don’t give me a reason to.”
Danny laughed and took a deliberate step back, putting distance between them.
“Let’s move on while the family jewels are still intact. I’m going to show you what to do if someone grabs you from behind in a bear hug.”
She eyed his six-foot-two frame, comparing it to her five-foot-two self. “I’d say I’m screwed.”
“Not if you do this.” He circled behind her, then stepped into her back and wrapped his arms around her.
Isabella froze.
The solid strength of him surrounded her.
Escape wasn’t on her mind.
Instead, she wanted to lean back against him and discover exactly where Danny’s professionalism ended.
No.
That would be bad.
Her boundaries had crumbled last night, but that didn’t mean they should disappear.
“Bella?”
The concern in his voice brought her back to herself.
He dropped his arms. Stepped away. “Are you okay?”
Warmth flooded her cheeks. “Why would I not be okay?”
“You froze.” His hand massaged the back of his neck, the lines of his shoulders tense. “I thought I might have scared you.”
“I’d never be afraid of you.” The words spilled out of her without conscious thought.
Something flared in his eyes. Something hot—a primal satisfaction that only heightened her awareness of him.
“Good.” His voice was a low rumble. “Let’s try this again.”
This time, when he wrapped her in a bear hug, she forced herself to focus on his instructions. She hooked her foot around his ankle to keep him from lifting her off her feet, then struck with her elbow, hands and feet until he let go.
Humid air drifted through the open garage door. It wasn’t enough to cool the space, only enough to stir the loose strands of hair escaping her ponytail and leave a sheen of sweat on Danny’s temple.
“One more thing for today.” Danny blew out a breath. “The last place you ever want to end up is on the ground. But if you do…”
He motioned for her to lie on her back on the mat.
“This may get a bit awkward. If you’re uncomfortable at any point, say so and we’ll stop, but it’s important you learn what to do if you get taken down.”
His knees straddled her.
Her brain short-circuited.
“Bella?”
A strangled laugh escaped. “Fine. Just…awkward.”
He didn’t need to know she was fighting the urge to lift her hips and press against him.
Danny gave her a smile that didn’t mask the discomfort in his eyes.
His palms landed on either side of her head, and he showed her how to leverage her body to throw him off.
At first, she couldn’t do it, but by the fifth try, she threw him to the side.
And forgot to let go.
She lay sprawled over him, their faces only inches apart.
“Good job.” His body hardened beneath her.
Her gaze fell to his lips.
Danny’s voice dropped to the guttural rasp she was fast learning meant he was aroused. “If you want me to kiss you, you have to ask.”
With a subtle shift, he widened his legs, bringing her feminine center into direct contact with his hard length.
Her breath deserted her in a rush. She wanted his mouth on her, his hands roaming her skin.
Wanted his body filling hers.
“Ask me, Bella.” Low. Sensual. Blue eyes darkened to midnight, intent and unmistakably hungry.
“Kiss me,” she breathed.
The world spun, and her back hit the mat.
He took her mouth as if he owned it, his tongue sliding past her parted lips to stroke the flames licking her bloodstream and igniting her cells.
She speared her fingers through his hair, liberating the golden strands from the elastic tie that held them, and pulled him closer. Lifting her hips, she ground against him, the thin material of their shorts doing nothing to mute the explosion of pleasure tightening her inner muscles.
Danny broke the kiss on a moan, head thrown back, eyes closed as his hands gripped her waist. “Fuck, honey, we need to slow down or it’s going to be over before we even get started.”
His eyes opened slowly. The look he gave her stole the breath from her lungs.
“Let me look at you.” His fingers slid up her rib cage, taking the cotton material of her shirt with them as he lifted it over her head. With an ease she didn’t want to think about, he deftly unhooked the back of her sports bra and eased the straps down her arms.
He lowered his head. His tongue swept across her nipple before he bit down gently and drew it into his mouth.
“Danny.” Electricity shot to Isabella’s womb. Her back arched from the sensation, her brain struggling to make sense of the pleasure-pain.
Shifting his attention to her other breast, he teased the sensitive peak with his teeth before soothing the sting with his tongue.
His hair brushed over her skin in a velvet caress, following the line of his mouth as he kissed his way down her stomach to the hem of her shorts. Wedging his broad shoulders between her spread knees, he stared up at her with eyes the color of blue lava.
Hot and predatory.
“I want to taste you, sweet Bella.”
Her insides clenched. “Oh, God.”
He gave her a wicked grin. “It’s not God’s name you’ll be screaming.”
“Tommy, slow down.” A woman’s voice came from outside as the sound of running footsteps slapped the sidewalk.
“Fuck.”
Danny leaped to his feet and hit the garage door button while she stayed glued to the mat, her hand flailing around for her bra and T-shirt.
The door hummed shut.
When it stopped, the silence was deafening.
“No one saw us.” Danny had his back to her, head down, shoulders tight. “That was careless.” His muttered words were directed at himself rather than at her.
She fastened her bra and tugged on her shirt, her body shifting from heat to ice.
What had she been thinking?
She hadn’t been—that much was obvious. She’d been too busy feeling instead of thinking.
Too busy wanting instead of controlling.
So much so that she’d almost had sex in her garage with the door open. If it wasn’t for their cars blocking the view, she and Danny would have put on an X-rated show for her neighbor’s children.
Foolish. Stupid.