Close Contact #2
The second time, she nearly got me. I just managed to shift before her heel crashed into the side of my boot. I felt the impact through the leather.
“Yeah, that’s more like it. Now you’re getting it.”
She glowed at the praise. I gave her a second to get her breath back. My dick was still throbbing from connecting with her gorgeous behind and I surreptitiously adjusted my waistband, giving myself some extra space.
“What’s next?” she asked, pushing up her sleeves.
I smirked. “Glad you asked. If he’s still standing, you pivot out of his centerline and drive your elbow back. Like this.”
I guided her through the motion once, slow enough for her to feel the mechanics of it.
“Turn. Plant. Strike.”
Then I released her. “Now you try it.”
“Turn. Plant. Strike,” she muttered, as she went through the actions. Her form was improving. She held herself straighter, looked stronger and more confident.
“Again.”
She spun faster this time. Her elbow slammed into my shoulder exactly where I’d intended. The strike was solid enough to jar me. No mean feat.
“That’s good,” I grimaced, welcoming the pain.
Anything to replace the tension building inside of me. Except, it didn’t because the problem wasn’t in my shoulder.
It was in the feel of her curvy body nestled against mine. In the sharp little breaths she took when she moved. In the way she looked at me after each move, like she was waiting for approval. Like it mattered what I thought.
The men I’d trained before did it because they had to, because they needed to survive. Evelyn looked at me like she wanted to please me. It was fucking with my head.
“In a real situation, the elbow goes here.” I tapped the side of my own head. “Temple. Thinnest bone in the skull.”
She stiffened, and I could tell she was uncomfortable with this. Well, I was going to make her even more uncomfortable.
“A clean shot there doesn’t just hurt him, it shuts the system down. Often permanently.”
She gulped but held my gaze.
“The moment the impact lands, you run. Don’t stop to check and don’t look back. Understand?”
She nodded.
“Show me.” I held up my palms.
She came at me. Once. Twice. On the third one I caught her elbow and corrected the angle. My other hand gripped her waist and encountered warm, clammy skin, the muscles taut under her sweater. She was working hard.
We both froze. I held her for a brief moment, before reluctantly letting her go. “Groin,” I said huskily.
Her eyes flew to mine. “Excuse me?”
“Knee strike to the groin. He grabs you like this, you grab his shoulders and drive your knee straight up between his legs as hard as you can.”
She looked at me like I’d lost my mind. “You want me to knee you in the balls?”
“Yeah, hard. You’re not warning him off. You’re trying to rupture something.”
She cringed and eyed my crotch. “I’m not sure I want to rupture anything.”
“If your life depends on it, you will.”
She didn’t reply.
“I’m going to grab you, okay? You do what I taught you. We’re only drilling the movement.”
I stepped toward her and gripped her by the upper arms. Her frame was slender, and I thought how easily I could overpower her, if I wanted to.
Except that meant so could anyone else—and my family had a lot of enemies.
“You know what to do,” I said.
She tentatively placed her hands on my shoulders.
I nodded in encouragement. “We’ll go through it—slowly.”
She lifted her knee. The inside of her thigh brushed mine on the way up. I caught her leg and held it there. She felt soft and warm under her leggings. Vivid images of what I’d done to her last night had me breaking a sweat.
“Higher,” I instructed. “With enough force, he’ll go down. You’ll have about three seconds, so use them.”
I let go and she lowered her leg to the ground.
Beside the cabin, Max had joined Kyle, both watching with amused expressions.
Evelyn’s brow furrowed and her jaw clenched in concentration.
Her hair was coming loose, damp tendrils falling over her face.
She looked so fucking sexy that I wanted to pick her up, carry her back inside, and do unspeakable things to her.
If only to hear my name on her lips again, but this time it wouldn’t be a moan. It would be a scream.
After a resounding kick that had me exhaling and doubling over, she stopped. “Oh God. I’m sorry. Did I—”
“I’m fine,” I wheezed. It took a second for the pain to recede. That’ll teach me for losing my concentration. “That’s good. You’re getting it.”
She looked beat. I’d pushed her hard, but she hadn’t complained.
“Let’s take a break,” I said, nodding to the cabin. I could do with a breather, and an ice pack. I heard a guffaw behind me. Bastards were enjoying this.
Evelyn nodded and let out a relieved sigh.
We were about to head back inside when we heard the throaty roar of a motorcycle approaching. I turned to see my brother’s Ducati flying up the road, a dust cloud behind him.
Kyle and Max both braced and raised their rifles, but I shook my head to signify he wasn’t a threat. They didn’t lower them, however, until he came to a complete stop outside the cabin and removed his full-face helmet.
“Nico,” I said, giving him a gruff nod.
He looked knowingly from me to Evelyn, then back again.
Things were about to get interesting.