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Early morning light filtered in through the small window and I guessed that it couldn’t have been later than six o’clock. Knox snored softly underneath me and I took a moment just to look at him. The straight, aristocratic nose and soft lips. The slight stubble on his chin and cheeks, his eyelashes casting shadows across his cheekbones.
As if he felt someone watching him his eyes opened. He looked up at me and neither of us said anything for a moment. Was he okay with what happened last night? Did he take offense to my mental breakdown? Did he think I was crazy? Because I sure as fuck did.
“How you feelin’?” was all he said.
I shrugged and then lay my cheek against his chest. “I don’t get them a lot anymore. But when I do… they’re awful.”
I felt rather than saw him nod as he ran his fingertips up my bare arm. I was still wearing last night’s dress and positive I looked a mess. “I’m scared,” I whispered.
Knox squeezed me tighter. “I won’t let anything happen to you.”
“I know you won’t.”
Chapter 11
Knox circled around me in the ring, bouncing back and forth while I tried to keep my eyes on him. Where it had been four days since he’d seen firsthand how bad my nightmares were, Knox came up with the brilliant plan of teaching me self defense, or, at least how to throw a decent punch.
I hadn’t spoken to my parents since that night, Logan seemed to fall off the face of the planet, and Robbie was in a perpetual bad mood. But Knox, with plenty of help from Simone, convinced me that learning a few moves would help me feel better and give me some piece of mind.
“I look like an idiot,” I said now as I banged my gloved hands together.
“No, you look nervous. Stand up straight and put your hands up the way I showed you. Come on, Abbs.” Coach Fitzgerald wasn’t nearly as nice as Knox, but I’d be lying if I said his bossy tone wasn’t at least a little bit of a turn on.
I stood up straight and rolled my shoulders before putting my hands up, my left hand and leg in the front.
“Always lead with your left if…”
“If you’re right handed,” I rolled my eyes.
He laughed at me and then moved forward, invading my personal space. “Do something.”
I froze. I couldn’t seriously hit Knox for God’s sake. Maybe this was a mistake. I wasn’t a fighter and it wasn’t in my nature to be violent, even if it was in a controlled environment. The thought of hurting Knox, of hurting anyone the way I’d been hurt made me sick to my stomach.
“Come on, beautiful,” he said quietly and took another step forward causing me to take one back.
“I don’t like this.”
“I know.”
Inhaling deeply, I lifted my arms a little higher and took a small jab at him which he easily dodged and then brought his hand up to my face, tapping my cheek lightly with his fingers, silently telling me to block my face. I did the same move again, this time successfully blocking my face and then jumping back two steps. He smiled and gave a nod of approval before advancing towards me again. We danced around each other for a minute before he brought his other hand up and brushed his knuckles against my ribs. The gesture was meant to be a warning but the light touch had heat spreading through my belly and a sweat broke out on my forehead.
He backed up and raised his hands, a devious smile playing over his features. “You’re giving me that damn look again.”
“I’m not!”
He cocked his head to the side and gave me a curious, hungry look before reaching between his shoulder blades and yanking his white cotton t-shirt over his head. His abs rippled and the prominent v of his hips had me losing focus.
“Tell you what,” he said and my eyes shot back to his face. “For every decent shot you take I’ll tell you a secret.”
Well that piqued my interest. “What kind of secret?”
Moving almost inhumanly quick he grabbed me and pressed a hard, chaste kiss to my mouth before whispering, “I’ll tell you all the things I’m going to do to you.”
My quick intake of breath had him smirking before he backed up. Jumping forward, I tapped him lightly on the stomach and then pounced back as he reached for me.
“One for Ashford!” I laughed and thrust my arms in the air.
“Take it easy, Rocky.”
