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At me.
And it was that smile that did me in. It was that smile that forced me to see just how wrong I’d been about him.
Kane’s smile completely transformed him. Not only did he appear less threatening, but it made his eyes sparkle. Eyes that had been so dark and intense when I first arrived were suddenly so much brighter. They were still just as intense and captivating, but it was in a completely different way.
“That was excellent,” he praised me before moving on through the rest of the students in the room.
And for the remainder of the class, I found myself frequently recalling that look on his face.
Now that class was over, I was face-to-face with Kane once again. And this time, it didn’t seem that he was interested in saying just three words before moving on. He was inviting conversation by asking what I thought of the class.
In an effort to not look like a fool, I didn’t hesitate to respond. “It was a great first class. I really enjoyed it.”
“That’s good news. I’m happy to hear it. Does that mean you’ll be stopping by Avalon’s desk on your way out to sign up for more?” he asked.
Nodding, I confirmed, “It does. I hope that’s okay.”
“Of course, it is,” he replied, an edge of disbelief in his tone that I could even think to suggest it wouldn’t be alright. “Do you have any questions about anything you learned today?”
“I’m certain that I do, but I can’t seem to remember any of them at the moment.”
And that was the truth. Even though they’d done a wonderful job teaching, this was all so very new to me. Throughout the class, I questioned if I was doing something correctly, but I didn’t ask. Now that Kane was this close to me with his eyes sparkling like that, I couldn’t seem to remember anything I’d learned, let alone whether or not I’d had any questions about any of it.
He let out a soft laugh and insisted, “That’s okay. As time goes on and you take more and more classes, you’ll find that some things become like second nature and others take a bit more to grasp. We’ll be here to help you every step of the way.”
I ignored the fact that he’d laughed at something I said to him and replied, “Let’s hope none of you regret taking me on. I promise I’m going to give it all I’ve got, but this is a whole new world for me.”
Something moved through his expression while he hesitated briefly, but eventually he assured me, “We won’t regret anything. As long as you’re learning, that’s all that matters.”
“Thanks,” I murmured.
I didn’t want things to get awkward or uncomfortable, and the reality was not only was taking a self-defense class new territory for me, but so was having a conversation with a guy like this.
Sure, I’d had friends throughout high school and even in college. I’d also had a boyfriend back in high school that I dated for just over a year. And obviously, there was the whole fact that I’d been married.
But that was different.
That didn’t count, because that was something that I had done only for the sake of my family.
Having a friendly conversation with a guy just for the sake of it wasn’t something I’d done at all in my adult life. It was nice to be experiencing it, but I didn’t want to ruin it.
So, before I had the chance to make a fool of myself, I decided it would be best to excuse myself and get out of there.
But just as I was about to do that, Kane asked, “So, what are your goals?”
“Pardon?”
He offered a sweet smile. “Here. What are your goals with regard to self-defense? You’ve made it clear that you’re planning to return, but I was just wondering if you’re only looking for the type of training you learned today or if you’re also interested in weapons training.”
Understanding dawned, and while I didn’t want to make myself look completely helpless, I also thought it was especially prudent to be honest in this case. “I’m so far away from being ready for that,” I admitted. “But that’s not to say that I’m not interested in learning. I am. I just think it’s wise for me to take this one step at a time.”
The smile on his face grew. “There’s nothing wrong with taking it slow. You can get yourself comfortable with one method of self-defense before moving on to the next. I think that’s really smart of you to do, Ellery.”
Until he said it, I hadn’t realized how much I would like the sound of my name coming past his lips. And I found that to be particularly strange.
It was one thing for me to be able to see him and appreciate his looks and kindness. It was something else entirely to feel heat move through my body when he said my name.
My throat tightened, and I rasped, “I’m glad that you, as the professional, agree with me waiting just a bit longer.”
