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“Got it.”
“Good.Now I need you to spread your legs a little.”
I resist the urge to make a joke, knowing how important this is.Once I follow his directions, he straddles one of my legs, then wraps his hands around my neck.It’s not harsh, but it’s not light either.
“You’re going to trap my leg in place by hooking yours across it from behind.”
I do as he asks, but it still doesn’t feel sturdy or like I have the upper hand.He does.
“Can’t I just try to knee you in the junk?”
“That’s not a guarantee.This is.A split second after you’ve trapped my legs, you’ll want to roll your hips to the side, reach for my face, and kind of push me in the same direction as your hips.”
I follow his directions, and to my surprise, the force of my hips at the same time as I push his head away helps me regain control, securing him in a scissor-lock.
“Good.”He taps my leg and I release my hold on him, allowing him to untangle from me.“Now let’s try to put it all together.And quickly.The longer it takes, the more opportunity you give your attacker.Ready?”He gets back into position, straddling one of my legs, and I nod.“And, go.”
When he returns his hands to my neck, I waste no time in hooking my leg across the back of his, then flip him over.
“Don’t stop holding my head out of the way,” he instructs when I loosen my grip.“You’ll need to keep up your strength until you’re ready for the next step.”
“And what’s that?”I grit out.
He releases his grip on me.“You’ll find out next time.”
“Next time?”I collapse onto the mat, enjoying the reprieve.Despite all my insistence that I’m not tired, my muscles are pretty spent.
Probably because I was still sore from the hours of calisthenics the other night.
“Yeah.”He joins me, his own labored breathing mixing with mine.
I like knowing I made him work just as hard as he made me.Although, he certainly makes all this stuff look easy.Still, I’m glad we’re doing this.
“Unless—”
“I like the idea of a next time.”I roll onto my side, resisting the temptation to hook my leg across his waist like I do whenever we share a bed.
He adjusts his body so he’s facing me, our chests heaving in time with each other.“So do I.”His lips curve into a small smile, making me want to cup his cheek and trace the lines of his face.It’s torture for him to be so close, for his kiss to be within reach, yet still feel miles away.
“How did they do it?”I muse, partly to myself, partly to Creed.
“Who?”
“Nickie Ferrante and Terry McKay.”
“I’m not sure who—”
“The main characters fromAn Affair to Remember.”
“Ah.”Realization crosses his expression.“Of course.”
“How did they do it?”I ask again as emotion wells in my throat.“How did they make it six months?It’s only been twenty-four hours and I’m ready to lose my bloody mind here, Creed.”
“I know.”He smiles, but it doesn’t reach his eyes.“I think they knew going into it that it wouldn’t be easy.That there would be days when it hurt so damn much they didn’t know how the hell they’d survive another day, let alone months.”
I swallow hard through the lump in my throat, his words describing exactly how I feel right now.
Then his expression softens.“But I also think they knew if they could just make it a few more months, they’d be free to be together without any sort of guilt or regret hanging over them.They’d both be in the right place to start their lives together.”He slowly inches closer, his lips tempting me with their proximity.“Then it would finally happen, and all the waiting and anguish and torment would be worth it.”
