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He returned to the house and unfolded the mat. It was bigger than she expected, covering most of the living room floor. The dogs hopped up on the couch and watched them with curiosity—Rebel with her front paws crossed regally and Alfie sitting on her back like a little prince surveying his kingdom from his mount.
“Come here.” Connelly beckoned her over, all masculine confidence. “I’ll show you some basic Judo throws.”
“I don’t know...” She eyed the mat. “Judo?”
“I am a black belt. Fully qualified to teach.”
“But you barely survived our playground tussles.”
“That was before special forces training and years of dedicated mat time.” He stretched his arms over his head to loosen his muscles, and she found her gaze wandering down as his T-shirt rode up, exposing his flat stomach. His sweatpants hung low on his hips, and the gray fabric didn’t leave much to the imagination.
An ache bloomed in her belly, catching her by surprise. Was that... desire? She hadn’t wanted anyone for a very long time. In fact, the last person she’d wanted was...
Him.
At that party.
Right before her life became a living hell.
He caught her staring and grinned. “Like what you see?”
Dammit. She flushed and looked away, wrapping her arms around herself. She hated that he caught her. Hated it more that she was staring in the first place.
This was Connelly.
She shouldn’t feel anything but the warm affection of friendship towards him, but the emotions swirling inside her went way beyond friendship.
“Hey,” he said softly and extended a hand. “No pressure, Vee. You set the pace.”
She blew out a long breath and looked at his open palm, then back up into those deep brown eyes so full of understanding.
This was Connelly.
There was no man in the world she trusted more.
She placed her hand in his, allowing him to lead her onto the mat. His fingers closed gently around hers, warm and solid.
“First lesson,” he began as they stood face-to-face, “is balance. You want to be grounded but flexible enough to evade attacks.”
She swallowed hard as he moved behind her and placed his hands on her shoulders. Her body was tense, every muscle coiled like a spring ready to snap.
“Relax,” he murmured, his voice low and soothing in her ear. “I’m here with you. You’re safe.”
She took a deep breath and forced her body to loosen.
“There you go. Feet shoulder width apart, one foot slightly in front of the other.” He nudged her legs with his own. “Bend your knees. Like I said, Judo is all about balance. It’s not about strength or brute force. It allows you to take on an opponent much bigger and stronger than you.”
Closing her eyes, she tried to push away the gnawing fear that clawed at her insides. Focused instead on his words and the soothing warmth of his body against her back.
“Good,” Connelly whispered, his breath warm against her ear. “Now, I want you to imagine someone trying to grab you from behind.”
A wave of dread washed over her, making her stiffen. Images of faceless attackers filled her mind, their hands reaching for her?—
“Veronica,” he interrupted, voice still gentle but firm enough to snap her out of the panic tailspin. He rubbed his hands up and down her arms. “You’re safe. I won’t let anything happen to you.”
The assurance cut through the fog of anxiety, and his touch tethered her to reality. She was safe with him. She’d always be safe with him. “I… I know.”
He gave her a gentle squeeze. “You’re not helpless. You’ll never be helpless again. An attacker will always make a mistake, giving you the opportunity to evade or counter. You just have to learn to recognize those mistakes and take advantage. Let me show you how.”
