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Stone’s pack supplied my every need. I was going to owe Karissa a small fortune.
Not that I was going to pay it, since I planned to run.
“Let’s start with some easy warmups,” Cole said, as if anything were easy for me.
I assumed my stance across from him.
“Good. You remember. Just get that left fist up a little higher.”
He tapped my wrist, positioning my hand up. Just his slightest touch felt hot on my skin. I ducked my head, pretending I was focused on watching his torso, looking for the tell-tale ripple of muscle before he launched an attack. A bead of sweat dripped down his hard pecs and slid across the chiseled angles of his abs.
His abs tensed, his right side rippling, and I reacted, blocking the blow before he threw it. I was pretty sure he was moving in slow motion for my sake, pulling his blows to a ridiculous degree. His fist glanced off my forearm.
I used his momentum, stepping into him, placing my foot behind his. I attempted the throw he’d taught me the other day. But instead of his body flying cleanly over my shoulder, I only succeeded in dragging him against me, draping him over me like a blanket. I tried to duck away, but it was too late. He swept my legs out from beneath me in one clean move and the two of us tumbled to the ground in a heap of limbs.
Warm, hard, muscular limbs.
I cleared my throat and scrambled back. He sat up on his knees, looking as unruffled as ever. “Good. You had the right idea, even if your execution was clumsy. But don’t just run away after an attack. Keep fighting until one of us yields. You need to build good habits.”
“Got it.”
He offered me his hand, and I gripped his corded forearm, letting him pull me back to my feet.
He was an incredibly patient teacher, going over the same moves with me over and over, teaching me all kinds of throws to use an opponent’s body weight against him.
Then I threw him, and he landed heavily on his shoulder in the grass.
For a second, I froze, afraid he’d react badly.
He grinned up at me. His dark eyes were lit with genuine delight, and something surged in my chest.
“Good,” he said, and he held his hand to me, trusting me to pull him up this time. I set my feet and leaned back, but he unfolded from the ground with the same easy grace he always had, jumping to his feet as if he didn’t need my help one bit. But then, why had he reached out to me?
“Now,” he said. “I’m going to stop going easy on you. I want you to practice like you’re in a fight for your life, all right? Don’t be scared to hurt me.”
“How would I do that anyway?” I demanded, and Cole’s answering smile crinkled the corners of his eyes.
“You’re a fast learner,” he said. “I have no doubt you’ll be sending me to the clinic before you know it. All right, let’s do this again.”
He waved a hand at me, gesturing me toward him.
I took a step back into my fighting stance instead. “Do I seem like I’m ever going to make the first blow?”
Of course, I’d murdered Cliff without any hesitation. The memory of his shocked face rose in my mind, and I pushed it away.
I’d do whatever I must to protect my family.
The two of us circled each other, trading tentative, light blows. I blocked his punch, then tried to slip under his arm, only for him to capture me, caging me with his arms. He drew me against his body, but just for a second before he shoved me away. I slammed into the ground, rolled up with my head dizzy and staggered to my feet.
“Good,” he said. “You didn’t stay down.”
“And I’m pretty sure you wouldn’t have just shoved an actual opponent like a second grader,” I retorted.Shut up, shut up. You don’t want him treating you like an actual opponent anyway!
“One step at a time.” He came toward me again, launching a furious volley of blows—or at least they seemed furious to me.
I blocked one after another, then threw up my arm to block his fist… too late. He hit my arm, and it slammed into my nose. Pain exploded across my face, washing the world red. It paired nicely with the humiliation of having hit myself.
“Stay focused,” he warned me. “Even after a hit. What are you going to do now?”
