“Fighting to win, sir, as always,” she told him. Not that there was really winning in class, but she liked to train as though it were a competition or a test. Always doing her best, eye on the prize. Someday I’ll be a Master. Step back, sparring stance. Sijak. She dodged away from his twist kick, faked a kick, tested his guard with a couple of punches and danced back, circling. Butterfly kick. He landed one on her chest pad, but she got him back with an inner crescent kick to the head. Two points for me. By the time the round was over, she was sweating and had worked hard, but felt she’d held her own. “Thank you, sir.”
He gave her a fighter’s hug instead of shaking hands. “Great round, Miss Whelan.”
Praise from a senior belt, especially one she admired, made her glow.
And it didn’t look like Eamonn had been put off at all.
She didn’t want to put her street clothes on, sweaty as she was, so she decided to just gather up her gear and wear her whites home in his truck. She’d shower at home, and if Eamonn came up to her place, he could watch TV for five minutes while she did so.
But he walked her up to her front door, gave her a crooked grin, and said, “Goodnight, Nell. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
She blinked. “Uh, what?”
“Oh, lovely, of course I want to come upstairs with you.” He chuckled softly. “Never doubt that.”
“I didn’t say—” She knew as she tried to speak that it was thin bluster and he’d see right through it, but she still wanted to save face. She’d basically admitted that she was assuming he’d come upstairs.
“Listen. We have to work tomorrow. I could blow it off and not care, call in sick or just tell Uncle Tommy that I’m taking the day off, but I don’t think you would; am I right?”
Nell nodded. She couldn’t risk her job, no matter what the temptation.
“And I want more than a quick wham-bam from you. I want to have the whole night, at least the first time, and I want you to walk like you’ve been well fucked the next day. You want to go into the office like that — sleepless, worn out, and walking funny?”
“It’d take a lot to change my walk,” she said, chin in the air.
“I’m up for that challenge,” he shot back.
They stared at each other.
Then she shrugged. “I see your point. Another night.”
“Sunday.” He grinned. “I’ll take you to the Frog and Ball. Buy your peachy drinks for you. Take you home to bed after.”
She nodded. “That’s my time, but just this once, you can come along.”
“Good. Now, am I going to get slapped if I kiss you?”
She crossed her arms and gave him a dirty look. “I don’t slap people. I’ll hit your pressure points and put you in a joint lock or choke to defend myself, if I have to, but I don’t slap.”
He looked down at her, shaking his head and chuckling. “Ninja woman, I just want a kiss goodnight.”
“Okay.” But Nell hadn’t made a habit of goodnight kisses — it seemed impractical if it wasn’t going to lead to bed — so she wasn’t sure where to start, and stood waiting.
Glancing around, Eamonn grabbed her hand and pulled her around the corner of the building, into the shadow of a large shrub. She let him, feeling giddy, and just as glad that he preferred not to give the neighbors a show. Privacy is good. He gathered her into his arms and backed her up until her shoulders touched the wall of the building. Back against the wall. She stiffened, suddenly tense. No. “What is it?” he asked, relaxing his hold, maybe a bit wary of her reflexes.
“It puts me on edge to have my back against a wall,” she muttered. “Not a good self-defense situation, and all that. Force of habit. But you’re not going to hurt me.”
“No, I’m not. I promise I’m not going to hurt you. Let’s do this nice and slow.” He moved in close, hands on her shoulders, pressing her against the wall as he fitted his hips against hers. “Feel me against you. How’s this? Are we good?” His voice dropped into the low sexy register she knew meant he was turned on — borne out by the hard evidence jutting against her belly. “You’re going to have to trust me a little, give up some of that control. The wall at your back’s going to hold you up when your knees give out.”
That’s what I’m afraid of. It wasn’t him, or the wall. He had no training to make him dangerous and they weren’t in an MMA cage. But letting him put her up against a wall carried a submissive undertone that unnerved her as much as it tempted.
He slid his hands from her shoulders down to her breasts, cupping them in his big hands, his thumbs just underneath the sensitive tips. She squirmed against his hands, and he gave her a wicked half-smile and stroked just a little. And then he bent his head and covered her lips with his, firm and knowing. She expected him to ravage her, but instead, he gave her the sweetest kiss she’d ever had. The world spun, and Nell leaned into the wall at her back, surprised at how grateful she was for its presence and how oddly seductive it was to just trust him and enjoy the consuming tenderness of his mouth on hers. She parted her lips and darted
