When his eyes find mine again and widen when he realizes I saw his perusal, he shakes his head and then turns to address the group. I can’t help the sly grin that pulls at my lips, knowing my outfit did exactly what I wanted it to. And in turn, it makes me feel a little better.
“Good evening, ladies. How are we today?”
The rest of the girls answer, but I just nod my head. I’m not sure I trust myself to speak just yet.
“Alright. Well, let’s get to it. The warm-up is on the board.” He points behind him to a whiteboard where a list of various exercises is written and I hear the collective groan from our group. And as much as I didn’t want to stay here just minutes ago, I know that working out my aggression will help me feel better.
After we do several rounds of jumping jacks, weighted jabs, squats, and crunches, Javier and Clay move to the front of the class to demonstrate today’s maneuvers. And we finally get to work on being attacked from behind, which definitely makes my ears perk up.
When that man came up behind me and held that gun to my head a few short months ago, I froze. I had never encountered a moment in my life where I ever felt so helpless. And the entire reason I’m here is because I never want to feel that way again.
“Okay, so today we’re going to talk about escaping from a bear hug attack,” Javi says and then Clay gets into position as the attacker so he can demonstrate. “The key is to bend forward to shift your weight and make it harder for your attacker to pick you up.” Javi’s upper body leans forward as Clay wraps his arms around Javi’s waist. “This stance will also make it easier for you to throw elbows side to side as we learned last week.” Mimicking the movements, Javi’s arms move side to side as he simulates elbowing Clay in the face. “This should give you enough space to turn fully so you can use another move to strike the groin area. With the space you’ve created from your attacker, you should be able to get out of their reach and run away.”
The girls all look to each other and nod in agreement. Seems simple enough.
“Alright, let’s practice on each other.” If we’re doing this the same way we have before, then two girls will work with Clay and Javi while the other four pair off. I turn to face Jessica next to me just as a shadow hovers over my head.
“Sydney. Come work with me first.” I crane my neck back to see Javi standing above me with an outreached hand.
“Oh … okay.” I swallow down the lump in my throat, hoping my nerves move with it as Javi brings me away from the other people and looks almost as nervous to be alone with me.
“Are you okay today?” he asks, pulling on the back of his neck.
“Uh. Yeah, I’m fine.”
“You’re awfully quiet. Usually by now you’d be trying to tell me off.” He grants me a sly grin on his lips as I feel mine do the same.
I shake my head. “Just tell me how to elbow you in the face and kick you in the crotch, Javi.”
That comment earns me a full-fledged smile from him as he moves behind me to get in position. The warmth radiating off his skin is hitting my own as my bare torso feels the fabric of his shirt brush against me. That slight touch has my spine straightening just as his calloused fingers grip my upper arms.
“I’m going to wrap my arms around you now,” he says in my ear in a low voice that makes my pussy quake. Dear lord, I need sex.
“Okay,” I breathe out in response.
His hands slide down my biceps ever so slightly, cup my elbows, then leave my skin for just a moment before they encase my waist as I feel his chest press against my back, every inch of my skin that’s touching his coming alive from the proximity. And since I only wore a sports bra and no actual shirt, that’s a lot of skin.
“Now, lean forward,” he directs as I bend at the waist, pushing my ass into his crotch. I’m vibrating with nerves as I wonder if I’ll be able to feel how I affect him. A hardness starts to push into my cheeks and I have my answer.
He clears his throat and then speaks again. “Now carefully throw your elbows up toward my head as you twist from side to side.”
I nod, taking a deep breath and then mimicking the movements, careful not to actually hit him.
A slight chuckles passes through his lips. “Good. Now as my arms loosen, shift your weight to the side so you can act like you’re going to strike my groin.”
As I look back over my shoulder, I catch a glimpse of Javi’s face. His brow is furrowed almost like he’s in pain and his entire body is tense.
And in that moment, I realize I’m not. Since Byron came into my office and I forgot how to say the word ‘no’, being in Javi’s arms is the first time I’ve felt relaxed in an hour, even though I’m getting ready to simulate hitting him in the crotch.
I don’t want to read too much into that and instead try to focus on practicing hitting him without actually hitting him. As I make my first movement, he slides his body back just enough that I don’t make contact with his groin, which if what I felt earlier was any indication, is quite the package.
“Excellent,” he says after clearing his
