Page 27 of Surge

He caught her shoulder. She put her hand in his elbow, drew him close. Her sweet-smelling shampoo swept over him. He jumped back, straightened his shirt. “You’ve got it. But no gentleness. Be assertive.”

Garrett took her shoulder again. Her hand hit his elbow like a karate chop.

A huge smile lit her face. “Assertive, right?”

“Perfect.” They high-fived.

She tossed the braid behind her back. “Okay, what’s the next move?”

“We haven’t finished this move.” He took her hand, rubbed his index finger in the L of her thumb.

Her deep-brown eyes widened.

He let go. “That part of your hand? It’s your weapon.”

She looked at her hand like she’d never seen it before. “A weapon.”

He put the L of her hand at his throat. “Ninety-degree angle. Clothesline the jerk like this.” He eased her hand against his throat and stepped backward, dropped her hand.

She bounced on her toes. “My hand in your elbow pulls you close enough I can reach your throat with my other hand.”

“That’s it. Let’s try it slow motion.”

He reached for her shoulder but stepped back. “When a bad guy approaches, hold your hands up like you’re innocent.”

“I see what you mean. The innocent-hands move puts your hand in the right position if he grabs you.”

“And do not lose his eyes. Maintain eye contact.”

“Got it.”

He caught her shoulder, and Delaney put up her hands, pushing down into the crook of his elbow. He stepped closer, and she put the L of her hand on his throat, breaking his hold.

“Good. Again.” After the fifth try, he shot her a high five. “Way to go. Now, let’s try it at street speed.”

Her jaw dropped. “I don’t want to hurt you.”

Hurting him was her concern? “You won’t.”

“Are you sure?”

He snatched at her shoulder, and she karate-chopped his arm, pressed her hand against his throat. Surge jumped out from under the table with a warning growl.

Garrett looked at the MWD.

Delaney’s other hand pushed against his chest and sent him backward. He fell on the floor against the wall. Surge jumped on him, his snout against Garrett’s nose as he unleashed a preternatural growl.

Garrett curled his head down as much as he could with the MWD’s weight on his shoulders.

“Surge, out!” She caught his collar and pulled him off. “Sorry. Let me secure him.” She tethered the dog to one of the table legs. “Should’ve done that before we started.”

“Just glad he didn’t go for the jugular.” Garrett chuckled, sat back against the wall. Apparently, touching her was not the thing to do with Surge anywhere nearby.

Delaney joined him, reached for the waters and handed him his. “I told you I didn’t want to hurt you.”

“When I grabbed your shoulders, you didn’t worry, you just acted, right?”

She gave a slow nod. “Good thing for me to learn.”

---