Page 60 of Holding Out For A Holiday Hero

She nodded.

“Good.” He pressed a kiss to the back of her head. “I want you to understand that it doesn’t matter how much bigger your opponent is. Everyone has a weak spot.”

“Even you?” Her soft question.

“Hell, yes.” You are my weak spot. “If someone is covering your mouth and you want that creep’s hand gone, you reach for the weak spot.” Carefully, he put his hand over her mouth. “The pinky, sweets. Do you know how easily a pinky breaks? You grab it, and you wrench it as hard as you can. When you yank that pinky and it breaks, that might be enough to distract the bastard so you can get away. His weak spot.”

Her hand rose up. Her fingers curled over his pinky.

“Good. Now, if I were attacking, you would twist that digit back as hard as you can. If his grip eases on your waist because he’s battling pain and surprise, you haul ass away, understand? The goal is to always get away.”

“Yes.” Her hand fell back down to her side.

“Next lesson.” The scent of strawberries filled his nose. “Head, knees, and elbows. Those are the hardest parts of your body, and they are the ones that can cause fast, rough damage to an attacker. If the prick has you from behind and your hands aren’t free, then slam your head back as hard as you can. You might break his nose. You might just hurt him like hell and that will make him loosen his grip. Like I said, the goal is always for you to get free. You can also take your elbow and shove it back.” He pulled her elbow back, showing her exactly how to target her attack. “I know the attack at the museum happened fast, and there was little time to think. Don’t worry about thinking. Just act. Just attack.”

He went through drills with her, showing her again and again just how to get free of his holds. Her body still trembled, but she followed his directions perfectly.

“Attacks are often about balance,” he told her. “Just because someone is bigger, it doesn’t mean you can’t take their ass down.” He moved in front of her. “Front attack,” Jake explained. “I’m coming at you, and your goal is to use my own momentum against me so that you can drop me to the floor.”

“That’s not going to work. There is no way I can drop you.” She seemed definite.

“It will work.” He was equally definite. “Lean away from the attack.”

Biting her lower lip, she eased her upper body back.

“When I grab for you, you also grab for me. Get your hands on my arm or on my shirt and you pull me toward you and down.”

She stared at him with her intense gaze.

“Reposition your leg. Slide it behind mine. That’s going to help throw off my balance. You’ll trip me.” He showed her where to place her leg so that it was now behind his. “It’s the unexpected that will work for you. You can get your attacker on the ground, and you can run.”

She never took her gaze off him. “There is no way I’m getting you on the floor.”

“Try it,” he urged. She wouldn’t believe it until it happened. So it had to happen. “You get me off-balance, then you get away. You haul ass and run.” He pulled his hands back to his sides. Took a deep breath. Then he grabbed for her in a sudden lunge.

True’s hands flew up. They curled around his arm. She yanked him toward her even as horror flashed on her face. Her leg hooked behind his. And he?—

“Jake!”

He slammed down on the rug.

Immediately, she crouched beside him. Her hair fell forward as her hands pressed to his chest. “Are you okay?”

“Sweets.” His chest ached. He lifted a hand and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. “Didn’t I say you were supposed to haul ass and run? Stopping to make sure your attacker is okay isn’t part of the game plan.”

She licked her lips. What could have been amazement filled her eyes. “I got you on the floor.”

“Yeah, you did. And it was sexy as hell.”

Her gaze darted over him, and then, shocking him—delighting him—True climbed on top of him. She straddled him, one knee going on either side of his body. “I didn’t run because I don’t want to get away, not from you.”

Be careful what you say.

Her hands were still on his chest. He was still right under her. Like he wanted to get up. Hell, no. He wanted to stay exactly where they were. Though, it would be a bonus if their clothes were gone. And he was, oh, say…slamming home inside of her.

“What happens when the case is over?” True asked suddenly. Then she bit her lower lip. “I shouldn’t have asked. Forget it.”

He would forget nothing when it came to her. “Ice skating.” A nod. “Though I should warn you, I can’t skate for shit.”

---