Page 24 of Regally Binding

“Fine,” he replied with a half-hearted shrug and got on his knees.

Surely, Bear didn’t want every part of the class to be sexual, and yet, with this powerful man on his knees before her, the fantasies were intense.

His cheeks turned red as he looked from her eyes to her chest. He ran his tongue across his lips and pulled on the back of his neck with his hand. “Let me show you how the neck thing works,” he said with a raspy voice. “Then you try it, and we’ll get on with a different position that puts us both on our feet.”

“Okay. A different position sounds good,” Liss replied, although it was more of a squeak.

“I didn’t mean position,” he replied gruffly before clearing his throat. “A different movement, not position.”

“Stop saying position then.” If she ignored the heat between her thighs, she might be able to focus on how adorable his vulnerability was.

“What you were trying to do was grab like this,” he said as he went to punch, but suddenly Liss flinched and fell. His hand gently wrapped around her neck. He froze and whipped his hand back quickly while righting her.

Isla told her once about a guy she slept with in her first year of university who tried to grab her there as if it was a sexual act everyone was into. Not all women were into the same thing.

“Sorry, I shouldn’t have held my hand there, even momentarily. You didn’t consent to being touched like that.”

He struggled to meet her eyes and dropped his chin to his chest. He yanked his hand back from her body quickly.

“Bear?” she said softly. His head remained low, but beneath his delicate eyelashes, he met her gaze. “It’s okay. You were showing me a move.”

Hurt creased his eyes, but he didn’t look away. Liss wanted to pull this beast into a hug, but she feared he’d rear back. “I’ve had someone grip my throat before, and I hate it. I can’t talk about it. You might be into it, but that’s not a thing I do.”

He started to walk away. Liss took a deep breath. She reached for his hand and held it. He stilled, but as he turned, she could see his pulse thrumming in his neck. “It was a mistake. You and I keep making mistakes with each other. I know I joke around a lot, but I’m scared too. Please, can we keep on with the class?”

“I am sorry,” Bear replied with a sad smile. His chin trembled slightly. “Okay, where were we? Oh yeah, punching to the neck and not grabbing. You should make a fist like this.” He demonstrated with his hand almost as if he was too scared to touch her. That moment of vulnerability and honesty was a surprise. Was he grabbed through his work or something else? “Show me how you make a fist, Liss.”

They attempted it several times before changing to a couple of simple strikes she could try. He was demanding yet patient and relaxed as they tried different moves. He was at his bestwhen instructing, touching her without the fear she witnessed previously. The impromptu class while hanging out with Bear and doing something that took her mind off her new dramatic life improved her day, and her smile was reflected in his eyes.

“Come at me again,” he said, making her practice the moves like army drills.

“Were you in the army?”

“Focus, Liss,” he said as he braced himself for her attack.

She pushed her hands against her hips and refused to move.

He rolled his eyes but grinned. “No, but Strike was. He doesn’t talk about it, but he was in an elite part of the army. It’s given us good contacts, and with that and his skills, it’s enabled us to work the diplomatic and business section.” He’d finally gifted her something, although it was a shame it was about Strike and not him. “But don’t tell him that you know.”

Liss cocked her head as she positioned herself to hit. “If you weren’t in the army, what did you bring to the business?”

“Punch a little higher,” he said, moving her arms to help her with her hits. “You’re getting nosey, Princess.”

“If I’m going to trust you with my life, then I need to know your credentials.”

His eyes met hers, and his forehead wrinkled. “You make a good point. I’d want the same. Hit me again.” He moved from foot to foot.

She attempted to grab his arm, and he cut her off with a dip and a push. He was sprightly and a little hypnotic with his twists and turns.

“Right, your turn. I’ll come at you, and you need to push my arm out of the way and elbow me. Not too hard though.” He went to grab her, and she swiped for his hand but missed. “You’ve got quick reflexes, but I need you to be thinking the whole time. Watch me.”

He demonstrated the move on her again. “Got it?”

She nodded, and he went for her again.

This time, she deflected his arm and elbowed him in the shoulder. “Good. Much better, but next time, I need you to elbow me harder. We’ll try doing it faster once you know how to do it. Okay?”

She nodded, and as they practised the move, he talked. “I worked the celebrity bodyguard circuit. Initially, as a doorman, but as the places I worked got more prestige, so did the people, and through that and other stuff, I ended up specialising with different clients.”

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