Page 65 of Dark Knight

Fuck, I'm a glutton for punishment. There's no other explanation.

"Really?" The hope in her breathless voice makes me glad I offered, even if the price will be a boner from hell.

"Yes, but the second you kick me in the side, your ass is going back in your bed."

"I don't kick in my sleep, loser." She's like a happy little girl, full of relief and willing to promise anything so long as it means she's not alone. Me, on the other hand? All I can do is regret my weakness as I lie down on my back and wait for her to curl up beside me, her head on my shoulder. Even though there's plenty of room and she doesn't need to be so close. My lips part and I'm prepared to tell her to back off, but my heart lurches in my chest at the thought of shattering her at a moment like this. When she's this vulnerable and close. It doesn't help one fucking bit that it feels good either and that I really don't want her to back off. I don't want to be alone either, but I know better than to touch her or pull her closer. Tatum can't give me the comfort I need, nor should she. She deserves better, more. Her warmth radiates into my side, and that's enough for me. Against my better judgment, I suck her sweet scent into my lungs: lavender and chamomile.

Calmness washes over me, my heart rate slowing as I give into her presence.

"Thank you," she mumbles in the middle of a yawn. I don't trust myself to say anything, so I settle for a grunt. Soon, her breathing goes slow and steady, and her head becomes heavier as she settles into sleep.

Sleep won't come to me, I know, so I stare at the ceiling, letting my thoughts percolate, wondering if someone was really following her after all. She's jumped to conclusions before, but I've worked with Callum long enough to know there's no such thing as a coincidence. She was terrified tonight, enough to seek out the comfort of a man she despises. This wasn't random.

Did Jeff send someone to look for her, and if he did, how the hell did they find her?

I can't seem to think about anything else, and even as the sun peeks over the horizon, I'm still thinking about it. I've done everything I can to protect her, yet somehow, it seems like I'm letting her down. She mewls softly in her sleep, her body molding against mine, and I don't have the heart to move away.

CHAPTER22

TATUM

"Self-defense is easier than you think."

We're standing in the middle of the basement dressed in shorts and T-shirts, facing off like we're about to do battle, and this is how he chooses to lead off my first self-defense lesson. I tip my head to the side. "Seriously? Self-defense is easier than I think?"

His jaw works and I know I'm in trouble, but really. He's had days to think about this, and that's all he could come up with? Good thing he never considered a career as a motivational speaker. "Could you not? We haven't even gotten started yet, and you're already picking at stupid shit and wasting time."

"Sorry, sorry." He's right. I mean, I'm not going to say that out loud, but he is. I'm nervous about this. Ever since he told me to be ready this afternoon for my first self-defense lesson, my stomach's been in knots. Not because I'm nervous about learning some moves but because I knew it would mean being close to him.

And I want to be. My whole body craves his touch so much that I have to fight not to lean in closer when he steps up until we're toe-to-toe. It's not enough to feel the warmth of his body, just like it wasn't enough to fall asleep with my head on his shoulder a couple of nights back. I haven't been able to get it out of my head. His musky scent, the way it filled my senses. The firmness of his shoulder, the way his chest rose and fell with every breath. How I longed to press my lips to his bare skin. How I longed to do so much more than that. Looking back, I'm glad I fell asleep as quickly as I did. Things could have gotten very awkward, very fast.

"Now." He's breathing slowly, his blue eyes locked on mine and threatening to erase every conscious thought from my mind. "I'm going to take you through a few basic lessons in anatomy."

Not exactly sexy, but that's for the best. "I thought you were going to teach me self-defense."

"And first, you're going to learn about the weakest parts of the body."

"I already know about that." I lower my gaze to his crotch and ignore the hunger that stirs in my core.

"That's not what I'm talking about."

"So I could kick you in the balls right now, and it wouldn't matter?"

"Would you focus?" he grits out. "There's work I could be doing right now."

"Oh, pardon me. I don't want to get in the way of your important work." If anything, I'm glad he said it. He reminded me of my place. I'm just another job.

"Sure," he continues, rolling his eyes. "It would hurt like hell if you kicked me in the balls. But that's obvious. And an attacker is going to expect that, so he will pull his hips back until you can't reach that part of his body." He places his hands on my shoulders then pulls his hips back. "Go ahead, try it. Try to kick me in the balls."

"Are you kidding?"

"Give it a shot."

Well, he asked for it. It's not like I've never fantasized about how much I'd love to deliver a good kick where it would hurt the most. Except he's right. When I lift my knee, he pulls his hips back and increases the pressure on my shoulders. "See, what happens is, I end up putting more force on you to keep my balance. Did you notice?"

"A little. But I can just duck real quick and get away." And I do, dropping to a quick crouch and hopping backward while his arms fall to his sides. "I'm a ninja."

Would it kill him to crack a smile? "That was only for the purposes of a demonstration. If I were doing this for real, out in the world, I wouldn't do it like that."

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