“You need to worry more about your feet,” he said. “The way you’re standing, a strong breeze could knock you over. Try putting your feet shoulder width apart, toes pointing toward me.”
She put her arms down and did what he said. Owen slowly curled around behind her as he spoke.
“The first rule in defending yourself is try not to be put in a position where you’ll have to do so. Stay aware of your surroundings at all times. You never know where danger lurks.”
He was at her back now, and a shiver ran down her spine as she felt his breath on the back of her neck. She understood his meaning. He thought he was dangerous, and the rumors she’d heard at the restaurant certainly made that seem true, but she refused to believe that he’d ever hurt her. His hands came to her shoulders and he slid them down her arms.
“If you can’t avoid danger and someone gets close enough to put their hands on you, go for their vulnerable spots. Eyes, nose, throat. All soft and easily injured.”
“So I should punch someone there if they attack me?”
“Using a fist could hurt your hand. You’d be better off with a palm strike.” He was pressed up right behind her as he took her wrist and held it up. “You want to rotate your shoulder back and put as much force as possible behind throwing your hand forward, fingers up and the heel of your palm facing out. Go for the nose.”
He moved her body through the motion in a shockingly intimate way. Her heart raced as she let him control her like this. His warmth seeped into her, and she inhaled his spicy cologne. She could feel that he was hard. Her belly fluttered and she was suddenly much less interested in learning self defense.
Turning in his arms, she boldly made a move, popping up on her toes to press her lips to his. Owen responded immediately, his arms coming around her to pull her body flush against his. She was hungry for him, so desperate to get closer that she dropped her hands to his belt and started opening it. She wasn’t wasting time.
Owen’s tongue dominated her mouth, and his hands groped every part of her, but as soon as she got his pants open, she pulled away from his kiss and dropped to her knees. He went still as he stared down at her.
“What are you-”
His question was cut off by his own moaning as she pulled out his cock and swiped her tongue over the tip. There was a bead of moisture there, and something about the salty taste made her body hum with pleasure. Wrapping her hand around the base of his erection, she opened wide and took as much of him into her mouth as she could.
“Oh, fuck,” he barked out, his hands going to her head. He didn’t push her down further onto his cock, but his fingers did intwine in her hair as she started to work her mouth up and down. Her hand stroked the part she couldn’t fit inside, and it didn’t take long for her to find her rhythm. His other hand came around to the back of her thigh, holding on.
The noises Owen made turned her on more than anything ever had before. Gasps and moans filled the large gym, and kept her going even when her jaw started to ache.
“I’m close, sweetheart,” he said, his hands tightening in her hair. “So fucking close.”
Suddenly, he was holding her in place and thrusting himself into her mouth. She gagged at first, but she forced her throat to relax and her hand kept him from going too deep. His hips snapped forward in fast, uneven thrusts until he groaned deep in his throat and came.
She looked up at him as he released into her mouth, loving the way that he looked as he orgasmed. The cords of muscle in his neck stood out and his face screwed up, his lips parted. His abs tightened, and he finally looked down at her right at the end, his eyes burning into her as she swallowed every drop.
When he released her head, she rose to her feet, unable to keep the slightly smug smile off her face. There was something so empowering about making a man like Owen come undone that she couldn’t help feeling proud of herself.
He tucked himself away and swept her up into his arms. She let out a yelp of surprise as her legs were knocked out from under her, and then he was carrying her bridal style out of the room.
“What are you doing?” she asked with a light laugh.
“We haven’t finished the tour yet.”
“I see. And what do you plan to show me next?”
“The master bathroom. I think you’re going to love the shower.”
She had a feeling he was right about that.
* * *
Hours later, Ruby awoke to the sound of pounding in the middle of the night. She sat up with a gasp in Owen’s bed, clutching the sheet to her naked chest as she took a second to get her bearing and register the the sound she heard was frantic knocking coming from downstairs.
Blinking, she turned to Owen who was already slipping out of the bed. The room was dark, but the small amount of illumination from the moonlight coming in through the window allowed her to see him open his nightstand and grab a handgun.
Her blood ran cold at the sight of it. What was it he said at the restaurant? For protection? Just in case?
It made sense, but it didn’t sound true then and she didn’t believe it now. There was something about Owen that made her think he knew how to use a gun like that and had done so before.
“Stay here,” he said. She couldn’t even respond as a million thoughts raced through her mind. He didn’t stick around to hear what she had to say anyway.
