Natalie opened her copy ofTaken. She had a feeling it would be a long night.
* * *
“Arms up!”
Natalie groaned but lifted her arms in front of her.
Gabe moved fast, stepping into her body like a force four hurricane.
She deflected his punch, twisted to the right and kicked her foot toward his kneecap.
He spun away and finally stood still. “You’re learning.”
Natalie dropped to the ground. Sweat dripped down her face and splattered against her arm. “This isn’t what I imagined when you offered to show me how to defend myself.”
“You’re on a fast-track program.” Gabe grinned.
“My mother always said I was an overachiever.” Natalie rolled over and groaned. She’d landed butt first on the ground so many times that she was sure she’d have a permanently bruised bottom. “I thought you might have been a little rusty after leaving the police force.”
Gabe held out his hand. “It’s like riding a bike. Once you’ve learned how you never forget.”
She wrapped her hand around his wrist. He pulled her upright, setting her on her feet as if she were as light as a feather.
For the third day in a row she’d learned two things. One, she was unfit. Two, Gabe’s smile was every bit as lethal as his self-defense moves.
“When you punch with your right arm, throw your whole shoulder into it. You’ve got more strength in the left-hand side of your body and it leaves you vulnerable.”
“Yes, sir.” If she could have lifted her incredibly strong left arm, she would have saluted him.
Gabe stuck his hands on his hips. “Caleb thinks these classes might be too much.”
“What gave him that idea?” Natalie stretched her arms in front of her. She bit her lip, determined not to groan twice in as many minutes.
“He saw the way you were hobbling around the dinner table last night.”
“I’m using muscles I didn’t know I had, that’s all. After I have a hot shower, I’ll feel much better.”
Gabe didn’t look as though he believed her. “If I’m going too fast, I can slow down.”
Natalie knelt on the ground and stretched her hamstrings. “You don’t need to do that,” she wheezed. “I’ll be okay.”
Sherlock ambled across the back yard, sitting beside her as she slowly stretched the other leg.
“You should keep this.” Gabe shoved his hand under her nose.
She stared at the small, wooden whistle. “I can’t do that. Your dad made it for you.”
“If something happens and you need help, Sherlock will find you.”
“Nothing will happen to me. Between what we’re doing and the police investigation, the stalker doesn’t stand a chance.” She closed Gabe’s hand around the whistle. “Keep it somewhere safe.”
As soon as their fingers touched, she knew she’d made a mistake. She was attracted to him and it would spoil their friendship.
Falling for her neighbor was a definite no-no. Especially when that neighbor was hiding from someone with mental health issues.
She picked up her towel and pulled herself to her feet. “Have you heard from the detective in New York City?”
“They found some fingerprints on the furniture at the warehouse. The FBI is running them through their database.”
