“Are you awake now?” she asked.
Blayze took a better look at her, realizing she was already dressed for the day. Some workout clothes—spandex shorts, a tank top, and a pair of gym shoes. “I ran on the treadmill this morning, and I thought that this might be a good time for you to show me those self-defense moves you talked about, while I’m already warmed up.”
“What time is it?” he asked, letting his eyes close once more.
“Ten thirty.”
His eyes snapped back open. “Maybe I really did fall asleep,” he mumbled.
“Oh, you did,” she assured. “You were out like a light when I woke up.”
Blayze used that tidbit to convince himself he wasn’t as tired as he thought. “Okay,” he said through a yawn and stretch. “I’ll be there in a minute.”
“All right. See you down stairs.” She made her way down the spiral staircase, and Blayze took a moment to find whatever it was he needed to keep his hands off her. An image of her father floated to mind, doing the job in a blink. He’d been hired to keep Sophia safe, not make out with her whenever they had a moment to themselves.
He hurried and got dressed, reminding himself of all the hours spent chopping the downed trees in the back yard in an effort to keep his distance and let Sophia have hers. All of it lost in one weak moment by the sink.
Anamazingmoment. But weak all the same. No worries. Blayze had rebuilt his resolve, and he was ready to go. Time to face the kryptonite once again.
* * *
Sophia eyed the tall forest of redwoods as she waited for Blayze. It was a beautiful day. Plenty of sun, hidden as it might be by the redwoods; it was there just the same. She could feel the warmth of it penetrating her very soul as she inhaled.
Last night Sophia had slept like a baby, the sensation of Blayze’s incredible kiss at her lips. The knowledge that he did, in fact, have feelings for her. Today she felt Capable. Ready to take on the world. Or at least, the self-defense training Blayze planned to give her.
She closed her eyes, lifted her chin to the sky, and pulled in another breath of the deep, woodsy scent, loving how much it smelled like Blayze. So masculine. If the word handsome could describe a smell, that’s what it was. Manly and appealing in every sense of the word.
The sound of the porch door opening said Blayze had made it downstairs. “Yeah,” she heard him holler to Roman. “I’ll take one. Thanks.”
“You want the works?” came Roman from the kitchen.
“Sure. Sounds great.”
“Fresh omelet?” Sophia asked, already knowing what Roman was offering.
“Yeah. Who knew the guy liked to cook?”
She laughed. “I knew.”
Blayze nodded. “Well, I’ll keep this short so we can get to those omelets.” He clapped his hands before rubbing them together.
Sophia sensed he wanted to rush through their time for a different reason, but she didn’t call him on it. “He’ll be a while,” she assured instead. “He’s dicing peppers, onions, mushrooms… things he plans to sauté before starting the eggs.”
“Oh.” Blayze wiped his forehead with the back of his arm. He looked good today. A pair of sport shorts and a sleeveless jersey, the dark blue color toying with the lighter blue of his eyes. “Let’s see… where do I usually start with this…?”
“You’ve done this before?” Sophia asked.
He nodded. “A few other clients and uh, all the ladies in my mom’s Bible study.”
Sophia grinned. “That sounds like you, Blayze Brockton. Such an honorable man.”
He gulped, went back to rubbing his hands for a second before perking up. “Okay, a few simple things to start. If you somehow get taken by someone against your will and put into handcuffs of some sort…” He stopped there. Shook his head. “This is dumb. We probably don’t need to even do it because I’m not going to let you out of my sight.”
“I know,” she assured. “But this is just in case. Okay? Besides, you did this for your mom’s church group; I’m sure none of them were under any certain threat. These are just good things for women to know, right?”
Blayze closed his eyes longer than a normal blink would warrant, shaking his head slightly. “You’re right. So, if someone straps your wrists together, in front or behind you, there might be a way to get out.”
“How?” she asked.
