Her heart stopped for a split second and then fired into overdrive. Kate shoved Celine away and ducked sideways, slammed her palm into his wrist and rolled her body around him. She grabbed the barrel of the gun, squeezed his pressure point with her other and ripped the pistol from his grip. Ethan didn't hesitate, but countered with a leg sweep and knocked her to the ground. The pistol went flying and Kate scrambled to her feet.
“Good, you've managed to disarm me. What's next?”
She didn't know. Her mind whirled, the possible scenarios playing out like broken movies in her mind. Kate lunged and Ethan moved to the left so that she stumbled past him. “Wrong move.”
Kate spun to see Ethan holding Celine, arm raised to strike. “What did you do wrong?”
“I attacked,” Kate's frustration only fueled the need to do it again.
“Wrong. You didn't think. Remember, your best weapon is your intelligence. Again.” Ethan released Celine back to Kate's care and she immediately shoved the girl behind her.
“I thought you were supposed to be teaching me,” Kate ground out between clenched teeth, her chest heaving.
“It's called immersion, and this is how you learn to focus.” They continued the slow circling, Ethan jumping into a false lunge, but Kate held back, refusing to take his bait.
The next time Ethan dove, he kept coming. Kate felt the moment her training kicked in. She sidestepped his lunge and threw a double-fisted punch down on Ethan's back, using all her weight to drive him to the ground. Unfortunately, that seemed to be exactly what he'd expected her to do. He circled around, hooked an arm around her waist and pinned her to the ground. “I read your moves before you even acted. You can't be that obvious or your enemy will do the same thing.”
Kate heaved, her breath sawing like hot coals in and out of her chest as she tried to ignore the sinking sensation that she was in way over her head. That was twice now Ethan pinned her down, easily trapping her against the mat beneath his rock hard body. She couldn't focus on anything, her normally controlled mind in chaos from his nearness, her body heavy not with pain from the impact, but with pleasure. “Get off me.”
She bucked against him, felt the obvious swelling in his pants press against her stomach and she froze as every ounce of awareness pooled there. Ethan's gaze bored into hers and she lost all ability to think. She'd never reacted so strongly to a man. Why now? Why him? How was she ever going to concentrate on her training if all she could think about was jumping his bones?
He lowered his head within an inch of hers and said, “Your enemy has you pinned to the ground. For all you know, his partner has already made off with your target, what do you do?”
His voice came out cold and distant, but Kate felt just how hot he was. If he could shove his feelings aside, so could she. She was a fast learner.
Kate softened and tilted her chin down to stare up at him through lowered lashes. “Ethan?”
His gaze went dark and he focused on her mouth. She licked her lips. “I can’t think with you this close,” she whispered, skating the fine line of control and desire, fighting the urge to give in and lift up and take his lips in the scorching kiss they demanded.
If possible, his ice blue eyes turned to midnight. She sensed the moment his training fell to the onslaught of desire. Desire they both felt.
Her carefully crafted plan to seduce him into distraction backfired and she found herself reaching for him instead of tackling him. God, she wanted him more than anything she’d ever wanted in her entire life.
A tremble worked through him and she felt it all the way to her core. Unbidden her fingers traced his jaw, his beard abrading her already sensitive skin. But it was his mouth that held her captive. She wanted to taste him. To find out if her dreams were as sweet as reality.
Ethan ducked his head and breathed out her name, “Kate.”
He drew closer. She yearned for his touch. His breaths fanned across her face.
Kate drew in a breath and concentrated on breaking the spell wrapped around them.Focus on the mission. Stay with the plan.
Kate swung her leg up, threw Ethan to the ground and straddled him, her arm pressed against his throat and thehidden knife she'd had tucked in her clothes pressed against his jugular. “You asked what I’d do? I would use any means at my disposal to neutralize the enemy.”
Heat sizzled between them, his harsh breaths fanned her across her face as she leaned more of her weight onto him. She expected him to erupt in anger at being bested by a girl, but Ethan shocked her and tossed her assumptions about him and his reactions right on their head.
He smiled. “That's my girl.”
Applause broke into Kate's awareness and she turned her head to see Celine and Aaron side by side clapping. Heat flooded her cheeks and she jumped to her feet, putting some much needed distance between Ethan and her treacherous body.
“You go girl!” Celine whooped.
“I thought you were supposed to be the instructor,” Aaron said to Ethan.
Any man from her past would have flushed red with rage, their manliness threatened, but not Ethan. His smile didn't waver, not one bit. And Kate found that achingly wonderful.
“I'll take her type of instruction any day,” Aaron said.
Ethan's smile disappeared and his gaze narrowed on his teammate. Kate inserted herself between the two men. “I think we're good for now.”
