After another few tense seconds, Blade gave a sharp nod. “We’ll start now.”
“Now?” she squeaked. That wasn't the response she’d been expecting.
“You really want to do this?”
“I have to,” she answered honestly. “If I don’t, I'm always going to be vulnerable. I know I'll always be smaller than most assailants, but I want to at least know I stand a chance. I don’t want to be helpless ever again.”
Whitney couldn’t help but shudder as all the moments people bigger and stronger than her had used that to their advantage. Blade was amongst them, but like she’d told Rose and Cassandra, she knew he wasn't a monster and understood why he’d done what he did to her.
What she felt for him was … too complicated for her to consider.
Her body responded to his with a womanly hum that she’d never experienced before. Her head knew that he was a potential threat because of who she was and what she’d done, and her heart yearned to have a man like him look at her the way Steel looked at Rose, and the way Dragon looked at Cassandra.
Wishful thinking was what it was. Not only was he never going to look at her with fiery, passionate affection, he certainly didn't want to have sex with someone like her who was so inexperienced she’d never even been kissed.
But he could give her this, and it would have to be enough.
“Okay, now,” she agreed.
“Change into something comfortable that you can move easily in, and we’ll head down to the gym.”
Instead of leaving the room to let her change, he merely turned his back, and her cheeks flamed as she scrambled through her bag and settled on a pair of leggings and a T-shirt. That should work, and without her even telling him she was done, he seemed to know, because he headed out of the room so sure she would follow.
Which she did.
They headed through the house, her gaze constantly roaming, worrying they would run into one of the others. Although they’d all been in the kitchen last night while she ate, she wasn't comfortable around them. They were too big, too strong, too powerful, and they had every reason to want to use that on her.
Thankfully, they didn't see anyone, and they ended up in a huge basement gym with equipment everywhere and a large mat in the center. Blade headed right there. He moved so confidently, aware of his strength and his skills, and prepared to use them any time they were necessary.
Unlike her.
She was never confident, and while she knew she had skills, they weren't the ones she wanted. Her high IQ helped in some situations, but all it had ever gotten her was locked away as someone’s lab slave.
“We’re going to start by working on how you break out of some common holds,” Blade started. “We’ll need to build up your strength and stamina, so I’ll write up a daily workout plan that will include some self-defense training. But today, let’s work on some basics. Come over here,” he prompted when she stayed right where she was.
Tentatively, she stepped onto the mat, closing the distance between them. This close, she could all but feel the power rollingoff him in waves, and for a second, she doubted herself. This had to be a bad idea, didn't it?
Crazy though it was, she was attracted to this man. He terrified her, there was no doubt about that, but he hadn't left her, he’d saved her life, and last night he’d fought his own teammate to protect her from Dragon’s wrath. Maybe he wasn't a genuine ally, but he was the closest she’d ever had.
“First thing to know is, given your small size, you are never going to be able to beat down any attacker, so that’s not your goal. Your goal is to just get away. That’s it. You do what is needed to get free, and then you run. And you always,always, scream for help. You would be surprised at the number of attackers who’ll abandon a target if that person screams, because screams draw unwanted attention.”
“Always scream, I can do that,” she squeaked, already intimidated by this large man, and he hadn't even touched her yet.
“Second thing to know, is this isn’t about brute forcing your way free. That won't work. Again, you're too small. This is about using your head and outsmarting anyone stupid enough to come after you. You should be good at that, shouldn’t you, darlin’? With that big brain of yours.”
His fingers swept across her temples, their touch featherlight, but still she shivered, warmth pooling low in her belly, tingles between her legs.
This man made her feel all sorts of out of control, and usually she hated that, but something about this kind of out of control felt good, empowering even.
“How do I do that?” she asked, a little breathily as he moved behind her.
“You want to catch him by surprise,” he answered. “Throw your center of gravity in a direction he’d not expect, make himhave to adjust his grip to keep his hold on you, and then you fight dirty.”
Why did that word have her conjuring up sweaty bodies, claiming kisses, and all-consuming pleasure?
Pushing those thoughts away, Whitney gasped when Blade suddenly banded an arm around her chest, pinning her against him. For a second, she panicked. Her limbs flailed, or tried to, as she attempted to wriggle her way out of his hold.
“Smart, darlin’, not strong,” he reminded her, and she forced herself to still, to take deep breaths and control the fear.
