Ah. She’s regressing.I clench my jaw and jerk my head for her to follow me, ignoring how much her subservience gets under my skin. I walk through the camp until we get to a clearing where I’ve set up a small training area, Delilah silent behind me. “If you insist on returning to New Athens, you’re at least gonna learn how to defend yourself.”
She must sense the irritation in my tone—it’s impossible to miss, really—because she finally looks up with wide eyes. “What would I possibly need to defend myself against?” Her voice is sickly sweet.
I glare at her. “Don’t bullshit me.”
She smiles and bats her eyelashes. “Whatever do you mean, sir?”
I practically growl. “Fists up. Let me see you throw a punch.” I hold out my flattened palm for her to target.
She does as she’s told, hitting my hand with her closed fist with barely any force and absolutely no fervor.
I grab her fist. “Not like that. You’ll break your thumb.” I reposition her fingers so her thumb is on the outside of her fist. “Again.”
She bites the inside of her cheek, probably holding back some smart-ass quip. She punches my hand again, a little more forcefully this time. Even so, it would do absolutely nothing against a real assailant.
I move to stand behind her. I wrap my hands around her waist and lean down to speak in her ear. “Tighten your core. All the power comes from here.” Closing my hand around her fist, I pull her arm back, showing her the correct form. “Rotate your torso as you swing your arm, letting your fist become an extension of your body.”
She shivers against me, taking a shaky breath.
“Again.” I get back into position, a challenge in my eyes as a war takes place behind her own—a war between the woman she was raised to be and the woman we both know she is. Ultimately, the fire I saw the first time we met blazes deep within her gaze, and she sets her jaw. Fist cocked and feet planted firmly, Delilah punches my palm once more.
A proud smile stretches across my face as I shake my hand out. “Better.”
She bites her lip and looks down, hiding her own smile.
“If you can, you’ll want to go for the throat. It will disable your attacker faster and for a longer period of time. Punching a face will likely bruise or break your knuckles, so softer spots like the stomach are more ideal if you want to avoid injury.”
She nods, soaking up the information. “What about the crotch?”
I nod. “If you can get a clean shot to the groin, take it. But it’s easier to block a kick and throw you off balance.” Her brow furrows, like she’s trying to picture it. “I’ll show you. Kick me.”
“I don’t want to hurt you.”
“You won’t.”
“But what if—”
“Just kick me, darlin’.”
She shakes her head, like she can’t quite believe we’re arguing about this. Finally, she gets into position and kicks up toward my crotch. I catch her foot by the ankle, rotating her leg so she’s forced to hop to keep her balance. “See?” I drop her foot.
“Got it.”
“In hand-to-hand combat, distance is your friend. If your opponent gets you pinned, it’s much harder to escape. They could easily strangle you, especially since they’ll likely have a size advantage.”
“Can you show me?” She bites her lip.
I quirk a brow. “Are you sure?”
A quick nod. “Do it.”
“As you wish.” I raise my chin, inviting her to make the first move.
Delilah wastes no time putting what she’s just learned to use. She throws a punch toward my stomach, and while her form is decent, I still easily block the blow, catching her fist in my hand. She tries to kick me, but I angle my body away and block that too. I pull hertoward me and she surprises me by punching out with her other hand. It lands on my side, but it doesn’t do anything to stop me from tackling her to the ground as gently as I can manage. I cover her body with mine, pinning her arms above her head as both our chests heave with effort. She wiggles beneath me, panting as she tries to get free.
The friction between our bodies increases, and the blood pumping so furiously through my body flows straight to my dick. I’m growing harder by the second, like a goddamn teenager who’s never felt the touch of a woman. Her eyes widen when she feels my erection pressing into her pelvis, but neither of us move.
My eyes move down to her lips, and hers do the same to mine. Her tongue darts out, and it takes considerable strength for me to refrain from taking her bottom lip between my teeth. She lifts her chin slightly and angles her head, almost like shewantsme to act on the desire so clearly clouding my judgement.
