Page 42 of Keeping Knight

It’s not just her body, although that’s definitely part of it. I love Ruby’s small but perfect curves and all those adorable freckles and how her curls always seem to have a mind of their own. Her amber eyes are captivating; so big and expressive and framed by the longest lashes I’ve ever seen.

And her smile. It takes my breath away every time.

But Ruby’s so much more than her appearance. She’s smart. Thoughtful. Funny, in her own quiet way. Insightful. Brave. And she makes me feel like she actually likes me for me instead of what my family’s money can give her.

After all the years of staunchly insisting single was better, maybe my mom was right. I just hadn’t met the right person yet.

“Is this right?” Ruby asks as she adjusts her stance. Her legs are apart, her right slightly ahead of her left. Her posture is outwardly relaxed but alert, and her hands rest lightly on her hips.

“Pretty much,” I reply. “Just shift your hips this way—” I turn her hips slightly to the right. “And make sure your weight is distributed evenly.”

“Okay.” She pulls her lip between her teeth as she follows my instructions. Then her gaze rises to meet mine. “Like this?”

“Perfect.” Reluctantly, I take my hands from her hips. “It might feel strange at first. But you’ll get used to it.”

Ruby blows a puff of air at a runaway curl in the center of her forehead. Her nose scrunches up as she does it, which might be one of the cutest things I’ve ever seen. “I guess I thought, going into it, I’d be standing differently. You know, like I’m ready to attack.”

“That’s what a lot of people expect,” I say, “because that’s what they see in the movies. But in real life, you don’t want to appear aggressive. You want to appear as unthreatening as possible. It makes a potential opponent underestimate you.”

She nods. “That makes sense.” Squaring her shoulders, she asks, “Now what?”

“Let’s practice the knee strike again,” I reply. Taking several steps away from her, I take on an aggressor’s stance, leaning forward with my chin down and knees bent slightly. “I’m not going to do anything. You come at me when you’re ready.”

This is our third lesson, so we’ve already reviewed stances, plus the classic knee strike to the groin and palm strike to the face. We’ve also discussed situational awareness—like how small cues like an awkward gait or avoidance of eye contact could signal potential aggression.

Ruby looks at me with concern. “Are you sure you don’t want a cushion or something? What if I hurt you?”

“You didn’t hurt me last time,” I remind her. And she’s not likely to. I won’t say that part because I don’t want to undermine her confidence. But the chances of Ruby actually hurting me are close to zero. Maybe if I had my eyes closed, and I was wearing earplugs, and my hands were tied behind my back… Even then, I doubt it.

“But I was just learning it last time,” she presses. “Now I’ve gotten some practice.”

“Rue.” I smile. “Don’t worry. Whatever you do, I can handle it.”

She studies me for a second. “Okay.” Then she rolls her neck and shakes out her arms. “Don’t laugh if I mess it up.”

“I won’t laugh. And don’t worry about messing it up. That’s what practice is for.”

Ruby takes a step back. Her features pinch in concentration. She takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly. Then, after another quick exhale, she comes at me.

As she moves, I analyze her technique. Posture is good; a little off balance but easily correctible. Her arms come up in a defensive position. When she’s close enough to me, her knee jerks up, just as instructed. But she pulls her strike at the last second, reducing the force significantly.

I block her knee from hitting me with one hand and grab for her shoulder with the other, making sure she doesn’t lose her balance. Once she’s steady on her feet, I say, “You pulled it, Rue. You don’t need to do that. I want you to hit me as hard as you can.”

She sighs. “I know. But I got nervous. I don’t want to hurt you.”

“You won’t. I promise.”

“But if I hit⁠—”

“Ruby.” I put my hands on her shoulders. “Trust me. I spent years training in martial arts. I still spar with the guys a few times a month. You are not going to hurt me.”

A line of frustration etches between her brows. “You probably think I’m being dumb. You were this kick-butt Special Forces soldier. And I’m pretty much the opposite of that. I just can’t help worrying.” Her gaze goes earnest. “I would feel horrible if I ever hurt you, Micah.”

My heart tugs. “You won’t.” Then I lean forward and kiss her forehead. “Now. Try it again. As hard as you can. I know you can do it.”

Ruby stares at me. Then she gives a little nod. “Okay.”

And the next time she tries, she doesn’t hold back. I still block her knee, because I’m not really in the mood to take a hit to my balls, but her knee smacks my palm with a firm blow that would definitely surprise an unprepared opponent.