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“Hmm.” Alex pondered her apology, then grinned. “But it’s not going to change your behavior, is it?”

Madison considered the gravity of his question. If she said it wouldn’t, she could be fired for something buried deep within the employee manual, where under no circumstances could an employee ever put D.G.I. in any form of risk. On the other hand, if she said her behavior would change, well, it would be an outright lie. And she was no liar. She slowly replied, “I’m not going to be a captive of my own fear, if that’s the question.”

Alex connected to her determined display of a tough exterior, perhaps relating a little too well. “Let me tell you what I think, Ms. Taylor.” Madison braced for impact, grabbing the back of a conference chair for support. Her eyes grew big as he headed towards her. “I’ve been replaying what I saw yesterday, and something about it is really bugging me.” He stepped closer, barely an arm’s length away. “May I?” He eyed her arm, but she wasn’t clear what he wanted, so she held it out as if to shake his hand. He took her forearm in his strong grasp, the surprise causing her to gasp slightly, with a subtle tingling running throughout her core. “When you pulled away yesterday, you were wearing a very flimsy blouse.”

She snapped indignantly at what he seemed to be suggesting. “I didn’t invite him to grab me if that’s what you’re getting at.” She tried pulling her arm away, but it was hopelessly locked in his grip.

“No. No, what I mean is the fabric wasn’t very, um, substantial. If you really did break away from him, his hand would have closed, and he’d be left clutching your blouse. It would have torn by the time your arm swung into my chest. See” He demonstrated with her blouse sleeve.

She caught on, and she began nodding with the epiphany. “He let me go.”

Alex nodded, content she understood. “He let you go. He used the momentum of your pull to push your arm into my chest.” With that, he pulled her arm into his chest, replaying the events of the day before. She could feel his muscles solidly beneath the shirt. She was too engulfed in the moment to notice yesterday, but today every muscle was apparent. Big time. The move made her a little weak in the knees.

He proceeded with his lecture. “Whenever you’re in a situation like that, and hopefully you’ll never be again, you need to take a moment and look at his hand.” He began displaying the position of his hand, drawing attention to more than his lesson. Despite his pristine manicure, his hands were roughly scarred. She wondered what would have caused such a canvas of wounds ... likely the superficial evidence of a much deeper damage.

“Focus on the thumb. That’s your escape strategy. You’re going to reverse karate chop out through there in one quick motion . . .” He prodded her to try it, and she did, quickly freeing her arm. He replaced his hand around her arm, methodically bringing in one finger at a time, then firming his grip. “Is that too tight?”

“N-no, it’s fine.” She felt a slight blush warming her neck and face. Something about this was turning her on more than she’d ever admit. Jesus,this isn’t a date, Madison. He’s taking time out from his insanely busy schedule to not fire you and possibly save your life. Focus.

“Now, try,” he encouraged, his eyes twinkling as he spoke. She tugged a little towards the thumb-exit, but nothing. She tried harder, much less politely, but no dice. Then she really struggled to try to free herself, playfully popping her foot up to nearly touch his thigh for a second, pantomiming an act of significant effort. Amused at this sprite trying to wrestle free from his giant hold, he feigned a yawn while effortlessly maintaining his grip.

“Okay, okay ... I can’t get loose,” she admitted in defeat.

“Right. And with a behemoth like that guy yesterday, if he wanted to keep you held, he’d still have you in his grubby talons. So, you’re going to do something unexpected that won’t take much strength. Not that you’re not strong, but your aggressor will probably be stronger. A lot stronger. So, you’re going to block your natural tendencies to pull away, and surprise him with a swift little move that should put him on the ground. Ready?”

“Ready,” Madison replied unconvincingly, not that she wasn’t up for the challenge, but she couldn’t imagine escaping from such a strong grasp. Not that I terribly mind at the moment. She softly pulled in, and bit, the smallest amount of her lower lip.

“Okay, I’ve got you. You’re going to put your free hand on top of mine, forcing my hand to stay there.” As Alex monitored her technique, she stole small glimpses of his face, studying his rugged and uncommonly handsome features. His notorious allure over women was evident.

“Now, swing your arm around, and back-grab my wrist with your captured hand. Think of it as a variation of wax on, but where you end up having both hands grabbing him, and his arm and body will pivot involuntarily. It’s a reflex. You then use the leverage of your position to then force him to the ground.” He methodically showed the moves in slow motion, drawing Madison in. She noticed more than the complexity and effectiveness of the move. Alex Drake’s not just a guy with cool fighting skills. He’s had some serious tactical training. And something in the tone of his voice and patience of his teaching played out like a lesson Jack would have given her, if he were still here. In a weird way he reminded her of Jack, and she suddenly really missed him.

She refocused, and tried to follow the steps slowly. He provided very mild adjustments as she followed through the technique, but then it clicked. She got it. She worked through it slowly at first, then performed the move a little faster and with more force, contorting his body to the ground. “Okay, okay, I give!” A giddy squeal of delight escaped her throat. Alex got back up and glanced at her with a disapproving “God, you’re such a girl” look.

Eager to please, she changed her expression to pure stoic professionalism. “Yes, I think I understand now. Thank you.” Her sudden shift to a serious demeanor caused Alex to laughed not-so-under his breath. He moved his head in closer, his dancing gaze darting right into her eyes. Her eyebrows softened and her heart skipped a beat, with every suggestive tell quickly giving her away.

One of the reasons Alex Drake was so good at what he did, whether major corporate wheeling-and-dealing or playing a hand of poker, was his ability to read people. He’d spent years honing his skills in non-verbal communication. It lifted him to the upper hand position in most situations. Here, it seemed less of an upper hand and more like sweet suggestive bits of kryptonite. With the laundry list of silent tells Madison gave off, he found his willpower to resist evaporating. He’d been approached by women over the years. Overtly. Sometimes demanding, in the way one-night stands can be. But this ... well, this was something very different, and entirely new.

From the pulse in her wrist to the dilation of her pupils, he saw it all. Compounded by the increased fullness of her lips as she slowly took in the lower one to bite, he found himself fighting an internal tug-of-war. Between defending her and desiring her, he was dangerously close to falling for a woman he barely knew—and falling hard. He stayed in the conversation.

“Good. You’re loose. What do you do now?” Realizing he was a little too close, he summoned all his strength to stop himself from drawing into her magnetic pull. God, her lips are so fucking kissable.

Madison interrupted his gaze with the first thing that came to mind. “I ...”

“Yes, Ms. Taylor?” Alex’s tone softened, and his eyes darkened.

“I ...” her gaze fell to his lips, and she licked hers ever so lightly.

“Go on,” he breathed in a low voice. Only inches away, his feelings were overpowering him, but why? What was it about her? Something unusual? Familiar? Connected? He restrained himself. If I push her, I might lose her.His thoughts broke as she answered.

“I, um, guess I’d kick him in the balls?” At that suggestion, he instinctively pulled back. Despite being captivated, that notion was just the jolt he needed to free him from her allure. He deliberately stepped back further, and began to roll his sleeves back down.

Clearing his throat, he replaced his blazer. “Not a bad suggestion, but not your best option.” He buttoned his suit jacket, still turned away from her, regaining his composure. “No, Ms. Taylor. Your best option is to use those stylish Brooks for their intended purpose.” Turning back to her, he continued. “Get as far away from your assailant as possible.”

Madison nodded. “That’s probably a good idea. I’d only kick him in the balls if I had my badass Kungfu skills with me.” Her grin reminded him that he owed her an apology.

“Look, about that. I’m sorry for what I said. You didn’t do anything wrong. I was just upset. I was wrong to take it out on you.”

“No need to apologize because, at the end of the day, you were right.” Madison’s smile transformed as her eyes widened. She had an idea. “You were right.” Her lips say I was right, but her eyes say I was wrong. He was ready with a bigger apology, at this point grovel to bring her smile back, when she cut in. “You know, I’m probably not the only woman, or person for that matter, in this multi-billion-dollar company who doesn’t know how to defend themselves.”

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