Page 46 of Candy Cane Chains

After Xander leaves, I can't shake the anxiety that is filling me. So, I decide to do something about it. I want Ivy safe and I need to blow off steam. There's only one solution for that.

Well, two. But I'm hoping a little self defense class will lead into sex.

I guide Ivy down to the sub-level of my building. Her boots click against the polished concrete floor as we approach a reinforced steel door. I even put her in an athletic outfit this time.

"What's this?" She peers at the biometric scanner.

"Insurance." I press my palm to the reader. The door slides open with a pneumatic hiss.

Ivy's breath catches as fluorescent lights flicker on, illuminating racks of tactical gear and weapons lining the walls. "This is... impressive."

"Come here." I lead her to the training mats in the center. "I'm teaching you a little basic self-defense. No arguments."

She kicks off her heels, bare feet silent on the cushioned surface. "Is this about Travis?"

His name makes me see red, but I focus on Ivy instead. She's here with me. And that should be enough.

"It's about being prepared." I position myself behind her, hands on her shoulders. "If someone grabs you from behind?—"

"Like this?" She spins, attempting to catch me off guard.

I deflect easily, but pride flickers at her initiative. "Good instinct. Again."

We move through basic holds and breaks. Her small frame fits perfectly against mine as I demonstrate proper stances. The scent of vanilla fills my senses each time she moves.

"Plant your feet wider." My hands slide to her hips, adjusting her stance. Heat builds where our bodies connect. "Now try to throw me."

She executes the move perfectly, using my momentum against me. I hit the mat with her on top, triumph lighting her amber eyes.

"Like that?" A smirk plays at her lips.

In one fluid motion, I flip our positions, pinning her beneath me. Her chest rises and falls rapidly, a strand of dark hair falling across her face. The training room fades away until there's nothing but her quickening pulse under my hands.

"Exactly like that," I murmur, and claim her mouth with mine.

Ivy's breath hitches as I trail kisses down her neck, her pulse racing under my lips. Her hips buck against mine, a silentdemand for more. But I won't give it to her that easily. Not tonight.

I need to vent out some frustrations. And I know my girl can take it. She craves it, craves anything I give her.

"Tell me what you want, Ivy," I murmur, pinning her wrists above her head. Her eyes flash with defiance, but her body arches into mine, betraying her desire.

"You know what I want," she retorts, trying to tug her hands free. My grip tightens, holding her in place.

"Show me." I release her wrists, only to grab her hips and flip her onto her stomach. She gasps, surprise melting into a moan as I kiss the small of her back, fingertips tracing the curve of her spine.

She pushes up onto her hands and knees, trying to turn to face me. Her amber eyes are molten, hair cascading wildly around her shoulders. She reaches for me, but I catch her hands, pinning them behind her back.

"Not so fast," I growl, nipping at her shoulder. She writhes against me, a low whimper escaping her throat.

I shift so that my hips pin her legs down and I shift her top up, biting along the exposed skin. Moving lower, bite down on her ass and then nudge her legs apart, nipping at the sensitive spot on her inner thighs.

"Julian," she pleads, hips lifting off the mat. I respond by trailing kisses along her thigh, deliberately avoiding where she wants me most. Her hands twitch and pull, trying to be able to reach for me.

"Make me," I challenge, looking up at her. Her eyes widen, pupils dilating. She bites her lip, then twists violently, breaking my hold. I let her flip me over, straddling me. Her hands roam my chest, exploring the muscles there. She leans down, capturing my mouth in a fierce kiss.

"You want to play?" she whispers against my lips. Before I can react, she sinks her teeth into my lower lip, hard enough to draw a hiss from deep within me. The taste of blood is a coppery tang on my tongue.

I let loose a growl. I've never really seen this side of her, this fight, but it's like she can see what I need and is giving it to me.

---