Page 11 of The Stolen Dagger
When Drew caught me watching him, it was more than embarrassing. Especially considering he was my new best friend’s older brother.
Wasn’t he off limits or something? Was that girl code? Hell, if I knew, but I told myself it didn’t hurt to look.
I was disappointed that tonight’s class was canceled. When Drew offered to teach me one-on-one, I almost said no, but after missing the last two, I needed the kind of release that only self-defense provided. I needed a way to channel all the pent-up anger and fear into learning how to protect myself.
So, I decided not to let a little crush stop me from doing just that.
Similar to the last class, Drew took me through some of the same self-defense moves and some new ones, too. He was patient and thorough with each instruction, explaining the benefits to each move and countermove when possible. He was a great teacher. By the end of the session, I was more relaxed and confident in my abilities than ever.
“Now,” Drew said against the shell of my ear. His arms locked across my upper chest, banding my arms to my sides. “To get out of this hold, I want you to shift your hips back and use your body weight and the momentum to push me away, giving yourself enough room to escape.”
He shifted against my backside, causing his front to rub against my ass. I resisted the urge to arch my back into him and bit my lip to keep in my moan at the feel of his hard body against mine.
“When you’re ready,” Drew whispered. His warm breathfanned across my exposed neck. Goosebumps erupted along my skin as he counted down from three.
Just before he reached one, I took a deep breath and threw my weight forward, pushing my hips back. The move forced him to bend at the waist with a grunt.
Just as he predicted, his hold loosened slightly, and I used the momentum to throw myself to my hands and knees toward the ground. I didn’t think twice before I shifted and rolled away from him.
“You got it!” Drew cheered behind me.
I turned, and he was there with a bright smile on his face and his hand outstretched.
Proud of myself, I returned his grin and let him help me up.
When Drew pulled me to my feet, I gasped, not expecting to come up so quickly, and braced myself against his hard chest.
“Easy there, darlin’.” He steadied me with his large hands on my elbows.
The term of endearment sent a flood of arousal straight to my core, and I rubbed my thighs together as if to tamp down the feeling.
I had been in the South for a few months now and still wasn’t used to how friendly everyone was. I’d been called “honey”, “sweetheart”, even “darling” on occasion.
But the way Drew said it mixed with the deep timbre of his voice was like a gentle caress against my skin. I practically turned to mush from a single word.
And when he gazed into my eyes with a look of hunger on his face, I didn’t have time to question it before he relented to the tension that had built steadily between us and pressed his soft lips to mine.
His mouth moved against mine with a fierceness thatsurprised me. His kiss was like nothing I had ever felt before—fireworks and all.
He made me feel things I had no right feeling.
And when his tongue pressed against my closed mouth, I didn’t hesitate to open for him. Like a dam had burst, so did my need for him.
Drew took advantage of my eagerness and deepened the kiss. I had no other choice but to relent to the strong, confident strokes of his tongue as my mind went blank with pleasure.
His kiss alone heated me from the inside out, but when his hands roamed the expanse of my body, I was aflame.
A fire could have consumed the room and I would have stayed just like this, wrapped in his muscular arms.
Nothing else mattered but the way he kissed me, as if he reached inside me and touched my very soul with his.
The feeling was all-consuming. I had no other worries or thoughts except for him and this moment. They were all that mattered.
When he broke the kiss and pulled back, my lips tingled as if still recovering from the feel of his mouth on mine.
“Whoa,” I whispered.
Staring into my heavy-lidded, lust-filled eyes, Drew said, “That was …”
