Page 58 of Caper Crush
We finish dinner, and William clears our dishes. The candle on the table sputters and strengthens.
We move the tatami mat and pillows to the open space in front of the sliding doors.
“Okay, let’s see it,” he says.
He stands and I face him, assessing him. He’s tall with broad shoulders, and even though he’s lean, I know he’s all muscle.
He advances.
“Stop right there.” My voice comes out shakier than I’d like.
I back up. The first rule is to create distance.
He lunges, pushing me up against the wall of his apartment by my shoulders. He’s trying to do it gently. He grabs me by the neck. His grip around my neck is not that tight; he’s going easy on me.
I give out a nervous chuckle.
“It’s not a laughing matter.” He tightens his grip.
Focus.
I scrunch up my shoulders, giving him less room, and grab one of his arms, holding it tight against my chest. With my other hand, I pull one of his fingers from my neck. I need just one finger bending backward to create enough pain.
“Aargh.” He releases me immediately.
We both breathe heavily. I try to get my wind back.
I stand still, poised for battle, feet hip-distance apart.
“I’d break it if you were an attacker,” I say. “I could have also kicked you in the balls. You were exposed there.”
He steps back, and he has a slight smile, a grudging sign of respect. “I stand corrected. You can defend yourself.”
We’re still close though, and the air pulses between us.
“Jiu-jitsu for women self-defense,” I say. “Want me to show you what I can do if you grab me from behind?”
He nods warily. “Is this where I’ll get hurt?”
I stand with my back to him, the pillows behind me. Looking over my shoulder, I gesture that he should stand right behind me. He comes up close behind me. I can feel the heat of his body.
“Okay, grab me around the waist.”
He grabs me around the waist. I duck down quickly and reach between my legs for his leg. I grab his leg tightly and pull—but not too much because I don’t want him to hit his head.
A muffled exclamation escapes as he tries to regain his balance.
“Okay, okay,” he says. I stop pulling, but we’re off-balance. Falling, he takes me down with him, cushioning my fall.
His body encircles mine, and suddenly, everything feels very different. His body is all hot and hard muscle, and we’re both sweating.
I tilt my head and look back at him. “So admit it, I can defend myself.”
He turns his head to face mine. Our glances meet, and there’s a flicker of awareness. He is attracted to me. We’re both just holding, suspended in the moment. I’m lost in his brown eyes. My stomach flutters. His warm breath brushes my cheek. His lips are close. Should I kiss him?
Our hands touch, and I want to curl my fingers around his.
His hands slide back to rest on my waist, burning a hole through my clothes.
