Page 24 of Small-Town Secrets
Laurence shot me a guarded look that I wasn't sure how to interpret.
"Just in case you need it, you know," I added.
"Okay." Laurence relaxed a little. "Teach me, sensei. Am I saying that right?"
A smile tugged on my lips. I was teaching a bunch of elementary school kids and yet Laurence somehow managed to be cuter than all of them put together. "You are. All right. Before I'm teaching you how to hit, I'll teach you where to strike. Any guesses what the best places are?"
Laurence's eyes shot to my groin.
I had to laugh, and not only because of the awkward way Laurence was eyeing my groin. "Yeah, that's definitely one of the more vulnerable spots. Don't aim there, though."
"Why not?"
I lifted my leg as if I was going to kick him in the nuts. Immediately, his hands flew down to block. "That's why. Any guy will protect his balls. It's too predictable and too terrifying a move. You could easily grab my leg right now and turn the situation around on me."
"Could I?" A mischievous glint entered Laurence's eyes and in another second he had his hands hooked under my knee. The heat of his touch seared through my clothes.
Damn.
So much for keeping my hormones in check.
"What should I do now that I've got your leg?" Laurence asked all innocently, looking at me from under those thick lashes that had always made him so pretty.
"You've got some options," I said, maintaining the awkward position I was in. "You could punch me, but I haven't really taught you how best to punch yet... Or you could sweep my other leg, forcing me on the ground."
Laurence smirked and I saw bad things in my future. "I like that second option." And just like that, the omega before me kicked my leg out from under me. I crashed to the floor, eternally grateful for the rubber mats I'd prepared in advance.
Laurence stared at me, lying on my back like a stranded turtle.
I returned his stare.
He broke out into laughter.
I stared at him some more. This wasn’t the same reserved omega I’d visited at the flower shop. This was the little shit who’d been best friends with my brother and I liked this version of him much better.
"I'm sorry," he choked out in between bursts of laughter. Finally, he offered a hand to help me up. I took it.
"You have nothing to be sorry for."
"I hope I didn't hurt you."
"Nah." I rubbed the back of my head. "All fine. I'm tough."
"I know! That's why it was so funny to see you crash." Laurence wiped his eyes. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't be laughing. It's just...Something about being with—" He stopped himself and corrected what he was about to say. "Something about being here makes me feel like I'm a kid again."
"I'm glad you feel that way."
"Thank you. I promise not to hurt you again. I don't know what came over me."
"You didn't hurt me. I've been doing martial arts since I was a child, I've been through way worse." And I didn't want Laurence to revert to his shyer self now. If he was feeling like a kid again, good. I'd never known him to be carefree, even when we were children, but he'd been bolder for sure. I'd liked that side of him, and if I could help him reconnect with it...
"Are you saying you've fallen on your head a few times?" Laurence grinned at me.
"Are you sure you want to be teasing the alpha with the black belt?" I shot back. As soon as the words were out of my mouth, though, I regretted them. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to threaten you." What kind of idiot was I to say something like that to an omega who'd been abused by multiple alphas in his life?
"It's fine. I don't feel threatened by you." But even as Laurence said that, his shoulders slumped. "It's kind of funny. Alphas react one of two ways when they see my scar. Either they turn into total assholes because they’re not attracted to me which makes me a total waste of space in their eyes, or they think they have to walk on eggshells around me. It gets tiring.”
“I’m sorry.”
