“Can I think about it?”

“We haven’t made the travel arrangements yet. Just let me know in the next few weeks.”

I nodded. I spent the rest of the evening half listening to one of Chris’s fight stories while I mulled over the idea of going with him to Vegas. I really wanted to go; I just didn’t want to give him the wrong idea. I didn’t know if I could let him pay for me to go, if I knew I wasn’t ready for more yet.

When he pulled up to my apartment building at the end of the night, I was still no closer to figuring out the answer.

Chris walked me to the door and leaned in for a good-night kiss. His lips were cold and wet, and he moved his tongue in a circle, the same way every time we kissed. He wrapped his arms around me and gave me one quick, tight squeeze. This was his way of hugging. He pulled back and waited for me to unlock the entry door, then got back in his car.

Turning back, I waved to him, then let the door close and started up the steps to my floor. The hallway was quiet, which made me uneasy. It happened every now and then that the simple process of walking through the halls gave me the chills.

I used to just push through it, but lately, whenever this happened, my mind would wander to Ian, wondering where he was and wishing he could be here next to me the way he was that one day. I didn’t need him to protect me or anything, I was fine on my own, but it felt so much safer when he was here. He’d been driving me home for the last several weeks after our sessions, and that he cared enough to insist on walking me to my door was so sweet.

It seemed I was growing to rely on his comforting presence more than I realized.

Twenty-One

Ian

Whenever MacKenzie came over, I couldn’t help but recall her first self-defense lesson—the time my leg accidentally pressed between her legs, and how she’d eagerly pushed back. It had taken me a second to realize she wasn’t struggling anymore, and her core was pressed against me as though she was aching for it. That day when I’d met her eyes, there was such a hunger in them, such a need. One I hadn’t seen since the night we almost hooked up.

She’d had several lessons since then, but we’d never had that same encounter again. Which was good, because I didn’t think I could resist her if it happened again.

“I don’t need to know how to drop people, Ian.” MacKenzie put her hands on her hips as she sassed me.

God, I wanted to spank her when she was like this. The urge to palm her hot little ass rushed through me. “I didn’t want to go to the doctor, but you didn’t see me bitch about it.”

She laughed. “No, you didn’t bitch, you whined like a freaking baby the whole way there, though.”

“I told you I don’t like doctors.”

“Whatever, just try to keep the whining down when we go back tomorrow.”

I grumbled; she just had to remind me. It was only three weeks until the big fight, and I had to go back and get another check on my progress tomorrow. I’d regained almost full use of my shoulder, but the doc wanted to see me again before he cleared me to start sparring, something I desperately needed to get back into if I was going to have any chance at the fight in Vegas.

The first doctor visit hadn’t been too bad; he’d just tested my shoulder’s strength and told me to keep up the good work. I still didn’t want to go back, though. What if the next time he wanted me to turn my head and cough or whatever? No fucking thank you.

“I’m not going back tomorrow unless you learn how to do this. Now, get your little fanny over here and pay attention. All you do is roll the assailant over your hip, then let gravity drop them to the ground.”

I demonstrated, grabbing her small frame, pulling it close to me and twisting. I rolled her body over my hip, lifting both her legs off the ground. As I did this, her soft, sweet-smelling hair brushed across my face, making me want to bring her all the way to the floor, spread her legs apart, and give her what I knew she needed.

Instead, I forced myself to set her back down on her feet. It took an incredible amount of restraint on my part.

“Okay, now I’m going to come at you. Do it just like I showed you.”

Kenzie nodded that she was ready and I approached her, wrapping my arms around her. I’d fully intended to not resist and let her drop me easily to the ground—I knew how to land without getting hurt. However, she was quicker than I’d anticipated, and I wasn’t ready when she twisted and sent me down to the mat.

“SHIT!”

“What! Are you hurt?” She dropped down next to me. “I’m sorry. Damn it, I told you we should have waited until you were healed.” She put her soft hand on my cheek, and her eyes widened in fear.

“I’m okay.” I covered her hand with mine. “It’s okay. I didn’t mean to scare you. I just didn’t expect you to drop me so fast.”

I held her small hand in mine, refusing to let it drop from my face. I found her other hand, balled up in a fist at her side, and enclosed it in mine, gently working at opening it up. The last time she’d knelt over me like this, I’d turned into a dick and pushed her away. But alone with her on the mat, in the small room that was so full of her, I couldn’t do that anymore. After working one-on-one with her for several weeks, I’d worn my resistance down to the bone. I couldn’t push her away.

So instead, I pulled her to me. She didn’t resist, landing on top of me with a surprised oomph. You could only run on determination and sheer adrenaline for so long. I needed pussy. A warm, wet pussy. No, more than that, I needed MacKenzie’s sexy, feisty ass in my bed. I needed to feel her moving underneath me, shifting her hips closer with my every thrust, groaning my name in her raspy tone.