The Best Laid Plans (20 page)

He was strong enough to overpower her in every way, but if she asked him to, he would stop. No questions asked. He’d do anything she asked him to. There was a power in that. Strength wasn’t only found in the physical form. Gravity and his weight gave more power to his thrusting, and Jayne wrapped her limbs around him and clung tight as an orgasm rippled through her, so deeply she thought it would tear her in half.

Still he didn’t stop, didn’t slow, didn’t disappoint.

He reached down and began stroking her, slowly circling his hips in a way that made her eyelids heavy. He pulled back, dark eyes drinking in the ecstasy written on her face. He was hers, present with her, focusing only on making them both feel good. He kissed her.

And then he went harder again, dragging her hips with him when he pulled out only to thrust in even deeper. God, the pleasure radiated straight up to her chest. She pulled at him so his weight landed on her, crushing her into the floor, and grabbed at his tight ass, wanting him even more, greedy for the power the pleasure gave her.

And cried out when again he rocked her core with it.

***

The warm haze that had filled her had faded when she woke up tucked under the comforter, still cradled in Malcolm’s arms. According to his alarm clock, she’d only been asleep for an hour and a half. Cold crept into her heart and she began to shake.

That guy had pulled a knife on her.

If Malcolm hadn’t been there … but he had been.

But he wouldn’t always be there. She could have been killed in an alley like she was nothing by some asshole who wanted her purse. Or so he’d said.

He’d pressed up against her.

The light glinted off the knife.

She suddenly felt dirty and small.

The sob tore from her throat before she realized she was crying, hot tears following gravity to drip to the pillow. Malcolm’s arms tightened around her just before she flew apart. He didn’t tell her to shhh. He didn’t tell her not to cry. He didn’t talk at all.

Instead, he sat up and pulled her to his lap. Held safe in the circle of his arms, he let her cry, rubbed soothing patterns on her back, brushed comforting hands up and down her arms. Achingly gentle thumbs caressed the tears from her cheeks. He squeezed her tighter when she needed it, smoothed her hair when the sobs subsided.

She felt lighter for having let it out, but so cold.

“You’re freezing,” Malcolm touched her shoulder, then calf. “Come on. A hot shower will warm you up.” He carried her to the bathroom, set her down to turn on the shower. He bent down to grab a fluffy white towel from under the sink and set it on the counter for her.

“I’ll be in the bedroom when you’re done.” He kissed her temple.

“Stay.” Her gaze moved from the floor to his eyes. “Please stay.”

***

“Okay.” The vulnerability in her eyes made his chest ache. Taking her by the hand, he walked them both into the shower and closed the door behind them. The glass door immediately frosted up, the steam obliterating everything except for the shower, and him, and her. He stood behind her and they both faced the nozzle. He handed her a cloth, and she scrubbed the remnants of makeup from her face.

A fine spray of water misted his face, splashing off her shoulders onto him as he reached for the shower puff and held it under the water to wet it. Pouring on some of his body wash, he moved her back a step out of the stream, and gently rubbed the soapy puff over her chest and belly as he held her tightly from behind. She leaned back into him, tipped her head back to rest on his shoulder.

She spun around and grabbed him in a tight embrace. He lightly scrubbed her back, and walked her forward under the water, massaging her back beneath the hot droplets.

“Tip your head back.”

She complied. He massaged shampoo into her scalp, then rinsed it out. Repeated with conditioner. She smiled, looking so beautiful stripped of makeup with her hair wet, natural. He kissed the tip of her nose.

“Turn around.”

She spun, allowing the jets to rinse the last of the soapsuds from her body.

“There. Feel better?”

She nodded, and turned to face him. He kissed her languorously, savoring the way her lips molded to his. She was perfect. He pulled back, ran his fingers through the silky strands of her hair, then gently claimed her lips once more just because he could. They were kisses for the sake of kissing, not meant to lead anywhere. No destination, just two people coming together in a gentle choreography of lips and tongues that carried them away on a journey of sensory bliss.

***

“Malcolm?” Her voice was hesitant, her hands stroked the forearm that wrapped around her.

“Yes?”

“When you took that man down in … when you … ”

“What about it?” Where was she going with this?

“I never saw you coming. And then when you had him on the ground, you moved so quickly, and he was just … done.”

“I did what I had to do.” He didn’t feel pride at what he’d done. Only anger at the man for trying to hurt her, and anger at himself for almost not being there in time.

“I know. But, you’ve obviously taken martial arts, right? I mean, you knew what you were doing.”

“Yes. And some other defense techniques.”

“Would you teach me some things?”

He shook his head. “No.”

“Why not?”

“There are a hundred reasons why it’s a bad idea.”

“And a thousand why it’s a great idea.”

He moved back as she faced him. “I’m not qualified.”

“You did say you wanted to get to know each other outside of full frontal nudity.”

“But I’m not an instructor. You really should learn from a professional—”

“I want to learn from you. I trust you. I don’t want to learn something that teaches, ‘if a guy is standing in this specific pose, then I do this specific pose to counter it,’ crap. That doesn’t work in the real world. Not without months, years of training. I need something that will help me now.”

He agreed she should learn something, but not from him. What if she rejected him after he told her the truth? She should find someone who would be there for her long term. He wanted to be, but their future was uncertain. “You could take a self-defense for women course. They put those on—”

“They’re not the one-on-one training I need. I want to learn faster.”

“Jayne it’s not that simple. You could get hurt.”

“You wouldn’t let that happen.” No he wouldn’t, but that was beside the point. She kissed his neck, and ran a slow hand up his thigh.

His arguments suddenly felt just beyond his reach.

“Please?” Her breath tickled his skin.

“Fine, I’ll teach you a few basics.”

“Thank you.” She kissed his cheek. And then the other. And then his lips. If fighting was all about seducing the enemy, or outsmarting them into forgetting their arguments, Jayne could be considered a lethal weapon.

A week had passed since the attack. It was their third defense lesson. Malcolm had decided to teach Jayne some basic grappling, and defenses, and the best one for her, he decided, was Krav Maga. Rather than taking years to become proficient, it was something that he could show her, and if she practiced, she could get some things right away, but become fairly skilled at most of it within a few short months.

They pushed his couch and coffee table to one side of the living room. She’d wanted something that would turn her into a ninja overnight, which just wasn’t going to happen. But this showed how to get out of holds, how to take an opponent down, how to disarm an opponent, and how to attack them. It had a bit of everything, and seemed perfect for what Jayne needed.

“No taking it easy on me this time.” She was the cutest thing he’d ever seen in her baggy green sweatpants and tight grey tank top.

“I won’t.”

“I mean it! I’ll … Krav Maga your ass, Guitar Boy!”

“I believe you!” Pride filled him at her deep determination to learn.

Initially he’d taken it easy on her, not wanting to hurt her, until she’d reminded him that her attacker wouldn’t do the same. He still held back, but he made it realistic.

He felt comfortable teaching her some of the techniques as well, as they weren’t rooted in philosophy like some of the other martial arts, but also because they focused on how attacks happened on the street. It was fast, and dirty, and furious, and effective. He’d already taught her the hammerfist punch, the three basic groundfighting kicks, and how to move in fighting stance. Yesterday they’d worked on elbow strikes.

Jayne had really taken to it, and he debated taking her to his kickboxing, but didn’t want to extend any invitations she’d ultimately refuse. It would depend how things went at the reunion.

Then again, if she admitted she was going there instead of work, he could come clean too. All of the worry and hiding could be over.

But their relationship could be over too.

He focused on the lesson. If Jayne rejected him when she found out the truth, he wouldn’t be there to protect her. He didn’t like thinking about that possibility, but it was vital she know how to protect herself.

“Now I’m going to show you a couple wrist releases. These are as they sound. If someone grabs you by the wrist, or forearm, use these to get out.”

“Okay.” Her expression was serious, and it made him glad. Self-defense, fighting wasn’t something to fuck around with. She genuinely wanted to learn, she wasn’t trying to flirt. It was good, but highlighted again how freaked out she’d been by the attack. At least the douchebag would plead guilty, and be locked up for a while, according to the lawyer. Not long enough for Malcolm’s happiness, but it was something. Sentencing wasn’t for a few weeks. Jayne might relax a bit more when the whole thing had been put safely behind her.

“This is a same side release. If I grab your right arm with my left hand,” he demonstrated. “Now, it’s called same side because you’re going to take a step into me, and pivot so our elbows are close together. Bend the elbow a bit,” he corrected her. “Good. Now while you bring the elbow to mine, snap your wrist out of the hold.”

She stepped in and chopped. And failed. “What did I do wrong?”

“Try to keep your forearm parallel to the ground so the side of your wrist chops through the attacker’s grip. It gives you more leverage. Sort of karate chop toward yourself.”

She turned and snapped her hand free, then stood there stunned. “I did it!”

“Yes.” Her disbelieving triumph made him smile. “And from there, you’d either want to spin away, or launch into an attack. It really depends on the situation. Typically, you want to avoid fighting if you can, but that’s not always an option.”

“Awesome.”

“Let’s practice some kick/punch combinations. I want these ingrained in your muscles so they become automatic. Practice at home too. The less you have to think about the motions, the more you can focus on the surroundings. Opportunities to get away, get help, find a weapon – but remember, any weapon can be turned against you. Sometimes weapons give people a false sense of security. If you have a knife, be prepared to use it, and for it to be used against you.”

She nodded, and moved into starting position.

A good half an hour later, they moved back to wrist releases. He taught her an opposite side release, and they practiced them until Jayne felt comfortable doing them without hesitation, and his fingers stung.

“I think we’re good for today. I don’t want to introduce too many techniques too soon and flood your retention. You’re doing really well.” He handed her a bottle of water. “Are you sure I can’t talk you out of skipping work tomorrow?”

“What?”

“The conference.”

“Oh! No, I really have to go. I wish you could come with me.” She slipped her arms around his waist.

I wish I could too. Just be honest!
“I know. I do too.” If she’d agreed to go, it meant she had let go of the past and would be more likely to forgive him and move forward in a relationship, despite their past. He could have come clean right here, right now, and they could have gone, or blown off the reunion, together.

But she was still gripped by insecurity. For whatever reason, she had to go back there to prove something to them, or herself. If that was the case, he couldn’t tell her now. She wasn’t ready.

He’d have to meet her at the reunion and hope for the best.

He gave her a squeeze and kissed her cheek. “Let’s hit the shower.”