don’t get overconfident. The best defense is to stay alert and make smart choices.”
The pink was back on my cheeks, I was sure of it. Dumb choices were the reason I’d been on that beach Tuesday night, and I wasn’t about to forget it.
“Okay,” I said, taking a step toward him. “What do I do?”
“First, let me see how you hit.” He motioned, and I went to where he stood. “Stand in front of me and throw a punch.”
The heat of his body was like fire at my back. I tried to hide my rapid breathing, but I was sure he could hear my heartbeat thundering in my chest. It took a minute to remember what I was supposed to be doing.
“A right jab.” I moved my arm forward in slow motion.
“First off, you need to back up.” He stepped back, and when he touched my waist, I bit my lip to hold in a noise. “You should be more than arm’s length away. If you’re too close, you don’t have any mobility.”
“Okay,” I said, clearing my throat. Get a grip, Kenny.
“You okay?” His voice had changed, and I glanced over my shoulder. Blue eyes hit me like a fist, and I blinked away fast. “Yeah. I was thinking I should’ve known that.”
“It’s a common error with beginners. I mean... It’s not like you’re born knowing these things.”
He sounded apologetic for calling me out. Which would be ridiculous—I was a beginner. I was also acting like a gooney teenager again.
With a deep breath, I straightened up. I’d show him what I could do. “Okay. So I’m out here, away from the bag. Now what?”
He seemed to relax a bit as well. “Give it a hit.”
Shooting my fist out, I hit the bag as hard as I could.
“Okay.” His voice was commanding, but gentle. “You want to strike with your first two knuckles. Drop your wrist just a bit so they align with your forearm. That way you won’t hurt yourself. Now try it again. Right, left.”
I dropped my wrist and punched again, right-left , following his direction, doing a little bounce without thinking.
“Good. Perfect.” Hearing the smile in his voice sent a flood of... pride? through my stomach. Shake it off.
“Now the other thing.” He touched my elbows, and I jumped. “Sorry.” He was quick to back up.
“No,” I shook my head. “I’m sorry. I was just—I didn’t expect you to... What were you going to say?”
This time he didn’t touch me, and I was sad. “You need to keep your elbows tighter. You’re fanning them up, like wings.”
“Okay.” I clutched my elbows to my ribs.
“And you need to keep your chin tucked, like this.” He stepped around so that he was facing me, lowering his chin so his blue eyes lasered into mine from under his furrowed brow. My stomach flipped.
“Like this?” I turned my face so my chin was pressed into the hollow of my shoulder, my eyes almost unbearably clashing with his under my lowered brow.
His throat moved, and it was almost as if he looked away this time. “That’s right. Now see how it feels to strike that way.”
I felt like Frankenstein moving my body stiffly towards the bag, elbows and chin tucked tightly down. Then I shot a fist forward, and he laughed. I’d never heard him laugh before. It sounded so good, low and ringing.
“You’ve got to loosen up some.”
Dropping my hands, I turned to face him, my face relaxing with my smile. “That’s a lot to remember all at once.”
He looked down, and I so wanted to run the tip of my finger down that line in the center of his chin.
“You’re right,” he said, those damn sexy dimples peeking out. “You don’t have to do it all now. Next time you train, keep it in mind and practice.”
“Okay.” I pushed my ponytail back over my shoulder. “And I’ll braid and loop this so it’s out of the way.”
His lips parted, and for a moment he hesitated. Then for whatever reason, he said what he was thinking. “I like your hair. It’s pretty.”
I fought the fire blazing in my cheeks. “Thanks. And thanks for helping me. I
The pink was back on my cheeks, I was sure of it. Dumb choices were the reason I’d been on that beach Tuesday night, and I wasn’t about to forget it.
“Okay,” I said, taking a step toward him. “What do I do?”
“First, let me see how you hit.” He motioned, and I went to where he stood. “Stand in front of me and throw a punch.”
The heat of his body was like fire at my back. I tried to hide my rapid breathing, but I was sure he could hear my heartbeat thundering in my chest. It took a minute to remember what I was supposed to be doing.
“A right jab.” I moved my arm forward in slow motion.
“First off, you need to back up.” He stepped back, and when he touched my waist, I bit my lip to hold in a noise. “You should be more than arm’s length away. If you’re too close, you don’t have any mobility.”
“Okay,” I said, clearing my throat. Get a grip, Kenny.
“You okay?” His voice had changed, and I glanced over my shoulder. Blue eyes hit me like a fist, and I blinked away fast. “Yeah. I was thinking I should’ve known that.”
“It’s a common error with beginners. I mean... It’s not like you’re born knowing these things.”
He sounded apologetic for calling me out. Which would be ridiculous—I was a beginner. I was also acting like a gooney teenager again.
With a deep breath, I straightened up. I’d show him what I could do. “Okay. So I’m out here, away from the bag. Now what?”
He seemed to relax a bit as well. “Give it a hit.”
Shooting my fist out, I hit the bag as hard as I could.
“Okay.” His voice was commanding, but gentle. “You want to strike with your first two knuckles. Drop your wrist just a bit so they align with your forearm. That way you won’t hurt yourself. Now try it again. Right, left.”
I dropped my wrist and punched again, right-left , following his direction, doing a little bounce without thinking.
“Good. Perfect.” Hearing the smile in his voice sent a flood of... pride? through my stomach. Shake it off.
“Now the other thing.” He touched my elbows, and I jumped. “Sorry.” He was quick to back up.
“No,” I shook my head. “I’m sorry. I was just—I didn’t expect you to... What were you going to say?”
This time he didn’t touch me, and I was sad. “You need to keep your elbows tighter. You’re fanning them up, like wings.”
“Okay.” I clutched my elbows to my ribs.
“And you need to keep your chin tucked, like this.” He stepped around so that he was facing me, lowering his chin so his blue eyes lasered into mine from under his furrowed brow. My stomach flipped.
“Like this?” I turned my face so my chin was pressed into the hollow of my shoulder, my eyes almost unbearably clashing with his under my lowered brow.
His throat moved, and it was almost as if he looked away this time. “That’s right. Now see how it feels to strike that way.”
I felt like Frankenstein moving my body stiffly towards the bag, elbows and chin tucked tightly down. Then I shot a fist forward, and he laughed. I’d never heard him laugh before. It sounded so good, low and ringing.
“You’ve got to loosen up some.”
Dropping my hands, I turned to face him, my face relaxing with my smile. “That’s a lot to remember all at once.”
He looked down, and I so wanted to run the tip of my finger down that line in the center of his chin.
“You’re right,” he said, those damn sexy dimples peeking out. “You don’t have to do it all now. Next time you train, keep it in mind and practice.”
“Okay.” I pushed my ponytail back over my shoulder. “And I’ll braid and loop this so it’s out of the way.”
His lips parted, and for a moment he hesitated. Then for whatever reason, he said what he was thinking. “I like your hair. It’s pretty.”
I fought the fire blazing in my cheeks. “Thanks. And thanks for helping me. I
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