in relation to yours. Police reports say he’s five-foot-eleven? That would put his head right about here.”
He pointed to the eyes, ears, and throat. The rest of Jared’s body had been drawn out too, down to the knees. “I couldn’t figure out a way to draw feet and toes, but we can do a lot of damage with the targets we have here.”
“Noah, this is amazing. Thank you. You went to a lot of work to make this accurate.”
“I did it for a reason. One of the few advantages you have is that you know the size, speed, and strength of the person who is most likely to attack you. We want to be as accurate as possible so we can use that to our advantage. Douchebag Jared will help.”
They spent the next hour and a half attacking the bag. Noah concentrated on teaching her blows to the throat and solar plexus. Both of those were excellent moves to have in her arsenal—and would take any attacker down for the count. Next week he’d make sure to go over how to ram Jared’s nose through his skull.
At first he held the bag for her so she could feel the aim of where her arm and hand needed to go to hit the throat or sternum. Once she had the hang of that, he got behind her, touching her like he’d known he would have to, to show her how to use her torso to strengthen her blows.
“You don’t have enough strength with your arm alone. It might stun him for a couple of seconds but that’s not going to be enough.” One hand moved to her hip, the other centered on her back. She didn’t pull away—that was good—as he showed her where to pull her power from. How much harder she could hit when she didn’t just use her arm.
She worked it over and over, relaxing into him and letting him help her. Practicing even after he asked if she wanted a break.
Damn if creating a killer was the sexiest thing he’d ever seen.
7
Breathe.
She’d been hitting that damn bag for what seemed like hours. She was sweaty, tired, and sore.
But it was the light, gentle pressure from Noah’s hand at her hip, his big body behind hers, that caused her breath to hitch.
And not in fear.
His hands had been on her the entire time she’d been working, striking Douchebag Jared again and again. First to help her with accuracy and force.
But they were still there now, resting on her lower waist, even as she was slowing, resting.
It had been so long since a man had placed his hands on her without there being an entire world of pain tied to his touch.
But it was way more than that. This was Noah.
She swallowed the lump in her throat. Breathe.
He was training her to kill someone and she was getting all fluttery because of his hand on her waist.
“Think of your core as the power plant.” His voice was a little quieter than normal. “That’s where your strength comes from. Imagine a baseball player smacking one all the way out into the stands.” He chuckled. More fluttering in her stomach. “Unless you’ve never watched a game.”
She couldn’t contain her chuckle. “I get the reference.”
“You’ve seen a batter swing, too?”
She nodded.
“The power doesn’t come from their arms, not entirely, or else they would stand still except for their arms. Do you see what I mean? It’s the torque from their hips, their core, their shoulders. Everything works together to build the power that eventually comes out through the bat, into the ball.”
“Right.”
His touch was firmer now. “With that in mind, I want you to give me the one-two shot we practiced. Move slowly this first time. I’m behind you. My plan is to attack you. What do you do?”
What would she do?
Three weeks ago, she would’ve crumpled up in a ball. Would’ve covered her head with her crossed arms and prayed it wouldn’t be so bad this time around. She’d try to make herself as small as possible, less of a target.
But for the first time in her life, she had the tools to not be that person. To not be that… victim.
Which was why she used her elbow to deliver a blow to Noah’s solar plexus. She then jerked her arm upward, her elbow still pointed outward, and delivered a second blow to his throat.
Like he’d taught her.
She heard his grunt and immediately spun to apologize. But instead of the irritation