as I try to remain focused on what he’s telling me and not how good it feels to have his strong arms holding me against his hard body.
“As soon as the adrenaline kicks in, it will seem like everything is happening in slow motion. If you remember to breathe, stay calm, and focus, it will feel like you have hours to make a decision about what to do instead of just seconds,” he says softly, his breath fanning the side of my face as his arms tighten around me just a fraction, holding me in place. “You can’t use your hands, and your legs can’t reach him, but what part of your body is closest to him right now?”
I don’t want to say my ass, which is nestled against Brady’s erection, which I can easily feel through the thin material of my shorts, even though it’s all I can think about. I close my eyes and take a deep breath, forcing my heart to stop beating out of my chest and think about what I would do if this wasn’t a gorgeous man I’m slowly beginning to trust with his arms secured around me.
“My head,” I tell him quietly.
“Good,” he states encouragingly. “With one hard bash of your head against his face, you could break his nose or stun him long enough for his arms to loosen so you can get free. All you need is to connect once or twice to his face or collarbone, and he’ll be howling in pain.”
His arms drop from around me, and I want to whimper when I no longer feel their warmth cradling me close.
Brady moves from behind, slowly circling around me, making me nervous as he stares me up and down.
“When you fight back, use the strongest parts of your body: your head, your fists, your elbows,” he explains, touching his hand to each of those parts on me as he makes a full circle and is back behind me again brushing his body against mine in the process. “If all of those things are incapacitated, use your entire body.”
In a flash, his arms are caging me tightly against him, and one of his hands is around my throat. “Don’t think. Just act.”
I begin struggling as hard as I can, twisting and turning to get out of his grasp, but I’m nowhere near as strong as he is. I can’t get free no matter how hard I try, all of this exertion is just tiring me out and forcing my ass to rub against him and feel how much harder he’s gotten since this self-defense lesson began. My body freezes in its struggle as I feel how turned on he is.
“Roll your shoulders forward,” he says in a husky voice. “Don’t try to strain or push away from your attacker.”
I do as he instructs, hunching my shoulders.
“Now fall to the ground.”
I slide out of his arms and down the length of him until I’m free, turning my body and jumping up to face him.
“Holy shit, that worked,” I whisper, staring at him in awe.
“It works when your attacker is behind you. What about if he comes at you straight on?” Brady asks, bending his knees and putting his hands up in front of him, getting ready to charge.
I swallow nervously, my brain a jumble of emotions as I try to think about the things he’s just taught me and if I will ever be able to fully focus when he’s standing in front of me looking fierce, his eyes blazing a trail down my body.
I run out of time to get my thoughts in order as he rushes me, wrapping his arms around me and pushing me backwards. My feet stumble over one another, and I lose my balance, falling backwards and taking him with me. One of his arms shoots out behind me to stop me from hitting the carpet. his body slams on top of me instead.
A thrill shoots through my body, feeling him touching me everywhere from chest to toe, and it's like nothing I've ever felt before.
Brady pushes up on one arm to ease some of his weight off of me, his other arm still wrapped securely around my waist.
“If you fall, there’s no way he’ll be able to keep both of his arms around you. You’ll have at least one of yours free. Go for his vulnerable spots,” he encourages, his warm breath floating over my parted lips. “Eyes, neck, groin.”