Once Upon a Temptingly Ruinous Kiss - Bree Wolf Page 0,44

a moment, he looked as though he was about to say more, but then he shook his head almost imperceptibly and did not.

Leonora’s hand went to her own throat, to feel the softness underneath. Certainly, there was muscle there; however, she could easily imagine that a strike to the throat would bring someone down.

“Let’s try this,” Lord Pemberton exclaimed, an encouraging look in his eyes as he waved her forward. “As I don’t relish the thought if you actually striking me down, we shall do it like this.” He lifted up his hand and positioned it in front of his throat, palm facing outward. “Strike me here. Put all your strength into it.”

Leonora blinked, looking from her closed fist to his open palm only an inch away from his throat. “But…but…what if…” She stared at him, shaking her head. “What if I hurt you?”

The right corner of his mouth twitched. “Do not worry. I shall be fine, and if not, then I suppose I needed a lesson.”

Leonora sensed a hint of amusement in his words and offered him a careful smile. “Very well.” For a moment, she wiggled her fingers before closing them into a fist once more. Her eyes moved to her target, trying to ignore the man behind it. Then she pulled back her arm and let her fist fly forward.

While her aim was good and her fist actually landed in his open palm, Leonora immediately knew that she had not put enough strength into it. She had hesitated. She knew she did not wish to hurt him, but she also knew that she dreaded the contact of his skin against hers. She was not wearing gloves, neither was he. Her fist had briefly brushed against his palm before she had jerked her arm backward, overwhelmed by the contact.

The look in Lord Pemberton’s eyes told her that he knew quite well why she had hesitated. He turned away and walked over to his desk, upon which lay a pair of gloves. It would seem he had anticipated this problem for he slipped them on without another word and returned to where he had stood before. “Again,” he instructed, “and this time, set your feet apart. Center yourself.”

Giving him a grateful smile, Leonora did as he asked. She tried to find her point of balance, moving back and forth on her feet to see how steady she was. Then she once more fixed her eyes on her target, pulled back her arm and let it fly forward.

This time it landed with a satisfying smack, and a wide grin came to her face as she felt the strength of the punch reverberate through her arm.

Lord Pemberton nodded. “Better.” He gestured for her to return into position. “Again.”

Leonora found that she did so most willingly. Indeed, she had never expected such physical training to give her such confidence and enjoyment. She felt every part of her body, was aware of her own limitations as well as her own strength, and it felt good. Yes, in the beginning, she was hesitant and uncertain of herself, but as the exercise progressed, she began to feel more at ease. Her face felt flushed, and her breath came in fast pants. The muscles in her arm began to ache, and before long, she had to fight against a sense of exhaustion. Still, it only spurred her on. It was a challenge, and she wanted to master it.

At the end of each of their training days, Leonora returned home, feeling exhausted, but at peace. It was the strangest sensation. Now, it was her body that ached and demanded rest and consideration while her heart was almost dancing with joy, completely at ease and perfectly satisfied.

Leonora could see upon her family’s faces that they too had noticed the change in her. However, most of them refrained from mentioning anything. Only Grandma Edie chuckled every so often when her gaze fell upon her granddaughter, a knowing twinkle in her eyes.

Although Leonora doubted that her skill had improved to a degree where she would indeed be able to defend herself, the training alone gave her strength and confidence. She found she stood taller now, and whenever she accompanied her family to a social function, she no longer felt the need to hide in a corner. Yes, the company of others still unsettled her, but now it was as though she had a weapon in her arsenal with which to defend herself. It was not the knowledge of how best