Whirlwind (SAI Book 2) (4 page)

“I hope to God you’re right. Because, if you’re not, then I have a concussion in my near future.”

“Grady isn’t not going to use force against you. He may try to kiss you, but that’s about it.”

“The man isn’t interested in me. Trust me, I’m very good at picking up signals, and he isn’t sending any.”

A loud bark of disbelief came out of Richard’s mouth. “You have the worst radar in the world. You couldn’t pick up on a signal if it was red and flashing in your face.” He patted her head again and grinned. “I’ve witnessed at least a dozen men try to pick you up, and you completely miss it.”

“Really? Like who?” She glanced around the room and studied the men who were in the cages, sparring. “Can you point them out to me?”

“No!” He turned her around and started wrapping her hands. “Let’s give G a shot at you. He’s a good guy, and I, for one, would like to see what happens between the two of you.”

“So…I’m cheap entertainment.”

“Yep.”

“Great.” Twirling her ponytail with her free hand, she started to chew on her lip. “I’m not ready to spar with someone like Grady.”

“Yes, you are. You’ve been at this long enough to build up muscle memory. We’ll run through some scenarios, and all he’s going to do is try to stop you. But he’s not going to be able to, because I’m an amazing coach. I’ve taught you how to escape and evade. That’s your goal, remember. In your situation, that’s all that matters.”

“Said the man who is six feet five inches, two hundred ninety pounds of pure muscle. Oh…let’s not forget your years of combat experience as a Ranger. I’ll bet the last time you were scared was when you were three. Hell, maybe not even then.”

“Doesn’t matter your size, Sara. Situations can present themselves that are scary as shit, even for a guy like me.”

Looking him up and down, she doubted it. What in the world would scare a man like him? She, on the other hand, was scared of almost everything. The fact that she hid it under layers of humor and sarcasm didn’t mean a thing. “Fine, send me to the wolves. I’d better survive. There’s a box of donuts at home that I want to eat.”

“That’s as good a reason as any.”

***

Sara sat on the mat and bent forward, stretching out her legs. Tilting her head, she watched Richard and Grady have a heated conversation. It didn’t appear that Grady was interested in sparring with her. And she couldn’t blame him. Rolling back, she rested on the mat and tried to remember why she wanted to kick ass in the first place.

Grady slowly approached and lay down next to her. “If I’m going to do this, then I need to know what I’m up against.”

Rolling on her side, she studied him. “Are you afraid that I’m going to lay you out in front of all these people?” The way he snorted told her that wasn’t the issue. “I’m not real interested in doing this with you. Richard seems to think it’s a good opportunity for me to understand how far I’ve come.”

“All right.” He laid his hand over hers and smiled. “I’m not going to make it easy on you.”

“Okay. Just don’t hit me hard. I bruise easily.”

“I’m not going to hit you at all. What kind of animal do you think I am?”

His pained expression gave her a moment’s surprise. Why would he think she was serious? Even though his appearance suggested he was ruthless and uncompromising, she knew he was an honorable man. All the arguments she heard between him and his girlfriend had told her that. “I want you to do your best, though. You’re not doing me any favors if it’s not realistic.”

“There’s more to this—are you going to tell me what it is?”

“It’s a long story. Suffice it to say that there may come a time when being able to defend myself and get away could mean the difference between life and death. Nick has been kind enough to take me under his wing and teach me some skills. The men who are a part of his company have adopted me, and they’re helping me transform myself into a kick-ass warrior. Or, at the very least, someone who doesn’t scream when threatened.” His face softened, and it seemed he was about to pull her into his arms. Her breath caught at the thought of being held against his enormous chest.
Could you be a little more desperate? Pull it together.
“I’ve come a long way, and I have a pretty good hope of surviving an attack.”

“Sara, you don’t have to worry about someone attacking you. I’ll never let that happen. I’ve hunted this nation’s enemies across four continents. There is no one better than me to ensure your safety.”

Sitting up abruptly, she shook her head. “I can take care of myself.” As big and capable as he was, she needed to continue to do this on her own. “I barely know you, and I would never let you put yourself in harm’s way.”

“Your dad was Navy, so I’m pretty sure you understand what being in the military means. Protecting and defending people is the job description.”

“I’m protecting myself.” His hand grazed her arm and it felt like a blessing and a curse. A blessing because he was more than capable of protecting her. A curse because she could never allow it. This was her challenge to overcome and no one else’s. The last thing she needed was for him to start poking into her business. Maybe she could piss him off and lead him off track. “I’m getting pretty good at this, so prepare to be amazed.”

His loud bark of laughter told her what he thought of her statement. Now she had to show him she was capable of taking care of herself. Richard always told her to do the unexpected when threatened, and that’s exactly what she was going to do. “If I can escape your grasp and get away, then you have to…”

“Have to what?” Grady asked. He leaned in, and his scent swamped her. What exactly did testosterone smell like? Smiling faintly, she was certain that’s what was surrounding her. Raw male…power. God help her, she wanted to roll around in it.

He loomed over her, and she was quickly engulfed by him. Granted, he wasn’t physically touching her, but his sheer presence was overwhelming. The fact that he smelled amazing wasn’t helping her brain function. “Give me a minute. I want to think of something good…something I really want.” Tapping her mouth, she tried to come up with an idea that did not involve him being naked.

“Don’t hurt yourself. It looks like your brain is about to explode.”

Smirking, she sat back. “Trash talk just shows that you’re scared. Try again, big boy.”

“Well, at least you got the
big
part right.”

Sara narrowed her eyes and swallowed her shock. Trying to act cool never worked out for her, so she blustered, “Men who talk about it clearly don’t have the goods.” Sliding her eyes down to his crotch, she shrugged. “I hope that’s not what you’re doing.”

Snorting, he leaned forward and waited. When their eyes met, a grin spread across his face. “The fact that you’re asking makes me think you’re interested in finding out.”

“I saw the drawing that Angelina made on your front door, and I wonder how accurate it is.” Her brain was suddenly filled with images of Grady naked, and she knew she was sunk. Time to admit it and move on. “I was trying to get you, but you got me. You’re a lot better at talking smack than I am.”

“Years of experience.”

“Well, let’s get this over with. I’d rather eat a snail than face you on the mat, but there doesn’t seem to be a way out of it. So let the games begin.”

He started to laugh. “Nice try, but I’m not buying your act.”

She shrugged and gave him an innocent smile. “It was worth a shot. Can’t blame a girl for trying.”

Standing, he held his hand out and pulled her up. Tilting her head so that their gazes met, she smiled sweetly. “Game on.”

“Abso-fucking-lutely,
” Grady replied. 

Walking away, she swung her hips and prayed to God that she got through the next thirty minutes. Grady was a formidable opponent. It had nothing to do with his strength and everything to do with his sexy, sinful ways.

CHAPTER THREE

Grady faced Sara and waited while she received some last minute coaching from Richard. A crowd had started to gather, and he wondered how much it was going to affect her concentration. If everything she said was true, then she needed to focus. He was going to try to make this as realistic as he could so that he could assess her areas of weakness. Then he was going to make sure that he did everything he could to protect her. The only thing he had to figure out was what he needed to protect her against. How could an artist be a threat to anyone?

Maybe she was running from an abusive ex. There were a hundred possibilities, and he didn’t like any one of them. The fact that Nick wouldn’t tell him anything made him more determined to get the story. Why in the hell was it such a big secret?

Sara rotated her neck, shook out her arms, and stared at him. “Are you ready, Grady?”

“Are you going to lay me out?”

Sliding her hands on her hips, she laughed. “I’m going to try, but the real victory will be if I make it to the door. That’s my goal. Deflect the attack and get as far away as possible.”

“So if I see you do a victory dance on the other side of those doors, then you’ve succeeded?”

“Yep. When I’m shaking my groove thing in the doorway, then I know I’m ready.”

“Ready for what?” he asked as he walked closer. Standing a couple of inches away from her, he could see her eyes grow big. The fact that she was trying to fight her natural fear was a good thing. It meant that she was determined, and that was often the deciding factor between success and failure.

“For whatever comes my way,” she replied. Putting out her hand, she waited for him to shake it. “Good luck, Grady.”

She slipped her tiny hand into his, and he held it gently. Leaning forward, he grinned. “Good luck, Sara. I can’t wait until you put your hands on me. I’m looking forward to it.”

“So is that how it’s going to be? Trying to throw me off my game?”

“Not at all. I’m just telling it like it is. Nothing more.” He was about to release her hand when her grip tightened. Watching her grin confidently was a kick in the pants.

“I look forward to putting my hands on you, and maybe my mouth.” Pulling her hand out of his, she turned and whistled.

Damn woman. Now his brain was filled with a picture of her hands and mouth all over his body. Blood started to move south, and his concentration was shot to hell. Which, of course, was her goal. He had to admire her willingness to play dirty. He respected that in a person. Do whatever necessary to ensure success. In fact, the idea of Sara playing dirty was one of the best he’d heard in a long time. Well, two could play at that game, and he planned on winning. Of course, his idea of winning involved them naked. He was fairly confident that her idea was different than his. Watching her smile at him innocently told him he was in for it, which didn’t bother him in the least.

Richard walked over and thumped him on the back. “How do you want me to play this?” Grady asked.

“Let’s go through a bunch of scenarios where you are trying to subdue her and snatch her off the street.”

Grady spun around and stared at Richard. “What the hell, man? Are people after her? Because if she is under a real threat, then I can’t leave her out there unprotected.”

“Sara took almost six months to tell me anything about what she’s up against. And I still don’t know the whole story. Nick is the only one, and he isn’t saying anything. It’s like some kind of fucking state secret. I hate it, but I can’t make her talk. She’s refused every offer that I’ve made.”

“Well, she isn’t going to refuse mine. I live next door to her, and she can’t escape me.”

“When you offer your services, you probably don’t want to use those words. Just an idea.”

“Got it. Offer her twenty-four-hour protection, but make it seem like her idea.”

“Yeah, something like that,” Richard responded.

“How much effort do you want me to put into this?”

“Everything you have. Her ability to protect herself could mean the difference between life and death. We can’t make it easy for her.”

“Okay. I’ll do my best,” Grady said. “I’m still going to protect her. Whether she wants it or not.”

***

Sara walked along the mat while she pretended to be on her phone. They were trying to simulate an event that might actually happen. Grady approached her slowly and grabbed her arms. She hesitated for a second, and he wondered if she was going to freeze up. Seconds later, she executed a perfect peel and arm bar. He released his grip and watched her smile. “You’re not supposed to stop and enjoy your victory—keep going.” He lifted her up, threw her over his shoulder and jogged around the mat. The fact that he had to hold her ass while he did it was a bonus.

“Put me down,” she shrieked. She held on to his waist so she wouldn’t swing around. “Grady, this isn’t realistic.”

He put her down gently. “Yes, it is.”

“That was just a warm-up. I’m ready now. Let’s do it again.” She tightened her ponytail and tugged down her tank top. “I’m going to do better.”

He tried to keep his eyes on her face, but he found them wanting to return to her cleavage. Her soft curves were on perfect display, and they were messing with his ability to think.
Shit.
The blood flow thing was happening again. “Get ready, because here I come.”