"And had I been somebody out to hurt you I could have."
"That's why you're teaching me how to fight." She couldn't live her life in fear, and the guys weren't always going to be there to walk her to her car.
He blew out an exasperated breath. "At least get somebody to walk you to your car next time. You're carrying a lot of gear..."
"It's practically on rollers," she said. "Like a big suitcase and a couple carry on pieces."
"Still," he looked annoyed. "Be smarter. Let somebody walk you to your car."
"Did you just call me stupid?"
"No," he calmed his voice. "God, you are the most exasperating woman."
"I think God is a woman too. But I don't think she'd be happy with you calling her exasperating."
"I was talking about you." His eyebrows lowered as he folded his arms across his chest.
"Oh. My name is Australia, not God." She enunciated. He shook his head.
"I can't believe I'm...never mind." He shook his head again. "Just get in the car."
She laughed. "I'll see you next week." She got in her car and drove off. He was just too much fun to converse with. She wished she could do it more often. Even on class nights she didn't get a chance to really talk with him. Occasionally they crossed paths in the hall and had an exchange or two, but during class he was purely professional. Until last night she assumed Kyle had a girlfriend, but Steve had said Kyle was single. Single was good, very good. Of course he hadn't exactly given her any indication he was interested on that level. She was sure he was the type of man who would speak up if he were. Then again, she was usually the type of woman to speak up if she was and so far, she hadn't. Inviting him to tonight's show was her first step, albeit a slow step since she had technically invited the whole clan. Three years out of commission had not been good for her game. She had skills, she just had to remember how to use them and ask the man out on a date already.
Tonight was prime opportunity and she had let it pass by. At the dojo he was all business, but tonight he was out of the environment. She should have taken the chance, but she didn't. She wasn't sure she would get the chance again. She promised herself next time she would be ready to seize the moment.
"A little less pep talk," she mumbled. "A lot more action."
Chapter Two
Australia had waited all week for one moment alone with Kyle. She was going to do it; she was going to ask him out on a date. He could either say yes or no, but at least she would know and maybe then her music writing could go back to normal. She liked slow songs, but lately all her work had been about being in love. "After class,” she mumbled to herself.
"What was that?" Grace pushed her locker closed. Her red hair fell against her shoulders until she scooped it back into a ponytail.
"Time for class," she said. "I was just trying to get you moving." That wasn’t entirely accurate, but she did want to be on time and they did only have a few minutes. They had just rounded the corner when Tony stepped out and blocked their way.
"Excuse us," Australia tried to side step him, but he blocked her. She moved again had he moved again.
Grace slipped through the tiny space allotted and ran down the hall. "Sensei Donovan!" She heard Grace yell. At least she would have help, but until then she needed to help herself.
She predicted the best mode of attack. The groin would be effective, but he would anticipate that. Ears would work, but she wasn’t looking to kill him. She remembered Kyle saying hitting the ears with open hands could burst the eardrums and kill an attacker. She calmed her nerves by breathing slowly. She would use it only if she needed to.
"Get out of my way." This time her tone was more forceful.
"No." He stated flatly. "What are you going to do?" He laughed. "I'm better than you."
If he meant with his martial arts ability he was right. He was better than she was.
"But you're not better than me." She heard the familiar voice and some of the tension eased out of her body.
"Move out of her way," Kyle said and this time Tony complied. It wasn't until he moved his big mountain man body that she was able to see Kyle and Rick standing behind him. She carefully stepped past Tony.
"You finish out the month, but you don't come back," Rick added. If it hadn't been for the fact that Rick still had his eyes fixed on Tony she may have assumed he was talking to her. From what she could tell, none of the other women had a problem with Tony. The two other guys in class seemed to get along with him too, which meant she was the problem factor.
"There are other dojos," he shrugged.
She wondered if Tony had already tried out the other dojos. He was in the beginner and intermediate class group, but he felt more advanced. Or maybe it was just that he had more confidence than most of the beginners.
“Thanks," she mumbled to Kyle and Rick.
Practice had been virtually uneventful until Tony kicked his foot out toward her face and stopped just short of kicking her. She hated feet. Not that she didn't appreciate the function of feet; she just didn't like to have to look at them.
"Yuck," she shook her head and scooted back an inch. "You need a pedicure."
The class erupted in laughter. She wasn't kidding the bottom of his foot was flaky and peeling.
He put his foot down and took a seat in the back and class continued as usual.
She grabbed her clothes from her locker not even stopping to take the time to change. She wanted to get out of there before she had another encounter with Tony.
On her way out Kyle stopped her. "We need to talk," he ushered her into his office.
"If you think you're going to blame things on me you're wrong. I have never, ever given that man any indication..."
"Good Lord woman; I wasn’t blaming you."
She settled down. "Oh. Well in that case I'd like to get out of here before he..."
"He's already gone. He rushed out of here in his uniform like you."
"Oh." she sat her stuff in an empty chair. "Well then I'm all yours."
"You need more confidence."
"I’m intimidated by size," she added.
He looked at her for a second. "I thought you were going to..."
"Deny it? No. You're right. Like back there I was scared. I kept thinking of what I could do, but for every could there was a highly negative consequence."
He shook his head. "Confidence would help. I'd like to show you a few moves to counter him next time."
"Wow, thanks. Next class?"
"I was thinking before that."
He sat down on the edge of his desk. "I'm training some officers in Marysville Saturday late afternoon. I can come by your place in the morning and work with you."
"Oh that would be great. How much?''
"It's on me."
She wanted to be on him, under him too. She agreed on eleven o'clock. He could shower at her place to freshen up before his next class if he needed. She could practice for the band's next rehearsal before he arrived. She had five acres of land in between two ranches; she made sure he understood she was some ways off the Interstate. "That time of morning you can hit my place in about thirty minutes from here."
She got on the interstate heading north. Not only was she getting one on one instruction tomorrow, but in three weeks Tony would no longer be at the dojo and she would no longer have to worry about him.
Saturday morning came and her excitement level climaxed. She pulled her dark green workout pants and black tank top on. Deciding those were not the colors she switched to black workout pants and her purple fitted t-shirt. "Perfect." The phone rang, disrupting her admiration of her behind in the perfect pair of pants.
"Hello."
"This is Kyle."
"Oh, hey. You need direction?"
"No. I uh...I have to be up to Marysville earlier than planned. Would it be okay if I came by after; say about five or six?"
"Five is great. Six is okay too," she assured him. She tossed the cordless phone onto the bed and shrugged.
She could write until he arrived. She was working on a new piece of music for the group and every opportunity to work on it was a good thing.
As the day progressed she contemplated lighting candles. They weren't scented candles, but a little ambiance was a good thing. Then again she could accidentally fall into one of them and start a fire. "No candles," she shook her head. Instead, she settled on using one row of the recessed lighting. She pushed the suede ottomans to the corner, moved a few other pieces and drew the blinds to cover the window, though she left them open to let in the light from the setting sun.
Before she realized the time Kyle was there with his floor mat ready to practice.
"I cleared a space in here," she said. He was wearing workout pants, and a basic button down shirt. It was the second time she had seen him out of his uniform and she had to admit, he looked good.
He laid out the mat and pulled off his shirt. He was solid, completely solid as she had suspected. He wrapped the top of his martial arts uniform around him, "Let's get started."
"Oh, right. I'll turn that off." She made a move for the stereo.
"Leave it."
In studio he had never left music playing, but she wouldn't protest. She loved this soundtrack and could listen to it all day. In fact, she had listened to it all day.
"Batman?"
"Yeah, the Dark Knight soundtrack. Great drums throughout," she bowed and took her stance. She blocked attacks as much as she could. He pointed out her weaknesses and how to correct them. He showed her moves to disable an attacker. They had started the lesson with the soundtrack on track one, by thirteen she was flat on her back pinned beneath him.
"Never let him get you here." He held her wrist to the floor beside her head. He moved and she felt the bulge of his erection press against her center. She instinctively rocked against it.
He felt so good against her and she wondered if he would feel as good inside of her.
"That's not fair," he said through clenched teeth.
"Then make it fair."
Her words seemed to be all he needed to release the control he had been exercising as she seductively undulated against him. He pulled down her pants; her panties followed willingly as she freed him from his top. Her top was next, followed by the realization that she was not wearing a bra.
He looked at her breasts wantonly and she felt her body shiver in response. "Why am I the only one naked here?" She panted.
"You have the most beautiful breasts I've ever seen."
"They're small."
"They’re perfect," he bent his head and lavished one with sweet kisses. Never before had she felt any sense of arousal from having her breasts fondled, but she felt it now. She felt sensations sweep through her with every lick, every kiss and every caress. She needed him; God did she need him.
As if knowing her desperation, or perhaps feeling his own, he shoved his pants down his thighs, fought his way free of them and then entered her so swiftly she gasped and cried out.
She gasped as he thrust in again.
She felt the apex of her orgasm building ready to shatter her. She had no sheets to fist, no pillows to clutch, so she grabbed on to his biceps, rising to meet every thrust.
He groaned.
"Oh, right there. Please, right there," she moaned. One more thrust was all it took to push her over the edge. She arched her back; her head falling backwards and on a silent, but sharp inhale, she came.
He pushed into her harder, faster, without mercy, without control and when he came there was nothing silent about his climax.
He collapsed atop her, his face tucked into the curve of her neck. His breathing was heavy, as was hers. When she could speak she said, "I don't think I'll ever be able to listen to this song again without feeling you inside of me."
He laughed. "So this is our song then."
"You have perfect timing, making me come at the height of the sexiest part of the song."
"I wasn't thinking about the music."
She stroked a long line down his spine with her fingertips. "I should hope not."
He eased out of her. Looking down he cursed. "I didn't wear a condom."
"I know," she whispered. She wasn't on the pill, but she knew her cycle like clockwork and she knew she wasn't fertile at the moment. "I'm clean," she added.
"I am too."
She felt some sense of relief. "Well in the future we should try to remember to use something.” That is if he wanted her again in the future.
"I'll buy a couple boxes," he stood.
"Kyle, you're gorgeous." She admired his muscles before dropping her eyes to his penis.
"The view's not so bad from here either." He pulled on his pants.
"You don't have to go." She didn't want him to go.
"I'm glad you said that. He lifted her into his arms.
"What are you doing?"
"Getting you off that hard mat. Where's the bedroom?"
She pointed left. "That way."
As he carried her into the bedroom she took advantage of feeling his naked chest. She liked the slight strip of hair down the center of his chest, silky and smooth like the hair on his head.
He placed her down on the bed and pulled off his pants. He was so beautiful. She had thought that before she saw him naked, but seeing him naked just increased her belief that the man was a vision of artistic splendor.
"I could get lost inside you all night."
She smiled. "So stay all night." Her breath caught in anticipation. He may not have wanted that commitment. Staying all night meant they were more than just sexual partners for the duration of the act. She wanted to be more. She would be lying if she said she only thought about sex with him because in reality she had wanted so much more. She started falling for him from the moment she saw him and maybe that was lust then, but at every class she found herself falling for the essence of the man, his goodness, honesty and willingness to help people. He was one of the good guys and she knew that.
"Can I stay all morning too?"
"Yes," she exhaled slowly. "But I have band practice and the guys are coming here at ten. If you stay past practice we can have a late lunch."
"I can assure you lunch isn't going to be first and foremost in my mind."
She giggled. "No?"
"If only you knew how turned on I was watching you play at Raven's Nest."
"How turned on were you?" Her voice was low and sultry.
"Mt. St. Helen's waiting to blow."
She laughed. She wanted to talk long-term, but now was not the time. She didn't want to scare him, and telling a man she wanted more than sex, that she loved him, was in her opinion the fastest way to push him out of her bed.
He had taken her twice more that night to the point of exhaustion. The last thing she remembered was resting her head on his chest. When she woke up she was still in his arms and he was ready once again.
He let her up only because she insisted on brushing her teeth. She pulled a new toothbrush from her linen closet and handed it to him.
They had just finished brushing their teeth when he entered her again and made her come. When he carried her back to bed and got in beside her she smiled as she looked up at the ceiling. "You are dangerous," she mumbled.
"How so?"
"You make me want to forget about working and just stay in bed."
"You need more self discipline," he laughed and she cut his laugh short by fondling his penis.
"Self discipline huh?"
He groaned with pleasure and she stopped.
"You're right. I should shower."
She hopped out of bed.
"Don't develop it now," he called behind her and proceeded to follow her. She laughed again as she started the shower.
"Oh no," she held him at bay. "You're right; no time like the present to take control of my life'"
"You were listening to my lecture."
He pulled her into him and she fell softly against his chest. "The guys will be here in a half hour."
He mumbled something she couldn't understand. "Okay," he turned her, patted her on her butt and entered the shower with her.
Chapter Three
When the band members arrived Kyle saw the look Mike D gave him, as if he shouldn't be there.
"He's a good guy," Australia had said. "Nick, Jake, this is Kyle. Kyle this is Nick and Jake."
"What's up?" Jake shook his hand followed by Nick. Mike D still looked at him as if he wanted to fight.
"Let's get started."
"Journey?"
"Nah. Let's start with Mosaic," he squared his shoulders, "for the good guy."
Australia rolled her eyes.
They rehearsed for nearly five hours before going over the setup for their next gig and leaving. Kyle was glad they were gone because he wanted his woman naked and in bed. She was his; he hoped she saw it that way because last night he had given her himself. He wanted no other woman.
All week he spent his days working and his nights in bed with Australia. When Friday's class came she greeted him professionally and then joined the other women. They had both agreed to keep their relationship out of the dojo.
"We're in the small room for the first half. I have a martial arts video I'd like to show." Kyle ushered them into the break room with the big screen television.
"I'll get it started and then I have to prep for my class," Rick hooked up the connection making sure the cables were secured.
"I saw this guy in San Francisco last year. He's good. Maybe you can take some points from his moves." He pressed the power button on the television. "I haven't seen this particular DVD as we just got it from FedEx an hour ago. So we can all watch it together."
He signaled Rick to start the video as he walked back to the back of the room to join Rick. The screen did the typical fade to black, copyright information and then another fade to black.
"Five minutes and then I'll go set up." Rick took a seat which assured Kyle his brother had every intention of staying for the thirty minute show.
"Oh my God!" Australia jumped up and ran to the back of the room. "Turn it off!"
The screen drew his attention. There was a very naked Australia with him thrusting inside of her. The video was shot from outside. He could tell because the blinds were in the shot. Some pervert had been watching her. Not just watching, but taping.
Maid for Hire & Educating Australia Page 6