by Dark, Raven
A shaky curve tugged at her mouth, one that slowly bloomed into a trembling grin. What a sweet smile. He allowed a moment to revel in it. He doubted he’d see it again for a while.
Just like that, her eyes dropped again, and the doubt settled on her face once more. Right back into her shell. Damn it all.
“Gwen, look at me.” He winced at the harshness in his tone when she jerked her head up, her eyes wide. He’d been a gentle man, once. “Stop looking at the floor. I’m right here.” He pointed two fingers at his eyes.
“Sorry, Master.”
Archer narrowed his eyes. Something deeper lay beneath the respect she gave the word Master. He swore he could sense the sub in her, even if she wasn’t aware of it. He stepped closer to her.
“First, before we do anything else, the rules.”
“Rules, Master?”
“One. Master, but also Sensei, or Master Archer is fine, too. And second…” He stepped so close to her his nose would have touched if he’d been shorter and waited until she met his eyes again. “The floor is not your teacher and neither are your feet. Learn to look at me at all times here, and learn it quick. I’ll start punishing you every time you don’t.”
That gorgeous pink mouth opened a little at his words. The pulse in her neck jumped. He could practically hear the way she took the word punish. He wanted to tell her the next time she looked away from him he’d turn her ass red.
“Yes, Master Archer.” She met his stare, but her gaze wavered.
He raised his brow at her. “Why is it so hard to look at me?”
“I don’t know. I’m sorry Master.” She was twisting her fingers again.
“Are you afraid of me?”
She didn’t answer.
No. Fear wasn’t the right word. She wasn’t afraid he was going to hurt her. But he could see the self-doubt, the worry every time she realized he was paying attention to her. Why?
After a moment under his stare, she shrugged. He tamped down the empathy that tugged at him. He could not fix her. Only she could do that.
“Get used to it. Eye contact is the key. It’s how you see my intentions, anticipate another person’s attacks, and it shows the other person that you’re confident and know what you’re doing. Understood?”
“Yes, Sensei.”
Clasping his hands behind his back, he moved around to her side. “I’m guessing you’ve never taken any type of martial arts.”
She grinned, her fidgeting hands stilled, and her face reddened. “No, Master.”
“Then we start from the beginning. First, we need to deal with this deplorable posture of yours. And that needs to stop.”
“What?”
“That.” He slapped her hands apart, just hard enough that she widened her eyes and dropped her hands to her sides. “You can’t show your opponent you’re nervous. Your stalker would see it as a weakness and exploit it.”
She rolled her eyes. “Such a Dom.” Her voice was barely audible; clearly she hadn’t intended for him to hear her.
He fought a grin and leaned in toward her, deliberately in her space. “What was that?”
“Nothing, Master.”
Archer stalked around her, hands behind his back again, watching the blush creep over the heart-shaped face. “I thought so. If you want to mouth off, I have ways to deal with it.”
She visibly swallowed. He couldn’t help but let the corners of his mouth turn up. Yeah, definitely a sub and she was completely unaware of it. Well, this ought to be interesting. Especially since he could see her struggling not to lash out. The backbone was there. He wanted to drag that part of her out. Oh, the fun he could have, making her squirm.
Fuck, Ace’s sister and a student. Christ help him.
5
Unorthodox
In the two weeks since she’d started training, Archer hadn’t’ become any less bossy. Gwen arranged herself on the mat between them in the grounding formation he’s shown her in the beginning. Feet shoulder-width apart, hands fisted, arms out in front but slightly downward. The standard starting formation used before going through a kata.
If nothing else, she had to admit she’d made progress. In two weeks she’d memorized the sixteen basic moves that went into the kata taught to be beginners who trained at Iron Fist. There were sixteen katas to learn, each with their own series of moves—or forms—and she seriously wondered how she’d remember more than one, much less all sixteen.
Archer pulled out a stopwatch and nodded to the wide area of floor beyond the matt. “Go through your kata. No mistakes.”
Gwen blew out a breath at his intense gaze.
He held up his stopwatch and clicked it. “Go.”
She managed to move through the forms, one flowing into another, no longer fumbling her way through and making her look like her feet were on backwards. Sweat broke on her forehead halfway through, and not because of the exertion.
She still had trouble with the one front kick. She threw her leg up, kicking out. Smooth and unhalting. Relief spread through her.
A slight curve touched Archer’s mouth, making her insides go crazy. Was that pride in his eyes?
Gwen finished the kata, producing the proper shouts, kiais she knew were still too weak.
She bowed, returning to the proper starting position.
He stopped the watch. “Come here.”
She swallowed. His face was unreadable. “Master Archer? Did I do that badly?”
“Gwen, relax.”
“What?”
Amusement touched his perfect grey eyes. “You’re down to a half a minute, and you didn’t make a single mistake. You need to work on your kiais, but you did well. Now you learn grappling. Get over here.”
Gwen’s heart leaped into her throat. “Umm… Grappling? N-now?”
He nodded and gestured to the mat. “Stand in front of me.”
Oh boy. This was the downside of one-on-one classes. Archer was the only available partner.
Throat dry, she moved in front of him. He suddenly looked gigantic, those fists like boulders.
Archer stepped closer, and molten heat raced through her. She almost stepped back from him.
“So, I’ll show you how to avoid being taken down, and when you can’t avoid it, how to use the fall to your advantage. Attack me so I can demonstrate.”
“Pardon, Master?” She hated the tremor in her voice.
“Just do it, Gwen. Attack me.”
She blew out a breath. Reached out a trembling hand for his arm. He moved his arm away and scowled.
“What is that? I’m not glass.”
“Sorry. It’s just the idea of attacking anyone…”
Archer’s face hardened. He stepped toward her. “When I say attack me, this”—He barely swatted her arm— “is not what I mean. This…” Gwen shouted as both of his huge palms shoved her backwards across the mat. “…is what I mean.”
“Whoa. Shit.” Gwen slammed into the mat, struggling for breath. His ‘attack’ didn’t hurt but the suddenness of it jarred her. It was like being knocked over by Ace’s massive husky.
Archer leaned over her, his dark brows winging down. “You okay?” Concern radiated under the curtness.
“Yeah.” He hits like a battering ram. “I mean yes, Master.”
“Get up. Try again.”
Gwen struggled to her feet. She flung her hands out, but the instant before her palms collided with his chest, the energy went out of her and she ended up barely touching him.
Impatience flashed in his eyes. “What’s the matter with you?” His massive hands shoved at her chest, sending her back. “Like that.”
Gwen tumbled to the mat. She shook off the disorientation, getting to her feet. “I’m sorry.” This isn’t me.
“You’re gonna have to do better than this. I want to see attitude from you, Gwen.”
She stepped toward him, but the thought of being knocked down again made her hesitate.
“You call that attitude?” Archer strode to her
and shoved, square in the shoulders, sending her on her ass.
A grunt whooshed out of her. She pressed her lips together in annoyance and got up. This time he didn’t wait, just stalked to her and shoved, hard. Gwen flew back, hitting the mat with a thud.
“Get up. If I was a real attacker I wouldn’t wait for you to get to your feet.”
A myriad of emotions roiled in her. Annoyance with herself and anger with him. “Was that really necessary?” She stood up and brushed herself off.
“Come at me.”
When she backed away, he advanced and shoved her again. She toppled.
Anger raced through her, white hot, and before she could stop herself, she scrambled to her feet and shoved him hard, right in the chest. “Stop!”
Eyes widening, Archer stepped back with one leg to balance himself. He didn’t fall, but she’d moved him.
“Oh my god. Archer I...”
“See?” A fierce light burned in his eyes. He pointed at her chest. “Now that’s attitude. That’s what I want to see.”
Understanding hit in a dizzying wave as she went over what she’d done. The way she’d shoved him, yelled at him. “Wow. That was cool. I did it.”
“Yes, now if you could just do your kiais the way you just shouted at me, you’d be on your way.” Archer turned as if to put space between them. Then he spun around and grabbed her arm, shoving her backwards.
Gwen snatched a sharp breath and stumbled back, but her body wouldn’t listen to her brain. Frozen in place, shaky, she could only look away from his intense, antagonistic gaze.
Damn it! What was the matter with her?
A concerned look took over Archer’s chiseled face and he stepped back, out of her personal space. “What happened?”
She dropped her arms. “I don’t know. I froze. I don’t understand it. It was like my brain locked or something.”
“It’s fear.”
“What?”
“We need to teach you to change your mindset. Lots of people are hardwired to avoid confrontation. For someone like you, that programming runs even deeper.”
“Someone like me?” She couldn’t help the tightness in her voice.
He nodded. “You’re afraid of failure. That added fear of retribution makes something as harsh as aggression even more difficult for you.”
Gwen lowered her eyes. He was right. Every time she was forced into a confrontation with her family, her mind seized up. “How do I change that?”
Archer reached out a hand, touching her shoulder. She jerked her head up. The compassion in his eyes floored her. For a man as gruff as him… Well, damn.
“We can do this. Believe me, Gwen. First, you have to stop thinking of defending yourself as something you shouldn’t do. You need to learn to stand up for yourself without worrying about other people. With time and practice, it will become as natural as anything else you do.”
She stared at him. His reassurance that they were in this together sent a pleasant flutter through her. The way he said “we.” Like she wasn’t in this alone. Perhaps he only meant it to boost her confidence, but it made her feel stronger to know someone was on her side.
“All right. What do you want me to do?”
Archer’s teeth flashed in a big grin, incredibly sexy on that brutal face. “Tomorrow night you’re going out with me.”
The wires in Gwen’s brain must have short circuited. A night with Archer. Oh, no. Out of the question. She didn’t want more contact with him than absolutely necessary. On the other hand… Her heart hammered. “Master Archer, are you…?”
He straightened the black jacket of his gi. “Gwen Stanton, I’m taking you out for the best porterhouse steak you’ve ever had. I have some ideas how to proceed with your training, but it’s a little unorthodox. It’ll take some explaining.”
“Um… right… training.” She forced a smile. “Sounds great. I’d… I’d like that.”
“Good. I’ll pick you up at six.”
“Sure.” She nodded to the door. “I’d better go. Umm… with your permission, Sensei.”
He smiled. “Class dismissed.”
* * *
Archer looked like a god.
He hooked her arm in his and drew her down the front walk to The Mountainside Grill, a restaurant at the foot of Mount Seraph, already packed despite the early hour. In black jeans that clung to his strong thighs, a silk button up and with his dark hair swept off his strong face, it was difficult not to stare. Especially when the gray of his shirt brought out the steel color of his eyes.
He gave a crooked smile. “What? Why do you keep looking at me like I have two heads?”
“I’m not.” Her face flamed. Ace’s best friend. You don’t want a man like him.
He nudged her shoulder when she didn’t finish. “Do I look that ridiculous?”
Was he kidding? “No, Master Archer. It’s just…I’m just not used to seeing you without your gi.”
“Ah. And?”
The thought of telling him made her face burn. Archer chuckled, running his hand over the middle of her back and guiding her through the front doors of the restaurant. His huge palm seared her skin through her red silk blouse.
“Come on.” He nodded to the hostess, who signalled them to follow her to a booth near the back. While the hostess walked ahead of them, he leaned in. “By the way, you look incredible.”
A spear of heat shot through her when his warm breath brushed her ear, and Gwen nearly tripped on her high heels. “Um… thanks.”
One of his powerful arms caught her around the waist, steadying her.
Way to go, Gwen. He compliments you and you almost face-plant the rug. Real smooth.
She slid into the booth while Archer took the side opposite. She’d have to remember to thank Zoe for her help picking out her outfit. Gwen’s fatal lack of fashion sense would probably have left her looking like the president of Librarians Inc standing next to Mister Sexy GQ.
“You don’t take compliments well, do you?” Amusement turned the corners of his mouth up. He called the waiter over and ordered wine for both of them. “It’s a shame. You’re gorgeous.”
Gulp.
She stared at the checkered tablecloth, counting the squares. Well, shit. In some ways he was so much like her family. Abrupt, critical demanding, and arrogant. But this side of him… Why did he have to make it so hard not to like him?
Shortly after ordering, Gwen ogled the huge well-done steak they’d put in front of her. Archer made an appreciative sound in his throat after taking a bite of his own steak.
“Fuck, this stuff is good. I could eat two of these.”
“Seriously? These are enormous.”
Curiosity nagged at her, killing the shyness, at least enough to ask a few questions.
“So… how long have you known Nick?”
He lifted his gaze to hers. For a moment he didn’t say anything. Then, “Ten years.”
Did she imagine the abruptness in his answer?
“Where do you know him from?” he asked.
She cleared her throat. God, his hands were huge. What would they feel like on her bare skin? “I’m his personal assistant.”
“So you work with him at the club?”
“Sometimes there, sometimes at the hospital.”
He nodded.
“How… I mean, how long have you been a sensei?”
“Eighteen years. I’ve been doing karate since I was five.”
“Since you were five?” She whistled. “Why do you teach here? Haven is so small. You could do so much more in a bigger city.”
“Anxious for me to leave?” His eyes sparkled.
“Well… it’s just, you… Of course not. I don’t…”
His smile made her stomach quiver. “You’re cute when you squirm.”
Gwen nearly dropped her fork. She cleared her throat. “Um…so…five years ago, you left but then you came back.”
He looked at her, his strong jaw working as he chewed. One dark brow
rose when she hesitated.
She fidgeted. “I mean, why did you leave? Where did you go?”
Archer picked up his glass, swirling the crimson wine as his face masked over. “I went to Japan to train with a Grandmaster. I came back two years ago, after I got my fifth degree.”
Gwen studied him through her lashes. The odd softness in his voice, the way he wouldn’t look at her told her he was leaving something out.
“A Grandmaster in Japan. That sounds incredible. Why did you come back? There are more levels, right?”
“It doesn’t matter. I decided I don’t belong there. I can get up to my eighth here. I have no need to become a Grandmaster.”
His voice took on that clipped tone she knew so well. The tone she heard every time she was in her father’s house, when she was pushing where she shouldn’t. Something in her belly tightened.
The atmosphere grew tense. Still, what happened to drive him out of Japan? Was it regret she saw in his eyes when he mentioned not needing to become a Grandmaster? For some reason, she couldn’t let the subject drop.
“I know it’s none of my business. It’s just that I think you could go all the way. I’ve seen you with your other students. With me, you’re incredible.”
Archer’s brows climbed. She swallowed, waiting. For him to shut her out, tell her to stop asking questions, let him eat. His face softened, and a slight smile played at his mouth. “You think so, do you?”
“Yes.” Why couldn’t she stop her pulse from racing?
He gave a soft chuckle. Warmth filled his eyes as his gaze held hers. Then he shook his head. “You have no idea how difficult it is to become a Grandmaster, Gwen. Those men are so disciplined, so incredibly focused.” He scowled at his plate. “There’s a reason there are so few of them.”
Gwen gulped down a piece of steak, staring at him. Somehow, seeing this moment of vulnerability in him, hearing the passion in his voice, seeing the flicker of self-doubt in his eyes, warmed her heart. It made him less intimidating. And hotter.
“So, enough about me. We should be talking about you.” He held her gaze. “Any leads on who your stalker is?”