Page 65 of Find Me
“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” he strained to say. He was having difficulty getting free.
“I’m pretty sure I can take you, pretty boy.”
He huffed out a laugh. “Even you talking shit is adorable.”
“I’ll show you adorable,” I grumbled and squeezed my legs.
He tapped my thigh, signaling defeat, and I released his arm and dropped my legs to the floor on either side of him. Between my legs, he sat back on his haunches. For a while we both just focused on breathing.
I tried to sit up and fell back with a groan. “My legs and arms feel like spaghetti.”
“What you don’t have in strength you make up for in stamina,” he said. He cracked his neck. “Man, I’m going to sleep good tonight.”
“Does that mean you’re too tired forGame of Thronestonight?”
“I won't skip out on ourGame of Thronesdate.”
I smiled up at the ceiling. “Good.”
“Alright, let's get up,” he said, leaning over me. His hands slid under my ribs and up my back a little. I gripped his biceps as he lifted the upper half of my body until we were sitting face to face.
“Can you carry me home, too?” I joked.
He grinned. “You should get with Knox a couple times a week to do some strength training.”
I groaned again, this time a little exaggeratedly, making him chuckle. He climbed to his feet and held out a hand to help me to mine.
“So what's the verdict?” I asked.
“I think jiu-jitsu is your strong suit,” he pointed out.
“That was the class I wanted to take.”
“You have the training and discipline of a brown belt, possibly a black belt. I teach a class for that level. The issue is that it’s during the week right as you get off school. We have another class that I don’t teach that is an all-levels, but all the students in that are either white belts or blue belts. You won’t be challenged in that class.”
“I just want to be able to defend myself if I ever need to.”
“I’d say you know how to properly defend yourself. What your uncle got you to master in a year is remarkable.” He put his hands on his hips and went quiet for a moment. I could tell he was thinking something over. “I can work with you every Saturday at this time.”
I scrunched my nose. “One-on-one sessions with Keelan Stone, skilled MMA fighter and one of the owners of Desert Stone Fitness. Hmm, I don’t know. You sound expensive,” I joked.
He chuckled. “I wouldn’t charge you.”
I shook my head. “I was kidding, Keelan. Of course you’re going to charge me. I would feel guilty not paying.”
He shrugged. “You’re getting the girlfriend discount.”
“I’m not your girlfriend.”
“Want to be?” he asked with a charming smile.
All I could do was blink.
He laughed, shaking his head. “So adorable.”
He’s just teasing me, I mused as I slowly recovered from my stunned state.
“How about this?” he started. “I’m currently teaching a beginners’ jiu-jitsu class for just women, but the other instructor who usually teaches the class with me is pregnant and doesn’t feel comfortable sparring anymore, even in a teaching setting. I don’t have the time to find and hire someone else. I need someone who will demonstrate with me and help me make sure the students are maneuvering properly, because not all of them are comfortable with me being close or pinning them down. Some of them have been through some shit.” He paused to see if I caught his meaning and I did. “If you help me teach the class, we’ll call it even.”