by Ciana Stone
He took her arm and steered her out of the room. “You mean she used to be.”
Senna was so caught up in being humiliated and hurt about being betrayed by her friends, and her insecurity about being with Konnor, that she didn’t pay attention to the direction they were headed. Suddenly she noticed there were no longer any streetlights.
“Where are we going?
“Somewhere quiet.”
She watched his profile for a few moments, trying to think of something to say. She didn’t really know anything about him and normally she didn’t put herself into the position of being with anyone she didn’t know and trust.
“What type of martial arts do you teach?” she asked, trying to fill the silence.
“Shorinji Kempo.”
“Exactly what is that?”
Konnor looked at her for a moment then back at the road. “It is essentially a modern style of karate that was created by So Doshin sometime after the Second World War. Shorinji Kempo is the Japanese translation of the Chinese Shaolin-si, combined with Quanfa, which means kempo. The Shaolin-se was a very family monastery in China where various forms of ‘boxing’ were taught so that the monks could defend themselves.
“So Doshin studied in China for many years and when he returned home to Japan he established a school based on the techniques he had learned at the Shaolin-si, and this was known as Shorinji Kempo. In the early 1970s it was given the name of Nippon Shorinji Kempo.”
“Is kempo the same thing as karate?”
“In a manner of speaking, yes.” He glanced at her. “Shorinji Kempo might be described as a mixture of aikido, judo, and karate. According to So Doshin, it teaches us that the body and mind are inseparable and that we should train the two entities by the practice of Kempo and Zen meditation. There are over six hundred postures, displacements, body movements, attacks, blocks and atemim, or body blows that place the main emphasis on defense and evasion.”
Senna nodded her comprehension of what he had explained. “And you have reached the level of Kokoro?”
“Yes.”
“Then you have achieved kokoro-e”
He gave her a shocked look. ‘Where have you learned such terms?”
“I really don’t know,” she admitted.
“But you understand what kokoro-e is?”
“Intellectually, yes…I think. It is the…the spirit of true understanding.”
Konnor nodded with a frown of confusion on his face. “Have you ever been to Japan?”
“No, I don’t think so. I’ve been to China several times when I was a child, and once to Malaysia, but never to Japan. At least not that I remember.”
“Do you have trouble with your memory?”
Senna turned to look at him. “What makes you ask that?”
“You seem upset by the question.”
She turned away and looked out the window. For a long time there was silence. Konnor turned off the paved road onto a gravel drive that wound through the trees. In a clearing stood a small house, finished in natural wood with a wrap-around porch. He stopped the car and turned to look at her.
“Is this your house?” she asked.
“Yes.”
“Why did you bring me here?”
“It’s as far from where you were as you can get.”
She turned to look at him curiously. “Now what?”
“Now we either go in and have something to eat, or we sit out here and be cold.”
She didn’t know that it was such a good idea, but her curiosity was aroused. Konnor preceded her to the house and unlocked the door. Senna entered, surprised at what she saw.
The whole house seemed to be open and accessible. The front room, or living area, was separated from the kitchen only by a bar where four bar stools sat. On the right of the living area was a large archway through which she could see the bedroom. On the left was a door leading out to a large deck. It was simple, clean, and uncluttered.
“This is nice,” she said in genuine appreciation.
“Thanks.” He pointed to one of the stools at the bar. “Have a seat.”
She perched on a stool and watched as he took an old iron wok and a big pot from beneath the cabinet then started taking vegetables from the refrigerator.
“You never answered,” he said as he started preparing the food.
“What?”
“Do you have a problem with your memory?”
She looked down at her hands on the counter and for a moment clasped them nervously. She never talked about her past. It was not something she was comfortable talking about. Even Ryan didn’t know, and she had been dating him almost a year.
Konnor turned and looked at her and the moment their eyes met, she changed her mind. She didn’t understand why, but she wanted to tell him. She wanted him to understand.
“Well, it’s a long story,” she said.
“I’m listening,” he replied and turned back to his task.
She took a deep breath and started talking. He finished the meal of vegetables and rice and filled two plates. He sat across from her at the bar as she told him about traveling with her parents when she was young, and about them being killed. She lost her memory and two years of her life. She said only that her Aunt Minora had taken her in after that and that they were very close.
“So when Min was in the accident, I quit Fermilab and took a job teaching at the university so I could be near her,” she finished.
Konnor sipped his tea thoughtfully, studying her face in silence. She began to get uncomfortable under this scrutiny and looked away.
“And you’ve tried to recover your memory of that lost time?” he asked.
She nodded and looked up at him.
“I understand,” he said.
“How could you?”
He set down his cup and leaned back, staring at a point over her head. “Let’s just say that I’ve been in the same boat.”
Senna was amazed. “What happened?”
“That’s something I’d rather not talk about.” His manner was suddenly brusque again.
“Why don’t I help you clean up?” She picked up her plate to take to the sink.
“No.” He reached out to halt her. “I’ll take care of it.”
“I don’t mind,” she argued. “Really, it’s the least I can do.”
“I said no!” His words came out sharp and biting.
She sat the plate down on the counter with a bang. “You don’t have to bite my head off! What is it with you, anyway? One minute you’re coming to my rescue and the next you’re snarling at me.”
Konnor came off his stool, towering over her, and she involuntarily took a step backward. “I’d like to leave.” She tried to sound as calm as possible.
“Go ahead.”
“Do you expect me to walk?” She was shocked at how rude he was.
“I don’t expect anything.”
She didn’t know what to say. He was acting like they hadn’t just spent the last hour or so in pleasant conversation. “Fine.” She started around him with every intention of walking out of the house.
He moved too fast for her to keep from bumping into him when he stepped in front of her. Without thinking, she jumped back and when he reached for her she saw her own arm arc over to block his aside.
A look of shock came over his face and he tried again, this time with the other hand. Again, she reacted without thinking. Her right arm moved up and to the outside, at the same time her left hand moved up, bending across the chest in an angle with her fingers together like a blade.
Konnor dropped his arms to his sides and stared at her. “Where did you learn that?”
She was as surprised as he. She had never reacted that way before and had no idea why she had now. “I don’t know.”
His eyebrows came together in scowl, and then he extended his hand to her. “Come with me.”
“Where?” She would not take his hand, but crossed her arms in front of her chest defensively.
�
�No questions. I have a theory I want to check out.”
“A theory on what?”
“Come with me and find out.”
For a moment she considered saying no. She was not at all sure about Konnor Chase. His moods swings were so rapid and unpredictable. She didn’t know what to expect from one moment to the next. There was also her apprehension over the attraction she felt for him. She was sure it was unhealthy because he scared her, and to be attached to someone you were afraid of had to be a danger sign.
But she didn’t have the will to say no. The part of her that was drawn to him was stronger than her own good sense. Finally she nodded, but still didn’t take his hand.
They left the house and got back in his car. Finally she realized where they were going. Why, she could not imagine, but she didn’t question him about it.
He pulled around behind the martial arts school and opened the rear entrance. The room was totally devoid of light as there were no windows. Senna stepped inside and stopped. She heard the door close behind her then there was complete silence. She didn’t know if Konnor was standing beside her, behind her, or across the room.
The overhead lights made her eyes wince as they came on. Konnor was standing across the room. “Come on,” he gestured to her.
She followed him to his office. He rumbled around in the closet for a few moments then turned with a pair of cotton pants and a T-shirt in his hand. “Change into this.” He handed her the clothes. “The locker room’s on the right down the hall.”
She took the clothes and went to the locker room. The pants had a drawstring waist so she was able to get them tight enough they wouldn’t fall off, but they were so long she had to roll them up several times to keep from tripping. The T-shirt was almost too tight but she got it on. She wished she had been wearing something besides pantyhose under her dress but at least the outfit was black.
“In here,” she heard him from the workout hall as she exited the locker room. Heading in his direction, she stopped cold when she saw him. He was wearing a pair of cotton pants like the ones she wore, but his chest was bare.
Heat rushed to her face and she averted her eyes. “Come on,” he directed.
Taking a deep breath she walked to him. He seemed even larger than before. “Do what I do,” he said.
She mirrored his position and he executed a move. She shook her head. “I can’t do that.”
He whirled and struck out at her so fast that she didn’t have time to think. Her body reacted instinctively. To her utter amazement her arm came up and blocked his punch, and her leg shot up and out, making contact with the side of his face with a loud smack.
He hardly seemed to feel the blow but his face registered surprise. Senna was in complete shock. She could not believe what she had just done. “Again,” he said and came at her.
Time after time he moved in on her using different techniques and each time she executed either an evasive maneuver or blocked his attack and counter with one of her own. She didn’t understand how she could be doing it. It was as if her body was acting of its own accord.
After an hour they were both wet with sweat but still he didn’t let up. Neither of them had spoken in all that time. Finally she held up her hand. “No more.”
He ignored and attacked. Once more she blocked his initial attack. But this time he deflected her counter-attack and a moment later she was pinned beneath him on the floor. The feel of his muscular body on hers, his masculine smell and his breath warm in her face was more than she could take.
Konnor looked down into her eyes and she knew she was going to make a fool of herself if he didn’t move. Already her body was responding. She felt damp warmth between her legs that had nothing to do with sweat, and her heart was beating double-time.
“What other talents are you hiding?” he asked softly.
She shook her head, struggling to control her defiant body. “Please,” she gasped as he continued to pin her to the floor.
His face tightened in what appeared to be anger and for a moment she thought he was going to hurt her. Then he lowered his face to hers and claimed her lips in a kiss of savage passion.
The reasonable part of her mind screamed for her to resist, to fight. But the hunger was too strong and she returned the kiss with equal need. He pulled her into a standing position without ending the kiss then drew back.
She looked into his eyes and saw the fire inside him. He took hold of the neck of her shirt and ripped it down the center in one move. She gasped slightly as his hands moved to her breasts but didn’t break the contact of their eyes. His hands moved lower, untying the cord that held the cotton pants around her waist. They fell down around her ankles and she stepped out of them.
Konnor’s eyes traveled down her body and she tensed, afraid that his desire for her would wane. When his eyes met hers again, she inhaled sharply at the intensity on his face.
Tentatively she reached out and ran her hand across the tense muscles of his chest, then down his body to the drawstring of his pants. One tug and the knot was free. Leaning closer she kissed his chest, then pushed his pants down his hips, lowering her body so that her mouth traced down the center of his abdomen. As her tongue flicked at the tip of his erection a sharp intake of breath made her look up.
He wound one hand in her long hair and pulled her to her feet for a searing kiss. She groaned in her throat as his hand moved between her legs, stroking and probing. As if enflamed by the sound, he kissed her more roughly and rammed his fingers inside her. She felt a moment of panic but it was quickly drowned out by the hunger and she moved against his questing fingers.
His lips left hers and he looked into her eyes. With his hand still tangled in her hair he pulled her head back sharply. She arched back to relieve the pressure and his mouth descended on her breast. She cried out as he bit lightly on one nipple, but it was a cry of pleasure.
Forcing her to the floor, he released her hair and spread her legs, kneeling between them. She thought he would enter her but instead he lowered his lead, forcing her legs wider. “I want all of you,” he said in a rough voice.
She writhed against him as he lapped at her folds. A swelling sensation began inside her and she arched against his mouth. Just as she thought she would explode, he rose and positioned himself between her legs so that he was sitting back on his heels. She cried out as he pulled her forward, impaling her on his erection. She tried to pull him forward on top of her, but he held her in place, wrapping her legs around his waist.
She felt like a bow, drawn taut and quivering with need. Konnor took her right hand and guided it to the damp patch of hair at the junction of her thighs. She felt among the damp curls to where the tiny knot waited and moved her fingers on it.
Konnor watched, moving inside her in measured strokes. When her body began to quiver with impending release, he drove deep inside her, hard and fast. Senna screamed in pleasure and pushed herself up so that she was straddling him. With rapid strokes she rode him, her breasts rubbing against his chest as her hands clutched his strong shoulders.
Konnor groaned and shuddered as her inner muscles contracted rapidly with her orgasm. She held on to him, wanting the moment to last forever. At last it subsided and she leaned into him, feeling the pounding of his heart against her chest. He wrapped his arms around her and held her close for a long time then drew back and looked into her eyes.
She didn’t know what to say. She had never experienced an orgasm while making love and it was more than she had ever imagined. In a sense, it was her first time. “Thank you,” she said, running her hand along the side of his face.
He gave her a puzzled look and she blushed. He turned her face up and looked at her with an unspoken question. “I didn’t know that’s what it felt like,” she admitted.
Puzzlement turned to confusion then realization on his face in rapid succession. “You never…”
She flushed deeper and shook her head. For a moment he just looked at her in surprise, then he kissed her g
ently and stood, picking her up in his arms.
Taking her to the locker room, he turned on the shower and stepped under the water, letting her feet touch the floor, but keeping her pressed against him. She closed her eyes, turned her face up to the water, letting it pour down over her hot skin. Then she opened her eyes and looked up at him. He smiled and picked her up, letting her circle his waist with her legs.
She was surprised when she felt him hard and ready, but more than willing to accept him inside her. When the water turned cold neither of them acknowledged it. The heat of their passion was enough to keep them warm.
Chapter Five
Monday Morning
University of North Carolina at Charlotte
The words on the typed page in front of her were meaningless—her mind was not on work. Senna couldn’t concentrate on grading papers. All she could think about was Konnor.
What had happened between them Saturday was something she had never expected. Even now she could hardly believe that it had happened to her. She had always been very conservative, very careful in her sexual relations. She was not one to throw caution to the wind, much less the kind of woman who would abandon all reserve and behave so wantonly.
Her skin grew hot as she remembered—making love on the floor of the workout hall, in the shower pressed against the tiled wall, in the locker room. Night had passed in an orgiastic fantasy come to life that would have continued if a student hadn’t knocked on the front door when he arrived to do the cleaning.
She had hidden in Konnor’s office while he admitted the student. By the time he returned to his office, she was dressed and suddenly very self-conscious. She wanted to leave but had no transportation. He offered to let her take his car and come back for him later, or take a nap on the couch in his office while he taught the morning class.
She opted for borrowing his car until she reached the door to the reception area and heard Ryan’s voice. Then she changed her mind. The last thing she wanted was to run into Ryan, especially after having spent the night with Konnor.
She tried to sleep while the class was in progress, but had no luck. All she could do was think about Konnor and the way she felt when they made love. She had never experienced anything like it, and it was almost like sampling a highly addictive drug. One dose and you’re hooked.
