In Self Defense

by Loralynne Summers

  Watching Sarah’s tiny body disappear through the doors, Jason exhaled a long, frustrated breath. He had to make her realize he wanted her. Not just for a fling either. Seeing her in the hospital had awakened a primal need in him to protect her, keep her safe. At the time, he’d written it off as brotherly love. After all, they’d grown up together. Over the months of having her next door, though, he’d started to care more about her, and her opinion of him. The more she ragged him about all the girls, the less he enjoyed them, until he just stopped.

  He secured the helmets to the bike and trudged inside. Somehow, he’d make things right.

  Once he’d seen her that day at the gym, all bets had been canceled. From then on, if he caught another guy giving her the eye, Jason quickly discouraged him caveman style. He could no longer deny that he didn’t just love her, he was in love with her. She was his Sarah. Now he just needed her to think that, too.

  She waltzed out of the bathroom, all smiles.

  “Better?”

  “Yes. Did you get our card stamped?”

  “Yup. I didn’t know what you wanted, though, so I didn’t order you anything. You ran off too fast.”

  “How are we doing for time? It feels good to stretch. And I’m hungry.”

  “Don’t worry about it, get whatever you want. The time doesn’t matter. I’ll give you a massage later if your legs get sore.” And then he’d have to take one hell of a cold shower, but it would be worth it to get his hands on her body.

  “I might take you up on that. Even if I don’t cramp up.” Her eyebrows twitched slightly, and she spun away to the bar, leaving him to stare after her. What? Did she just flirt with me? She placed her order and sauntered back, a bottle of beer in her hand and a smirk on her face. When they were toe-to-toe, she leaned into him, rising up as far as she could, and placed a finger under his chin. “Close your mouth, Jase.” Her voice was low, throaty, and seductive. “You might catch something you weren’t looking for.”

  The smell of her invaded him. It tormented him every time she was near. Beneath the residual hint of coconut from the sunblock, she smelled like vanilla and honey. Not for the first time, he wondered if she’d taste like that if he ran his tongue through her slit. His gaze slid down, catching an eyeful of cleavage. He’d been trying to ignore it all afternoon. The lacing barely contained her. Knowing those thin strings were all that stood between him and her perfectly-sized breasts… He forced his gaze away.

  “Sarah?” he rasped.

  “Yeah?”

  “I…” He cleared his throat. “I think your food is ready.” His cock gave a silent thank you for the reprieve. Considering that the last guy she’d been with had been aggressive, controlling, and abusive, he didn’t think she’d go for it if he slammed her up against a wall and shoved his tongue down her throat. No matter how badly he wanted to.

  Having her arms around him was torture. Every bump in the road pushed her breasts into his back. Thank God they were headed for the last stop. He couldn’t take much more of this or his will would snap.

  “I’ll go turn our card in, so we get in on the 50/50. What do you want to drink? Another beer?” He headed for the bar. He needed space. And much more alcohol.

  “Sure, Jase. Thanks. When I get paid next week, I’ll pay you back for everything today.”

  “Don’t worry about it, Sags. You know I’ve got you.”

  “I still feel bad.”

  “I’ll let you make it up to me somehow.”

  “I’m sure we can agree on something,” she immediately answered, smiling suggestively and giving him the once-over. Jesus, she really is flirting with me. He didn’t know what to do, how to push it to the next level. With any other girl, he would have grabbed her ass, pulled her against him, and kissed her. But this was Sarah. Suddenly, all his usual moves seemed stupid and lame.

  When he didn’t reply, she laughed and headed in the opposite direction for the jukebox.

  “Goddamn she looks good!” Mike’s voice said in awe. Jason turned to see his coworker from the shop.

  “Tell me about it,” he groaned in agreement.

  “Jason, buddy, please say you’re getting some of that.”

  “I’m working on it, man. Gotta bring her around. She’s been my best friend for forever. I need to do this right.”

  “Yeah? Well, while you’re sinking like the Titanic, someone else is paddling in to save her.” Mike gestured with his beer at a guy talking to Sarah.

  “She doesn’t look that interested. I’m not worried.” As if to prove Jason’s point, the guy dropped to his knees screaming, with his arm twisted above his head and Sarah’s heel digging into his back.

  “Now,” she said, increasing the angle of his arm, “when a girl says ‘no thanks, I’m not interested,’ you walk away from her. Got it?”

  “I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” he cried. She released him, kicking him to the floor and striding away, head high, as onlookers cheered.

  “Nicely done!” Jason held his arm out for a high-five as she rejoined them.

  She gave a nervous laugh when her hand met his. “Thanks. He grabbed my ass when I was looking at the jukebox, said I wouldn’t be dressed like this if I wasn’t looking for something…” Her eyes darted up to his face and he caught the faint blush on her cheeks before she turned her head. “I didn’t even think about it, I just reacted.”

  “That was awesome. Perfectly executed.” His chest swelled with pride and he pulled her in for a hug. “I might need to bring you in for some demonstrations for the class tomorrow. Prove to them that size doesn’t matter.”

  Excitement danced in her eyes as she stepped back to look at him. “Does that mean I get to manhandle you and throw you around? You still owe me a kickboxing match. I think you’re afraid of getting beat up by a girl, since you keep avoiding it,” she taunted, hand planted on her cocked hip. Mike and the others around them laughed. He couldn’t tell her the real reason why he kept avoiding that match. But if it meant getting her help with the class, he’d agree to it.

  Hell, lately, he’d agree to anything—even watching cheesy chick flicks with bad acting and worse graphics—if it meant he got to spend time with her.

  “Okay, you know what? You’re on.” He stuck his hand out. “Tomorrow’s self-defense class, it’ll be you and me. You help with the class and I’ll give you that match. I’m warning you, though, I’m not going to take it easy on you, Sags.”

  Her face split with an ear-to-ear grin. “Don’t worry, neither will I.” They clasped hands, their friends immediately placing bets on who would win.

  ****

  He was having a hell of a time focusing on the conversation around them. Sarah seemed quite pleased to discover that the extra height from her boots significantly improved her dart game. Every time it was her turn, she leaned forward, enhancing his view of either her cleavage or her ass, depending on where he stood. Then her tongue came out and slowly licked her lips, tantalizing him with thoughts of his cock in that sweet mouth. Worst of all were the points where she was really concentrating, because then she bit her bottom lip.

  When he thought he couldn’t restrain himself any longer from dragging her out of the bar like a caveman, she made it worse. One of her favorite songs, “Fat Bottomed Girls” by Queen, came on and she started to dance.

  Against him.

  He had to excuse himself.

  Unable to take the pressure, he jerked off in the bathroom stall. It didn’t take long, not with all the new material he had to work with. Standing at the sink, he splashed cold water over his face, trying in vain to erase the image of her gyrating hips from his brain. Christ, man, get it together. He sighed heavily and dried himself off, staring at his reflection in the mirror. What the hell was he doing? What was wrong with him? He had to man up and talk to her. It was too noisy and crowded in the bar, though. Maybe she’ll be willing to leave early. Small fights were common in these bars, and this conversation would be better held at home.

 
; As if to prove his point, shouting and the sounds of a scuffle broke through his thoughts. He worked his way back through the crowd. The scene that greeted him when he returned to their spot by the dart boards stopped him cold.

  Sarah stood, a ring of empty space around her, trembling from head to toe. One of her heels was broken, making her stance uneven. Her hair, already loosened from numerous helmet removals, was halfway out. Everyone stared at either her or the man on the floor.

  At her feet, unconscious, lay her asshole ex-boyfriend.

  “What the—” He didn’t get the rest of question out. At the sound of his voice, her head snapped up.

  “Jason!” she cried, launching herself at him.

  “Shh, Sarah, it’s okay. I’ve got you.” She clung to him desperately, her head buried in his chest, sobbing. “Has anyone called the cops yet?” he asked over Sarah’s shoulder. He wrapped one arm around her lower back, using his other arm to stroke her head, trying to soothe her.

  “I don’t think so,” Mike replied.

  “Someone needs to. That piece of shit just violated his probation by being in a bar. Not to mention an order of protection keeping him away from Sarah.” Her arms tightened around his neck. “Sarah, baby, I can’t breathe. You have to loosen your arms. I won’t let go of you, I swear.”

  “Take me home. Please.”

  “As soon as the cops get your statement, I will. I promise.”

  “Jason?” she sniffed, leaning back just enough to look at him.

  “Yeah, baby?”

  “I broke my shoe. I had to save up for weeks to buy these boots and I bought them special, just for you.”

  Chuckling lightly, he kissed her forehead. “I’ll buy you another pair, baby, don’t worry.”

  She refused to let go of him while the police questioned her. She detached herself from him, but held his hand in a death-grip the entire time. Once he was seated on the bike, she quickly reestablished her hold, wrapping her arms tightly around him until they pulled in to his garage.

  “Can I stay with you tonight?” she pleaded.

  He groaned. “Sags, my house is trashed. You know I never clean.”

  She grabbed his arm with both hands. “Please, I don’t want to be alone.” Her eyes were the size of dinner plates, wild and frantic.

  He pulled her close. “I’ll stay over there with you, don’t worry. Let me just grab a few things.”

  “I’m not waiting out here by myself.” His heart clenched. She sounded so scared, so broken. Just like all those months ago at the hospital.

  “Okay. But stay in the kitchen? Please?” She nodded her assent, and hobbled along behind him into the house on her broken boots. He hurriedly threw some clothes into his gym bag so he could shower and change at her place. This week, he’d clean the house. He didn’t want to have to say no to her sleeping in his bed ever again.

  Slinging the bag over his shoulder, he scooped her up into his arms when they were on the back porch.

  “Why are you carrying me fifty feet?”

  “Because I can. Because I’d be a jerk to make you stumble around on those shoes when you could fall and get hurt. But mostly because it’s my fault they’re broken in the first place.”

  “Jason, I’m the one who gave Alex a roundhouse kick to the head in these things.”

  “And you have no idea how proud I am of you for that. Doesn’t change the fact that I wasn’t there to protect you when he showed up, and I should have been.”

  She sighed, settling her head on his shoulder. “It’s okay,” she whispered. If he could beat the shit out of himself, he would. It had been eating away at him from the moment she’d thrown herself at him and wouldn’t let go.

  He wanted to kick the ass of every one of their friends, too. Most of them didn’t know who Alex was. But that knowledge didn’t stop him from wanting to knock their heads off for letting Sarah fight him. Hell, it was a good thing for Alex that Jason had been in the bathroom when it all went down. Otherwise, the police would have pulled him off Alex’s bloody, beaten corpse. He owed that asshole. Not just for the beating that had landed Sarah in the hospital, but also for the months it took to put her back together, physically and emotionally.

  “What’s the code for the alarm, Sarah?” He’d never asked her what it was after showing her how to change it. He wanted her to feel completely safe from everyone when she was in the house, including him.

  “Sarah?” He tilted his head back to look down at her. In the dark, he couldn’t see her blush, but assumed she had when she turned and buried her face into his chest before mumbling a reply. “I didn’t hear you, baby. Tell me again.”

  She cleared her throat and took a deep breath. “I said, it’s your birthday.”

  Christ, could he feel more like a dick? If he needed another clue about her feelings, he was a moron. It was a bit ironic, though.

  “Wanna know a secret? My alarm is set to your birthday. Kinda funny, huh?” He set her down to dig her keys out of his pocket. “You gonna let all the cold air out, or are you coming inside?” She stood where he’d left her on the porch. Shaking herself, she followed him into the house and he reset the alarm for occupancy, locking the door behind them. “You go ahead and shower. I’ll make popcorn, grab us some beers, and see what I can find to watch.”

  “Sure. Can you help me with the boots? My hands still feel all shaky.”

  “Yeah, of course. Here.” He fell to the floor in front of her, sitting on his heels and dying a little more inside. This was so not how he’d pictured the night going just a couple of hours ago. He wanted to be peeling these off because she wanted him to, not because she needed him to.

  She rested her hands on his shoulders and placed one foot on his thigh. He ran his hands along the supple leather, up and over her calf. He swallowed hard, tamping down his baser emotions. She didn’t need that kind of bullshit from him right now.

  Slowly, he pulled the zipper down and slid the boot from her. Lips parted slightly, her breathing grew shallow and rapid. Unable to stop himself, he massaged her foot for a moment before he gently lowered it to the floor. Eyes locked, he pulled her other leg forward and repeated the procedure. Her lids fluttered, a soft moan escaping her when he gently worked his hands up her legs, kneading both calves at the same time.

  “Jason…” she whispered, her hands sliding to the back of his neck.

  He rose to his knees, conscience be damned. There was no denying the hunger in her eyes, or the tension filling the room. She leaned into him, his hands continuing to massage their way up the backs of her legs until they held her ass firmly. Both breathing hard, they froze, a hair’s breadth separating their lips, hesitating to cross the final line that would end their friendship and start something new.

  She screamed when the phone rang. He wanted to scream right along with her, only in frustration instead of fright. So goddamned close. Whoever it is, this had better be really fucking important.

  She pulled herself from Jason’s arms and hurried to silence the shrill pealing. “Hello? Hi, Mom. No, I’m alright. I left my cell at home, sorry.” Inwardly, he groaned. This call would last forever. “I’m okay, really.” She turned and smiled at him. He held up his bag and pointed to the bathroom, indicating that he would shower while she talked. Her head dipped in understanding and she paced away into the kitchen.

  ****

  The sound of Jason’s soft snores woke her. She lifted her head from where it was cradled on his broad chest and squinted, checking the time. Almost eight. The morning sun poured through the front windows, drawing out the gold highlight in his light brown hair and accentuating the stubble dusting his cheeks. He shifted his position, pulling his arms tighter around her. The moment would be much more enjoyable if they were in her bed instead of on the couch.

  She could have killed her mother last night. By the time the woman had let her off the phone, Jason had been soundly asleep on the couch. She’d showered quickly and snuggled up next to him to watch a movie. Som
ehow during the night, they managed to move from reclining to lying, with her wedged between him and the back of the couch. By no means was she complaining about the proximity, but the next time she woke up in Jason’s arms, she would prefer they were in bed naked.

  “Jason,” she called softly. There was no way she could get up without waking him. A smile curved her lips as she remembered Jason calling her “baby” last night after everything went to hell. “Hey, Jase. Wake up. Jaaaaay-son,” she sing-songed. He stirred, looking around in confusion, before those beautiful hazel eyes found her.

  “Morning,” he mumbled sleepily. His forehead smoothed, obvious delight softening his features as he looked down at her.

  “Good morning. I hate to wake you, but I need to get up, unless you want to buy me a new couch after I pee all over it.”

  A lazy grin spread across his face. “S’okay. I hate this couch anyway. That’s why I got rid of it and put it in this place.”

  “Jason! Come on, let me up.” She pushed lightly at his chest, letting her hand linger to run her fingers through the smattering of hair accentuating the valley between his pecs. He laughed and rolled onto his back, stretching.

  “Here you go.”

  He was going to make her climb over him. Really? She was going to have to start the day sexually frustrated? Oh hell no. She put both hands on his side and pushed.

  “What the—ow!” he cried as he smashed into the floor.

  “Thank you!” she called sweetly, stepping over him. “Since you’re up, would you get the coffee started?” Sarah—one, Jason—zero, she thought as she danced down the hall.

  Chapter Three

  “My name is Sarah Sagliembeni,” she said to the group of women assembled before her. “Just over two years ago, I started dating a man named Alex. At first, he was wonderful. He was sweet, kind, and thoughtful. I loved him.” She paused. “Open your packets to the first page.” The women did as she asked, and looked at a picture of her and Alex, happy and smiling. “After I moved in with him, things started to change subtly. I wasn’t aware of it until it was too late. He became very controlling. Slowly, I withdrew from my family and my friends.” Her eyes flicked to Jason standing at the back of the room. He gave her an encouraging smile.