Maid for Hire & Educating Australia (8 page)

"I'm glad you came." She wasn't sure he was. He didn’t seem happy about being there.

"Something going on between you and..." He pointed

"Mike?" She was shocked he had seen through their friendly banter. "We were an item once...a few years back. He's good in bed but a lousy boyfriend. We are much better off as friends."

He looked shocked.

"You didn't think I was a virgin did you?"

"Uh...no I...uh..."

She laughed. "Mike and I were three years ago. There hasn't been anybody since." She felt the need to clear things up. "I have to get back up there," she said as the song wrapped. "See you after?"

He nodded.

She finished off the night's set, took down her gear and shared a quick moment with Kyle. Celeste, Steve's wife, was tired and they were all going to leave. The band was calling it a night so she decided to leave too. Handling her gear with the ease that came only from years of experience, she left the club. "Night guys. See you for practice in the morning."

"Make it afternoon," Mike D yelled back as he and the others walked in the opposite direction.

She briskly walked to her car, fumbled with the key before getting the car unlocked and the door open. She had managed to get one piece of her gear in before she felt the tap on her shoulder.

She squealed and jumped, hitting her head on the car as she tried to clear the back seat.

"Do they always leave you like that?"

She rubbed her head. "Kyle! Gosh darn it! Don’t scare me like that."

She picked up the last piece of her set and wiggled it onto the back seat. "I thought you were gone already."

"I saw you walking alone and figured I'd make sure you were safe. Why don't they walk you to your car?"

"Because obviously they realize I can walk myself. Listen," she shut the door. "I do this all the time..."

"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

A
ustralia 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.