King Hall (Forever Evermore, #1)(24)
Ezra opened his piehole, ill-mannered thoughts written all over his features. “I’m the only man foolish enough to even try to train you—”
“Both of you, shut up,” Antonio barked loudly, harshly.
We did.
Antonio hardly ever raised his voice, but when he did, it was prudent to at least contemplate obeying.
“Ezra, get over here.” He paused, shoulders rising and falling, and added, “Please.” When Ezra nodded at the more polite request, his feet moving in our direction, Antonio turned his frustration on me. “He’s right. He is the best fighter here. You’re stuck with him, kiddo.”
My lips thinned, but I didn’t argue further, not right there.
Antonio pointed. “Ezra, stand directly behind her.” Ezra moved behind me, which elicited a flinch on my part. Having him there usually meant pain on the mat. Antonio rolled his eyes, griping, “I said directly behind her.” He reached over me and grabbed Ezra’s shoulder, jerking him forward. Ezra banged against my back, and I almost fell. Antonio nodded absently, dropping his hand, and muttered, “There. That’s about right.”
About right? Ezra was flush against me. I could feel his chest rising and falling against the back of my head; his body and mine were so close we could have been glued together.
Ezra’s chest vibrated my head as he asked, “Now what?”
“I have no chance getting away from him starting like this.” I tipped my head back, glaring at Antonio. This was going to hurt even more. “I tell you I want a different instructor, and instead, you make the beat down that much easier?”
Antonio slapped a hand over my mouth, rubbing his temple with his free hand. “Just be quiet and listen.” My eyes narrowed, but I stayed silent, complying, so he lowered his hand, remaining two feet in front of us. “Lil, I want you to close your eyes.” When I merely blinked, resisting him this time, he ordered, “Shut your eyes!”
“Fine,” I muttered, closing them.
“Now, I want you to take in your surroundings using your other senses.” He paused. “But, most importantly, I want you to feel Ezra behind you. I want you to feel his body heat—”
“What?” My eyes slammed open.
Antonio’s eyes were mere slits of gold. “Do as you’re told.” A blatant command.
With a clenched jaw, I exhaled heavily, shutting my eyes again.
“Now, as I said, use your other senses. Feel Ezra behind you. His heat. His breath. His strength. Every place his body’s pressed against yours.” He went silent, obviously waiting for me to do this.
“This is weird,” I muttered, voicing my opinion, only gradually following his orders.
With a roll of my shoulders, I studied how they moved up and down Ezra’s frame, where our bare skin rubbed; a light sweat was misting him, same as me. Inhaling deeply, I smelled his dark, heady flavor, a scent uniquely his own. I felt Ezra’s heat as ordered. Focused on it. His resonating warmth, not difficult to perceive, was a furnace of undeniable flames. His solid legs, their sweltering scorch pressed against the sensitive backs of mine. His lean hips, resting just above the small of my back. The sultry blaze of his pecs, brushing the flesh on my shoulder blades, and his rippled abdomen pressed against my back. His curved muscles, his arms lethal and aligned with mine, so much larger that their balminess enveloped mine completely.
Inexplicably, I found myself relaxing. The tension fell away. I nodded. “I’m there.”
“Good,” Antonio said softly. “Keep your eyes closed and follow his body. Follow his heat, his arms and legs, even his breathing. Don’t second-guess yourself, or you’ll get hit. Just move with him. Memorize how fluid his movements are, exactly how he’s moving. Learn it. Anchor it to your own reactions.” Antonio hummed softly. “Ezra, you’ll counter my attack, using only defensive, evasive actions. Do not use your Vampire speed. Only react at normal pacing.”
“Alright,” Ezra murmured leisurely, not arguing.
“I’m ready,” I whispered, breathing in time with Ezra’s steady, deep inhales.
The raging warmth shifted as the heat of Ezra’s right leg pulled away. I followed it with my right foot uncannily. Still keeping my other senses open, I heard a swift, soft drag against the mat from below, and felt the sizzling warmth of Ezra’s chest press harder against my back. I went with it, ducking but keeping the heat close, not going too far. A whoosh of air from above.
So it went.
I followed the heat and the lines of his massive body. It wasn’t tough. I found it unusually easy, my movements becoming even more fluid as we pivoted and arched backward, more whooshes of air flying past us, exterior scents and heat rushing by. Our arms and legs moved in sync as we lunged, hands on the ground in a push-up position, his body heat still over me as a large whistle of air sprung above us. A second later, we were moving our legs, squatting and then twisting to stand. Crinkling on the mat sounded to the side. Another twirl, ducking with it, and external heat missed us. We stopped.
“Good,” Antonio crooned, sounding pleased. I realized I was panting a little from the rapid movements. It had to have been faster than I had thought, but it was still so simple. “Lily, you can open your eyes.”
I blinked, my other senses altering from being oversensitive to being natural as I regained my eyesight, and saw Antonio grinning, standing back a few feet and tapping his thumbs on his legs while Pearl, Jack, and King Venclaire stared wide-eyed. My own grin was instant. “I did it!”