“Kimura,” Miles said. “It’s a double joint armlock, used to get your opponent to tap.”
“Oh my God, so why doesn’t he tap already?” She was so tense, it felt like her own arm was being twisted in that unnatural way. “Tap, tap, tap,” she insisted.
Miles laughed. “Why would he tap when he can get out of it? Watch.”
Reluctantly, she peeked over the bowl, and seconds later, somehow, the positions were reversed. “That’s absolutely amazing.”
“For every move,” Miles said, “there’s a counter. It’s just remembering it, being strong enough or agile enough to do it and doing it at the right time to make it work.”
It all sounded very complicated. She tried to imagine Leese in that type of fight. Picturing him in the shorts was easy enough. Such a nice visual. But the rest... “Did Leese ever get in those awful positions?”
“Those and worse, sure. Happens to every fighter at one time or another.”
Sympathy made her wince. “It looked really painful.”
“Because it is. But pain is temporary. Losing is forever.”
That was about the dumbest thing she’d ever heard. “Pain is pain.”
“I guess. But there’s pain that just hurts, and then there’s pain that causes damage. Most fighters learn the difference. If something just hurts, you fight through it. If you know a bone is going to break, or you’re going to tear cartilage, then you tap and plan to come back better prepared the next time.”
Imagining the snap of a broken bone, she shuddered. “Why did Leese quit? Do you know?”
Rolling one shoulder, Miles said, “He’s good, but he decided he’d never be a title contender. That’s the main reason he switched up careers. Being second best doesn’t suit everyone, and only a select few fighters can be the best. Leese still stays in shape—”
“Yup.” He most definitely did.
“—but from what he’s told me, he doesn’t regret quitting the fight scene.” He turned to face her. “Next time I see you, I’ll show you some of Leese’s fights if you want.”
He figured on seeing her again? Cat wasn’t sure how that would happen, since she didn’t even know how long she’d have with Leese. Not that she’d go into all that with Miles. Sharing a portion of her secrets with Leese had been difficult enough. “You’ve recorded his fights?”
“Most fights are recorded. That way we can go over them again, see where we messed up, what we need to work on, stuff like that.”
“I’d love to see them, thank you.” They’d already gone through two whole competitions, but she could have watched for hours more. Unfortunately, when the next fight ended, so did the MMA. The sports channel moved on to football.
How much longer would Leese be? It was past dinnertime already, and she could really use another whirlpool.
Miles caught her rubbing a thigh and asked, “Still uncomfortable?”
Being truthful, she admitted, “Not as much. It’s easing up.” She no longer felt like Frankenstein when she walked.
“You should have taken an ice bath right afterward.”
Appalled at the idea, she gasped. “Not happening, ever.”
A devilish light entered his green eyes. “So you’re not only an exercise virgin, you’re a wuss?”
“When it comes to ice?” She shuddered. “Absolutely. I don’t do cold. I did lounge in a hot whirlpool though.”
“Wrong. That should’ve been after the ice.”
Pointing her Coke at him, Cat said, “I don’t want to hear that word again.”
He twisted toward her and gave her legs a quick survey. “Massage helps too. Want to stretch out?”
“Um...” Nervous tingles ran up her spine. “No?”
He took the drink and bowl from her hands and set them on the coffee table. “I’m not going to make a move, promise. But there’s no reason for you to sit there and be uncomfortable when I can help.”
“But...” He was Leese’s friend, not hers, and while Leese might trust him, she didn’t know him. Sure, he seemed okay, as harmless as Justice, but he was still a stranger and anything was possible. He could be working for Webb, he could—
Miles caught her ankles and, ignoring her yelp, pulled her flat on the couch. Before she could totally shift in the usual fight-or-flight mode, he flipped her over so that her face was in the sofa cushions.
“Now just relax. This’ll ache a little at first, but it’ll feel better quick.”
Eyes wide, hands flattened at either side of her head and her body light-years away from relaxed, Cat prepared to launch away.
Then she felt his large hands begin kneading her calves.
Oh, heaven.
She drew a shaky breath, but couldn’t think of anything to say.
“Okay?” Miles asked, still working on her muscles through the flannel pajama pants.
“Mmm,” she replied, going all squishy inside. She’d had massages before, but none had ever felt this good.
With a grin in his voice, he murmured, “I have no idea why Leese didn’t already do this.”
She sighed. “He’s resisting me.”
“Yeah?” Miles’s fingers went higher, to the backs of her thighs, but remained impersonal as he worked her muscles. “How come?”
She felt too lax to reply.
“Did you fall asleep, Catalina?”
“No.” Another deep breath, and she managed to put some words together. “He doesn’t want to take advantage of me.”
“Ha!”
Well, that sounded rude. When she started to turn to him he stilled her by holding down her legs.
“Sorry. Didn’t mean to laugh.” He dug deeper into her muscles, making her groan. “You just don’t strike me as the timid type who can’t speak her mind.”
“No,” she murmured, “I’m not.” She was just the type who got in over her head with ruthless murderers.
“Seems to me that if Leese is saying no, you haven’t presented your case very well. I mean, it could be a firing offense for him, right? You’d need to make it worth his while.”
A firing offense? She twisted to frown at him. “Why would he get fired if I was willing?”
“He’s your bodyguard. Pretty sure sex with a client is a no-no.”
Grumbling, she relaxed again. “Maybe bodyguards should worry more about pleasing the client instead of protocol.”
She could hear the grin in Miles’s voice when he said, “And maybe you need to spell it out.”
She considered that. “I could promise to explain to his boss for him.”
Miles outright laughed. “Probably not a good idea. Leese wouldn’t like that. But you could explain that your interest isn’t about you being grateful just because he’s protecting you. I assume that’s his biggest conflict, the reason he thinks he’d be taking advantage of you.”
It wasn’t easy to think while Miles turned her muscles to mush. “I suppose.” Apparently Leese thought she was fragile and weak and didn’t know her own mind.
Perhaps Miles was right. She needed to state her case a little differently.
When the tap sounded on the door, her heart shot into her throat.
A second later, a key sounded in the lock and the door swung open.
Leese stood there, his gaze locked on them both. Slowly he stepped in and set a large pizza box on the foyer table, then dragged in a suitcase, a few bags and...
Oh. Dear. God. He had her lockbox.