Knock Out Curves (Plus Size Loving) BBW Romance Read Free Page A

brow and simply
smiled, she blushed. “No, sir.”
    “Very good. Let’s begin.”
    He took her through some very basic stances,
then added in two punches and two turns. He was very patient, very
gentle and took it slow, correcting her by making minute
adjustments to the positioning of her fist against her hip, pushing
her knee to bend just a little bit deeper. Every time he touched
her a little tingle went through her body, which made it incredibly
hard to focus but she did her best.
    “You’re a quick study,” he told her about
half an hour into it, when she’d worked up a decent sweat and her
skin was flushed. “We’re going to add two kicks now.”
    The first one was relatively easy—a front
snap kick. Raise the knee, snap out the leg, retract it, bring it
down. But she floundered horribly on the round kick, which required
bringing her back leg up, swinging it around, and then snapping the
leg out.
    “I don’t think I can do this,” she said
after nearly falling on her rear for the fifth time.”
    He just smiled and shook his head. “Don’t
say things like that. If you don’t think you can, then you won’t be
able to. Let me help you out.”
    He moved to the side of her, then gave her
signal to begin. When she raised her right leg this time he placed
his hand on her left hip to steady her. It would have worked out
splendidly except his fingers grazed her butt, which distracted her
horribly and sent her careening straight into him. Rather than
sending them both to the ground he pulled her straight up against
him. She was immediately aware of just how rock-solid his body was,
and that there wasn’t really very much separating her cheek from
his bare chest, which she could see a slice of from where his gi gaped. The warmth of his body wrapped around her, along
with the very subtle, spicy scent of cologne mixed with his natural
essence.
    And when she raised her head to look up at
him, her breath caught as she realized his lips were a scant inch
from hers. Their eyes locked, his dark and swirling with an emotion
she couldn’t quite place. She wondered what it would be like if he
lowered his head, if he crossed that tiny distance and laid his
lips against hers…
    He blinked then, breaking the spell, and
released her. “You okay?”
    “Yes.” She tugged her ponytail in a nervous
habit and blushed. “Umm, sorry about that. I don’t know what
happened.” A blatant lie—he’d accidentally touched her ass and
she’d freaked out. Smooth move, Shel.
    “It’s alright,” he told her, rubbing a hand
against the back of his neck. “Karate is a very physical sport.
Accidents happen. I’ll try to be more careful.” He glanced at the
clock. “Looks like our hour is up.”
    “Oh.” She should have been relieved, but
instead she found herself… disappointed? She didn’t say anything
though, just allowed him to show her the proper procedure for
bowing out, then followed his example.
    “So… is this something you want to keep
doing?” he asked. “You really did well out there. Most people only
get through about half of what you’ve learned so far today.”
    “I… really?” She couldn’t help but admit
that stroked her ego. She’d never considered herself to be athletic
or even particularly inclined to sports of any kind.

    “Absolutely. You’re a natural.” He winked at
her. “In a week or two you’ll be out there with your nephew.”
    She smiled a little at the idea of being in
the same class as Dawson—who would outrank her, she realized. But
still, it would bring them closer together as family. And if this
was something she could really become good at, and get in shape
with, she could live with two weeks of flustered discomfort from
getting one-on-one lessons from him.
    “Alright. I’m game.”
     
    ****
     
    Jace mentally kicked himself the entire way
home. He was certain he’d done the right thing by not leaning down
and kissing her when she’d stumbled into his arms… and yet