White faced, the man nodded. “Sorry, Sensei.”
Archer yanked the student back to his feet.
“Don’t apologize, just do it right. Look away again, and you’ll be doing sit-ups for the rest of class. Clear?”
“Yes, Sensei.”
Gwen swallowed. She’d never been good with confrontation, but demanding, uncompromising men like Archer reminded her too much of her brothers and her father. She wouldn’t have been surprised if he was a Dom like Nick. How would she handle a class with someone who pushed as hard as she saw him push his students now?
Archer glanced over at her. Her heart nearly stopped. His expression was unreadable, yet she swore she felt him assessing her.
Did he recognize her? He’d seen her so rarely; he might not realize she was the sister of two of this students.
She should have worn a different suit. That morning, the three-piece brown suit had seemed sensible, appropriately nondescript. Now it felt plain and boring.
Great, she was attracted to a man who was every bit like her brothers, so much that her father approved of him. What was wrong with her? This guy was the best in the business. She couldn’t blow this.
Archer turned his attention back to his class. Again, he stopped and looked behind him. Her heart did a back flip. He raised one dark brow.
Shit, he had recognized her, hadn’t he? If her brothers knew she was here, she’d never hear the end of it.
Get out now. You’ll make an idiot of yourself. Gwen shook the thought off. She needed to toughen up, needed to take control again.
The class ended and he spoke to his students for a few minutes. Gwen’s thoughts spun too fast to take in anything beyond that gorgeous, gravelly voice.
“All right, that’s it for today. Don’t forget to practice your katas. Two hours a day. There’s a drill next week and I expect no mistakes.”
The students bowed at the waist in unison before dispersing for home.
Archer’s gaze connected with hers again. It lingered on her a fraction of a second too long. Adrenaline shot through her. She thought he chuckled.
Was it that ridiculous she was here? Insecurity took a healthy chomp out of her, but she made herself stand up. No hiding anymore.
The room cleared out and the visitors left while Archer straightened up the place. Swallowing, Gwen fisted her purse strap and marched into the middle of the room.
“Mister Drake? I…I need to talk to you, sir.”
Crap. She sounded almost as lame as when she talked to her father. She had no problem thinking of him as Archer in her head, but it never seemed right calling him that out loud. Not even when she’d seen him five years ago.
Archer turned, amusement dancing in his cool grey eyes. “Chad and Ace’s little sister, right? Gwen, isn’t it?”
Her face burned. Little sister? Ugh. She was twenty-seven, not ten.
“If you’re here to pick up Ace’s new gi, it’s not in yet.” He strode across the room in long, powerful treads and straightened some of the weapons on one wall.
“I’m not here about Ace, Mister Drake. I’m here for…” The words froze in her throat. Why was it so hard to say it?
Did she imagine the smile toying with that well-defined mouth? He cocked a brow. She lifted her chin.
“I’m here for me, sir.”
This time she knew she saw a smile, but it looked irritated. He crossed to the door that led to his office and the front room.
“Not a chance. Come on, out.”
Some of her nervousness fled on a bolt of anger. Who knew what her brothers had told him? He probably didn’t think much more of her than her family did.
Nails biting into her palms, Gwen resisted the urge to obey and leave. Anyone who was that quick to dismiss her didn’t deserve her business. But no. He was her only chance.
“I can’t do that, sir.” When his mouth tightened—at her defiance, she thought—she pushed up her glasses. “I need your help.”
Amusement and doubt openly displayed on his face, he assessed her as he returned to the middle of the room. The intensity of his gaze turned her face hot.
“Come here,” he rasped. She might have said it sounded gentle, but there was too much command in it.
Well, he certainly oozed of Dom. Something about being near him rankled her. She’d better get over that fast if she was going to have his hands all over her in practice.
Her legs turned to jelly. Those hands, everywhere.
Gwen, stop. He’s your brother’s best friend.
She gulped and walked to the middle of the room, stopping in front of him. Trying to look confident, not like she wanted to bolt.
For much too long, he watched her in silence. Had he noticed his effect on her? Get a grip, girl. “Look, I…if you’re going to just stare at me like that, I’ll…”
“Boyfriend?”
Gwen blinked at him. “Excuse me for saying so, Mister Drake, but my relationship status is no business of yours.”
Irritation hardened his eyes. “Not what I meant.” When she stiffened at his cold tone, his voice took on a patient softness. “Who hurt you? Was it your boyfriend?”
A dizzying flush raced through her. “Oh. You think I’ve been assaulted. No. Um, I’m not with anyone. And he hasn’t hit me.” Yet.
He moved in close enough she could smell his scent, pure male. His body heat pounded into her. She had to crane her neck to meet his eyes.
Jesus, those eyes. Like pools of steel. Gwen made herself keep her eyes on his face. Not that it helped. He still made her mouth water.
“He?” Why did that sound almost deadly soft? “So there is someone.”
She couldn’t keep her eyes on his anymore. Something about the knowing in his gaze sent humiliation through her. I should be able to stop it.
“It’s not your business, sir. I just came here to learn how to fight.”
“The people I train are looking to compete. I train champions. If you want to learn to defend yourself, I can recommend a beginning class for you with another teacher.”
That sounded like something her family would say. “Mister Drake…”
“Go home, Gwen. The place is closed.” He turned for the door.
The implications of what he’d said sank in. Something seized her insides in a cold, icy grip. Gwen took a hurried step after him and her own voice rang out too high in the room.
“Mister Drake, wait. Please. I…” She drew a heavy breath. “I’m being stalked.”
Archer faltered and his shoulders tightened.
Not again. Memories clawed at him and he closed his eyes. Archer’s stomach twisted and he shoved the image down. The urge to help Gwen rode him hard, and all the worse since he knew her. He’d seen her talking with her brothers before. She wasn’t able to defend herself like them. The familiarity seeded a sense of obligation to help her that refused to be ignored. No. He wouldn’t go there again.
“The police station is a few blocks over,” he said without turning to her. “I don’t do women in jeopardy, and I’m not a bodyguard.”
“I didn’t ask for your protection, Mister Drake. I asked for you to teach me, so I wouldn’t need anyone’s protection.”
A smile pulled at his mouth. Respect for her jolted through him. Spunky. She was a Stanton all right. He liked her already. Fuck.