Enticing the Earl

“I’ve been doing this for a while.” He returned his attention to the bag and hit it a few more times before pulling off his gloves. “But we didn’t come down here for this. Come over here.”

She walked in front of him. “How could I ever defend myself against someone of your size and strength? Coming down here and seeing what you do only confirms in my mind that I need a weapon for protection.”

Simon spun her around so she wasn’t facing him and wrapped his arms around her chest, holding her tight. She stiffened behind his grip.

“Simon, I don’t like this.”

“You’re not supposed to,” he replied. “Now if a man grabs you like this, what can you do?”

“Nothing, I cannot move my arms,” she answered in an exasperated tone.

“So what is wrong with your feet?”

“My feet?”

“The point is to cause enough pain that your attacker will release you.”

“At which point, I run and he catches me.”

“Not if you prohibit him from running.”

She went silent for a long moment in thought. “How?”

He smiled. “Stomp on your attacker’s foot as hard as you can. His reflex will be to let go of you. If it doesn’t work, then kick him in the knee.”

“Knees are excellent. They are terribly painful when broken. I had never thought of that.”

“Use your knowledge of muscles and bones to hurt your opponent. The best thing is to use a combination of moves to debilitate him. I would suggest, stomping on his foot and then slamming your heel into the opposite knee. Then a hard jab to the ribs, turn and bring both fists down on his nose if you can reach. Try it.”

“I’ll hurt you!”

“Just the moves, please. Say it as you do it so you remember in a time of crisis.”

“Foot,” Mia said, then pretended to stomp on his foot. “Knee. Rib.” She spun around and laughed. “Nose.”

“No laughing. This is serious.” He turned her back around. “Again. And this time hit me.”

“I can’t do that, Simon.”

He wrapped his arms around her. “I’m not Simon. I am a man trying to hurt you. I will stop at nothing to get you away from the ball you are attending so I can rape you.”

“Foot,” Mia yelled and tramped her foot on the top of his boot.

Simon held back a wince.

“Knee.”

This time he did flinch as her heel impacted his knee. Thankfully, she didn’t use as much force as he knew she could.

“Ribs.”

Her elbow sucked the air out of him, forcing him to release his hold on her. She spun around and bopped her fists on his nose.

“Nose.”

“Excellent.”

Mia stepped back. “Do you really think I’d be able to remember that and do it?”