Minding Amy

Glancing around, he realized the place reminded him vaguely of his old high school, smaller, but with a similar layout. At the school everything had cleverly networked together and he sauntered off along the corridors following his instincts, until eventually he saw glazed double doors with what looked like a gym beyond. As he got closer he could make out a number of young people in a line, doing what looked like a choreographed martial arts sequence.

He stepped closer and peered through the glass doors. Yup, there was Amy, leading the group of a dozen or so young people through the moves. The kids looked to be between fourteen and eighteen years old, and a lively looking bunch they were. The lad nearest him had a Mohawk and multiple piercings in his eyebrows. Beyond him he could see a girl with multi-colored dreads. However, despite the colorful attendees, Sebastian's attention was soon focused entirely on their teacher.

A tourniquet of need knotted inside him as he observed Amy moving at the head of the group. How sexy she looked, in that Tae Kwon Do outfit. Perhaps it was the manga-esque quality it gave her. Perhaps it was because of the ease of undressing it suggested to his roaming hands. Just one belt to be undone and he would be touching her soft, warm skin. Her hair was tied into a high ponytail and the look flattered her lovely features.

Amy caught sight of him and gestured him in, smiling in welcome. Sebastian stepped inside the door and hovered, feeling somewhat obtrusive. The kids all stopped what they were doing and stared at him.

"Hey, you're early." Amy ran over to him. She was bright-eyed and her cheeks were glowing.

"Oh look, Miss has got a boyfriend," one of the teenage girls called out in a singsong voice, a comment that reduced most of the group to giggles or whispers.

"Jackie, concentrate," Amy called. "Get into pairs and practice your sparring." The group gradually sectioned off into pairs, as instructed. She watched them until they were organized then clapped her hands over her head. "Matsoki!"

The kids immediately started practicing their moves, although one or two of the girls kept an eye on her movements with the stranger in their midst.

"Very nicely done," Sebastian commented.

She shrugged off the compliment. "They're a good bunch of kids."

"And you've obviously got their respect."

"I don't know about that. Do you mind waiting a few more minutes? I can't let them go too early otherwise they'll think I'm a pushover." She winked.

"Of course I don't mind." He couldn't help wishing he could take her into his arms right then. Her face was flushed from her exertions and her eyes sparkled. He knew he was staring, and it was probably obvious he wanted her. Her lips parted and her lower lip trembled slightly.

"You better get back over there now," he whispered under his breath.

She fiddled with her belt and straightened her outfit over her cleavage. "Yes, you're right. Give me two minutes and I'll wind this up."

Sebastian took a seat on a bench at the side of the hall and watched as she put the teenagers through their last few paces. She walked round the pairs in turn, demonstrating a technique here and there. Her feet were bare and his gaze idled on her slender ankles. She was all feminine grace and beauty but sure and strong too. He marveled at her talents. She was every bit as fascinating as he thought when he'd sat at the bar in The Fro

ck and Jacket wishing she hadn't taken off. He'd never met anyone quite like Amy Norton before.

When she had shooed all the young people away for the evening, he helped her tidy the mats and equipment away.

"What?" she asked, when he smiled at her, shaking his head.

"I was thinking how fetching that outfit is on you."

"Concentrate. We've got a busy evening ahead of us."

"We certainly have," he murmured. "I hope you're not planning on getting much sleep tonight."

"An early night, maybe, sleep—well, we'll see."

Desire simmered away inside him, then a door slammed far away and he noticed the place was quiet and deserted without the kids, and he felt his concern levels rising. "Is there any security in this place?"

"Ah, ever on the look out for fellow security people, ay?" She gave him a teasing glance.

Sebastian tried to ignore the growing sense of unease he felt about the double-edged nature of his job. The consequent apprehension about what her reaction might be, if she happened to find out he was really a whole lot more than a bodyguard, was niggling at him too. He was starting to feel really bad about keeping her in the dark. He didn't normally have a problem with keeping information to himself though, so why was this different?

"No, actually I was concerned for you." Once he'd said it, he realized he was in danger of sounding like her old man, doting and over-protective. "It is my job after all, isn't it?" he quickly added, and grinned at her.

"There's a caretaker on the site during the evening sessions, but his wife teaches the salsa class so he is generally down there, poking fun." They lifted the last mat onto the stack and she stood looking at him, with her hands on her hips. "I'll shoot off and get changed, give me two minutes."

"Are you sure I can't help you out with that as well?"

She tutted and headed off.