The practice mats were in a side room, which made her rest a bit easier, as no one could see her in there. She wasn’t graceful or muscular. She could barely walk without tripping or looking generally dorky.

“Tonight let’s work on some basic defensive moves. Okay?”

He took it slow with her, building trust, helping her overcome any residual nervousness or fear she may have had. She appreciated that he did it but didn’t make a big deal of it. He just kept a pace that worked for her.

“What are you thinking about?” he asked when she managed to block his blows three times in a row. “You get this fierce look on your face. Good job.”

“No, it’s too embarrassing. You’ll laugh.”

“Well, of course I will. But you should tell me anyway.”

Gah! He was so . . . He just said everything right and they had this rhythm and she’d never had rhythm before and it set her all off kilter.

“I just think of a song.”

“You know I’m only going to pester you until you answer the question all the way.”

He showed her in slow movements how to break a grip on her wrist. He’d introduced it a few days before at their first lesson, and she’d practiced every day. He nodded proudly, and she wanted to flutter her lashes at him.

“Tell meeeee,” he sang.

“Metallica. ‘Master of Puppets.’ It gets me in the mood.” She’d pinned her hair back with a headband, so she couldn’t drop her head and hide behind her hair. Instead she jutted her chin out and frowned. “Don’t judge me!” she teased.

He laughed. “No judgment from me. I listened to ‘... And Justice For All’ so many times I had to buy a replacement, twice. Ah, no, like this.” He ran through the angle of her move again, and she tried once more, getting a feel for it.

“Did you make out in your parents’ basement to it? Mick, my brother, got caught down there, and my mom still gives him the stink eye when we’re down there watching movies or whatever.”

He moved quickly, circling around her until he stopped, very close to her, his nose just inches from hers. “Did you ever make out down there?”

He might have taken it slow with the lessons so far, but he didn’t seem to find any trouble knocking her ass to the mat when she wasn’t paying attention.

She grunted as he helped her to her feet. “Again, let me make you laugh. I lived in fear of getting pregnant. I was in the room when my aunt gave birth. It was, well, I won’t go into detail, but that kept my virginity intact for three more years. Plus, by the time I was old enough, my parents were on to the basement as a make-out spot. We used to drive down to the street behind the high school where it was quiet at night. It was a third base and holding sort of place.”

He licked his lips, and she nearly let out a groan at how good he looked just then.

“Ella, you and me.” He paused, and right before her eyes, he took on that sexy attitude of his and it made her all breathless in a way that had nothing to do with the workout. “We should go out. On a date, all official like. Pizza and pool with the rest of the crew?”

She swallowed hard, her heart fluttering in her chest.

“Really? Me?” Oh god, she actually said it out loud like a dork.

Cope saw her surprise and wanted to laugh at how clueless she was to her own appeal. He did like it that pleasure shone in her eyes. “Oh yes, you. How can you not have known?” He gave in and laughed. “You’re delicious, Ella. I want to take a big bite.”

Her hands flew up nervously as she blushed. “I . . . oh. Wow. Well, jeez! You flirted with me and all. But how was I to know it was different than any other day? Andrew, you flirt with everyone. I had a feeling you”—she shrugged—“changed the way you saw me. Or something. You started acting different about six weeks ago.”

God, she was so beautiful, especially when she got flustered. Her skin gleamed, so pale. The slice he seemed totally fascinated with the most, the nape of her neck, called to his mouth. She wasn’t even wearing makeup, but she didn’t need it. She was clean and fresh and utterly Ella. And he wasn’t lying when he said he wanted to take a big bite. Or a lot of long, slow licks.

“My manner is flirtatious and friendly. I’m a flirty guy. People like to be flirted with; it makes them happy. But you’re different.” How different he continued to realize each time he was with her. “What you failed to notice all along is that I’ve always wanted to ask you out. I’ve always been attracted to you, so I decided after a long while of wanting you, that it was time to make my move at last. I come into the café every day. I kissed you at Elise’s bachelorette party, on the dance floor. Remember?”

She pressed her fingers to her lips, and he had to close his eyes for a moment.

“Yes. I remember it.”

Good.

They sparred for several minutes more, neither saying much.

Finally, as she toweled off and they’d finished, she turned to him again. “I just, well, I didn’t think it was real. The kiss I mean. I thought it was just a fun, happy kiss to a friend.”

He needed to fix that right then. His gaze locked with hers, he walked her backward until she bumped the wall next to the door. “Does it make me happy to kiss you?” Leaning in, he brushed his mouth over hers, taking in the soft sigh she gave in response.

She opened slowly to him as he deepened the kiss, settling his mouth on hers, tasting, teasing, drawing her taste into his mouth.