Chapter 10 - Konstantin

Taking hold of her arm and wrapping my hand around hers to steady her hold, I felt my breath catching. Dahlia's skin was like silk. She seemed to glow, and I could feel the heat she gave off.

The tiny dagger was an ideal fit for her petite hand. "This is called a stiletto dagger," I whispered as I corrected her hold. "The two tapered edges make it ideal for stabbing." Stepping back and pointing at the row of practice dummies, I continued. "Take a stab; keep your arm at your side. Walk to the dummy and stab out straight."

She appeared hesitant at first but walked to the dummy. She glanced back as she stopped before it. "It's fine, go ahead," I encouraged her. Dahlia stabbed the dummy. I noticed she didn't do it with too much enthusiasm. "Are you sure you want to learn?" I asked as she walked back to me.

Dahlia turned her gaze down as she handed me the dagger. "Yes…," She stood swaying from side to side as she took a deep breath. "I've never done something like this," she added.

This revelation only confirmed my ideas on her innocence. "It's okay," I said, placing an arm around her shoulder. "It's just so you know how. In case you ever get into a sticky situation. It could maybe save your life."

Kissing her forehead, I placed the small dagger down and grabbed a slightly bigger one. "This one is called a Jambiya, its origin comes from Yemen. It's better for slicing or slashing but can also be used for stabbing."

Standing behind her again, I took her hand and wrapped her fingers around the hilt. "We're going to move it left and right, understand?"

Dahlia nodded as I placed my hands on her hips. "Move your legs slightly apart for better balance." Once she put them about a foot apart, I tightened my grip and swung her hips. There was a soft gasp as I moved her body. I felt her tighten. "Relax, sugar," I breathed out over her shoulder.

Her curves fitted perfectly into my hands. It was like they were made for me. Taking a deep breath and trying to clear the cobwebs from my mind wasn't a good idea. As I inhaled her sensual fragrance, my mind whirled out of control.

I was still swinging her hips left and right when she spoke. "Are we only going to do this for the rest of the day?"

Snapping out of the trace I was in, I stepped back. "No," I said, walking around her to stand between the dummies. "Come closer." My heart was racing, and I would rather have been doing other things with her. But I knew the timing wasn't right.

Dahlia moved to stand before the dummy on my right. It was the same one she stabbed earlier. "If someone attacks you and swings a fist, you can slash at the person's hands. This will surely get them to back off and seek medical attention immediately. In most cases, this won't kill them." I said holding out my fist to her. Using a finger from my other hand, I drew a line across my fist.

I continued to speak as I drew a line across the dummy's stomach. "If you slash someone here, you would also cripple them." Pointing at the neck, the inside of the thighs, and the upper arms, I continued. "These places would most likely kill the person, so try staying away from these."

Dahlia nodded and watched me intently as I moved to her side. Moving forward, I showed her some easy slash and escape moves. Coming to stand next to the dummy again, I smiled at her. "Now you try," I said.

She stepped forward, swung at the dummy, and attempted to turn and move away. Her footing was wrong, and she fell forward to the mat. Fortunately, she let go of the dagger as she went down.

"Are you okay?" I asked, kneeling next to her. Dahlia rolled to her back, laughing. I couldn't help but smile even though my insides were all knotted. "Okay," I said, standing and holding out my hand. "Let's try again."

After assisting her, I knelt in front of her. "You need to move your feet past each other as you turn," I said glancing up at her as I moved her feet slightly more apart. As I continued, I took hold of her hips, turning them sharply to the right. "As you turn, try using your hips. Twisting them will get the right momentum."

Dahlia inhaled sharply as I turned her hips. I had to show her a couple more times, but she started getting it. We took a water break after going through the same movements a couple more times.

"Right then," I said, walking back to the table. "We've done the small straight double edge Stiletto, the curved Jambiya. This one is a basic hunting knife." I said, handing it to her. "This one can be used in many different ways. It can also be used to stab or slash."

After going through the basic handling tips, I also showed her how to block knife attacks. Using a dummy knife, I pretended to stab at her. She lifted her arms and blocked nicely with one hand and her forearm. I also showed her how to block using her wrists.

As we moved through each block over and over, I couldn't help but feel every touch. She made my heart race and my insides twist. Her touch was warm and soft. I realized that I had to put some distance between us as my desire for her grew uncomfortable.

"Let me show you how to clean and keep your knives sharp," I said, walking to the table. I pulled out a long, flat bench from under the table and sat down. Patting the surface next to me, I invited her to join me. "Have a seat, sugar."

After showing her how to wipe the blades down, I turned on the bench facing her. Our eyes locked, and I couldn't resist anymore. Leaning forward, I felt her breath touching my lips. They barely grazed when she pulled back and stood up.

"I'm feeling a bit tired. Can you take me home, please?" Dahlia breathed out as she headed for the door.

Looking down at the bench, I took a slow, deep breath, feeling my mood fall. "Sure," I said, standing and following her out.

The trip home went quickly. "Thank you for today," she said as we walked into the mansion.

"No problem, tomorrow I'll teach you about guns if you want," I said as she headed upstairs.

Dahlia turned and smiled before disappearing on the steps. Every move she made brought me joy. After grabbing a cup of coffee, I headed up to my room. I showered and sat on my bed, waiting for her door to open. I had an intense need to be with her every moment of every day.

It was almost supper time when I heard her door opening. Jumping up, I casually exited my room as she closed her door. "Heading down," I asked, holding out my hand.

Dahlia smiled softly, placing her hand in mine. I thought about how gentle and magical she was as we headed down. After supper, we strolled through the gardens before heading to bed.

Staring at the ceiling above my bed, I wondered if I could spend every day with her. I could teach her all I knew. We could even learn some new things together. Grinning, I closed my eyes and drifted off.

***

Sitting up, I glanced at the window. "Shit," I mumbled as I scrambled out of bed. I overslept. Feeling pissed at myself, I dressed hastily and headed downstairs. I had to find Dahlia.

Dahlia was in the kitchen. "Good morning," I said as I slid into the room, almost losing my footing and hitting the side of the island with a loud bang.

"Good morning," she replied, grinning. "Are you okay?"

"Yes, yes. Why?" I huffed, turning away so she couldn't see my face pulling into a knot. After pouring a cup of coffee, I turned back to her. "You ready to learn some more?" I asked casually.

Somehow, just seeing her calmed me. She smiled and nodded. "Let me just get my bag," she said, slipping off the chair and heading out.

I watched her every move as she walked. She was wearing shocking orange tracksuit pants with a black top. Her hair was tied up with two strands framing her face. She was a vision of perfection. I was staring off into space when she returned.

"Are you ready?" she asked, speaking slowly.

Shaking my head, I smiled at her. "Sure."

As we pulled out, Dahlia spoke. "Could we stop for breakfast?"

I nodded as I replied. "Sure, or I could have something delivered to the office. What would you like?"

"Waffles and ice cream."

Glancing at her, I noticed the shine again. She appeared to be sparkling today. I called the receptionist and had her arrange Dahlia's breakfast. We arrived at the office at the same time as the waffles and ice cream. While she enjoyed her meal, I caught up with clients and my emails.

Once she was done, we headed back to the training hall. This time, I took her to the room used for indoor shooting practice. It appeared similar to what one would find at the police or FBI training centers. There was also a built-in armory with a selection of guns.

After inspecting the guns, I removed the Glock 19. Holding it out to her, I spoke clearly. "This is one of the best guns for women or someone who hasn't handled guns before. The recoil is a lot less than most others."

Dahlia nodded as she took the gun from my hand. "It's not loaded yet; we will do that once we have gone through safety and stance," I added as we walked to the first booth.

After showing her how to hold the gun and put the safety on and off, I loaded it. I assisted Dahlia with her stance before we put on our earmuffs. Standing behind her, I placed my hands over hers. After taking three shots, I took the gun and pressed the button for the board to come closer.

"Nice," I said as we stared at the board. All three hit the target. They were mostly on the outer sides but on the board. Standing back, I handed her the gun again. "Aim for the middle of the board," I added.

Her arms shook lightly as she took her stance and aimed. After the first shot, she glanced back at me. She spoke as she lowered the gun. "This is harder than it looked."

Stepping in behind her again, I assisted in steading her aim. Dahlia leaned back into me as she took another shot. "Good, now go again," I said encouragingly. Feeling her move slightly against me caused a stir in my pants.

She stepped back, moving firmly into me as she took another two shots. I felt her pressing harder against my front. I loved the feeling of her up against me. After a couple more shots, she hit a bullseye. In her excitement, she turned and flung her arms around my neck.

I embraced her and instantly, it dawned on her what she was doing. I could see the realization in her eyes as she pulled back. I kept my hands on her hips and squeezed softly, holding her in place.

Staring into her hazel eyes, I could feel the joy turning into sexual tension. The air surrounding us was electrified. I leaned forward and lightly touched her lips with mine. Dahlia didn't resist. I could feel her gripping my shirt. Her hold tightened as our kiss deepened.

I was loving the attention I was receiving. I pulled her closer, feeling her body against mine. I wanted to devour her, all of her. I took hold of the bottom of her shirt and slowly started pulling it up.

Her lips parted slightly as she gasped. Tenderly, I played with my tongue over her lips. Dahlia's mouth opened, allowing me entrance. I felt her body stiffen as I moved to unclasp her bra. My breathing was just as jagged as hers was.

Before I could get her bra loose, Dahlia stepped away. "I want to go back, please," she said softly, lowering her gaze to the floor.

Tenderly, I lifted her chin as I spoke. "Okay, but can I first take you to meet some people?" I knew she still didn't trust me fully. But with some space, she would see I wasn't the big bad wolf.

She nodded and walked to the door. Dahlia stood waiting as I quickly disassembled the guns and packed them away. As we left, I took her hand and led her back upstairs. I headed straight to Leon's office. I knocked and waited for a reply.

"Come in," Leon's deep voice came through the door. Pushing it open, I let her walk in first.

"Leon," I said as he rose and shook my hand. Cindy was sitting in the chair by the window. She also stood and came closer. "Leon, Cindy," I added. "This is Dahlia. Dahlia, this is my other brother and his wife."

Leon nodded at Dahlia and smiled at me. Cindy gave Dahlia a quick hug, and the two women started talking. Cindy has always been good with people. Glancing at Leon, I nodded my head to the side as I walked to the other end of his desk.

"It's not the same with you out of the house," I said.

Leon chuckled. He lightly tapped my shoulder as he spoke. "I bet you're driving them up the walls."

"Not quite," I replied, looking at Dahlia. I noticed she was fidgeting with her dress and seemed slightly uneasy. I didn't want her to be uncomfortable, I wanted her to be happy. Sure, she wanted to leave, I shook Leon's hand as I spoke. "Well, I just wanted to introduce you. We'll be going now, but see you later."

I kissed Cindy on the cheek as we left the office and headed out. The drive home was quiet. I could see Dahlia was uncomfortable. I knew I had to give her some space, but I didn't know if I could cope with it.

Dahlia headed to the kitchen once we arrived home. She made a pot of coffee and poured herself some tea. Keeping in mind that I needed to give her some space, I let her go on her own course.

My newfound revelation of giving her space didn't last very long. I found myself checking up on her every five to ten minutes. I would just pass by where she was or hide around a corner, making sure she didn't know I was checking on her. I gave her the space she wanted.

Over the next week, I would see how things went. If I wasn't around and couldn't check up on her, I kept an eye on the surveillance cameras. There were enough of them throughout the house. Except for the bedrooms and bathrooms, I knew where she was at all times.

It was torture watching her. I didn't sleep much and felt my anger rising every day. My mind was constantly filled with her, images of her, her smell, her smile, everything about her.

By the weekend, I was a hot mess, grumbling at everyone. I was sure soon she would come around. I hoped she would ask me to teach her more about my skills. It would give me more time with her alone in close contact. I realized, I felt empty somehow when she wasn't around.

Friday evening, we had supper on the veranda. I assisted Mila in clearing the table once everyone was done. Piotr and Dhalia headed to the kitchen to put the kettle on and ready the cups. As I walked back in with the last dishes, I heard Dahlia speaking. "Piotr, will you please teach me to fight?"

Her words stopped me dead in my tracks as a mixture of anger, jealousy, and despair shot through me. I could feel my blood starting to boil. Stepping closer, I spoke harshly. "I'll teach her."

Both turned, looking at me with surprise. "I think it's better I do it with the pregnancy and all," I added. Locking eyes with Piotr, I gave him a look that I knew he would understand. It said back off, she's mine.

Piotr rose from his seat and walked up to me. As he shook my hand, he leaned in and spoke softly. "I would never hurt her brother, but have it your way." Turning, he spoke to Dahlia before walking out. "Konstantin can also show you the basics."

For a moment, I felt unsure of her reaction. She smiled warily and looked down. Moving closer, I held my hand for her. Dahlia took it and rose from the table. "Let me walk you up," I said tenderly. My feelings for her grew stronger with each day. I just wanted to hold her and keep her safely in my arms.

Looking at her as we headed upstairs, I felt I had to say my peace. Stopping at her room door, I spoke tenderly. "Dahlia, I might not be an expert. But I know a lot about most of what my colleagues can teach you. I know I can offer you the training you need in all the fields. Will you give me the chance to do so?"

She bit her lower lip as she lifted her eyes, thinking. "Sure," she replied softly.

If she only knew what she was doing to my body. My desire to kiss her was flooding my mind. Shaking my head, I leaned in, placing a soft kiss on her cheek, I whispered to her. "Sleep tight." She just stood there smiling as I turned and entered my room.