Never lose guard

Chapter 60| Never lose guard

"And where are you going?" Saif raised his brow.

"For a run," Tristan muttered, and to think of how I can make it up to Kimberly, he added thoughtfully.

Saif scoffed.

"Why am I even surprised, run. Run Tristan that's all you ever know how to do."

And he did run as Saif's taunt played again and again in his head as his legs broke into a run, like a playlist from hell.

***

Saif threw her on the floor for like the eighth time effortlessly, with a bored look on his face.

She stood up quickly, dusted the sand on her body, and made at him again, and soon she was hitting the ground again.

She sighed, closing her eyes while bracing herself to stand up once again.

After she had cried her eyes out and had come out of the bathroom that day, she was grateful to see that Tristan was gone and the days that followed after she was glad that he made himself scarce as she had not seen him since that day and she didn't make the foolish mistake of seeking him out.

Now, it was three days to her unveiling and she had somehow convinced Saif into teaching her a few self-defense lessons even though he had told her repeatedly that she didn't need them since he would always be next to her to protect her not to mention the security guards whose aim and purpose was to do just that.

She had persisted telling him just how much she had wanted to get self-defense lessons when she was on Earth and couldn't because of how tight her schedule had been and how fixated her eyes were on her books to indulge in that and he had finally budged with the condition she wore a full fighting gear that protected her from any bruises, something about not wanting to ruin or Mar her perfect skin.

He threw her for the sixteenth time, a scowl on her face and on his, a "Let's wrap this up soon, shall we" look.

"I'll say this again Kimberly, there is no way, you'd ever beat me. I'd always be stronger than you, I've trained harder than you and you going at me with anger would do you no good." He hit her hand as she tried making a surprise attack on him. "Tact, strategize, target, win." He drawled even as she held onto his leg trying to topple him over and he raised his brow, looking at her. "Cute," he grinned as she rolled her eyes.

"I don't know why you just want to be hit so much on the floor today," Saif taunted, pinning her to the floor for the what time? He had stopped counting immediately he reached twenty.

She clenched her teeth even as he scoffed, "This isn't for you, Kimberly. Just__" one minute he had been rubbing in on Kimberly's sore losing streak, and the next, one of his legs was struck and he toppled over, falling ontop Kimberly.

She yelped at his weight even as she groaned to flip them, so she was up grinning at him, looking triumphant while he had a grin on his face, staring at her just realizing how happy she was at the moment.

"You were saying?" She began and he shook his head. Smug, cocky. He knew her professora and oh was he damn proud of his scholar.

"You just got lucky and caught me off guard, don't let this little win make you go overboard."

"Rule no 1," she started and he chuckled knowing where this was going even as she bent one of his hands at his back and he held her gaze smirking, "Never lose guard." She finished throwing back the words he had used on her when he had first thrown her on the floor and she had complained she had not been concentrating.

She pressed her body weight on his bent hand and he grunted, meeting her gaze, "Okay. That was good enough for a beginner."

She grinned from ear to ear even as she quickly jumped up from his body, staring down at him expectantly.

"Now would you teach me right like you believe I could be a fighter than trying to prove a point that I can't?" She had a playful smirk on her face but she had spot on just said the truth.

All the while he had been teaching her with the intention of wanting her to give up. The last thing he wanted was for her to get hurt but she had once again proven she was more capable of his underestimation, reminding her she was not like any noblewoman he had met and always dished out to him never-ending surprises.

"Doesn't seem like I have a choice," he muttered standing to his feet, "Especially if news gets out that a human with no training had beaten me on her first try."

She smiled noticing that he hadn't included her gender which was enough validation that they were on.

He blocked her weak blow and she missed the swing she wanted to take on his cheeks as he effortlessly bent dodging her assault and then with a vicelike grip on her leg, he pushed her till she gave out falling on the ground.

She saw his outstretched arm and took it, standing up and going at him again, he blocked her hits, took a few of them even when she knew he would have easily blocked them, to show her how weak they were, and then always made for her legs.

"The weakness of every fighter, are these," he mumbled, towering over her as he flipped her on the floor again, "Once your stance on the soil is firm then we can talk about blocking punches or swings made at other parts of your body."

He stood up and grabbed her hand raising her on her feet.

She bent down aggressively reaching for his legs but he shoved her to the floor, "Never act on emotions when fighting. You might miscalculate and pay with your life." He warned and then grinned even as she rejected his hand and remained on the floor.

Then still groaning, she finally stood up on her own glaring at him. He lunged for her taking her by surprise since she had been the one doing the attacking but she blocks his fists, a gust of wind loosen the turban wrapped around her hair as he reached for her yet again and she ducked, reaching for his leg and throwing him on the floor.

She was towering over him now breathlessly, her both hands on his chest and her eyes glazed even as he gave her a lazy grin. "You are good at defending rather than attacking," he mumbled and she smiled.

"Kimberly," she turned and there stood Tristan glaring at her while narrowing his eyes at the both of them.