How Beauty Saved the Beast (Tales of the Underlight) Read Online Free PDF Page B

Hauk was being uncomfortably honest in front of her. She could nut up and do the same thing.
    She pointed to the floor in front of her. “Asshat was standing there, and Dickhead was there. The leader was behind them. Asshat reached for me. I started screaming.”
    Hauk took his own deep breath and stood where Asshat had been. “Do you believe me when I say that if you can get past me, you could get past them?”
    Jolie couldn’t help the little smile that wormed its way back onto her face. “Considering that you killed them singlehandedly? Along with five other guys? Yeah. I believe it.”
    Hauk relaxed at her smile. “Okay, then. Let’s see you get out.”
    She poked him in the chest. “Don’t make it easy on me.”
    “I won’t.”
    They negotiated a place across the floor. If she got there under her own power, she “escaped.” If she got there under his power, she didn’t.
    Hauk kept his word; getting past him was a nigh impossible pain in the ass. The first three times he came at her, she was handily tossed over his shoulder and carried away. Each time he brought her back to her starting location, set her down, made her state what went wrong and then came at her from a different direction.
    The fourth time she threw her hands up, stopping his approach. “I can’t get past you. You’re bigger than me.”
    He shrugged. “So what?”
    “So what?” She yanked out her rubber band, which was barely containing her curls, and smashed her hair back up into a messy bun. “You’ll always catch me. You take up half the corner. If you get ahold of me, I can’t get out.”
    He frowned. “What have I been teaching you these past eight weeks? It’s not about strength. It’s about leverage. You’re just as fast as me. You’re smarter than me. You may not have the training or the bulk, but that’s not as big a detriment as most people let it be. You’re not trying to beat me in a fair fight—you’re trying to get away. You can do that.”
    “But—”
    “No buts. I win a lot of fights because my opponent looks at my size and decides that’s the only possible outcome. And you know what? As soon as they decide that, they’re right. Don’t lose because you’ve convinced yourself you can’t win. There’s too much at stake.”
    She took a deep breath and relaxed back into ready stance like he’d taught her. “I’m not smarter than you.”
    He snorted. “All right, Miss Working-on-her-PhD. Big, lumbering, barely-graduated-from-high-school is coming for ya.” Sixty seconds later, he set her back down again in the corner. “Don’t give up.”
    Jolie tried to stay loose and ready to move. It wasn’t like Hauk would hurt her. But the situation itself made her tense up with fear.
    This time he surprised her with a smirk as he stepped closer. “Aw…look at the helpless little birdie with the pretty red feathers. You scared, little bird?”
    Her back stiffened. Hauk never taunted her.
    He was trying to make her mad.
    “Pretty little bird in a safe little cage. Doesn’t know how to take care of herself.”
    Okay, he was making her mad. He swiped for her and she dodged. He reached for her again, but instead of her arm he grabbed for her hip and yanked her up against him.
    “I’ll take good care of you.”
    She reached for his face with her nails.
    He caught her hand. “Ooh, not a bird, eh? Got ourselves a kitten. Kitten with cute little claws.” He pulled her forward. Instead of carrying, he was going to drag her to the end place.
    She was really fucking tired of losing, and he was being a dick. She relaxed completely, like she was faint. He’d been ready for her to pull away, but not for her to drop, and she easily slid down his body. He already held one wrist. She pivoted until her foot was between his and grabbed him around the thigh with no thought but winning.
    His character broke. “Wait. Jolie. You just learned—” She lifted him. “Oh, fuck.”
    He landed on his back with a gasp of