If anyone would have told Andria she could take down a man twice her size by simply punching him in the groin, she would have never believed them. But there she stood, behind Ryan, the other SEAL she met the other day.

He groaned and held his hands over his balls.

Andria bit down on her lower lip. “Ryan, are you all right?” She held her fingers close to her mouth to cover any evidence of a smile or laugh. She did not take humor in hurting anyone, but the fact he was so large made her appreciate it that much more.

“Yeah,” he groaned. “I’ll be all right.” He rolled to his back and Andria watched him push himself upright.

“Get up, you pussy,” Jax teased.

“You take her down then,” Ryan protested.

Andria lifted a brow and looked to Jax and smiled. “Come take me down, like he said, if you can.”

Jax grinned. “If you get cocky about any ability you build, it will work anything you know against you.” His grin grew wicked and Andria’s smile faded. “I can and will take you down, woman.”

She pursed her lips. Andria wanted to swoon, moan, taunt him to pin her on the ground and rub his cock against her. She wanted to do things to him that would make his toes curl.

Instead, she stepped out onto the floor mat and waved Jax over. He approached and stood over her. She smiled, she could not help it.

“So, how are we doing this one today?” she asked.

Jax stepped close to her. She smiled up at him and he touched her cheeks. She closed her eyes and imagined him leaning in to kiss her. She felt his hands move from her face to rest on her hips. Well, if this is training, I’m down with it. She felt him move closer and his breath next to her ear.

“Are you ready?” he whispered.

She nodded and she felt the most pleasant sensation between her legs. She wanted his hands on her, to memorize her shape. Instead, she felt him lean into her and she braced herself to not fall backward.

Then Andria screamed. Without warning, Jax put one of his legs behind her and laid her on her back. He held her hands above her head and sat on her legs.

“How do you free yourself?” he asked.

She stared up at him, in shock and awe, as she’d heard others say. His show of force was something to admire. He was sexy and his presence commanded the room. She wanted his hands on her again.

“Andria?” he asked and leaned in. “How will you free yourself?”

She thought on his question. How would she free herself? She perked a brow. I wouldn’t. I want you to strip me and do things to me like you did last night.

Instead, she bent her legs and tried to pusher her hips up. Nothing. She jerked at her restrained arms. She could not budge. She pursed her lips together and tried to think on what to do. “Anything I try, you’ll be able to beat me. I cannot break loose and you’re weight on me will keep me down.”

“Right.” He opened his mouth to speak again when someone stepped over.

Andria looked up to Ryan standing over them. She smiled up at him.

“What say you, Ryan? How would I get out of this?”

“Oh, I know what you should do, but the question is, what would you do?” Ryan answered.

She frowned. “Well, this isn’t very fair.”

“I don’t imagine anyone attacking someone else would take into consideration what is fair,” Jax told her. “Think, Andria. What would you do to get out of this? What can you do? Use your body. Use what is right in front of you.”

She sighed and stared up at Jax. He held her still, but his grip was not too tight. She could probably pull her arms free if she wanted to. That was not the point though. The point here was what would she do in this predicament?

She thought of Draven and the many times he held her down.

You did this to yourself.

You wore that outfit.

You looked at that guy.

Her personal favorite, You can never leave me. I’m going to fuck up your face so bad no one will want to look at you.

Rage climbed inside her. Small tendrils of anger ascended on the thorns of pain left from the memories of Draven. Andria closed her eyes and focused on how she felt.

“Andria?” Jax asked.

“Give me just a minute,” she said through gritted teeth.

“Oh, brother, I think she found something. I would be careful,” Ryan teased.

Ryan teased her. Draven beat her. Jax held her down. In that moment, everything circled around her freedom. She needed space and to get Jax off her.

But Jax was not Draven.

It doesn’t matter, she told herself. Right now, he is.

With a deep breath, she opened her eyes. Jax was just above her. She could feel his breath on her. She scowled and felt a rumble in her chest. The sound grew louder.

“Are you growling?” Jax asked.

Her growl became close to a yell. Andria head-butted Jax on the nose. He yelled and let her go and sat up. She punched him in the balls and he fell to his side. She scrambled away and quickly jumped to her feet.

“You will never hold me down again! Never!” Andria panted and held her fists up. She was ready to engage as the fuel of rage powered through her body.

“Holy shit,” Ryan exclaimed. “Jax, you all right, man?”

Jax? Andria blinked and stared at the man before her. He held his face and gave a quick nod.

“She didn’t break my nose but the effect was sufficient. Then my balls. Holy fuck, I need ice for them.”

Ryan chuckled. Andria turned to him and frowned. He looked to her and winked, then took off in a sprint.

She turned back to Jax. “Jax?”

“Yeah?” he asked and looked up to her.

“Oh my God, are you all right? I didn’t mean to…dammit, I’m sorry!” She sat down on her knees in front of him and pulled his hands away. She gasped. “Oh no, you’re bleeding.” She smiled and let out a laugh that sounded maniacal.

“Why are you laughing?” he asked.

“I made your nose bleed!”

“Why is that funny?” he asked.

“I’ve never done anything like this and my first try, I took you down!” She fisted her hands and pushed them in the air. “Yay me!”

“You did good, baby, you did good.”

She stood and reached for Jax. He took her hand and she helped him stand. “Baby?” She smiled. “I like that.”

“Here, man,” Ryan called. The pair turned to him and Ryan brought napkins and an ice pack.

“What made you decide to head butt me and punch my junk?” Jax asked her.

She crossed her arms over her chest. “Well, you told me to use my body and what may be right in front of me. So I used my head. You sat up and opened yourself up for attack. I hit your balls. I wasn’t sure what you’d do, but when you fell over, I took the opportunity to get loose and run.”

“Very good,” Jax told her. “Something happened, though. Where did you go in your mind?”

She lowered her gaze to his feet. She studied the black runners for a moment, then answered. “I thought of Draven and all the excuses he would give on why he felt the need to beat me.” She looked up and met his gaze. “I felt that and held onto it.”

He smiled. “Well done.”

“Are we done? Or are there other positions you want to show me?”

Jax smirked. “I still have a few up my sleeve.” He stepped closer.

“Here?” she said in a softer voice. She wanted to play nurse and stroke him, make up for putting bruises on his groin.

“Umm, guys?” Ryan interrupted. “I’m going to take off. You two look like you need to be alone.”

Jax chuckled and nodded. “See you, man.” He never looked away from Andria.

She smiled. The anger left her and was quickly replaced by arousal. “Let’s go home. I want to play Nurse Andria.”