I blink as his thumbs brush away any moisture that might have escaped my eyes. His hands are softer than Matteo’s . . . what a weird thing to think. Matteo’s also engaged to my cousin, as well as kind of an asshole half of the time, whereas Ash has been nothing but super sweet and kind to me.
Why can’t he make me all hot and bothered?
Ash glances over my shoulder, his eyes widening. He pushes me to the side, just in time for him to be punched right in the face.
Chapter8
Gemma
Ash falls back from the punch he just took, taking one of the barstools down with him. Without thinking, I step in front of him, facing off with a furious Matteo. He looks like a bull ready to charge with his flaring nostrils and the tightness in his eyes. Again.
My dad’s voice is in my head.Go to your room, Gemma, and let the men handle this situation. It’s not for little girls.
But I ignore the words because I’ve got this.I’ve got this.So instead of cowering away, I straighten my posture and hold out my hand in front of me in a stopping motion.
Shaking my head at Matteo, I’m unable to hide my disbelief over what he just did. “What the hell is wrong with you?”
My voice has an extra bite to it that sounds foreign to my ears.
Matteo’s body tenses even more at my question, and the vein in his neck pulses angrily. He scrubs a hand over his face before pushing into my personal space and bumping against my still outstretched hand. “What’s wrong withme? He had his fucking hands all over you.”
He glares over my shoulder at Ash, who’s still on the floor but seems to be okay if his mumbles are anything to go by.
I swallow when I realize that my hand is firmly planted on his naked chest since he’s only wearing workout shorts. His tattooed muscles ripple under my touch, the distraction of the visual paired with touching his warm skin sending sparks off in my entire body.
Even though my libido has been kicked into overdrive, my anger is impossible to ignore, so I lift my chin and glare right back at Matteo. “He didnothave his hands all over me.”
“Oh yeah? What would you call it then?”
“He gave me a hug.”
“Why would he do that if it wasn’t just so he could get his hands on you?”
My whole body quivers, and this time I yell, “Maybe because I needed a hug, you idiot.”
I flex my hands, my nails biting into his skin, before I shove him. As expected, he doesn’t move more than an inch, but it’s enough to break our connection.
With a lump as big as an orange in my throat, I turn around and get on my knees next to Ash. “Hey. How bad is it?”
He grins at me like he didn’t just get punched. “I’m all good, princess. Don’t worry.”
My brows pinch together at the way he’s handling what just happened and the fact that there’s blood on his hands and face, and his nose is already swollen.
Seeing his injury raises my blood pressure to new heights, and I huff out a breath, still furious at Matteo’s behavior but trying to focus on Ash. “Do you think your nose is broken?”
“It doesn’t feel like it. A few days of rest and some ice packs, and I should be as good as new.”
Rubbing my forehead, I stare at him. “I can’t believe you’re acting as if this is nothing.”
His mouth lifts in one corner. “Because it’s not. It’s how we sometimes handle things. No biggie. At least it’s out now.”
I tilt my head. “What’s out now?”
Before he can say anything, loud footsteps echo across the floor, stopping somewhere behind me. “What the fuck is going on?”
Zeno. If he’s getting in the midst of all this, we’re all screwed.
“Nothing,” Matteo spits out.