“Yes.”
“Just like that?”
“Just like that.”
“Huh.”
“Are you complaining? Did you want me to say no?”
“What?” I stare at him with wide eyes. “No, no, no, of course not.”
“Could have fooled me.”
“I mean it, obviously I wanted you to say yes. I guess I’m just surprised.” I brush my hands on my pants, trying to calm my nervousness. “But not in a bad way, you know? And I promise I’ll be an excellent student.”
“Gemma?”
“Yeah?”
“Shut up, I already said yes.”
“I know, I know. Sorry. I’m just super ex—”
His lips smash on mine, his tongue demanding entry, which my mouth immediately gives. His lips are warm and soft, such a contrast to his whole demeanor. His kiss is something in between, soft yet demanding, and my body molds against his without any demand. My new curves—thanks to a few weeks of regular eating, without my dad’s strict meal plan—fuse with his hard planes like they were two pieces made to fit.
His hands circle around my body and grab two handfuls of my ass, and I’m about to jump into his arms and demand he put me out of my misery. But I don’t. Instead, I let him grind his hard-on against the seam of my yoga pants while I shamelessly rub against him.
I’m so in the moment, I have to blink several times to shake out of my daze when his lips and hands leave my body and he carefully puts me back on the floor. He steadies me with his hand on my elbow, which I’m grateful for, because I most definitely need the assistance.
His other hand brushes a strand of hair off my face. That quick and dirty make-out session did a number on my already messy bun, and I can feel it falling apart on all sides.
He kisses my nose. “Let’s wait for a while longer before we start on the fight training. You’re not supposed to overdo it.”
One of his fingers presses against my lips before I can protest. “Buuuuut I was planning on teaching you something else, so we can focus on that in the meantime.”
I tilt my head. “What is it?”
After throwing on his shirt, he reaches for me. “Come on, I’ll show you.”
Chapter12
Gemma
With my hand firmly in his, Matteo leads me upstairs, out the front door, and toward the large shed that’s nestled on the side of the property partially hidden behind the trees.
Clueless to even begin guessing what we could be doing out here, I stay quiet. I’m a bit disappointed that I have to wait to learn how to fight, but I’m also curious to see what Matteo wants to teach me. And the fact it’s somethinghewanted to do with me, without me asking him first, has my blood pumping a little faster. The closer we get to the shed, the more I second-guess my excitement.
After unlocking it and flicking on the light, Matteo holds the door open for me and waits for me to step inside before turning the lock behind us. I study him suspiciously since him bringing me out here and locking us in makes no sense. My curiosity is still there, but now so is my anxiety.
The shed is filled with a variety of tools. I’m no expert when it comes to such things, but it seems like there’s something for everything—the garden, the house, or whatever else might need fixing or need to be taken care of.
My excitement lessens with every step. “Are you going to teach me how to build something? Or are we going to mow the lawn?”
Matteo chuckles. “Do you want me to teach you how to build something or mow the lawn?”
Peeking up at him, I wrinkle my nose. “Not particularly. I mean, I can watch you build something if you want, or mow the lawn, but I don’t think craftsmanship or gardening is really my thing.”
All of a sudden something happens I’m not prepared for: Matteo laughs. My mouth falls open, and I gawk at him, my mind completely blown. His white teeth are on full display as a deep rumble leaves his mouth. The laugh lines at the corners of his eyes make him so much more attractive, my heart skips a beat before speeding up.