Pushing off the bench, I stand and join him in front of the cubbies that are on one side. From what I can tell, they’re filled with sports equipment.
Matteo holds out a boxing glove for me. “Left hand.”
I shove my hand in before he grabs the other glove, repeating the same with my right hand. He ties them both for me before getting another set of gloves, or whatever they’re called, with a pad on one side to hit.
He gives me a once-over, a deep, satisfied sigh leaving him, before he lifts his chin to the opposite side of the room. “Get on the mat.”
I dart out my tongue to wet my lips, the rumbling tone of his voice going straight to my clit. Standing a little taller, I thrust out my chest and say, “Yes, sir.”
He moves in, his body almost touching mine, and says, “The faster we’re done with this, the faster I can fuck you.”
Chapter17
Matteo
“Don’t just use your arms to punch. You need to use your whole body. Turn into it and use the speed from it to hit as fast as you can, so you don’t lose any of the power.” I turn around and show Gemma what I’m talking about, so she can see it in action.
When I face her again and tilt my head in a questioning manner, she nods like she’s got it. Then she shows me she actually did. This girl is a fast learner, and not too shabby in gloves either. Definitely not what I expected from a first-timer.
“Good job. Do you need a break?”
Sweat drips down her brows, but she shakes her head. “Again.”
Her jabs have already slowed down, but I admire her tenacity. Not to mention, the reason I dragged her in here in the first place was to let off some steam, instead of keeping it all inside, or worse, hurting herself like she did earlier. Yes, cutting her palms open with her nails might not be that big of a deal, but it’s still something that can easily be avoided. This right here is way healthier and more productive too. She wanted to learn how to fight anyway, so fight she will.
Most of the tension from earlier has left her body since we started, her shoulders more relaxed, but there’s still some of that fire in her eyes that wants to seek and destroy. Not that I blame her. Her poor excuse of a father is selling her off to yet another guy. And, this time, to someone who lives on a completely different continent. What the fuck is wrong with him? All he cares about is money in his bank account, and it doesn’t matter how he gets it.
What a pathetic excuse for a human being.
The force against my mitts has me staggering backward to find my footing, and my eyes widen as I take in her smug face. “Well, well, passerotta, look who’s come out to play.”
Seems like it’s time to get out of my head and pay more attention to Gemma’s punches again.
She lifts a shoulder. “That’s what happens if you have an asshole for a dad and a pig of a future husband to give you enough volatile fuel for a lifetime.”
“I already told you: you arenotgoing to marry him.” The words fly out of my mouth, low and menacing.
Her eyes turn into slits, and her lips press together into a tight line before she spits out, “Well, good, because I really don’t fucking want to.”
Then she holds up her hands in front of her face, exactly like I showed her, and I barely have enough time to lift my mitts before she makes contact with them again.
Damn, she’s much stronger than I expected her to be. A magnificent tiger hidden beneath the shell of a sphinx.
She grunts in frustration. “It’s my damn life. Mine.”
Punch.
“I.”
Punch.
“Do not.”
Punch.
“Want.”
Punch.