Chapter 10
Watching Isabella on a treadmill was like watching a movie in slow motion.
Her ponytail swished down her back with each graceful stride.
I hadn’t been able to tear my gaze away from her from the moment I saw her sleeping peacefully in her bed.
The image was now burned into my retinas.
Smooth skin, a pert little nose, and pouty full lips.
The tank top and tiny shorts she’d had on had left little to the imagination.
Cursing, I cracked my neck and tried to refocus.
“Stop staring at my ass, and watch something else,” she snapped through clenched teeth.
“Like what, exactly?” I approached the front of the treadmill, my sight drawn again to her chest.
"Anything other than me," her tone was fierce but fortunately for me I enjoyed playing with wild, wicked things. Isabella needed to learn and learn fast that in this partnership, I called the shots.
I slowed the treadmill until she was at walking speed. “Right, off you get.”
“You know the word ‘please’ wouldn’t go a miss,” she huffed.
There was a frown line between her eyebrows, and it was adorable.
“Didn’t your mother ever teach you any manners?
” And there it was. The rage currently filling my veins must have been written all over my face because her eyes suddenly became confused and regretful.
I took a deep inhale through my nose and let it slowly out before cracking my neck.
Blocking out the memories, I stepped closer to her and kept my tone low.
“Speak about my mum again, Isabella, and I’ll make it so you aren't able to sit for a fuckin’ week.
”Her eyes widened, but not in fear. Deep in their icy depths flickers of heat and desire flashed in them. “Now get on the floor.”
“No,” she mouthed, raising a single eyebrow.
“Do as you’re told!” I seethed, caging her in on the treadmill as she crossed her arms.
“No! My father may have put you in charge of my training, safety and god knows what else, but no one speaks to me like that and gets away with it. So do us both a favour and leave me alone.” I had to admit, it was cute watching her get all fired up and furious as she shoved me out of the way.
She’d just grabbed a water bottle off the floor when I cleared my throat.
"That's where you're mistaken." She stopped dead in her tracks as I walked up behind her, close enough I could tickle the tip of her ear with my tongue. “As far as you’re concerned, if I say jump, you say, ‘how high, sir?’ I. Own. You. And the sooner you realise that the better it will be for the both of us.” Her body trembled before me. "Now, get on the floor."
“No. I’m done for today.” The disrespect, the defiance, the attitude. It all enraged me.
“We’re done when I say we’re done, princess.” My hand itched to yank her towards me, but I held back. The last thing I needed was to break my promise.
"You know what?” My brow raised as she spun to face me, a finger pointed at my face. “One word to my father about all of this and he’ll fire you faster than you can say world’s shittest trainer.” She gave me a quick smirk that died on a glare then spun for the door.
Fuck, that woman was so much fun to spar with. I was finding it hard not to grab her and fuck her against the window for the whole damn house to hear. "I’m gonna count to three, princess."
“Arturo, please…” Did she just beg?
Holy shit.
Everything south of my waist hardened. Visions of her on her knees before me, begging for my cock had my head swimming. I pinched the bridge of my nose and walked around her so she faced me.
“Don’t make me ask you again,” I demanded, waiting to see what her next move would be. Scoffing, she walked around me and stomped for the door. Gripping the handle, she yanked it open.
“We’re done.” With that she gave me the middle finger. But as she turned she froze.
“Isabella?” I grinned as her father’s voice floated through the entrance. “Care to explain where you’re going?”
“Papa, I just needed?—”
"I know this is difficult, but you can't run away every chance you get, Arturo is here to help you.”
"I-I know, but… I’m sorry, Papa. This is just… a lot." It was evident that no matter how much she loathed this situation, she’d never do anything to insult her father. The respect she showed her family was admirable, and this just intensified my desire for her.
“You never have been very good at taking instruction, my little diamond. But this is important.”
“Oh, is that why you’re checking up on me? Pa, I don’t need you to do that.” Isabella ran her nails across her scalp in frustration.
“I obviously do since you were already leaving, and you’d been here, what?” He glanced at his Rolex before he returned his gaze back to Isabella. “Fifteen minutes?” Before I could stop myself, I hurried back over.
“Lorenzo?” I interrupted, glancing at Isabella before catching her father’s gaze. “This is my fault. I pushed Isabella already this morning.” I held back a smile as her eyes widened at my lie.
“You were only doing what I asked of you. I won’t overstay my welcome, continue as you were.” I looked on as Lorenzo pressed a kiss to Isabella’s head before leaving the pair of us alone once more.
The moment we could no longer hear his steps, I wandered over to shut the door.
“Sorry, princess. Looks like you’ll be doing things my way.
” I held in a chuckle as I made my way over to her.
Frustratingly, her mask slipped back into place.
She merely grunted and then stormed her way over towards the mats.
When I reached the edge of the mat, she whipped off my tank top and launched it at my face.
If looks could kill, I’d be six feet under.
She then proceeded to find a spot as far away from me as possible, bending over to stretch out her legs.
“Do you ever do as you’re told?” I threw my tank on the floor as I stalked over to where she was bent over. Her body stiffened the closer I got.
“Not for you.” She smiled defiantly.
Before she had time to blink, I flipped her onto her back beneath me, her tits rose and fell with each heaving breath. Cursing, she flung a fist at my face which I dodged before grabbing both her wrists with one hand and held them above her head.
“Why are you fighting this, princess?” She glanced up at me bewildered. I felt the fight leaving her body with each passing second.
“You son of a?—”
“Answer me!” I interrupted the sentence I knew she wanted to yell at me.
“Because I don’t trust you!”
Good, we were getting somewhere.
“Don’t matter to me if you do or you don’t. Your dad hired me to train you and with that comes respect. So if I tell you I’m going to stretch you out, trust at least that I have a good reason for it.”
“Respect is earned! Just like trust,” she said, turning her head away from me, glancing towards the door.
“Nobody’s coming, love. I gave everyone strict instructions last night that we train alone, no interruptions,” I whispered against her ear as her breath hitched her throat.
“Fine. Just do it! The sooner we get started, the sooner I can get the fuck away from you,”
Oh, don’t worry, princess, I plan on stretching you out in plenty of ways, but until then this will have to do.
I knew she was expecting me to bite back like she kept doing, but I wouldn’t give her that satisfaction .
Slowly letting go, I gave her a warning glance before grasping an ankle and lifting it into the air.
The second I started to push the leg down, she winced and went to grab my wrist. Tutting, I grabbed her wrists again and hauled them above her head.
“Behave!”
“That hurt!” She complained, making me roll my eyes. Had she never stretched properly a day in her life?
“You’re tighter than a car in first gear. Relax!”
“I would relax if you let go of my hands,” her expression darkened.
“Good girls get to make demands, and you, Isabella Ricci, are anything but a good girl,” Her lips parted, her eyes narrowing in time with my words.
“Listen Art, your mouth and orders are boring me,” she faked a yawn. I frowned, still too caught up on the fucking nickname she had just given me.
“My name is Arturo, love, not Art . I don’t do nicknames.” I scowled as I dropped her leg gently, picking up the other one immediately after. “You’d do well to remember that.”
“Or what?”
“Or I’ll fuck that attitude right out of you.” She sucked in a sharp breath. My heart began to pick up as her pupils widened. The air around us became heavy. Something had shifted. I controlled the urge to stroke her leg. “Unless… That's what you want, princess?”
Smirking, Isabella lifted her head off the floor slightly to bring her lips closer to mine. “Come anywhere near me with that dick of yours and I’ll fucking feed it to you.”
“Oh, I relish challenges, sweetheart.”
I released her leg as they both fell on either side of my body.
I tried to ignore how her tight shorts emphasised the outline of her pussy as she sat up on her elbows.
The thought of burying myself in her consumed me.
Hearing her scream, whisper and moan my name as I drove into her was something I couldn’t wait to hear. .
“Earth to Art, or are you done?” Her earth shattering words brought me right back to where I was supposed to be.
“Almost.”
The rest of her stretching went without complaint.
Eventually, a knowing light in her eyes told me she had started to understand why I had insisted on helping her.
Most of these stretches were impossible without a partner.
And there was no way I was letting her get injured while sparring simply to prove a point.
Although, if she pushed me enough, a little punishment may go a long, long way.
“Better?” I asked. She nodded in surprise as I offered her my hand. Unsurprisingly, she didn’t take it.