Chapter 23
Teacher’s Pet
Matt and I were both early risers, which was something I wasn't used to. Even my best friend was a night owl and most definitely not a morning person.
"Are you sure it's okay for me to come with you?" I followed Matt through his mostly dark house into his kitchen. He flipped on two soft lights that hung over the island in the center of the kitchen. "I don't want to mess up your routine."
It was before sunrise, and Matt was trying to keep to his schedule, and I wanted to go with him. I wanted to learn more about him and his life.
He froze and spun around to me. "Can I tell you a secret?
" His large hands curled around my hips, covered in clothes I'd borrowed from him.
Smiling, I nodded. "I hate working out alone.
" He dropped his lips to mine. "Working out with a partner is always better.
" I couldn't fight the corners of my lips curling up as he kissed me quickly before releasing my hips and strolling toward the fridge.
"Can I tell you a secret?" He glanced back as he pulled open the door, his brows lifting with curiosity. "I've only been to the gym once. I hated it. I felt like everyone was staring, and I was uncomfortable the entire time."
He grabbed two bottles of water and closed the fridge. "I can promise you won't feel that way at my gym." The corner of his lips curled into a smirk. "Well, I might stare. I will probably stare, but it's only because I like looking at you."
I laughed, but I knew that wasn't something he could promise. He couldn't control how people acted around me.
"Are you ready?"
"Let's do this."
I followed him through the house, which was massive, to the opposite end. I assumed it was his garage, but when he pushed the door open and flicked on the light, I realized I was wrong.
"Wait." I stopped short at the threshold, my jaw dropping as I took in the equipment-filled room. "You have a home gym?" He nodded, a hint of pride crossing his features as he watched my reaction. "Is that a wrestling ring?"
"Yeah," he rubbed the back of his neck, "It's like a miniature-sized ring compared to the one I perform on, but I use it to practice."
"So are you going to teach me some wrestling moves?"
The corner of his lip curled up, and he bounced his brows. "Do you want to wrestle with me?" His tone was flirtatiously playful.
"I have a feeling we are talking about two different kinds of wrestling," I laughed.
His laugh was warm and genuine. "So, what do you think? Ready to get thrown around a little?"
The way he said it made my stomach flip in the best possible way. "I should probably warn you, I'm not exactly built like your typical wrestling student."
Matt's eyes traveled over my curves in a way that made me feel like I was on fire. "Good thing I'm not your typical wrestling teacher then."
We climbed into the ring, and I immediately felt out of my element. The canvas gave slightly under my feet, and the ropes were tighter than I'd expected.
"First lesson." Matt moved closer until I could smell his cologne mixed with that hint of sweat that should have been gross but somehow wasn't. "Wrestling is all about leverage, not size. You've got curves? Use them to your advantage."
"I highly doubt my ass is going to help me in a wrestling match."
"Your ass," his voice dropping to that rumble that seemed to vibrate directly through my spine, "is going to be one of your greatest assets.
" His hands hovered near but not touching my hips, close enough that I could feel their heat.
"Lower center of gravity, better balance.
" He circled behind me, his breath warm against my ear. "Trust me."
He positioned himself behind me, his hands settling on my hips. "Now, if someone grabs you like this, what do you do?"
My brain had officially left the building. "Um… panic?"
"Wrong answer." I could feel his smile against my ear. "You drop your weight, pivot, and…"
He guided me through the movement, his body pressed against mine as he showed me how to break free. When I managed to spin around and face him, we were suddenly chest to chest, his hands still on my waist.
"Very good," he murmured, and I was pretty sure we weren't talking about wrestling anymore.
"Should we… Should we practice that again?"
"Absolutely. But this time, I want you to really commit to it. Don't hold back."
We ran through the move several more times, and each time, the contact lasted a little longer, and the space between us got a little smaller. By the fifth repetition, when I spun around to face him, his hands slid up to cup my face.
"You're a natural," he said softly.
"At wrestling or at making you want to kiss me?"
His thumb traced my bottom lip. "Both."
Before I could lose my nerve, I rose on my toes and kissed him. When his arms wrapped around me, lifting me slightly off the ground, I felt like I could conquer the world.
"We should probably get back to the lesson," I said against his mouth, not meaning a word of it.
"Probably." He nipped at my lower lip. "But I think you need to learn the most important move first."
"Which is?"
"The pin." His grin was absolutely wicked. "It's all about positioning, pressure, and knowing exactly where to put your hands."
"Show me."
He guided me down to the mat, covering my body with his as he demonstrated the proper form. "See, the key is to distribute your weight evenly, keep your opponent flat on their back, and maintain control."
"Like this?" I asked, somehow managing to flip us so I was straddling his waist, my hands pinning his wrists above his head.
His eyes darkened with something that had nothing to do with wrestling. "Exactly like that. Though I should mention, this particular position has some... interesting variations."
"Oh really? Maybe you should show me those, too."
"Brooke." He drew back just enough to meet my eyes, his chest rising and falling rapidly against mine. "If we keep this up, we're going to end up doing a lot more than wrestling."
I traced my thumb across his bottom lip, watching his pupils dilate in response. "Promise?"
His answer was to flip us again, this time settling between my thighs with a precision that made me gasp.
"I think," he murmured against my neck, his breath warm and uneven, "we're going to need a lot more lessons." The pressure of his body against mine made it difficult to think, let alone speak. I focused on the sensation of his heartbeat, rapid and strong, echoing my own.
"How many lessons," I finally managed, my voice barely above a whisper, "are we talking about?"
He lifted his head just enough to meet my gaze, his own eyes dark with an intensity that made my breath catch.
A moment stretched between us. "At least twenty.
" He traced a finger along my collarbone with agonizing slowness.
"Maybe thirty." His mouth found that sensitive spot just below my ear.
"Wrestling is very complicated. Lots of positions to master. "
"I'm a dedicated student."
"Good." He pulled back to look at me with eyes that promised all kinds of trouble. "Because I'm a very thorough teacher."
And as he kissed me again, deeper this time, with the kind of passion that made my entire body sing, I realized that maybe getting pinned down wasn't such a bad thing after all.
Best. Lessons. Ever.