Love Tap(27)

“Move or I’ll kick you in the balls?”

His brows lift as if he’s intrigued.

“Ah, and how has that foreplay worked out for you?”

“Never been better,” I reply, hinting that he’s terrible at foreplay.

He steps forward, his face turning hard.

“I think we both know that isn’t true.”

“Do we?” I tilt my head to the side I cross my arms, my fingernails digging into my skin from being nervous. I’ve never done this bantering thing before.

His body inches from mine, he slides a stray hair of mine behind my hair.

“You think you’re being cute, but if I recall you’ve called out my name several times while my head was between those legs.”

My bravado instantly falls as my panties soak from arousal.

Stepping beside me he stops.

“I’d almost believe that you didn’t still want me if your nipples weren’t hard enough to cut glass with.”

My stomach sinks and I look down finding my nipples protruding through my sports bra and shirt.

Fuck!

Lifting my crossed arms to cover myself I head into the locker room.

Cate helps tape my hands up, because Debs has somehow made her way over to Thomas and began her flirt session.

Glancing at the bag, I give it a tap, testing it out. I’ve hit the bags plenty of times before, but this one seems bigger. Maybe it’s because it’s newer.

“You going to dance with it, or hit it?” Debs chimes, stepping up behind me. “Pretend it’s someone you hate. Like Camden.” She giggles to herself.

“What do you mean?” I try to play it cool, but obviously the tension between Camden and I is that obvious.

“I see the way you two look at each other. Now pretend it’s him and hit the damn bag.”

Positioning myself next to the bag I eye it, then spot Camden in the ring. He is looking at me with a sexy gaze, yet it’s still laced with anger. He looks away like I don’t matter, and anger floods my limbs. His games are exhausting. I don’t know whether I want to hate f*ck him, or just hate him.

It pisses me off of how he blames me for everything.

It pisses me off that I am to blame for everything.

It pisses me off that I still want him.

It pisses me off that he doesn’t want me.

Glancing back at the bag a whoosh of air rips from my mouth and I give a one, two, jab, and the bag flies from the impact. Relief blooms through my chest, and I exhale a breath that I’ve been holding in for years.

Debs’ mouth dramatically drops, her eyes looking between the bag and me.

“What?” I question nervous I did something wrong.

She looks at Thomas with surprise on her face.

“I told you she can hit,” Thomas gloats standing by the ring. He’s been instructing Camden for the last hour to give it all he has when sparring. Camden rests his arms on the ropes, his forehead soaked with sweat as he watches me closely. I want to flip him off.

“Do it again,” Debs instructs.

Trying to focus on the bag and not the fact that Camden is watching me, I hit it again, using the same combo as before.

“Alright,” she nods approvingly. “Maybe I have something to work with after all.”

“So you think I can go pro? You think I have a shot at the MFC?” I can’t help but ask. MFC is where everyone wants to be in this career.

She leans in closer, glancing around her. Looking with her I notice everyone’s attention is back on their own drills instead of me. “You think that is where the big money is? Well you’re wrong.” She steps closer, looking around her to see if anyone is paying us any attention before continuing. “Listen to me and we’ll get a fight that will make us both rich!” She waggles her eyebrows, her tongue snaking along her bottom lip.

“I don’t get what you mean.” I shake my head confused. “Like sponsors and stuff?”

“Oh, god no. This is more underground, like black market kind of shit,” she whispers.

“Underground?” I scrunch my nose with distaste. I want more than back alley fights in garages. I could have done those in LA, I want bigger. I want to pave the road for females everywhere.

“I have already said too much,” she huffs, stepping back. “Just do what you’re told, and if you have what it takes you’ll know soon enough.”

I can’t help but roll my eyes and continue to hit the bag. This woman is full of shit.

***

For the next three days Debs has me on nothing but the punching bag. I’ve hit it so much, there are times I forget how to hit. My knuckles are cracked and bleeding, and my wrists are on fire. I’ve told her about the pain, she tells me to suck it up and starts flirting with Thomas.

Friday morning as I’m heading out of Chloe’s house I find Journey sitting on the front stoop waiting for me.

“Hey!” She jumps up, smoothing out her tie dye dress. Her hair is in a messy long braid, and her left eye looks darker than her right.

“He do that to you? Or did you fall down again?” I ask sarcastically.

She opens her mouth to respond, and then looks the other way. She is clearly getting tired of whatever is going on her so called relationship.

“You need me to step in?” I’ve never wanted to cause so much harm to someone in my whole life. The feeling is somewhat unsettling.