Author: Claire Adams
Category: Young Adult
Go to read content：https://readnovelfree.com/p/30247_19
“You’re late.”
I looked to my right to find Zack standing there in long black sweats and nothing else. For a moment, everything else faded away, and all I could do was admire the perfection of his body. His tattoos weren’t just on his neck and arms. They covered his chest too. There was not an inch of fat on him. He was all hard muscle. His stomach was just a wall of abs that looked like they had been carved out of rock. He approached me slowly, and I felt my breath catch for a moment before I reminded myself that he was completely wrong for me.
“Sorry,” I stammered. “I was… I had… busy.”
“You were busy?” Zack asked. “Doing what?”
“Never mind,” I said quickly, looking away from his body. “I’m here now. Let’s get started.”
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I walked towards the ring where I assumed we would begin training, but Zack put a hand on my shoulder and stopped me.
“Not yet,” he said. “First, put these boxing gloves on.”
I could sense all the men there watching me, but I refused to be cowed by that. I pretended as though I were alone and donned the boxing gloves that felt like they were a little too big for me. I hated to admit it, but having Zack standing in front of me shirtless was incredibly distracting. I kept thinking about that kiss we had shared, and I wondered if he thought about it too.
“Now what?” I asked once the gloves were on.
“Now… you punch me.”
I smiled. “If you had told me that, I would have insisted you train me sooner.”
Zack smiled back. “Oh, you’re not going to be able to punch me… not even close. But it’s going to be fun to watch you try.”
I took a deep breath and swung at him. He dodged it easily and chuckled to himself. “You call that a punch?”
“I’m a better kicker,” I said, through gritted teeth as my preoccupation with his looks faded to annoyance. “How about I kick you in the nuts and show you?”
“I like the confidence,” Zack said. “It’s misguided… but impressive.”
I tried to swing at him again, and he blocked me with his arm and pushed me back. I stumbled and nearly lost my footing, but I managed to catch myself just in time. I heard snickers coming from the group of men who were going about their business around us, but I tried to block them out and focus on Zack. Except that each time I got my ass handed to me by Zack’s superior skill, their laughter seemed to be getting louder and louder.
“What the hell are you assholes laughing at?” I shouted finally, unable to take the ridicule.
“What makes you think they’re laughing at you?” Zack asked calmly.
“Who else would they be laughing at?” I demanded. “I suck at this.”
“No argument there,” Zack said. “But their laughter can’t hurt you.”
I gritted my teeth together. “What do you know about being laughed at?”
“Everything,” Zack shot back at me. “You think I got here easy? I was pushed around and ridiculed. I was treated like shit. And my father was the ringleader of it all. He stood there with everybody, and he laughed the loudest. You know why?”
“He hated you.”
Zack ignored me. “He wanted to make me strong.”
“I’m not like you,” I said.
“No… but you will be,” Zack said, as he aimed another punch at my jaw.
I dropped to the ground and backed away from him. “I can’t,” I said, feeling a sob at the back of my throat. “This is… I have no idea what I’m doing… it’s too hard.”
“And you expect it to come easy?”
“How do you even expect me to beat you?” I demanded. “You’re more than a head taller, and you’re double my size.”
“Exactly.”