Page 24 of Forgotten Comeback (Parisi Family #5)
Chapter
Twenty-Three
Gavin
“That all you got, pretty boy?” Dominic taunts, throwing a wild punch.
I roll, going in tight with a body blow to his solar plexus. The wind’s knocked out of his lungs, and I advance, laying into his side. He clinches me as I continue to pound his ribcage, but the fucker throws a head butt.
My head snaps back, and I hold my gloves up, blood trickling down my face from underneath my right eye. “Dominic, I’m not going to spar with you and risk getting injured because you can’t follow the rules.”
“Pussy,” he spits.
“Gloves are off; I’m done.” I walk to the ropes, but feel him behind me. I spin around as his fist connects with my jaw. The impact rattles my teeth, even with the mouthguard.
Now Dominic’s gone and pissed me off.
I let him take shot after shot while I’m against the ropes.
He begins to suck wind, his punches not as forceful, and I come at him with a punishing jab to the ribcage.
He doubles over, and I step into a perfect single right that connects with Dominic’s jaw.
His eyes roll back in his head as he crumbles to the mat.
The gym buzzes with excitement as I climb through the ropes and hop down, leaving my opponent’s dumb ass lying there dazed and confused.
A woman rushes over with two of her friends. “Gavin, that was so badass!” She pops her hip and twirls her hair.
“So badass,” the friends chime in.
“Excuse me.” I spot Taylor watching from the weights area and jog over to her.
She makes a show of looking around. “If you’re searching for your fitness girl fan club, the meeting is being held somewhere else.”
“Maybe I’m a masochist who’s looking for the ball-busting committee,” I tell her.
Taylor laughs; it’s a big, hearty laugh that makes me grin like an idiot. “Then you’ve come to the right place. But I’d never bust your balls for knocking out Dominic,” she tells me, her lips curved into a smile.
“How do you know him?” Something gnaws at me, and I consider hopping over the ropes and knocking him out for a second time.
“Dominic and Kat have been on and off for years,” she tells me, and that calms whatever the hell emotions those were.
“My condolences,” I say, and Taylor snickers. “Help me take my gloves off so I can clean up.”
“For such a tough guy, you seem to need my help an awful lot.” She grabs a towel, gently pressing it to the cut under my eye.
“After you take off my gloves, I could use help taking off my clothes. In fact, let’s move this to the locker room…” I trail off because her cheeks have turned the color of my boxing gloves. I smile triumphantly. “You had a dream of us in the locker room!”
She rolls her eyes any harder, and they might dislodge. “Please get over yourself.”
“Over you. Under you. Behind you. How was it in your dream?” I ask suggestively. “I’m happy to make it a reality.”
“I don’t think little fuckboy wants to know,” she whispers, challenge in her eyes.
“Now I’m dying to know.” I groan.
She smiles, tossing the towel in the hamper, and begins to unlace my gloves, but doesn’t elaborate.
“You’re going to leave me hanging like this?” My dick’s equally outraged.
“The suspense isn’t going to kill you.” She glances down at my crotch and back up with laughter in her eyes. “Neither will blue balls. Actions speak louder than words, remember?” She pats my cheek.
“Blue balls speak pretty damn loud,” I grumble.
Taylor smiles as she removes my left glove, and then my right. Shoving them at my chest, she turns around and walks off.
I stand rooted in place, drooling after her plump ass.
It’s sobering to realize that not only am I a simp, I’m the chapter president of the Simping for Taylor Club.
Taylor
Gavin isn’t the only one acting ridiculous. I can’t stop grinning as I strip out of my sweaty clothes, grabbing my shower bag and a towel.
The door opens, and the fitness models enter the locker room. I practically dive into the shower.
“Can you believe they asked that woman to be the ring girl?”
“Who? The redhead Gavin was talking to?”
“Yes, the chubby ginger,” a woman says with a huff. “I was too hungover for work, but damn. The options must have been shit if that’s who they chose.”
Mean girl laughter echoes through the locker room, and I wait until I’m sure they’re gone before turning on the water. My mind’s racing, and I take a deep breath, counting to three slowly before releasing it.
Not every moment of discomfort is a spiral.
It’s okay if I’ve gained some weight; it’ll even out once my body adjusts to the new dosage.
If my body doesn’t, I can deal with that too.
Who cares what those bitches think?
After my mental pep talk and a shower, I change into my street clothes before I track down Gavin. He’s in the ring training a guy I don’t know.
“Sorry to interrupt. Gavin, could I talk to you for just a sec?” I call.
“Sure thing.” He says something to his client before ducking under the ropes and jumping down to the floor.
“I want to be the exclusive ring girl from hereon out,” I tell him quietly. “Who do I need to talk to?”
He grins. “I’ll take care of it.”
I grab his shirt and kiss the shit out of him before strutting past the mean girls, whose mouths are collectively hanging open.