Knockout

Chapter 13

Marshall puts me in a pair of his old gloves, they're pretty big on me. I'm in a pair of his gym shorts as well which I've rolled at the waist to get the desired length and fit. And I've removed my top layer, leaving me in a tight hugging tank top. By the time we get back to the ring Thatcher and Cash have moved on to the speed bags on the opposite side of the gym. I climb in to the center and Marshall orders me to stand in front of the punching bag.

"Feet apart, left leg slightly in front." He demands and I comply. He stands behind me and takes my hips in his hands, turning them in the right direction. "Angle this way."

"Like this?" I twist my hips in the opposite direction specifically to annoy him.

"No." He catches on immediately and leans into me from the back, securing my hips to his. "Like this."

I feel his hands creeping towards places I don't want to explore out in the open like this. I use the gloves to shoo his hands away and align my hips correctly.

"Now." Marshall says, still standing behind me. He brings his arms around my body and holds them up in front of me. "You're right hand dominant, so you'll be doing one with the right, one with the left, two with the right, one with the left." He demonstrates with his own fists. "Just keep repeating that."

He stands directly in front of me and puts his hands up.

"Do a couple on me first." He demands.

I'm nervous to do this, this is his thing. I take a good sized breath and then lightly tap his hands in the desired order.

"Okay good, but harder than that." He laughs.

"I don't want to hurt you." I tell him, shoving him with my glove.

"You can't hurt me. Not this way." He says and I feel a momentary twinge of guilt. "Now come on, really give it to me." He says.

This time I dive right in with a full force punch. Still, Marshall barely moves his hands to absorb my punches. His eyes are looking at me from every angle and it's very intimidating. I hit his hands again, harder this time. I don't want him to keep looking at me like that.

"Well I'll hand it to you, you can pack a punch." He has to stifle his laughter and I feel my stomach fill with anger. "A very ladylike punch. Like a high five."

I come at him, hitting his abdomen with less force than before. He's laughing at me, and I shove him down to the mat. Before he can get up I climb on top of him, straddling his hips. I'm tapping him everywhere with the gloves and he can barely breathe from his laughter. Eventually he lets me pin his wrists to the mat.

"Takedown wins it." I tell him.

"You're right." He lets out another big laugh. "Except that's wrestling, we do knockouts in boxing."

"I hate you." I say, laughing and rolling over next to him on the mat, completely out of breath.

"I love you too." He corrects, looking at me. "You're pretty good for a beginner."

"No I wasn't." I start to laugh again. "I'll leave the boxing to you."

"Well we're taking these." He tells me, rolling on his side and tapping the gloves. He wraps his arm around my waist and pulls me over. "Because you look so...hot in them."

I blush again and he starts cracking up, planting a kiss on my temple. I stand up from the mat and make my way back towards the locker room. Cash and Thatcher are still going at it with the speed bags, and I dodge a few flying elbows to get into the locker room. Once inside, I notice Marshall isn't behind me. I don't have much time to wonder about where he is because he comes in a minute later and locks the door behind him.
I jump as he grabs my hips, pushing me against the wall next to the lockers. He leans into me and begins to suck at the skin on my neck. I'm part in shock from his actions and part overcome by the pain he's causing on my neck. He's feeling everywhere he can, pressing our bodies together. I know where this is going.