Dusk

8| entice

Ava

"Where are we going?" 

"You'll see." Elias chuckled, pulling me with him. We passed by the treadmills, out of the room. I scrunched my eyebrows when we left the gym. I'd thought he wanted to work out. My frown turned up when he pulled me into another room.

"Been a while, yeah?" He said. He seemed well accustomed with the ways as he opened a wardrobe at the corner, picking up two pairs of gloves and hand wraps. He walked to me as I held my hands out, smiling. Wrapping the tape around my fingers, he pushed the gloves onto my hands. I walked into the ring, looking around myself in awe as he followed, his fists secured by the glove as well. 

We stood in front of each other when he grinned. "Punch me, amor."

So I did. Hard enough to knock his teeth down hadn't he moved away. Elias was known for his agility. He'd won matches against people thrice his size only because he knew how to use the ring to his advantage. When I striked the second time, he swung it away and hit me across the shoulder. I winced. It wasn't soft. We didn't go soft on each other. Not while boxing.

I didn't strike again. Defence before offence. I rounded him as he did the same. He was still grinning, and I was losing my calm. And that was not a very good sign. Patience was important in boxing. The moment you lost your patience, you lose the match. When he didn't strike for another two minutes, I did. I swung my fist down his stomach, making him shift to the side, but I changed the course of my fist at the last moment and struck his face. 

"Ouch, that hurt, Ava." He murmured, while I grinned proudly. When he saw me grinning, his own returned. That made mine disappear. His smile was wicked. 

Then everything happened too fast for me to comprehend. He moved towards me and I stepped back, putting my hands in front of my face to shield it. He punched them hard enough to knock them out of the way, gripping the base of my neck and pushing me against the ropes of the ring, his fist right in front of my face. His grin widened, "I'm the teacher, amor. Give me a little credit."

"I hit your face." I pointed out when he stepped back. He taught me how to box, I wasn't upset about losing to him.

"Hard, might I add. You did good, Ava. Though you can do much better than that."

"Daily lessons?" I raised an eyebrow.

"By me? Sure. I need payments though. I charge high." He murmured. 

"I'm sure I can cope up. What do you want?"

"Half an hour of your time everyday. Spend it with me."

I smiled, "I'll spend more than half an hour with you without labelling it as a payment. Payment's an obligation, a liability. Me spending time with you is an asset for me. Precious and valuable."

"Joder, Ava. I love it when you talk business with me." He shifted closer to me. His body was warm and his tee was plastered to his chest. His muscles bulged when he held the ropes behind me, caging me to him.

"Mhm? We gonna negotiate?" I tilted my chin up to look at him. His eyes were sultry and dark, and I knew mine were the same. 

"What is it that you can give me in return for lessons?" He asked, bending down so that he was eye level with me.

"Anything you want." I murmured back.

His eyes darkened more if that was possible. The brown in them seemed almost black. He let go of the ropes and turned around, surprising me. I hadn't expected him to let go. I'd expected him to grab my jaw and teach me manners. That's what he'd done the last time I'd said that word to him. My body was aching for his touch and I didn't want to play with my fingers tonight. I wanted his.