Page 61 of Big Girl Panties

He guided me down to the mat, covering my body with his as he demonstrated the proper form. "See, the key is to distribute your weight evenly, keep your opponent flat on their back, and maintain control."

"Like this?" I asked, somehow managing to flip us so I was straddling his waist, my hands pinning his wrists above his head.

His eyes darkened with something that had nothing to do with wrestling. "Exactly like that. Though I should mention, this particular position has some... interesting variations."

"Oh really? Maybe you should show me those, too."

"Brooke." He drew back just enough to meet my eyes, his chest rising and falling rapidly against mine. "If we keep this up, we're going to end up doing a lot more than wrestling."

I traced my thumb across his bottom lip, watching his pupils dilate in response. "Promise?"

His answer was to flip us again, this time settling between my thighs with a precision that made me gasp.

"I think," he murmured against my neck, his breath warm and uneven, "we're going to need a lot more lessons." The pressure of his body against mine made it difficult to think, let alone speak. I focused on the sensation of his heartbeat, rapid and strong, echoing my own.

"How many lessons," I finally managed, my voice barely above a whisper, "are we talking about?"

He lifted his head just enough to meet my gaze, his own eyes dark with an intensity that made my breath catch. A moment stretched between us. "At least twenty." He traced a finger along my collarbone with agonizing slowness. "Maybe thirty." His mouth found that sensitive spot just below my ear. "Wrestling is very complicated. Lots of positions to master."

"I'm a dedicated student."

"Good." He pulled back to look at me with eyes that promised all kinds of trouble. "Because I'm a very thorough teacher."

And as he kissed me again, deeper this time, with the kind of passion that made my entire body sing, I realized that maybe getting pinned down wasn't such a bad thing after all.

Best. Lessons. Ever.

Chapter 24

All is Fair in Love and Wrestling…

I loved being with Brooke. I loved everything about our unconventional dates, but somehow ending up tangled together on this wrestling mat had become my favorite part of our gym session, even if it did put both my brain and dick on overload.

"I'm pretty sure this doesn't count as a workout," she giggled as I managed to pin her hands above her head, both of us breathless.

I bounced my eyebrows dramatically. "Oh," I grinned, unable to contain my smugness. "We're about to discover a whole new meaning to cardio."

She wiggled underneath me and every bit of blood left my extremities and rushed straight to my cock.

She was so fucking beautiful.

Her eyebrows scrunched together in that adorable way they did when she was processing my terrible jokes, then slowly lifted as realization dawned. But before she could deliver what was surely going to be a perfectly sarcastic comeback, I shifted quickly, rolling her on top of me in one smooth move.

"Oh no, no, no," she protested, her laughter fading as she immediately tried to distribute her weight. "I'm going to squish you like a pancake."

I couldn't help but laugh, catching her hands before she could escape. "Brooke, I want to be squished." A reluctant smile tugged at her lips, and I pulled her closer until she finally relaxed against me. "I want to be the happiest pancake in the entire breakfast kingdom."

"You're ridiculous," she mumbled, but leaned down and pressed a quick kiss to my lips before climbing off me and walking to the edge of the ring.

"I wish you could see yourself the way I do," I said softly, propping myself up on my elbows.

Her eyes found mine in the floor-to-ceiling mirror, and she let out a long sigh. "It's just… easier to beat myself up before anyone else gets the chance, you know?"

I shook my head, getting to my feet and understanding that was her defense mechanism. "Brooke, there's nothing about you that deserves beating up." I settled behind her. My arms were circling her waist. "You're gorgeous." Her head fell back against my shoulder, and I pressed a gentle kiss to that perfect spot where her neck curved into her shoulder. "Every single part of you is beautiful, and I'm going to keep telling you until you believe me."

My fingertips found the hem of her shirt, barely grazing the soft skin beneath. She shivered at the contact, then caught my wrist, not pulling away, just holding me there. "I'm all sweaty and gr…"

My gaze lifted, meeting hers in the mirror. "I love it when you're all hot and sweaty." The corners of my lips split into a grin. "I love making you all hot and sweaty."