Page 153 of Vicious Temptation

“Not even a damn text message.”

My glove connects with the pad in Matteo’s hand, the impact echoing through the empty gym.

“He hasn’t called.” I throw another punch. “He hasn’t texted.” I follow it with another. “He just goes on with his life as if nothing happened.”

Matteo absorbs the next hit and lowers the pad slightly.

“It’s been three days.”

“Exactly.” I fire off another combination. “Three days, Matteo.”

“That’s not exactly a lifetime.”

“It is when some giant idiot spends weeks showing up everywhere, making himself a problem, and then suddenly disappears.”

“Ah.”

I narrow my eyes. “Don’t ‘ah’ me.”

A stupid grin spreads across his face, and I already know whatever comes out of his mouth next is going to make me want to land a jab somewhere other than on the pad.

“You miss him.”

I knew it.

“No, I don’t.”

“Remi.”

“Matteo.”

“You absolutely miss him.”

I hit the pad again, harder this time.

“I’m annoyed.”

“Sure.”

“I’m irritated.”

“Definitely. I think you’ve bruised my palms.”

“I’m considering keying his truck.”

Matteo laughs. “Now we’re getting somewhere.”

I roll my eyes and yank off one glove with my teeth, then wipe the sweat from my forehead with the back of my hand. When I look up, Matteo wears that infuriating smirk.

The worst part is that I know he’s right, even though I refuse to admit it has anything to do with missing Thiago. I’m standing in a gym, ranting about a man who hasn’t called me, instead of doing literally anything else with my time, and that realization only annoys me more.

“Are you going to tell me what happened, or are you just going to keep taking it out on me?” Matteo asks as he lowers the pads again.

“He invited me to his precinct’s charity ball.”

Matteo stares at me, and I stare right back. When I don’t elaborate, his eyebrows lift as if he’s waiting for the part that explains why I’ve spent the past ten minutes trying to break his hands.

“And?” he finally asks.