Aria’s brows drew together as she glanced between my hand on her knee and my face. Did she enjoy the touch? “The morning after our wedding night, you asked me if I knew how to fight, so maybe you can teach me how to use a knife or a gun, and maybe some self-defense,” she said.
That wasn’t what I’d expected. Shopping or something like that, yes, but fighting?
“Thinking about using them against me?”
Aria rolled her eyes. “As if I could ever beat you in a fair fight.”
“I don’t fight fair,” I teased.
“So will you teach me?”
“I want to teach you a lot of things,” I murmured as I cupped her knee.
“Luca, I’m serious. I know I have Romero and you, but I want to be able to defend myself if something happens. You said it yourself: the Bratva won’t care that I’m a woman.”
Aria didn’t know the Bratva. Even if she could defend herself, these fuckers would still be able to hurt her, if they ever got close. “Okay. We have a gym where we work out and do train. We could go there.”
Aria smiled widely and hopped off the stool. “I’ll grab my workout clothes.”
I hadn’t expected her to be this excited about the prospect of fighting.The second Aria and I entered the Famiglia gym, every man in the room stopped what they’d been doing to stare at my wife. A glower from me quickly made them look away.
“Our changing rooms are men only. We don’t usually have female visitors.”
Aria grinned. “I know you’ll make sure nobody sees me naked.”
“You bet I will.” Not that any of my men would dare to look at her. They knew I’d crush them if they did.
Aria laughed, looking happy.
I led her toward the changing room. “Let me check if someone’s in there,” I said. The only dick Aria was going to see would be mine. I pushed inside. Three men were in different stages of undress. They turned to me and gave respectful nods.
“I’m here with my wife, and she needs to get changed,” I said, giving them a cold smile.
They exchanged surprised looks then quickly put on their gym clothes. After they’d left, I led Aria inside.
Her face pulled into a grimace at the stench.
Such a girl. “We’re not catering to sensitive female noses,” I said with a smirk.
Aria tugged her bag out of my hand and headed for one of the lockers. I followed close behind, then dropped my own bag on a bench.
Aria grabbed the hem of her shirt, then stopped. “Aren’t you going to give me some privacy?”
Was she being serious? I opened my gun holster and put it down, then pulled my shirt over my head.
Aria’s eyes took in my upper body, indignation flashing in her eyes.
She turned her back to me before she pulled her t-shirt over her head. Aria reached for her bra, but I beat her to it and unhooked the clasp with one finger, brushing her skin. I wanted nothing more than to turn her around and kiss her, but I took a step back and changed into my gym shorts all the while watching in rapt attention as Aria pushed down her pants. Two perfect ass cheeks came into view. She was wearing a fucking thong and then she pulled that down as well before she bent down to pick up her shorts and the sight almost undid me. Didn’t she realize what kind of view she just gave me? I exhaled. The small glimpse of her pussy sent blood into my cock.
I was almost relieved when she got dressed in tiny running shorts. When Aria turned around to face me, her eyes darted to the bulge in my pants and her eyebrows skyrocketed as her cheeks turned red once more.
“That’s what you’re wearing for self-defense lessons?” The shorts barely covered her upper thighs and were skin-tight, as was her tank top.
“I don’t have anything else. This is what I wear when I go jogging.”
“You realize I’ll have to kick every guy’s ass who looks at you the wrong way, right? And looking like that, my men will have a hard time not looking at you the wrong way.”
“It’s not my job to make them control themselves. Just because I’m wearing revealing clothes doesn’t mean I’m inviting them to look. If they can’t behave themselves, that’s their problem.”
Oh, they would behave themselves…
I nodded toward the door and led Aria outside, my hand in the small of her back. A few men looked up, then quickly down. I steered Aria toward the sparring mats, which two soldiers vacated with respectful nods the moment we approached. From the array of knives hanging at the wall, I picked one that was good for beginners and not too heavy, then held it out to Aria who took it with a look of confusion.