7 Days and 7 Nights by Wendy Wax Page A

do on your show while I listen real carefully? Maybe we’ll get lucky.”
    â€œ
Touché
.” He moved beside her and raised her gloves. “Okay. First you’re going to jab with your right hand, but you want to keep your left up where it is in a defensive position.”
    Olivia put her right arm out and connected with the bag.
    â€œNot bad. But you need to do it like you mean it. A real quick extension and a hard jab before you pull back.”
    She jabbed harder, making solid contact with the picture of his face.
    â€œOuch. Very impressive.”
    She smiled and took a bow.
    â€œOkay, champ. Why don’t you try that with your left, now? Take it across your body at an angle, like this,” he pulled her glove forward, “and jab hard.”
    Olivia followed his instructions and clipped the side of his caricature’s face.
    He knew he should move around behind her to better help guide her punches, but was reluctant to get too close to the delicious backside. It would be a hell of a lot easier to use his body to unsettle her if his own weren’t so eager to take the bit in its teeth.
    Matt stayed where he was as she began to dance around on the balls of her feet. Something about the way she held her body gave him the sense that she’d done this before.
    â€œHow’s this?” She jabbed harder, pummeling the bag with both gloves, working into a barrage of blows. Right after left, then two quick lefts and another right.
    â€œI feel like the crotchety old trainer in
Rocky
.” He hummed the movie’s theme music as he directed her attack on the bag and earned an unguarded flash of white teeth.
    Her arms were tanned and gently muscled, and her full breasts bobbled beneath the sleeveless T-shirt that had come untucked at the waist. He liked watching her body move. Whether pacing or punching, she had a natural grace that drew his eye and definitely held his attention.
    Matt stepped in closer and crouched over a bit, intrigued by the rotation of her hips as she moved from foot to foot. Her belly was flat, and there was an occasional flash of smooth skin as her T-shirt rose with her movements. The way she bobbed and weaved struck a chord in the back of his mind.
    â€œThat’s it. Now you’re cooking.”
    He forgot both his plans and her flying fists as her hair came loose from its clip and swirled seductively around her shoulders. In fact, he was at exactly breast height and getting quite a jiggly eyeful when he saw her body start to whip around and heard the beginning of her breathless warning.
    â€œMatt, watch out for—”
    And then he heard nothing but the resounding thud of her foot connecting with the side of his jaw, followed by the slap of his body hitting the floor.
    And then there was silence, followed by a merciful layer of dark.

10
    None of your publicity mentions a former career as an assassin.” Matt lay flat on the floor where Olivia’s kick had sent him.
    â€œAre you all right?”
    He turned his head toward her and slowly opened his eyes. “What in the hell did you hit me with?”
    â€œTry not to talk.” Olivia squatted down next to him and pressed a dishtowel stuffed with ice against his jaw.
    Pushing her hand away, Matt pulled himself into a sitting position and ran a hand tentatively along the side of his jaw. When it reached the big tender spot, he winced.
    â€œJesus, Olivia. What happened?”
    â€œHere. Hold this on it.” She placed the makeshift ice pack in his hand and directed it toward his face, noting the grimace when cold met throbbing skin. “It was a spinning hook kick. I didn’t see you bend over.”
    â€œYou’re a kickboxer?”
    â€œWell, I’m not a professional or anything.” She put a hand out to stop him when he started to remove the ice. “Keep the cold pack on it, Matt. You’re going to have a big-time bruise as it is.”
    She stood and took a