Yield to Me
Page 11
After the bell, she helped Bowman to her feet, and they waited, breathless, for the judges’ decision.
Bowman on points.
“I’m sorry,” she muttered over the cheering crowd as Reid helped her out of the ring. “I messed up. I thought I had it, but she turned it around.”
He wrapped her in his arms and squeezed her tight. “You turned it around. Fucking brought a tear to my eye when you broke that submission. Next year, you’ll not only make the championships, you’ll be going pro. Guaranteed.”
* * *
She’d waited for him. Knew he was there.
Jax paused midstride when he caught sight of Marcy leaning against the ring in the near-empty arena. Her hair was loose, just dusting over her shoulders, and she wore a simple white sheath dress that hugged every curve of her lush body.
He had tortured himself for the last few weeks imagining his hands on the gentle curves of her hips, the soft swell of her breasts, the lush ass that had borne his marks when he’d walked away. What a fucking mistake.
Not only that, he’d been wrong about her. She was twice the fighter he was, and deep down, she’d believed in herself in a way he never had.
Swallowing hard, he closed the distance between them. “Good fight.”
“I lost.”
“Not to me. Not to Reid. Not to you.” He could hear the husky edge in his own voice. Raw. Broken. “You rocked that submission, Marcy. Nothing’s going to hold you back now. You’re going all the way.”
His heart hammered in his chest. He ached to hold her, but he could read her well enough to know he had to keep his distance.
“Reid said you stayed for me.” Her voice wavered, and a sliver of hope shot through his heart.
“At first, I thought I couldn’t coach you to fight the submission when it was the antithesis to what I love about you sexually. I couldn’t separate the personal and the professional, and I didn’t think you could, either.” He forced himself to hold her gaze although part of him wanted to look away from the accusation in her glittering eyes. “But when you walked away, I realized you were right about a lot of things. I didn’t know you, and I hadn’t made the effort to get to know you because I was afraid of getting more attached than I already was. But you knew yourself. You knew your strengths. You just needed to accept who you were. And so did I.”
She closed the distance between them and reached up to stroke his jaw, a light touch and one he couldn’t read. But he could feel her heat blazing a trail across his skin, and his throat tightened with need.
“You grovel well. I know that much about you.”
In that moment, he knew he would never be able to walk away again. With a soft laugh, Jax cupped her face between his hands and tilted her head back to meet his gaze. Her eyes were warm, accepting. Forgiving.
“I need you, Marcy. More than I need to protect myself from losing someone again. I want to see where this takes us. Seattle is a permanent move for me. The first time in ten years I’ve ever wanted to put down roots. Even if it doesn’t work out, you’ve given me the courage to put the past behind me.”
A smile tugged at the corner of her lips. “Why do you think it won’t work out?”
He pulled his cell phone from his pocket and tapped on the screen, then held it up for her to see. “Reid asked me to pass on a message. One of the fighters on the alternate list dropped out. Even though you lost the last two fights, your record is still better than Bowman’s, so you get her place. You’re going to the state championships, Marcy.”
Her breath caught in her throat, and she threw her arms around him. “I can’t believe it. I thought I’d have to wait another year.” And then she pulled back. “But why do you think it means things won’t work out between us?”
“’Cause I’m head coach now,” he said, his voice laced with amusement. “Means you train with me and Reid, and I won’t have it any other way. And when one of my fighters has the state championship within her grasp, I give it everything I’ve got. You’re gonna hate me by the time the championships roll around, but dammit, you’ll be good. I’m gonna be tough on you. I won’t hold back.”
“Inside the bedroom or out?” She pressed a kiss to his throat.
“Both.”
“I can hardly wait.”
THE END
Thanks for reading Yield to Me. I hope you enjoyed it! If you’d like to read more sexy MMA fighter romance, try the Redemption series:
Against the Ropes (Redemption #1)—Publishers Weekly Top Ten Pick for Romance & Erotica for Fall 2013, and #1 Erotic Romance Amazon Bestseller
In Your Corner (Redemption #2)—Publishers Weekly Best Summer Reads (Romance) 2014 & Starred Review
Full Contact (Redemption #3)—April 2015
If you’d like to read an excerpt from Against the Ropes, the first book in the Redemption series, please follow the link Excerpt.
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About the Author
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Sarah Castille worked and traveled abroad before trading her briefcase and stilettos for a handful of magic beans and a home near the Canadian Rockies. She writes contemporary and erotic romance and romantic suspense for Sourcebooks Casablanca, Samhain Publishing, and St. Martin’s Press. Her stories feature blazingly hot alpha heroes and the women who tame them.
Connect with Sarah
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Other books by Sarah
The Redemption Series (Erotic Romance)
Against the Ropes
In Your Corner
Full Contact (April 2015)
The Legal Heat Series (Erotic Romantic Suspense)
Legal Heat
Barely Undercover
Burnout (September 2014)
The Sinner’s Tribe Motorcycle Club Series (Contemporary Romance)
Rough Justice (February 2015)
The Club Excelsior Series (Erotic Romance)
Yield to Me
Hold to Me (coming soon)
Promise Me (coming soon)
The Invitation to Eden Series
Captive of Desire (November 2014)
Check out all 27 titles and 27 authors in the Invitation to Eden Series:
http://www.invitationtoeden.com/books/