“He handed me the phone and ran off to his room to play.”
“Not the greatest messenger.”
“Not at all,” I laughed.
“One sec, baby.” I could tell he pulled the phone away from his mouth, but I could still hear him. A few people congratulated him, and I could hear the pride in his voice as he thanked them.
“Sorry.”
I sighed. “You’re okay. You are a superstar ninja after all.”
“Only you would say that.”
“I’m proud of you, Roman.” I was. I was so damn proud of him. The past two weeks all he did was a train, work, train, spend the night with Sam and me, and then do it all over again the next day.
“Dammit, Sage.”
“What?” I laughed.
“You can’t say shit like that when I’m in a crowd trying to act like a badass ninja.”
What a weirdo. “Well then, I’ll let you go, and you can call me later so I can tell you how amazing I think you are.”
“That’s a promise, baby. Don’t forget seven o’clock.”
“We’ll be watching.” I disconnected the call and tossed my phone on the coffee table.
Sam came running down the hallway with his karate gi on and his belt trailing behind him. “Mama, Ro is going to be on TV. Can you get my belt on me?”
He tossed it to me and held his arms out in front of him. “Um, can I ask why you need to have your uniform on?”
“Because you can’t watch karate in jeans.”
I laughed and looped the belt around him. Thank God for the little kids. They had the belts pre-tied, and all I had to do was velcro it together. “You know Roman can’t see you, right bud?”
“He can if you take a picture and send it to him.” He grabbed my phone and handed it to me.
I opened the camera and motioned for him to step back. “No, Mama. One of all of us?”
“All of us?” I asked.
“You, me, and the baby.”
And my heart melted.
He climbed into my lap, sat on the side, and pasted a big smile on his face. “Take the picture, Mama.”
I fought back the tears that were clogging my throat and held up the camera. Sam gave a thumbs up with one hand and pointed to my tummy with the other.
“Cheese!” he sang.
I snapped the picture.
“Now do funny faces. Ro and I do those all the time on his phone.”
I snapped three more pictures of us laughing, looking downright goofy.
“Now send them, and say we love you.”
“How about I just send them?”
Sam shook his head. “No. I love Ro. He’s funny, a ninja, and I want him to be my daddy.”
I was speechless. I knew Sam was getting attached to Roman. “Sam, don’t you think you would rather tell Roman that in person?” And leave me out of it?
“Don’t you love Ro, mama?”
I grimaced. “Um, well, you see. I, uh…” Shit. I did. Dammit, I totally did. But I had never told Roman. Whenever the words were on the tip of my tongue, I second-guessed them and was afraid that they would make him run.
“It’s not a hard question, Mama.”
From the mouths of babes. It really wasn’t a hard question. You either loved someone, or you didn’t. “I guess you’re right, Sam.”
‘So, do you love him?”
When did my four-year-old become my relationship counselor? “Uh, yeah.” Whoa.
“Send the pictures, tell him we love him, and then it’s karate time!” Sam thrust his fist in the air and leaped off of the couch.
I opened my text messages, and my finger hovered over the keyboard. Do you love him? Such an easy question, but the answer was so complicated.
“Send it, Mama.”
It was like the kid could tell I was terrified out of my mind. I quickly typed it out, attached my two favorite photos we took, and hit send.
I had just told Roman Yeck I loved him.
*
Roman
My phone buzzed in my hand, and I looked at the screen to see Sage had texted me.
I had just sat down in the hotel restaurant with a couple of the other competitors to grab a quick bite to eat before the night show.
My finger pressed the message icon and clicked on Sage’s name.
A picture of her and Sam sitting on the couch popped up, and I couldn’t help but smile. Sam was pointing at Sage’s baby bump with a surprised look on his face while Sage laughed. The words on top made my heart stop.
We love you.
“What’s got you smiling like an idiot, Yeck?” Marcus Reins asked.
I glanced up. “My family.”
*
Chapter 21
Sage
“Say it.”
“I love you.”
“Say it again.”
I rolled my eyes. “I love you.”
“Pretty sure I’ll never get sick of hearing that, baby.”
“You have me keep saying it, I’m going to get sick of saying it.”
Roman stretched out on the couch and turned on the TV. We had just put Sam to bed and decided to watch a movie before heading to bed.
“I think it’s your turn to say it now.” I crouched in front of the shelf loaded full of movies. We were going to watch a chick flick if he kept making me repeat I loved him.
“You can’t force it.”
My jaw dropped. Force it? The man had made me repeat it at least ten times in the last hour. Roman Yeck’s cocky side was coming out. “You’re an ass.”
“Buuut, ya love me.”
I was gonna kick his ass. He may be tall, strong, and a ninja, but I could totally take him if he kept egging me on. I grabbed Pretty Woman and pulled the disc out. “I do, and because of that, I’m going to make you watch Pretty Woman.”
“What? That’s not love, it’s torture,” he protested.
I shrugged and put the disc in. “Deal with it.”
Roman shot up from the couch and scooped me up into his arms. “I love you, Sage. Now please take that movie out.”
A laugh bubbled from my lips, and I wrapped my arms around his neck. “What are you going to do for me?”
“Anything you want.”
I hummed and pointed to the kitchen. “Dishes. For the rest of your life.”
“Damn, woman. You trying to lock me down forever as your personal dishwasher.”
“A girl’s gotta do what a girls gotta do. In case you forgot, I am creating your baby as we speak.”
His eyes dropped to my stomach. “Hard to forget when I see your sexy ass naked every night.”
I tilted my head. “I know that’s a compliment, but my pregnancy brain is struggling to not be offended.”
“Then I guess I better distract whatever crazy thoughts you have brewing in that head of yours.” He stalked down the hallway to my bedroom and kicked open the door.
He tossed me on the bed and pulled his shirt over his head while I struggled to not tip over. My center of gravity was changing, but I’m pretty sure it was because I was a klutz.
“This isn’t going to work, Roman.” He unzipped his pants and dropped them to the floor. Okay, that might work a little bit. “We seriously need to get you some underwear.”
He shook his head and put one knee on the couch. “Stop talking, Sage.”
I gulped and zipped my lips.
He distracted me.
We never watched the movie, and I was totally okay with that.
*
Chapter 22
Sage
“Ladies and gentlemen, please turn off all electronics and make sure your seatbacks and trays are upright. We are next in line for takeoff.”
I looked over at Roman and smiled. Well, I tried to.
“In hindsight, you should probably let someone know you’re terrified of flying when they hand you a plane ticket.”
“Not terrified, just very much aware of the fact of how high in the air we are.” I glanced ou
t the window as the landscape outside started to speed by. “Very aware,” I gulped.
He laced his fingers through mine and closed the shade on the window. “Looks like I’ll be distracting you the whole way to Vegas.”
My jaw dropped, and I looked around. We had our own row to ourselves thanks to Roman getting first class, but there were still two people across the aisle. “We can’t do that here,” I hissed. I had heard of the Mile-High Club, but I didn’t feel like joining it when I was almost four months pregnant.
Roman rolled his eyes and reached for his bag between his feet. “That is totally doable, but,” he opened his bag and pulled out a deck of cards and two crossword puzzle books. “This was what I actually had in mind. But if you’re interested in joining the Mile-High Club, we can totally make that happen.”
I grabbed one of the books from his hand and shook my head. “I think this will do just fine.” I held out my hand, and he slapped a pen in it.
“You are no fun.”
I shrugged and sat back in my seat. “You’re the one who brought them.”
The force of the plane taking off the ground jostled the cabin, and I reached out to hold his hand. “Shut it, Roman,” I mumbled as he laced his fingers through mine.
A smug smile spread across his lips. “Not saying a word, baby.”
I sighed heavily, and he squeezed my hand. “Next time, we drive.”
*
Roman
I was fine with that because, as long as there was a next time, I didn’t care how we got there as long as Sage was with me.
*
Chapter 23
Sage
“It’s not a dumb question.”
Roman put his arm around my shoulders and steered us onto the elevator. “It wasn’t really the question but the fact you called Marcus a ninja. To his face.”
“Look, I say it all the time, and it just came out. I mean, come on, you guys are ninjas.”
It was our second day in Vegas, and we had just had dinner with some of Roman’s friends. The tournament was due to start tomorrow, and the whole hotel was buzzing with excitement.
Roman swiped the room key and pushed open the door.
Did I mention that we were staying on the top floor in a suite?
Roman said SKW didn’t spare any expenses when it came to their spokespeople. I dropped my purse on the counter and kicked off my shoes. My feet sunk into the lush carpet, and I had to agree. “I need this carpet permanently in my life.”
Roman pressed a kiss to the side of my head and grabbed his workout bag. “You sure you’re okay with me working out for a few hours?”
I shrugged. “We’re here for you, Roman. Do whatever you normally do.” I didn’t want to distract him or keep him from being the best he could be.
“Marcus and a few of the guys managed to grab one of the rooms downstairs.”
I lifted my hair from my neck and smiled. “I know, sexy. I was there.”
He dropped his bag on the bed and wrapped his arms around me. “I feel like an ass leaving you when this is supposed to be your Christmas present.”
I rolled my eyes and hitched my thumb over my shoulder. “Letting me soak in that tub for an hour with no interruptions will make it up times ten over.”
“You and your baths,” he laughed.
I stepped back and opened the door. “Go get all sweaty, and then come back to clean up in the tub with me.”
He grabbed his bo and hitched his bag over his shoulder. “Now that’s the type of motivation I need to work my ass off and hurry up to get back up here.” He pressed a kiss to my lips and smiled. “I won’t be more than two hours. Call me if you need anything.”
“Cake. And potato chips.”
He nodded his head.
“And whatever else I text you in ten minutes.” Hey, I was pregnant. I was providing for the baby.
“Whatever you want, baby.” He headed down the hallway, and I shut the door.
I had a date with that big ass Jacuzzi.
*
Roman
“Can I just say, seeing Roman Fucking Yeck house trained and not having ten women chasing behind him was insane.”
I slid my bo into its case and hitched my workout bag over my shoulder. “Yeah, and seeing you doing the same damn thing you were doing five years ago is pretty sad.”
“And what’s that? Having fun?”
I shook my head. “Nah, coming in second to me.”
The guys groaned and laughed.
“Yeah, yeah. We’ll see tomorrow who comes in second. You’re still pretty rusty from taking a year off.”
That was shit. I was in the best shape of my life. I was faster and stronger than I had ever been. I was working my ass off, and it was starting to pay off. I planned on sweeping all the divisions I was competing in this weekend.
“I don’t know, man. When a man has his woman in his corner, he can’t afford to lose.” Byron Frank slapped me on the shoulder. “Although that doesn’t mean I’m not going to try my hardest to beat your ass tomorrow.”
“We’re headed to the bar for a couple of drinks. You up for it?” Marcus asked.
“Got better plans.” They both nodded their heads, knowing I was right.
I made it back to the room, slid my card, and opened the door. “You got that tub hot for me?” I called. I rested my bo case against the wall and dropped my bag next to the fridge. “Sage?” I walked into the room and stopped in my tracks.
Sage was lying on the bed, a towel wrapped around her naked body. Every man’s dream, except she was out cold. She was snoring lightly, lying on her side with her hands tucked under her head.
She was like a seductive angel sent from Heaven to tempt me, but she fell asleep before I got back.
I kicked off my shoes, took a shower, and got ready for bed.
She curled into my arms when I moved her, and her eyes fluttered open. “Oh, crap.”
I laughed and reached to pull back the covers. She wrapped her arms around my neck and rested her head on my shoulder. “I had this plan of being in the tub when you got back, but then I got tired. I was afraid I was going to fall asleep in the tub, so I altered my plan and decided to be in bed laying all sexy.”
I chuckled and laid her in the middle of the bed.
“But I fell asleep trying to figure out the best way to lay.”
“You looked sexy when I walked in, baby. Mission accomplished.”
She smothered a yawn with the back of her hand and laid her head on the pillows. “I probably had my mouth wide open, drooling.”
I turned off the lights and slid into bed next to her. “I didn’t notice.”
She turned to me and laid her head on my shoulder. “How was your workout practice thing?” She smothered another yawn, and I knew I had maybe two minutes before she fell back asleep.
“Good. The other guys are looking good, but I think I got this one in the bag as long as I can hold onto my bo.”
“You got this,” she mumbled. “This baby is sucking all of my energy right now,” she mumbled.
“Sleep. We’ve got a big day tomorrow.”
“But it’s only eight-thirty.”
I brushed her hair from her face and pressed a kiss to her cheek. “But back home it’s ten-thirty.”
“Damn time zones,” she grumbled. “Sam called while you were gone.”
“What did he have to say?”
Sage laughed and burrowed further under the covers. “He misses us and says you better win tomorrow.”
“Little dude should be my trainer. He’s tough as hell.” Sam had told me before we left I better come home with a big ole trophy to add to the other one that was in his room from Chicago.
“He thinks winning those grand champion trophies are a piece of cake.”
“For you, it is,” she whispered. “So tired.”
“Sleep, baby. I can ravage you tomorrow night.”
“Now that sounds like a plan.” She closed her eyes and snug
gled close. “Love you, ninja man.”
I chuckled and rested my head on top of her head. “Love you, crazy girl.”
She fell asleep in my arms within seconds, and I reached for the remote.
After watching two hours of TV, I finally fell asleep. Tomorrow was going to be a big day.
*
Chapter 24
Sage
We were walking through a sea of people, and it was like everyone knew Roman.
“Great job.”
“Good to see you back.”
“Can I have your autograph?”
“How about a picture?”
Roman was like a karate rock star.
“Hey, Roman.” We both looked to our right, and all I saw was boobs. Round, perky, perfect boobs about to spill out a white shirt that had the letters SKW scrawled out across it. “I’m Lauren Radcliffe. I’m with SKW.”
“Nice to meet you.” He shook her hand and turned to me. “This is Sage.”
Her gaze traveled over my body, and a smug smile spread across her lips. “Nice to meet you. I wasn’t aware Roman was seeing someone.”
Yeah, I was just someone. I did not like this woman. She was fake from head to toe, and it seemed she couldn’t take her eyes off Roman for more than ten seconds. “Hello,” I murmured when I shook her hand.
“Congratulations on three first-place finishes today. You’re making SKW very proud today.”
Roman blushed. “Um, thanks. I’m just doing what they’re paying me to do.”
“Well, keep up the good work, and I’ll see you in Miami next month.” She faded into the crowd, but not before she looked over her shoulder at Roman, and I had the urge to wring the woman’s neck.
“She seemed…nice.” Not.
“I suppose.”
We continued to move through the crowd toward the doors, and Roman held it open for me.
“Have you met her before?”
Roman looked down at me and shook his head. “No. In Chicago, there was a guy I met.”
“That’s interesting.”
“Not really. SKW has a representative at every tournament.”
Black Belt Knockout (Powerhouse M.A. Book 4) Page 14