Romance: Her Fighter (9 page)

Chapter 12

Derrick grinned at me.

That in and of itself was rare.

“I don’t know what you did to this kid, but I’ll have to thank you,” he said.

I stared at him in shock. “What for?”

He shrugged, turning his attention away from me and back out to the mat where Ryan faced off with his opponent.

“For straightening his ass out.” He shook his head. “I’ve always known him to be a bit of an airhead, more worried about looking good rather than tackling this match. He can do it. He has the talent, no doubt about it. He’s fast and strong, but he’s never had the motivation before. I don’t know what’s going on between you two, but keep it up. It’s working. He’s more focused and he’s actually concentrating on what he’s doing rather than just going through the motions.”

It was the longest speech I’d ever heard from the trainer, and I didn’t doubt it was one of the few I’d ever hear.

I had no reply to it though.

Ryan and I were still on rocky terms with each other.

I didn’t trust Patricia, who seemed glued to his side during the match.

However, I did notice that beyond a kiss on his cheek and a hand on his chest, he and Patricia kept their distance from one another.

As Ryan had told me, it was all an act for the sponsors and the potential new fighters for the gym.

She was merely playing a part.

There was no chemistry between them, no love apparent in the way they stood together.

That was something I hadn’t known the first time I’d seen them together.

Then again, I hadn’t been looking for it either.

Whose fault was that?

Mine.

All mine.

Ryan moved in a flash of skin and clothing, too fast for me to see, and the next thing I knew, his opponent was flat on the mat.

Beside me, Derrick pumped his fist in the air and the crowd cheered.

“What happened?” I asked Derrick, still uncertain what was going on around me.

I was only here because Ryan had asked me.

I didn’t even understand the dynamics of what was happening.

Ryan jumped out of the quickly gathering crowd and found me.

“What happened?” I asked Ryan.

“Well, baby,” Ryan said, walking straight up to me. “I just won.”

There was a wicked grin on his face as he pulled me into his arms and kissed me.

I answered his kiss.

What girl could resist a man like him anyway?

I certainly couldn’t, but at that moment, I didn’t want to.

Not in my lifetime at least.

The End

Also by Penny Ward

Romance: The Billionaire’s Pleasure

Romance: Hired

Romance: Stepbrother Lust

Romance: Owned

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