Page 28 of Finding Redemption

She nodded.“Best friends.”

ChapterSeventeen

Paxton

Good music pulsedthrough the club.My glass was constantly being refilled with my favorite scotch.Half-naked women were all around me.And I was bored out of my fucking mind.Partying had been fun when I was in my twenties.I’d even tolerated it fairly well in my thirties.Now I was halfway through my forties and tired of the whole club scene.

I didn’t want to be there, and I seriously didn’t want to be babysitting Luck, who was the only reason I had even agreed to go out for the evening.We’d had dinner with the current MMA champion and a few members of his team, and before I’d realized what my friend was doing, he’d committed us to going with the others to the club.

Thankfully, I’d talked to Bella earlier in the evening.By now, she should already be tucked into bed.And I should have been back at the hotel, talking to Brooke.

Fuck, what I should have been doing was climbing into bed with Brooke at home.I’d take that any day of the year over having to spend time with people I didn’t even like to begin with.

Gritting my teeth, I tossed back the contents of my glass.A blonde clad in a dress that barely contained her tits and ass leaned over my arm with a giggle to pour me a refill.I jerked back when she pressed her rack into my arm.“Get the fuck off,” I snarled, but she was either too stupid or too drunk to realize I meant it.She dipped her head, trying to kiss me, and I shoved her off the arm of the chair where I was sitting.

Luck blinked over at me, his green eyes looking owlish, while everyone around us laughed like hyenas.Someone helped the blonde up off the floor.She was still giggling, not even embarrassed.I bet she didn’t even realize I’d pushed her off me.Taking a seat on the champ’s lap, she tipped the bottle to his lips.Idiot.He had a fight in three days.Instead of getting wasted, he should have been in bed, resting to keep his body in fighting condition for the event Saturday night.

Annoyed, I got to my feet and grabbed Luck at the elbow.“We’re done.”

Surprisingly, he stood without arguing.Even in his drunken state, he realized how close to blowing I was.Not that my anger would sober him up.He hadn’t been clearheaded since Bella’s party, and I was getting damn tired of his bullshit.If he wanted to make things up to Brooke, he had to straighten his shit out.

Our driver was already waiting when we stepped out of the club.I barely noticed the flashing lights of the paparazzi over the glaring neon signs from the casinos all around the club.I shoved Luck into the back of the car before climbing in after him.

“You’ve been in a pissy mood all evening,” he grumbled, rubbing his hands over his face.“You need to get laid.Whatever penance you think you owe, seven years without getting your dick wet has paid it.”

Ignoring him, I fished my phone from my pocket.Brooke would already be in bed, but would she be asleep?“Fuck it,” I muttered, hitting connect on her name.

It rang three times before I was treated to a sleepy little, “Hello?”

All my muscles relaxed at the sound of her voice.“Did you have your tea before bed?”

There was a long pause on her end, and I heard her shifting around.I leaned my head back, closing my eyes as I pictured her in bed wearing that ridiculously huge shirt.It shouldn’t have been sexy, but just the memory of her standing in the kitchen with her mug of tea, dressed in her pajamas that swallowed her whole, got me harder than the half-naked blonde back in the club.

Brooke didn’t even realize how beautiful she was, but all she had to do was walk into a room and I was ready to sink balls deep into her.

“I’m fairly sure you didn’t call to ask about tea,” she muttered.

Hearing the pout in her voice made me grin.“Ah, my kitten is angry with me.I’ll have to bring her home something shiny to make up for whatever I’ve done.”

“Don’t you dare bring me something shiny!”she exclaimed.

“I’ll bring you whatever I want.”Anyone else would have already told me what diamonds they wanted.She was going to give me so much hell when I brought home an entire jewelry store just to make her wrinkle her nose at me.

“You woke me up to annoy me, didn’t you?”Her huff made me laugh.Fuck, I missed her.“Ugh, I’m going back to sleep.”

“Were you dreaming of me?”Her silence had me adjusting myself.“You were.”

“Goodnight, Paxton.”

“Goodnight, kitten.”I waited until she hung up before lowering the phone.

Beside me, Luck had already fallen asleep, having missed the short conversation I’d had with his niece.I’d forgotten that he was even there while I was talking to Brooke.He would have given me hell if he’d heard me talking to her.He was all kind of fucked up over what had happened with her in the past, and I knew he wasn’t going to be happy when he figured out what was going on with us, but there was nothing he could do to stop me from going after what I wanted.

He hadn’t taken care of her when she’d needed someone the most, so if he didn’t like me with her, he could fuck off.

I wasn’t giving her up for him or anyone else.

Sleep eluded me all night, but I got up and went to the gym for a hard workout bright and early.I had set an alarm for when I knew Brooke would wake up and sent her a text as soon as it went off.All night, I’d had to stop myself from calling her again, so I thought I should win points for being so considerate by letting her sleep.

---