Page 23 of Finding Redemption

“I will, I promise.”Still playing with her fingers, she looked up at me through her lashes.“But I had other reasons for not telling her about Luck.Not just because of her past with him.”

“Jesus,” I grumbled.“What the hell else did you do?”

“Nothing.I didn’t do anything, because I already knew how it would play out.”With a pleased smile, she stood.“Bella loves her.I knew she would be the perfect fit.For both of you.”

ChapterFourteen

Brooke

Closing the book,I climbed off the bed and tucked the covers around Bella.Week one as her nanny was over, and we were both exhausted.She gave me a sleepy smile as I brushed a curl off her forehead.

“I’m going to ask Daddy if I can take karate classes,” she announced, fighting a yawn.

“That’s something you can discuss over breakfast tomorrow.For now, you sleep.”Making sure she had her cup of water within reach, I stepped back.“Good night, Bella.”

“Night, Brooke.”I was almost to the door when I heard her whisper, “I hope you stay.I really want you to stay.”

I paused with my hand on the door, but I had tears in my eyes, so I didn’t dare turn around to face her.With the glow of her night-light, I wouldn’t be able to hide the glitter in my eyes.“Sleep, precious.”

Her small huff made me smile despite the tears still blinding me.She and I had fallen into an easy routine from the beginning.I found that I enjoyed being her nanny, mostly because it didn’t feel like what I was doing was work.Bella was easy to love because I’d opened my heart to her the day of her birthday party.A week of spending hour on top of hour together had only reinforced how much I cared for the little girl.

Sleep would have been the smart option after my shower, but I felt wired.Leaving my hair damp, I went down to the kitchen to make myself a cup of tea.A robe wasn’t something I owned, but I was wearing a baggy shirt that swallowed me and sleep pants that I had to roll up so I didn’t trip over all the extra material since they were obviously made for someone considerably taller than I was.

Thankfully, the cook wasn’t a grump about anyone using her kitchen.Verona was a nice older woman who didn’t mind if I made myself a cup of tea or a late-night snack.Meanwhile, the house manager, Julia, who was in charge of the rest of the house, was a total witch.Bella had told me to avoid her at all costs, and I’d figured out quickly why.Julia must have been a drill sergeant in a previous life.She never smiled and had a way of looking through a person that made you feel like you weren’t even in the room.

Mostly, we hadn’t interacted because I stuck close to Bella, who wouldn’t willingly go near Julia even if I bribed her with ice cream.Julia didn’t scare me, though.She might appear to be intimidating, but she was nothing like the headmistress at St.Andrew’s, so I didn’t have a problem with her.

While the kettle heated, I grabbed everything I needed, then opened the fridge.Bella got hungry in the middle of the night, so I’d started making sure to have a container of fresh fruit ready for her so she wouldn’t raid the pantry.After finding two bags of potato chips in her bed earlier in the week, I’d asked the cook not to buy so much junk food and focus more on fruits, veggies, and yogurt.

From the first day I’d worked there, I’d noticed that Paxton was kind of a health nut when it came to his diet, but he didn’t know anything about what his daughter ate.Apparently, that had been something the previous nannies had overseen.I hadn’t been happy learning that little nugget of information.

There might have been an argument.

And Paxton might have spent a few hours in his home gym working off how angry I’d made him after yelling.But I didn’t regret it.He could get upset all he wanted, but someone needed to make him more accountable where Bella was concerned.

After slicing the strawberries, I snapped the top onto the container and placed it on the shelf I’d labeled just for Bella.I had bottled water and smoothies lined up for her to reach easily.Closing the refrigerator door, I turned to take the kettle off the flame before it could whistle.

Mug in hand, I turned around just as the kitchen door opened, and I struggled not to swallow my tongue at the sight of Paxton in nothing but a pair of athletic shorts, leaving all of his ink on display.Holy mother above, he had so much beautiful ink, he hardly had an inch of free skin.Across his chest, down his arms, and even on his hands and fingers.His hair was soaked with sweat.Wiping his face with the towel hanging from his neck, he paused when he noticed me.My heart jackhammered against my ribs, making it seem like I’d been the one who had just come from a workout.His chest glistened, a bead of sweat trailing down his rock-hard eight-pack toward the sharply cut V exposed by his low-hanging shorts.

It should have been illegal to look that delicious after spending hours doing cardio.

“I thought you would be in bed by now,” he murmured.“Did Bella give you any trouble about going to sleep?”

I tightened my fingers around the handle of the mug to keep them from trembling, and I had to lower my lashes to force myself to look away from his lickable anatomy.I could have spent hours tracing every intricate piece of art on his body.He was a walking masterpiece.“She never gives me trouble.I came down for a cup of tea in hopes of helping me fall asleep.”

Sensing movement, I snapped my eyes open to find him only a few steps away.Concern pulled at his brow.“Are you feeling okay?Headache?”

“No, I’m fine,” I squeaked, and I quickly took a sip of the tea to give myself something to do before my gaze traveled back into dangerous territory.Being close enough to inhale the cedar and citrus scent of his body that not even the heavy coating of sweat on his skin could mask made me light-headed.And achy.So, so achy.It wasn’t anything new when it came to Paxton, but it got worse every day.

“You have a doctor’s appointment on Friday,” he reminded me, his body brushing against mine on his way to the fridge for a bottle of water.“Unfortunately, I’ll be out of town from tomorrow until Sunday night.But I want to know how the visit goes.”

I couldn’t stop myself from watching his throat work as he gulped down half the bottle of water.Wiping the back of his hand over his mouth, he glanced my way, and I ducked my head, blowing air over my tea to cool it before taking a sip so he didn’t think I was a perv.

“What exactly is it that you do?”I asked, wanting to linger a little longer in his company, when I knew the smart thing to do was to go to my room.“I mean, I know you used to be some big shot MMA fighter.Mr.Hall of Fame champion.”He smirked, and I leaned back against the island.At times, he drove me so crazy I wanted to smack him upside the head, but even then, I enjoyed being near him.“But you run a business now.With…him.”

I took another drink of my tea, avoiding his gaze when I mentioned my uncle.Neither of us had brought up Luck since I’d started working as Bella’s nanny, and I preferred it that way.But it was part of Paxton’s job, and I was curious.

“It started out as a random idea,” he said after a pause.“Open a gym exclusive to fighters.When I was competing, it was difficult to find somewhere to work out when I was on the road.As I moved up in rank, it got worse.Between the fans and the media, it became a nightmare.”

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