Page 29 of Finding Redemption

Me: Miss you, kitten.

Those three little dots popped up immediately, but several minutes passed without a reply.Was she being shy, or was she still pissed?And what had I done to upset her?

Replaying our conversations over the past few days, I came up with nothing.I’d been so busy with work, and babysitting Luck in the evenings, that I hadn’t had much time to call or text her.Henry gave me a daily report on what she and Bella did throughout the day, so I knew she hadn’t done anything other than drop Bella off and pick her up after school.Her appointment wasn’t until Friday, and Bella’s karate class observation wasn’t until Thursday.

A possibility filtered through my head, but I quickly laughed it off.No way Brooke was pissed at me because we hadn’t talked more than a few minutes.I’d basically had to demand she pick up whenever I called.

Damn it.

Of course that was why she was pissed.My little kitten was so used to people letting her down, and that was exactly what I’d done without meaning to.

Groaning at my own stupidity, I hit connect as I walked into the back office at the gym.

“Hello?”

Her voice hit me like a wrecking ball every time, knocking the air from my lungs while simultaneously easing all the tension in my body.Dropping into the chair behind the desk, I leaned back my sweaty head and closed my eyes.“Good morning, kitten.How did you sleep?”

“Some jerk woke me up last night, and then I couldn’t fall back to sleep.”

“What you’re saying is you tossed and turned thinking about me all night,” I teased, hoping like a motherfucker that I was right.

“I didn’t say that!”I loved how offended she sounded.Put out.And guilty.Jesus, she was adorable.

“Not out loud,” I agreed, grinning at the ceiling.“But I’m reading between the lines.”

“Wow, I’m impressed,” she sassed, her tone dry.“I didn’t think you could read.”

Laughing in pure happiness at the insult, I rolled the chair closer to the desk.“I miss you and that smart mouth.”

“Annoying,” she muttered under her breath.

“Tell me you miss me too, kitten.”

“No.”

“Because you don’t miss me, or because you’re mad that you miss me so much?”I held my breath, waiting for her answer.

“I-I have to go.Bella—”

“Brooke,” I growled, cutting her off, no longer playing.This was too damn important.“Answer me.”

A long silence stretched between us, but I wasn’t hanging up until she told me what we both knew was the truth.

“I’m mad,” she whispered.“Because I miss you.”

Breathing out raggedly, I pounded my fist on the desk hard enough to make the computer and keyboard rattle as relief washed over me.“Good, baby.I want you to miss me.I fucking need it.”

“Paxton,” she sighed.“We shouldn’t.”

“All that matters is what we want, and what I want is you.”Hearing her sharp inhale made my cock pulse.“Tell me what you want, Brooke.”

“You.”

ChapterEighteen

Brooke

Henry was nearlyat Bella’s school when my phone buzzed with a new text.

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