Paxton's Promise Read Free Page B

body reacted to him like a dog in heat. What the fuck was wrong with me? I wanted to fight him, yet I yearned to submit to him.
    His voice broke through my inner monologue. “Are you not going to talk to me?”
    This time, I turned my attention to him. “I’m sorry, I was just thinking. Where exactly are we going? I didn’t realize you lived so far out.”
    His smile made me shiver. “I don’t, but I told you there was somewhere I wanted to take you. We’re almost there, and then afterward we’ll go to my place. I have a house in Manhattan Beach.”
    “Must be nice,” I mumbled to myself.
    I didn’t have the money like my brother and all of his friends did. He’d even paid for my schooling, which I’d always be forever grateful for. And now that my mother owned her own salon, she had a decent wage coming in.
    I’d won a few fights now, which brought in a decent amount of cash, but in order to get more, I had to fight. Being in the UFC, you never knew exactly when your fights would be. It was always last minute, which meant I needed to be ready. Taking the next six weeks off wouldn’t be doable if I had a fight, but I really felt like my body needed it.
    “I have a question,” I started. Paxton looked at me and lifted his brows. “Did you make more money fighting in the UFC, or when you were fighting illegally?”
    Sighing, he turned his attention back to the road. “Illegally. There were nights I’d bring in a hundred grand or more. Don’t get me wrong, it was fucking awesome, but I wouldn’t go back to it. It was a dark time in my past.”
    “What made you decide to get out?”
    His jaw clenched and his knuckles turned white on the steering wheel. “It’s not something I like to talk about.”
    I’d seen the brutality of the fights in the underground world. I watched a man get his arm sliced off by a sword for Christ’s sake. It was almost like watching a horror movie, yet real. If Paxton had to do shit like that it made me wonder what kind of man he was on the inside. He didn’t get the nickname Reaper for no reason. The thought made me shiver.
    “Are you cold?” He glanced down at my arms and trailed a finger up my bare skin making my skin break out in chills.
    Moving my arm, I rubbed the skin he touched, willing the bumps away. “No, I’m fine. I was just thinking about the nickname they gave you. I can only imagine what you had to do to earn that.”
    He pulled us into a parking lot and parked, turning his concerned gaze my way. “Does that scare you? Not knowing what I’ve done?”
    Did it scare me? Hell yeah . “Kind of,” I admitted truthfully. “Our actions make us who we are. You were friends with Kyle, so obviously you had to be okay with the bad shit he did to people, including my brother.”
    Jaw firm, he took a deep breath, his stare never wavering. “You know, I’m glad we’re talking about this because now you have no choice but to listen. I was only friends with Kyle for Kacey’s sake. And speaking of which, I’d like to know how you see her? She’s Kyle’s sister which obviously makes her bad too, right?”
    Actually, she wasn’t bad at all. I liked her. Paxton waited on my comeback but I didn’t have one. “Okay, you have a point,” I gave in. “We aren’t always like the friends we hang out with. But even if you weren’t one of Kyle’s friends, it still doesn’t change who you are. You’re just like the rest of the fighters. Any piece of ass that comes your way, you’re gonna want it. I’ve been around you guys for a long time now.”
    Paxton snorted and opened his door. “Well, I guess your brother is a real dick to his wife then. Why don’t you stop now, you’re not making any valid points.”
    Pursing my lips, I watched him get out of the car with a smug smile on his face. He got me and he knew it. What a pain in the ass. When I got out of the car, I slammed the door and looked around. I had no clue where we were. There were shopping centers all