Page 31 of Brooke's Bliss
He stood back and watched.It was a good thing he enjoyed ashow.
Chapter Five
Brooke came awake to the sound of a familiar voice.At first she was fairly certain she was dreaming.She’d almost definitelydreamed the whole of the night before since she wasn’t the girl who boldlywalked up to two men in a bar and invited them home with her.No.She wascareful and cautious.She always did the right thing.
So hearing Bay’s voice was certainly a dream because thatwould be a bad choice, and she didn’t make those.
Her brothers gave up way too much of their lives for her tomake poor choices.
“Hey, keep it down, kid.She’s asleep,” he was saying.
She was asleep, and the bed was strangely comfy.Way morecomfy than the mattress in her tiny bedroom in Manhattan.It was also warmer.Or it had been when she was dreaming about them, about them spanking her andfucking her and eating her pussy and sliding into bed beside her, despite thefact that it was tight up here.She’d dreamed that Shane had hit his head onthe ceiling, and she’d opened her eyes and watched that fine ass of his movingtoward the ladder.
“She’s my auntie and I came to see her, and she don’t haveno boyfriend,” another familiar voice said.
Nightmare.Nightmare.That was her niece.Paige was invadingher dreams.
Another shushing sound came from Bay.“Don’t wake her up.She had a long night.And I’m her friend.”
“No, you’re the one Daddy calls an asshole of epicproportions.I don’t know what that means but it’s bad.Papa says you’re justanother cowboy numbskull.Does that mean something’s wrong with your brain?Idon’t think my auntie is friends with people with bad brains.”
“Okay, that’s actually very ableist,” Bay said, obviouslyunder his breath.“And rude.Not everyone thinks the same way.Hey, what areyou doing?Oww.That’s my shin.”
Shit and balls.She sat straight up and realized last nightwas real and she had slept with two men her brothers hated, and at least one ofthem was still here.Why was he still here?And why was her stomach growling?Probably the smells coming from downstairs.She glanced at the clock, and itwas way later than she’d planned.She was having lunch with Gemma in a coupleof hours.The Kent brothers were supposed to slip out after she was asleep.
She peeked out of the tiny window, pushing back the blinds.The truck was gone.
Why was Bay here?
“You’re in my auntie’s house, and I don’t think you havepermission.I think you’re a serial killer and you’re here for her LuckyCharms,” Paige announced, and there was another grunting sound.
Brooke rolled out of bed and wrapped a fluffy robe aroundher body.“Paige.Sweetie, what are you doing here?”
She stopped at the top of the ladder.It was awkward how shehad to get down.Of course the only thing more awkward was the scene playingout in front of her.From her place in the loft she could see the living area.The place where they’d shed all their clothes and started the raucoussexscapadesfrom the night before.Shane had tossed thecondom wrappers on the ground, and if Paige found one, she would have a lot ofexplaining to do.
The living room was spotless with the exception of herclothes from the night before carefully folded and put on the table that satbeside the couch.
Paige was in full-on rage-killer mode, but it was okay sinceBay had figured out she was barely seven and could be held back with a singlehand.Bay had his big palm on her head, and Paige seemed to be trying to breakfree by running in place as fast as she could and flailing her arms.
Bay looked up, and the expression on his face would havemade her laugh if the situation wasn’t so dire.
Paige would totally talk.
She had to bribe her niece.Or blackmail her… What did shehave on Paige?
Brooke started to scramble down, praying the robe was longenough.Actually, it made her wonder where the fluffy robe had come from sinceit was explained to her that only Max and Rye ever slept out here.And yetshe’d found the pink robe when she’d stored her own clothes.
Max did have some sensitive skin.
She pushed it aside as she got to the floor and faced herniece.“Paige, stop trying to kick Bay in the shins.”
Her niece was heartbreakingly adorable, with golden brownhair and eyes that looked like her mother’s.The rage was kind of her momma’s,too.But that smile she gave Brooke when she stopped her running in place wasall her brothers’.“I already got him once, Auntie Brooke.My momma watcheslots of stuff aboutcerealkillers, and Iain’tallowed to watch those shows, but I can protect you.What kind do you have here?I like Lucky Charms.”
Bay’s head fell back, and he laughed and looked utterlydelicious standing in the too-small living room wearing nothing but his jeans.Also, the whole place smelled like bacon, and that did something for her, too.“I love this kid.She’s weird.”
“I am not.I am normal,” Paige declared.“Also, it’s okay tobe weird.Charlie and Zander are real weird, but they’re my best friends, and Iain’tgoing to listen to anyone talk bad about them.”
Brooke dropped down to her knees.She’d overheard thisdiscussion last night at dinner.Everyone was supposed to help improve Paige’sgrammar since she’d spent all of her formative years with cowboys.“How wouldMs.Leal feel about that sentence?”
