Craving The Player (Amateurs In Love Book 1)(58)
“Please tell me that we’re almost there,” she begs, sounding exasperated. The street lights move over the front seats every few seconds, granting me the pleasure of catching her shooting daggers in the side of Clayton’s head when he purposely drives over a deep pothole, causing all three of us to jostle around in our seats.
“Oh, please. I can list at least five girls who would love to be sitting where you are.” Clay clicks his tongue while strumming his hands against the steering wheel.
“Yeah, right,” she scoffs. “My mistake.”
“You don’t have to be jealous, gorgeous.”
“Fuck you.”
“You always could.”
“In your dreams, asshat.”
With a quiet sigh, I lean my cheek against the cold window and tune out their pointless bickering. My eyes slide shut, letting the darkness calm down my jittery nerves.
I’m not sure what to expect tonight. The only thing I expect is to see a completely different side of the laid-back, quick-tongued playboy that I’ve come to know. When he first told me that he boxes for a living, all I could think about was seeing him break Logan’s nose, and suddenly I couldn’t stop myself from asking to go watch him. I’m way more excited than I originally thought I would be to watch Braden in his element. Maybe if I had been spending more time getting to know what makes him him instead of just how he works his dick, I would have been able to realize he was a fighter to begin with.
The scar through his eyebrow and the fresh ones over his knuckles seem more important to me now, like pieces of the puzzle that I swept under the couch and forgot about. Even the way he walks—completely confident in himself and his ability to to drop anyone who so much as thinks of making a wrong move without breaking a sweat—screams fighter. I always assumed that it was just his ginormous ego that called to me, making my clit swell with need with the briefest flash of his smile. But maybe it was his strength and power instead. They both radiate from his broad shoulders like sound waves, calling to me at a frequency that has my head doing a doubt take, not grasping as to how this man has such easy control over me.
“We’re here,” Clayton grumbles. We come to a jolting stop as he slides the Jeep into park and whips open his door, walking into the dark. I look at Sophie, my eyes wide with surprise when he slams the door behind him.
What did I miss?
“Don’t ask. Let’s just go before he abandons us.”
I nod quickly and open my door. The noise hits me like a freight train as soon as I step outside. There’s no music playing, the noise comes solely from shouted voices, the clear aggression behind them taking me by surprise. I grab hold of Sophie’s hand and squeeze when she steps out and gasps.
“We’re going to die,” she groans, eying the bulky guys standing in front of the front door, chatting with Clayton. There’s a glowing red sign above the door that says, Rampage. “I pissed him off so badly that he wants to have us killed.”
“We’re not going to die.” I hope. “Come on.” I gather up my confidence and pull her towards the intimidating men. Great, for once I’m the one dragging us into the lion's den.
“About time!” Clayton yells when he notices us slowly creep up to him. “This is Roy.” He points to the taller but leaner of the two men and I get a grin of welcome from him before we’re moving onto the bulkier man. “And this is Brooks.”
Gulping, I force my lips to spread in a welcoming smile. “Nice to meet you. I’m Sierra.”
They both return my smile with more genuine ones. The shockingly handsome, much stronger looking one—Brooks, I think, offers me his hand. I’m taken aback by the strength of his grip when I place my hand in his, shaking it before dropping it back to my side. I eye him curiously, focusing on the familiar, thick bushy brows, prominent cupid’s bow and amber-coloured eyes that I could have sworn I’ve looked into quite a number of times. I nearly sputter an embarrassed laugh when he winks at me, informing me subtly that he caught on to my gawking.
“I’ve heard all about you, Sierra. The pleasure is all mine,” Brook’s says in a low rumble.
My cheeks burn as I grow confused. Heard all about me? From who? Clayton? I go to offer him a forced smile but he’s already moved on, slinging a massive arm around Clayton’s shoulders. Okay then.
“And I’m Sophie.” I hear from beside me, the voice suddenly entirely at ease. When I catch the slight flutter of her eyelashes as she stares up at Brooks, I know that it’s time to go.
“Hello, Sophie,” he chuckles, shaking her hand like he did mine.
“Should we go? I think we’re already late, Clayton.” I expel a heavy breath of relief when he turns to me, nodding. He says his quick goodbyes to the two men before pushing open the door and holding it for us.
“Come on, Soph.” I grab her hand again and yank her past Roy and Brooks, forcing her to follow Clayton inside. When we finally make the front doors, she turns to me, visibly annoyed.
“You’re such a pussy block, S.”
“I spotted a few grey hairs in that man bun. He’s way too old for you,” I reply with a sharp roll of my eyes. If it weren’t for her comforting me in this unfamiliar place I probably would have let her try and shoot her shot with the guy, but I’m too selfish for that right now.