Damaged and the Beast (Damaged #1)

Rolling his eyes, Cooper sighed. “You’re so frigid. That’s not healthy, you know?”


“Says who?” I asked, hitching my backpack tighter before walking towards my apartment.

“A very important doctor somewhere,” Cooper said, following me. “Hell, I think there were studies that said fucking was good for your heart.”

“Laughing is good for your heart too and there are no downsides to it. I think I’d rather watch a comedy.”

“Fair enough, but you’re missing out.”

“Uh-huh. If you think you can get more attention from another girl, feel free to take off. Night’s still young.”

“No, I like where I’m at.”

Certain he was checking out my butt, I spun around and glared at him. Cooper only smiled.

“Like I could see anything with those pants on,” he said, shaking his head. “I’m not kidding either. Your ass could have fallen off on the ride over and I wouldn’t be able to tell.”

Staring up at Cooper, I soothed out the grumpy from my face and gave him my best Thumper eyes.

“You’re so charming, Coop the Poop,” I said in my sexy voice.

“I like when you do that with your eyes,” he said, ignoring the rest. “The voice is hot too.”

Turning around, I continued towards the apartment.

“You’re welcome for the compliments, Farah. Please, stop thanking me. You’re embarrassing yourself.”

Sighing loudly, I realized I was screwed. Possibly in the literal sense because the lights were off in the apartment. Amy wasn’t home and there would be no parental referee to keep Cooper from taking his charming compliments to fucking me in my brand new used bed.

“I don’t think your mom is home,” Cooper said as I unlocked the door.

“She likes to sleep in absolute darkness and silence. You should go.”

“Bullshit,” he said, pushing past me and finding a light. Once he lit up the room, Cooper flopped on the ugly brown couch. “Let’s order a pizza.”

“You just ate.”

“I burned a lot of calories beating the shit out of those guys.”

Standing over him, I crossed my arms and frowned. I couldn’t think of a gentle way to tell him to go eat pizza at his own place.

“I don’t have money for pizza. I don’t know the number of a place. I need to take a shower.”

Cooper glanced up at me and scowled. “Like I was going to make you pay. Take your shower and I’ll get the pizza. Anything you don’t like on it?”

“No.”

“Anything you do like on it?”

“No.”

Cooper sighed loudly like I was pissing him off. Taking my backpack into my room, I imagined him on the couch when Amy came home. I had no idea how that would play out.

After collecting suitable clothes for after my shower, I stopped in the living room and found Cooper watching bowling.

“You have shit for cable,” he said, without looking at me.

“Could I please have ham on the pizza?”

Cooper glanced up at me with a soft expression. “You really like the other white meat, don’t you, baby?”

Smiling, I nodded. “I’m going to clean up. If my mom comes home, please be gentle with her. She gets jumpy around new people.”

“Best behavior.”

Leaving Cooper to watch the crappy cable, I hid in the bathroom, locked the door, wished I could barricade it, and peeled off my work uniform. The hot water eased away a long day. After emerging from the shower looking like a drowned rat, I was ready for bed. The idea of pizza and whatever Cooper wanted didn’t sound appealing, but I couldn’t think of how to get him to leave.

After brushing my teeth, I stared in the mirror. Now looking like a sleepy drowned rat, I hoped he wouldn’t stay long. In the living room, Cooper messed with his phone, but looked up when I entered. While I considered sitting as far from him as possible, I couldn’t help admiring his full lips pursed in thought and how his dark eyes watched me. I also noticed how his muscles flexed while he shoved the phone into his pocket. Yet, he was a scary jerk who only wanted to add me to his list of hang and bang girls.

Even knowing all of that, I thought he was so beautiful. He actually looked warm and safe. Even my sleepy mind knew I was lying to myself, but I sat on the couch a few spots over from him.

“Thanks for the ride home.”

Cooper leaned back a little then reached out and tugged at my size too large pink Minnie Mouse sweatshirt.

“You really wanted to put an exclamation mark on the no sex thing, huh?”

Balking, I smacked his hand. “Screw you. This is my sexiest outfit. It’s frigging Minnie Mouse, Cooper. The chick exudes sex.”

Grinning wider now, he played with my hair. “You can’t know what I think about you.”

“What does that mean? You’re so mysterious that a mere mortal like me can’t fathom your giant brain?”

“Sums it up pretty well,” he said, twirling my hair around his fingers. “You get feisty after a shower. I’ll have to remember that.”