Damaged and the Beast (Damaged #1)

Staring down at me, Cooper frowned. “I’m not planning to mess with your pills.”


Smiling big, I bumped him with my hip. “Well, duh. If you won’t remember my name after we do it, it’s not like you’ll want a kid out of it.”

“Your name?”

“Yeah,” Tucker said, coming up behind us. “You always forget their names.”

“No, I don’t. I just act like that so they’ll go away.”

“Much classier, bro.”

No longer smiling, I kept my head down as we entered the bar. Cooper tapped my chin so I would look at him.

“That’s not going to happen with you.”

“Because I’m so special,” I muttered, imagining how embarrassing it would be for a girl to hook up with Cooper then have him blow her off so coldly.

“Yeah, actually. I don’t take girls to hang out with my family. The last girl I did that with was a chick I knew since I was a kid and my mom liked her more than I did. For me to hang with an out-of-towner at my pop’s bar proves you’re not like those girls.”

“Did those girls know they were those girls?”

Cooper rolled his eyes slightly. “Don’t get femifascist on me, okay? I’m a dick to girls, sure. I fuck them then blow them off and you know what they do next? Move on with their fucking lives and find someone else. It’s not a big deal, so don’t make it one.”

Nodding, I gave him a little smile. “It would hurt my feelings if you did that to me, so I assumed it would hurt their feelings too. Maybe they really don’t care though,” I said then glanced around. “Can I have a soda?”

Cooper gave me a sweet grin. “It really would hurt you feelings, wouldn’t it? Man, you’re frigging adorable. Like I’m dating a little girl.”

Losing my smile, I didn’t respond immediately when he gave me a kiss. Soon, he wrapped me into his arms.

“You take things so damn personally. Chill out or you’ll have a midlife crisis when you’re twenty.”

Reaching up on my tiptoes, I kissed him quickly. “I’ll try, but I’m used to being high strung.”

Cooper looked ready to say something then changed gears. “Do you know how to play pool?”

“I’m pretty good.”

“How about cards? You good at them too?” he asked, gesturing towards a few tables where men and women played poker.

“I don’t gamble.”

“Of course you don’t, nerd.”

Stepping back, I glanced at where the card games took place. “I’m fairly sure my dad’s love of cards was a reason I went to bed hungry some nights.” When I looked at Cooper, he studied me in a weird way. “Can I have a burger?”

Cooper leaned down and kissed my lips so softly I barely felt him. “Baby, you can have whatever you want. Pig out to your heart’s content.”

“You’re nicer than I thought you’d be,” I said then covered my mouth in horror that I’d said the words out loud. “I’m sorry.”

“What did you think I was like?”

“You seem scary. You knew that.”

“Yeah,” he muttered, shoving his hands into his pockets. “I’m surprised you’re so weirded out by tats when you came from a less than prissy upbringing.”

Saying nothing, I looked around and realized bikers, most of them over thirty, surrounded us. Freezing, I didn’t know what I was waiting for, but suddenly I felt like I was in danger.

“They’re just people, princess.”

When I looked up at Cooper, I knew he was angry. There was no way to explain my fear without talking about things I was raised to never talk about.

“I really like you,” I said weakly.

“Why?”

“Because you make me feel pretty and important and no one else does that. You also make me laugh and you’re hot.”

Shaking his head, Cooper sighed full of disappointment. “You’re so shallow. I’m more than my natural good looks, you know? I’ve smart and witty and shit too.”

Laughing, I took his hand. “Don’t be mad.”

“I’m not. I just want you to smile and you stopped when you realized you were surrounded by my people.”

“Your people?”

“Half of these guys are family to me. They ran with my pop when he was young and moved out here because he did. Some of these guys helped raise me, so I’m not cool with you thinking they’re shit.”

“I don’t. That’s not it.”

“What is it then?”

Whatever my face showed Cooper, the tightness around his jaw eased and he squeezed my hand gently. Leaning down, he kissed my cheek then whispered, “You’re pouting. You can’t know how much I love when you do that.”

“I didn’t mean to offend you,” I said then realized I owed him nothing. I even had enough cash to pay for my meal, though I’d need a ride home. Either way, I wouldn’t fake anything just because Cooper was hot and a little scary. “I don’t like bikers. They make me nervous and I won’t pretend they don’t.”

“A little louder and we’ll have bikers lining up to kick your ass. Just the lady bikers, but still.”