Damaged and the Beast (Damaged #1)

“He’s really special to you, isn’t he?” Cooper muttered full of hate.

“I’ve spoke to him twice and both times about school. I did more flirting with you the first night you came in than I’ve done with him, but fuck you.”

Eyes widening, Cooper grinned. “Someone’s in a shit mood.”

“Do you know what you want?”

“You bent over the table would be a nice start.” Staring at him, I didn’t know how my face reacted, but his cocky swagger faded. “Fuck,” Cooper grumbled under his breath. “How do you tie me in knots with a look? Is it witch magic or some shit?”

“If I was a witch, I’d figure out a way to get my schoolwork done, work, and sleep all in a twenty four hour period.”

“Ditch work one night and catch up.”

Frowning at him, I shook my head. “You really don’t understand what it’s like to be poor.”

“How poor are we talking about? You don’t look trailer trash, missing teeth, meth head level of poor. I’d peg you at working poor.”

“It doesn’t matter. What would you like and don’t say anything gross please.”

“I want you to go out with me again.”

“Only as friends.”

Cooper rolled his eyes and leaned back in the booth. “I’m not friends with girls. Why would I be?”

“So we’re only good for sex?”

Cooper grinned. “When you say the word sex, your lips look so hot and I get a little horny.”

“You can’t stop yourself from being nasty, can you?”

“I haven’t had sex in a week,” he said, tugging at his sleeve just over the eagle tattoo. “It makes me weird and horny. Have I mentioned I’m horny, Farah?”

“You’ve hinted, yes.”

Cooper’s grin widened. “Let’s go somewhere nice. No fighting, I promise.”

“I don’t want to date anyone. I wouldn’t mind being your friend, but you don’t have friends who are girls.”

“Why my friend?”

“Why not?”

“Do you have a lot of male friends? Like Nick?” Cooper asked, hissing Nick’s name like the guy was pure evil.

“No, but I like you.”

“Then, go out to dinner with me,” he muttered.

“I already said I don’t want to date and you think girls aren’t good enough to be your friends.”

“I have nothing in common with most girls. What are we going to talk about? Bikes? Fights we’ve been in. Fucking chicks?” Cooper paused then snapped his fingers. “Hey, I do know this bull-dyke chick and we bullshit about that stuff. She’s cool, so maybe I can only be friend with lesbos?”

“Then, I guess you and I can’t be friends.”

“Because you’re hot for some other guy?”

“Why are you obsessed with Nick?”

“For the same reason you are.”

“I’m not obsessed with him.”

“I see the way you look at him. All wide-eyed horny schoolgirl. He’s a loser and smells like cheap cologne. If that’s what you’re into, I can buy new cologne. I can also take you on discount dates and expect you to pay because I’m too poor to take care of my woman. Is that what you’re looking for?”

Cooper was such an asshole. Whining like a spoiled little boy told he couldn’t have a new bike from Santa, he figured he was right about everything. Never would he allow logic or sweet talk to change his mind. Something about his tone though caused me to laugh. Once I started, I couldn’t stop.

“What?” he muttered.

“Hasn’t a girl told you no before? Is that why you’re acting like a nutball?”

“Nutball? That’s insensitive, you bitch,” he said, grinning. “And for your information, plenty of girls tell me no.”

“Plenty?”

“Fine, a few have. There was the married one. The pregnant one who was trying to trap a guy into marriage so she was pretty booked for the next couple months. Finally, there was a girl who was afraid of tats and big cocks. I still don’t know what her problem is.”

“Well, now that I know you’ve gotten shot down left and right, I sorta pity you, Coop.”

“Yeah, I’m a real charity case. You should go out with me as an act of kindness.”

“I’m not ready to date anyone.”

“Bullshit,” he said, kicking the booth. “If Nicky asked you out, you’d fuck him on the first date. I can tell you’ve got it in you, but you have to make me suffer. Do I remind you of someone you need to punish?”

Yes.

“Never in a million years would I think not going out with you would be a punishment. There are a lot of new girls in school who would go out with you. They might make you work for it too. Why not chase them?”

“I want you,” Cooper said in a way that made me shiver. “I’ve wanted you since the first day in Spanish class when you kept tying your shoes as an excuse to look back at me. I loved how you didn’t just look. I also loved when you whispered your answers to Manuel. It was so hot. I want you and you’ll give me a shot because you want me too. Hell, you need someone like me.”