Damaged and the Beast (Damaged #1)

I considered retreating and waiting in the car. My brain said to stay away, but my heart wanted to check out Cooper. He looked really sexy sitting shirtless and barefoot on the ground as he gave the dog a good hard rubbing. Wearing jeans, he seemed young and less intimidating. Whatever my reasoning, I walked to where he could see me and waited for him to notice.

When Cooper pressed his nose against the dog’s, the giant animal licked him. Instead of being grossed out like I would have been, Cooper laughed. He was still grinning when he saw me. His eyes did the usual survey of me from head to toe, lingering an extra second on my breasts before he focused on my face.

“That’s the girl making me crazy,” Cooper told the dog that licked him again. “Yeah, I’d pay big money to get her to show me half as much love as you do, Plum.”

Stepping closer, I focused on Plum. “Bailey says you train dogs.”

“You talk about me a lot?” he asked, ignoring my question.

“Constantly. I’m a huge fan.”

“Prove it.”

“How?”

“Dinner tonight.”

“Will you wash off the dog spit first?” I asked, giving into the idea of dinner with him. One dinner to answer my questions about us.

Cooper finally gave me a smile he saved for his dogs. An almost boyish grin hiding much of the menacing glare I normally focused on.

“Where do you want to eat?”

“I don’t care.”

“Why?” he asked, his smile gone. “Because you’ll just go through the motions to get me off your back?”

“No, I’ve eaten a lot of crappy food lately and anywhere new would be a nice change.”

Giving me a quick nod, Cooper smiled slightly. “Can you wear your hair down?”

Without thinking, I touched my ponytail. “Sure,” I muttered, self-conscious now. “Should I wear any particular outfit?”

Cooper lost his smile again. “Whatever. I just like your hair down because you look less like my waitress and more like my date. I guess that makes me a dick.”

Backing away, I felt nervous under his glare. Cooper gave the dog’s head a good caress then left the animal and walked to me.

“It doesn’t have to be this difficult. Why do you make it that way?”

“I have issues.”

Cooper gave me a half smile. “Messed up chicks are hot.”

“That explains why you’re so into me. I’m super messed up.”

Fully smiling now, he stepped a little closer. “Wear your hair any way you want.” Nodding, I inched away from him and Cooper sighed. “Never in my life has it been this much work.”

“I still think that’s the real reason you’re so hot for me. You want the chase.”

“No, I want you.”

Shivering at the need behind his words, I shrugged. “I think you’d lose interest if I gave you what you wanted.”

Running a hand through his damp blond hair, Cooper looked over my head at the beautiful view then his gaze returned to me.

“Let me ask you this, Farah. If you want rid of me and I’ll blow you off once I’m done fucking you, why don’t you just let me fuck you? Is it that you think I might not go away and you’ll be forced to admit something else is happening here?”

“No.”

Grinning at my lie, Cooper moved closer. “Anything special you want me to wear tonight?”

I smiled despite my best efforts. “Don’t get all dressed up on my account, Coop. I’d think you were plenty pretty even if you showed up in sweats.”

Laughing in his deep way that I felt to my core, Cooper reached out to touch my face. I backed away because he was all kinds of bad news. While I planned to put his question to the test and get rid of him for good, I wasn’t ready yet. Cooper sighed heavily when I dodged his affections.

“Don’t cry,” I said, giving him a grin. “I still like you. I just don’t want the dog’s sloppy seconds.”

Smiling slightly, he studied my face. “I’m not giving up. If you keep running, I’ll keep chasing. I know what I want and I’m not pissing it away because you have issues.”

“Right because there’d be no logical reason to avoid getting involved with you.”

“No, there wouldn’t.”

“You sleep around. You beat on people. You aren’t exactly the warm and cuddly type.”

Cooper shoved his hands into his pockets. “You don’t know what type I am because you see what you want.”

“Trust me that you’re not nearly as mysterious as you think.”

“And you’re full of shit. You want this too, but it’s easier to pretend I’m the problem.”

Moving away from him, I frowned. “No, you’re right. It’s better if I give in so you can treat me like shit.”

“Why the fuck would I?”

“Because that’s how you treat all those other girls.”

“You’re not like them.”

“How do you know? You fuck those girls then throw them away like used condoms. They might be exactly like me, but you wouldn’t know. You never fucking talk to them. If I had fucked you that first night, you’d have tossed me aside without talking to me too.”

“Bullshit. You wouldn’t have fucked me the first night.”