Damaged and the Beast (Damaged #1)

Frowning, I felt overwhelmed. I also felt lonely. Everyone knew their place and I was the outsider. Always the outsider.

Cooper leaned down and whispered, “Wait, did you mean sex?” Grinning at me, he shook his head. “Sorry, but I’m not emotionally in the right place for that. You’ll have to fix your pants problem yourself.”

Even on edge, I laughed because he could be so silly when in the right mood. Cooper took my hand and pulled me to the stairs where we sat on a step and ate our food. Twice, he left then returned with burgers and drinks. I was beyond stuffed by the time we finished eating.

Feeling comfortable enough to be a little daring, I leaned my head against Cooper’s shoulder. He smiled at me then glanced back at his noisy family. When his gaze returned to my face, he leaned down and kissed my forehead.

We sat quietly for a while, watching the dogs. Soon, Cooper told me about each dog and how he learned to train them from his uncle Vic. He said he liked Rottweilers, but his favorite dog was a mutt named Rafe. When he wasn’t being loud or horny, Cooper seemed just like any guy. Approachable and safe. Like Nick maybe, but Cooper was mine for now.

After the food settled, we walked hand and hand down the stairs of the deck and out towards the river. It wasn’t a long walk, but we needed to take a winding staircase on the side of a hill. I didn’t know how someone could have built it, but I’d never had an eye for those things. I just followed Cooper who paced his movements so I could keep up. When we arrived at a deck overlooking the river, Cooper let go of my hand and stretched.

“The river’s current is slow as shit. No one gets pulled down stream. No one has ever drowned.”

“I could be the first,” I muttered.

“You’re such a nerd,” he said, caressing my hair. “A hot as hell nerd.”

“So we walk down to the water and swim?” I asked, feeling uncertain about how to gracefully swim with living things floating around.

“No, you jump!” Bailey screamed from behind me. Shoving me forward, she started laughing. I staggered towards the edge and knew the momentum would take me over. Cooper caught me and pulled me back against him.

“Damn it, Bailey!” Cooper yelled. “You can’t shove her in like that. She’s scared.”

“That’s how you taught me to swim.”

“If you want revenge, you push me, not her.”

“Whatever,” Bailey said, rolling her eyes as she ran off the end of the deck and disappeared into the water.

Cooper grunted. “She’s feeling really fucking insecure today. I think Skye having a guy is making her into a bitch.”

“Thanks for not letting me fall.”

“You want to try jumping?” he asked, tugging me closer to the side. “It’s not a long drop and the water is deep. You won’t get hurt. Uncle Cylas is a huge guy and he jumps off all the time without a problem.”

I stared down at the water where Bailey swam around casually. When she glanced up at me, I waved as if I wasn’t irritated with her for being a competitive bitch. Frowning, she waved back. Then, her frown eased and she smiled.

“You’re good with her,” Cooper said, smacking a mosquito on his arm.

“She just wants to feel special. Most people do.”

“Don’t you?” he asked, kissing the top of my head.

“No, I just want to be average. Normal.”

Cooper said nothing and I glanced up to find his expression cranky.

“Average is shit,” he finally said. “Why be normal when you can be more?”

“I want to dream of something I can actually get.”

“You’re gorgeous, hard working, hot, smart, and sexy. You have a lot going for you. You’re patient too.”

Smiling at his compliments, I was still nervous. “Can I ask a stupid question without you making fun of me?”

“Sure.”

“Does it hurt when you hit the water?” I asked, looking down at the river.

“No, baby, it doesn’t,” he said softly, taking my hand. “Want to jump together? I’ll make sure nothing happens to you.”

Smiling, I looked at the water again. “New things scare me. It’s stupid, but I’m afraid to jump.”

“I promise I’ll keep you safe. Do you trust me?”

Nodding, I felt like I might cry. All the anxiety from the day rushed up at this exact moment. The part of me that wanted to be safe said not to jump. Don’t take chances. I could get hurt. Depending on Cooper was a mistake and he might fail me. What if I drowned and no one was there to help Tawny get away from those shit motels in the middle of nowhere? Don’t jump, my brain screamed.

Tightening my grip on his hand, I swallowed hard. “Don’t let me drown.”

“You’ve swam before, right?”

“In pools.”

“I won’t let go.”

We walked to the very edge and I stared at the water. It felt too far down. The impact was bound to hurt. I was too scared. In the distance, I heard Tucker whooping it up and knew he was on his way down. If he got there and was too loud, I’d chicken out.

“I’m ready,” I said, looking up at Cooper.