Damaged and the Beast (Damaged #1)

“Hell yeah, I do,” he said, kissing me as his fingers explored my waist.

Cooper’s naughty fingers merely teased as I squirmed in his lap, causing him to groan.

“Let’s get to the house so you can soak up the sun and relax.”

Sliding back into my seat, I grinned while he shifted the truck into drive. As I watched him, Cooper glanced my way and smiled like he had plans for me. When I saw the wicked gleam in his eyes, I never in my life wished more to be someone else. Someone who could see that look and meet it with vigor.

Cooper parked next to his apartment. “It’s parents’ weekend as you likely know. Skye’s parents are in town and they’ll be with my parents for the day. Tucker is with Maddy and her parents. No employees around to spy on us either. We have the whole place to ourselves.”

“Cool.”

“Hungry?”

“A little.”

“Let’s go hang out in the house. We’ll eat, find you a swimsuit, and I’ll take you out to the hot tub for a nice relaxing foot massage.”

“I get really relaxed when you massage my feet,” I said, trying to be sexy.

Cooper opened the front door for me. “Yeah, I remember how you fell asleep that night.”

“I meant a different kind of relaxed.”

Heading into the kitchen, he glanced back at me and grinned. “Oh, I know what you meant, minx.”

“I’m not doing that right now. I want you too much to say mean words.”

“I take jackass as a compliment.”

“Oh, then you’re a giant sexy jackass.”

“Hell yeah,” he said, before leaning into the refrigerator to search for food. “Fuck. We have hit the motherload. Ribs and potato salad.”

“That sounds great.” My stomach responded with a loud growl and Cooper peeked up from the frig and grinned. “I’ve never had ribs for breakfast.”

“Stick with me and you’ll eat like a queen.”

Cooper proved this fact by feeding me until I could barely move. The meat on the ribs fell off the bone and the potato salad tasted like nothing I’d ever had before.

“How do you stay so hot when you eat like this?” I asked him.

Cooper grinned. “I work out with weights. I swim a lot. I beat up a lot of stupid people. Burns a lot of calories.”

Imagining the other way he burned calories, I didn’t want to think of all the girls Cooper slept with over the years.

“If I keep coming here, I’ll need to find a way to burn calories too.”

“Oh, I’m sure I can think of a fun way to do that.”

Staring at him blankly, I pretended like I didn’t understand. Cooper only grinned wider.

“I’m going to pick out a suit for you.”

A few minutes later, Cooper strolled down the stairs with a naughty grin on his face and his hands hidden behind his back.

“I found the perfect one. Though I doubt my parents have any idea Bailey owns it. They certainly wouldn’t let her wear it around here.”

“Oh, crap.”

“Hell yeah,” he said, grinning from ear to ear as he held up the tiny leopard printed bikini.

“I don’t think I’ll fit in it.”

“I promise not to complain if you fall out.”

Laughing, I took the bikini. “Why even wear it? It hides nothing.”

“If you want, we can go nude?”

“Naw,” I said, standing up and dropping the suit on the couch. “I feel like you need to work for it a little.”

Cooper gave me a smile that faded as soon as I pulled off my shirt. His breathing shifted as I stripped down in front of him then wiggled into the bikini. Once I was dressed, I smiled casually as if I was someone comfortable with her sexuality.

“I want my foot massage, slave.”

“Hell yeah,” he whispered as if breathless. “You can’t know.”

“Oh, I know. I feel the same way when you strut around shirtless.”

Cooper smiled again and his shirt came off seconds later. “Hot tub time.”

Taking his hand, I walked with Cooper out the back door over the deck and past the pool. Cooper leaned over and turned on the spa before stripping out of his shorts, leaving only his skull and bones boxers.

“My mom,” he explained when I smiled at them. After Cooper found us a few cold sodas, we settled into the hot water. “Give me those feet,” he said, sitting across from me. “I’m going to relax the shit out of you.”

“Stop threatening me.”

“You look so fucking hot in that suit that I’m having trouble concentrating.”

I fiddled with the bikini top barely covering my areolas, let alone the rest of my breasts. Lifting my gaze to meet his, I smiled. “Thank you for bringing me here today.”

Cooper sighed. “Last night sucked. I need another chance.”

“You have another chance and last night wasn’t that bad.”

“You didn’t see your face,” he whispered as his strong fingers worked at my arches.

“I’m sorry,” I moaned, leaning farther into the water and resting my head on the back of the hot tub. “I can do better.”