Damaged and the Beast (Damaged #1)

“You think about it,” Cooper finally said, studying my face. “Want to help me grill?”


“Isn’t that man work?” I asked, eyeing him through my narrowed eyes. “Fire is a guy thing, right?”

“I’m a caveman who likes a strong cavewoman.”

Cooper handed me the giant grill fork and had me turn over the steaks. While I worked, he stood behind me and kissed my neck.

“I can’t think when you do that,” I moaned.

“I can’t think period when you’re around.”

“How are you going to be the perfect one if I’m around all the time?”

Cooper stopped kissing my neck and I think he finally figured out what my early thought process had been. He stood very still for a few beats then kissed my neck again.

“I’m just perfect enough to wing it.”

Cooper sucked hard at my throat and I melted against him. “I don’t want to cook. You do it and also do that. I just want to worship those lips.”

Cooper laughed against my throat then returned to sucking at my skin. Somehow, he also flipped over the potatoes while never leaving my body unloved.

Dinner consisted of eating way too much, followed by swimming until I thought I’d puke, and finally we fooled around on the deep end of the pool. I didn’t know if Cooper was showing off by having me hold onto him while he gripped the sides and did all of the hip work, but I was impressed. Wrapping myself around him, I tried not to ruin the moment.

Cooper’s parents and sisters remained in town overnight at a hotel with Skye’s family. To celebrate having the house to ourselves, we had sex a lot. Cooper swore no one would know. I swore they could tell. Cooper swore if they noticed anything that they wouldn’t care. I swore they would be horrified to know we befouled their family room, living room, music room, and gym. Cooper acted offended by my referring to our lovemaking as befouling things. I acted shocked at him referring to our fucking as lovemaking. He then shut me up with a kiss that led to more sex. Cooper won the argument and the house was thoroughly marked.

Eventually, we stumbled up the stairs to his apartment for a roll around his bed. The whole last effort involved me giggling because he was half asleep and still trying to score. Cooper refused to relent until he nearly dozed off inside me.

“I’m officially done,” he muttered, falling asleep as I cuddled next to him.

After my nap, I was certain I wouldn’t sleep even when I checked the clock and found it after one. Lying in the dark with my head resting on his chest, I listened to his heartbeat and was out within minutes.

Dissolving into sleep while wrapped safely in Cooper’s arms, I awoke in a dream that was less fantasy and more memory. Tawny was crying nearby and I heard her murmuring my name as if waiting for me to save her. I stretched out my hand to her, but she was in the next room. Saying her name, I felt a hand cover my mouth.

“If you miss your sister so much, we can go watch,” Travis whispered with humor to his voice.

Awaking with a cry, I scrambled away from the warm body in the dark room. The man moved towards me and I screamed again. Throwing out my hands, I wasn’t awake enough to fight him off, but I hoped to keep him away.

“It’s me, baby,” Cooper soothed, but I wasn’t with him really.

“Leave me alone,” I whimpered. “Don’t touch me.”

Cooper turned on a lamp and my wet eyes adjusted slowly to the dull light.

“Hell, you’re shaking,” Cooper said, attempting to comfort me, but his touch sent me halfway off the bed.

“I need to leave. I need to go home. It’s not safe here.”

“It’s safer here than anywhere in town,” Cooper muttered, sounding angry. Yet, when he spoke again, his voice was softer. “You just had a bad dream.”

My hand touched between my legs and I knew it wasn’t a dream. Somehow, it felt too real now as if it happened last night and not five years earlier.

“I need to leave.”

Cooper stared at me in the dimly lit room and I saw pain in his eyes. “I’m not driving you home in the middle of the night.”

“I don’t want you to touch me.”

Cooper’s lips twitched and he blinked a few times. His gaze moved around the room as if he was thinking. When his focus returned to me, Cooper nodded.

“Here,” he said, taking a pillow and laying it in the middle of the bed. “I’ll stay on my side and you’ll stay on your side. I won’t touch you, but I’m not driving you home. You’re scared and there’s no way you’ll feel better alone in that apartment with your mom.”

The thought of seeing my mother after the dream sent a chill up my spine. I just wanted to be safe and feel the way I had the day before.

“If that’s not enough,” Cooper continued, “I’ll sleep in the living room.”

I glanced towards the door leading to the rest of the apartment. While I couldn’t deal with Cooper touching me, I didn’t want him out of the room either.