Damaged and the Beast (Damaged #1)

Cooper’s eyes searched my face then he swallowed hard. As I stood and Cooper followed, Aaron just grinned.

“Later, Coop.”

“You’ll know one day.”

Still grinning, Aaron returned to sketching. Cooper took my hand and we made great time back to his truck. I was so excited to be alone with him that I nearly sat on the balloon I had tied to the loop on my jeans. Cooper laughed then punched the balloon out of his way so he could kiss me.

“I’d do you right here,” he mumbled against my lips.

“No fucking way,” I said, knowing there were a hundred people in the parking lot.

Cooper let me go so he could start the truck. “You’re naked as soon as we hit my apartment.”

“I’ll start unbuttoning things now to prepare,” I said, laughing as I undid my jeans and pulled the laces on my shoes.

Cooper forced himself to focus so we could leave the parking lot without running over anyone. Soon, we hauled ass down the highway to his house. By then, I had my shoes and socks off. My bra was unsnapped. I even leaned over and unbuttoned his jeans. Cooper gave me a cocky smile and I knew what that look meant. Hell yeah, we were having fun tonight.

Two hours later, we sat naked in his living room. I ate weird little taco things his mom made while Cooper downed BBQ chicken like a man starving. I had finished my first beer by the time the sun was setting. I was on my fourth when I decided dancing for Cooper was the sexiest thing ever.

He found a song on the satellite music channel and I shook my scrawny ass to Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It). It wasn’t even Beyonce, but the Chipettes’s version. Cooper alternated between laughing hysterically and getting so horny I was shocked when he didn’t lunge across the coffee table and fuck me right there.

Sober enough to remain in control, Cooper waited to fuck me until we were in his bedroom. I was still wiggling around in my attempt to dance sexy. I’d never make a living as a stripper that was for sure.

“I love when you get all mellow,” he whispered as we kneeled on the bed and teased all the naked flesh we had to work with. When he saw my face, Cooper sighed. “No, what?”

Unable to control the tears, I was drunk off my ass and everything felt too powerful and important. Nothing could be restrained.

“I’m sorry I get pissy and high strung. I just want to work hard and do better so I won’t be trash,” I said, my voice failing on the final word. “I come from a long line of trash on both sides of my family. I want my kids to have a home like I never did and to feel special. I want so much more than I have, but it’s hard to dig my way out.”

“Baby, you’re not trash,” he said, his eyes searching my face. “How can you even think that about yourself? You work hard. You follow the rules.”

“I’m drunk. That’s against the rules.”

“Yeah, I’m a bad influence.”

“You’re not trash though. You’re special while I just hope to be average.”

“You ever see that show Storage Wars?” Cooper asked and I shook my head. “These guys bid on abandoned storage lockers. Lots of times, these lockers are full of trash. Sometimes though, they have hidden treasures. That’s what you are. The hidden treasure in the trash of your crap family. You have value and I don’t want you to think otherwise.”

“That’s how you see me?” I said, smiling up at him. “As treasure?”

“Of course. You’re irreplaceable. It’s why you make me so crazy.”

I smiled in sloppy drunk way. “I’m giving you a hickey to mark you as mine.”

Cooper burst out laughing, yet tilted his head to expose his neck to my loving. I licked at the skin then sucked softly. He tasted warm and beautiful.

“You have to suck harder, baby,” he moaned, leaning back against the headboard.

“I’m afraid to hurt you.”

“I can handle it.”

Nodding, I sucked harder then felt him adjusting my body in his arms. When he pressed inside me, I let go of his throat.

“You’re so horny.”

“Hell yeah. Man, you’re hot.”

“I feel hot.”

We both laughed as he moved in and out of me. Leaning me on my back, Cooper worked himself into a fast and hard rhythm.

“Feels so good,” I moaned and I wasn’t lying. Relaxed like this, I could imagine what other girls felt. Cooper was thinking about the difference too.

“Do you think you’ll come?”

“No, but maybe it’d help if I sang? Don’t go messing with a son of a bitch.”

Thrusting harder, Cooper laughed even as he neared the finish line. Just thinking of it as a finish line made me laugh harder.

“How come you don’t sing to me?” I asked, giggling.

“You’re too classy for that shit.”

Not knowing if he was serious or teasing me, I laughed so hard I snorted.

“Fucking adorable,” Cooper said, kissing me before returning to his redneck fucking rhythm.

Without knowing the lyrics to Hair of the Dog, I only hummed while Cooper thrusted deeper into me. He moved just right and I groaned in a weird way.

“Was that a good noise or a bad one?” he asked, slowing.