Damaged and the Dragon (Damaged #5)

“Fine, you’re grounded. Now, go to your room.”


My little sister flipped me off then returned to eating. Nick sat next to me, bouncing a pissed Scarlet. He dipped his finger in a glass of soda then into her mouth. Scarlet sucked at it for nearly a minute then started up again.

“I’ll take her outside while you eat,” Nick announced, standing up.

Doing a poor attempt at faking concern, I said, “I should do it.”

Rolling his eyes at my bullshit, Nick walked outside and left me with the demon child.

“Nick is nice.”

“Yeah. Too nice. I’ll probably destroy him with my bitchiness.”

“Probably.”

“You’re supposed to say something supportive like, ‘No, Bailey, your love will protect him.’”

“I’m not saying that. I don’t believe in lying.”

“Bullshit. On the way here, you told Nick you were the best ballerina in your class.”

“So?”

“So you don’t take a dance class.”

“So?”

“That’s lying, dumbass.”

“Not really. If I was in a class, I’d be the best.”

“There’s something wrong with you.”

“Not really.”

Deciding to ignore her, I returned to eating until the guilt got to me. “I should stay with Scarlet while Nick eats.”

“Yeah. He doesn’t want kids and you’re making it worse. Even for you, that’s dumb.”

“I’m going to kick your ass one day.”

“I doubt it.”

Leaving a smiling Sawyer behind, I hurried outside to where Nick sat in the car with a now quiet Scarlet.

“You should go eat,” I said, reaching for the baby.

“Why do you argue with Sawyer so much?” he asked, ignoring my attempts to take Scarlet.

“She’s an evil freak.”

“She’s a child. You treat her like she’s your equal then complain how immature she is.”

Hands on my hips, I frowned. “So it’s my fault she sucks?”

“No, it’s your fault she drives you nuts. Treat her like a little kid and she won’t bother you so much.”

“It’s not that simple.”

“Isn’t it? I watch how everyone else treats Sawyer. I also notice how she is with them. Farah expects Sawyer to behave like a seven year old and she gets along fine with her.”

“Farah, huh?”

Nick’s gaze met mine and he smiled. “I shouldn’t like when you’re jealous, but it’s pretty hot.”

“I was your first choice, right?”

“My only choice.”

Smiling, I relaxed against the car until Nick frowned at me. “What?”

“She’s seven, Bailey. Leaving a child in a restaurant isn’t right.”

“No one will hurt her. She’s Sawyer Fucking Johansson. Even if someone grabbed her, she’s a biter. I’ve seen her bite the damn dogs.”

“That’s not the point. She shouldn’t need to protect herself. I bet you were tough at her age, but that didn’t mean you wanted to be alone in a busy restaurant.”

Glancing back at where I ditched my little sister, I nodded. “Yeah, I would hate that.”

“We’ll both go back in. Scarlet is feeling better since I rubbed that numbing crap on her gums.”

My niece sat on Nick’s hip like it was the most comfortable place in the world. With her face dry and cheeks only slightly flushed, she really was a gorgeous child. I imagined the kids I would have one day with Nick.

“You’ll make a great daddy,” I said, holding the door open for him.

“Not yet, right?”

“Oh, hell, right. I like sleeping late.”

His eyes nervous, Nick still smiled. He was great with Scarlet and Sawyer. One day, he’d be great with our kids. Not yet. Thank goodness, not yet.

“Are you going to marry my sister?” Sawyer asked when we returned.

“Yes,” Nick said then added, “When we’re ready.”

Smiling like he’d announced something I already knew, I was freaking out inside. Mostly, I couldn’t wait to call the girls to tell them how I had Nick hooked and got to keep him forever.

Next to me, Scarlet sat in a high chair, sucking on a chunk of watermelon. She showed it to me then smiled. When I cooed over her, Scarlet looked at me like I was amazing. I couldn’t deny loving such adoration.

“Not yet,” Nick said softly when I stared at the baby for too long.

“I know. I really do. I’m just happy.”

Nick gave me a killer smile and I saw him finally relax. Life was moving too fast for him already and I saw on his gorgeous face how he was dealing with the pressure of so many changes. Yet for the rest of evening, he smiled easily at me and the girls like he didn’t have a care in the world.





Chapter Thirty Two ~ Nick


Autumn break was days away, giving the campus a festive vibe. My life had changed dramatically since the break during my freshman year. Oftentimes, I felt like a completely different person from the kid who showed up in Ellsberg with a vague dream. The one thing I had in common from freshman Nick was that no other girl made me feel like the pretty, yet mouthy babe now holding my hand.