Damaged and the Knight (Damaged #2)

“I’ll be able to vote,” I said, watching him while he studied the menu.

“Voting doesn’t do anything except make people feel important.”

“I’m doing it anyway.”

“Good for you.”

“You should vote. You can get one of those ‘I vote. I count’ stickers.”

Glancing up at me, Judd frowned. “Why the fuck would I care about that?”

“You seem like the kind of man who would be tempted if stickers were involved.”

When Judd smiled big, his face changed from the cold, slightly sad expression into something amazing. I wish he would always smile because the world was so much more beautiful when he did.

“You’re a weird kid.”

“I’m not a kid. I don’t have to wait for two months for that.”

Judd’s smile faded and he stared at me in a weird way. I felt him pulling away then he exhaled hard.

“This,” he said, gesturing between us, “isn’t happening.”

“Why?”

“I have an old lady back in town and she’s the kind of woman to hack shit off a man who cheated on her.”

For a few seconds, I couldn’t breathe. As if someone punched me hard in the stomach, I waited for the air to return.

“What’s her name?” I asked as my eyes grew hot once I realized I was flirting with a taken man.

My family didn’t have many rules, but cheating was frowned upon. Well, unless money was involved like in a scam. In that case, it was completely acceptable to sleep with anyone.

Judd stared at me then looked away at a pair of loud happy children. “Jennifer.”

I wanted Judd to be mine. He had saved me and I felt better when he was around. Even when his face was hard and all of the emotion faded from his eyes until he was just lost to me, I felt like he should be mine. He scared me like Cooper scared Farah. Yet, Farah got to keep Cooper. I didn’t get to keep Judd though.

After our order was taken, I was still fighting the urge to cry. “Jennifer,” I said, testing out the name of the woman who had what I wanted. “Jennifer,” I said again, smiling a little bit now.

Judd squinted at me. “What?”

“Like our waitress is named Jennifer?”

“Jennifer’s a common name,” he said, challenging me with his cold glare.

“Does your Jennifer have a long braid too?” I asked, taunting him.

Judd tried to keep up his lie for another minute. Finally, he swore while running his hands through his thick dark hair.

“I can’t lie for shit when you stare at me like that.”

Leaning back into the booth, I smiled brightly. “Well, it’s a good thing you and me ain’t happening because I would so own your ass, wouldn’t I? Lying is the key to winning an argument.”

“I could win it,” he said then shook his head. “I am winning it. You and I ain’t happening, kid.”

“I’m not a child.”

“Not happening,” he said slowly.

“Why?”

When Judd slapped his big hands together, the sound they made was loud enough to startle me into the corner of the booth. “That’s why, kid. You’re not ready for any man, let alone one like me.”

“Why like you?” I asked, shaking and nervous now.

“You don’t think Cooper sent me because I’m a boy scout, do you?

“No, but I want to be strong and strong women should be with strong men.”

Sighing, Judd rolled his eyes. “Strong? That’s what you got from what I said?”

“Scary. Violent. Whatever,” I said, sitting a little easier now. “You don’t scare me.”

“I just did.”

“You were loud. Those kids could have dropped something and I would have jumped just as much. They’re not scary.”

“Oh, I don’t know. The little girl looks like a terror.”

Our food arrived quickly, but I kept my gaze on Judd. “I’m not someone who’d be dirtied to be with a man like you.”

Judd watched me with a slight frown. “You’re not giving up.”

“No.”

“You will. You’ll get to town and see your sister and shit will be all kittens and puppies and bake sales. You’ll go to school and smile at boys your age and realize why this didn’t happen.”

“I’m not going to school and I would never smile at another boy. I’m loyal and I have only one boy I want to smile at.”

“I’m not a boy.”

“What makes you think I was talking about you?” I asked, cutting my pancakes. “Maybe I’ve got my eye on someone else.”

“Right,” he muttered, squinting at me.

“Farah told me about this guy she thinks I should date. She said he’s really hot and I’m super shallow. I plan to date him and smile at him and get naked with him. It’ll be so great.”

Staring at me, Judd almost thought I was telling the truth. That part of him was jealous.

Seeing this, I smiled. “Do you date a lot?”

“I like dating,” he said in a low voice. “It’s relaxing.”

Rolling my eyes, I shuddered. “Men are gross.”

Judd gave me another one of those smiles. “Trust me, kid. You don’t know the half of it.”

“Stop calling me that.”

“No.”

“Fine, if I’m a kid, I get to call you daddy.”