Damaged and the Knight (Damaged #2)

“I don’t think that’s genetic. If it is, I have it too.”


Judd smiled softly. “I wish you liked looking at yourself in the mirror. Not like a shallow bitch or anything, but you should like yourself more.”

“I like myself fine. I just don’t like my face.”

“That’s part of you.”

“Leave it alone.”

Judd smiled at my tone. “Do you look like your sister?”

“A little. We both have brown hair and eyes, but my facial features take after my mom more. I get my height from my dad. Haven’t you met Farah?”

“No, but she has the boss wrapped around her finger. Never thought I’d see that happen. Coop is a big time hitter. Having him go solo like that makes me think he’s found the one.”

“Hitter?” I asked, breathing too fast. “Like someone who hits people?”

“Girls,” Judd said, poking at his food. When he looked up at me and saw I was freaked, he added, “A player. He sleeps around, you know?”

“Oh. Do you?”

“Yes. Sex and relationships mean nothing to me,” he said, giving me a cold stare.

“I mean something to you though.”

“You think?”

“Yes,” I whispered, holding his gaze.

Judd didn’t look away for maybe a minute then he swallowed hard and returned to eating like what I said meant nothing. Yet, no matter the age thing and my nerves, I knew. Despite what Judd said, he knew too, but he would need convincing. I just didn’t know if I’d be strong enough to show him the way when I felt so lost myself.





Chapter Four


Judd found us another hotel with a top floor suite. I sensed he chose the top floor for me only because the guy at the desk mentioned it was a few hundred dollars more. At first, Judd looked ready to say it didn’t matter then he glanced at me. Suddenly, the extra hundreds were worth it. Maybe I was hoping for too much, but I appreciated the gesture anyway.

After my shower, I found him shuffling cards he bought at the convenience store we stopped at before the hotel. Grinning, I sat across from him.

“You told me that you’re good at cards,” Judd said, recalling my reaction to passing a casino on the drive.

“I said I liked cards. I never claimed to be good.”

“The only people who like cards are gambling addicts and those who are good at it. You’re not an addict.”

“Do you like cards?” I asked while he dealt.

“Sure.”

“Do you like me?” I asked softly, looking over my cards.

Judd never looked up from his hand. “I’m playing cards, ain’t I?”

Smiling, I looked at the pretzels we were using as money. Before I bet anything, I studied Judd’s expression and guessed what his cards might be. Since he looked bored, I figured his cards weren’t great, so I bet three pretzels. Like I expected, Judd folded.

The next hand, his expression was too hard like he was hiding something. I folded and he showed me his three queens.

“You’re cheating,” he muttered, shuffling. “I don’t know how, but you are.”

“I won those pretzels fair and square.”

Judd grinned. “I know you’re cheating. I’ll figure out how.”

“Are you giving up then?”

“No way.”

After a few more hands where I doubled down when he had weak hands and folded when he had strong ones, my pile of pretzels dwarfed his puny three. Judd leaned back on the loveseat and clasped his hands behind his head.

“I should take you to Vegas.”

“I don’t know if my skills would work there.”

“Skills?” he asked as his grin widened.

Reaching across the table, I snagged one of his pretzels and ate it.

“Do you like your job?”

“Sure.”

“Did you have to interview for it?”

Judd let his gaze wash over me and my body reacted. By the way his smile warmed, he knew exactly how he affected me.

“I worked in Memphis for a guy then I transferred to Ellsberg.”

“Why?” I asked, crossing my arms over my excited nipples.

Judd glanced at where my arms were and his smile softened even more as if pitying the horny little girl.

“My mom got sick,” he said, crossing his arms and nearly mimicking me. “Breast cancer. She got better and decided she wanted to live somewhere quiet. I moved her to Ellsberg, bought her a shop, and took a job with the Johanssons.”

“What kind of shop?”

Judd studied my face in a soft way, making my skin flush ever hotter. “She does hair.”

“Do you have any brothers or sisters?”

“You writing my biography, kid?”

“No, Daddy, I’m not.”

Judd glared at me. “Stop calling me that.”

“You started it, Judd.”

“You forgot to end my name with the stud.”

I opened my mouth to say something sassy, nearly daring him to fuck me right there. Fortunately, my brain switched on and I closed my mouth tight. Judd watched me for a minute then grinned.

“I have a brother. No, he doesn’t live in Ellsberg. No, we aren’t close. No, I don’t want talk about my childhood with you.”

“Okay. Do you still want to play cards?”