Damaged and the Knight (Damaged #2)

Seeing our chance at a getaway, Aaron and I split up to avoid more Cooper meddling. Heading towards the kitchen, I hoped Bailey would arrive soon, so I’d have someone to talk to. Farah had to play hostess, but she kept an eye on me when she wasn’t teasing Cooper.

Leaning against the kitchen island with its dark granite, I sipped a beer and nibbled some kind of hors d'oeuvres Farah ordered. The food tasted weird. Good at first then like an explosion of gross in the back of my throat.

“Pretty fucking awful, huh?” a guy said next to me.

Turning towards the garden room, I was startled to find a big bald guy behind me. Like Cooper, he didn’t seem like the sort of man capable of sneaking up on anyone. Yet, he simply appeared.

“I’m going to spit it out,” I said, leaning over to casually rid myself of the nastiness into the trashcan. When I stood back up, the guy grinned in a way that said he was on the hunt. “I’m a picky eater,” I muttered awkwardly.

“The Goldstein girl recommended the caterer. Don’t trust a girl from Memphis, I guess,” he said then added. “I’m Mac.”

“Tawny.”

“Yeah, the birthday girl.”

Mac was the kind of guy to help get my mind off Judd. Fun and wild, he wasn’t forever, but I was only looking for a distraction anyway. Smiling big for him, I hoped the yucky hors d'oeuvre wasn’t in my teeth.

“I’m legal now.”

“I heard,” Mac said softly as his dark eyes warmed.

Knowing he was putting on his smooth guy moves, I nearly giggled. Instead, I focused hard on remaining calm. Even with my aversion to being touched, I wanted a boyfriend. With effort, I could move past Judd and find a man who might want me as much as I wanted him.

Building my courage, I reached out and caressed Mac’s arm, just over a sexy woman tattoo. His gaze focused on my fingers before lifting to my face. As our eyes met, a sly smile slid across his face.

While I didn’t want what he was imagining, I craved feeling beautiful like Farah felt when Cooper looked at her. Mac’s gaze suddenly moved past me. Without a word, he walked away.

Spinning around, I expected Cooper to be the one driving away my possible first boyfriend. Instead, Judd stared at me with those cold irritated eyes.

When he said nothing, I considered walking away or following Mac. Then, Judd gave me a small head gesture to follow him. A part of me knew it was a mistake to join him outside, but avoiding him was a weak chick move.

Once on the front porch, Judd asked in a low, edgy voice, “What is it that you think you were doing?”

“I’m eighteen and I want a boyfriend,” I said, crossing my arms in the chilly air.

Judd gave me an angry smile. “And you think a guy like Mac will bring you flowers and write you poems.”

“I think he’d show me a good time.”

Immediately, Judd erased the space between us. “Is that what you want, kid? Want a little fun in the sack?”

“Why do you care, Daddy?”

Studying my face, Judd glared at me. “I can show you fun. I can show you lots of things.”

“As long as I don’t cry or whine or annoy you, right? As long as I pretend to be someone I’m not,” I muttered, stepping back. “I’m trying to be a woman a guy like you would want. When I become that woman, I won’t really care what you think. I was just a job, remember?”

“You know what you were and it wasn’t a job.”

His words taunted me, offering a glimmer of hope. Yet, his words on the driveway less than two months ago lingered in my thoughts. “Why are you bothering me?”

“You’re not to go around Mac again. Do you understand?”

“I don’t have to listen to you.”

Judd narrowed his eyes at me. “Fine. I’ll tell him to stay away from you. He’ll listen if he wants to keep both eyes.”

“Whatever. He’s one guy and the college is full of them. Bailey and I are going to a frat party this weekend. Can’t take all of those guys’ eyes.”

“Is that a challenge?”

“You got me here safe,” I said, trying to look away, but unable to. “You did your job and I’m sure you got paid. What more do you want?”

Judd glanced at approaching Harleys then focused on me. When he erased the space between us again, I shivered at the feel of his breath on my cheek.

“You know what I want.”

“To fuck me because I’m hot.”

Judd stared in my eyes and I saw the walls come down. Even staring into those pained baby blues, I remembered how coldly he discarded me. Over a month passed with no word from him. Yet, one guy sniffed around me and Judd was suddenly interested.

“Is your birthday present to me to make me a woman?” I whispered, holding his gaze. “You have to know I’m not a virgin and you’d do nothing someone hasn’t done before. There’s no prize between my legs. Maybe you outta stop threatening random men and go find yourself a real woman.”