Damaged and the Knight (Damaged #2)

“No. My grandparents just wanted to be different.”


Nodding again, I leaned my head against his shoulder and traced the angel on his forearm. Her lashes were thick and I wondered if mine looked that way too? We sat silently for the next few minutes until Dr. Nicholson called us into her office. She wanted to speak with me alone, but I told her no. Judd said nothing, only giving her the dark look that shut down further conversation.

The doctor said I could call her Tina. She even looked a bit like Aunt Pam except less rundown by life.

While I was afraid of her questions, she talked around things a lot that first day. She wanted to know about the medication my doctor prescribed and what I hoped to gain from taking it. When I told her how I kept thinking negative things about myself, she asked for examples. Instead of pacing myself, I blurted out how I was raped and a whore and I had all those orgasms and hated myself now. Tina only nodded and wrote something down on her clipboard.

While I should have been irritated by her lack of a reaction, it actually helped. Later, as we left, Tina explained how she often worked with rape victims in her practice. What I said wasn’t shocking to her and this made me feel less like a freak.

Judd never said anything during the session or on the ride to the restaurant. Simply there as moral support, he wanted me to take the reins. I wanted to be strong, so he trusted me to say what needed to be said. By the time we picked up the prescription for an anti-depressant, I did feel stronger. Healthy might be a long way down the road, but I was on my way.





Chapter Twenty Four


Normally when Judd and I woke up, we messed around for a good half hour or more before moving our games to the shower. This morning though, he wanted to shower alone. He didn’t say the words, but he asked if I wanted to clean up first. I caught the hint and was soon waiting for him to emerge from his solo shower.

My feelings were hurt because I sensed I was getting on his nerves. Judd shifted from never having a woman around to me around all the time. I knew logically how he should be restless with my constant presence. Yet, whenever I suggested I sleep at my place, he frowned like I was shitting on his feelings. Confused, I just waited for him to tell me what he wanted. I knew asking would lead to that blank stare he gave me whenever I sent a question his direction that he had no interest in answering.

Appearing from the steamy bathroom, Judd walked across the room in all of his naked glory and moved a gun into a top dresser drawer. I watched him and waited to touch all of the shiny clean skin. I could already taste it and my body responded with a flush of heat. Judd glanced at me then sighed.

“I have a confession.”

“What?” I mumbled, studying his hard chest covered in tattoos.

“I’m a virgin.”

Grinning, I leaned back and spread my legs slightly. “In the immortal words of Inigo Montoya, ‘I do not think that word means what you think it means.’ There’s a reason I call you, Judd the Stud, you know?”

Judd shared my smile. “I’ve never gone down on a woman before. I think today we pop my cherry on that one.”

Swallowing hard, I asked, “Are you sure it’s safe?”

Smile gone, Judd stepped closer to the bed. “Safe how? You think I can’t successfully make you come, babe?”

“You make me come by breathing on my neck. I just mean I could be…”

“Stop,” he barked and flinched. “You said you went to a doctor. You were tested. You need to stop letting the ugly part of your brain tell you stupid shit.”

“I’m sorry.”

Judd exhaled hard. “You’re beautiful and delicate and perfect, but you see only shit in yourself. It drives me crazy.”

“Are you not going to kiss me down there now?” I asked, swinging my knees and trying to get us back to the part where I popped Judd’s oral cherry.

Judd’s gaze latched onto where I slid my hand and opened myself to him. When he smiled, I knew we were back on track.

“It’s my first time,” he said, grinning slyly. “Be patient with me.”

“Fuck,” I said, already breathing too fast as I imagined how good it would feel.

Judd crawled over me and kissed me gently. Nipping at my lower lip as he pulled away, Judd smiled. “You’re ready to come already, aren’t you?”

“I’m sorry, but I’m excited.”

“You look electric when you get aroused like this,” he said, sliding two fingers inside me and using the knuckle of his thumb to caress my clit. “Don’t worry about noise. Verna is out of town.”

Normally, I would have laughed, but instead I called out his name as I came hard against his fingers. Judd waited until the waves of pleasure eased then he removed his fingers and sucked the taste of me off them.