Damaged and the Beast (21 page)

Looking up at him, I found his gaze soft like from the weekend. “I should go home.”

“A short ride to relax you. Just imagine the wind in your hair on this hot damn day,” he said, his fingers teasing my scalp. “We could stop and have a quick dinner. You’ve had a tough day. Why not enjoy a free dinner from the one who fucked things up?”

“I know what you’re doing.”

Cooper’s dark eyes studied my face then he smiled. “I really am crazy about you. Let me make it up to you.”

“What about Nick?” I asked, daring him to freak out again.

His jaw twitching, Cooper shrugged. “He’s a guy. He gets it. In fact, I think he’s hot for one of those giggly blondes in class. Shar, I think is the one. No need for me or anyone else to care about old Nick.”

“So I can study with him?”

Cooper narrowed his eyes and exhaled hard. “Why him?”

“He’s in a bunch of my classes and he takes great notes.”

“Great notes? Is that code?”

“I waited all day to see you, Coop,” I said, placing my hand on his chest where I knew the cross was hiding under his white tee. “I missed you then you ruined everything by focusing on him. Will you keep doing that? I need you to focus on me.”

“You want me, right? Not him.”

“I want you so much, but I think it’s a mistake. You obviously don’t trust me.”

“Don’t make it about trust. It’s not even about you.”

“What the hell does that mean?” I asked, removing my hand.

Cooper looked ready to grab my hand and return it to his chest. I saw him fight the urge then he forced a smile. A really fake smile that never reached his eyes.

“It’s about me. It’s about my feeling like someone is trying to take away what I need. You aren’t doing anything. I just can’t have a man sniffing around my girl.”

“He’s not sniffing around me.”

“Don’t be naïve.”

“You said he liked Shar.”

“Why do you care who he likes?”

Backing away, I sighed. “I’m taking the bus home.”

“No, wait,” he said, wrapping his arms around me as I retreated. “Look, I’m jealous. That’s not a bad thing, is it? If you saw me with some chick, wouldn’t you be jealous?”

“Yes, but I wouldn’t freak out and scare everyone.”

“That’s because you’re classy. I was raised to be a caveman though. I should get credit for not taking you by the hair and dragging you back to my cave. You know, after clubbing your boyfriend to death first.”

“You’re nuts.”

“I’m teasing you.”

“Not completely,” I said, staring at him in horror.

“No, not completely. Well, I’m not kidding about clubbing him to death, but I’d never drag you back to my cave. Me want woman to want it bad.”

Grinning, I shook my head and turned away. “I feel like encouraging you is wrong. If I don’t punish you, how else will you learn?”

Wrapping me up in his arms again, he nuzzled my hair. “That’s not how people learn, baby. Positive reinforcement works better. Lots of treats to reward good behavior.”

“What good behavior?” I asked, leaning back against him.

“The good behavior of me driving you to a quiet place where we can eat and talk. Then, the good behavior of driving you home so you can study a little before work. Then, the very good behavior of me tipping you something crazy tonight at work.”

“I do like tips,” I said, grinning again.

“Oh, and I love giving them. I also love giving you rides and meals. I’m so generous that way. It’s enough to offset my asshole behavior.”

“Almost enough.”

“Sure, whatever,” he said, kissing me.

Pressing myself against Cooper, I tried to forget what happened mere minutes before, but I couldn’t. I had grown up believing around every corner was a threat. Yet, Cooper wasn’t around a corner. He was in my arms and had too much power over me. While I still wanted him to be mine, I was beginning to realize what I wanted wouldn’t matter. Cooper got what he wanted and I’d just have to survive it.

The next day in the middle of my Government class, Cooper appeared at the door and gestured for me to come outside. At first, I thought he looked nervous then realized he was in hurry.

“I need to leave town for a day or two to handle something,” Cooper said, twirling my hair in his fingers. “I wanted to tell you before I left, so you wouldn’t read too much into it.”

“Is everything okay?” I asked, touching his chest.

Cooper only smiled. “I’m going to miss the hell out of you, Farah.”

“Just a day or two?”

“Will you miss me?”

“Of course,” I said as my heart raced. “Why are you leaving?”

“I need to handle something for my pop and Tucker’s coming with me. It’ll only be two days at the most.”

“I’ll miss you,” I babbled, feeling uneasy with him leaving. “Be careful.”

Cooper grinned. “It’s nothing, baby. I went ahead and arranged to have Skye drive you home from school each day and to work. My buddy Aaron will pick you up from work and take you home.”

“That’s not ne…”

“Haven’t you heard about the assholes harassing girls around here?” When I shook my head, Cooper sighed. “Every year when school starts, new assholes arrive and see what they can get away with. The assholes this year have grabbed a few girls and nearly raped another. Until we find out who they are, you’re not safe to travel alone.”

“I can…”

“This isn’t up for discussion. If you want, I’ll have Aaron tail your busses home. Whatever way it happens, I need to know you’re safe. I’m making the same arrangements for Bailey and Skye. That’s why she can’t pick you up after work. I don’t want you out at night without a guy or a group of girls around. These idiots will hit a few girls alone, but more than three and they pussy out. I don’t blame them. A girl managed to mace one of the fuckers. Too bad he got away and is still out there.”

Cooper grinned at the idea of a girl using mace. “Anyway, I can’t leave town and worry about you. As long as you’re at school and work, I know you’re cool. It’s traveling between that makes me nervous. Do this for me, okay? No bitching about me controlling shit. Just let my friend drive you home.”

“Who is Aaron?”

“He and I own a tattoo place,” Cooper said, wrapping me in his arms. “I shelled out the cash and he’s the artist. Known him since middle school. Solid guy and he’ll make sure you’re safe.”

I wasn’t sure what my face did, but a smiling Cooper caressed my cheek.

“He’s not scary. Yes, he’s sporting a snake up his neck and a shaved head, but the guy’s the real sensitive type. Probably writes poetry.”

Grinning now, I sighed. “I’m sorry. New people freak me out.”

“New tattooed people are the worst, aren’t they?” he said, holding me tighter. “I will be back soon and we’ll hang out. Oh, and don’t take shifts for this weekend. I want to make up for lost time, kay?”

Nodding, I stared up at him, suddenly afraid he wouldn’t be mine once he returned. Cooper likely sensed my fear because he kissed me as if making very clear how he wasn’t done with me yet.

The rest of the afternoon sucked and I wasn’t interested in hanging out with Skye. Her life revolved around Tyler and I doubted she was happy to give up time with him to follow Cooper’s commands. No matter how she felt though, Skye showed up for lunch and talked the whole time about Tyler. Her enthusiasm was funny and distracting.

After class, she insisted I hang out at her dorm where we ordered a pizza and studied. This last part ended as soon as the food arrived.

“I wish Tyler was Jewish so my parents could meet him,” Skye said as she picked toppings off the pizza and ate them. “I guess it’s possible he’d give up the Jesus thing.”

When I only smiled at her, Skye shrugged. “I hope we stay together for the rest of the year. I’m sick of hooking up. All through high school, I went to parties at the nearby college and hooked up. I wasn’t interested in dating anyone. I had a lot of stuff going on and a boyfriend takes too much work. Now, I’d like to have the same guy for a while.”

“Tyler smiles a lot when he’s around you. That’s a good sign.”

Skye grinned. “I’ve been a crappy friend because I forgot how good a friend you are.”

“I just don’t want you to worry. Tyler seems really into you.”

“Yeah, he’s so hot though that a girl is bound to stress.”

After a few minutes of eating toppings off the pizza and pretending to study, Skye nudged me with her foot.

“Have you and Cooper done it yet?” When I shook my head, Skye frowned. “Why not?”

“We’ve only been really dating for a week.”

“So? My friend in Memphis fucked him within three hours of them meeting. It only took her that long because her little brother was around. Once they were alone, she and Cooper swapped fluids. What’s your hold up? Oh, wait, are you a virgin?”

“No,” I said, fiddling with a pencil. “I’ve been nervous about being with him though.”

“He thinks you’re hot, Farah. Cooper’s too shallow to hang around a chick for this long if he didn’t think you were really hot. Strip him down and get you some of that sexy bastard. My friend Kacey said he’s really good at both redneck fucks and mama’s boy fucks. He also has a very talented tongue. Super thorough.” Skye sighed. “Tyler and I haven’t done oral yet. Hopefully, we will this weekend. I’m a big fan of oral. Well, not giving, but receiving.”

Skye watched me for a minute. “You do like sex, right?”

“Not really. I mean, it’s never been that great.”

“Oh, well, it will be with Cooper. This isn’t me talking. That’s Kacey and she wasn’t a virgin so she had something to compare him to. Cooper’s great in the sack.”

“What do the redneck and mama’s boy things mean?”

Leaning back on her fluffy white bed, Skye laughed. “You don’t know anything. What did you talk about in high school?”

“We moved a lot so I didn’t talk to many people.”

“Oh, really?” Skye asked, suddenly concerned. “Didn’t you have any good friends to bullshit with?”

“Just my younger sister.”

“Bummer. I had a solid group of friends and I miss the shit out of them. Oh, well, the various fucks. Okay, so the redneck fuck is fast and hard. Some chicks dig that and all guys do. Most guys around here can only fuck fast and hard. They couldn’t slow themselves down if their lives depended on it. Tyler’s good though. Real mama’s boy.”

Sitting across from Skye, I mentally prepared for the fast and hard fuck from Cooper.

“Now, some guys love their mamas so much that they get real sensitive to a girl’s needs, if you know what I mean?” When I just stared, Skye continued, “Thorough, you know? They take their time and really make the girl come apart. Cooper is known for being really good at fucking a girl until she can’t walk and not like Tucker does. That boy will fuck a girl so hard she’ll lose brain function afterwards from the head injury she gets from hitting the headboard so much. Cooper’s got some moves. And Kacey said the fucker has the best tongue. I’m sure you’ve enjoyed more than a few major hot kisses by now.”

As I nodded, Skye’s gaze became distant. “Tyler kisses like heaven. I really wish I could keep him, but my dad wouldn’t be cool with it. Even if I could convert Tyler, my mom would still be weird about having a science nerd in the family. She’s so weird that way.”

“Do you think Cooper is okay with this thing for his family?”

“Sure. He’s inheriting the mantle from his dad so he’ll need to handle a lot of shit soon.”

“What exactly do the Johanssons do?”

Skye studied me in an odd way. “Cooper hasn’t told you?”

“No.”

“Maybe I shouldn’t then.”

“If you did tell me, I wouldn’t tell him you did.”

“Well,” she began, sucking in a deep breath, “they’re in management. Or sales, I guess. No management of sales.”

“I don’t get it.”

Skye twisted her long blonde hair around a finger and shrugged. “Kirk worked in Memphis for a long time for a powerful business. When he met Jodi, she wanted to move somewhere quiet to raise their kids. She also wanted to be near a college so she could take courses. It was always her dream to do that, so Kirk found this place. Back then, another business managed the area, but Kirk talked to his bosses and they agreed to help him remove the businessmen. Kirk would take over and give a percentage back to his old bosses. That was obviously a few decades ago and since then the Johanssons have managed this area.”

“Managed what exactly?”

“Do you really want to know?”

Everything about Cooper was something I wanted to know, even the bad stuff.

When I nodded, Skye squinted hard at me. “If you mouth off about his family business or blab to the cops, even Cooper can’t protect you,” Skye said, snapping her fingers. “Just like that you’d be gone and no one would even ask about you. You understand, right?”

Even with my heart pounding like crazy, I needed to know because I wanted Cooper to be mine.

“They manage everything,” Skye said, holding a pillow on her lap as if for protection. “Drugs, whores, guns, gambling. Anything that doesn’t fall under the banner of legal, they manage it. They allow people to work in their territory for a chunk of the profit. If someone doesn’t pay or starts trouble, the family gets rid of the problem and installs someone new. If this area’s criminal activity is a business, they are management. Soon, Cooper will be the new CEO.”