Wreck Me (8 page)

“I’m going to make it better.” I sniffle and swipe the tears from my cheeks.

“I promise I am not a big whine bag. It’s just…it’s all I have left.”

“What do you mean?”

“They’ve been gone for sixteen years today. My mom’s watch is all I have of them and I ruined it like an adolescent idiot. I knew it wasn’t waterproof. My mom always took it off when she did the dishes. I remember that.” Damon rolls me to my back and scoots down the bed to kneel between my legs. I lay naked before him in tears and he doesn’t seem to be bothered. He picks up one foot and kisses my instep. I shiver as a zap of electricity races through me. He kisses my ankle and another zap goes racing through my nerve endings. He begins dropping a trail a tender kisses up my legs. He stops at the scar on my shin.

“How did you get this?” he asks as he stares at the ugly reminder of the accident.

“I have the asshole who killed my parents to thank for that. I was in the backseat when we were hit head on. I had a compound fracture of my leg.” He inhales deeply and looks at me. Anger flashes in his eyes for a moment and it seems so out of place. He has no reason to be angry. I am the one with the fucked up scar and the dead parents. He raises my leg and presses his lips to my scar, then rests his forehead against the ugly reminder.

“I know you don’t want to hear it but I have to say it. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.” His sincere apology causes a new round of tears to fill my eyes and spill over. He comes back to my side and envelopes me in his solid arms. I lie naked and physically as well as emotionally spent in his grip. I don’t give him shit for the apology. I can’t. His words were the definition of genuine and I can’t be upset with him for it.

“I should probably go home soon.”

“No. Stay with me tonight.”

“I have never sta-”

“Doesn’t matter. Stay with me.”

“Okay.” I feel his chest deflate and I am positive that he is content with my answer. My sobbing ebbs away and I drift off to sleep in Damon’s bed completely unsure of what the fuck I have gotten myself into.

It’s so loud. My ears ring and the background noise is muffled. Damn, I’m aching all over. I can hear sirens. Wait. Sirens? What’s happened? Fuck. My heart beats wildly in my chest and my breathing is erratic. I’m panicking and I have no idea what’s going on. I need to check my body. I look down and see blood. It’s everywhere. It’s all over me. My hands are stained crimson and I run my hands over my body to see where I am wounded. But nothing. I am not wounded. It’s not my blood. I look around, but everything is blurry. Where am I? I rub my eyes and my vision clears enough to see two figures in the distance. Maman and Papa. It’s them! Maman! Papa! I scream for them, but I don’t think they hear me because they haven’t stopped. Maman! Papa! Please! Don’t leave me again! Please! Don’t go! They won’t stop. They keep walking away and I am reduced to nothing. I fall to my knees and plead. “Don’t leave me. Don’t leave me. Don’t leave me. Please stay. Come back!” My shoulders slump forward in defeat as I watch their figures disappear in the distance like a taunting mirage. I lurch back and forth with painfully intense sobs that rip through me leaving a quaking wounded soul in its wake.

“Come back to me. Please. Please. Please.” I startle and jolt awake when I feel strong arms tangle around me.

“Fuck, Jo! You scared the shit out of me. You had a nightmare. You’re okay now. It’s not real.” I shake in his embrace and work on calming my breathing and pulse. He has no clue just how real my dream was. I wish I could agree with him and say that it’s not real, but it is. My parents are still dead and I am as alone as a person can be. I have no family or friends. Only Sutton’s old ass and now Damon and I am not even sure what the hell I agreed to with him. He turns me to face him and wipes sweat from my brow with his thumb.

“Want to talk about it?”

“No.”

“You’re okay, Jo. Go back to sleep.” He turns me back to my other side and pulls my back to his chest again. He tucks me under his arm in a protective manner and it’s a magic cure. In this position with him I feel safe. My eyelids are heavy and I give into slumber.

I wake up to my phone chiming. “Shut up.” I groan and cover my head with my pillow. The phone silences and begins ringing all over again. I leap from the bed and instantly remember where I am. The luxurious carpet beneath my bare feet is my first reminder. Shit, I’m naked. I snatch up my annoying cell phone first. “Hello?” I snap down the line.

“Jo, I need you in early today. I have some things I need you to get done right away.”

“What could you possibly need done right away?”

“We are liquidating. It’s done.”

“No! You can’t give up yet. We can figure it out!”

“I can’t afford it. We have to crate up inventory and start selling it off. Store’s done. I’ll see you shortly.” Sutton hangs up on me before I can utter another word. I crawl back into the empty bed and cradle my head in my hands. Where is Damon? I can’t think about Damon right now, I have bigger issues at hand. Fuck. This is really happening. It’s over. The store is really going to close. What am I going to do? No one is hiring right now. I’d be lucky to get a job flipping burgers or cleaning toilets. There’s another book store close to my place, but it’s a giant chain store and they would never hire me. I don’t kiss ass, make coffee, or act bubbly like some cheerleader. I damn sure don’t believe in that saying that ‘the customer is always right.’ That’s a steaming pile of horse shit and I refuse to deal with it. If some jerk off wants to argue with me about something that I know he is wrong about I am going to tell him. If some ladies kid is clowning in the store and knocks something over causing damage, guess what? Mommy of the year is going to pay for it. I get that it is good business etiquette to kiss ass when necessary, but I just can’t. It isn’t in me. No one will hire someone like me. I’m too rough around the edges. I don’t have a college education. I have a lousy GED and that’s it. I am so royally screwed. I snap out of my thoughts when I feel eyes on me. My eyes zero in on Damon standing in the doorway of the bedroom staring at me.

“What’s wrong?” I grab the sheet and quickly wrap it around myself.

“I have to go. My boss called. He needs me in early. I guess we’re liquidating inventory. The store is closing.” I scan the room for my clothing and spot them on the floor. Damon remains standing in the doorway in black pajama pants that draw my eyes to all the right places on him. His chest is bare. His hair is a beautiful sloppy mess of dark brown locks. He looks perfect and the memory of that amazing cock buried within me sends a shiver down my spine. He walks towards me and climbs in the bed. He pulls me down to my back and wraps his arms around me before hauling me to his chest. I think he likes me in this position. I huff in exasperation. I really don’t have time for cuddling bullshit. Sutton needs my help to end the only good thing in my life. Wonderful. Just fucking grand. I hate this. I can’t stand the idea of it being sold and turned into some cookie cutter yogurt shop or tanning salon.

“Tell me about it.”

“I can’t. I have to get over there.”

“Tell me.”

“Dammit, fine. We have been struggling for some time. I knew it was coming, I was just holding out a little hope that things would turn around you know? I have some great ideas that might help our profit margin. Or lack thereof. Well, anyway, Sutton has to sell the inventory and close down. He can’t afford to stay in business open any longer.” Tears sting the backs of my eyes and the lump in my throat builds. What the hell is wrong with me? I never cry this much. I glance to Damon and he appears to be digesting what I have said.

“So you’re unemployed now?”

“Gee thanks asshole. Don’t lessen the blow on my account.” He chuckles and nods.

“Okay, you’re right that was rude. It’s the business part of me. Don’t worry about it, Josephine. It will all work out.”

“Hmph!” He would say that shit to me right now. It’s just like all those damn volunteers use to say. “Don’t worry. Things are going to work out.” I don’t need or want to be fed some line of bullshit. It doesn’t make me feel any better and it damn sure doesn’t change the bottom line. It only pisses me off. Things never just work out on their own. If things work out for me it will be because I did what I had to do to change my life. That’s the bottom line. There is no genie in a lamp, no lucky penny found, no magical wishing wells. All that shit is a fairy tale that I won’t buy into. The store closing is a problem, but I will just have to find a way to manage. I have done it before, I will do it again. I will be okay. I peel myself from his arms and carry about dressing myself minus one pair of destroyed panties.

“I really have to get to the store.” Damon looks less than happy about me leaving. That’s the last thing I need right now.

“Promise you’ll call me once you get out of there.” He is a bossy ass in and out of bed. But, I have to admit that it’s hot. There is something sexy about his commanding style. Maybe it’s because it’s new to me. That’s it. I like it because this is my first experience with a man like this. I don’t feel so uncomfortable with my strange feelings toward him now. It’s new and exciting is all. I will get over it in a day or two and his bossy attitude will be annoying and short lived. This works. I’ll play along with him, for now.

“I would call, but I don’t think I have your number.” A sly grin spreads across those soft lips of his and it spells out mischief.

I grab my cell phone and scroll through my extremely short list of contacts and there it is. It’s the only “D” in my list of contacts. He has given me his cell number, office number and email. Wow. I nod my head up and down as I observe the info he has input into my phone.

“Okay. I guess I do have your number.” I glance at him and half smile. “I’ll call you when I’m free.”

“Howard has your keys at the security desk.” I have clothed myself and I am prepared to endure my walk of shame when I feel his arm hook around my waist and pull me to him. He turns me by my shoulders to face him.

“Call me,” he murmurs. His lips press against mine and my knees instantly go weak for him. Oh these lips feel incredible pressed to mine. I will definitely want more of Damon. I don’t feel so skeptical about agreeing to see him anymore. I am really liking what he does to me. I can’t walk away after just one night. Not just yet.