Damaged and the Dragon (13 page)

No one ever saved Nick.

“
When I see you,” I said
softly, “I don’t see the dirty trailer. When I see your scars, I
don’t see a loser. I see strength and goodness. You grew up abused
by a monster, yet never became one. That takes courage. You didn’t
become a drunk or addict to blind yourself from the pain. That
takes strength. You don’t use or destroy people to get what you
want. Instead, I always see you helping people at school. One time,
I saw you help a woman catch her wild dog. You’re a good man.
Strong and brave.”

Leaning into him, I removed the soap from
his hands while a haunted Nick stared at me. I looked into the eyes
of a lost child wanting to hide from the world.

“
You smell like mine,” I
said, resting his hands on my wet hips. “You smell like a man who
wants me.”

I stroked his hard cock, causing Nick to
shudder. His fingers grazed my back up to my shoulders then to my
face. I lifted my lips to his and he kissed my breath away. His
need uncontrollable, Nick grabbed me under the butt and lifted me
against him.

“
Bailey,” he muttered,
staring into my eyes my body slid up and down against
his.

Wrapping my arms around his neck, I didn’t
know what he wanted. His body needed to fuck. His cock wanted
inside me. His heart needed acceptance. What his mind wanted
remained a mystery.

“
I see you,” I whispered in
his ear. “You’re mine in every way and nothing will make me let
go.”

Still staring into my eyes,
Nick thrust inside my body until he filled me completely. There was
questioning in his gaze, but also a challenge. I claimed to want
all of him despite his flaws.
Was I
willing to give him everything?

My answer was to tighten my pussy around his
cock. Nick’s hips moved frantically, needing what he denied himself
this last week with me. Basking in his hunger, I held onto his
slick body and murmured my pleasure in his ear.

Bailey felt delicate in my
arms. Fragile as if I had the power to destroy her. I wanted to do
right by her, but I couldn’t stop. My mind blinded by need, I
wouldn’t let her go. All my life I needed something to soothe the
pain and Bailey offered freedom.
How could
I let her go? Or tell myself to stop when life gave me nothing for
so long?

Carrying Bailey out of the shower, I rested
her wet body on the bed.

“
You want this,” I said,
but my voice made it sound like a question.

“
I dreamed of this,” she
murmured while running her fingers through my wet hair. “A guy
worthy of
Free Bird
.”

Having no idea what she was talking about, I
didn’t care anyway. Her damp skin tasted sweet as I sucked and
nipped along every inch of flesh. Noticing Bailey reaching for
something, I didn’t care if she took a gun and ended me that very
moment. She was my salvation and I couldn’t stop.

Music began to play, but I didn’t recognize
it as Skynyrd until I lifted her hips and enjoyed a taste of her
wet pussy.

“
Oh, shit,” Bailey
moaned.

I might have laughed at her frenzied voice
if I wasn’t busy devouring her warm flesh. When Bailey’s hips
squirmed wildly as I sucked her clit, I held her still and forced
her over the edge. She cried out my name like she was falling. I
heard panic and pleasure wrapped in one word.

Long after Bailey’s breathing slowed, I
explored between her legs, teasing and tasting. My fingers plunged
inside her then I used the wetness to test her anus. As I played,
Bailey murmured something and her body remained limp. She only
squirmed when I nibbled at the spot behind her knee.

Crawling over her, I teased her pussy with
my cock. “I’ve only done that once before,” I said, leaning down to
kiss her hard nipple. “Did I do it right?”

“
Huh?” she muttered as if
stoned from a too powerful orgasm.

“
I’ll take that as a
yes.”

Bailey smiled. “Yes.”

“
More?”

Her smile grew. “Much more. Until we can’t
think of anything else.”

Grinning, I leaned forward and my cock
opened her pussy until I filled her.

“
I see you,” she said,
holding onto my forearms as I fucked her harder. “And you’re
perfect.”

I could only smile as I moved faster and
deeper until her expression shifted. I knew she was close and I
needed her to come apart.

The look on Bailey’s face as she came sent a
shudder through me. I’d never created anything beautiful in my
life. My claim to fame was taking a punch. I was often complimented
on my dragon tattoo, but that wasn’t my design or talent. With
Bailey’s pleasure, I accomplished something divine.

“
Nick,” she said again and
again until my lips met hers and silenced her with a
kiss.

Her arms wrapped around me and didn’t let go
until I came hard too. More intense than anything before, I was
losing control. As if every level of protection I’d built up over
the years threatened to fall in this moment.

Wanting to pull away, I need to guard myself
from possible rejection and pain. Bailey refused to let me go. Her
grip remained possessive even after I rested next to her.

“
You can’t know how good
that was,” she whispered, nipping at my lips.

“
I do know.”

Bailey frowned at my tone. “Are you
upset?”

“
No,” I said, feeling dirty
again.

The storm still going strong, I flinched at
the lightning and thunder. Edgy again, I needed away from Bailey
until I felt clean. As if sensing I wanted away from her, she
wrapped herself tighter around me.

“
Don’t leave,” she whined.
“Guys always leave afterwards and I hate that. Even when I hate
them, I don’t like getting ditched. If you leave, it’ll break my
heart.”

“
I’m not leaving,” I said,
wiggling free.

“
Why are you pulling away?”
she mumbled, struggling against me. “Damn boobs are in the way.
Don’t go.”

“
Bailey,” I said, finally
twisting around and breaking free, “I’m not leaving, but I need to
breathe.”

“
No.”

Bracing her wrists over her head, I kissed
Bailey hard until she stopped squirming. When she was docile, I
softened my kiss and said, “I’m not leaving.”

“
You want to
though.”

“
No.”

“
What do you want? I know
you don’t want to cuddle.”

Sighing, I glanced at the bathroom then back
at her. She looked delicious with her tits jutting towards me and I
was hungry for those hard nipples. Even aroused, I felt dirty next
to Bailey’s perfection.

“
I need a shower,” I
confessed. “It’s not you.”

“
I know. I’m
amazing.”

As I grinned, my gaze rolled over her sweaty
body. “I want you,” I whispered, biting my lip to keep from
lowering my mouth to her closest nipple.

“
You can have them both,”
she said and I thought she meant her tits. “A shower and me. Let’s
just take our fun back under the water.”

Releasing her wrists, I sat up. “I don’t
know why I didn’t think of that.”

“
My hot body distracted
you,” she said, jumping up and running to the bathroom. I found her
standing in front of the mirror. “I don’t blame you. These boobs
are to die for.”

Pressing my body against hers, my hands
covered those lovely boobs and I found her gaze in the mirror.

“
I want to be like normal
guys, but this is the best I can do.”

Bailey turned around and lowered my forehead
to hers. “Normal guys eat shit. You be you and I’ll be happy as
long as you stay with me.”

Grinning, I reached over and turned on the
water. “I’m not going anywhere,” I promised, kissing her as I
lifted her up against me. Soon, the water washed away my past while
Bailey kept me pleasured in the present.

The storm intensified until the apartment
felt under attack. Staring at the ceiling, Nick rested perfectly
still next to me. I watched him for a long time without saying
anything. A part of me was afraid to upset him. Finally, I couldn’t
keep my mouth shut any longer.

“
You’re not in that
trailer,” I said, scooting closer.

“
I know.”

“
You’re safe.”

Nick nodded without looking at me.

“
Do you want to take a
shower?”

“
No.”

“
Can I do anything besides
shut up?”

Nick smiled tightly and reached for my hand.
He placed it on his chest and sighed.

“
I feel… I just need to
wait out the storm. You don’t need to stay up and wait with
me.”

“
Are you hot?” I asked,
thinking about him trapped in the closet during a storm. “Want me
to put on the ceiling fan?”

Nick didn’t react for nearly a minute.
Finally, he glanced at me in the dark room.

“
That might help
actually.”

Feeling brilliant, I jumped up and reached
for the fan remote. After turning it up to high, I returned to bed.
We rested quietly as I built up the courage to ask the question I’d
been circling for a while.

“
Is your dad a
smoker?”

His gaze locked on the ceiling, Nick didn’t
react except to say, “Yes.”

“
Is that how you got the
scars?”

“
Some of them,” Nick
whispered. “Cigarettes and lighters were his favorites. He also
played baseball and used metal cleats when he was drunk. He was
just being careful, you know? He didn’t want to burn down the
trailer while punishing me for his shitty life.”

“
Nick…” I said, finding no
magical words to fix his pain.

“
You can get used to the
physical stuff. The mind learns to work around it, but I never
figured out how to deal with thunderstorms. Isn’t that funny?” he
asked without any humor.

“
You are so brave,” I said,
wanting to touch him, but holding back. “You were raised by a
monster, but you grew up to have honor.”

“
I’d rather be
normal.”

“
Average is lame, Nick.
You’re extraordinary.”

Nick tried to smile, but failed. “The tattoo
hides many of the scars, but not enough.”

“
I think you’re
beautiful.”

“
Despite the
scars.”

Frowning, I sighed. “Not despite. Everything
about you is beautiful to me.”

Nick nodded. “People keep telling me you’re
wild or rude or whatever. I don’t see it the way they do. I guess
the heart makes us blind to things too. I only see how funny and
strong you are.”

“
I want to touch
you.”

“
Please don’t.”

“
I won’t, but I want
to.”

His eyelids growing heavy, Nick smiled
slightly. “You hide your sweetness behind that big mouth, but I
always knew it was there.”

Sharing his smile, I cuddled closer, but
avoided touching him. Dozing off and on, I found Nick awake each
time I opened my eyes. Finally around three, I woke long enough to
find him sleeping.

Nick was still asleep hours later when the
bright sun streamed into the bedroom. I left him looking sexy and
serene. Twice while making coffee, I returned to stare in awe at
his buck naked wonder. I suspected at one point Nick was dreaming
about me because his cock thickened. At least, I hoped he was
thinking of me. Yeah, it was probably me. Nick wouldn’t cheat, not
even in his dreams.

Mom showed up as I sat down for my first cup
of coffee. She placed a pile of clothes on the counter and joined
me at the little table.

“
Brought your brothers’
sweats and shirts that should fit Nick. I know he didn’t have
anything to wear and I sensed he didn’t want to leave
you.”

“
I hope he never does,” I
whispered, giggling like crazy.

Messing with my hair, Mom grinned. “I guess
you’re feeling better.”

“
A little tired, but that
could be from something else.”

Mom rolled her eyes. “Be nice to that boy,
Bailey. He’s skittish like a dog kicked around for too long. If you
push him too hard, he’ll run or bite.”

“
I am gentle,” I balked as
if my kindness was a world renowned fact. “I helped him with his
fear of thunderstorms. I helped him get over his fear of doing me.
I was great.”

“
Doing you. Very romantic.
Please use that term when telling this story to your
pop.”

I glanced back at the bedroom. “Will Pop be
mean to Nick? He’s got dad issues.”

“
And mom issues and girl
issues. Does the boy even have friends?”

“
Nick gets along with
everyone.”

Mom lit a cigarette and frowned at me. “But
does he have a good friend?”

“
No, but who
cares?”

“
Even Tucker has a best
friend.”

“
Joey is in
prison.”

Mom shrugged. “Still counts.”

“
Maybe I’ll be Nick’s best
friend.”

“
Sure and your pop and I go
do girlfriend shit together all the time. Bailey, he needs male
friends. I’ll make your brothers bond with him.”

“
Poor Nick. Can’t we give
him a decent fake friend? Vaughn is funny.”