Damaged and the Dragon (6 page)

“
I’m tired.”

“
When guys say they’re
tired, it’s a lie.”

“
I’m not a guy. I’m me and
I’ve wanted you for a year. Fuck, I’ve been waiting for you since
before Christmas. You act like your feelings are so much better,
but how long have you been waiting for me?”

“
I thought you wanted
Farah.”

“
You thought wrong,” I
said, walking to my Harley.

“
I’ve been waiting too,”
she cried, following me. “Not as long, but I haven’t been with
anyone for months. I wanted you.”

I turned her and sighed. “You want
everything this very fucking second. If I don’t hump you in public,
I don’t want you. If I don’t want to fuck on the first date, I
don’t want you. If I don’t treat you like a bang and hang girl, I
don’t want you. Have you ever had a real relationship?”

Bailey shook her head.

“
Neither have I, but I’ve
fucked random girls. Is that how I’m supposed to treat you? Like
you’re just anyone because I assumed you wanted this to be
more.”

Bailey frowned at me and I waited for her to
yell or storm off. Instead, she burst into tears.

A part of me panicked and wanted to run away
from her emotions. I didn’t know how to handle this shit. All my
life, I did the superficial nice guy stuff. The deeper personal
connection thing wasn’t me. I had no experience and was lost as she
sobbed in front of me.

Even wanting an escape, I didn’t run because
she was mine. Wrapping her into my arms, I caressed her hair.

“
Don’t cry,” I whispered.
“I didn’t mean to get so pissed off. I just don’t understand how
you can think I don’t want you.”

Bailey looked up at me and wiped her eyes.
“Guys always bail on me and I’m scared you will too.”

“
I’m not other guys,” I
said slowly. “I’m not looking to fuck you and walk away. I want
something special because you’re special to me.”

Bailey smiled. “I have been waiting for you
and thinking about how it would be. Maybe I planned it out too much
in my head. Whenever it doesn’t work like I expect, I feel
rejected.”

Wiping her wet cheeks, I leaned down and
kissed her softly.

“
I really do need to crash
early, but wanna go for a quick ride first? Just to enjoy the cool
evening.”

“
Yes, please.”

Studying Bailey’s damp face, I realized how
young she was. We were the same age, but she grew up protected from
the world by her powerful and loving family.

I kissed her gently again. The affection
lacked the heat of earlier, yet somehow felt more intense. With our
walls lowered, Bailey was real to me in a way she hadn’t been
before.

We drove around town for a half hour. The
direction we went didn’t matter. It was about being close and
together. Though I had dreamed of Bailey for a year, I realized I
wasn’t really ready for her. She needed intimacy I wasn’t capable
of yet. When we said our goodbyes at her SUV, I ached for space
while Bailey wanted to glue us together for the night.

Driving home, I wished life was as easy as
putting on a show for people. Smiling and saying the right things
were easy for superficial relationships. With Bailey, I needed to
let her in, but I wasn’t there yet.

Growing up, I adored Tucker’s stupidity. He
was always jumping off things or shoving his head into small spaces
and getting stuck. More than entertaining, my big brother was also
protective. When I was ten and stung by a wasp, he declared
vengeance and chased after it. How could I not love such
dedication?

Sometimes I couldn’t believe Tucker was
responsible for his child’s wellbeing. Despite his new found
maturity, he was still my stupid bro and I found him dancing with
Maddy in front of the bakery. After parking my SUV, I joined my
brother who was dipping his woman backwards.

“
I’m fucking suave,” he
announced me.

Rolling my eyes, I smiled. “Sure,
fuckwad.”

Tucker lifted a giggling Maddy into his arms
where she remained.

“
Are you joining us for all
of the wedding appointments,” I asked him, “because I don’t think
I’m coming then?”

Looking horrified, Tucker shook his head.
“I’m not doing the flowers and dresses and stuff like that. Hell
no,” he said then his eyes lit up. “This is a cake testing
appointment though. Cake, Bailey.”

Grinning, I glanced down the street at the
approaching Harleys. Judd and Tawny pulled to the curb when they
reached us. She parked her new black Harley, looking badass
climbing off. Judd remained on his idling bike until she gave him a
long sloppy goodbye kiss.

“
Later, babe,” he said in
that low rough voice of his.

Tawny watched Judd roar away then shuddered.
“I miss him already.”

“
Puke,” I muttered, pulling
her away from the horny moment and into the bakery. “Today isn’t
about your vagina. It’s about my brother and his
vagina.”

“
You’re a poet,” Tawny
said, wrapping an arm around my shoulders. “How did the date with
Nick go?” When I didn’t answer immediately, she frowned. “What did
you do?”

“
Nothing,” I balked,
noticing Maddy and Tucker also judging me. “I was perfect. Fuck you
for not assuming the best in me.”

“
So did you two break up?”
Tucker asked while Maddy spoke with the bakery owner.

“
No. He is totally into
me.”

“
Sure, B. Hey, I think I
have a guy for you. He works at the gas station, but has good
teeth.”

Even with me glaring at him, Tucker was too
dumb to know I was angry unless I screamed or incited violence. He
just smiled at me.

“
Good head of hair too,” he
added, thinking I was on the fence with the gas station
guy.

“
I’m with Nick.”

“
Still? Isn’t two dates
your maximum before a guy runs?”

“
I’m going to hurt you,
Tucker,” I hissed and his smile widened. “It’s not
funny.”

“
It’s a little
funny.”

Glancing at Tawny, I found her snickering.
“It really is. Your hissing always makes me laugh.”

“
Whatever. Nick likes me
and I’m his first choice and you guys suck and are
jealous.”

“
Yes, the whole world weeps
in jealousy over you,” Tawny said, sitting down at a table as the
baker carried out samples of red velvet, chocolate, and a white
cake that tasted like my ass.

“
That one tastes like my
ass,” I pointed out helpfully.

“
How would you know what
your ass tastes like?” Tucker asked, genuinely
concerned.

Ignoring him, I focused on Maddy with her
bright eyes and bouncing blonde ponytail. “I thought you were going
redneck chic. Shouldn’t your cake be Twinkies or something?”

“
Not that redneck. Though I
do feel like these are rather hoity-toity.”

“
Totally real words,” Tawny
said, wiping her mouth. “The vanilla does taste a bit like ass.
Can’t be sure if it matches Bailey’s ass flavor, but it’s
definitely in the ass category.”

“
Thank you,” I said, taking
any compliment or agreement I could get.

The baker ignored our ass comments and
brought more samples. Through the tasting, Tucker struggled not to
eat every piece. Watching him eyeballing the food, I smiled at how
the fucker was always hungry. Just like Nick.

“
Do you like Nick?” I asked
Tucker who licked his spoon.

“
He’s a good guy. Saw him
giving pointers to one of the new fighters. A young loser who was
actually going to fight Nick. I thought your boy was an idiot to
help the guy beat him. Of course, the guy didn’t beat him, but he
did go out looking less like a loser.”

“
Nick is sweet.”

“
Get a room,” Tawny said,
handing me a tiny plate with another tasting. “I like Nick because
he took on all those guys at the frat party. I love when men are
brave.”

Knowing what was coming next, I waited for
her to finish.

“
Judd is brave like
that.”

“
I swear he fucked your
brains out,” I said when she got dreamy-eyed next to me. “Not that
you were a genius to begin with.”

Tucker laughed too hard, causing Maddy to
laugh. They were nuts together. It was pretty romantic. I wanted to
be nuts with Nick.

“
I like the carrot cake,”
Maddy announced and Tucker nodded.

“
Fucking hillbillies,” I
muttered. “We really do love our carrot cake.”

Once the flavor was decided, Tucker and
Maddy focused on how big the cake should be and any decorative
touches. I ignored those parts and daydreamed about Nick.

“
Do you think Nick could be
the one?” Tawny asked.

“
Hell yeah. He’s going to
be my
Free Bird
fuck. I just know it.”

“
Is this a real thing or
some stupid shit you made up?”

“
Both,” I said and she
grinned. “
Free Bird
is the best song ever. When I was a teenager, I had a really
hot horny dream about fucking a guy while
Free Bird
played. No real guy has
ever been worthy of the song, but Nick will be. I just know
it.”

Nodding, Tawny turned my sex dream into an
excuse to imagine Judd naked. I recognized the look on her face and
also knew Judd had a matching one. One day, I hoped to share a
ridiculous love struck/horny expression with Nick that people would
mock.

Working hard in the gym, I remained lost in
my thoughts. Bailey was at my fingertips, but I could still lose
her. Needing to be smart and strong, I instead was afraid if she
saw the real me I’d lose her forever. Of course, if I hid my
weaknesses, she would fall for a lie. Fucked either way, I punched
the bag harder until my hands were numb.

“
Want me hold the bag?”
Cooper said from behind me.

Never slowing my punches, I muttered, “Not
really.”

Cooper took the bag like I knew he would and
held it still. “We should talk.”

“
Then talk.”

“
You’re into my sister,” he
said then continued after I remained quiet, “You were into my girl.
You seem to have a thing for my stuff.”

“
I’m telling Bailey you
said she’s your stuff,” I grunted, punching harder. “I suspect
she’ll kick you in the balls.”

“
She thinks she’s your
second choice.”

“
I know, but she’s
wrong.”

“
You wanted
Farah.”

“
I liked Farah. She was my
second choice. I wanted Bailey.”

Cooper said nothing while I pounded on the
bag. Finally, he shoved it back at me. “Why did you fuck with me
that day if you didn’t want Farah?”

“
Because you’re an asshole
and I don’t back down to assholes,” I said, taking a break. I
grabbed my bottle of water and downed half of it. When I looked
back at Cooper, he was frowning in a weird way. “Wait, did you not
know you were an asshole? I just assumed someone must have
mentioned it before.”

Cooper rolled his dark eyes. “You’re an
idiot. I could have killed you that day.”

“
So?”

“
So you would have died for
a chick you didn’t want.”

“
No, I would have died
standing up to an asshole.”

“
I saw you always looking
at Farah.”

“
She seemed overwhelmed by
college. I was looking out for her. She’s hot, but she’s not
Bailey.”

Cooper clearly wasn’t convinced. “If you
wanted Bailey, why wait so long? I think you’re full of shit.”

“
Because you’re an asshole.
Guys like you have shit handed to them. Guys like me have to work
for what we want.”

“
And you want
Bailey.”

“
She’s mine. I just haven’t
sealed the deal yet. If you want to fight for her, fine. I should
warn you that I’m stronger than I was last year. It’ll take more to
beat me.”

Cooper grinned. “You hurt my sister and I
won’t kick your ass, Nick. I’ll feed you to my fucking dogs.”

“
Fair enough. Did you want
something else?”

Cooper sat on a bench and scratched at the
stubble on his chin. “You get that Bailey comes with baggage, don’t
you? And I don’t mean her insecurities and big mouth. I mean our
family and what that includes.”

Stretching my arms over my head, I thought
about what he meant. If Bailey had one flaw, it was her family’s
business. I spent my whole life wanting to live a clean respectable
life. No crime. No drugs. Just a solid life where the only crime
was working to pay the least amount of taxes without having the IRS
harass me.

“
Bailey’s baggage is a
necessary evil,” I said, moving to the speedbag.

“
You really looking to be a
teacher?”

“
Yeah.”

“
There are other options if
you and Bailey work out.”

“
I don’t want another
option,” I said, glaring at him. “I want Bailey and I want to
teach. Those are my only options.”

“
Why teach? Did you have a
teacher that made you feel special as a kid?”

Ignoring him, I hit the bag harder. Cooper
walked to me and I waited for him to make a move. He only leaned
against the wall and crossed his arms.