Beautifully Damaged

by Gina Sevani

  "Nowhere, I'm right where I need to be."

  "I didn't mean to make you cry baby." He kissed the tears on the corner of each eye.

  "I use to wonder if love is worth fighting for; it can bring so much pain Damon."

  A look of utter defeat flashed over his eyes and when he tried to pry his eyes away from mine, I reached up, caressed his face to get him to look back at me.

  "But when I look at you, I know in my heart that I'm ready for this war."

  His eyes and smile could light up the entire universe.

  "All's fair in love and war, Juliet."

  "Yeah… I've heard that before, which do you think this is?

  Damon licked his lips before leaning in to take mine. Then he bit gently on my lower lip to gain entrance. He pulled back, his eyes pierced mine.

  "Both," he whispered.

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  "OH, SHIT! MY GRAMS IS PROBABLY freaking. I have to call her." I tried to push him off of me and he started laughing uncontrollably.

  "What the hell are you laughing at?"

  "I'm laughing instead of crying. I can't believe in a heated, naked, make out session you're thinking of your grams."

  "Awww, I hurt your pride, I'm sorry babe." I took his hand and bravely placed it where the ache was that only he could dissipate. "See that's what your heated, naked, make out session caused."

  His eyes went wide.

  "But first, you need to remove yourself from me so I can check in with my grandmother."

  "I guess I should have said this earlier, but I got sidetracked with all your sexiness. I called your grams last night."

  "What in the world did you say?"

  "Ummm… well, you see."

  "Spit it out Damon."

  "Your grams is scary as hell, so the lie I was going to tell somehow turned into the truth." He winced.

  I groaned and buried my face into the pillow beside me.

  "Oh yeah, there's one more thing."

  "What?" I snapped.

  A playful smile spread over his face. "She wants us to come see her." He was obviously trying to lighten the blow, but it didn't work.

  "Us, as in you and me?"

  "Yeah, I'm pretty sure that's what she meant, rocket scientist."

  "Smart ass. Why are you still on me?" I teased him but I'd no desire for him to move anytime soon, pretty sure I could have stayed like that forever.

  "It's my favorite place to be."

  Damon rotated his hips and caused my own to automatically push up against him.

  "You sure you want me to move?"

  "Pretty sure, if you plan on moving just like that."

  "Who is the smart ass now?" He laughed and pulled away from me.

  "Where are you going?" I whined.

  "To take another shower, and no you can't come with me."

  "They say showering together saves time and water, it's good for the environment Damon."

  He just shook his head no at me and stared at the clock with an expression like he wished he could change the time it read. "Yeah, well 'they' haven't ever showered with you next to them." He scratched the back of his head. "Besides we have forty-five minutes and my life just got a whole hell of a lot better today. I don't want my life to end, and your grams threatened it."

  I wasn't worried. Grams was all bark… mostly.

  I stood and let the sheet drop from my body then turned around so that my back faced him and pulled all of my hair to the side. I sent what I hoped was a sultry look over my shoulder.

  "How exactly did I crawl up your bed last night, was it something like this?"

  I saw his throat and fists tighten as he took a step toward me but stopped.

  So much control.

  He rubbed at the day-old stubble on his face as his eyes narrowed in on me.

  "You're playing with fire," he warned.

  "Maybe I like the burn." I placed one knee on the bed and hoped that I was doing it right. My ass was in the air, my back arched but before I could get on all fours I felt his hand. It stroked my ass before he gripped it tight. He gave me a little squeeze before he jerked me straight against his hips.

  Goodness gracious.

  "You have a sexy ass, Ariel."

  He squeezed me once more and then smacked the hell out of me; I heard the noise a second before the pain kicked in.

  "Ouch!" My single scream had turned into a low moan. I didn't even know I was capable of the sound my mouth released. Damon tenderly massaged and stroked the exact spot he hit. It was painful… pleasurable. The pleasure won.

  He uttered a curse.

  "You spanked me."

  "You practically begged for it, baby."

  "I did no such thing." I wiggled against him.

  His hands were on my hips as they pulled me against him.

  "Mmmm. Talking back, maybe you need another."

  I threw my face into the pillow and tried to stop the noise that I released from being so turned on. My cruel man laughed at me. I jerked away and crawled from him to the opposite side of the bed. I placed my hands on my hips and sent him a death glare. "I think you like torturing me."

  He licked his lips as his gaze fell over me.

  "Bitter… sweet… fucking… torture." His hand squeezed himself and I couldn't look away. I mean, I told myself I needed to look away and then I thought why the hell should I. He was mine.

  "Eyes up here, sweetheart."

  "Bite me!"

  "Gladly."

  I huffed and stormed past him before I attacked him sexually or clawed his eyes out. I was showering first. I really didn't want to wash his scent off of me. I locked the door once I was inside just for kicks and giggles. He would be fuming mad, and for some reason that made me laugh.

  Before I could turn the shower on I heard him trying to turn the knob.

  "Ariel. Open the door, baby."

  "Don't baby me."

  A heavy thud on the door made me jump. Was that his head?

  "Is this our first fight?" He laughed.

  "Nope, we fight all the time."

  "That's true. Now, you wanna let me in?"

  "Getting in the shower now, I can't hear you."

  "You do realize you're locking me out of my own bathroom, right?"

  "What's your point?"

  "Nothing, just making sure."

  I went about my shower singing softly to different songs and I realized, for the first time, I'd chosen all happy songs to sing and that brought a huge smile to my face.

  "Your voice is amazing," Damon said from behind me.

  Shiiit!

  "OHMYGOD!" I dropped the body wash and slapped a hand against my chest. His shower door must not squeak at all.

  "Whoa, baby, you okay?" He laughed deeply.

  "You have got to stop doing that!" I slapped his chest. He grabbed my wrist and pulled me against his body where my palms were laid flat on his taut pecs.

  "I'm sorry, I don't do it on purpose, I promise."

  "Lock picking one of your many talents?"

  "If I want you, Ariel, nothing will stand in my way." His voice was serious.

  Unsure exactly how to respond to that, I slipped from his embrace and returned to washing my own body. After the shower, I slid on his soft cotton pajamas pants and shirt. I had to roll the pants up to make them fit. Somehow we managed to leave the house on time.

  THE DRIVE HOME TOOK us no time. I would like to say I wasn't worried about him coming over, but part of me knew I should be. Grams could be a little unpredictable at times. Damon hadn't said much since we got in his car. He might be a confident, charming bad ass, and not much scared him, but I could tell he was a little nervous.

  "You've already met my grams, why do you look scared?"

  He reached for his shades and placed them over his eyes.

  Clever.

  "I'm not worried."

  "You are."

  "Has it always been you and your grams, you don't ever talk about anyone else?"

  "
No." I could literally feel my heart squeeze and the sides of the vehicle started to cave in. Please, I prayed silently for him not to ask any more questions.

  "It's just, I know she means a lot to you. I need her to like me. I've never really cared if anyone liked me before."

  "What about me?" I acted like I was hurt.

  His head turned to me and although I couldn't see his eyes, that was okay.

  "I need you to love me, Ariel."

  Holy shit.

  Who knew he could be so deep, raw, and passionate. I didn't think it was possible but he rendered me speechless all of the time. I just wished I could portray my feelings as easily as he could.

  "I wish I could tell you everything I feel," I whispered.

  "One day you will."

  I turned to watch the scenery. I didn't really see anything because thoughts of him and my past clouded my vision.

  "I'm scared it's not enough for you."

  His hand reached for and found mine.

  "Do this for me, answer these questions. All you have to say is yes or no."

  Seemed easy enough, so I nodded.

  "Do you want to be with me and only me?"

  "Yes, I do."

  "When you're in bed all alone at night and you close your eyes, is it me you think of?"

  I inhaled and exhaled a deep breath. Who knew just saying one word could be so hard? "Yes."

  "Is it me that you want to give your heart, soul, and body too? Do you want anyone else to make love to you, or will I own all of those treasures?"

  It seemed like all I did was cry around him. They weren't bad or sad tears, they were just tears. I didn't know how to even begin to describe the feelings he brought forth.

  "Damon, I need you to know something. I may not be able to express the way I feel, but you already own every part of me." I struggled to get the words out.

  The car swerved as he pulled over. He put on the emergency flashers and threw the car in neutral.

  I still hadn't looked toward him, just kept my gaze fixated on one of the nearby trees.

  "I need you to look at me," he said softly.

  I continued gazing out my window. "We're gonna be late."

  "Damn it, Ariel look at me."

  Heaving a sigh, I reluctantly did as he asked. At some point in our conversation, he'd thrown off his shades, and his gaze was misty-eyed.

  "I already knew how you felt. I didn't need to hear you admit anything. I could feel your walls crumble the more you let me in. I've felt your heart against my own. I've watched your body come beautifully undone. There is no doubt in my mind where you belong. It's with me, Ariel. So just know I don't need you to say anything. One look from you tells me everything I need to know."

  I cried, and he pulled me into a tight embrace as he wrapped his arms around me. He held me for a few minutes; neither of us spoke.

  "Besides, it's how I knew I stood a fighting chance."

  I pulled back to look at him, he smirked, and tried to lighten the mood. He knew me oh so well.

  "Yeah, how so, Romeo?"

  "Because I see you!"

  I smiled at the same time he pressed his lips against mine. I craved everything about him. I tried so hard not to have any feelings for him. I think the harder I tried not to feel, the harder I actually fell.

  WE STOPPED TO PICK up my truck from Dalton's. Damon pulled in behind me in our short driveway, and he was already at my truck holding the door open for me before I could even reach over for my purse. I loved the way he made me feel like I was the most precious thing in the world to him. Grams met us at the door wearing a cheerfully sly smile, holding two glasses of lemonade. Immediately my guard went up.

  "Here ya go, meet me in the kitchen, kiddos."

  I leaned in and whispered to Damon, "She's up to something, you're officially warned."

  "Should I make a run for it or stay? I think I can take her." He winked at me, and I fell a little more, if that was possible. I would be so amazingly complete if only I had my family with me. I glanced quickly around the walls in the hallway at all the family pictures and noticed Damon's eyes cast a glance or two as well. I led the way with Damon one step behind me. Once I reached the kitchen I saw what the old bat had laid out on the kitchen island and it caused me to gasp and stop. Damon ran directly into the back of me.

  "Whoa, baby."

  "Grams please tell me I'm seeing things. Wait, I'm going to close my eyes and when I open them all of that will disappear." I waved to all the items.

  "What is it, Ariel?" Damon laughed.

  I didn't bother to answer him because right at the time he asked he looked over my shoulder and saw what mine had already been tortured by. I heard his sharp intake of breath.

  "I'm just seeing things, right Damon?"

  "Wrong." I could hear the humor in his voice. How could he have thought that was actually funny?

  When I opened my eyes Grams was standing on the opposite side of the kitchen island from us like she was on The Price is Right with all of her items laid out perfectly on display in front of her.

  "Grams, really?"

  "Ariel, humor me dear. Okay first things first." She threw the box of condoms toward Damon. He caught it one-handed.

  "GRAMS!" I screamed.

  Grams praised him. "Nice catch."

  "Are we really going to do this, Grams?" She ignored me.

  "You know how to use those, son?"

  His mouth twitched into an almost-smile. "No disrespect, but is that a trick question?"

  "I think I like him," Grams said.

  Did I wake up in a freaking nightmare?

  "Ma'am, do you mind if we sit at the table, I think Ariel might pass out any second now." Jerk might have been worried about me. I sensed a little concern and a whole hell of a lot of humor in his voice.

  "Sure thing, sweetie."

  Damon pulled out a chair for me from our kitchen table, grabbed another, and placed it right beside mine. I was furious with my grams. I was usually all up for her shenanigans but what she had done was extreme and humiliating.

  "Carry on, let's get this over with." I sighed.

  She actually made up some type of drawings, two copies of course. I noticed as she passed them out. Damon couldn't hold back his laughter. I however still tried to figure out what the hell it was that I was looking at until Damon flipped my drawing around.

  "IVELEEN, have you lost your mind?"

  "Just making sure you know the basics, besides that saves some of the birds and the bee's speech, darling."

  "Yeah, pretty sure we're both way past the age of needing to hear this, but please take your time in my slow, agonizing torture."

  "Any questions so far?" She aimed her question toward Damon.

  "No, ma'am." He bit into his bottom lip as he tried to keep from smiling.

  She then held up a pregnancy booklet and an STD pamphlet while she went over a few fine details. I gripped the chair so tight I thought I would have broken every nail. But I didn't want to strangle the woman I loved and admired so much.

  "I read this is popular with couples but I don't know much about it, I saw it on a commercial too." She held her hands up and dangled a box of his and her KY.

  I'd had enough… I jumped out of my chair and interrupted her speech.

  "Okay, STOP! Grams, where did you get this stuff?"

  "I asked Henry for it at the drug store, why?"

  A light bulb went off! "And did Henry ask why you needed all of this, Grams?"

  "GRAMS?"

  "He didn't ask." She shrugged her tiny shoulders. I had another wicked thought, just to mess with her and I hoped it would work.

  "So he probably thinks it's yours."

  Her smile dropped. "What?" She screamed in shock. "No… no way. I'm elderly."

  "Elderly people don't have sex?" I asked.

  "Well, of course they do."

  "Exactly so… yeah he thinks it's yours. I'll need to go visit him just so he knows for certain that you're bei
ng S.A.F.E. He cares about you."

  She threw her hand over her mouth as her eyes bugged out.

  "Ariel, you wouldn't?"

  "Ah Grams, I think we both know I would." I returned to my seat, unable to wipe the smirk off my face even if I wanted to. I crossed my arms and relaxed in my chair like a BOSS and waited to see how she would recover.

  "I love your grams and that was cruel, Ariel," Damon said.

  "Pssh."

  "Show's almost over, folks," Grams said. She got control over herself; though she obviously was concerned about the Henry situation. It was written all over her face. I tried to hide my giggle.

  Grams slid her sex junk to one side of the island in preparation for her next act. I couldn't believe this was happening. She placed one bouncing ball about the size of her hand on the countertop and pointed toward Damon.

  Damon's thumb caressed my hand.

  We had no clue where she was going with that. However, once she reached for the second ball I got it because I knew how her crazy mind worked. Once she reached for a large knife, so did Damon. His grip tightened and all of the humor was wiped clean from his face.

  "Damon, I think I like you. I don't ever want to hunt you down. You're almost too pretty to hurt. Almost being the key word there. Don't ever hurt my Ariel." She pointed the knife at him then slammed it down into one of the balls and the air got sucked out loudly. The ball instantly deflated.

  "Do you understand?" She pointed the knife and waited for his reply.

  He dropped my hand then rubbed his palms up and down on his jeans.

  Damon cleared his throat. "Yes ma'am, very clearly."

  "Good. Besides you see how easy it would be. I could have put poison in your drink. By now you would already be on the verge of passing out, and then I would tie you up, once you were fully passed out of course, and well, the rest would be history."

  She smiled and walked out of the kitchen.

  "I'm going to check the mail," she shouted.

  I was the one bent over laughing now and Damon glared directly at me.

  "Wow, are you perspiring?" I wiped at his forehead.

  "No," he said.

  "You still love her now that she threatened to stab you in the balls?" I laughed even harder.

  Damon wrinkled his forehead in deep concentration. "Yeah, I think she's crazy, unpredictable, and pretty damn amazing. Like you."