Damaged!: A Walker Brothers Novel: (The Walker Brothers Book 3)

by J. S. Scott

  In full makeup, with my scars hidden, men had come on to me occasionally, but nobody had ever understood me or accepted that I was flawed.

  None of them had known me at all.

  Dane really did see me.

  But he still wanted me—regardless of the marks on my body.

  And the sensation was intoxicating.

  “I want to touch you,” I whimpered, frustrated with any kind of material that separated us.

  “Goddammit, Kenzie. I want to take this slow. I can’t do that when you’re touching me.”

  And I wanted it wild and passionate. With Dane, there was no other way.

  I let out a short squeal as he picked me up and carried me to a couch in a small sitting area in the corner of the room. He stopped at the door on the way, and flipped the lock, preserving our privacy.

  A small portion of my brain was trying to make sense out of what was happening, but it was drowned out by the carnal desire that was causing my body to pulsate in anticipation.

  He lowered me onto the couch, and then quickly stepped out of his jeans and boxer briefs, tossing them to the side as he crouched next to me. “I want more,” he said darkly. “I need you to forget anything but me.”

  Like I could think about anything else when he was touching me? That would never be an issue.

  I was already primed and ready, but the moment Dane trailed his hands over my body, and then lowered his head to suck on a diamond-hard, ultra-sensitive nipple, I was completely lost.

  I did forget everything else but the feel of his hot mouth on my breasts, and his hand delving between my thighs.

  “Touch me,” I pleaded, letting my legs part to let him in.

  “I’m taking my time, baby,” he said, his teeth clenched from holding back. “I’m not rushing this.”

  I released a short moan, knowing I wasn’t going to get the instant gratification I craved.

  My head fell back against the pillow, and my back arched as Dane swooped down to catch my other breast, the intensity of his grip on my nipple nearly unbearable. The sting of his insistent nips landing right between my quivering thighs.

  It was hard to miss the sharp intake of his breath as his fingers brushed against my pussy, and then found entrance only to be greeted by the wet heat that was waiting for him.

  “Christ! You’re so fucking wet, Kenzie,” he said in a harsh tone.

  “I can’t help it,” I said, barely recognizing my desperate cry.

  “I don’t want you to help it. I want you just like this.”

  I wasn’t even going to pretend to know exactly what he wanted. Dane was overwhelming every one of my senses, and I couldn’t really put two thoughts together.

  I knew I was completely gone when he stroked a finger through my drenched folds, and it glided over my clit.

  I was lost, and I wasn’t sure whether I’d ever find myself again.

  At that moment, I didn’t even care.

  All I wanted was him, and to hell with the consequences.

  CHAPTER 19

  Dane

  ONE YEAR AGO…

  “Do you really think anybody would want you?” Britney said with an evil laugh. “You’re scarred. You dress like some kind of transient. You’re pathetic next to your brother, Trace.”

  I’d known, even while I was in Denver, that Britney was going to eventually arrive on the island to pick up her clothes. We’d parted in Denver, but there was no way she was going to give up her expensive wardrobe I’d funded, or the other things I’d given her. I’d just hoped that it would take a while for her to perform that particular errand.

  But it hadn’t.

  She’d arrived in the Cay the same day that I’d gotten back from the holidays in Colorado.

  Now that her things were packed up and ready to go, I knew I wasn’t going to be able to avoid her. If I tried, she’d find me.

  “It’s over, Britney. Just go.”

  Unfortunately, she’d already hunted me down until she discovered me in my studio. I had no idea why she needed to tear me down just because I wasn’t Trace.

  Hell, I’d known that she never really wanted me. I’d just paid for the privilege of using her body, and the price had been pretty damn high. But I’d craved human contact. I’d been perfectly aware that she’d been using me for my money. I just hadn’t quite comprehended that she was using me to get back at my brother, Trace, for dumping her.

  Had she really thought that my brother would take her back? Britney was a viper, and I was glad Trace had Eva now. What I’d never really understood was why my sibling had been taken in by Britney’s false charm in the first place.

  “Oh, I’m leaving,” she said vehemently. “I just wanted you to know how much I hated every fuck with you.”

  “Why?” I asked nonchalantly. Not that I really cared, but it seemed like the obvious thing to ask.

  She elaborated. “I suffered through it every single time. Your scars made my skin crawl. It isn’t even worth it. The money you gave me was pretty sad.”

  I’d shelled out tens of thousands of dollars on her for the short time she’d been on the Cay. Whatever I gave her, it was never enough. I was kind of doubting any man would ever have enough money to satisfy Britney, and I felt sorry for the next poor bastard she decided to drain.

  “Go, Britney. I’m trying to work.”

  Honestly, I was just glad she was leaving my island, and that she would never get my brother’s attention again.

  She’d threatened Trace.

  She’d tried to break up his relationship with Eva.

  And she’d thoroughly used me to get the money she coveted.

  Not that I hadn’t known that.

  I’d just been desperate enough to let her hang around.

  Now, I preferred to be alone. I knew just how empty it felt to be fucking a woman who hated looking at me.

  “Work!” she screamed in a shrill voice. “That’s all you ever care about.”

  “Did you want me to care about you?” I questioned, knowing the answer to my question before I even asked.

  “No! This whole experience was bad enough. I hated being forced to sleep with you.”

  I shrugged. “You could have left at any time. You definitely weren’t unwilling.”

  “You know I need money. Trace left me high and dry.”

  “So our money was interchangeable?” I asked.

  I could practically see the steam coming out of her ears as she retorted, “You’ll never be Trace.”

  Nope. I’d never be my older brother, but she should have known that from day one. I wasn’t as polished or as educated as my older brother, and I sure as hell didn’t look like him. I was scarred. Trace was not.

  “I’ll send you a check,” I said flatly, wanting nothing more than to see the back of Britney. Maybe there had never been any emotions between us, but her insults were starting to jab at my insecurity.

  She pointed her nose in the air. “Good. It won’t make the sacrifice I made less difficult, but the money will help.”

  I watched as she whirled around and left the studio.

  Christ! I was glad she was gone. What had I been thinking when I’d decided to let her hang around?

  Had I been hoping she’d change?

  Maybe I’d just wished she’d be tolerable for a while. I’d wanted some kind of distraction, some sort of companionship. And yeah, maybe I had wanted to get laid, but the price to my sanity had been way too high.

  I’ll be fine alone. I’ll get used to it.

  This time I knew those words were completely true. Getting off hadn’t been worth the emotional price I’d had to pay in the form of Britney’s constant complaining and criticism.

  Her words had touched a nerve, even though I didn’t want to admit it.

  Screw getti
ng laid. I could get myself off with a lot less hassle. I’d never be with another woman again unless I really wanted her and she felt the same way.

  I was pretty sure that was never going to happen.

  CHAPTER 20

  Kenzie

  THE PRESENT…

  His heated mouth on my pussy was like a thousand tiny shocks inundating my body all at once.

  It was powerful.

  It was overwhelming.

  And I was consumed by a desire so strong that it was actually as terrifying as it was pleasurable.

  “Dane!” I screamed, still stunned by the fact that he was devouring me like a starving man.

  Pleasure shot through my body, and I was consumed by Dane and what he was doing to make me experience a primal desire that I’d never experienced before.

  “Please,” I begged helplessly, my entire being focused on my need to hit a pinnacle and find my release.

  At the moment, nothing else existed except Dane and his wicked tongue.

  My back arched from sensation overload, a feeling of euphoria that I couldn’t contain.

  My orgasm hit me in pounding waves that I couldn’t stop if I wanted to.

  I spiraled back down slowly, my breath coming hard and fast as I finally relaxed on the couch, completely spent.

  “Oh, my God,” I rasped as I pushed my hair back from my face. “What just happened?”

  Dane finally lifted his head and turned toward my face. “You came?” he suggested with humor in his tone.

  “That’s never happened to me before,” I explained in a breathless voice.

  My high school experience had been brief and unremarkable. Mostly, it had assured me that I wasn’t missing much by staying away from sex. My partner had been inexperienced, and it had been a rather painful encounter.

  Dane scooted until he was next to me and kissed me, and I wrapped my arms around his neck and clung to him as I tasted myself on his lips.

  I felt shaken and vulnerable now that my conscious mind was re-entering my body.

  What in the hell had I just done?

  My body craved more with Dane, but I was starting to realize just how dangerous that desire could be.

  As Dane raised his head, I mumbled, “This shouldn’t have happened.”

  He frowned at me. “Why?”

  I sat up, my emotions raw as my racing thoughts told me just how perilous my situation was at the moment. I was in danger of losing my heart to a man who generally preferred to be alone.

  “You’re my boss,” I explained shakily, using our work relationship to justify my emotions, even though I knew there was far more to my fear than just employment.

  He touched me in a way that left me completely exposed, and I wasn’t used it.

  I couldn’t tell Dane how I felt, how really afraid I was of falling in love with him.

  Just like him, I was accustomed to being alone, fighting all my battles on my own. Trusting someone and letting myself begin to rely on him could be disastrous.

  “Be with me, Kenzie,” he demanded in a low, guttural tone. “Sleep with me every night. Let me show you just how good it can be to have a man who fucking worships your body.”

  My body? What about the rest of me?

  I swung my feet to the floor, forcing Dane to move back.

  It was scary just how much I wanted to give in and follow down the path we’d just barely started.

  I craved him so badly that my body was trembling from withdrawal once he’d backed off.

  “I can’t,” I finally responded, my lips barely able to form the words.

  Maybe I’d get instant gratification if I did what he wanted, but in the long run, I’d end up devastated. I knew Dane had the power to destroy me as well as give me pleasure.

  “I’ll raise your salary accordingly,” he suggested.

  My heart clenched as I got to my feet. His words had just ripped my heart from my chest. He wanted me, but obviously as another business arrangement. “I don’t sell my body,” I answered tersely as I gathered up my clothes.

  “I know that,” he answered. “I shouldn’t have even suggested it.”

  Problem was, he had wanted a business transaction, and it hurt worse than I ever could have imagined.

  Dane Walker was the kind of guy who could buy almost anything he wanted, so naturally, he’d assumed a poor woman like me would jump at the chance to get more money.

  “I made a mistake,” I told him as I held my clothing in my arms in front of me like a shield.

  “Kenzie, I didn’t mean—”

  “I think you meant it,” I told him. “But I can’t accept. That’s not what I want.”

  “What do you want?” he questioned in a graveled voice.

  I wanted more than he’d be able to give me.

  Tears threatened to pour down my cheeks and I turned away. I sprinted to the door and flipped the lock open, trying to salvage my dignity.

  “Don’t go!” he said sternly.

  “I’ll see you for work in the morning,” I said flatly.

  I didn’t wait another moment. I flung open the door and raced out of the room. Theo was on the other side of the island, and I wanted to get upstairs in case he came back to the house.

  I took the stairs quickly, determined to get to the privacy of my suite before I cried.

  “What in the hell was I doing?” I panted as I closed the door to my bedroom and leaned against it. “Dane is my boss, and having sex with him will never be enough.”

  I moved to the couch and sat down, my legs quivering with fear.

  How had I lost complete control? Had it been the fact that he’d been so thoughtful about the pottery room?

  If I was truthful, my emotions had been all over the place since the moment I’d arrived here. Dane had always been a threat to my heart. Day after day, I’d become fonder of him until it had blossomed into something else entirely. It had occurred so quickly; I’d never been able to recognize exactly what was happening.

  Now, I was screwed. I’d given in to desire, which was something far different for me than it was to him.

  He wanted sex.

  I wanted something more.

  “It’s dangerous to want more than a person can give,” I whispered to myself.

  Dane had made a life for himself here on his island. Maybe he was hiding, but he seemed to prefer it that way.

  Somehow, I had to put him back where he belonged—as my boss. Otherwise, I knew I’d suffer nothing but heartache.

  No matter how many walls I’d put up, Dane was able to make them crumble.

  I took a deep breath as I stood up, determined to shower and try to get myself together again.

  In order to survive, I had to stop looking at him in any other way except as my superior, the person I answered to for work only. It was the only way I had of protecting myself and my now fragile emotions.

  I’d learned a very long time ago that the only person I could ultimately trust was myself. Nobody wanted me to survive more than I did.

  I startled as I walked around the corner toward the shower. I set my clothing on the vanity, my eyes drawn to what was in front of me.

  Mirrors. I suddenly had a reflection of myself right in front of me.

  Someone, almost certainly Theo, had mounted two circular mirrors over the sinks of the double vanity earlier in the day.

  I studied my face in the reflective glass.

  I looked like shit.

  My hair was tangled and wild, and my eyes were puffy and terrified.

  “Get it together, Kenzie,” I encouraged myself.

  Despite his scars, Dane Walker could have almost any woman he wanted. He was still hot, and he was a member of one of the richest families on the planet.

  I looked away from my image, not wan
ting to see the longing that was still present in my eyes.

  Yeah, maybe Paige had captured the Walker of her dreams, but my friend was beautiful, and she had a Harvard education. I’d barely graduated from high school, and I’d taken some art classes for fun. I was damaged from my past, both physically and mentally, and I was pretty certain those wounds would never heal.

  I turned on the water and stepped into the shower before I finally let my emotions out in the form of monstrous sobs of mourning for a love that could never actually exist.

  CHAPTER 21

  Dane

  It had taken everything I had not to tear off after Kenzie. But I gritted my teeth and put my jeans back on, and then plopped down on the couch.

  What in the hell had I been thinking when I’d offered her money to sleep with me? Jesus! Maybe a money arrangement was the only thing I’d ever known for adult intimacy. But Britney had been about getting my rocks off.

  Kenzie was different, and it screwed with my head that I’d hurt her.

  I hadn’t done it on purpose. The offer had been made out of desperation. Now that I’d touched her, had the privilege of watching her come, I was addicted.

  Dumbass! I knew Kenzie was nothing like anybody I’ve ever known.

  I’d just blown any chance I’d had to gain her trust. She didn’t have to tell me that I had. I could see the disappointment and betrayal in her beautiful eyes.

  “It’s going to fucking haunt me,” I said in a loud and disgusted voice.

  Kenzie reminded me of a wounded animal, and I hadn’t healed her. I’d acted like a wolf who was just waiting to prey on a vulnerable creature.

  I put my head in my hands, feeling defeated.

  There was no way I could set back time and take the offer back. I was stuck with my fuck-up.

  Problem is, I didn’t really want her for money at all. I’d made a promise to myself that I’d never do that again, but I’d forgotten all about how it felt to have a woman let me use her body for money.

  It sucked.

  But in a moment of desperation, I’d caved and resorted to the only way I knew to have a female in my bed: I’d offered her money.