Free Damaged and the Cobra by Bijou Hunter

could also make your bridesmaids wear ugly dresses to distract from
you. That’s what my fat cousin did. We had to wear these lime green horror
shows. She looked like a fucking princes next to us. That’s what I plan to do
when I get married.”
    “I don’t think you’ll need to distract anyone,” I
said. “You’ll make a beautiful bride.”
    Bailey loved that comment and nearly hugged me to
death. I was still in her death grip when Judd appeared next to Tawny. She
stared up at him and grinned casually.
    “I said ten minutes.”
    Brushing Tawny’s hair from her sweaty neck, Judd kissed
just over the collarbone. “My watch is fast. Let’s go.”
    Tawny laughed and wrapped an arm around his waist.
She waved at us before quickly disappearing out the door.
    Bailey frowned then shrugged. “Everyone is horny
and in love. It’s pretty gross. Now, you’re going to be horny for Aaron. Who
the hell am I going to be horny for?”
    “Maybe you should play hard to get and make the
boys chase you,” I suggested, sitting on a bench.
    “Did you just call me a slut?”
    Staring up at her, I thought she might hit me. “No,
of course not.”
    Bailey rolled her eyes. “I don’t believe you. I’ll
hit your stupid stepdad, instead of you though. I don’t hit my friends,” she
said then added, “Anymore.”
    Grinning, I tugged her next to me. “I am crazy
about Aaron, but I worry he’ll move on if I don’t find a way to be with him.”
    “Aaron is loyal. He’s not a pussy though. Like he
fucks a lot of chicks, but when he’s with a girl, he’s only with her. He is a
sucker though. Like with Kristen.”
    “Who?”
    “His old girlfriend. She had a bunch of guys on the
side and they all thought she was faithful. It was stupid as shit because
everyone knew she was cheating, but no one said anything. Cooper didn’t even
say anything. Coop hated Kristen, so I guess he figured Aaron wouldn’t believe
him or something. I was the one who spilled the beans. I tell shit the way it
is and that bitch was making Aaron look like a punk. I wanted to kick her ass
for him, but Aaron was too nice. Huh, what was my point?”
    “I’m not sure.”
    “Me either. Anyway, Aaron is a great guy and once killed
a cricket that jumped in my hair during a camping trip. I was screaming and
everyone was laughing at me, but Aaron killed it for me. That’s a nice fucker
and you better be nice to him. Oh, you are nice. Never mind. I think I
exercised too much and it made me dumb. Want to get some ice cream?”
    “Sure. Then, will you come over and scare Larry for
me?”
    “Who?”
    “My stupid stepdad.”
    “Oh, yeah. I’m going to put the fear of God in him.
It’ll be fun, but first I need sugar so I can keep my train of thought.”

Chapter Sixteen - Aaron
    All my life, I’d wanted a muse. My artist’s heart
demanded a woman who inspired me. Even when I had no trouble creating art, I
longed for someone who would make it fucking perfection. Now, I had met her and
she was just out of reach.
    Finishing my beer, I stood in the studio at the
back end of my property. Before I bought the house, the structure was a rundown
one car garage. I rebuilt it for my studio, even adding an air conditioning
unit in the window. I now stood in front of it and cooled down. Spring had
gotten hot fast.
    Nearby, my English Terriers panted in each other’s
faces. I didn’t blame them. Even in nothing more than boxers, I was hotter than
hell.
    “One day, you’ll meet Lark and you’ll understand,”
I told Professor when he whined and wanted back into the house. “You’ll be
crazy about her and wish you could paint her face a million times.”
    Pollack grew jealous of the attention Professor was
getting and came to whine too. She also panted in her brother’s face again.
    Staring at the still wet painting of Lark smiling
back at me, I knew she was mine. Even after telling Cooper I would let Lark set
the pace and find her way back to me, I was tempted to