Open Wounds (Damaged Souls Book 2) Read online

  “I don’t know. Maybe Aaron. Or do you think it’s Eric?” Sloan thought out loud.

  “God, I hope it isn’t Eric. But I haven’t heard anything from him in a while. And I don’t see how he could’ve found me.” Lexi said hopefully.

  “Hmm…you could be right. But just in case, I really do think it’s time to get that gun. I want you to have extra protection just in case.” Sloan said seriously.

  “Okay,” Lexi said quietly. She had a deathly fear of guns, after what she witnessed as a young girl. She had never held one, nor had any plans of ever using one. But she knew it was better to be safe than sorry.

  “How about you go relax. Take a bath or paint, whatever you’d like. I’ll go clean the car and run to the store.” Sloan suggested sweetly.

  “But now I’m interrupting your plans and the photographer will be here tomorrow to take pictures of the house and interview you.” Lexi protested.

  “Don’t worry about it. I’ve got this. Even if he has to interview me with bags under my eyes, from staying up late, I’ll do it. I don’t want you to have to drive the car like that.” Sloan said brooking no argument.

  “Fine. But I’m helping you when you get back.” Lexi negotiated.

  “Deal,” Sloan said before kissing her on the forehead and taking the car keys from her.

  Chapter 10

  Wake Me Up

  “I know you’re awake already. I can feel you fidgeting.” Lexi said gravely, slowly opening her eyes to the pale morning light, streaming through the windows.

  “Yeah, I’m up. Sorry if I woke you.” Sloan apologized as he turned towards her and buried his face in her neck.

  “Are you nervous?” Lexi asked, turning onto her side and tucking his head under her chin as she absentmindedly stroked her fingers through his hair.

  “As hell,” Sloan admitted, breathing in deeply, taking in her calming scent.

  “Everything will turn out perfect. You worked hard, and it shows. The house is beautiful. It’s a dream.” Lexi assured him.

  “Do you think so? Honestly?” Sloan asked, pulling back to look at her, still unsure of himself.

  “I know so. Honestly. You’ll see.” Lexi smiled at him and then kissed him softly on the lips, careful to keep her lips closed tight, so she didn’t kill him with her morning breath.

  Apparently he didn’t care because he deepened the kiss. Lexi could tell where the kiss was headed and placed her hands on his chest, to lightly push him away from her.

  “I don’t think so, buddy. We were up late putting everything together last night after dinner, and I have to make sure everything is clean. I also need to put out all the vases, hang the paintings and pictures and all the other stuff I bought to make sure everything is picture perfect. Plus, we have to look presentable too.” Lexi scolded playfully.

  “Yeah, yeah. Fine.” Sloan fake pouted.

  Lexi gave him a knowing look. She knew he was anxious and wanted to make sure everything was perfect, just as much as she did.

  “What time is he supposed to be here?” She asked.

  “He should be here around ten. And it’s six now. So we have a little bit of time.” Sloan said grabbing his phone off the nightstand.

  “Alright, then. Let’s get moving, Bob Villa.” Lexi joked.

  “Nice. I’ve got your Bob Villa, Van Gogh.” Sloan said, jumping out of the bed and stretching.

  “I may have issues, but I don’t plan on cutting off my ear,” Lexi said seriously.

  “Oh God, Lexi! I didn’t mean it like that!” Sloan exclaimed in embarrassment.

  “I know. I was just making a joke. A bad one, but a joke nonetheless. See…progress.” Lexi smiled weakly.

  “Uh, huh. Progress. Got it.” Sloan breathed a sigh of relief that he hadn’t royally messed up.

  “Alright. Let’s do this.” Lexi beamed at him, more excited for him than she could’ve imagined. Her fingers were crossed that this article was going to be a turning point in his life.

  ~~~

  Besides preparing the house for the photo shoot, they also fretted over their own appearance. Sloan settled on his blue t-shirt, dark-washed jeans and black boots he wore to Dom’s wedding. And Lexi opted for her tan high-waist wide leg linen pants and white flowing blouse that was cropped in the front and long in the back. And she paired the ensemble with strappy flat sandals.

  The doorbell rang at exactly ten o’clock. Lexi and Sloan both jumped at the sound, even though they were expecting it. They both got up from the kitchen table and walked to the door. Lexi opened the door to not a man, but to a very tomboyish woman. Her hair was cut short all over, except on the top, which was parted and slicked down. She wore black horn-rimmed glasses a plain t-shirt, relaxed fit jeans and brown work boots, with a brown leather camera bag thrown over her shoulder. She took in Lexi’s appearance appreciatively, and Lexi flushed with self-consciousness.

  “Hello, my name is Jack, and I’ll be interviewing you, and taking pictures of the house for Home & Outdoor Décor a.k.a. HOD magazine.” She said in a surprisingly lovely feminine voice, as she held out her hand.

  “Jack?” Lexi said her name as a question, taking her offered hand to shake.

  “Short for Jacqueline. But don’t tell anyone else that. I hate that name.” She joked as she reached passed Lexi to shake Sloan’s hand.

  “Well then Jack, I’m Lexi and this is Sloan. He’ll be the one you’ll be interviewing. This is my home, but he was the general contractor for the renovation.” Lexi explained.

  “Nice to meet you, Sloan.” Jack greeted.

  “Likewise, Jack.” Sloan smiled politely.

  “Alright, so I already got some shots of the front of the house. Where should I start first, inside?” Jack asked.

  “Upstairs should be good,” Sloan suggested.

  “Cool,” Jack said before bounding up the stairs two at a time.

  Sloan stopped Lexi before she started up the stairs, behind the photographer.

  “So now I have to worry about women taking you from me too.” Sloan grinned.

  “What? You’re crazy! She’s not interested in me.” Lexi denied, bashfully.

  “Ha! You are so in denial of your appeal.” Sloan chuckled and smacked her lightly on the butt, directing her to the stairs.

  They followed Jack around the house and out back, as she took photographs of each room. They answered questions here and there when she asked. She also took several shots of Sloan. She shot him in different areas inside the house, out front and in back. When she tried to capture a few pictures of Lexi, Lexi covered her face with her hands, using the excuse that the article was about Sloan, not her. In reality, she figured if Eric hadn’t found her yet, she didn’t want to give him a roadmap that led straight to her.

  Once Jack was finally done with the photo shoot, they all relaxed under the gazebo to finish the interview. Looking out at the river, lazily flowing by and drinking iced sweet tea that Lexi had brought out to help cool them, in the gradually rising Georgia heat.

  “So…tell me a little more about yourself, Sloan. Of course, the magazine loves spreads on home decoration and little unfound gems. But they also want stories to go along with the pictures. And I’ve got the feeling that you have one hell of a story to tell.” Jack said perceptively, pulling out her phone to turn on the voice recorder, as well as a pen and pad of paper to take notes.

  Sloan hesitated and looked to Lexi for her opinion. Lexi nodded her head in response.

  “Go ahead. I think you have an amazing story, something to be proud of. And maybe it will inspire someone else, in the process.” Lexi said reaching out a hand to squeeze his gently in support.

  “Alright. Well, I guess I should just start with the Marines. I enlisted after 9/11 and served for nine years. I’ve lived all over the world and served three tours in Afghanistan. When I got back about two years ago, I found myself homeless. Before I became a Marine, I worked several years in home construction. So I tried to get work with a budd
y I had worked for in the past. But my PTSD caused a few problems, and he had to let me go.” Sloan paused, getting his thoughts together.

  “No family to help you out?” Jack asked.

  “My family didn’t support my decision to enlist, so I didn’t want their help,” Sloan said with an edge to his voice, thinking about his parents. “But it was for the best anyway. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have met Lexi.” Sloan grinned happily at Lexi.

  “Yeah, tell me about how all this came about,” Jack asked, gesturing to the house.

  “Well…” Sloan took a deep breath before explaining. “Lexi befriended me when no one else would. I was a grubby, filthy mess with scary scars and an equally scary looking dog. Believe me, no one came near me. I helped her out a couple of times, and we became unlikely friends.” Sloan looked at Lexi with laughter in his eyes. “So to repay the favor she offered her home to me. The house needed a facelift I knew home construction, and she needed a contractor. I didn’t want to stay here completely rent free, like a freeloader. And the rest is history. Though I have to admit that I did have ulterior motives…I was wanting way more than friendship. Luckily, she took pity on me.” Sloan finished his story, with a wink at Lexi.

  “Uh, Jack? He is being a little modest right now.” Lexi spoke up. “He also lost his best friend in the war, who has a wife and kid here, stateside. And he’s been sending them the money he gets from his vet benefits, to help them out ever since. He said that he’d rather be homeless than to see them suffer. And when he says that he helped me out a couple times, he means that he saved my life. A couple of drug addicts tried to attack me, and he gave them a beat down that I doubt they’ll forget anytime soon.” Lexi added proudly.

  “Wow! That’s a damn good story. And my editor is going to eat it up. A war hero. A generous veteran. A protector of women’s virtue. A Cinderella story. And handsome! Oh, the ladies and half the men that read this magazine are gonna go apeshit! Trust me I know. I’ve been doing this for far too long, not to know our demographic.” Jack said, rubbing her hands together with anticipation. “You may even be hearing from us again in the near future. But we won’t get into that just yet, though. Anyway, I think we’re all done here.” Jack stood up, ready to head out.

  Lexi and Sloan also got up, and she shook both their hands. She held onto Lexi’s a little longer than necessary, and sighed wistfully when she finally released it. Lexi looked up at Sloan from under her lashes, and he smirked down at her knowingly.

  They walked around to the front of the house, to see Jack to her car.

  “It was nice meeting you both. And I wish you guys the best. You make a lovely couple.” Jack smiled as she got in her rental car. “Oh and, by the way, this is the last story going into the magazine before we get it out into circulation. So it’ll be on newsstands this coming Monday.

  “Thanks for letting us know. It was nice to meet you too, Jack. Have a safe trip home.” Sloan said sincerely.

  They both waved goodbye as the photographer drove off. They looked at each other and sighed heavily.

  “And there you have it. Not too terrible, right?” Lexi smiled up at Sloan.

  “No, it wasn’t. But I’m glad it’s over. Now we can relax and start a regular life. Which speaking of, I need to talk to you about something.” Sloan said walking Lexi back to the gazebo.

  “Okay. What do you want to talk about?” Lexi asked curiously as she took a seat.

  “Well, the house is done. I have several jobs lined up and will get a check for the first half of the job I’m starting on Monday.” Sloan rubbed his palms over the tops of his thighs, wiping the sweat on his jeans. “Because of you, I can stand on my own two feet again. And now, I guess we’re at a fork in the road. This arrangement wasn’t intended to be permanent. So…do I stay or do I go? I don’t want you to feel obligated to let me stay.” Sloan finished and looked down at the ground solemnly, unable to make eye contact.

  Lexi inhaled deeply. She knew this was a pivotal moment. As always her brain and heart at war where it came to this beautiful, wounded man. She slowly stood up and stood in front of him. She grabbed his damp palms, moving his hands out of the way before placing her knees on either side of his hips and lowering herself on his lap. She placed his hands around her waist, lifted his chin up with her hand and brushed his hair off of his face. She looked into his worried silvery blue eyes and went with her heart.

  “Stay.” She whispered. The one word and the look in her green gaze saying so much more.

  Sloan grabbed Lexi’s face and pulled her in for a rough and passionate kiss. He put every bit of emotion and feeling coursing through him, into the kiss. Releasing her plush lips, he began to plant kisses all over her face. And she giggled at the playful pecks. Basking in the knowledge that love had many sides. And when it was real, all those sides were breathtaking.

  “I love you.” Lexi let the words spill from her lips, unable to keep it inside. At Sloan’s look of shock, she continued. “It’s not easy for me, and I’m sorry for that. But I wanted to say it. I had no idea that relationships could be like this. I feel so…happy! And it’s scary. Is it always like this? This mixture of constant joy and fear?” Lexi asked.

  “Pretty much. At least that’s what I hear. Personally, I have never felt what I feel for you before.” Sloan said honestly. He clutched her hand and placed her palm against his chest, where his heart pounded. “You make my heart smile.”

  Lexi gave him a watery grin. Her chest felt so full that it could burst. She grabbed his face and pulled him in for another ardent kiss. Sloan pulled back on a gasp and leaned his forehead against hers.

  “As much as I want to make love to you right here in broad daylight. I have a little surprise for you. So I’ll have to restrain myself just a little longer.” Sloan hinted as he stood up and placed Lexi on her feet. “Follow me.” He said taking her hand and pulling her along behind him.

  Once they were inside, he stopped in front of the staircase and smiled down at her. “I wanted to do this to celebrate last night, but I figured we should wait, just in case we make a mess. But now seems like a good time to celebrate the beginning of our life together.” Sloan explained cryptically. “I want you to sit here while I get the room ready. I won’t be long.” He said before kissing her on the nose and jogging up the steps.

  Lexi sat on the steps and looked down at Tank, who cocked his head to the side in question. “I don’t know either, boy,” Lexi said, scratching the dog behind the ears.

  A few minutes later, Lexi heard the bedroom door open. She looked up when Sloan called to her and saw him looking over the banister in the hallway. He told her to come up and then disappeared again. She looked down at Tank and shrugged.

  “Stay,” Lexi commanded when Tank whined at her.

  She walked up the stairs and walked into their bedroom. She rounded the corner of the sitting room and stopped in her tracks, at the scene before her. Sloan stood in the middle of the room, on top of a plastic tarp with art supplies spread out on it. His feet were bare, and he had removed his t-shirt, only standing in his low slung jeans.

  “Uh…what’s this? You don’t plan on killing me and then rolling me up in that tarp, do you?” Lexi joke, nervously.

  “Yeah, real funny.” Sloan shook his head and rolled his eyes at her. “Anyway, I figured since you love to paint, and I love to have sex, we could combine the two.”

  “Huh?” Lexi frowned looking at the setup.

  “I found a couple’s body paint kit. It’s completely safe. Come here, let me show you.” Sloan said holding out his hand invitingly.

  Lexi walked over to him. She kicked off her shoes before stepping on the clear tarp. He raised her face up to his, and he kissed her deeply, rekindling what they had started outside. He raised her arms above her head and slowly slid her blouse up and over her head, teasing her with soft caresses as he went. He unbuttoned the front panel of her pants, and they dropped down around her ankles. Lexi stepped out of them, grabbed her blouse
and pants and tossed them on the bed.

  She stood before him in just her bra and panties, feeling awkward and bare, in the bright sunlight streaming through the windows. Sloan slowly walked around her, touching her here and there with light butterfly touches.

  “Do you have any idea how lovely you are? How your skin glows bronze in the sunlight? How your expressive eyes sparkle, like the leaves in the summer sun?” Sloan complimented her, in a voice thick with arousal.

  “No, I don’t,” Lexi said shyly.

  “You are…trust me.” Sloan said and then caressed his lips across her back from one shoulder to the other.

  Lexi trembled as his lips, and soft hair passed over her hot skin. Then she felt his hands at the clasp of her bra. He unhooked it and drew it down and off her shoulders and arms, tossing it to the side. Sloan knelt down behind her and eased down her panties, taking little nibbling bites at her incredibly round ass that he often took the time to worship. Her panties dropped to the floor, and she kicked them away with her toes.

  Sloan stood back up and walked in front of her. Standing a few feet back, out of her reach, he popped the button on his jeans and pulled down the zipper. He pulled down his pants and flung them away. His boxer briefs quickly followed, and Lexi swallowed hard at the sight of his muscular physique. His thick erection standing proudly from his body, pointing directly at her.

  Kneeling down, Sloan picked up a plain unframed canvas and spread it out on the tarp. When he was done, he instructed Lexi to stand on the canvas while he grabbed a medium sized jar of black paint and a brand new paintbrush. Lexi watched him curiously as he walked over with the paint and brush in either hand.

  “Now I don’t want you to worry. The paint is non-toxic.” Sloan assured her as he dipped the brush in the black paint.

  Once the brush was coated with paint, Sloan placed the brush at the base of her throat and stroked it down in a straight line to the top of her mound. Lexi shivered at the cool paint on her feverish skin. He plunged the brush back into the jar and walked around to draw a matching line from the top of her spine, down to her tailbone.