Scarred (Damaged Souls) (6 page)

They walked silently for a while, Sloan walking the bike between them and Tank followed a few feet behind. Sloan kept quiet for as long as he could before his concern for what happened overran his need to respect her privacy.

“Who were you talking to that upset you so much?” He blurted out.

“I don’t wanna talk about it.” Lexi stated firmly.

“Alexis, y
ou ran into a dark alley known for drug addicts to hang out in, for fuck’s sake!” Sloan shouted, surprising her and him at his outburst.

“
Like I knew that! It doesn’t matter anyway.” Lexi ended softly.

Sloan stopped on the sidewalk, looking at her incredulously.

“‘It doesn’t matter’? It doesn’t fucking matter?!” Sloan got louder in his anger.

“I told you I don’t want to talk about it! What don’t you fucking understand about that sentence?! And why do you care anyway, it’s none of your business?”
Lexi shouted back.

“Because I fucking care about you, Alexis!
I consider you a…a friend.” Sloan started in a shout and ended softly, nearly choking on the word friend, knowing he wanted so much more.

“I’m sorry, Sloan. I didn’t mean to imply that you don’t care about me. It was just someone from my past that I’d like to stay there.”
Lexi admitted with a sigh. “But can we please just leave it at that?”

Sloan only flexed his jaw in response, but kept quiet the rest of the way to her house before he said something that he’d regret.

After about forty-five minutes of walking Lexi stopped in front of a rundown cottage. The instant Sloan looked at it, he knew it suited her and had the potential to be an amazing little home for her.

“This is my house. I know it’s not much, but I love it.”
Lexi said, unnecessarily defending her home to a homeless man.

“It’s lovely now and I’m sure it’ll be more so when you’re done.” Sloan said sincerely.

“Yeah, whenever I can find a contractor that isn’t a complete dick.” Lexi said in frustration. “So…uh…Sloan? I can’t repay you enough for saving me earlier and I don’t want to offend you, but…but I’d like to offer my home as a place for you and Tank to stay until you get on your feet.” Lexi said looking down at the ground.

“Alexis, I couldn’t impose on you like that. And besides, I have nothing to offer you in return. I can’t help you with bills or your mortgage. As tempting as it sounds, I couldn’t do it.” Sloan said, wanting nothing more than to take her up on her offer, but feeling emasculated at the same time.
I should be providing for her, not the other way around.

“I would like to think that my life is worth more than a few bills. And besides, I’d have to pay for them whether you’re here or not. Please, let me do this for you.”
Lexi said, finally looking up at him with big green eyes that instantly made him melt.

“Okay, but only for a little while. I promise this won’t be permanent.
” Sloan finally conceded, unable to resist the idea of spending more time with her.

Sloan followed
Lexi up the wobbly front steps, carrying the bike with him. He locked the cruiser to the railing on the porch and then followed Lexi inside. Sloan took everything in as she showed him around the house. Seeing it for what it would be once it was finished and he knew it could truly be a stunner. His mind started to wrap around an idea, but he wanted to really think it through before bringing it up to Lexi.

“It’s a great house, Alexis.
It has a great foundation, a strong structure.” Sloan said looking around the master bedroom.

“You know about home construction?”
Lexi asked in surprise, as she walked back to the other bedroom, Sloan and Tank following.

“Just a little.” Sloan avoided.

“So this can be your room for now. There’s no bed in the downstairs bedroom. I know this bed might be a little small for you-”

“Its fine, Alexis. I’m sure it’s better than the ground.” Sloan reassured her.

“True. Sorry. Well anyway, I want to eventually tear down the walls to this room to make one huge master bedroom and attached bathroom up here. So using this second bedroom will only be temporary.” Lexi told him.

“
That’s okay, Alexis. You know that’s a fantastic idea!” Sloan exclaimed and then whistled. “That’ll be one badass master suite.”

“
Exactly.” Lexi agreed. “Wait here, I’ll be right back.” Lexi walked out of the room, appearing a few moments later with folded clothes in her arms. “These should be able to fit you I think.”

Lexi
handed him an extra-large white t-shirt and a pair of gray sweatpants in the same size. Lexi withheld the fact that the clothes were Eric’s that she had sometimes worn when she wanted to be comfy around the house. When she realized she still had them, she’d wanted to burn them, but was now glad she hadn’t.
I guess that jackass was good for something,
she thought as she also handed Sloan a fluffy white dry towel.

“If you’d like
to take a shower, there’s soap in the bathroom if you need it. It’s girlie, but I’m sure it’ll do the job.” Lexi offered, a small smile playing at her lips.

“Thank you for everything, Alexis. This is really kind of you.” Sloan said sincerely.

“It’s nothing.” Lexi tried to wave off the compliment.

“No, don’t do that. Don’t make light of this. What you’re doing is more than most people would. Trust me, I know. People walk past me daily and look at me like I’m a piece of shit. You actually took the time to get to know me.” Sloan said with feeling.

“Well, not everyone would take on a couple of crackheads to save a virtual stranger. Some would say that takes some level of insanity.” Lexi joked, still trying to make light of the heavy situation.

“Fine. The
n we’re even. We’re both freaking amazing people. Agreed?” Sloan held out his hand to Lexi.

“Agreed.” She
hesitated and then took his hand firmly, feeling shocks radiate up her arm at his touch.

It was the first time in years that she didn’t so much as flinch at the touch of a man. It was only a hand shake, but she held out hope that one day she could be touched intimately again.

“Alright, I think I’m gonna head downstairs and start on dinner.” Lexi said, suddenly feeling shy and vulnerable.

“
Alright. I’ll be down after I wash what feels like a decade of filth off of me.” Sloan joked.

“Okay see ya in a little bit.”
Lexi said before walking out of the room.

~~~

Sloan got in the shower, his first in longer than he could remember. He let the water run over him, enjoying the hot water most take for granted. He smelled all of her soaps and shampoo and conditioner, and she was right, they all had soft feminine fragrances that reminded him of her scent.

It felt intimat
e to be surrounded by all of Lexi’s things, like he was seeing inside the woman and feeling a little guilty for it. He reached out and touched the bright blue loofa that she used to wash her body and just the thought made his body come alive. He hadn’t felt this turned on in a long time, and he felt like a creepy stalker getting aroused by her toiletries.

Trying to shake it off, he grabbed
her shampoo and washed his hair. As much as he tried to rinse off almost daily in whatever body of water he could find, no amount of rinsing was going to make a difference if he didn’t have soap. He rinsed his hair and repeated just for good measure. Flipping the dog tags that he never took off over his shoulder and grabbing her bar of soap, he lathered from head to toe finally getting years’ worth of grime off of his body.

Once he was done, Sloan stepped out of the tub to dry off, feeling more human than he had in a long time.
He grabbed the scissors that he had sat on the sink. He had ran downstairs and asked Lexi for them before he got in the shower wanting to cut his hair and beard. She only had kitchen shears, but they would work for now. He stood in front of the mirror and stared at his rough overgrown reflection, ready to say goodbye to the vagabond he had been.

Reaching for
one of Lexi’s combs, Sloan combed through his snarled hair. Satisfied that it was untangled enough, he grabbed a section of hair and started cutting about an inch or two below his chin. Not caring about being too fancy, Sloan finished within minutes moving on to his beard next.

He chose a smaller comb out of
Lexi’s menagerie of combs and brushes. He placed the comb in his beard, flush against his skin, cutting as he went along. When he was done he had a low semi-groomed beard. He didn’t feel comfortable enough yet for a clean shaven face and short hair. It would just enhanced his angry scars. So he preferred to have at least a little something to hide behind.

 
Content with the results for now, he cleaned up his mess and pulled on the sweats and t-shirt Lexi had given him.
I wonder who she got these from. The guy she was talking to on the phone?
He vowed to find out what had happened to her and who was possibly harassing her. The feelings that he already had for her made him feel extremely protective of her, and he’d do anything to make sure she was safe.

Finished
with cleaning himself up, Sloan grabbed some antiseptic and cotton balls that he found under the sink for Lexi’s scraped knee and elbow and walked downstairs barefoot, not wanting to put back on his old worn boots. He walked around the corner into the kitchen where Lexi was finishing up dinner. Tank sat loyally next to her. Sloan realized that he wasn’t the only male that felt protective of her.

Sloan took in her
comfy clothes that she had changed into and swallowed hard. She wore black yoga pants that hugged her wide hips, decadent round ass and full thighs. And her V-neck little yellow t-shirt hugged her large breasts like sin.
Jesus Christ, how am I going to live with this woman and not touch her? Or completely embarrass myself,
he thought as he tried to control his need to have her. The sweatpants didn’t exactly do much to hide an erection if his thoughts continued down the road they were on.

Lexi
looked up when she felt like she was being watched and saw Sloan leaning against the frame of the kitchen entryway, watching her. Her breath stuck in her throat.
Holy fucking shit! Who knew
all
that was under all of that scruff!?

His d
amp black hair was straight and flipped and curled in different directions at the ends that lay against his neck and jaw. The short beard defined his strong jawline and shapely lips. The two scars on his face only enhanced the bad boy look. The smaller scar that cut through the upper left side of his lip, then continued down his bottom lip to his chin pulled focus to his beautiful mouth. The larger scar that ran down his left eyebrow, skipped his eye and started again at the top of his cheek and cut through his beard down to his jaw, made him look dangerous.
Dear God, he looks like a freakin’ sexy pirate!

“Please don’t stare at me. It makes me feel like a freak show.” Sloan said quietly, dropping his head, making his hair swing in his face to hide his scars.

“Oh God, Sloan! I wasn’t looking at you because of your scars. Wow, this is embarrassing! I was staring because…because I wasn’t expecting you to be quite so…so
gorgeous
.” Lexi said, ending on a whisper while looking down at the floor.

Sloan was floored by her confession. When he looked in the mirror
all he saw was how his faced used to be, how it was supposed to look. Never in his wildest dreams did he think anyone, especially the stunning woman in front of him, would think he was attractive.

“Oh”, was Sloan’
s quiet one word reply, at a loss for words. “Um…I ah, brought down some peroxide to clean up your scrapes.” Sloan said, changing the subject of his looks, feeling awkward. “Come sit.”

Lexi moved to the table and sat in one of the chairs. Sloan crouched down in front of her and poured a small amount of the peroxide on a cotton ball. He touched her arm and she flinched a little at the contact.

“Sorry.” Sloan said, a little hurt at her reaction to his touch.

“No, it’s not you,
it’s me.” Lexi said guilty.

She presented him her scraped elbow, bending her arm back. Sloan dabbed at the fresh cuts and then blew gently against her skin, making her heart pound. He looked down at her leg asking silently for her to lift the material of her pants up. Obliging him, she leaned forward and pulled up her pant leg. Baring her knee, Sloan tended to the wound there too. Again blowing on it after cleaning it with the antiseptic. Lexi’s breath caught at the feeling
of his cool breath against her skin like a caress and the vision of his full shapely lips near her feverish skin.

Once he was done, they looked at each other intensely for a few moments at a loss for words in the heated moment.
Lexi cleared her throat and pulled down her pant leg, as Sloan stood up and stepped away from her, putting much needed distance between them.

“So…I uh…made us some dinner.”
Lexi said trying to fill the awkward silence. “Since it’s so warm I decided to do a chilled pasta dinner. I sautéed some shrimp in a lemon garlic sauce with zucchini and other veggies all on top of angel hair spaghetti. And Tank gets a medium rare steak for being such a good helper.” Lexi said, looking down at her new shadow.