Denying The Bad Boy (Tattooed and Pierced #2) by Jenika Snow

direction.

Chapter
Nine
     
    What in the hell was she doing? Mary stared at Alex,
and realized that everything inside of her had stilled as soon as he touched
her. She tried pushing him away, although it had been in vain. She wanted him,
and by the erection that had just been digging into her belly seconds before,
he wanted her, too. She tried denying him, but really it had all been for
nothing. She was just as weak as every other girl that fell at his feet, but
why did she have to say no to him?
    Because
you’re smarter than half the female population that have been with Alex. He’d hurt you, and that would be a fact
because your heart would become involved.
    He turned and started walking away, and why, because
she said she had two drinks? It had been after she uttered that sentence that
he had closed off from her. But Mary should be thankful, because her resolve had slowly been leaving her the longer Alex had his hands
on her body. The haze of desire slowly dissipated, and Mary was left standing
there slightly cold and very embarrassed.No,
she wasn’t drunk, but at that moment she wished she was. The two cocktails
Darcy had thrust her way when they first arrived had done loads to help her
relax. The atmosphere of Tainted was unlike anything she had ever experience.
Mary had been to a few local clubs and bars since moving to Columbus, but this
was like a whole other world. The darkness that added to the already sexually
charged atmosphere, and the way people didn’t care if others saw them
practically having sex right on the dance floor was heady and already added to
the slight buzz from the alcohol going through her system.
    She was with it enough to know it was Alex that had
touched her, that had nearly kissed her, and that knowledge had her wetter than
she had ever been. Of course it was the alcohol that had dimmed her inhibitions
and let her break down her walls to allow him to do those things. In the back
of her mind she knew it was a bad idea, but her body was screaming at her mind
to shut the hell up. He had let go of her, and she ached to have his hands on
her again, to have his fingers brushing along the small of her back. It might
not have seemed overly intimate, but it had been like flames moving along her
body.
    This was a bad idea, a very, very bad idea, but it
sounded so good. The drug-like sensation that Alex had caused inside of her
when he touched her body came back full force at that thought, and she found
herself moving toward him as he leaned against the bar, almost seeming angry.
He had to know that she wanted him. It wasn’t like she was hiding the fact
anymore, although she should. As if he was some kind of animal and sensed her
presence he lifted his head and stared right at her. His expression was
unreadable, but even more so since shadows from the darkened club slashed
across his face. His cheekbones seemed more pronounced, and his chin squarer.
She took another step, and another, until they stood toe-to-toe, breathed in
the same air, and she was swaying toward him. Hell, this was so not her.
    “What are you doing, Mary?” His deep voice was low
and wrapped around her like liquid silk. He knew damn well what she was doing.
He had been with enough women to know when one was coming on to him. That
thought came at her full force, but she pushed it away. She wouldn’t think
about it, wouldn’t let it take her under. She wanted this, and by the look of
the bulge still pressing against the front of his jeans, Alex wanted this, too.
For whatever reason he was holding himself back from her, and she would be
lying if she wasn’t a bit hurt by that.
    “You’re being coy, Alex.” Lifting her hand and
placing it on his hard stomach, right above the button of his jeans, had Mary
feeling awash with potent arousal. She could feel the hard ridges of his
abdominal muscles right under her finger, and when she started to slowly moved
her palm up the muscles bunched in response. She looked into his