People swayed together, grinding on each other, and the scent of sweat filled her nose. The heat was intense, and sweat beaded between her breasts. She started to breathe a little hard, felt dizzy, and knew she should sit and catch her breath. But before she could move a male came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. He spun her around, pulled her close to his body, and she felt his erection.
“I’ve been watching you dance, swaying those nice hips around, being a little cock-tease.”
She felt herself gag at his nasty beer breath, and the fact he thought it was okay to talk to someone like that. “Learn some manners if you want to pick up a woman, asshole,” she said and tried to push him away. He was drunk as well. Hell, everyone in this place was, but that didn’t mean he could be disrespectful.
“Come on. I like that you’re so damn thick and curvy, like that you have these big ass tits that I want to lick and suck.”
God, what a fucking pig. Now she was getting pissed. She shoved him back harder, but he tightened his hold on her arms. “Get the fuck off or you’ll regret it, I swear.”
He grinned.
“Smile a little more and I’ll make sure to kick you in the balls so hard your shit will come out of your mouth.” She didn’t mince her words, had taken some self defense classes, and could handle herself if the time called for it.
He moved backward, called her an uptight bitch, and turned around to leave her alone. He moved away from the dance floor and toward the exit, and she watched him, making sure he wasn’t going to try something else.
Breathing out, she turned and faced the table, saw that Ace wasn’t there, and turned her attention toward the back hallway where the bathrooms were. The tingling in the back of her neck, and the way the hairs on her arms stood up told her she was being watched. She searched the bar, tried to look over people’s heads, and then she saw Ace. His face was a mask of anger, that darkness she saw in him on occasion right there on the surface.
He was focused on the front, and when she turned her head and saw the man that had been pulling at her and grinding on her start to leave, she knew Ace had seen him. Ace was very protective, and a part of her loved that he cared so much and wanted to protect her, but he also had a lot of rage, and that rage could consume him and burst outward.
He was clenching his hands at his sides, his big body tense, and his muscles straining under the white t-shirt he wore. He slowly moved forward, keeping his body close to the wall as he made his way out of the bar. Her heart thundered in her chest, and she felt her forehead become moist with perspiration. She tried yelling out for him, but the music was just too loud.
Before he left out the front door he looked at her again. She lifted her hand, trying to get him to come to her, and to talk to her so she could calm him down. But he shook his head and walked out. She rushed to grab her purse, because this was going from a perfect evening to a nightmare.
She just hoped he wasn’t in that spot where he couldn’t focus on anything but fighting.
5
He was angry, fucking enraged that this little prick thought he could touch a woman that clearly didn’t want to be touched. Not only that but Ace was pissed that he thought he could touch his woman.
She isn’t your woman. She isn’t yours.
Maybe, but he also didn’t give a shit. This asshole was going to learn some respect, and Ace would get out his rage.
The guy turned the corner and walked toward the side of the building. Ace followed. He rolled his head around his neck, cracked his knuckles, and told himself he should have turned and gone back to Lauren. She shouldn’t be in there alone, but then again he’d seen her following him, and knew she’d come out here sooner rather than later.
But even if he hadn’t seen her follow him it was hard as fuck to turn and leave when the darkness consumed him right now. He’d been jonesing for a fight since he worked out and gone to her house days ago. Being with her helped, but right now he was at the breaking point.
The guy stopped, placed his hand on the brick wall, and proceeded to get his dick out and piss. Ace clenched his hands into fists, took in a deep breath, and without making this situation worse because Lauren was here, he went to turn and go back to her.