Read Online She's Got It Bad by Sarah Mayberry - Free Book Online Page B

reached for the self-adhesive bandage that she’d cut to size earlier and stuck it to his skin, smoothing the edges with her fingers. Only when he was protected did she allow her hand to slide into the gaping fly of his jeans and onto his erection. She’d barely wrapped her fingers around him before his hand was on her wrist again.
    She smiled slightly. “Haven’t we played this game before? I can tell you who’ll win.”
    She tried to stroke him but he pulled her hand free of his jeans.
    “No,” he said.
    She couldn’t understand why he was being coy. He wanted it, she wanted it. Even she could do the math.
    “You’ve got to be kidding. You come here, you lie there for two hours with my face practically in your crotch, and now you’re not going to follow through?”
    “I’m not going to sleep with you, Zoe. Last night was a mistake. I didn’t come here today looking for sex. I want to be your friend.”
    She stared at him, then pointed a finger at his still-bulging groin.
    “Bullshit.”
    He shrugged, unabashed. “Yeah, I’m hard for you. You’re hot. Last night was hot. But that’s not why I’m here. I want you to trust me again. I want you to talk to me.”
    His words were so confronting, so terrifying that she jerked back in her seat.
    “I knew I shouldn’t have said yes to the tattoo,” she said.
    She stood and started gathering up the discarded paper towel and used ink cups. She heard him dressing behind her, and a wave of old, old humiliation swept over her. It was just like before.
    She’d thrown herself at him and he’d pushed her away.
    She closed her eyes as she remembered last night, how she’d had to strip and touch herself before she had provoked him into taking action.
    Liam didn’t want her.
    He’d never really wanted her the way she wanted him.
    But she’d always known that, hadn’t she? She’d known it the moment she woke up the day after her ill-fated vigil to find that he’d gone in the night without so much as a goodbye and good luck, let alone an explanation.
    He didn’t want her. And she’d been so heartbroken over him that she’d thrown herself away and ruined her life in the process.
    Suddenly all the fear and pain and regret and self-hate rose up inside her. She clenched her hands and closed her eyes and thumped her fists down onto her work surface.
    “Get out! Get out of here before I call the goddamn cops,” she said.
    LIAM STARED at Zoe’s tense back. Her head was bowed, her fists pressed into the counter in front of her. She looked like she was ready to either explode or fall apart.
    “Zoe,” he said, putting a hand on her shoulder.
    She shuddered as though she couldn’t stand to have him touch her, and he slid his hand free.
    “I want you out of here and I never want to see you again, all right?” she said.
    She still hadn’t turned around. He couldn’t see her face and he was almost glad he couldn’t.
    “Tell me what’s going on, Zoe,” he said.
    “Why should I tell you anything? You gave up the right to be my friend, to talk to me, to know me, when you pissed off in the middle of the night without even saying goodbye.”
    He hated this. She was quivering with emotion she was wound so tight. He wanted to take her in his arms and soothe her. He wanted to kiss her, calm her. Do whatever it took to take away the raw hurt in her voice and the tense defensiveness in her body.
    “You were fifteen years old, Zoe. And I was bad news. I did it for your own good,” he said.
    She swore.
    “I want you out of here,” she said again. “Just go.”
    He stared at her back for a long moment, then finally reached for his coat.
    “What do I owe you for the tattoo?” he asked.
    She gave a sharp, empty laugh that sounded dangerously close to tears. He didn’t know what else to do or say, so he exited to the front of the parlor and left three hundred dollars on the counter, all the cash he had on him. He unbolted the door and crossed to his car, waiting until