The Do Over (10 page)

Pulling back gently, he leaned his forehead against mine. My eyes were closed. I couldn't open them. The rush I felt was unreal and new. I couldn't explain it, and I didn't want to. I was torn between giving into it and running away as fast as I could. My experience with men had left me jaded. Since I'd been unlucky in love, I was sure that there had to be something wrong with Liam Lucas.

As he caressed my face with his thumbs, my fears seemed to fade away. I'd promised myself not to let another man break my heart. It was a promise I intended on keeping, but I wanted this, whatever
this
was.

He kissed my forehead and then sat back. When I looked up at him, he smiled down at me. He tucked my hair behind my ears and softly touched my face with the back of his hand. He didn't take his eyes off of me. He leaned back a little further and pulled out his cell phone.

"I'm going to call you, and I want to get to know everything there is to know about you."

I took his phone and entered my number.

When he called it, I pulled out my phone as it started to ring.

"Good. I didn't call Domino's."

"Don't make me regret giving it to you," I playfully warned.

He put his phone back in his pocket, leaned in closely, and said one word that was full of promise and hope. "Never."

Beaming, I couldn't help but believe him. Looking down at my phone, I noticed a few missed calls and text messages. "Oh...my friends are looking for me." As always, their timing was horrible.

"What are the chances I can convince you to stay a little longer? I want to show you something."

When he placed his hands on my arms, I looked at him suspiciously.

He laughed. "I'm not sure I want to know what you're thinking. Well, maybe I do. For tonight, I promise you that I'll get you home safely. You can trust me."

"Give me a second." I started punching away on my phone.

Dani: Hey, girls. All is well. Go ahead without me. Fill you in later. ;)

Macy: Tell me you're gonna have sex.

Candace: Are you sure you're okay? We can wait.

Dani: Go. No sex. I'm great. Better than great! He's taking me home. MY home.

Macy: Give me a teaser.

Dani: Ahhh, okay. The guy can kiss! Wow!

Macy: You owe me details!

Candace: Have fun! Yeah, I want details!

Dani: Good night. Ahhh, he's so hot!

"So, what are you telling your friends?" he asked me, grinning.

"Nothing. I'm just telling them that you're going to give me a ride home," I said innocently.

"Do you always light up like that when you're texting your friends? If you do, I'd love to just sit here and watch you do it all night long."

"Are you teasing me?" I asked, biting my lower lip.

He winked. "Just a little."

I looked up into Liam's beautiful eyes. "So, what are you going to show me?"

I watched when Liam pushed back from the bar and made his way up the stairs to the VIP lounge. He sat down and started talking to her. She got up and then came down the stairs with him. The motherfucker had his hand on her back. The dance floor was crowded, so I couldn't see anything else. I looked around and spotted her friends. I knew they wouldn't take off without her.

I had fucked up with her. She'd been right about so many things. I ran my hands through my hair. I regretted the way I'd treated her. I missed our life.
Why did I let her get away?
I would do whatever it took to get her back.
I love her.
Maybe I always did.

"You're ignoring me," Lise bitched. "I know how I can get your attention."

Sliding her hand inside my jacket, she started trailing her hands up and down my chest. Her other hand untucked my shirt and then slid up my back. She knew what she was doing. She was working on my attention, and my dick was responding.

I saw Candace and Macy making their way out of the club. I didn't see Daniela with them.
Where is she?
I started looking around for her.

"You like challenging me, don't you?" Lise asked as she started to move her hand south.

I gave her a sideways glance.

"Pay attention to me and stop looking around. I hate when you do that," she whined.

"Cut the needy shit. It's a fucking turn-off." I shrugged her away from me. "Get your shit. We're leaving. Meet me at the valet." I wasn't in the mood for her high-maintenance bullshit.

As I walked through the door, I saw Daniela standing alone by the valet.
This is good
.

Jogging over to her, I was about to call out her name, but it came out as a whisper instead. "Daniela…"

I watched as she turned around in slow motion. I couldn't breathe. I came to a stop, staying a safe distance away. Her eyes brightened as she smiled. Then, I stared as he kissed her before she got into his car.

Fuck!

I deserved that. Running my hands through my hair, I got pissed off at myself and that motherfucker. Not to worry, I was going to make it up to her.

I swear I'm going to make this right.

I drove her down to my favorite spot on the beach that was off the beaten path. I always loved coming here. Some waves were crashing into the jetty while others were rolling on to the sand. The combination of the rhythmic sounds was soothing.

I almost changed my mind and went somewhere else. I didn't bring girls here, especially not one I'd just met. This was my sanctuary. I wanted to blame the fact that I hadn't slept in almost twenty-four hours, and I'd had a couple beers, but I knew it wasn't that. There was something about her that made me want to show her all my treasures.
Why is that?
I didn't know, but I wanted to find out.

As I parked the car, turning it off, I said, "Give me a second."

I got out, went to the trunk, and pulled out a beach towel. I opened her door, and as soon as she stepped out, I laced our hands together and led her down to the sand.

She eyed me suspiciously. "So, we left one beach to come to another beach? You seem prepared."

"This isn't just
any
beach. This is my favorite beach. When the waves are just right, I come out here with my buddies, and we surf. Other times, I just like coming here. It's peaceful."

She held on to my shoulder for balance as she slipped off her shoes.

"You surf? Get out of here. No way." She raised an eyebrow in surprise.

"Why do you doubt me? My dad taught me how to surf. If you want, I'll teach you."

"What else did your dad teach you?" she asked with a soft smile.

There was something in her tone that was so sweet, and it made me miss my dad.

"Hey, what just happened? You got weird on me. Did I say something wrong?" she asked.

"Nah. It's just that my dad passed away when I was sixteen. I don't know. I just miss him." Finding the spot I loved, I stretched out the towel on the sand. Standing near her, I dragged her closer into me. "I like you." I leaned in and kissed her. I really did like her.

She dropped her shoes and wrapped her arms around my back. "I'm sorry about your dad. And I might like you
just a little bit
." She pinched her fingers together.

She kept glancing away, and I thought it was just the cutest thing ever.

"Just a little? You're going to make me work hard, aren't you?" I asked.

She nodded her head with an impish grin. "Yep, that's the plan."

"You have a plan, do you?"

"It's just a preliminary one. I haven't had much time to think of the various things you'll need to do to earn the right to grace my presence."

"Bring it on, baby." I sat down and invited her to sit next to me.

She laid her head on my shoulder. "I really am sorry about your dad. That must have been so hard on you."

"It was." I nudged her on the shoulder. "Hey, don't you want to talk about something fun?"

It had been a long time since I'd talked about this. I didn't really have a need to discuss it. Those close to me knew about it, and the others didn't need to know.

"Maybe, but I like the idea of getting to know you, and not in the typical what's-your-favorite-color and do-you-prefer-a-hamburger-or-hot-dog ways." She nudged me back playfully. "But I get it. It's personal."

I couldn't believe I was about to do this. Lying back, I stared at the stars. "He was my hero. When I was a little kid, I followed him everywhere he went. I copied whatever he did. He taught me everything I know about being a man. He instilled a love for the ocean in me. We went fishing and surfing, and I was his first mate. By the time I was five, he put a basketball in my hand and showed me how to dribble and shoot. We loved the game. He was a respected firefighter, a loving husband, and the best dad a kid could ever have. So, fast forwarding to my junior year in high school, I was the starting point guard on my high school basketball team. It was a big game, and he never made it." Rubbing my face, I tried to get the images flooding my memory out of my head.

Her hands came over my mine as she gently pulled them off of my face. "Hey," she whispered, "you don't have to do this." She placed a tender kiss on my lips. "Thank you."

I didn't know what had come over me, but I wanted to tell her more. Leaning up on my side, my fingers drew circles on her arm as I stared at my invisible design. "I didn't handle things well. I was angry, and I got in a lot of fights. My mom had enough grief, so my coach stepped in and kicked my ass into gear. He was constantly telling me that I needed to get it together and take care of my mom instead of hurting her by acting out. It was a lot to deal with. One minute, I was a kid without a care in the world except for playing basketball and making the winning shot. Then, the next minute, I was the man of the house, looking after my mom and brother. So, every time I got in a fight, coach had me spend practice at the free throw line. I wasn't allowed to play until I made a hundred shots."

She tilted her head. "Free throws as punishment?"

She looked beautiful under the moonlight, and for a moment, I forgot what we were talking about.

"It was more a life lesson than anything else. I had to block out the distractions and control whatever I was feeling to focus on the goal."

"So, was it effective?"

"Let's just say that I can make a free throw with my eyes closed." I wrapped my arms around her, pulling her into me. "I've been talking about myself all night. Who are you, Dani Ruiz?"

"Hmmm, that's why you have my phone number. You're going to call me and learn everything there is to know about me. Until then, I'll remain a mystery while you tell me more about yourself."

Her eyes were getting heavy, and I realized that she must be tired.

"Do you think you can make it until the sun rises? Or do you want me to take you home now?"

"Let's watch the sun chase the darkness of the night away," she said poetically.

As the tide rolled back and the seagulls flocked for their breakfast in the cool morning, she was in my arms, nestled warm, with her head pressed against my chest as we witnessed a new day. It was unknowingly a new dawn for both of us. I never knew I could feel this way again.

I kissed the top of her head. With my heart beating underneath hers, our breathing synchronized. When I first saw her eyes looking up at me, she was an unexpected surprise. Now, with her in my arms, I knew she was a gift, and I had no intentions of letting her go.