“Oh my God.” She smiled the biggest smile I’d ever seen. It was cute, especially since Warren was a happily married family man with two small children.
“I’ll get a photo of you with him.” I winked.
“That would be epic.” She took a sip of her drink, seemingly unable to wipe the smile off her face.
“You know who else is coming?” David said, playfully taunting Pilar now. “Alex Scott.”
“No.” Her mouth dropped. She faced me with a wicked smile that turned me inside out. “You may just have some competition tonight.”
“Is that so?” I raised an eyebrow.
I knew she was joking, but I didn’t like where this was going. If anyone else had made that comment, I would have dismissed both the comment and the woman right away. But Pilar saying it made me see red. Alex was one of my best friends and would never come between a woman and me, but he also loved to fuck with me. If he knew how much I liked Pilar, he’d purposely flirt with her to get a rise out of me. I mentally prepared myself for that.
“We’ll have to see how I feel when he gets here.” Pilar winked.
David laughed, thoroughly enjoying this. I scowled. A few things happened all at once. David said he was going to say hi to some people and would be back. The DJ played a rendition of Bazzi’s Paradise, and Pilar started dancing. I watched her for a moment, loving the way she moved her hips, her hands waving in the air, and her eyes closed as she sang along. She was simply beautiful when she was like this, and I felt privileged to see this side of her. Before I could stop myself, I pulled her to me and began dancing with her, my hands on her hips, my mouth near her ear. I couldn’t remember the last time a woman had made me feel this way, where sharing the same space was excitement enough, and the fact that I’d be taking her home tonight was the cherry on top. When Warren walked in holding Camila’s hand, I looked over and nodded at him in greeting. He did the same, and Camila waved and smiled. She was already moving her hips to the music, and I knew they’d join us dancing in the small area of the VIP section soon enough. When the song was over, I introduced them to Pilar.
“Am I supposed to bow or something?” Camila asked, tentatively holding out her hand for Pilar to shake.
Pilar laughed and stepped forward to give Camila a kiss on both cheeks.
“That’s easy,” Camila said, smiling. “Nice to meet you. I’ve never met royalty before.”
“She’s not royalty this weekend.” I winked at Pilar. She blushed, smiling widely. “She’s just a regular citizen like the rest of us.”
“Cool.” Warren smiled. “I like what your brother is doing in Paris. Not that I live there, but I keep up with the news.”
“Where do you live now?” Pilar asked.
“Ah, a little place called Harlem. It’s in New York.” Warren grinned. “Little gem of a place.”
“It is a gem of a place, actually.” Camila elbowed him hard, but all it did was make him laugh harder. She smiled at Pilar. “You guys should come visit someday.”
“Uh, yeah. Maybe.” Pilar smiled, but I could tell she was thrown by the invitation, mostly because when Camila invited you somewhere, it was obvious that she meant it.
“We’ll definitely go one day.” I grabbed Pilar’s hand in mine and squeezed it. She met my gaze with a look of surprise.
Warren, Camila, Pilar, and I sat down and started talking, leaning over each other to hear over the loud music. David joined us shortly after, and then, Alex arrived, completely charming Pilar and Camila. Both of them were blushing and sharing looks until Warren and I were about ready to kick Alex out of the group.
“Who invited this guy?” Warren asked loudly after a moment.
“Your mother,” Alex said.
I laughed.
The women laughed louder.
“I think it’s great that he’s here,” Pilar said.
“Of course, you do.” I scowled.
Alex’s brows rose, and I instantly knew my mistake. He threw an arm over Pilar’s shoulder.
“So, how are you enjoying Ibiza? Is it your first time?”
“I love it.” She turned ten shades of red.
I grabbed my supposed best friend’s arm and pushed it off my date, shooting him a look.
“What?” he mouthed, pretending to be innocent.
“I will cut you.” I shot him a look.
He laughed loudly, shaking his head. “This is great.”
We talked, danced, drank, danced some more, drank some more.
“Where are the kids?” I asked Warren. “Back home?”
“Yeah. We left them with our mothers, which is a nightmare in itself.” He shook his head.
“My mom called me a little while ago and said the baby may or may not have a diaper rash, and that she was going to make him a tea to put on the affected area,” Camila said, sighing. “I can’t even.”
“Tea on the baby’s bottom?” Pilar frowned. “Why?”
“Because she wouldn’t put Vicks there, and since that’s the number one cure for everything in a Dominican household and she can’t do it, tea with all these weird herbs is a close second.”
“Oh my God.” Pilar laughed. “That’s great. It’s nice that she worries.”
“Too much.” Camila shook her head. “My sister is going through a nasty divorce, and she has a three-year-old, so I don’t want to bother her. But I’m dying for her to take the kids to her house.”
“That sucks. I didn’t know Vanessa was getting a divorce,” I said. I’d met her and her husband a handful of times, and they were always nice.
“Yeah. That’s life, I guess.” Camila shrugged.
“Not our life.” Warren grabbed her hand and leaned in to kiss her. “Don’t get any ideas.”
“Trust me, I would have left you by now.” She laughed at his expression.
Alex and I watched wistfully. Warren had been our hero for so long on the pitch, but off the field, he scored serious goals, with a beautiful woman on his arm and two adorable children. He ran a successful foundation and did business in New York as well as in Spain. He was what all of us were trying to be, even though it felt unattainable. I glanced at Pilar, who was now drinking water, and wondered how she’d feel if I told her that was my goal. Would she run for the hills? She was young and innocent, maybe she wouldn’t want any of that right now. Not to mention, she was a princess. That complicated things. I wasn’t even sure why I was wondering about this or cared how she’d feel. It wasn’t like she could be a long-term goal, regardless of how she made me feel.
Chapter Fourteen
Ben
“I had so much fun.” She sighed beside me as I drove to my place.
“Good.” I set my hand over hers.
“I think I’m drunk.”
“I think you are too.” I chuckled.
“Are we going back to your place?”
“Yep.”
“Are you going to take advantage of me?” She brought my hand up to her lips and sucked my pointer into her mouth.
“No.” I groaned.
“I want you to.” She sucked it again.
“Pilar.” I let out a shaky breath as I parked the car in the garage and closed the big door behind us. “As tempting as you are, I’d rather wait to take advantage of you when you’re not drunk.”
“But I want you to,” she repeated.
“And I will…when you’re sober.” I took back my hand and cupped her face with it, leaning in to kiss her deeply.
She tasted of vodka and orange. Like the sweetest sin I’d ever been tempted with. When I pulled away, she mumbled an argument, but I led her out of the car and into my villa nonetheless. I’d have her again, but tonight wasn’t the time for that. I wouldn’t discount the morning though.
Inside, I gave her something for the headache she’d likely have tomorrow. I helped her in the bathroom as she undressed for a shower. I’d never shown more restraint in my life, of that I was sure. Once we were both clean and dressed in one of h
is t-shirts, we lay in bed. I pulled her to me and enjoyed the sound of her soft breath. I was sure I’d never felt this level of peace before.
“Tell me something no one else knows about you,” she whispered.
“Are we having a heart-to-heart?” I whispered back.
She glanced up at me. “Is that okay?”
I’d never been the most forthcoming man, mostly because I’d seen what happened to people who let their guards down. Vulnerability was a virus. The moment you let your control slip, you became exposed to attack in ways you never imagined.
“Something no one else knows,” I said, letting myself savor the idea of opening up fully to this woman who had bared herself to me. “I had a brother.” I swallowed. “He died when I first came into the league. The year we won the championship. Everyone was elated, celebrating, while I was mourning. Maybe that’s why winning always tastes bitter to me.”
“I’m so sorry.” She glanced up and met my eyes. “I can’t imagine losing a sibling.”
“It’s pretty unimaginable.” I exhaled, holding her closer.
“How’d he…how did he die?”
“He was killed while documenting a war zone.”
“I’m so sorry.” She sat up straighter, no longer lounging against me. I instantly missed her warmth.
“As I mentioned at the gala, he was a photojournalist, and that was his passion. We all knew the risks, but it was still hard. The specific area he was in was supposed to be safe. He saw a lot those days, lived more lives than most of us, experienced loss the way I hope neither of us ever have to.” I swallowed, letting myself tell this story aloud for the first time. “They said it was suicide, not a war act, but I don’t believe that.”
“Maybe…maybe he witnessed too much pain?”
“Perhaps. Or maybe someone killed him because he saw too much. Either way, he’s gone, and we never even got his body back to give him a proper burial. It doesn’t matter. I just hate to think that my brother, my best friend, wouldn’t turn to me in a time of need.”
“I get that.” She set her hand over mine. “I’m sorry. Thank you for sharing that with me.”
I smiled softly.
“Did he ever see you play?”
“He came to a lot of my games.” I smiled. “He was my biggest supporter.”
“I’m sure you miss him.”
“More than anything.”
She held me tighter. “I wish I could’ve met him.”
“He would have loved you.”
“Yeah?”
“Definitely.”
“Would you have introduced us? It seems like you don’t introduce many women to your family.” She looked at me again. “Am I right about that?”
“You are.”
“Yet you would have introduced us?”
“Definitely.” I kissed the top of her head.
I wasn’t just saying that because she was lying in my arms. I was serious. Pilar was the kind of woman I’d want to introduce to everyone in my life. She was kind and good and beautiful and made me feel things I hadn’t allowed myself to feel in a long time, if ever. I wasn’t sure what to make of that or where to go from here, but I knew I wanted to keep her in my arms like this for as long as possible.
Chapter Fifteen
Pilar
“Someone is here to see you.” Amir’s voice made my eyes snap open.
I yawned. I must have dozed off at some point in the middle of writing my letter. Elias and Adeline asked me to write missives to children for the first day of school, which was coming up. “Write something inspiring that’ll make them want to learn,” they’d said. I’d always been a superb student, but I never needed outside inspiration to make that happen. I just did what I knew I was supposed to do, and getting good grades was one of those things. And now, at this point in my life, I still wasn’t sure how I felt about children in general, so this was an interesting exercise. I set the paper and pen aside and walked out of my room, eyeing Amir suspiciously.
“Who’s here to see me?”
“I am. I hope you don’t mind.”
My heart beat a little faster at the sound of Ben’s voice, and when I walked all the way into the foyer and saw him, I thought it would go into a frenzy. He was dressed casually in jeans and a white button-down, the sleeves rolled to the elbows. I’d never really thought much about arms. I’d always been a back girl, but Ben’s forearms were quite possibly the sexiest thing I’d ever seen on a man. And that was saying something, given the rest of him.
“I don’t mind at all.” I smiled, remembering myself, then looked at the bag he carried. “Did you bring food?”
“Wine, cheese, and ham.”
“That sounds wonderful.” I looked at the dining room, but it seemed too boring and formal. The kitchen could work, but the chefs were nosey and congregated there, and I’d rather not have an audience. Finally, I turned to my bedroom. It had ample space and a sitting area as well as a balcony—and memories of what we’d done there. I felt myself blush and pushed the thought away quickly. “Amir, will you have someone bring us plates, a bottle opener, and—”
“Glasses,” he said. “I’m on it.”
A few minutes later, Amir walked in with those things and set them on the table before signaling to me that he’d be around. I thanked him and waved as he closed the door behind him. Ben stood by the window, looking out at the ocean beneath us.
“Do you want to open the doors?” I moved to do just that, but he took over and pushed them wide. He then moved the table a little closer to the balcony. I grinned. “Perfect.”
“I think so.” He smiled at me, and I got the feeling he wasn’t talking about the outside view.
We sat down, side by side. He opened the bottle of wine while I uncovered what he’d brought with him—cheeses, ham, jam, bread. Everything looked so good, my stomach began to rumble.
“I guess I was hungry, after all.” My cheeks warmed as I ate a slice of cheese.
“I’m always hungry.” He winked at me as he poured the wine.
“Thanks.”
“Cheers.” He raised his glass to mine. “To the unexpected.”
I clinked my glass to his and took a sip before setting it down. “What’s unexpected?”
“You.”
“And what about me is unexpected?” I raised an eyebrow.
“Absolutely everything, Princess.” He placed a hand over mine. “Unexpected, yet welcome.”
“Not so unexpected if you specifically asked for me to be your date at the gala.”
“Well, I’d like to think we were sort of friends before this summer.” He met my eyes. “But I’m not sure that friends share this much chemistry or have such an attraction to each other.”
“If they did, I imagine they’d become more than friends.”
“If they’re lucky.”
“Are you?”
“Lucky?” he asked. I nodded. He chuckled. “Right now, I feel like the luckiest man alive.”
“I feel pretty lucky, as well.”
He grinned at me and looked out at the ocean. “Do you like the freedom that being here brings?”
“I do.” I looked over at him. “Not as much as you do, I’m sure.”
“I’m not used to being in the spotlight.”
“I can’t say what it would be like to be away from it for too long. Even when the cameras aren’t flashing and the paparazzi aren’t chasing, we’re always putting on an act for someone.”
“Even during Sunday dinners?”
“Especially during Sunday dinners.” I laughed, shrugging. “I guess it depends on who’s there.”
“When I’m there, you’re always the perfect little host. Quiet and attentive. Who would have known that underneath it all, you’re such a naughty princess?”
I bit my lip as he came closer, brushing his nose against mine. “I’m only naughty when you’re around.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes.”
“I probabl
y shouldn’t like hearing that as much as I do,” he murmured against me, nipping my lower lip and pulling it into his mouth. My body was on fire. I set my glass down and moved closer, wrapping my arms around him, wishing I could wrap myself around him completely. He moved his chair and welcomed me onto his lap, his fingers deftly pushing up the summer dress I wore. He found my center quickly.
“We should go inside,” I whisper-panted against his mouth, though my hips rocked, clearly not agreeing.
“Should we?”
“Yes.” I gasped as his fingers entered me.
“Should I stop?”
“God, no.” My head dropped back.
I didn’t want him to stop. Ever.
* * * *
Ben and I had been inseparable. So much so, that Joslyn had been in town for two days and I hadn’t even seen her. So, when I walked into my room and saw her, I shrieked.
“Did you forget I was here?” She raised an eyebrow as she looked up at me.
“Honestly? Yes.” I took a deep breath as I lowered my hand from my pounding heart.
“Well, I haven’t wanted to bother you. I figured if you needed me, you’d call.” She smiled. “You look…happy.”
She was sitting in the comfortable leather recliner in the corner of my bedroom, and had been reading a newspaper like an old man. It was people like Joss who kept the newspaper industry going, so I never made fun of her for it, but she really did look funny with her reading glasses and paper.
“I am happy.” I sighed, opening my arms and letting myself fall smack into the middle of the plush, king-size bed.
“Do tell.” The paper crinkled, and the footrest of the leather chair clicked back into place.
“I don’t even know where to start.” I turned on my side so I could look at her.
“Well, you haven’t been back to the villa in two days now. Start there.”
“It’s been like a never-ending date.” I smiled widely.
“Are you going to share?”
“Well, I mean, you want details? I can’t give you all the details.”
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