by A. L. Zaun
Chris led me through a maze of people as we walked down toward the bar.
"So, Lucas, what the hell was that Prince Charming shit?"
I gave him a look that said, Don't be an ass wipe. Chris and I had been friends since we were kids. I'd spent more time getting him out of trouble than anything else. Over the years, this look had been perfected. No matter what, he'd always been a good friend and stepped up to the plate when it had mattered most.
"Don't look at me like that. I'm not being an ass." Chris shook his head.
That was proof that my look had communicated exactly what I'd intended. I didn't even have to open my mouth.
"Let me rephrase. So, you seem to be smitten by Macy's friend. Who is she?" Chris asked.
I wasn't a girl. I didn't share, but since I had wanted to hug him earlier, I figured I would do it more subtly. "She's a girl I met today. She took off before I could get her number."
"Did she take off because she thought you were a freak? And now you're stalking her?" Chris asked.
I had to give him the look again. "No, ass wipe. You called. I answered. She left. It's not happening again."
Chris patted me on the back and bought me a beer. "You were talking to that babe and answered my call? Geez, I don't know if you're an idiot or if I'm special."
"It was a stupid force of habit. Lucky for me, I'm getting another chance. This time, I won't make the same dumb mistake. Now, move. You're in my way."
Leaning against the bar, I found the perfect view of her. She was upstairs, talking to her friends. Laughing, she threw her head back, exposing her neck. I wanted to feel my lips on her neck, run my fingers through her hair, and caress her body with my hands. I just wanted to see her smile.
Chris scouted out the room. "The night is young, my good fellow. Three o'clock is checking you out. Don't limit yourself to one ass tonight. You could score big."
The server came over. "Hello, gentlemen. The ladies at that table would like to buy you two a drink." She pointed to three o'clock. "What will it be?"
Chris waved at the bleached blondes with fake boobs. I rolled my eyes. He was quickly becoming a liability.
"I'll have a—" Chris began.
I elbowed him, shaking my head. "Thanks, but no thanks," I interrupted, keeping my sights on the only woman I was interested in getting to know.
"Dude, you're killing me."
I turned around and ordered two beers. Handing one to Chris, I said, "You'll survive."
While Lise was off socializing with her friends, I'd found the perfect spot at the bar to keep an eye on Daniela. I saw Chris walking in my direction with that motherfucker. During the past year, Chris and I had met for drinks and to talk about nightclubs and women. I knew it was only a matter of time before he came over to make small talk and get my feedback on the club. I had a gift when it came to these things. I could tell if a club was going to make it or break it. This one was definitely on the make-it path.
"Hey, Rick, it's good to see you." Chris patted me on the shoulder before he shook my hand. Overall, he was a good guy who was great with people, making him a savvy businessman. "This is my buddy, Liam Lucas. Liam, this is Rick Marin." Chris then sang my club-picking praises.
It was true, so it wasn't like he was kissing my ass or anything like that. He was just stating a fact. I couldn't have planned things better if I'd tried. I needed to know how this asshole knew Daniela and what his intentions were with her. I wasn't about to let anyone get in the way of our reconciliation. I needed to size up the competition, if there even was a competition.
"So, Liam, right?"
He nodded.
I wanted to get some historical data. "I've never seen you around. Are you new in town?"
"Nope, I've lived in South Florida all my life. This scene just really isn't my thing," he answered before taking a swig of his beer.
"Come on, you like to party." I swirled my drink. "I'm sure you could have any woman in this club if you wanted."
"He already turned down a drink from a bootylicious bombshell," Chris chided.
"Superficial, shallow, and boring. Your free drink isn't worth the headache, and she isn't who I'm interested in." Liam's eyes were focused.
I could see he was a man on a fucking mission.
"Bro, but the blow job would've been worth the yapping," Chris pointed out. "And you could have ridden off on your horse with your princess afterward. Don't limit your options."
Liam glared at Chris before he turned to me. "Rick, this is your thing. According to Chris, you're the king of clubs. I respect that. It's just not my thing."
Daniela wasn't a clubber either. This little piece of information might work in his favor, and the motherfucker was interested in substance. Shit.
After finishing off his beer, Chris interjected, "Lucas's thing is his job, his career, his employment, his calling, his mission in life. What's the PC name for it these days?"
"If you don't mind me asking, what do you do?" I asked.
As I tossed back the last of my scotch, he tensed. I hoped he didn't think I was hitting on him. The questions were sounding like pick-up lines, and this was South Beach after all.
Chris answered before Liam could even open his mouth. "My friend here is the consummate Boy Scout. If your kitty is stuck in a tree, Lucas is your man."
Liam's eyes narrowed, and his brow furrowed.
Chris shook his head. "Chill out, bro. I'm just joking." He punched his friend on the arm. "First of all, Lieutenant Lucas is a member of the Miami-Dade County Fire Department. Is that better?" He looked over at me. "I have to give him credit because he's done some pretty badass shit." Chris then directed his attention to Liam. "Just lighten up. You're not on the job twenty-four-seven."
Great, so the asshole is a fucking hero, too. Girls ate that shit up. Daniela, with her fucking books, would let her imagination run wild with him. I need to neutralize him. Fast.
Chris and Liam tapped drinks. "Second of all," Chris said, looking over at Liam, "I have a give-Lucas-all-the-shit-I-want card today. He owes me big time."
Liam just shook his head and laughed. "Take your best shot. It's impossible for you to ruin my evening," he said.
I noticed he could barely take his eyes away from where Daniela was sitting.
I wanted to know how Chris came through for him, but then Daniela and her friends started walking down the stairs. As they eased their way onto the dance floor, Liam and I both straightened up to get a better view. Daniela had always been an amazing dancer. My dick throbbed as I watched her hands run up her body and through her hair. By the way she was moving, I could tell she'd had a few drinks. Her inhibitions were low, and she was ripe for fucking. From the corner of my eye, I looked over at Liam. He had this ridiculous smile on his face. He couldn't stop staring at her. Daniela didn't do pussy whipped. This might work in my favor.
I had the incredible urge to see if I could get a rise out of him. I leaned in closer to him. "Damn, look at her. She's a nine-alarm fire. I wouldn't mind getting a taste of that." I took a drink of my Black Label on the rocks.
"What did you just say?" Liam asked. His moronic smile was replaced by a deadly glare.
"Hey, take it easy. I'm just admiring." I put my hands up in surrender. "Is she with you or something? Thought you were avoiding shallow and superficial? But I can tell by the way she moves, she sure as hell isn't boring."
He clenched his jaw and straightened his shoulders. "Yeah...I know her. Don't talk about her like that again." Shaking his head, he took another swig of his beer and then placed the bottle on the bar.
"Settle down, Rambo. I have my own piece of ass."
The motherfucker actually got in my fucking face.
"I mean it. Don't you ever talk about her like that again," Liam said.
I put my drink down, glaring at him. I wasn't about to get in a fight, but I don't know what the fuck he was thinking by coming at me like that. I wasn't a pussy either.
Chris immediately go
t between us. "Hey, guys, settle down. There's enough action here for everyone."
Liam was pissed, but he backed down. I got the information I needed. She was under his skin. He might as well advertise that he came with a white picket fence, two-point-five kids, and he'd probably thrown in a dog for good measure.
Turning to face the bar, I snapped my fingers to get the bartender's attention. "I'll have a Blue Label, straight up." This is going to be a long night.
I leaned my elbows on the table and rested my chin in my hands. With a great view from the VIP lounge, we could see down to the lower-level dance floor. While I had no intentions of becoming that clubbing kind of girl, I had to admit that I was having a great time. We laughed, danced, and drank.
Macy found the first opportunity to fill Candace in on my recent steamy meet-and-greet with my CPR instructor. I sat, dreamily thinking about him. I thought I'd never see him again, and then I happened to run into him by coincidence. Or is it destiny? This same man left me yearning and aching for his touch. Yep, he was the one that did that, not one of my book boyfriends. I was now obsessing about an actual man. With the aid of several Cosmos, my imagination was starting to run wild.
Macy sipped her Cosmo. "Dani, I'm going to go find him and drag him up here."
Even though I was buzzed and in my own little euphoria thinking about him, there was no way on earth I would let her do that. I wasn't that drunk. "Over my dead body. Macy, promise me you won't do anything to embarrass me." I looked at her, knowing that she couldn't be trusted at all.
"Come on, you're such a killjoy. You're here. He's here. You had a connection. What are the odds? You know you want me to."
"I'm not a killjoy. I'm just being cool. I'm not desperate. If he wants me, he knows where I'm at," I said smugly. While I continued to sip my drink, I tried to sneak a few peeks to see if he was downstairs. No such luck.
"Dani, this isn't one of your books. This is Miami nightlife. You're a modern woman. Stop thinking book-boyfriend fantasy. That stuff doesn't exist in the real world. Sometimes, we just have to make things happen. Let's not forget that you have a condition that needs to be remedied."
Sitting next to us, Candace shook her head and rolled her eyes. I wished I'd caught that on camera.
"Macy, leave Dani alone. It was a huge step for her to come here tonight, and it was a mammoth leap of faith for her to entertain the idea of a little romance with our handsome CPR instructor. By the way, I've yet to meet him to determine if he deserves my approval." Candace smiled. "Plus, there's nothing wrong with wanting a little romance."
I nodded my head. "Yes, Candace, as always, you're exactly correct. I want romance. Why not? I have new standards. Let's face it, the professor, book-boyfriend extraordinaire, ruined me for all men."
"Dani, you had me at standards and then lost me when you mentioned your book boyfriend. Girl, he's not real." Macy laughed into her drink. "I feel like I'm Woody telling Buzz that he's a toy."
I swore she sounded just like Woody. Or maybe it's the drinks.
Candace tried to gracefully sip her Cosmo, but she ended up spitting out the drink as she laughed. I fell over in hysterics. I love these girls.
Macy stood up. "Suit yourself. I'm going downstairs to dance. I cross my heart and promise that I won't stalk your hottie instructor, so you can relax. Anyhow, I want to see if I can encourage things with Chris. That guy has me going a little nuts for him. Oh, the things I want to do to him…" Macy purred before she started heading toward the stairs.
I turned to Candace. The truth was that I always felt more comfortable talking to Macy about most things because she was Macy. When I needed good advice or honesty, Candace was the one I trusted. She would never steer me wrong.
"Do you think I'm making the right choice by sitting up here while he's down there?" I asked Candace, hoping she could reassure me.
"Why are you doubting yourself? For a moment, I was impressed there by the confident Daniela who knows what she wants and isn't afraid to wait for it. You're right, Dani. You aren't desperate. Just because I don't like it when you hide behind your books doesn't mean I want you to cling to the first guy that looks your way."
"It's just that…well, I got so excited when I saw him here and then he left. It bummed me out. What if he left the club? Or worse, what if he's down there flirting with someone else?"
"Sweetie, it would be his loss. It's as simple as that. Don't sell yourself short. If he has any sense at all, he'll find you. And if he doesn't, then that's okay. It just wasn't meant to be."
"You're right. Are you ever wrong?"
"Nope." She smiled. "Look, I'll never intentionally misguide you. Also, I'm not kidding. He's going to have to get my approval."
"Yes, Mom."
"Ha, ha, ha. I'm not your mom. I can also tell when you and Macy act like I am. To be honest, it hurts my feelings. I love you girls. I just don't want anyone to hurt you." Candace pouted.
I matched her pout. "Candace, hon, I'm sorry I hurt your feelings. I'm sorry about my Kindle addiction and how it interferes with our friendship. I do appreciate you. Thank you for forcing me to come here tonight and for making sure I felt like Cinderella."
Candace sipped her Cosmo. "Are you having a good time?"
"As a matter of fact, I am. It's getting late though, and my feet are killing me. How on earth do you do it?" I slipped off one shoe and rubbed my foot before I slid the shoe back on.
"I think you've met your quota for clubbing and Cosmos. We'll give Macy a little longer and then leave."
Candace finished her drink and smiled. Then, she did something very strange. She got up, gave me a hug, and then walked away.
"Okay…that was really strange," I said to no one in particular. Then, out of the corner of my eye, I noticed a drink being placed on my table. I tried to stop the server. "Oh, wait, I didn't order another drink." When I looked up, my face lit up at the sight of Liam.
Smiling, he slid in next to me. "Hi."
Internal freak-out, happy dance was in process. I wasn't sure how safe this would be. It was difficult enough to play it cool while I was sober. What are my chances half drunk? How many Cosmos have I had anyway? They seemed to keep coming, and I had lost count a while ago. I tried to keep my smile contained, but I failed miserably.
"Shall we dance?" he asked.
I flirted back. "I'll have to check my dance card." I refused to look at him. It was my only weapon of self-defense. Keeping my gaze forward, I only glanced at him from the corner of my eye.
He smiled, stood up, and held out his hand for me. "I believe I see my name at the top of that dance card, Ms. Ruiz."
I looked up at him as I placed my hand in his. His smiling eyes met mine. Helping me up, he led me down to the crowded dance floor. We tunneled our way to the middle of the room with his hand resting on the small of my back. I felt an electrical current traveling up my entire body from his touch. Holy hell. It was hot and incredibly sexy.
It was difficult to move on the crowded dance floor. As we were pressed up against one another, my pulse quickened, and my breathing shallowed. He wrapped his arms around my back and held me close. When his fingertips danced across my back, shivers ran down my legs as I let out a whimper. Instinctively, I held on to him, nestling my head against his chest. He smelled good, and he felt even better.
He lowered his head and blew softly in my hair. "Let's get out of here."
My heartbeat was out of control, and my breathing was rapid. What does he mean by that? I couldn't stop myself when he placed his hands on my waist and maneuvered me toward the exit. As we neared the door, he reached down and laced his fingers with mine. Squeezing my hand, he led me outside. Oh. My. God. His hands were strong, and his grip was possessive. I was on the verge of hyperventilating.
Is this just mutual attraction, alcohol, or my repressed sexual tension? It was probably a combination of all three. I couldn't put my finger on it, but there was something very different about Liam Lucas. I liked him a l
ittle too much, and that thought scared me. As I followed him outside, I made the conscious decision to not go home with him, at least not tonight.
We began to walk toward the boardwalk. The waves were crashing softly against the beach. Although the breeze was soft, there was still a chill in the air.
"You look cold," he said as he took off his jacket. His eyes sparkled as he wrapped it around me.
I snuggled into it. It was warm and smelled like him. "Thank you."
"It's quieter out here. I meant it when I told you I wasn't going to let you get away." He led me to the steps that overlooked the sand and surf.
We sat quietly for a moment. When he put his arm around me, I rested my head against his shoulder.
He broke the silence. "I've been wondering all night which look is more beautiful on you."
When he pulled his head back a little to take a good look at me, I bit my lip to hold back the smile, but I knew there was nothing I could do to hide the blush.
"Is it the glammed-up movie-star look?" He motioned to my present attire. "Or is it the T-shirt with your hair piled on top of your head?" He resumed looking forward.
Glancing over at him, I unsuccessfully tried not to stare at him in awe. I'd known him for less than a day, and I'd smiled more with him than I ever had with any other man. "Well, what's the verdict?"
For a moment longer, he stayed still as though he was collecting his thoughts.
It was a beautiful night. While the tide came in, the moon reflected on the water, casting a soft glow. When he looked over at me, our eyes met.
Quietly, he responded, "I suppose, if I'm honest, it doesn't matter. I just want to see your smile."
Leaning in closer, he looked down at my lips and brought his hands up to cup my face. When he gently pressed his soft lips against mine, it was tender and deeply intimate. He took my breath away, and my mouth parted slightly. I licked my lower lip. His mouth had barely moved, and the act alone was an invitation to a deeper kiss. His tongue teased my lower lip, forcing a smile on both of our faces, as the kiss became playful. Bordering on an explosion of passion, I reached up and tugged him closer as the kiss filled with desire. It was intoxicating.