The Do Over

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 little 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.

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?"