The car swerved, coming to a shuddering halt. A strong male hand gripped her fingers, pulling them away from his dick before she could explore further.
“Stop,” Derek bit out.
Angelina leaned back in her seat as he got out. The world was spinning around her, making her dizzy and light-headed. The passenger door was jerked open, Derek leaned in, grabbed a blanket from the backseat, and then picked her up, cradling her against his chest. He carried her down the beach with long strides, not saying a word. She had no clue how they’d gotten there but was glad he was doing the walking.
When he stopped and set her on her feet, her knees nearly buckled. The rain was still coming down, the waves in the distance crashing against the beach just feet away from where they stood. He guided her down to the blanket he’d placed on the ground and then kissed her. Angelina had been kissed, but never before by a man. All the boys she’d dated seemed clumsy, but Derek kissed like he drove, recklessly.
“Lorenzo,” she whispered, eyes closed tight.
Pulling him closer, the feel of his beard scraping against her palm sent a thrill through her. She tasted the lemonade they’d drunk on his tongue and moaned. Her world spun out of control as Derek rolled them to their side. She tried to raise her arm, thinking to pull him back over her.
“Are we spinning?” she asked.
Angelina must have passed out from too much alcohol. The only times she ever drank was on special occasions with her parents, and, even then, only a small glass.
A noise alerted her to the man lying beside her. The rain was still coming down, but now it was a light sprinkle and, typical of Florida weather, it was warming up. She wiggled out from under his body that was still partially covering her, not wanting to wake him yet. Her heart ached, childhood dreams torn apart by her reckless behavior. Sure, she could blame the alcohol, but, at the end of the day, or night, as it were, she was a big girl, who’d made the decision. Poor Derek. He’d been nice enough to take her away when he’d seen she needed an escape, and she had basically thrown herself at him. Shame threatened to swamp her. She squared her shoulders, knowing you couldn’t cry over spilled milk, or in this case, ninety proof alcohol, silently vowing to never make the same mistake again. The next time she made love it would be with a man she loved, and she would remember it.
On shaky legs, Angelina tried to stand, but felt like she was on a tilt-a-whirl. Not knowing how far they were from the country club, she didn’t want to try to walk back. In her getup, she’d be mistaken for a prostitute. Thinking about how she would explain to her family where she’d spent the evening and how perfectly her birthday had started and how it had ended, she was more than ready to leave. With the toe of her bare foot, she kicked Derek in the side, making him groan.
“Derek, wake up. I need to go home.” Speaking hurt her head, so she whispered.
“Huh.” He rolled over, giving her a view of his unzipped pants, and she couldn’t help but notice his dick was still exposed.
She looked away and motioned with her hand. His eyes snapped down, and he expelled a loud breath, and a few curse words.
“God, Angelina. Did we? You know?” He sounded like he was in pain.
She didn’t understand why he was upset. She was the one who had lost her virginity and had no memory of it. Shouldn’t she feel different? Wasn’t it supposed to hurt? So many things swirled through her hazy mind, but in the forefront was the need to flee.
“Could you please just take me home? I don’t feel well.” Her hand on her stomach gave credence to the lie.
Derek rolled to his feet. “Come on. I’ll take you home.” He left the blanket where it lay, his voice soft and gentle.
She glanced around for her shoes but couldn’t see them, which was fine by her. Judging by the darkness she guessed the time to be well after midnight. With the moon over the ocean it should be beautiful, a glorious end to a wonderful day. Instead, she felt shattered. It was time for this Cinderella to head home. Her prince had already turned into a frog, however, looking at the man who held his hand out, she wished with all her heart she hadn’t already fallen for another. Angelina knew she was mixing up her fairy tales, but, as she’d learned tonight, fairy tales didn’t exist.
“Thank you. I’m sorry, I…” Ducking her head, she let him pull her closer to his side.
Chapter Two
Five Years Later
Lorenzo Delgado, otherwise known as Ren, glared at his younger brother, Fernando. His brother had the audacity to try and appear innocent, when Lorenzo knew he was anything but. Young and dumb only got you so far, and boyish charm didn’t work when you were almost thirty years old, in Ren’s mind.