7. Luca
Luca
Her muttering that we shouldn't be getting carried away outside was like a bucket of iced water being poured over me, because she's right.
I barely know her, so the last thing I should be doing is mauling her in public.
Besides, she's a professional basketball player, and even though I don't know very much about sports, others might.
The last thing I want to do is put her in a compromising position.
No, something inside of me wants to protect her from anything and everything.
I've felt it since the moment I laid eyes on her this morning.
I've never felt this way with a woman before.
Instead, I decide to take her to my lifeguard stand, a small shack on the beach. It's the perfect place to lay back and see the stars while still giving us some privacy. There is so much I want to learn about her.
Thankfully, she follows me without asking too many questions. It only takes a few minutes for us to walk down the beach and find the small building.
When we reach the building, we pause just for a moment then she looks up at me, and asks, "What's this?"
"This is the lifeguard stand that I work at. I thought we could lay here and look at the stars," I explain to her.
"That sounds wonderful," she sighs.
Pulling her up the ramp, I push the door and prop it open, allowing the air to flow into the building. When we get inside, she lets go of my hand and walks around the very small building. It really is just a single room with a few cabinets in the back.
Looking over her shoulder at me, she smiles. "This is so cool."
"I guess. It's just a small room," I tell her.
"It's like an office. I've never had one. The only job I've ever had is basketball," she explains.
Opening one of the cabinets in the back of the room, I reach for a blanket that I keep in here in case one of the guests need to rest for a moment.
Laying it down on the ground, I spread it out so there’s enough room for both of us before sitting down and patting the spot next to me. "Why don't you come sit next to me?"
Diana doesn't say anything, she just gives me a sexy smirk and walks over to sit down. The sun is almost completely gone, but you can still see just a pinch of it over the ocean, creating a romantic atmosphere.
She must be thinking the same thing because she says, "This place is so beautiful."
"It is. I love living here," I tell her.
"How long have you lived here for?"
"All my life."
"Does your family live here, too?"
Nodding my head, I reply, "Yes. Every single one of them. Well, except my cousin who now lives in Los Angeles."
"Do you have a big family?"
"Yep. I have three sisters and two brothers."
"Wow! It's only me. I’ve always wished I had a sibling."
I let out a chuckle. "It's not all it's cracked up to be. On most days, they drive me nuts."
"Do they also work here?"
"None of my siblings do, just a few distant cousins. My brother is the manager at a smaller resort where he lives on site. To tell you the truth, he’s a workaholic.
My youngest sister is a yoga instructor in town, and she lives as she says, ‘Off the earth,’ whatever that means.
My oldest sister is a teacher; she lives with her husband and two kids.
The sister below me works for my parents at the family restaurant. "
"That's so cool. I'm lucky if I can even get my parents to come to my games. They're always so busy."
My heart squeezes from her statement. I couldn't imagine my family not being around for the big and small events.
My family drives me nuts because we are always in each other's business, but no matter what, we were always there for each other.
I know that if I was to do something as great as playing professional basketball, my parents would drop everything to come to my games.
When I told them that I wanted to get my certification to become an EMT, instead of working at the restaurant, they hadn’t cared.
They were the ones who encouraged me most. When Gael came to me with a job opportunity, my parents were the ones who’d pushed me again.
I couldn't imagine what life would be like if I didn't have them pushing and supporting me.
"How did you get into basketball?" I ask her.
"My parents put me into every camp they could think of each summer and one of them was basketball. I fell in love. After that I begged my parents to only put me in basketball camps. Basketball became my one true love," she says wistfully.
I lay all the way back on the blanket throwing my arm under my head, propping it up. "That's great that you found something you love. I have an idea of what I want to do, but I've never been sure."
She lays all the way down nestling down next to me and I can feel the warmth from her body.
I love the way she feels. The sky has become dark, littered with stars, making the moment even more intimate.
Her hand makes it’s way under my shirt, brushing her fingers through my chest hair, when a small breeze blows through making her shiver.
I don't hate it though because she snuggles into me trying to find warmth.
A soft smile comes to my lips when she lets out a soft sigh.
It's as if our souls know each other even though we've just met. We both stay silent for a moment enjoying the stars.
"When I was a kid, I used to love the stars," she sighs.
Rolling over onto my side, I prop myself up on my elbow looking down in her beautiful moss green eyes. "What did you love about the stars?"
"The beauty of them. How they can make you feel like you are in another world," she whispers.
"You're more beautiful than the stars," I tell her. Leaning in for a kiss, Diana bursts out laughing.
"That was so corny," she laughs.
"I'll show you corny," I tell her and this time I don't hesitate or wait, I lean down and crash my lips to her.
Her lips melt into mine along with her body, and I can't help but love the way she feels against me. My hands graze down the sides of her body, taking in every one of her curves. Suddenly, she flips me over onto my back, straddling me.
Pulling away, she grins at me. "It's my turn to be in control."
"I love a woman who knows what she wants," I say, but before I can keep going, Diana crashes her lips to mine. I've never wanted to obey a woman more than I do right now.