Chapter 28
Lily
For the first time since my accident, I’m free. I’m dripping in sweat, but I’ve not felt this free and this happy in years. Diaz is sprinting toward me, a huge smile on his handsome face as I drag the ball back and work out how I’m going to stop him from taking possession of the ball.
My heart is so full, and my mind clear.
I step to the side, the ball glued to my left foot as Diaz misses his chance to take it from me, and I sprint towards the goal, hearing his frustrated growl from behind.
“Regretting helping me now, Diaz?” All of a sudden, his arms lock around my waist as he tackles me, pulling me to the ground, pinning me, his body settling between my thighs.
Our chests heave from exertion, and we both have pathetic grins on our faces.
“I’ll never regret getting you on your back, Chambers.”
I roll my eyes, but the way he’s being so carefree has butterflies fluttering in my stomach. I brush his sweat-coated hair out of his face. “Thank you.”
“What are you thanking me for?”
“Giving me this feeling back.”
“What me on top of you? Anytime.” He slowly grinds his hips against me, a cocky grin spreading across his face.
“No, you shit knot.” I chuckle, pushing at his chest. He offers me his hand as he gets to his feet. “No, for giving me the feeling of being free. Feeling like myself again.”
“Not sure I did much. It was all you.” He keeps my hand in his, dragging his thumb across my knuckles, the touch featherlike, but I feel it everywhere.
This strange push-pull connection I have with him is making me want to be vulnerable; tell him all my secrets and fears, and that scares the life out of me.
How can one person go from being someone I want to avoid to someone I crave in the space of a few weeks?
“You didn’t treat me like glass. So many people do that.” I trail off, my mind going to the reason people treat me that way. That I’ll break, or crack under the slightest pressure.
“Why?”
“Nope.” Reaching up, I drop a quick kiss to his lips, whispering, “That isn’t one of your three questions for today.”
“Okay, I’ll give you that for today, but you can’t avoid it forever, Petardo.”
“Favorite dessert?” Marcus asks as he leans back in his chair, his eyes laser-focused on me.
“That seriously one of your three questions for today?” After we put all the equipment away, we went over the road to the café, where we are now sipping freshly squeezed orange juice and nibbling on Spanish cuisine in the glorious sun. I could get used to this way of life.
“Humor me.” He grins.
“Raspberry trifle.”
“Really? You strike me as a chocolate cake sort of girl.”
“Nope, too sweet and basic, I’m definitely not basic. You?”
“Is that one of your questions?”
“I suppose.” I shrug.
“My mama’s churros, dipped in chocolate.
” He huffs out a little laugh. “She used to make them every Sunday after a game, and it was the perfect way to finish the day.” He looks lost in thought as he keeps going.
“We would sit out on the terrace, sometimes it was just us, but others, it seemed like the whole village would be there. I’d play with the kids from the village and Mama would talk with the locals, we would dance, sing, and play games all evening. ”
“I love that. Sounds like you had a pretty amazing childhood.”
“It wasn’t always parties and laughter, but it was for the majority. I’ve been pretty lucky.”
I sip my juice, trying to wrap my head around the piece of information that seems to have made Marcus a little more human in my eyes. He hasn’t spoken about his family ever. Not in interviews, not anywhere. He’s a bit of an enigma.
“It seems it.” I top up my glass of orange juice from the pitcher between us to center my thoughts. “You know, I’ve never tried churros.”
“We’ll rectify that on this trip.” He winks.
“If you say so. Okay, next question.”
“Favorite movie?”
“The Gentleman.”
“Not what I thought you’d say.” His brow creases
“What were you expecting?”
“Something like How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days.”
“Andie Anderson is amazing, and that is a great film, but I love Guy Richie films and Charlie Hunnam.” I sigh dreamily.
“He is one fine specimen of a man.” He smirks.
“Does Charlie get your juices flowing, Diaz?” I tease.
“Not really my type.”
“Shame. That would make one hot viral moment.” I tap my finger against my lips.
“Never going to happen, so don’t even think about it.”
“Oh, I’m most definitely already thinking about it.”
“Joder.” He shakes his head. “Can we please move on from this?”
“Why is it making you feel uncomfortable?” My voice drips with sweetness.
“Just ask me a question, so we can forget this conversation ever happened.”
“Just so you know, that is now firmly planted up here.” I pat the side of my head. “So thank you very much for that, but because I can see you squirming, I’ll throw you a bone.”
“I appreciate that.”
“So what’s your favorite film?”
“You not going to think of any of your own questions.”
“I’ll ask the next one.” I wave him off. “So come on, favorite film, and don’t lie, telling me it’s something like ‘The Godfather’ to sound all macho. Honesty please.”
“You don’t think my favorite film is macho?”
“No, I have it in my head that you’re more of a closet chick flick fan.” I sip on my drink, waiting.
“Okay.” He fidgets with a napkin in front of him. “You’re right, my favorite film is The Holiday.”
“The Holiday?”
“Yep. It’s amazing.” He sounds defensive now as he sits taller. “Has everything you need. Love, Cameron Diaz—great name, of course— and Christmas.”
“You love Christmas?”
“What’s not to love?”
“I suppose you’re right. I just didn’t have you down as a Christmas fan. Okay, my turn to ask the questions. You ready for this one?” I rub my hands together.
“I suppose so.” He cringes.
“Worst date you’ve ever been on?”
“You really want to know?”
“Only if you’re honest.”
“Urgh, right, I swear I’ve never told anyone about this.” He points his finger at me and leans forward. “Even Kai has no clue, because it’s the worst. If I wasn’t there, I wouldn’t even believe me when I tell you.”
I sit forward, placing my glass down, giving him my full attention. “Well, this sounds too good.”
“Am I really going to do this?”
“Yes. Yes, you are. No lying, remember?” I smirk at him.
“I know, Dios, why did I agree to this?”
“Because you know you haven’t had the best of me yet.” I look up at him through hooded lashes.
“No?”
“There is so much more I have to give, Diaz.” I tug my bottom lip between my teeth. “But I only give what I’m given in return.”
He moves his body closer on the bench, his warm palm resting on my thigh.
“I can give you so much more.” His hand grazes up to the apex of my thigh, and even through my yoga pants, the heat emanating from his touch has my pulse spiking.
His breath is hot against my ear as his cheek brushes against mine. “So much more.”
I close my eyes, cursing myself for loving him being so close. “Stop deflecting,” I groan, pulling away slightly. “Worst date, explain.”
“If I do mine, you have to say yours.”
“Deal.”
“Okay. Dios, I can’t believe I’m telling you this.” Dragging his hands through his hair, he tugs on the strands. “I met Tabitha in a club about five years ago. I was with Kai and a few others. She was beautiful, like Victoria Secret hot.”
“You don’t need to hype up how beautiful she is.” I roll my eyes as my stomach drops at the thought of his hands on another woman.
“Trust me, I do, because it makes up for how awful this night ends and why I went home with her.”
“Your dick made your moves that night?”
“Completely. And he has a lot to answer for. I still have nightmares about this night.” He sits back against the bench as he looks out over the horizon.
“Tabitha was saying and doing all the right things, so I went back to her apartment. Which, if I were in my right mind and not being led by my dick, would’ve been an instant red flag.
And I would’ve made some excuse and gotten out of there.
” Pausing as he rubs his hand over his jaw.
“Don’t stop, give me more.” He raises his eyebrows. “Not that, you dirtbag. Stop deflecting, I'm invested.”
“You’re relentless.”
“Just working that out?”
“No, I've always known you’d make me work for it.” He smirks, but I wind my fingers mimicking him to continue.
“Fine. I walked into her apartment, which was filthy. And I don’t mean just a few pots on the side, I mean shit everywhere.
Her sink was overflowing, the bin had stuff falling out of it.
Her clothes were on every surface. I can’t even tell you what color her sofa was as it was littered with clothes, food, and God knows what else.
” He shudders at the memory. “But I was drunk, horny, and she was gorgeous, so I went with it. Like I said, my dick was making all the moves. She started kissing me as she sat in my lap and laid me down, but once my head hit the back of the sofa, I rested my head on something fluffy, and it moved. She jumped off me quickly and squealed ‘Cinnabun’ as she picked this brown fluffy fucking bunny off the back of the sofa.”
“She had a house rabbit?”
“Yes, and she fucking loved that thing.”
“Yes, I’m obsessed with this story. Keep going, please,” I plead. “Tell me she didn’t make you do some weird sex shit with her rabbit? Else, I think we may need to rethink our pact.” I scrunch my nose at the thought.
“No, the rabbit was not involved. Well, not completely.”
“Don’t keep me in suspense. I’m thoroughly invested.”
“Fine.” He blows out a long breath. “She put the rabbit in my lap and asked me to stroke it.”
I burst out laughing. “So, she asked you to hold her rabbit and stroke it while your dick was hard?”
“Didn’t say my dick was hard.”
“Hot Victoria Secret model kissing you on your lap and you weren’t hard?” I quirk my eyebrow.
“I was also drunk and in the dirtiest pit I think I’ve ever been in, and I’ve been brought up in men’s stinking changing rooms.”
“Fair comment. Continue.”
“So I’m sitting there with this fucking bunny on my lap, and that’s when I notice she’s moved and is now standing next to a pole.”
“No!” My eyes widen. “She didn’t have a pole in her living room?”
“She did.”
“Brilliant, so she danced for you while you stroked her bunny?” I can’t help the laugh that bubbles out of me.
“Pretty much, except she was a pretty shit dancer.”
“Bit rude. The woman was putting on a show for you.”
“Oh, it was a show, alright.” He chuckles as he rakes his fingers through his hair.
“I’m not sure what dance she was doing, but there was no music, and whatever she was doing to the pole, it was not sexy.
I was about to make up some excuse to leave.
I was on the verge of running out of there, and taking the bunny with me.
The poor thing, I’m sure, was giving me a look of ‘help me’, but as I was starting to stand, the pole came away from the ceiling and she fell right on top of me and Cinnabun. ”
“She did not?” I clap my hand over my mouth.
“Yep.”
“Was she okay?”
“Was she okay? What about me and Cinnabun?” He crosses his arms across his chest.
“Jesus, Princess. Were you all okay?”
“Yes, we were, but she shouted at me. Said it was all my fault, and I needed to pay for her pole to be fixed as she snatched Cinnabun off my lap.”
“Did you pay for it?”
“I left whatever cash I had in my wallet before I ran out of there.” He picks up his glass, inspecting it before he continues, “But I fell, tripping over some of her fucking shit on the floor and smacked my head on the door as I fled. I had a cut on my forehead, which I was not explaining exactly how I got.”
“Okay, that…” I can’t stop laughing. “Was literally the best story I think I’ve ever heard.”
“You’re welcome.” He tips his glass before taking a sip.
I’m still trying to catch my breath as he stares at me blankly.
“I still think about Cinnabun,” he says solemnly. “I should’ve gone back and rescued him. No bunny should live like that.”
“You do have a heart.”
“Somewhere. Now, you need to tell me yours.”
“Buckle up, Diaz, because I’m about to blow your mind.”