by Ruby Forrest
Lorena gave him a small smile as she shoved her hands in her pockets and began to wriggle her toes. She sighed as she felt some of the tension drain away as she walked towards the water.
She took in a huge gulp of salty air and let it fill her lungs completely before she released it. “The rest of the world just melts away out here,”
“It does,” Lucas agreed from behind her as she felt rather than saw him stand next to her. He dipped his toes into the water. “The water is warm,”
Lorena gave him a wry smile. “Nice try. I’m not falling for that trick.”
“What trick?”
“You flinched when you dipped your toes just now. You want to tell me that was a reflex?”
Lucas gave her a sheepish smile. “Won’t know unless you try.”
“Why would I”- she was interrupted when a splash of water drenched her. She sputtered as she stared at Lucas who looked as delighted as a kid during Christmas.
The water was warm, but that didn’t mean she was going to let it slide. She gave him an innocent smile before she splashed him right back.
He spit the water out of his mouth as he stared at her through hooded eyes.
“Oh, it’s on.”
They began a water fight much like the ones they used to have in Madrid when they were younger, and things were great between them. In that hour as they splashed each other, each trying to get the other to surrender, all the years melted away, and it was like they were back in Spain having some fun before they headed home for the night.
Lucas threw himself onto the beach. “I give up.”
“You are- what do the Americans call it? A chicken,” she began to make chicken noises at him.
Lucas pretended to be offended. “And you are what they call a sore loser.”
Lorena surprised herself and him by throwing her head back and laughing before she plopped next to him on the sand.
They lay there, side by side, their bodies barely touching as they breathed deeply and stared at the deep blue sky. The sun shone down on them, its rays warming them up.
Unknowingly, Lorena had moved closer to Lucas and had fitted herself to his side. He placed one arm around her just like he used to do.
Lorena took a deep breath before she looked up at Lucas who was already gazing at her.
“Que pasa?”
“I need to tell you something, but before I do you, you have to promise you’ll wait till I’m finished before you say anything, and please think very carefully before you make a decision because it is a big deal.”
“Are you offering to be my sponsor?” Lucas teased.
Lorena slapped him on the arm, an amused smile tugging on the corner of her lips before she sobered up.
“When I told you to go to America, when you got that scholarship, I knew that I had to let you go, so you could pursue your dream. So I convinced you that it was okay.”
“I know why you did it, Lor. We agreed we’d try the long distance thing, but it was too hard after a while, I thought we both agreed to that.”
Lorena gave an exasperated sigh. “Would you stop interrupting?”
Lucas held up his hand and mimed shutting his mouth.
“It was the right decision at the time, but what I didn’t tell you is that I was pregnant.”
She proceeded to tell Lucas the story, why she had made the decisions she made, and Lucas listened quietly nodding to let her know he was keeping up.
When she was finished, she waited anxiously for his reaction.
“I’m sorry.”
“What?” she whispered unsure of where this was coming from.
“I’m sorry I made you feel like you were alone when you lost the baby, and like you had to let me go, so that I could pursue my dream while you raised our daughter. That wasn’t fair to you, and I wish you had told me the truth, but I understand why you didn’t.”
“Really?”
He rolled over, so he was looming on top of her. “Really. When can I meet Elena?”
Lorena laughed, a lovely carefree sound. “How about tonight? She’s with the baby sitter right now, but we can go see her.”
Lucas leaned in and nuzzled her neck. “I like that-we.” He pulled back and gazed at her, his eyes full of questions. Lorena nodded as he pressed his lips to hers.
He kissed her slowly at first, as if taking his time letting the years reacquaint him with what his body already knew, but soon his kissing grew more insistent, and he gently bit down on her bottom lip. She parted her lips and groaned as their tongues battled for dominance.
She lifted her hips and pressed herself closer causing Lucas to moan in the back of his throat. His hands ran up and down her body leaving goosebumps in his wake.
Lorena ran her hands over his back and snaked them underneath his shirt. She helped him out as he helped her out of her shirt.
He placed both hands on her breasts and began to knead them till her breasts practically spilled out of her bra, and all the while Lorena was writhing, gasping like a swimmer who was desperate for air.
She reached between them and placed her hand above his crotch and began to stroke. Lucas smiled against her as he grinded into her hand. He brought her hands up slowly and wrapped them around his neck.
He reached down and lay his hand on top of her crotch and watched as her eyes glazed over with uncontrolled desire. He unzipped his jeans and kicked them off as Lorena watched him through hooded eyes.
She kicked off her own jeans and watched as his eyes trailed over her body. He unclasped her bra and took one breast in his mouth. He began to suck and lick until Lorena was practically clawing on his back. He took the other breast and did the same till both her nipples were erect. She impatiently grinded against him until he finally tore himself away and lowered his boxers.
He thrust into her in one quick stroke, and they began to move together in wild abandon not caring if the whole world heard them. He began to nibble on her ears and bit her neck as he steadily thrust into her.
She ran her hands up and down his back and over his hips causing him to tremble in desire.
They finally came together, both of them shouting, their voices echoing on that empty beach.
“Let’s go home,” he finally said a while later as he was stroking her back.
Lorena smiled up at him as they got dressed and moved towards his car. They got in and drove towards Elena, towards their future.
THE END
REBOUND
Chapter 1
Lucas Ramirez groaned as he realized that the coach was going to make them run another mile, probably just for kicks. At twenty-three, Lucas knew that the odds were stacked against him as the youngest player on the team. Most people don’t get picked up fresh out of college, but he lucked out. But that wasn’t the only reason the odds were stacked against him. Lucas was also half Spanish, and he knew that it set him at a bit of a disadvantage because although most people would be horrified if you mentioned race within the NBA, he knew it was very much a thing. It wasn’t obvious, but he noticed the way some of his teammates snickered at the way he pronounced certain letters, and how they elbowed each other when they caught a glimpse of his Spanish flag tattoo. Maybe it was a bit cheesy, but he liked that tattoo. He hadn’t been to his country in five years, and he missed it terribly, but he knew that he was where he needed to be to make his dreams come true.
At 5’7’’ he was taller than most of the guys on the team which earned him respect, and with his jet black hair, chocolate brown eyes and fit physique most women would glance his way when he walked past.
He had a reputation for being the ladies’ man, and he enjoyed it.
It didn’t hurt too that once he threw in a word or two in Spanish, women would practically drool over him. It definitely didn’t hurt to be a Spaniard in America.
Lucas panted as his breathing began to turn a little ragged due to the fact that the coach had been over working them lately in
preparation for the big game on Friday. He knew that the coach was doing what he thought needed to be done, but running the team ragged before the big game was only going to make them exhausted by the time the actual game would roll around.
He took in a huge gulp of air as he finally made it past the first mile, and he threw himself onto the wet grass and breathed deeply.
“Good job, Ramirez,” The Coach practically tossed at him as he jotted something down on his clipboard. With side burns, a patch of receding blonde hair and a physique of someone who used to be in shape, Coach Carter looked like he was tough as nails on the outside, and for the most part he was, but only those on his team knew that he was a big softie on the inside. He was like a surrogate father to most of them, and they loved him even more for it.
Unable to do much, Ramirez simply grunted and gave his Coach a thumbs up as he waited for his lungs to stop feeling like they were on fire. The blood stopped pounding in his ears, and his lungs finally felt functional a few minutes later, and he raised his head a millimeter as he watched the rest of his teammates slowly cross the first mile and collapse much like he did.
“That was some fast running, Spanish,” one of his teammates, Keith threw at him as he grabbed a bottle of water. He screwed the cap open before he dumped the water all over his hair and shook it off.
Some of the other teammates yelled out insults at him as some of the droplets of water landed on their bodies, but most of them were too tired to actually do anything about it.
Lucas watched him carefully wondering if this was another one of their pranks, or if he generally meant it.
“Thanks, dude,” he offered cautiously as he threw himself back on the ground to gaze at the sun. He and Keith had been teammates for months now, but this was the first time he had spoken to Keith directly. He knew all about him of course, half English, half American with a legendary reputation with the ladies much like himself until he found out he had a kid.
That seemed to be the case with two other members as well, Blake and Mark.
He wondered how the hell they had managed to get themselves into this situation, and he thanked his lucky stars that he was fortunate enough to have avoided that scenario.
Although he never forgot the fact that he almost ended up in that very same position.
Her name was Lorena De la Vega.
She was a fiery brunette who had lived just across the street from him in Madrid, and her liquid grey eyes somehow managed to entice him. At the tender age of seventeen, he was convinced that he was in love. But, what he confused for love was probably nothing but lust and teenage hormones.
Lucas pulled the brakes on that train of thought as he slowly began to backtrack to whatever he was thinking about before that.
He tuned in just in time to hear his teammates talk about getting together later for a game of pool at this pub off Lincoln Boulevard.
“Can you play, Spanish?” Keith asked casually as he watched him.
Lucas froze as he realized for the first time that Keith was actually having a conversation with him that didn’t involve barking out tactics during a group huddle. The rest of the teammates seemed unaffected by the conversation, but he could tell by the way they tried to seem too nonchalant that they were actually listening.
Keith was offering him an olive branch, and for the life of him, Lucas couldn’t figure out why. He didn’t want to look a gift horse in the mouth, but he wondered at this sudden change of heart.
“I’m alright,” he said finally. In reality, he had probably only played pool once or twice in his entire life, but he supposed he could remember enough to get him through a game with the guys. Especially if it meant finally bonding with them.
“Join us tonight then, seven o’clock?”
“I’ll be there,” Lucas confirmed as he hoisted himself off the grass and headed towards the ice box with the water bottles.
Keith smiled at him and titled his water bottle in salute, and Lucas did the same as he wondered if Keith was up to something.
***
Lucas pulled up to the address that Keith had texted him three hours ago after having gone home, showered and had a bite to eat.
He frowned at the exterior with its bright neon light and the motorcycles parked out front. He usually avoided places like this because he knew that a lot of the people who hung out here were pure blooded Americans, and if they caught even a whiff of foreigner between them, they’d pounce like hellhounds.
He scratched the back of his head and wondered if it was really worth bonding with the guys. He supposed he could try to make a conscious effort to fit in, and that way he wouldn’t have to turn around and leave especially because he wouldn’t have a good excuse as to why he didn’t show up.
He already said he’d be here, and it was bad form to ditch them on the first time they had asked him to hang. He was sure if he did that, there wouldn’t be a second one.
Lucas squared his shoulders and figured if worst came to worst, he’d just walk away. It’s not like he couldn’t control his temper, he knew exactly when to back off and when to fight back, and he hoped it would be enough.
He reached out to open the set of double doors when a group of men came barreling through laughing and yelling at each other.
He stepped back as he waited for them to pass shaking his head at the silly things they were saying.
“Hey, you!” a voice slurred behind him. Lucas didn’t know who he was talking to until the man seemed to make a conscious effort of talking, Spanish.
Lucas took a deep breath, a practiced smile in place. “Yes?”
“Yes?” he mimicked in that deep baritone most Spanish men seemed to have.
Lucas kept the smile in place. “Can I help you?”
“Help me? By what? Stealing my job?”
Lucas raised an eyebrow. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
The man narrowed his eyes into slits as he stumbled forward and pointed a finger accusingly at Lucas. Lucas gazed down at the man, who was very small compared to him. He had on a shirt that supported some baseball team Lucas knew nothing about, a pair of oversized jeans, and his hair carelessly stuck out at all ends. When he leaned in close to Lucas, he could smell the alcohol on his breath, and it wasn’t a pleasant smell, so he involuntarily took a step backwards.
“That’s right, cower in fear, Spaniard,” the man puffed out his chest and sneaked a glance at his friends at the back who hung behind awkwardly, unwilling to help him out, but riveted by the train wreck in front of them.
“I’m not afraid.”
The man glared at him. “Yes, you are. Who do you think you are anyway? Cristiano Ronaldo?”
The man’s friends snickered as Lucas rolled his eyes and laughed. “Cristiano Ronaldo is from Portugal not Spain.”
His friends laughed even harder at that, and the man began to grow red with anger and shame. “I knew that. I just wanted to be sure you knew.”
Lucas rolled his eyes. “Right, okay, Listen, why don’t you just go home, I’m sure you have a nice girlfriend or something waiting for you.”
The man began to jab Lucas. “Are you implying that I can’t take you on, or are you trying to hit on my girl? Because I can take you either way.”
Lucas held his hands up in surrender even though he was beginning to feel mildly irritated. “Look, man. I’m not doing either, okay? I just think you’ve had a bit too much to drink, and you’re looking for a punching bag, and while I do try to be a good Samaritan, that’s not what I feel like doing today.”
The man’s eyes blazed with a fury that was entirely directed at Lucas even though Lucas had done nothing but try to defuse the situation. “And now you’re saying I can’t hold my liquor,” he spat out with as much venom as he could muster which wasn’t much considering he was inebriated and kept stumbling around.
“That’s it. You’re going down,” he swung his left hand in what Lucas can only assume was
meant to be a punch, but instead it ended falling short.
Lucas eyed him with mild annoyance. “I’m not going to fight you, man, so just let it go.”
The man began to advance forward again. “Aww, the Spaniard is a pussy. I’m a lover not a fighter,” he mocked as he swung another punch.
Lucas deflected, and he ended up punching the air again which only made him more agitated.
“Stop moving,” he yelled furiously as he kept trying to lunge at him. Lucas kept deflecting until he felt his patience wearing thin. He pressed his mouth into a thin line as he tried to keep his temper in check until the man distracted him and managed to clock him on the jaw.
Stunned, Lucas sat there unable to believe that this small man could punch with such vigor. The man was stunned too as he stared at his hand, and the place where it hit as if unable to believe that he was capable of doing that.
Suddenly the man looked less stunned and more crazy as a look of manic glee crossed his face, and his eyes shone with malice. He made to punch him again, but this time Lucas brought his hand up and intercepted him in one deft stroke. He held the man’s hand in his and gazed at it dispassionately.
He began to move it backwards, and the man grunted with effort as he tried to release his hand, but he was clearly no match for Lucas’s strength.
“Walk away,” Lucas said with a deadly calm that sent a shiver running down the man’s spine. The man looked visibly afraid as he swallowed audibly, his Adam’s apple bobbing up and down eagerly.
Lucas released his arm, and the man began to rub his tender hand before he jumped Lucas from the back. He tried to force his hands around Lucas’s neck in a deadlock, but Lucas although taken by surprise, was quickly able to throw him off.
The man landed with a thud on the ground, and he groaned as he rolled onto his side. “Bastard,” he muttered as he threw his weight forward. He swayed on his feet and leaned over and spat out blood.
He gave Lucas a smile that was full of blood, and Lucas felt a momentary sense of guilt for what he had done, but the man had it coming. He kept provoking him, and you can’t poke a bear without expecting to get bit.
