Page 62 of Marring an Athlete

Chapter Twenty-One

Anna

Anna sat at the bar, listening to the music that blared from the speakers. She sighed as she took a sip of Coke. She was trying to keep from watching the couples dancing or talking around her.

It was hard to ignore the painful feeling in her gut that came from being abandoned by the person you care about when there were happy couples all around. Maybe there was a singles side to this resort. She snorted—probably not.

An arm rested on her shoulder, causing her to jump. She turned to see Javier smiling down at her. An uneasy feeling rose in her stomach, but she pushed it away.

“Hey,” she said, turning back to her drink.

“How are you doing, mon amour?”

Great. Now she’d upgraded to amour. This was not what she wanted. Sure, Javier was hot and exotic. But he wasn’t Michael. He never would be.

“I’m good. Just sitting here, enjoying a drink and the music.” Keeping her conversation platonic seemed like the best idea.

Javier sat down on the stool next to her and ordered a shot of whiskey. “I’m happy that you decided to come out here tonight. I was worried you wouldn’t.” The bartender poured the shot and Javier downed it.

Anna shrugged. She was tired of feeling sorry for herself. It was time she started moving on with her life. “It beats sitting in McKenna’s hut doing nothing.”

Javier smiled at her. “Why don’t you come dance with me? The best way to forget one lover is to find a new one.”

Anna coughed. What did he say? Maybe she’d given the wrong impression. “Javier, I—”

He nuzzled her ear. “Don’t make any decisions right now,” he whispered.

Anna hesitated, but then shrugged. What harm would it do? If it helped her forget her breaking heart, then she’d give it a shot. “Okay,” she said.

He grabbed her hand and led her to the dance floor. A slow song started, and Javier snaked his hands around her waist and pulled her to him.

Her heart picked up speed, but not for the same reasons it had with Michael. This one was more like a warning bell. Telling her this was not what she wanted. As her gaze fell to the inhabitants on the other side of the dance floor, her stomach sank.

Daisy was standing there, glancing around as if she were looking for someone.

Michael.

She was here with Michael. Probably looking for him. Hoping to cover up her broken heart, Anna brought her hands up and rested them on Javier’s shoulders. He responded by bringing her hips closer to him.

Anna took a deep breath. This was okay. She was making the right decision. After all, she couldn’t be the only one here at a resort for couples that didn’t have someone.

Movement over by Daisy caught her attention. Daisy’s gaze landed on her and anger flashed in her eyes. Anna swallowed. Why was Daisy mad at her? She had Michael.

Daisy began to push through the crowd and head in Anna’s direction. Anna shifted until her back was to Daisy and squeezed her eyes shut. Her heart hammered in her chest from the anticipation.

But it never came.

“Looks like she was sidetracked,” Javier said.

Anna glanced behind her to see a guy approach Daisy. She hadn’t seen Michael all day, and she wasn’t sure that she wanted to see him this way. Dancing with his real fiancée.

But the guy that approached her had dark hair and caramel colored skin. He was wearing a waiter’s uniform. Daisy was laughing and sauntering closer to him. Suddenly, she reached out and grazed his arm. The man leaned down and whispered something into her ear.

If it hadn’t been for Javier’s enthusiastic leading, she would have stopped dancing all together to stare at the scene unfolding. What was happening? Was Daisy flirting? Cheating on Michael?

“I’m cutting in.”

Shivers raced down Anna’s back at Michael’s deep voice. She whipped around to see him standing there. When her gaze met his, his once confident expression turned worried.

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