16 While you were sleeping... together (2/2)

Shelly had found a spot at the bar and was chatting it up with the current bartender, who was opening a beer to hand to her.Raven quickly stepped behind the bar, grabbed the beer and slid Shelly an unopen coke.Raven looked back at the bartender, ”She's underage and in a pissy mood.You really don't want to be giving her alcohol.” Shelly shot Raven a 'go to hell' look then walked out to the back patio area with the coke.

”You don't think you're being too hard on her?” Liam, the young bartender, said giving Raven one of his breathtaking dimpled smiles. ”I mean come on, who isn't drinking the summer of their 18th birthday?!”

Raven rolled her eyes at him, ”Go ahead serve a minor, it will be your ass, not mine.” She followed his stare as he watched Shelly's departing backside. ”Don't even think about it, her brother would eat you… If I didn't first.”

Liam looked back toward Raven a dimpled smile still lighting up his face as he threw his hands up as if being arrested, ”Alright, Alright. I'm just looking, anyways.” His eyes landed on the front door as a group of girls, not much older than Shelly walked in.

Raven placed her hand on his shoulder, ”You, my friend, are a habitual flirt.”She turned away to check the stock of beer in the mini fridge below the bar.

”How may I help you, ladies?” Liam laid on the charms heavily as the young girls giggled and whispered back and forth between themselves.

Raven turned back around, ”The fridge in here looks good, I'm going out to check the patio bar. I'll probably work out there this evening after it opens.” She didn't bother waiting for his reply as he went over the drink specials with the giggling girls. When Raven made it out to the patio bar, she quickly looked around for Shelly.After a few minutes, she found her sitting out on the beach with a group of people playing volleyball. There was a familiar looking guy beside her and what looked to be a beer in her hands.

Chapter 10

Shelly had walked out to get a better look at the attractive men playing volleyball.She set on a bench set up near the sand court and sipped on the coke Raven had given her.Lost in thought, she hadn't noticed when someone sat down beside her. ”So are you a fan of the game or of topless men?” The closeness of a deep male voice made her jump.She quickly slid farther down the bench to put space between her and the man.

”Sorry, I didn't hear you walk over.” She glanced up at him from behind vailed eyes timidly.

He grinned down at her and scooted closer, ”Ah no, it's just that you look familiar.” He let his eyes roam her from head to toe hungrily. ”I believe you were at the beach party my brother and I threw last night. My name is Dante Demarco.”

Shelly's ears perked up, he had been the one to introduce her to the band members. Though she didn't remember much, she did remember the drummer had been a girl. [I guess I must have blocked everything else out because I really can't remember anything between meeting him and going home...]She smiled up at him. ”Yes! It was great.I still love that band, they will always be my favorite, even if the drummer is a chic. But thank you for the introduction.” She blushed lightly before she repeated his name, ”Dante Demarco?It's so pretty, but it doesn't sound like you're from the US.” She looked up at him, hoping he would tell her more about where he was from.

”Ah yeah.Here.” He leaned over a cooler she hadn't notice and pulled out two beers. He popped the top off both of them, then handed one to her. ”My brother and I moved here from Italy several years ago.”

Shelly's eyes lit up, ”Oh really? We moved here from an island off the coast of Italy!” Shelly took a large drink of the beer as she watched his face with interest.

Dante gave her a sly smile, ”Ah, then I bet you have a beautiful name as well.”

Shelly laughed with a hint of embarrassment, ”Oh, I'm sorry you told me your name but I never introduced myself.My name is Rachelle Cathenna Boosilis.” She held her hand out for a handshake but was shocked when he took it and placed a kiss on it instead.

”Nice to meet you, princess.” He smiled up at her, still hovering over her hand.

The shock had Shelly's tongue completely tied, ”But… What….”

His grin widened, ”Cathenna? Does the name not mean princess?”

A heated blush crept up her neck as she shook off her shock and answered, ”Oh yes, I guess I forgot.”She watched as he took a large drink from his beer, finishing half at once.Once he was satisfied he pushed himself up from the bench, still holding Shelly's hand.”Would you like to go for a walk with me, Princess?” He asked, a seductive smirk playing across his face.

”Y…. y… yeah, sure.” Shelly answered nervously. She took several quick drinks from her beer before she stood up, already feeling a bit tipsy from just the one beer. When she went to set the bottle down on the bench, he picked it back up and handed it back to her.

”You really shouldn't leave your drink unattended. There are so many bad men out there that would love to take advantage of such a sweet, young lady like yourself.”he gave her another sly smile before finishing off his own drink. As he expected she finished hers quickly as well. ”Good girl.” He said as he took the now empty bottle from her and throw them in the direction of the trash can by the court.He bent down and grabbed two more bottles from the cooler before leading her toward the waterline, away from the crowds gathered around the outside of the bar. He popped open the new beers and handed one to Shelly.”So, Princess, what brought you here?” Dante continued holding her hand with one hand and drinking from his beer with the other.

A sad expression overtook Shelly's face as she looked down at the ground. ”The island we lived on was attacked and our parents were killed, so we were sent to live here… With Raven and Joslyn... The other girls with me last night. They were both close friends of the family and people my brother and I were already very… familiar with.” A tear ran down her cheek as she continued.”Joslyn would frequently come to visit us when we were little. She would play for hours with us.When my parent died, Joslyn's mother thought it would be best if Joslyn, my brother and I moved here and live with Raven until my brother was old enough to….” Shelly trailed off as more tears streamed down her face.

Dante finished his beer and threw the bottle into the ocean as far as he could.Shelly's eye's jerked up at him in surprise, ”Oh no, you shouldn't do that!”

He laughed at her, ”And why is that, Princess?”

Shelly stuttered, knowing it would sound stupid to someone like this. ”Because it is home to many, and it is disrespectful to throw your trash into other people's homes.”

Dante pulled them both to a stop. ”Oh, is that so? Well then maybe I should retrieve it.” he let go of her hand and pulled the thin muscle shirt he was wearing over his head.He dove into the waves and emerged some distance out. He caught up with the floating bottle with little difficulty and flung it back to shore. ”Why don't you finish up the one you're drinking and join me.”