Temptations

Chapter 2

THHWOOOOOOOCCKKKKK......

Sofia Andres followed the tennis ball as it arched up into the air and headed down just over the net. Making sure that her tanned, shapely legs were shown off at the perfect angle, she returned the ball with determined swat.

Foooooooooooooppp....

The ball flew on a sharp diagonal, hit the top of the fence, and bounced out of the court. It rolled down the lawn of the Orchard Hill Country Club and disappeared into a row of palm trees.

Sofia gave the tennis pro, Diego Loyzaga, a coy shrug, then transferred her attention to Michelle Vito➖her bestfriend➖who was watching on the sidelines.

Michelle was shielding her round face with her hand.

"I'll get it" she volunteered. With a tug on her single dangling earring. Michelle got up and trotted down the grassy knoll.

Sofia turned back to Diego. She approached the net.

"I did it again," she sighed, with a mock innocence smile.

Diego laughed and shook his head. Rather than wait for Michelle, he picked up another ball and raised his racket. He was twenty-two years old, with a mop of blond ringlets and a wide, muscular chest.

Sofia liked the fact that he was twenty-two➖five years older than she➖and that he had a perfectly even tan.

Diego backed up to serve, but Sofia stopped him.

"Wait." Flicking her thick reddish hair behind her shoulders, Sofia smoothed down her short tennis skirt. She watched as the instructor's eyes followed her every move. With seductive sweep, she ran her racket along the top of the net.

"Diego," she said, looking up at him with her huge brown eyes.

He moved closer. "Yeah?"

Sofia leaned over the net, just resting her forehead on his arm. She laughed. The strap of her low-cut tennis top slipped off her shoulder, but she made no attempt to pull it back up.

"You have to show me that backhand again. I just keep forgetting the feel of it."

Diego's eyes lit up. "Hey, sure." In one motion he hopped over the net and put his hand on her tiny waist.

"Okay, keep your weight even." With the other hand he held her wrist, pausing to clear his throat. Sofia snuggled against him.

"Keep your shoulders down and center yourself here." He let his hand linger on her middle. She gave him a smoky look and made no attempt to move away. For an extended moment they just stood there on the court and looked into each other's eyes.

Suddenly a sharp whine interrupted them. Diego leaped back as if he had been burned.

"Diego! It's time for my lesson. You're three minutes over. I pay a lot of money for this➖"

"Sorry, Mrs. Garcia. I didn't see you," Diego apologized quickly.

Mrs. Garcia, a thirtyish woman with bleached hair, Gucci bag, and immense thighs, stepped possessively onto court. She glared at Sofia, who sauntered off. Diego followed her.

"Sofia," he whispered, one eye to Mrs. Garcia, "Can I call you sometime? Maybe we could go out?"

Sofia took a towel from Michelle and patted it over her face. Finally she pulled up the strap of her tennis top.

"You'd better get to your lesson," she told him, gesturing toward the irate Mrs. Garcia.

Diego gave her a frustration moan. "I'll call you. Okay?"