Love in Flame (De La Fuente Book 5)

by Lexi Buchanan

  Emelia frowns. “When?”

  “The other day about someone discovering you have the same father as Dante.”

  “Ah.” Her face clouds with misery as she lays her knife and fork down, and after taking a drink of some water, replies, “The busy body in the town where we live works at the town hall. She’d been filing some documents and questioned me putting down my maiden name the same as my married name. I was caught off guard and gave her an evasive answer, so she went looking.” She rubs her brow. “It plays heavily on my mind, Diego, and I don’t know what to do about it. What if others discover that on paper Emiliano is Dante and mines father?” A tear runs down her cheek, making me feel like a dick for upsetting her when she’d been glowing with happiness.

  “I’m sorry, Em. The last thing I wanted to do was upset you.”

  “It isn’t your fault,” she adds. “Dante says that it’s easily explained if we have to. It just gets to me, you know?”

  “It can’t be easy.” I grasp her hand and intertwine our fingers. “But you’ve both had a rough time getting to where you are today, so fuck them. Enjoy your life with Dante and stop looking over your shoulder, sis. You’ve got this.”

  She smiles and her face lights. “I love you.”

  “I love you too, now stop this okay?”

  “Oh, wow. You two are the cutest siblings I’ve ever seen,” Leah supplies as she clears the dishes. “You’ve been coming in here for more years than I’ve worked here and I can honestly say you are the only siblings who don’t end up arguing or fighting.” She shakes her head. “It’s always a pleasure to serve you both.” Before she turns away, she adds, “Lunch is on me, pay it forward.”

  Emelia and I are left with our mouths open in surprise at the graciousness of the server.

  “Pick a table,” Emelia says. “We’ll both pay it forward. This is exciting.” Emelia bounces in her chair and then winces.

  “What?”

  “I forgot that I’m suffering with back pain. I need to go at a slower speed.”

  I shake my head. “Come on, let’s get you home.”

  Her eyes darken with disappointment, so I add, “I meant after we’ve paid it forward.”

  Helping Emelia up from the chair, I keep my arm around her and carry the shopping in the other as we make our way to the front of the bistro.

  It doesn’t take long to sort out the checks for the two tables that we’ve chosen to benefit today.

  Five minutes later, I’m settling Emelia into the car when she cups my face in her cold hands. “Be careful, Diego.” Letting me go, she settles back into the seat while I’m left floundering. My sister turns and smiles, her eyes motioning for me to get in.

  She has me confused, which isn’t difficult when it’s Emelia.

  Shaking my head and smiling to myself, I climb behind the wheel and pull out into traffic wondering whether or not Rae’s at home, and if she is, if she’s alone.

  RAE

  “Mom, what do you think of this?” Andie hollers down the hall. I pad softly toward her voice, going to see what she’s up to.

  We’re settled here in my cottage again and being away for a while has made me realize just how much I love the place, it’s my home. My best friend, Aiden, and his fiancée live down the same lane, which once caused problems, but no more.

  I’m making the most of having my daughter home before she heads back to school for her graduate studies. I couldn’t be prouder of Andie, even if it means I’m slightly disappointed that she’s not going to be around as often as I’d originally planned.

  As I reach her bedroom door, I knock, and ask, “Am I finally allowed inside?”

  Within seconds, the door is flung open and a grinning Andie is on the other side, swinging her arms widely, motioning for me to enter. Walking into her bedroom, I’m surprised at the difference. When she’d first arrived home from school, she’d told me that I hadn’t to step a foot inside her room until she’d done a complete renovation of it. Looking around now, it’s unrecognizable from the plain and cold grey walled box that it had been.

  Andie has painted one of the walls purple. She has printed photographs stuck up in clusters on different sections of the walls, showing the grinning faces of her friends and me, and even some of Aiden. There are also posters, all depicting some of the world’s most beautiful sights. She has set a desk up on one side of the room, against the far wall and beneath the window with her laptop sat on the surface, stacks of books along the windowsill. Her bed is queen sized, with grey leather headboard. She has purple and white sheets to match the walls and a silver rug finishes off the room. She’s certainly put her own twist on the room.

  “It’s beautiful, Andie,” I whisper, grinning and feeling close to tears. “You’ve really done good. I’m so happy you’ve made this your room.”

  “I know.” She beams at me. “I wasn’t going to bother too much with me going back to school, but I’ll always come home to you, Mom. So I made the room mine.”

  I pull her into my arms and hug her tightly. My beautiful daughter has the whole world in front of her and I don’t want her to miss any of it. I want her to have the opportunity to follow her heart no matter where that might lead.

  Cupping her face with my hands, I tell her, “Wherever I am you’ll always have a home, but you really started living a life of your own, when you left for college…the first time.” I offer her a wry smile and wipe at her tears. “You’re going to go so far, Andie. Don’t ever doubt that.”

  Andie shakes free of my hands and wraps herself around me. “What’s gotten you so emotional?” Lifting her gaze she watches me closely.

  Sighing, I tell her, “I’m okay, just tired.” I smile, hoping she won’t catch on to the little white lie. In truth, I’m just missing Diego.

  We message and talk daily so I know he’s home and safe but I miss being with him. We’d only spent a short time together but it had been so intense and now my heart longs for him. To see him. I’d be happy with just one glance.

  “Something’s making you sad,” Andie, rightly guesses.

  “I’m okay. Please don’t worry about me.” I squeeze her hands and step toward the door. “I’m in the middle of making dinner. I want you to eat with me tonight.”

  “I’d like that.” She nods.

  Heading into the kitchen, I smile to myself knowing that she’s going to love the dinner that I’ve already placed into the oven. Her favorite chicken casserole topped with herb dumplings is slowly cooking and it’s as well that it’s her favorite because we’ll be eating it for the rest of the week with the amount that I’ve made. It doesn’t really need checking, but I needed to escape Andie’s room because I felt too close to breaking down and telling her everything so that I could call Diego and tell him to come over.

  Hearing a throat being cleared, I jump and quickly turn. My eyes widen in surprise when I find Diego in the doorway of my kitchen. I blink but he’s still there.

  I shake my head. “I—”

  “I needed to see you,” he whispers. The sadness behind his gaze makes my own previously held back tears begin to trickle down my face.

  I look behind me and the coast is clear so I fly into his arms. He catches me, hauling me close and my feet off the ground.

  My arms curl around his neck as he clenches me hard against his body, my nose dipping into the curve of his neck when I admit, “I’ve missed you so much.”

  “I’ve missed you, too,” he breathes heavily against my lips.

  Holding his head in place, I brush a soft kiss to his hungry lips before the kiss deepens. Our tongues slide and dance while desire unfurls in my belly for the man currently rocking my senses. Diego is all hard plains and where pelvis meets pelvis he throbs, causing my panties to melt.

  “Rae,” he groans against my mouth. “What you do to me.”

  I kiss and nibble down his neck. “I don’t like sneaking around like teenagers, Diego.” Pulling back and holding his gaze, I caress his face and ru
b my thumb over his beautiful lips. “I miss being with you and I don’t want to hide what you make me feel.” I wrap myself around him and hold him close.

  “I want that as well, but what about Andie?” he whispers the question.

  I drop my feet to the floor and wrap my arms around his waist. My head rests against his chest while he throbs against my belly.

  I can barely think straight.

  “Rae?” his fingers brush through my hair while he holds me steady.

  Tears form on my lashes again because I’m so worried about how Andie will react. “Missing you makes me want to tell her, Diego. I hate that I’ve had to pretend that I don’t want to rush to your house to see you the minute I know you’re home.”

  “It’s killed me staying away,” he admits, in a voice so low I only just catch what he says. Kissing my forehead, Diego clears his throat and moves away.

  The loss of his touch makes me feel cold, coldness I feel deep inside of me while fighting to control my emotions. The fact is that it isn’t only Andie who will have a problem with Diego and I. There’s his mom, and possibly the rest of his family too, not to mention anyone whoever discovers the age difference between us.

  “Mom?” Andie suddenly barges into the kitchen. “Oh, I didn’t know you were here. Are you okay?” Andie asks, walking slowly to lean against the countertop.

  “I’m fine.” Diego shakes his head, holding his arms out wide to demonstrate just that. “I called over to find out if your mom wanted another horse riding lesson.” He raises a brow in my direction.

  Smiling, I admit, “I’d like that,” thanking God that my voice doesn’t betray my turbulent emotions.

  “Good.” Diego starts sniffing the air and moves closer to the oven. “You’re cooking chicken casserole?” He looks up at me from his crouched position in front of the oven.

  Andie snaps her head around to look at me, a smile on her face. “My favorite.”

  I laugh. “I am indeed. It was supposed to be a surprise but your surprisingly accurate senses have blown it!” I jokingly exclaim, pulling a mock angry face at Diego.

  He begins to apologize but before he can get a word out I silence him with a shake of my hand and chuckle. “Would you like to eat with us?”

  Diego grins. “Whew,” he wipes away imaginary beads of sweat from his brow while stretching to his full height. “I really thought I was in trouble there,” he says winking at Andie. “I’d love too, Rae. Thank you.” He nods.

  An uncomfortable silence follows before Andie gives me a strange kind of look. “I’ll, um, go and finish my report.” One last look between Diego and me and she disappears.

  My eyes meet Diego’s as he moves closer and surrounds me. Nuzzling into my neck, he asks, “Does this count as a date?”

  I’m not even sure what I’m supposed to answer considering all my thoughts and senses are currently focused on what Diego is doing to me, but as he nuzzles between my breasts, I suddenly remember that Andie could come back any second.

  With reluctance, I cup Diego’s face and make him look at me. “As much as I want you, we can’t. Not here.” I close my eyes in frustration.

  He closes his own and drops his forehead to my shoulder, his body shudders as his hands clench on my hips. “I know.”

  I hate knowing that it’s my fault we can’t be together like a normal couple as yet. However, as I slide my fingers through his hair, I realize that he’s a risk worth taking—one that I want to take.

  Andie looks as though she’s slept for most of the afternoon with her messed up hair and the creased yoga pants and shirt. She proves me right when she stretches and yawns. “Sorry,” she mumbles from behind a hand. “I hadn’t realized I was so tired.”

  “I’ll probably be asleep after I’ve eaten.” Diego offers a wry smile. “I haven’t slept properly while I’ve been working,” he explains. “More like catnaps. It’s catching up with me.” He shakes his head.

  “You should have gone home to bed.” Andie blushes, adding, “I didn’t mean that you aren’t welcome. I just meant you should have caught up with sleep before coming around,” Andie finishes lamely.

  Diego grins and my eyes drop to his beautiful lips. Heat rises in my cheeks as I imagine what that mouth can do to me, but as a throat is cleared I’m pulled out of my delicious thoughts.

  So not the appropriate time.

  “So Andie, tell me about this TA position you have.”

  Diego asked the right question because a grin lights up her face. “I’m so excited to be offered the position with Professor Sawyer Lawrence as my adviser. I didn’t even have to think about it, I just jumped at the offer. I’m going to be busy because I’ll also doing be working on my doctorate but I can do it.” She pauses for a breath and proceeds to stuff more casserole into her mouth.

  Diego grins at her enthusiasm for the course and I grin at her equal enthusiasm for my chicken casserole.

  Taking a moment to chew and swallow, she carries on, “I get to lead some lectures in American History and although the thought of lecturing terrifies me, I find it a challenge. The Professor said it was my enthusiasm that set me apart from the other applicants.” Andie grins before continuing to eat.

  I smile into my plate at our coinciding thoughts.

  “I hated American History in school,” Diego comments. “Our teacher was probably more historic than any topic she taught.” He shakes his head, amused. “How anyone ever passed her class I’ll never know.”

  “That bad, huh?” I ask, trying to imagine Diego as a teenager.

  “I bet your interest lay more in the human biology class at that age,” Andie comments with a cheeky smirk.

  My food goes down the wrong way causing me to choke, so Diego pats me on the back. I take a sip of water and start laughing.

  Diego raises a brow, “Why’s that so funny?”

  “Are you telling me that Andie is way off base?” I raise a brow and wait, amusement dancing in my eyes.

  He blushes and I smirk with glee. “I’m not answering because I’m being bullied.” He huffs. “Two against one is hardly fair.”

  I shake my head, laughing, and continue to eat when Andie asks, “Dante and Emelia are your brother and sister, right?” causing Diego to pause with the fork to his mouth.

  He places it back down, and sighing, answers, “Yes they are. Emelia is my twin, and Dante was born to my father’s first wife, Francesca, the same as Eric, Aiden, and Kasey were. Because of a promise my mother made to Francesca on her deathbed, she married Emiliano who raised Emelia and I as his own. Things came to ahead a while ago and we discovered that Emiliano wasn’t our biological father. Dante had never shared a roof with Emelia, only on short vacations as we grew up. Anyway, when everything was revealed they married.”

  I’m left surprised not just at what had happened but that Diego had told us so much, and so randomly. As though reading my thoughts, Diego adds, “I trust you both. So anything you want to know just ask,” with that Diego finishes his meal.

  I stay silent and watch Andie as her brain works overtime and her eyes glaze over—a sign that her brain is off overthinking something most likely college related.

  Turning to Diego, I stare at him for a minute and just take delight in the fact that he’s sitting at my dining table, in my home, eating my home cooked food. Enjoying it as well it seems. These two people hold the key to my heart. It makes me sad that I can’t share this with Andie yet, but I’m hopeful one day soon our feelings will be out in the open and accepted by all.

  “Like something you see?” Diego whispers.

  “Hmm.” I wink and stand to move the empty dishes, relieved that Andie is still distracted.

  Leaning against the counter a few minutes later, I meet Diego’s gaze. “It must have been difficult for Dante and Emelia. Having strong feelings for each other like they did.”

  “Dante yes, and I know how upset Emelia was, but it turns out that she’d known the truth about our parentage since she was eigh
teen. Dante however ran to the church. He gave up everything.” Diego shakes his head. “They’re happy now with a baby on the way and that’s all that matters.”

  We both watch as Andie disappears back to her room. “She’s often distracted…let’s have a coffee on the porch.”

  Sitting next to Diego, he glances back inside and fidgets. “What’s wrong?” I ask, frowning.

  “I love having you close but I don’t like feeling so on edge.” He meets my eyes.

  “Andie is fine. You saw her. She suddenly thought of something to put onto paper and she was gone. She’ll be at it for hours now.” Taking his arm, I slip it over my shoulder and snuggle up against him. “This is how sitting on the porch should be.” I say feeling content.

  “I’m not going to argue about that.” Diego massages my scalp, which feels so good and although I’m relaxing, shivers of pleasure slowly work their way through me.

  “What’s your favorite movie?” The out of the blue question surprises me. “I know a lot about you, Rae,” he clarifies. “I just don’t know your choice in movie, food, hobbies, you get what I mean? I want to know the answers to all the things I should.” After a short pause he adds, “I want to know you like no one else knows you.”

  “Mmm,” I mumble into his chest before pulling myself together, he’s just made my heart sing. “My favorite movie is Somewhere in Time. Have you seen it?”

  He shakes his head. “I haven’t even heard of it.”

  “It’s a beautiful love story. The main character travels through time to be with the woman he loves. The movie takes place at the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island. I’ve wanted to visit the Island ever since I fell in love with the movie.”

  “You’re a true romantic, Rae.” Diego kisses the top of my head.

  “I think that there is a soft romantic side of you.” I lay my palm against his cheek.

  “No way,” he laughs, embarrassed, kissing my palm.

  I poke him in the stomach. “Yes, way.”

  He continues to laugh. “Food?”

  “I think that is an obvious sign of you wanting to change the subject.”