Love in Flame (De La Fuente Book 5)

by Lexi Buchanan

  He squeezes my side. “We’ll talk about how romantic I am when I have you under me in our bed.” He nuzzles against my hair. “Emphasis on our,” he whispers.

  Shivering with want, I mumble, “Okay then.”

  With another shiver working its way up my spine, I continue, “Italian food. I guess you could say that reading is my hobby. My favorite color is purple. My dream is to visit Mackinac Island and Florence, Italy…your turn.”

  His chest rumbles beneath my ear. “Fast and the Furious, Mexican and steak, blue, and I don’t really have any hobbies. Downtime, I’ll chill and watch a game, baseball or ice hockey. I’m Yankees all the way but with hockey I’ll support whichever team Kasey is on.”

  I reach up and caress his face, enjoying the closeness. My fingers hover over his lips. “That’s one of the things I love about you—your loyalty to your family. The obvious love between you all. It’s so wonderful to witness, Diego.”

  Taking my hand, Diego kisses the palm and each of my tender fingertips. “You’re amazing, Rae.” He smiles softly.

  Silence falls and I soak in the peace that surrounds us.

  8

  Diego

  The night before with Rae is still fresh in my mind as I eat breakfast with my family. The silence is unusual and I figure everyone is waiting for either Mom or me to speak first. I will talk to her about Rae, but I don’t want to start anything over the breakfast table while the others are around. I just don’t understand what’s going on with her.

  “Who died?” Kasey interrupts the silence without any humor inflicted in his voice for a change.

  I glance at him before my eyes wander to Dad and then Mom who clenches her jaw as though she’s angry.

  Sighing, I sit back and shove my half-eaten breakfast away. “This has to stop, Mom. You’re angry with me, this tension is hurting everyone,” I exclaim.

  Mom slams a clenched fist down on the top of the table, coffee splashing up from her cup. “I’m not angry at you. I’m angry at her,” she hisses. The venom in her tone surprises the hell out of me and as I glance at the rest of my family, I notice it has taken them by surprise too.

  “Lucia,” Dad takes her hand, “you have to stop this. It’s causing undue stress.”

  “I know, but he’s our baby, and I can’t let that woman get her claws into him.”

  “That woman,” I stand and hold on to my temper by a string, “happens to be the woman I’m in love with. She’s a beautiful person on the inside and out and I don’t understand why you aren’t seeing that. You raised us to treat everyone the same, no matter what, and we’ve all lived by those rules. But this,” I wave my hands around, “being so rude to Rae isn’t right. She’s Aiden’s best friend, and…the woman you’re going to have to get used to having around.”

  Gasping, Mom has tears hovering on her dark lashes, and when I glance to my father, he looks worried and has a frown across his brow. I hate that they’re being like this and it hurts knowing how the two people I should be able to rely on the most isn’t there to support me.

  “Are you already dating her?” Mom hisses the question.

  Clenching my fists, I lie, “Not yet.” I want to shout to the world that Rae is mine, but I can’t do that until Andie knows about us, until Rae gives me the go ahead.

  “She might not want to date you, you know?” Mom adds.

  “And what makes you think that?” I counter, narrowing my eyes as Mom squirms where she sits.

  “I told her to stay away from you. I thought we had an understanding.” Mom pushes her chair away from the table while I stare at her wondering where my Mom has gone—this isn’t her.

  “You don’t get to choose who I date or spend my life with. You don’t get a say in it…so stop.” I turn to leave and have second thoughts. “If you ever see Rae out and about, I expect you to be pleasant to her. She hasn’t done anything at all to deserve your wrath and this…isn’t over.” Walking out of the room, Kasey follows me, trying to slow me down, but instead he ends up being dragged out with me.

  In the hall he pulls me up short. “If I hadn’t witnessed that in there,” he points over his shoulder, “I never would have believed she could be like that?” He frowns, rubbing his jaw.

  I run my hands through my hair in pure agitation. “She’s been ignoring Rae, and I had no idea that she’d told her to stay away from me.” Leaning against the wall, I turn pleading eyes to my brother. “Tell me how to sort this mess out?”

  “You love her?” Kasey leans against the opposite wall, crossing his arms over his chest.

  “She means everything, bro. I’m not walking away from her no matter how unhappy others are with us being together.”

  His frown deepens. “You just told Mom that you aren’t together.” He raises a brow. “You lied.”

  “I can’t admit anything until Andie knows because I don’t know what Mom will do or say, or to whom. Instead of it being simple it’s so damn complicated. I want to have a normal relationship with a woman for the first time in my life, and it isn’t starting out all that great.” I sigh, pushing off the wall.

  Kasey grasps my shoulders and squeezes. “I’m here for you, and you know you can trust me.”

  “I do and I appreciate that.”

  Kasey offers a wry smile and disappears while I drag my feet toward my bedroom. It’s only a temporary escape. I just need some peace and quiet after that. I used to think of myself as laid back, but now I’m so tightly wound that I don’t know what to do to get rid of the anger that’s eating away inside of me.

  “Hey,” Kasey pops his head out of his room as I shuffle past, “forgot to tell you. The flights are booked to Vegas in two weeks.”

  “Who do I owe?” I ask.

  “Talk to Aiden.” Kasey slams the door.

  Shaking my head, I disappear behind mine. Other than my twin, I’m closest to Kasey and that’s because he’s only slightly older than me. He’s the only step-sibling that grew up calling my mom, Mom. We’re usually one big happy family, and we all grew up thinking we shared the same father, but that blew up in our faces when Dante and Emelia fell in love and realized they could no longer live apart. It wasn’t all that weird because I don’t ever remember Dante living with us as a child and we only saw him on the holidays.

  I slam my fist down on my dresser in anger. How is it that was handled better than me being in love with an older woman? One day Mom will just have to accept Rae, and the more I think about it an idea starts to form in my head, it will cause trouble at first, but afterwards, things will settle and Rae will be able to be with me.

  RAE

  Shopping with Andie has always been tiring, and today is no different. Once we’re back from Vegas she’ll be moving back to Denver for her graduate program, which is why we’re shopping for new bedding, clothes and kitchen accessories. Where I would have been in and out the store within thirty minutes, Andie only has a spatula and wok in her cart and we’ve been here for nearly double that now. I stand to the side while she asks the clerk questions and describes something or other with her hands. I hope the clerk knows what my daughter means because I have no clue as to what the item is.

  A pasta press!

  I had no idea that she was interested in making fresh pasta. Overhearing something about Italian food sets my radar flashing. Italian cooking. Narrowing my eyes, I move closer to where they’re bent over some fancy looking kitchen utensils and smile when Andie turns to me. A blush gradually starts to coat her round cheeks as I smile at her. It has to be a man, right? A woman only goes to such trouble to impress a man. At least that has always been my impression.

  As the clerk disappears to help another customer, I raise a brow, asking, “Why do you have a sudden interest in fresh Italian cooking?”

  “I’ve always been interested in cooking,” she counters, trying to stop my line of questioning by moving over to the baking bowls.

  “Oh, really?” I chuckle.

  “Mom, please leave it,” she mo
ans.

  “You’ll tell me who he is when you’re ready.” I wink and smiling, I move away and watch her blush another two shades darker from the corner of my eyes.

  Moving away to give her time for her embarrassment to subside turns out to be a mistake when I find myself face to face with Lucia.

  The other woman looks just as surprised to see me as I am her and then her features harden. She turns on her heels to walk away and suddenly stops. From over her shoulder, she says, “I wasn’t going to say anything, but I have to. My son is too good for you. He needs a younger woman who can give him the family he deserves. He doesn’t need an older woman who is passed her used by date.” Without missing a beat, she continues on her way, quickly leaving the store while my heart is breaking.

  She hasn’t said anything I haven’t thought about myself. Well, apart from the used by date. But children, I hadn’t really thought about that because I’ve only just fallen in love. I haven’t even thought that far ahead, but she’s right. I am too old to start a family again.

  My hand automatically goes to my stomach while my mind spins and I try to compose myself before I face Andie. My daughter isn’t going to find out about my love of Diego in the middle of this store because of Lucia’s sharp words. Even so much as thinking those words, I can’t help wondering if what I have with Diego will last. He says he wants me, and more, and I’ve admitted to wanting the same, but will he still want me if I can’t give him a family of his own? And, with the strain of his mother strongly against us, will he stick around?

  I’m so tired of feeling like a sitting duck, waiting for all hell to break lose, my nerves are constantly on edge. Rubbing harshly at my brow, I turn and find Andie there with a frown accenting her usually grinning lips.

  “There is something going on with you, Mom, and don’t tell me there isn’t,” she hisses. “Mom, I know there’s things that you can’t talk to me about because I’m your daughter, but talk to Aiden if you can’t talk something over with me, okay? I hate seeing the unhappiness on your face and I especially hate that I can’t do anything about it.”

  I open my mouth to tell her I’m fine but I snap it closed not wanting another lie between us. “I’ll be fine, honey. Don’t worry about me when you have all this to be excited about.”

  She smiles. “I am excited, but I worry about you being here alone.”

  Tell her.

  Instead, I try to reassure, “I have friends so don’t worry.”

  She rolls her eyes, shaking her head. “Your only friends are Aiden and his soon to be wife.” Narrowing her gaze, she adds, “Although there is Diego. He’s a good guy and was great company at dinner the other night. I think he’s lonely. There’s Kasey as well.” She pauses. “I know the last time you went to the bar with them Diego ended up in hospital, but no reason why you can’t do that again. Perhaps a different bar this time.” Andie shrugs and slips her arm through mine. “Let’s go and pay for these things and then have lunch.”

  Smiling, Andie leads me to the checkout and while we pack everything up, I tell her, “Don’t think you’re off the hook yet. I want to know why the sudden interest in Italian cooking, and I’ll know if you’re lying to me.” I laugh at the sudden blush on her face. “Hmm.”

  I quit teasing her and walking out of the store I hear my name being shouted. So turning, I watch Kasey jog toward us.

  “Hey, where are you off to?” he asks, looking between us. He reaches for our heavy bags. “I’ll put these in your car.” Before either of us can answer his original question, he’s heading toward our parked car. I fumble with the key fob before finally releasing the locks.

  We catch up to him when he’s just closing the trunk. “Thank you. We’re just about to head off to get something to eat. You’re more than welcome to join us.” I smile and raise a brow while waiting his answer.

  He pauses, maybe surprised by my offer. “You’re sure that you don’t mind me joining you.” Glancing over my shoulder to Andie, he adds, “It’s okay with you?”

  “Kasey, you’re invited to lunch. Trust me, she won’t give up until you say yes, so please save us the next ten minutes,” Andie jokingly rants, turning to walk toward the restaurant.

  I roll my eyes. “Always so dramatic, daughter.”

  “Yes, mother.” She laughs, turning to look over her shoulder and waiting for Kasey and I to catch up to her.

  “You okay?” Kasey whispers for my ears only.

  “Yes of course, why?” I frown at Kasey and he won’t meet my gaze. “Kasey?”

  “Don’t worry about it.” He avoids eye contact, brushing off my enquiry.

  “Well, I am going to worry now. Diego’s okay, right? Or is it something else?” I ask, worried.

  “He’s fine.” Kasey wraps an arm around my shoulders. “Look, I saw Mom leave the store in a temper and when I glanced inside I saw you standing there looking…upset. I followed Mom and she was livid.”

  “I didn’t say anything.”

  “I know that, Rae. Trust me, I know what my mom is like right now, so I know you wouldn’t have said anything to tick her off. I just don’t know how to handle her because this isn’t her, you know? Diego tried talking to her this morning, which probably didn’t help when she saw you in the store. Neither of us know how to handle her right now, scrap that, none of us really know how to manager her at the moment. I think Diego is going to talk to Dad and find out if there’s anything else going on with her.” He squeezes my shoulder lightly, offering what comfort he can give. “Just stand by Diego, okay? Don’t let her scare you away because that would break Diego’s heart.”

  “I don’t have the strength to walk away from him.” I’m honest. “He's in my heart, Kasey. It hurts so much that your mom won’t give me the time of day. I can’t even rationalize why she would hate me so much. I mean, I know when I first arrived here there were a few misunderstandings because of my friendship with Aiden, but I haven’t done anything other than fall in love with her son.”

  Kasey stops and tugs me to a sudden stop. “You love him?”

  With a shy smile, I admit, “With all my heart.”

  We stare at each other for what feels a long time, but it’s really only seconds when Andie interrupts, “Will you two stop whispering to each other. It’s rude.”

  “I hope to find that one day,” Kasey admits before turning his attention to Andie. “Sorry… We are being rude.” He smiles and taking Andie by the arm, leads her inside the restaurant with me following at a much slower pace.

  My daughter is always so animated around Kasey, which makes me wonder if he’s the object of her Italian cooking fascination, until I hear Kasey admit to Andie, “I’m not all that keen on pasta. I’m more of a pizza guy when I’m not watching what I eat.”

  Okay…So not Kasey then.

  “So when you’re training, no pizza, huh?” She asks, making conversation.

  “None,” Kasey confirms. “Lots of protein and carbs. The healthy ones.”

  Kasey holds the chairs out for us before taking his seat. “So Andie,” he starts, “you got a boyfriend at college?”

  I pause in surprise with the water glass close to my lips and stare at my daughter. She looks like a deer caught in the headlights. Though I’m tempted to come to her rescue, I don’t because I’m really interested in this conversation, more so because it’s Kasey who started it.

  Andie comes back with, “You are well aware that I don’t have a boyfriend. Do you have a girlfriend?” she counters.

  Amusement fills Kasey’s eyes while my gaze flickers between the two of them. They’d make a cute couple but I really don’t think that’s what is going on here. Something is though.

  “I’ll get a girlfriend when you have a boyfriend,” Kasey replies, chuckling while Andie winces.

  “So I take it you’re not dating each other?” I ask and try very hard not to laugh as they both stare at me with horror. “I take it that’s a no then?” I chuckle.

  “We’re just friend
s, Mom.” Andie rolls her eyes exasperated.

  Kasey doesn’t seem too bothered by her explanation so I decide to believe them. All through lunch, I watch as they interact and they’re just like how the De La Fuente siblings act when they’re all together. It wouldn’t worry me if Andie and Kasey’s friendship ever developed into a relationship, but I have a feeling that if it isn’t Kasey who has Andie’s attention, then someone else does. I’m damn curious, but she can keep a secret better than anyone I know. So frustrating…although I still wonder about her Professor whom I think she has a soft spot for.

  Joining in on the conversation, I ask, “When are you going back to New York?” Kasey has been home on and off more than what I thought someone who was on a NHL team would be.

  “I’m back on the Rota in three days, which is why coach isn’t too pleased that I need the weekend off for Vegas.” He shakes his head when I frown at him. “It’s okay, I have the time off. Coach will just work me harder when I’m back. I’ll be there, Rae. Don’t worry.”

  “I’m really looking forward to Vegas. Are we going to do the Magic Mike show?” Andie asks cheekily.

  Kasey chokes on his drink as my eyes widen.

  “It’s a joint party, Andie. I don’t think the guys will be into that, or maybe…who knows!” I manage to say through my raucous laughter at the thought.

  “Sarah sent out a rough agenda, didn’t you get it?” Andie questions.

  “I haven't seen it. Have you?” I ask Kasey.

  He shakes his head. “Nope.”

  “You two are completely hopeless.” Andie shakes her head and continues, “We have from arrival on the Friday until the Saturday night to do our own thing. Sarah suggested a few things so we can go off in groups if we want to do something together. Saturday evening is the group dinner, after which, we separate into boys one event and the girls another. Sunday is our own time again after a late brunch, and then of course we fly home Sunday evening.”

  Hearing Andie talking about the schedule for Vegas, reminds me that I promised to share a room with Diego. I haven’t yet told Andie that she’s having a room of her own. I’m not even sure how I’m going to get away with sharing with him without anyone finding out.