Love in Game (De La Fuente Family 6)

Felicity

Staring out of the twenty-first floor window across Lake Erie and I guess toward Detroit, all I see is Kasey’s sleeping form just before I dashed from the room. I hadn’t wanted to leave him like that and I’d been so tempted to leave my number for him, but in the end, I hadn’t.

That night was the best in my life so far and I hadn’t wanted it to come to an end, but I’d made the mistake of checking my phone when I’d woken up wrapped around Kasey. I had forty-two missed calls from my brother, who had eventually settled for messaging me.

Apparently, he’d been pissed at Bev, who he’d asked to keep an eye on me, not set me up with a guy. So that hadn’t gone down all too well, but at least it got rid of her. My only problem now is that Blake won’t let me out of his sight because he hadn’t been able to get hold of me that night in Vegas.

My brother is now obsessed with keeping me close, which makes him angry as hell because it means that he can’t go whoring around with the guys. No matter what I tell him though, he won’t believe me about being rescued and spending the night talking to someone. He knows it was a guy and because he’s a horny asshole, he thinks all guys are the same as he is. Perhaps if I admitted to Kasey being older then maybe he’d get off my case, but I’m not sure anymore. I feel like I’m trapped with no way out.

I jump at the sudden sound of chairs scraping along the floor as my brother and another member of his team push away from the conference table. Blake and his teammate, Roger, have been asked to be part of a charity calendar photo shoot that will take place in New York next week. It’s the only thing I’ve been interested in since getting home from Vegas, and even though I know New York is a huge city, I’m hoping that I can find Kasey. First though, I have to make sure that I’m included in the trip.

If only I hadn’t panicked and left him the way that I did, I’d have a contact number for him, instead I’d been left with nothing but memories. I only have myself to blame. Even though it had been Blake who’d sent me into that panic, I could have woken Kasey up…said goodbye to him.

“Felicity”—my brother wraps his arm around my neck—“this daydreaming has to stop.” He frowns, his eyes narrowing as he watches. “I’m beginning to think that you lied to me in Vegas.”

My mouth snaps open to deny his allegations, only to have him slam a hand over my mouth. “Don’t lie to me, Sis. I’m not blind. Something more than what you told me happened.” He glares and fear trickles down my spine. I’ve never been afraid of him before, because he’s never given me cause, but there’s something wrong this time.

“Hey!” Roger shoves him. “You’re scaring her, man. Let her breathe. What’s gotten into you?”

Blake inhales through his nose before turning to his friend, who backs away slightly when he gets a look at the anger washing over Blake’s face.

It seems to take a lot, but my brother slowly eases away and brushes a few loose strands of hair behind my ear. “I’m sorry, Felicity. I hate seeing you looking so damn lonely.”

“If you’d let her date then she wouldn’t be so lonely,” Roger drawls and quickly takes a few more steps back. “I’ll see you both downstairs.” He dashes from the room, having lightened my mood slightly.

I grin at Blake and instead of pushing him away for frightening me, I wrap my arms around his waist and hug him hard. “I love you, big brother.”

His arms come around my back and as he holds me close, I admit, “You scared me. Please don’t do that again.”

Pausing, he kisses the top of my head and squeezes me tight. “I’m sorry. I’m an asshole, but we’ve lost everyone important in our lives and now we only have each other. I can’t lose you, Felicity.”

I sigh into him feeling a nervous flutter in my stomach. “You’ll always be my big brother, just please let me breathe, okay? Sometimes you smother me and I don’t know how to deal with it.”

Blake stays silent while we continue to hold each other. He’ll be thinking over what I’ve just said because it’s the most heartfelt conversation that we’ve had in recent years. It’s something that I’ve always avoided, but feeling so melancholy from missing my chance with Kasey has me being more open with my brother. I just hope he listens.

“You’re coming to New York with me.”

“What?” I tip my head up to hold his gaze.

He smiles and drops a kiss to my forehead. “I can see how controlling I’ve been with you but I only wanted to protect you from assholes like me.” He grins. “I want you to come to New York with us, and once I’m done shooting the calendar, we’ll do some sightseeing.” He backs away and holding his hand out, wiggles his fingers. “C’mon, Sis.”

I smile, wondering what he’s planning, but take his hand. He keeps hold until we get to the car where Roger is waiting for us. I shake my head when I climb inside because my brother is oblivious to the attention he draws just by walking through the reception area of the sports building.

“You two sorted?” Roger asks, a brow raised.

Blake climbs into the car behind me and grins when we make eye contact. “I think so.” He waits to see if I disagree, but I don’t. I give him an answering smile. “She’s coming to New York with us, so no damn flirting with her.”

Roger laughs, and for once, ignores Blake’s dark glare. “We all know she’s off limits. Hell, most of the team feel like she’s their little sis as well, so cool it man.”

My brother plays for the Cleveland Flyers, an NHL team, and what Roger says is the truth. At least the guys who were already on the team when Blake first joined the Flyers treat me like a sister. The newer guys soon get told that it’s hands off. How the heck my brother expects me to meet anyone I don’t know, but then again, that’s probably why he does it—to keep me away from all his horny teammates. They’re the only guys I tend to hang around.

The only man that I’ve ever had such a deep connection with probably now thinks that everything about me was a lie.

“You’re daydreaming again,” Blake observes.

Glancing at him, I see his lids are narrowed and I know what’s coming. “Did you lie to me about Vegas?” I’ll give him one thing, he’s consistent.

I let out an exasperated breath, my anger at his pigheadedness rising. “You know what happened. I mean Bev told you I went off with a guy,” I snarl. “As you know, she left out the part about the guy she sent over because apparently I wanted to play with him.”