Love in Flame (De La Fuente Family 5)

“No.” I laugh and caress along her lips with mine. “You shouldn’t be worried.” I pick her up into my arms and walk over to the lounge chair in the corner of the room.

Dropping my ass into it, Rae curls up on

my lap and nothing has ever felt so right. “I don’t want to be apart from you,” I admit. “I want to be with you. I want to sleep beside you every night.”

Rae kisses my neck before rubbing me with the tip of her cold nose. “I’d like that. Before you, it had been so long since anyone held me.”

Having her in the circle of my arms, I feel at peace and know that I’ll fight to keep this woman. I hadn’t been looking for anyone and when my twin, Emelia, finds out, she’ll probably spend the rest of my life teasing the hell outta me—Rae’s worth it. And before my thoughts turn to the problem of my mother, I distract myself with conversation. “Tell me about you, and why it’s been so long since you’ve been held.”

Rae lifts her head and holds my gaze. “Only if you’ll tell me more about you.”

I nod. “Nothing much to tell, but I’ll tell you anything that you want to know. Just tell me everything about you, Rae. I want to know you, all of you, I want to know more than Aiden knows.”

Her eyes briefly widen in surprise at my statement. I don’t add anything because in truth, it does niggle at the back of my mind that he knows more about the woman I’m with than I do. It pisses me off, not that I’ll ever admit that to Aiden, or Rae.

Eventually Rae rolls her eyes and settles back against my chest inhaling slowly. Exhaling she starts talking.

“Andie was born when I was nineteen. She was an unexpected surprise. From the moment Stephen, her dad, found out that she was on the way, he did everything to make sure that we had a good roof over our heads. There wasn’t anything he wouldn’t do for us…and then he was killed two months before she was born.” Rae pauses. “He was twenty-five and a police officer. Knifed whilst apprehending a suspect. I loved him, Diego.” She sits up, watching me while chewing on her lip.

“I’m not jealous of him, Rae. It was a long time ago and he gave you Andie.” Cupping her face, I continue, “You are a remarkable woman and I want to hear what you want to tell me.” I kiss her on the cheek and settle her against me. “Tell me more?”

Her hand slides gently up my chest and settles over my thumping heart. “I didn’t know how I’d ever get over loosing him, or how I’d be able to manage with Andie. It was so hard, but we did it together. I stumbled into modeling by being in the right place at the right time, and that part of my life just took off. I hated a lot of it, but it paid well and meant that I could give Andie things that I had never hoped for. My second marriage didn’t last too long and it was a mistake that I’ll always regret. It’s also the reason why I’m so hung up with age.” Rae buries her face into my chest and breathes heavily.

She continues, “Andie was ten when I met Manny. I thought he would be the father figure that Andie needed, but how wrong was I. He was an arrogant asshole who loved to use his fists.”

Hearing ‘loved to use his fists’, causes me to stiffen, which has Rae peering up at me.

“He hurt you? Andie?”

A stray tear runs down Rae’s face. “He hurt me…and apologized. It was when he went after Andie that I called the cops and divorced him. He was younger than me by a good few years.”

Cursing, I cup Rae’s face and bring her forehead to mine. “You know me, Rae. It’s only been a short time, but you know me. I’d rather die than raise a hand to you… Please tell me you believe that,” I beg.

Her eyes search mine as her hands come up and caress my face. “I believe you, and I trust you with my life Diego.” She sighs. “The last person to really hold me was Stephen. My memories of him have faded over the years, but I will always remember his smile and his joy over the news about his pending fatherhood. There will always be part of my heart with him in it. I need you to know that. I also need you to know that what you make me feel is beyond anything I’ve felt before and that scares me. It scares me because you have the power to destroy me.” Her eyes flutter closed, hiding the pain and vulnerability.

Shaking my head, I bring her closer and caress her lips with mine. “You scare me, Rae. Because until you, I lived the life of a bachelor.” I grin. “Not as bad as you probably imagine, but there has never been another woman to spend so much time in my head. I know you fear our age difference, and yes that will cause problems with others, but I’m hoping in the end everything will work out just fine.” I kiss Rae on the forehead. “It has to work out fine because I’m not going anywhere, and neither are you.”

Rae’s fingers thread through my hair as she holds me still, her mouth descending. “You’ve no idea how much I want everything with you Diego.”

“Why do I sense a but in there?”

Rae sighs and drops her forehead to mine. “There is a huge ‘but’ in there… I’m not sure how Andie will react although I’m certainly sure it won’t be as bad as Lucia.”

I drop my head back to the chair knowing that my mom is really going to be the only one with issues. I’m not even sure how to handle her because this is something I’ve never had to deal with before, and it means something to me—a lot of something. My mother has never been so…so hostile toward anyone before, and I’d be lying if I said she didn’t have me worried.

“Leave my mom to me.” I wince at the thought.

Rae chuckles, which turns to sadness. “I’m taking a chance with my heart again, Diego. If I sometimes act as though I’m pushing you away, I need you to know up front that it will be just that…an act and probably me panicking. It’s been so long, but this with you is different.” She smiles softly, but worry is still clear in her eyes.

I grab hold of her ass and keeping a tight hold, move from the chair to the bed. She settles under me, her thighs spread to accommodate my hips and it’s all I can do not to come at the sight.

My cock has been in a semi-state of arousal since I entered the room and having all her curves pressed against mine while she looks up at me with her heart in her eyes, has me hard as rock.

With lust currently clouding my judgment, I breathe deeply to try and put it on hold, however, I think Rae has other ideas as she undulates against my pelvis. Groaning, I drop my face into the curve of her neck, and whisper into her ear, “I need to think, but find it impossible when I’m this close to you.”

“Don’t think,” she replies, her fingers threading through the strands of my hair. “Make love to me Diego.” I hold her gaze as she adds, “I want to go to sleep tonight with your scent on my skin. In my bed. Inside of me.”

I rotate my hips wanting exactly what she asked. “How the hell am I supposed to refuse such a request?” I gasp into her ear when Rae makes quick work of my zipper and grabs my cock. Her small fingers feel like heaven as she jacks me off. I manage to barely hold on to my control, but all bets are off when she tightens her fist and pulls back to my balls. Her thumb rubs around the wet tip as she uses her tongue to moisten her lips…just that image has me imagining her on her knees with her tongue running along the length of my dick.