Love in Country (De La Fuente Family #4)(42)

My heart hurts watching her try to hide her emotions, so I hold my hand out. “Rae, come over here.”

She shakes her head and avoids looking at me. “Rae, please. I’m in bed and in a lot of pain, so it’s going to hurt me a hell of a lot to get up and go to you.” Okay, that’s not entirely true. The pain in my shoulder is more of a dull throb since I’ve had the pain meds, but I’ll say anything right now to get her closer.

Rae grabs some tissues and rubs at her face before she finally faces me. “I don’t know what to say, or why you insisted on seeing me first…”

“Because I needed you in here with me.” I hold my hand out again and sigh with relief when she takes it and allows me to tug her closer.

My eyes search her face while she does enough looking of her own, and that’s when I realize I need her in my arms.

“Pull this down.” I tug on the side of the bed and when it drops, I pat the side.

Her eyes widen and she shakes her head. “No way. I’m not getting in that bed with you.”

I smirk. “I’ve had enough dreams about you and what you’d feel like against my body, but unfortunately, I’m not going to be able to do anything about those right now. So the least you can do is lie beside me and let me hold you.” I wink. “I promise to behave.”

She chuckles and kicks off her boots and when she’s in my arms, I tug up the side of the bed, which is a lot easier to put up than take down. She isn’t going anywhere if I have my way.

“I shouldn’t be in here, Diego,” she whispers, snuggling deeper into my side, and it hurts that she thinks that.

“You belong in here, Rae. Please don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.” I hold her close and kiss the top of her head.

“What are we doing, Diego?”

“I don’t know. But it feels right having you lying here beside me.” I let the silence settle around us, and then I add, “In a way I’m glad that I got hurt defending you.”

Rae lifts her head and frowns when she meets my gaze. “Why on earth would you be glad about that?”

“Because I have you in my arms, a place that you wouldn’t have been otherwise.”

“Diego…”

“Shh, please don’t ruin it. Let me have this.”

I know when she gives in because all fight leaves her body and she’s completely against me on top of the bed.

Her breath whispers across my skin, making me break out in goose bumps at the mere touch.

My desire for this woman is strong and grows stronger every time I see her. I want her in ways I’ve never wanted anyone else, and that should scare the living f*ck out of me, except I find that it doesn’t. What does scare me out of my mind is that she’ll pass me over for someone close to her own age before she gives me a chance.

Tugging her closer, I turn on my side and clench my jaw at the stab of pain in my shoulder, but once I’m comfortable with Rae wrapped against me, the pain slowly subsides, and I forget about my family waiting to see me outside of the room.





RAE


It’s been a long time since I’ve woken with a warm, hard body wrapped around me and it feels so good that I really don’t want to wake. I want to stay wrapped up in him instead of having to deal with the day-to-day aspects of life.

I know exactly whose body it is that holds me snug against him, and I don’t want to fully wake. While I’m half asleep I can imagine that he really is mine to hold—I can pretend.

A tear seeps from between my tightly closed lids, followed by another. I know Diego can feel them because he stills from stroking my hair and his hand on my bottom contracts, pressing me closer to him.

I’ve never felt as cherished as he’s making me feel, which only makes the tears come harder.

“Crap, Rae…what’s wrong?” Diego asks, and then curses.

I try to sit but he won’t let me up. “Let me help you.”

“No. I’m fine,” Diego hisses between clenched teeth.

“Then why do you look and sound like you’re in pain, huh?” I ask the stubborn man.

“Dammit. I want to keep you in bed with me.”

I glance up and meet his dark as midnight eyes. “I have to go, Diego…the others...”

“Like hell.” His arms tighten around me and I’m finding it difficult to leave because I want to stay right where I am.

“Kasey came in last night while you slept,” Diego admits. “He went out and told the others that I was out for the night…God, Rae.”

I drop my forehead to his and hold his gaze. “We can’t do this. You know that.”

“I don’t give a f*ck about why we can’t do this. Nothing has ever felt so f*cking right, dammit.” His fingers slide into my hair and with slight pressure behind my head, our mouths meet in a tentative kiss.

The caress along my lips sends shards of pleasure rippling through my body. I reach up and cup his face in my small hands and hold him steady while our kiss goes from gentle to blazing heat within seconds.

Diego growls in the back of his throat and with a slight change of position, I’m sitting astride his lap with his hands on my bottom. He slides me closer and I feel pure white-hot fire in my * when it meets the erection he can’t hide beneath the thin sheet.