“I’m just worried about you.”
“I appreciate that.” Erin took her friend’s hand in hers. “I’ve promised Mateo that I’ll be on my best behavior, but what he doesn’t know is that I’m going to go as Erin and not Caprice.”
Sadie sat back and looked at her. “You’re serious? You’re going as the girl next door, instead of queen-slut-bitch.”
Erin rolled her eyes. “I wasn’t a slut.” She sighed. “Look, I’ll have to keep the name Caprice, but everything else will be me. I want to enjoy the wedding and I certainly don’t want to upset anyone when it’s a joyous occasion.”
“Won’t they think that’s odd? One minute you’re queen bitch and the next you’re…well…you.” Sadie took her hands back and waved them around in front of Erin. “I mean, there’s nothing wrong with you and everyone will love you, but won’t Mateo have a lot of questions?” Sadie gave her a once over and then laughed, “I bet the hunk of a man won’t be able to keep his eyes off you.” Sadie laughed again as she moved to the kitchen as the oven timer called her.
Erin wondered about Mateo because she’d certainly felt his reaction to her being on his lap. He’d been hard and solid, which had surprised her as much as it probably had him.
She’d dreamed about him lots of times before, but after his erection had poked her in the ass, she hadn’t been able to think about anything else. She’d wondered what he’d look like naked. Wondered what his penis looked like when fully aroused—what it tasted like.
“Oh,” Sadie chuckled, “this is going to be good with how red you are.” She popped the lid on two beers, setting them out on the countertop. “C’mon, spill.”
“Nothing to tell.” Erin looked everywhere but at her friend.
“Like hell there isn’t. Give it up Erin, you know I’ll get it out of you eventually.”
“If you must know, I was thinking about Mateo,” Erin admitted. “And things.”
“Hmm.” Sadie passed her a plate of steaming lasagna and a beer before she retrieved her own. “That’s telling.”
Erin hid her face and then shoveled some food into her mouth so she had an excuse not to talk. As she chewed, she asked, “Did you finish that report?”
Sadie waved her fork at Erin. “No way are you changing the subject…I want to know about Mateo and why you went bright red.” She grinned.
Erin moaned, she might as well tell her, and then they’d be able to eat in peace. “At his apartment,” she winced, “I got carried away when he said I could go to the wedding. I may have, um, thrown myself onto his lap and hugged him. Maybe I kissed his cheek…twice, as well, all while sitting on his lap.”
“Oh, my.” Sadie picked up a magazine and fanned herself. “More… What did he do? Say?
Erin laughed even though she was embarrassed. “He didn’t really do anything, but he may have gotten hard with me wiggling around on his lap.”
There! She’d said it.
“He poked you in the ass with his dick.” Sadie chuckled and placed her plate of food on the coffee table in front of them while she continued to laugh. She was clearly finding it amusing. “So, what did you do?”
Erin rolled her eyes. “It was then that I realized just where I was and what I was doing so I jumped up and ran from his apartment.”
“You didn’t?” Sadie’s eyes sparkled with amusement. “That is so funny.” She picked her food up again. “Next time, don’t run. Stay and tease the beast. You can’t stay a virgin forever and just imagine having Mateo De La Fuente between your legs. He’s so delicious.”
Erin felt her cheek flame with heat. She might be a twenty-two-year old virgin, but the image of Mateo between her thighs made her panties wet and her belly clench.
“So,” Sadie started, completely oblivious to Erin’s internal struggle with the x-rated images floating around in her head, “when you come back from Montana, we need to celebrate the end of hell. What should we do?”
“You’re the party-girl, you tell me?” Erin grinned knowing her friend would already have something planned.
“You know me well. I was just testing.” She smirked. “Okay, I thought we could double date.”
She choked the moment Sadie dropped that bombshell. “Double date?”
“Yeah. Me with Andre and you with a blind date. It’s all arranged. I figured the Mateo thing would be over and done with by then.”
Sighing, Erin continued to eat knowing there would be no talking Sadie out of her plans. Erin just wasn’t sure if she’d be in the mood to go on a double date because she had a feeling that she’d still want to be with Mateo for a long time to come.
It made her sad to think that it was all coming to an end. She’d hated being a bitch, but she really would miss being on Mateo’s arm and just being with him. A few times, they’d had good conversations and he’d offered her a real smile. Nothing had been forced then, just like in his apartment the other day.
There hadn’t been any disagreement because she’d been there as Erin, even if her appearance had screamed ‘Caprice’. Mateo had been a surprise as well with his offer to join him in Montana. That had been out of the blue and it wasn’t something she’d been able to refuse.
She really hoped she wouldn’t live to regret her decision to meet Mateo there.
Chapter Five
Mateo paced the small area in the airport as he waited for Caprice to deplane. Her flight had landed a few minutes ago and he couldn’t stop his nerves from dancing. How would his body react to her after the episode in his apartment? Every time he’d thought about it, his blood had rushed south, giving him a hard-on, which he’d taken care of in the shower.
Over the last few days, he’d found himself more preoccupied with her than ever before and even looked forward to catching a glimpse of the real woman behind the Caprice façade.
He caught himself smiling with those thoughts in his mind and quickly wiped it from his face. They’d be ending their engagement after his brother’s wedding and it was a win for everyone. Caprice could get on with her life, he could move forward without having to admit his wild behavior in Dallas to his family and his family would be relieved that Caprice wasn’t in his life anymore. Despite everything that had been done to cover it up, something told him that they knew about some of it. Nothing passed his father, or at least one of his brothers would have discovered something.
For months now, Caprice had him puzzled with her behavior. Every now and again, she’d say or do something that was out of character. She came across self-centered, and on those other occasions, caring and intelligent. He’d been told that she was twenty-six, but once he’d caught her without makeup and she’d looked a lot younger.
He’d go crazy if he tried to work it all out. Shaking himself from his thoughts, he glanced up at the board inside the airport to see if a carousel was up there for luggage to be collected. And it was.
He sighed and made his way over while he kept a look out for her. He could at least stop being an ass and help her with her luggage for once. The only problem he had when he arrived to the correct carousel was that it was surrounded with folk and he couldn’t spot Caprice anywhere.
She had a habit of standing back from everyone until there wasn’t such a crush, but she wasn’t there. He glanced at his cell. No messages.
“Mateo.”
He froze at hearing his name on her lips.
He slowly turned, resigned that the Caprice and Mateo show would continue for a short while. Except the woman who stood before him wasn’t Caprice. It was her but then again, it wasn’t, and his brow furrowed in confusion. It just didn’t make sense.
“Um…Caprice?” His eyes raked over her while he tried to comprehend that she wasn’t wearing make up or designer clothes.
What the fuck was wrong with her?
“You feeling okay?” He frowned, which deepened when she removed her sunglasses.
Standing before him was a fresh-faced young woman, not a woman with too much, albeit perfect, make up
on. Her hair was different too. The brilliant blonde was replaced by a bronzed shade of brunette that suited her so much better.
Her smile slipped and for the first time since he’d known her, she looked vulnerable. Even back in his apartment, she hadn’t looked so lost.
“I’m okay, but,” she sucked her bottom lip between her teeth, which drew his gaze, “this trip is going to be different.” She offered a sad smile. “I promised you, I’ll be on my best behavior and the only way I know how to do that is to be myself.”
That got his attention. “Be yourself? Haven’t you always been your ‘bitchy’ self?” As soon as the words left his mouth, he wanted to take them back when he saw the look on Caprice’s face.
What an ass!
He knew there was something going on with her and had often wondered if Roger was behind the whole thing with hiring her.
She placed her glasses back on her face and turned to the carousel. “I’ll grab my suitcase.”
Why did he get the impression that he’d just hurt her? She’d always had a thick skin, but now it was as though she’d shredded that and someone else had been left in its wake.
Usually she’d have snapped back at him, but this time she’d looked upset.
She said she was going to be herself on this visit, so was this it? The sexy woman he couldn’t keep his eyes off. Why had he only ever seen her in designer clothes and fully made up when it sounded like she preferred this?
He had questions that he needed answers to and he planned on getting them.
Except, as he watched her head toward him with her bag, he hoped like hell that his dick wasn’t obvious behind the zipper of his denim shorts.
As she got closer, her top slipped off one shoulder as she tossed her hair behind her back, shoved her nose up in the air, and walked straight passed him. Her suitcase trailed behind her on wheels.
What the hell! You deserved that…maybe…
He grinned and burst out laughing at her antics before it hit him that he’d never laughed in amusement at her before. That shut him up.
Something told him that while she was in Montana with him and his family, it wasn’t going to be as it usually was.
Mateo quickly followed her when he realized he’d been standing there watching her stomp off in the general direction of the lot.
Before he could stop himself, he admired the view of her from behind in her casual clothes. The well-worn jeans fit her like a second skin, her legs seemed to go on for miles. He smiled when he saw the pink high-tops she had on her feet. The purple T-shirt hung off one shoulder, which gave him a tantalizing view of sun-kissed skin when her hair swished to the side. He’d never seen her with her hair loose around her face before, or even in jeans. The whole package suited her a lot more than before.
The sudden jerk of his dick wiped the amusement from his face just as he caught up to her.
He was going to be in big trouble with her if he didn’t control his libido whenever she was close. It had to stop. But since she’d been in his apartment a few days ago, he found he couldn’t get the image of her out of his head. It hadn’t been the image that she’d portrayed for months on end, it had been the one were she’d appeared vulnerable—more approachable. They’d actually had a conversation without snide comments, or negativity leaving her lips.
As he approached the rear of his truck, he realized that he was in big trouble. He felt off his game since he set eyes on her a few minutes ago because the woman with him now sure as hell wasn’t the woman he’d been pretending to be engaged too.
He watched her closely while he shoved her case in the trunk and with manners that his mother had taught him, he rounded the truck to hold her door, but she’d already climbed in and closed it again.
He shook his head.
Fucking weird!
It gave him time to rearrange his dick before he joined her inside the truck. He’d suddenly felt like a hormonal teenager, instead of the grown man he was. Abstaining from sex would do that to a guy, he guessed.
With a deep breath, he climbed into his seat and glanced at her from the corner of his eye while he set the truck in motion. For once, he had no clue how to start the conversation. What was wrong with him? She might look different and be acting like someone else, but she was still Caprice, right?
Are you sure?
“Okay, let me have it.” The words left his mouth after he couldn’t take the silence anymore. He needed to know her game plan. She had to have one because Caprice never did anything without.
“Have what?” She frowned up at him, her glasses now shoved onto the top of her head. “I don’t know what you mean.”
“Caprice, stop playing me for an idiot. You’re different and as far as I can tell, you don’t have any make up on. Usually we can’t go anywhere unless you have a full face plastered with the stuff.”
She sighed and turned her attention to the passing scenery before she answered. “I can’t breathe when I wear make up.” She softly smiled, which he caught out of the corner of his eye. “I have mascara on and cream to protect me from the sun. Everything else can go. And as for my clothes, these are more comfortable.” She shrugged. “I seem different to you because I am. What you’re seeing is the real me.”
“I don’t get it.” A leopard didn’t suddenly change its spots especially Caprice.
“Look,” she swiveled to face him and her freshness hit him all over again, “you only need to get through this next week with me, and then you’re free and clear. I don’t need to do this as the contract is over with but I am.” She turned away while she seemed to get herself under control, and then faced him again. “I’ve played the part that I was paid to play…for eighteen months Mateo. I’m no longer getting paid so that gives me the chance to be myself instead of someone else. I know that won’t make sense to you, but this person sitting in the car with you right now…is the real me.”
She sighed. “The old Caprice isn’t coming back. I can’t do that anymore. What you see is now what you’re going to get…and when this is all over with and the engagement is broken, I have some things I need to tell you. I promised I wouldn’t, but I can’t walk away without you knowing.”
His hands tightened on the steering column as he listened to her talk and his heart thumped behind his breastbone. “My family are everything to me.”
He caught her wince at the bite behind his words and when she answered, her voice was more like a whisper. “I promised you, Mateo. I don’t want to cause any trouble. It’s a wedding—a happy occasion.”
He’d had enough of trying to work shit out. He’d take her to the house and see what his family’s thoughts were about her change of colors because he sure as hell had no idea what to think. He also needed words with his dick. He sure as hell didn’t want to be getting erections every time he glanced at her.
Chapter Six
Erin felt sick to her stomach being inside Mateo’s family home again. She hadn’t been back since she’d caused the accident at Thanksgiving. That hadn’t been planned on her part, it had been pure instinct to screech and reach out when the deer had darted in front of Kasey’s truck. She’d been in too much shock to find her voice to apologize and her tears had been close to the surface. It was no wonder everyone hated her.
She now had something else to think about though: sleeping arrangements. Mateo had been just as shocked when they’d arrived and met his stepmom, Lucia, and been told that Erin would be sharing his room because the house would be full to the rafters in a few days.
That hadn’t been on the cards and she had no idea how to deal with it, having never shared a room with the man, any man before. Well, that wasn’t quite true. She’d shared a room in hotels with Mateo a few times, but they’d always made sure the room had two bedrooms so they could avoid each other.
Mateo wasn’t helping the situation with the sleeping arrangements because all he’d done since the talk in the car was brood. Erin knew he had no idea what was going on with her regardl
ess of what she’d said, but he could at least show that he was bothered about there only being one huge bed in his room. Instead, all he’d done was agree that they were fine in his room.
Sharing a room with Mateo would have been exciting if it wasn’t for the fact that it was all an act…now it was going to make the week even harder.
She lost her train of thought as they moved closer to the kitchen. Mateo’s brothers would be around and she wondered what he’d be like around them. They all acted like big kids when together and it was something she’d secretly relished on each occasion.
Mateo walked through the kitchen door with her, for which she was thankful. Burying her nerves, she plastered a smile on her face and met the silence in the kitchen as they entered head on.
“You’ve brought a babe.” Her eyes snapped to Diego who moved toward them, his smile dropping as he drew closer. “Hell! It’s you.” He shook his head and backed into Kasey, who grabbed his shoulders and laughed.
“Stop being an idiot.” Mateo placed his hand on the center of her back and gave her a gentle shove forward.
She leaned in closer to Mateo wanting him to protect her from the others who looked as though they hadn’t seen her before, which they hadn’t.
“You’re her but you don’t look anything like her,” Kasey stated the obvious, and then laughed at himself. “Okay, let me try again. What happened to you?”
“For God sakes! She’s changed. Get over it.” Mateo shoved her into a seat at the table next to his sister, Emelia.
If there was anyone that she wanted to avoid the most, it was Emelia. His sister hated her, which as usual was to be expected. Erin just wished that it didn’t hurt as much as it did.
She clasped her hands together on her lap so the others wouldn’t see them shake with nerves. Being around his family always made her nervous but behind the Caprice façade she managed. Being here as Erin…she felt open and laid out before them.
God, she was going to puke.
“So who are you planning on insulting this time?” Emelia asked. Her husband, Dante, took hold of her hand and gave Emelia a small shake of his head.
Love in Bloom (De La Fuente Family #3) Page 3