Love in Bloom (De La Fuente Family #3)

by Lexi Buchanan

  Rounding the end of the hall, her eyes widened when she found his trousers from the night before screwed up in a heap on the tiles. His briefs and shirt were in the same vicinity.

  Had he gotten drunk at some point? Or was he always so messy?

  She moved further toward his bedroom, and then her heart froze in her chest.

  A woman’s bra and panties.

  Tears hovered on her lashes as she moved her head and she spotted high heels and female clothes.

  No he didn’t…

  Stumbling forward, Erin entered the bedroom and watched as Mateo’s hand slipped up a woman’s torso to cup her breast.

  He squeezed, and said, “What the fuck,” in surprise before his eyes snapped open and focused on her across the room.

  She covered her mouth with a hand to keep the scream inside as her tears fell freely down her face.

  Mateo looked at the grinning woman in his bed: Allie and jumped up. “Erin…fuck.” He stumbled and couldn’t seem to stand straight.

  “This isn’t what it looks like…please,” he held his hand out to her and begged.

  “What is it then? Because your clothes are thrown all over out there as though you couldn’t wait to get each other…naked,” she cried. “I just watched as your hand slipped up her and cupped her breast… you can’t deny that you weren’t after sex with her,” she shouted, accusingly and waved her hand toward his erection, which had started to go soft.

  “Fuck…My head’s fucking spinning right now and my stomach is about to revolt, but goddamn it. I was hard as a spike for you. It was you that I thought was next to me. I woke up when I realized it wasn’t you. She’s no boobs, yours are fucking heaven to me.”

  “Then explain last night to me. You left me at that club without one word. All night, Mateo.”

  “Fuck if I can remember.”

  “I loved you,” she whispered, “and I expected a lot more from you.”

  She watched as he paled before he turned a funny shade of green and ran for the bathroom.

  Erin glanced at a smug Allie before she turned her back and left.

  That hadn’t been the scenario she’d expected.

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  He’d felt so fucking sick when he’d jumped from the bed, but nothing compared to the look on Erin’s face when she’d taken in the situation. His stomach felt marginally better after he’d chucked his guts up for an hour.

  When he finally managed to surface from the bathroom, a towel wrapped around his hips, Erin was nowhere in sight but Allie was there dressed and holding a bottle of water out to him. A sudden flashback of her doing the same thing last night hit him between the eyes.

  He groaned and moved out to his kitchen to grab one of his own stash from the pantry—one from the middle as well.

  Opening the water, he drank the whole thing and tossed it into the recycling before he reached for another and took it back to the bedroom with him.

  He dropped against the pillows at the headboard and asked her, “Why?”

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Allie looked unconcerned.

  He’d never hit a woman before and he wasn’t about to start now regardless as to how tempted he was. “You drugged me with the water and I think Derek helped you… You either tell me or I go to the cops. Your choice.” And as soon as he could walk without wanting to puke, he’d go after Erin, but fuck knows how the hell he’d get out of this…he also couldn’t remember how he ended up in bed…with Allie.

  “I thought if I could get you away from Erin or Caprice,” she raised a brow, “that I might stand a chance with you. She’d be out of the picture.” Allie shrugged.

  “That’s bullshit, Allie. We haven’t been an item since high school and even then it was more like fuck buddies.”

  “It’s the truth, Mateo. I want to be back home and your moving back so I figured there was no reason why we couldn’t move back together.”

  He frowned. “I’ve never once hinted that I wanted more from you. You never wanted more from me either…and why would you want someone who you drugged first?”

  He felt sick to the stomach and couldn’t decide if it was the drug or the fact that Erin had seen his fall from grace and thought the worst when he wasn’t in any fit state to go after her and explain.

  “Did we actually have sex?” He couldn’t remember a damn thing from last night.

  Allie winced and he could see the lie before it left her mouth.

  “The truth, Allie,” he growled. “I’ve no patience left for lies.”

  “Derek knew I had a thing with you and approached me to help him screw you over. He’s still pissed because you got the coveted position on the team and he got nothing. I figured everything would work out to my advantage. He told me you wouldn’t remember anything, so—”

  “So we didn’t have sex, but you went along with it.”

  Allie dropped down into a chair by the window and looked out before facing him. “I’m sorry. I’m an idiot and jealous that you’ve fallen in love with someone who isn’t me.” She shrugged.

  He’d never said the ‘L’ word but that was what he felt for Erin. She was in his heart and his heart ached because he wasn’t with her.

  “Allie, just leave.” He rested his head against the pillow. “And please stay away from me. We’re no longer friends, in fact, I’m not even sure we ever really were.”

  “Please don’t say that.” She moved closer to the bed and looked ready to drop back on it.

  “Do not even think about it. Go. Now.” He glared back at her, until she got the message that he was serious.

  Without another word, she left and minutes later he heard the door close. He’d have to change all the security for the place. In fact, he wouldn’t even bother. He’d sell the place and take Erin somewhere else.

  Erin.

  His woman.

  But she hadn’t been innocent since he’d taken her virginity. She’d been buttoned up, but now he’d unleashed a sexy woman, who constantly wanted him, who he constantly wanted. He couldn’t keep his hands off her, but he knew it was love and had been waiting for her graduation to tell her. He had it all planned out.

  But would he even be at her graduation now? Would she even accept the truth because to his ears it sounded pretty far-fetched?

  He loved his Erin, and he loved lying in bed and just talking with her. Once or twice, he’d read to her, which he knew she loved even if it wasn’t an erotic scene that he read. Erin had admitted that she loved the sound of his voice.

  He’d certainly gotten used to having her with him and felt lost when she was elsewhere, like now.

  Something had to be done to get Erin back to him because he wasn’t sure he could go anywhere with how sick he felt.

  He just made it to the bathroom to pray to the porcelain gods again.

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  The photograph of Mateo and Allie had made the front page news. It was all over the Internet with lots of speculation about his engagement to Caprice. It broke her heart even more to see. No matter how much she tried to accept that there was another explanation for Mateo’s behavior, the photograph was damning and only added fuel to the fire.

  What she needed to do was disconnect her computer from the Internet and try and forget…If only it was that easy.

  She sighed as someone pounded on her front door.

  Ignore it.

  They pounded again. “Erin?”

  She frowned, recognizing the voice.

  “It’s Diego. Please talk to me,” he shouted through the door.

  What did he want?

  Only one way to find out.

  Clambering to her feet from the sofa, she pulled the door open and stepped back.

  “Hey, gorgeous,” Diego wrapped his arms around her and walked her back into the apartment.

  “What are you doing at my door?” He’d surprised her, when she’d expected Mateo to come after her, but his silence spoke volumes. It had been thr
ee days since she’d found him in bed with Allie.

  “I’m here because my brother’s an ass and he’s worried about you.”

  “Oh, really.” She raised a brow, daring him to contradict her.

  “Look, he was completely set up and I’ll explain all that in a minute.” Diego took in her apartment and focused on the image on her laptop. “Please don’t look at that shit. It’s all bullshit.”

  “Talk to me then. Tell me what’s going on and why Mateo isn’t here himself.”

  “He’s being stubborn, so I’m here instead,” Diego answered, looking uneasy.

  “How’s he being stubborn?” She dropped down on to the sofa and watched as Diego sat across from her.

  He relaxed back, his ankle over his opposite knee, hands behind his head. “You’re not going to like my answer.”

  “Just tell me.”

  “Erin, he’s been really sick.”

  She sat up. “What?”

  “I figured it was going to be easier to just blurt it out so I did. He was really sick when we found him so Kasey took him to the hospital.”

  “Oh God!” She jumped up, searching for her purse.

  “Sit and listen to me.”

  Her eyes shot to Diego’s who’d gone from joking to serious. So she dropped back to the chair.

  “Thank you. I need you to listen to me before getting annoyed if that’s what you want to do.”

  She nodded.

  “That night at the club, when he spotted Allie, he was like that for a reason. He wouldn’t have bothered with her but she was with a guy called Derek who has always had a hate relationship with Mateo. Basically Mateo got picked as a rookie and he didn’t. Derek also has a bad rep with women. He doesn’t treat them right. That was why he went to rescue Allie, or rather that was his intention.”

  “He wouldn’t tell me what was going on.”

  “I know, he told me when we went to his apartment and found him sick. Turns out they drugged him and walked him out of the club…Nothing happened with Allie. He realized it wasn’t you, which was when he woke up.”

  She’d been thinking about that. He’d commented on boobs and it all made sense in her befuddled mind. He’d squeezed the other woman’s and woke up. He’d woken in surprise. That had eventually registered with her although it hadn’t at the time.

  “How sick?”

  “He couldn’t stop puking so the doc gave him a shot of some anti-sickness stuff once they got his blood work back.”

  “How is he now?”

  “Pissed…he doesn’t want to see you, Erin.”

  Her lip wobbled. “That was blunt.”

  “I’m sorry, but that’s the reason he’s being an ass. Since he was sick, he’s gotten it into his head that you didn’t care for him, otherwise, you’d have been back. He believes that you should have trusted him.”

  She was surprised. “How could I have trusted him? I caught him in bed with another woman? And what about Allie? I don’t understand.”

  “Who knows with Allie? I wouldn’t worry about her anymore though. I think my brother has learned his lesson about going to her rescue. And as for the trust thing, I don’t understand where he’s coming from because being caught like he was is pretty damning evidence.”

  Diego sat forward, his wrists on his knees. “Look, we’re driving him home so Mom can look after him. Kasey and me have emptied his apartment and it’s going on the market.”

  “What?”

  “Let us talk to him while he’s home and make him see sense because, right now, he’s throwing the best thing that’s ever happened to him away.” Diego moved over and took her hands into his. “When he comes back, don’t let him get away with this shit, okay? He needs to know that he’s a dick and it isn’t just his family who thinks so.” He grinned. “He’ll be back, Erin. He loves you.” He kissed her on the cheek.

  “Thank you for coming to tell me.” He hadn’t needed to so she really was grateful to Diego for showing up at her apartment.

  “Mateo doesn’t know I’m here. He wanted me to spy on you so I could see how you were doing.” He smirked. “So, like I said, he’s an idiot.”

  She nodded and offered a wry smile. “Thanks, again and he knows where to find me.”

  After Diego left, Erin felt numb.

  What a big ass Mateo was. How the hell did he expect her to trust him when he was naked, with a hard-on, in bed with another woman?

  Instead of being upset, she was angry. Very angry.

  Chapter Thirty-Seven

  Mucking out the stalls in the working barn usually helped get rid of his frustration, but nothing had worked over the past couple of days that he’d done it.

  He’d been home a week and still no message from Erin, even though deep down, he knew that he was the one who should make contact first, it still rankled that she just ignored him.

  The pain in his chest over losing Erin was constant, which had been a surprise considering the short time they’d been together as a couple. The whole thing wouldn’t be so bad if he hadn’t fallen in love with the stubborn woman.

  His innocent!

  He wanted to see her smile just for him again.

  He wanted to feel her touch that enflamed his skin.

  He wanted to have her lying in bed beside him while he read one of her books out loud.

  He wanted to wrap her up in his arms and never let go.

  But most of all, he wanted to go back to before they arrived at the club so he could do it all again. He’d have kept her naked in her apartment instead of going out. There wouldn’t have been any set up or anything.

  They’d be living together.

  He’d be waking up with her in his arms every morning.

  And he’d be going to sleep with her in his arms every night after he’d made love to her.

  He rubbed his chest and heard footsteps as someone approached him.

  “Still feeling sorry for yourself?” Aiden asked as he joined him.

  “At least now I know how you feel, being in love with someone who doesn’t love you back.” Mateo saw his brother pale and felt like a first class jerk. “I’m sorry, Aiden. I didn’t mean that. You only have to watch you and Sarah together to know that your feelings are mutual. I’m an ass.”

  They moved over to the bench at the entrance to the barn. Aiden sat back and didn’t say anything for a few minutes, but when he did, Mateo listened.

  “If I could be with Sarah then I would be like a shot. I’d be with her while she was married because that’s how much I’m in love with her. It’s a physical pain knowing that she lies next to that bastard every night instead of me. And that’s why I think you’re an ass. You have a beautiful woman, who I admit surprised the hell out of us all, and you’re throwing it away because you think she should have trusted you more.”

  Aiden stared at him hard as he chose his next words, “Well, you know what? If that’s what you think after she caught you in bed with a naked woman, whose tit you fondled in front of her, then you deserve to lose her. As far as she knows, you betrayed her trust by being with someone else and if she means as much to you as I think she does, then you need to do something about it.”

  Mateo groaned. “Why the fuck do you have to make so much sense?”

  “Because I’m older and because you really are an idiot.”

  “It’s been a week. She’ll have had time to be pissed and stew.”

  “Or cried buckets.”

  “That’s not helping.” Mateo knocked his brother on his arm. “I need to head back there and find out what’s going on.”

  “No, you don’t.”

  “Yeah, I do.”

  “Mateo, you aren’t listening to me. You need to head back and beg. Explain what the fuck happened that night. Beg on your knees if you have to.” Aiden narrowed his eyes. “And for God’s sake, keep your mind out the gutter while you’re begging. After you’ve been such a dick, she might not be in the mood to let you win her over with sex.”

&nb
sp; “She already knows.” Diego joined them. “You asked me to check on her. She was upset so I told her everything. I also told her that you didn’t want to see her.”

  “What the fuck.” Mateo jumped up and faced his brother.

  Aiden got between them. “At least she knows. Saves you that trouble.”

  “You had no right sticking your nose into my business,” he growled at Diego.

  Diego pushed back. “You’re always in mine.” He turned and walked away before he paced back. “I never liked her before, but I gave her the benefit of the doubt when the truth came out. We all did. I really like her, Mateo, and I couldn’t leave her without telling her the truth. If it helps,” he smirked, “I told her you’d be back for her when you’d woken up.”

  “Fuck! I’ve made a rat’s ass out of this mess.” He dropped his ass back to the chair and his head in his hands.

  “Did you find out anything else about Allie? Her reasons?” Aiden asked.

  “She said she wanted to move back here…with me and wanted Erin out of the way. Apparently, they knew where we’d be that night because her friend had posted on her social media and tagged me in it. You know how much I hate that shit. I never check it.” He shrugged. “I’m not sure what to believe really about her reasons. It was stupid what she did so who knows if that was her real reason. I’ll probably never know now.”

  “So, when are we going to get our girl?” Kasey joined the conversation and waited with their other two brothers for him to answer.

  “I don’t—” He jumped up. “Wait. I’m going to probably go out of my head until then, but I have an idea, and I’m going to need the whole family to help me…”

  Chapter Thirty-Eight

  “Erin, if you cry today, I swear we’re not friends for the next month. That mascara took forever to put on you. You look lovely. Really pretty…Now don’t ruin it, again.” Sadie grabbed her hands. “Please enjoy our graduation day.”

  Erin offered her friend a wry smile, but it was an effort to not let it slip. “Today has been a long time in coming.”