Two Sides to Every Story (Love Spectrum Romance) (10 page)

Angela laughed. “What do you think you are, some small-time hood? I’m not someone you can order around. I’m your sister. I’m helping you because I love you and I think…” She hesitated. “I think you’re innocent. You’re not making me do this. It’s my choice. As for whoever I’m seeing, that remains my business.” Angela’s body shook with anger as she watched Adrian shaking his head in disgust.

“I can’t believe it. You’re selling me out for an illegal.”

“I’m not selling you out. I have your back just like always and that will never change. Besides that, he’s as much a citizen as you are.”

“Now you’re defending him?”

“He doesn’t need defending, not from bigots.”

“You’re calling me a bigot? You think I give a damn? I’m telling it like it is. He doesn’t want me sleeping with his sister and I don’t want him sleeping with mine. Understand?”

“I understand more than you do. This is my body and who I sleep with is my business, not yours. I know for a fact you’ve slept with more than Black women. What’s the deal here?”

Bile filled her mouth and Angela choked on the taste, unable to admit to the full truth of what was happening.

“Listen, I have to go. I have a couple of leads I want to check out. I’ll see you in a couple of days,” she lied.

They both stood and immediately an officer was walking toward them.

“Just remember what I said,” Adrian said under his breath. “What happens next is up to you. I can’t protect you if you don’t listen to me.”

She walked away wanting to believe that her brother wanted to protect her in his own way. Maybe it wasn’t what she’d thought. She shook away the feelings she’d had in the prison as she walked to the parking lot.

Angela sat in her car for a full minute before starting the engine. She looked up at the huge prison. It was that place that was changing her and her brother. It bred mistrust.

Adrian was looking out for her, just as he said. The fact that he had people spying on her, that he’d threatened Rafe, that had to have all been a part of that, even him telling her that it was all up to her. It was all some prison-mentality–induced dream. None of it was real.

And if she believed that load of crap she was trying to sell herself, she’d have to be either stupid or naive. She was neither.

Her brother had threatened Rafe, pure and simple. There was no getting around that. And the fact that he even knew she was seeing him gave her reason to worry.

Angela hopped on the Stevenson expressway and headed back to the city, to her new apartment, praying that she would find Teresa Cortez soon. Then she could return to her own life. She looked at the dead trees off to the side of the highway. So much early promise there, she thought, just as her brother’s life had once held so much promise.

She thought of Rafe. He was falling in love with her, she knew that. And even though she hadn’t told him that she loved him, they both knew that she did. She groaned. Old life or new, she wanted to find a way to make him a part of it. She would have to find a way to help her brother yet not endanger Rafe. If there was a way she could have him in her future, she was determined to find it.

Chapter 12

In one night Angela’s life had changed. And she knew she would never be the same. One night of lying in Rafe’s arms, knowing that she belonged there, that he wanted her there, had changed things. That one night had forged a bond much stronger than all those nights filled with passion.

For the first time since they’d begun their strange dance, she was nervous as she waited for him. A lot had happened. Now that she’d finally admitted her feelings about Rafe to herself, if not to him, she waited with anxious anticipation. She was aware of something that he wasn’t.

Seeing him could be putting him at risk. She wanted badly to tell herself that she didn’t believe any of the threats her brother had made. How could she and still believe in his innocence? Yet something in his tone had rung true.

She toyed briefly with the idea of not seeing Rafe, of ending it now. Then the knock came at her door and he entered the room. He looked at her for a long moment, searing her with the heat from his gaze. She trembled with the intensity, afraid to move, to speak, to even breathe. He lifted her in his arms and she buried her head against his chest.

“Angel
, mi amor
.” he whispered and laid her on the bed. “I’ve missed you,” he moaned.

His lips came down and smothered her with warmth as his hand moved over her body. She looked up into his eyes, wondering if he were going to mention IAD, wanting to know if it was behind them.

But they’d made a promise not to discuss anything real while they were in bed. What she’d done to him was too real, just as real as the possibility that he could be hurt from being associated with her. All of that was too real. All she wanted was to feel his lips on her body and his hand touching her, burning her. She slipped her hands beneath the waistband of his pants and shivered at touching his golden brown skin. He was a couple of shades darker than she was. They blended together perfectly in a play of light and dark.

She reached a hand back up and grabbed a handful of his thick, jet black hair, tangling her fingers in the curls. She yanked harder, wanting to see the surprise in his green eyes.

They were playful and loving, something that had crept into their relationship in the last weeks, catching her unaware. She’d denied it, telling herself that it was foreplay, but it wasn’t. It had never been that; it had been their ritual mating dance that was bringing them to this moment, the realization of their inescapable love. She looked at him with awe. He looked back at her with love and she wondered how long he’d known.

They made love tenderly and when they were done he fell to his side, pulled her into his arms and cradled her head on his chest. “Thank you,” he murmured.

Angela would not pretend to not know what he was talking about. “It was the right thing to do,” she said. “I should have never filed those complaints in the first place. I was wrong.”

He kissed her forehead and they both fell asleep.

* * *

“I want you to meet my family,” Rafe announced as soon as she’d come from the shower.

Angela looked at the food spread out on the table and smiled. “What is this, a bribe?”

“No, I want to make sure you have energy. I have the next two days off.”

“I don’t,” she responded and stood her ground.

“I thought…”

“I thought you weren’t going to push me?” Angela said. “I told you what I have to do. I have some people to talk to today. My brother’s counting on me.”

Rafe’s eyes became shuttered and his glance slid away. She’d known this was going to happen. Love was never easy, even when you didn’t admit to anyone other than yourself that it was love. She didn’t want to hurt him now or ever.

“Why do you want me to meet your family?” she asked.

He smiled, not answering.

“Who are you going to tell them that I am?”

“My angel.”

“Then I’m definitely not going to meet them. No angel, nothing to do with angels, okay?”

“Does that mean that you’re going?”

“Who are you going to introduce me as?”

“Do you want me to lie?”

“I want you to keep your word and not push me.”

“How is meeting my family pushing you?”

“All men introduce women to their family for one reason only.”

“And why do women introduce men to their family?”

She grinned. “Okay, we do the same. But I told you I’m trying my best to be honest with you. This is moving much too fast and if you push me I will have to end it.”

“Then end it. I’m a man, you can’t tell me what to do.”

“
Sagana.
”

“What? What did you just say? Did you call me a jackass? I’m not teaching you Spanish so that you can call me names, Angel.”

She shrugged her shoulders. “Why are we fighting?”

He sighed. “Because you’re afraid.”

“I’m not afraid. I’m just not ready for the things that you want.”

“How would you know what I want? You refuse to talk to me. You know nothing about what I want.”

“You want commitment and family, babies. I can see it in your eyes.”

“I’ve never wanted those things. I would have never gone into the line of work that I have if I wanted a family. It’s too dangerous to get that close to anyone.”

“You’re saying the right words, but your eyes tell me an entirely different story. You want love, even if you say that you don’t. You want a wife and babies.”

“And you think I want these things with you?”

A wave of jealousy claimed her; the thought of him touching someone else in the manner that he touched her burned her with a different fire. Angela moved from him, angered that he brought out such emotions in her.

Rafe watched the changes that came over his angel. He saw the flash of jealousy.
Good
. She’d led him around by the short hairs for over two months now. It was time he called a halt. He wouldn’t tell her that the thought of having a family of his own had never entered his mind until he’d thought of having that family with her. He turned his attention back to the stove.

“What are you cooking?”

“
Queso, huevos y jamon
. Cheese, eggs and ham,” he laughed.

“What are you trying to do, fatten me up?”

He smiled, knowing she was changing the conversation. He wasn’t going to let it go that easily, not this time.

“I’m trying to prepare your taste buds for dinner with my family.”

“Rafe.”

“What? It’s dinner, Angel, nothing more.”

“No insinuation, no leading them on.”

“You mean I won’t tell them how I feel about you or how you feel about me?”

“You don’t know how you feel about me,” Angela answered. “And you definitely don’t know how I feel about you.” She was trying her best to control her body, to put the brakes on something that would not stop. She was doing her best to protect him. Maybe if she could just keep up even a partial barricade, it could be enough to prevent Rafe from falling for her to the point of no return. If she kept some of the ice and it became necessary for them to part in order to keep him safe, maybe, just maybe, he could forget that he loved her.

“It’s much too late too make me change the way I feel.”

“That wasn’t—”

“Of course it was.”

“I still say you don’t know how I feel.”

“I know how you feel,” Rafe laughed, walking over to her. “Even if you don’t, I know.” He reached out his hand and saw her nipples harden before he even touched her. He grinned broadly. “You can keep pretending, Angel,
mi amor
, but I won’t.”

Her brother’s warning rang in her ears but the intoxicating presence of Rafe overrode her objections. “Just dinner,” she agreed. “But not this week, okay? I really do have to finish the project I’m working on.”

“I have two days off.”

“I’m sorry, I really do have to work.”

“There isn’t anything I can do to change your mind?” he asked, pulling her into his arms and running his tongue down the side of her neck, feeling the tremble that ran through her.

Angela thought of her work, her brother, then she forgot thinking and gave in to the demands her body was making. She was leaning toward him, her arms automatically going up and around his neck to pull him closer.

“This isn’t what I had in mind when I said let’s take it slow.”

He backed away. “Do you want me to stop?”

She pulled him back, letting her hands do her talking. It seemed that one by one Rafe Remeris was tearing down all her ‘don’ts’ and turning them into ‘why nots.’ Sure, she knew that spending the next two days with him when she should be working was going to cost her. She’d have to miss seeing her brother for the rest of the week if she did.

The unpleasant memory of her last visit to him pushed its way into her mind, making her decision easier. And Rafe’s lips and hands sealed it.

“Two whole days?”

“Two whole days,” he answered.

“We’ve never done that,” she said.

“I know.”

He kissed her then, preventing her from asking why, from questioning. Right now all he wanted was her in his arms. He smelled the eggs starting to burn and turned toward the kitchen. Well, maybe he could do with a little breakfast.

“By the way, my taste buds are well acquainted with Latin cuisine,” Angela called out.

“Really?”

“Yes.”

“Like what? And don’t say rice and beans.”

“How about,
empanadas
,
pollo
and
paella.
She laughed. “Want me to continue? I also happen to be well acquainted with a very spicy dish.” She smiled at him. “Do you want to know what it’s called?”

“Yes, tell me.” he whispered softly as his eyes answered the fire she knew was in her own.

“It’s called Rafe Remeris,” she admitted and succumbed to the kiss that he crossed the room to give her.

* * *

Angel and Angel only was on Rafe’s mind the entire day. His Angel. Because of that he’d made the people who lived in and around Pilsen happy. He’d only given warnings the entire day; not once had he written out a ticket.

He couldn’t wait to see her, to have her finally meet his family. He was smiling broadly. He wouldn’t wait, he thought as he took his cell from his uniform shirt pocket and pulled over to the curb to call her.

“Hey, you ready?” he asked as soon as she was on the line.

“Yes. I’m looking forward to it.”

“Nervous?” he asked.

“Just a little. Are you going to keep your promise?”

“I didn’t make any.” He smiled at the phone.

“Rafe,” she murmured and her voice made him hot.

“I’ll see you in a couple of minutes.” He turned left, heading for Angela’s apartment instead of the station. He’d take her with him to get his car and then back to his apartment to change. She’d never been there anyway, and it was about time they changed that.

It didn’t matter what she said, tonight was a new beginning for them. He no longer cared if anyone from the station saw them together. She was too important to him to keep her hidden.

In record time he was bounding up her steps and pounding on her door. “Angel, open up,” he yelled.

“It’s open,” she yelled back.

Rafe turned the knob. He’d have to have a talk with her about that. It wasn’t safe to leave her door open. “Angel, come on, move it.” He clapped his hands. “If you’re putting on goop you don’t need it. You’re beautiful without it.” He started toward the bedroom and she came out at the same instant. He smiled at her, moving to take her in his arms but she backed away.

Her actions stunned him but it was her look that froze him in place. She was eyeing him warily, her gaze moving swiftly up and down. He watched as the iced topaz returned and she moved even farther from him.

“What’s wrong?” he asked, knowing the answer. It was the uniform.

“I don’t think I can make it.”

“What are you talking about, you can’t make it? You’re dressed.”

“I have a horrible headache. It just came all of a sudden.”

“Like in the last two seconds? You didn’t have it when I talked to you and you didn’t have it when I came in. Why don’t you tell me what brought it on?”

Angela stared at him. She steepled her hands beneath her chin and closed her eyes. “I’m sorry. Tell your family that I hope they didn’t go to much trouble.” She moved past him and picked up the dessert tray she’d bought to take. “Give this to your mother.”

Rafe swallowed. He couldn’t believe it. She wouldn’t do this, not about something so petty. He glared at her. “You can’t do this, it’s too late. You don’t have a choice. I gave you a choice a week ago. You’re the one who picked tonight, not me, not my mother.”

“I don’t have a choice?” Angela spun back. “This is my life, Rafe. You don’t run it and you don’t tell me what to do. I’m not going.”

He stared in disbelief, wanting to beg her to come, wanting it not to mean so much if she didn’t. His
madrina’s
words came to him.
You will beg her to love you
.

Not tonight
, he thought, and headed for the door. With each step he wanted to hear her call him back. He listened for the sound of her footsteps, knowing she wouldn’t follow him, hating himself for caring.

* * *

Angela held her hand to her stomach. She’d not expected to have the reaction to Rafe that she’d had. Since they’d begun sleeping together he’d not once come to her apartment in his uniform. She’d not even thought about it one way or the other. Her reaction had come out of nowhere. When she saw him standing there, her brother’s words hit her like a slap in the face.

She was betraying her brother for a cop. Sudden disgust filled her. She should have known better. Her eyes slid over to the tray of cookies. What had she been thinking? She didn’t want to think about the hurt she’d seen in Rafe’s eyes or the anger that had flared on the heels of the hurt.

She’d tried telling him that they weren’t a good idea. She went to her computer, turned it on, and slipped the earrings from her ears. Losing her thoughts in the technical writing was a welcome diversion.