How To Salsa in a Sari (15 page)

“And now.” Diego set his napkin on the table and stood up. “I have a present for my lovely fiancée.”

The ring wasn't enough? That ring would easily have covered the mortgage on their old house.

Alisha obviously had no idea what was going on. She looked as confused as Cat and Issa as they followed Diego to the six-car garage.

Diego flipped on the lights.

“Holy crap!” Cat shrieked.

Issa had the same sentiment.

Diego shot Cat a sharp look.

“I mean, wow, how pretty,” Cat corrected herself hastily.

There, parked right in front of them, was a sapphire-blue Bentley.

Alisha didn't react. Instead, she stood frozen, eyes glued to the car.

“It's yours, Alisha,” Diego said helpfully, pressing a set of keys into her hand.

“Um, I—I can't, I mean—”

“I can't have my beloved wife-to-be driving around town in a car that might die at any time. It is, as Catalina says, an absolute piece of junk. I insist you have this.”

Issa's throat burned. Piece of junk? The Corolla had been her father's car. The only thing remaining of him in their lives. And now it was being exchanged for an overpriced, vulgar beast.

“That's totally the same car Ben Affleck gave Jennifer Lopez,” Cat added helpfully.

Right before they broke up. Alisha took the keys. “I can't thank you enough.”

Diego lightly touched her arm. “What's mine is yours,
corazon.
”

Issa turned away before he kissed her. Her father had his work cut out for her. Here Diego was, giving Alisha everything she'd never even dreamed of with Alisha sharing his bed for the past three nights. And her father was offering their old life of mediocrity.

Issa had to help him out. She had to raise the stakes and save her mother from falling further into Diego's world.

The Only Way to Get Rid of a Temptation Is to Yield to It

Issa
sauntered into the living room where Diego was engrossed in a taped baseball game and flopped down into the couch. She knew she was pushing it. House rule number whatever, no interrupting during baseball games. But she was pretty sure Diego wouldn't throw her out for breaking a house rule after all of Cat's shenanigans. Especially after the gift he'd given Issa earlier that day.

She smelled paint and noticed Cat sitting in front of an easel in the kitchen. Her eyes met Cat's and Cat quickly looked away.

“Is it okay if I borrow the Lotus tonight?” Issa asked loudly enough for Cat to hear. Cat didn't glance up once.

Moment of truth. Would Diego get angry with her, or would she be the exception to the house rule?

Diego muted the television. “Of course. You look lovely, by the way. That necklace goes very well.”

Issa stood up and spun. Her outfit of a cream-colored wrap dress, red boots and a red beaded necklace was exceptionally beautiful…and expensive. The whole outfit had been a gift from Diego for the A she had supposedly earned on
The Crucible
quiz. The pale dress perfectly set off her cocoa-colored skin and the heeled red boots gave her five feet three inches a major height advantage. She felt like a model.

Still no reaction from Cat. She continued to lean over the easel and scrape at the canvas with a stiff paintbrush.

Issa knew the dress was something Cat had her eye on for a while. Issa had seen the catalog in the trunk of the Lotus with the page folded down. Now one more thing Cat wanted was hers.

“You know I really appreciate all the gifts you've given me. You really don't need to do all this,” Issa said halfheartedly.

According to Alisha, Diego felt obligated to give Issa these gifts because he thought he had to buy her love. Alisha wanted Issa to assure Diego she didn't need materialistic things to be happy.

Diego smiled. “Nonsense. Excellence needs to be rewarded. I'm so pleased you're looking happy. You know, Issa, when I was a boy growing up in Habana, I didn't have much. And then
ese diablo Fidel
came along…” Diego scowled. “Anyway, I want you to have everything I didn't. I want you to be happy.”

For a moment, Issa forgot everything else and basked in the glow of contentment. She was going on a date with a wonderful guy she was very quickly falling for, she was wearing an outfit half the town had admired in the window of the Diane von Furstenberg store for months, and Alisha was happy. Was this life really so terrible?

For that one instant, Issa had everything she had ever dreamed of, including a stepfather who genuinely seemed to care about her. Maybe this would work out. She could go apologize to Cat right now and they could try to be friends. She could tell Alisha she forgave her and have her best friend back. The four of them could try to be a family.

Issa touched her beaded purse where she still carried Roy's card. This would all be fine if her real father wasn't waiting in the wings. Diego wasn't her father. And Cat wasn't her sister. And they never would be. Issa had to reunite her parents and bring her brother home. No matter what it cost.

“I'm going out with friends. Will you tell Mom when she gets back from her girls' night out?”

“I will surely do that. Drive safe,
querida.
”

Cat whipped around to glare at them, but Issa was more curious about what Diego had said. “Queri—what?”

“It means ‘darling.'” Diego smiled.

Issa's head was spinning as she left the house. How could Diego not see right through her? Her guilt weighed her down more than her faux-fur coat.

And the look on Cat's face. It was the same expression Issa must have had when Alisha called Cat “honey.” Issa almost felt sorry for her.

Issa barely registered driving to Alejandro's Italiano Ristorante. She had always admired the European-style bistro from the outside, but when she'd seen the kind of patrons who frequented the joint—well-heeled, snooty, coifed women and tuxedoed men who looked down their noses at the waitstaff—she had known she would never fit in in a place like that.

But tonight, as she handed the car keys to the valet, barely acknowledging his smile with a bob of her head, she felt as if she was finally able to play the part of socialite extraordinaire.

When had she become one of them?

“Why a frown on that beautiful face?”

Rake stepped out of the shadows of the pillars sandwiching the front door of Alejandro's.

Startled, she laughed. “Been away from you too long.”

Rake cradled the back of her head in his hand and touched his lips to hers. “There's someplace I want to take you after dinner.”

Issa's curiosity rose but she was unable to get any more information out of him over appetizers. She even did her patented pout and Rake laughed in response. She pouted more and he picked up her hand and kissed it.

She finally smiled and vowed to be patient.

Rake picked up the wine list. “What do you want?”

“Um. Anything.” Issa was too embarrassed to tell him she didn't actually drink wine. Or any other alcohol for that matter, except for a sip of champagne at New Year's.

She wondered how he was going to handle the ID issue. Neither of them exactly looked over twenty-one. She found out a few minutes later when the waiter came over. Rake deftly opened up his wallet and held it up. The waiter barely glanced at it and took their wine order, a pinot grigio, without batting an eye.

Issa raised her eyebrow.

“Slipped him a twenty,” Rake said in a low voice.

Issa blinked in surprise. “I didn't see a thing!”

“Practice.”

Issa felt a twinge of jealously wondering who he'd been with the other times he'd been practicing. He'd obviously done this before.

With who?
a voice inside her head asked.

She wasn't sure she wanted to know.

The wine arrived and the waiter filled both their glasses. Issa sipped the bitter liquid and tried not to make a face. A wine aficionado, she was not.

“So.” Rake set his glass down. “Tell me something about yourself.”

Issa traced the rim of her glass like she'd seen the girls do in movies. “Like?”

“Anything. Something no one else knows.”

She pondered and took another sip to calm her nerves. A burning sensation poured down into her stomach and her head started to feel light. “I was terrified the day I asked you out.”

Rake laughed. “I've never been so flattered. A gorgeous woman throwing herself at me.”

Throwing herself? She hardly thought she'd been throwing herself. But she smiled and took another swig. “You deserved it.”

Rake reached over and took her hand. “I had actually thought you were an item with Ishaan. I always used to see you with him.”

Issa blinked in surprise. First, Rake had noticed her before? And second, she was always with Ishaan? “No, no, we're just friends.”

Rake watched her carefully. “He was jealous when he introduced us.”

Ishaan? Jealous? Yeah, right. At the moment, Ishaan was barely speaking to her.

“Enough about him. So, that's your big secret, huh? Your sexy girl act was just that, an act.”

Issa smiled. “Afraid so.”

Rake poured her more wine.

Dinner seemed to go on forever, and after they had finished their plates of ravioli
formaggio,
Issa stumbled out of the restaurant with Rake's help.

“I think—I'm so happy!” Issa heard herself slurring as she leaned on Rake.

“Let me take you to that place I was telling you about,” Rake said softly. Issa blinked, trying to focus her eyes. The same valet she'd snubbed before seemed to be smirking at her. She held on to Rake tightly. Everything was spinning. She felt her legs starting to wobble.

Before she knew it, she was in the passenger side of Rake's car. So comfortable and warm. She sank into the cozy leather seat and let her eyes rest.

That was the last thing she remembered until she heard the car engine die. She sleepily opened her eyes. They were in a dark place. She saw the lights of New Joliet dotting the scenery below.

Lovers' Pointe.

“Baby.” Rake was pressing her into the passenger seat. “You're so amazing.”

His lips were everywhere. Her eyelids, her cheeks, her neck. Issa kissed him back hungrily. This felt luscious. She had never felt so wanted.

He kissed her for a few minutes before tracing down her rib cage and tugging at the tie of her dress.

Issa started to realize what he was doing. They'd barely known each other a week. It had taken her two years to get to this point with Adam. She wasn't ready. She forced her eyes open and pushed him away. “Not now. Not like this. I want to remember it.”

“Baby—” Rake's hand didn't move. He loosened the belt and the dress fell open. His head dipped lower to kiss her.

“Please take me home.” Issa tried to sit up straight, pulling the dress closed over the camisole she wore underneath.

“Already? We just got here and you look so hot. How about we just mess around? Not do anything serious.”

A wave of nausea washed over Issa. She felt herself losing control of the situation. It had never been this way with Adam. When she said stop, he always stopped. And apologized.

Suddenly she just wanted to be safe and warm in her bed.

“I need to go home!” she heard herself cry out. “Take me home.”

“Baby, I don't know where you live. Why don't we just sit here till you sober up? I'll just kiss you. Nothing more.”

The car was suffocating. Rake's cologne combined with her foggy head. She couldn't breathe. She needed air. She fumbled for the door handle. She turned it and nothing happened. Why wasn't the door opening? She needed to get out of the car.

“What're you doing?”

“I want to go home, Rake. Now.”

“Can you tell me where you live?”

“I don't—we moved. Now we live with Cat. And Diego, who's nice. But Cat's not nice. And neither am I.” Issa realized she was babbling, but she had to make him understand.

“Should I call one of your friends to take you home? Does anyone else know where you live?”

Ishaan's face swam in front of Issa's eyes. “Call Ishaan. Ishaan will come. He's my friend.”

Silence.

“Okay. I'll call him.”

She opened her eyes and saw Rake's lips moving toward her. Then she felt his body press against hers, his hands separating the folds of her dress at the waist.

“Call Ishaan.” Issa weakly pushed Rake away again. This wasn't the way she wanted this to happen. Not here. Not with him. This didn't feel right at all.

“Give me your cell phone,” Rake said shortly.

She did so and rested her head against the window, trying to keep her eyes open.

After what seemed like minutes, she saw the lights of Ishaan's Jeep pull up next to her.

Before she knew it, the passenger side of the SUV was thrown open and she was in Ishaan's arms.

“Hey. Hey. Look at me. Are you okay?”

She gave him a sleepy smile and wrapped her arms around his neck. He was so comfortable. So safe. He would never hurt her. She could sleep right there. “I'm so glad you're here.”

“Her car's still at Alejandro's,” she heard Rake say. “I can take her home if you tell me where it is. You can get the car.”

“I'll take her home,” she heard Ishaan say. “What the hell were you thinking getting her drunk?”

“Hey, how did I know she can't even handle a glass of wine?”

“She's only sixteen!” Ishaan practically yelled.

“She sure as hell wasn't acting like it in the car!” Rake yelled back.

Issa felt herself slipping into a dizzy slumber. Ishaan's arms tightened around her.

“Was my fault—” Issa managed to mumble as Ishaan led her to his car.

“It's okay, Iz. It's okay,” she heard Ishaan say as he carefully deposited her in the passenger seat. “Did he do anything to you? Did he touch you? Did he hurt you?”

“I don't—no—he didn't. I called you,” she slurred.

“Why are you with him? Why aren't you with someone who loves you just the way you are?” Ishaan said to no one in particular as he pulled the car off Lovers' Pointe.

Issa stared at him. Was there anyone who loved her as she was? It sure didn't seem like it.

The car ride to the Morena mansion was a haze and before Issa knew it, Ishaan had fished her house key from her purse. “Thank God. Your mom's not here yet. She would kill you.”