The Santini Collection 1-4 (7 page)

Then he gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. The Styrofoam containers were sitting there as neat as could be, and there was even a little bud vase in the middle of the table.

“
I…”

He laughed as he sat down. “And the quick ride out there was worth it if it left you speechless.”

She didn’t know how to respond. She’d never really had anyone try to romance her before…and that is what it felt like. They were involved but…they hadn’t been to bed and it was nothing serious. Not really.

“
You look stunned. It’s just lunch, love.”

She shook her head and leaned over to keep her coworkers from hearing. “Guys just never do this kind of stuff for me.”

He offered her a crooked smile that did funny things to her insides and chucked her on the chin. “Then you’ve been dating the wrong kind of guys.”

She leaned back and even as emotions she didn’t want to feel tried to force their way out, she smiled. “Thank you.”

“
You’re welcome. I just thought you needed it. You seemed…upset Saturday and I wanted to do something for you.”

It was scary how much he could figure out about her. She hadn’t told anyone about Jack’s assignment but Leo knew something was bothering her. They had spoken for five minutes on the phone. Her brothers had known her from the day she was born and still couldn’t figure that out.

“
Jack’s being deployed.”

He nodded and dished out the food. “Ah. So not nursing a broken heart.”

She shook her head. “No.”

He glanced at her, his gaze scanning over her. She could see his mind working behind that sexy face of his. “It’s his duty, Maryanne.”

He didn’t try to placate her. He just said the unvarnished truth, which for her was always better to deal with.

“
He volunteered. Again. They all do.” She shook her head “They piss me off.”

Leo laughed. “But you love them.”

“
Yeah.”

“
Where’s he going?”

She shrugged. “I don’t know. He couldn’t say.”

Which made it worse. Sure, she obsessed whenever she knew where they were, watching every news program and she was insane enough to have a Google alert for whatever country they were in. But…it was better for her that way.

“
Hey,” he said, his voice lowering and filled with so much concern she felt tears burn the back of her eyes. She looked up at him. “Don’t be sad. I bet he’ll be back before you know and he’ll happily be interrupting my pursuit.”

She laughed and sniffed. Then, she leaned in and gave him a kiss on the cheek. “You’re sweet.”

His cheeks turned ruddy and she smiled. The fact that he was blushing because of her gratitude was kind of cute. And sexy. Why did she find it so appealing that the big Army medic blushed? She was in deep after two weeks if that was getting to her.

“
So, no brothers around, yeah?”

She sighed. “I hope not. It would be just like Jack to call them. It would be easy for them to pop in since everyone is CONUS right now. But at the moment, no.”

“
Good. How about pizza in tonight?”

She smiled. “Trying to fatten me up, Santini?”

He grinned back at her. She felt something clogged her throat. “I have a feeling if I don’t feed you, you’ll waste away to nothing. So, how about it? I’ll bring the pizza.”

“
No anchovies this time. I can’t believe you and Jack did that to me.”

“
That wasn’t my fault. He told me you loved them.”

“
What woman in her right mind would like anchovies on a pizza?”

He shook his head. “Are you trying to avoid the question?”

A little, but she wouldn’t admit it out loud. Having him in her house without her brother playing guardian would be dangerous. Like fall into bed, lose her mind kind of dangerous.

And she really wanted to be dangerous with Leo.

“
Just pizza?”

He nodded.

“
Yeah. I like that idea, and I’ll provide the beer.”

Then she dug into her food, feeling better by the moment.

* * * *

“
Do not expect anything tonight, Santini,” Leo murmured as he made his way to Maryanne’s apartment.

It was hard to convince his body to pay attention though. Leo wanted more than a little kiss good night. The cold showers he was taking every day were getting irritating. He hadn’t been this frustrated since high school. He found more ways of making out with Maryanne than he ever did during his teenage years and Leo knew he was almost at the end of his rope.

Still, he knew not to push. Granted, Jack had been the main reason they hadn’t gotten any further, but something was telling him to go slow. A huge part of him, the one that wasn’t listening to his hormones, wanted to take his time. It should scare him, but as his father always said, once a Santini found something he wanted, there was nothing that would stand in his way. The only thing that did, or one of the biggest things, was her experience with men.

She was wary. That was understandable if she had never had a man try to romance her. What kind of idiots had she been dating? Leo had picked up on it the last couple of weeks. The fact that men apparently didn’t hold the door open for her, listen to her talk…just pay attention to her had been evident from her reactions. Of course, those other men didn’t matter. None of it did because he was in for the long haul.

He stopped in front of her door and just stared at the knocker. What the hell was he thinking?
In for the long haul.
Like forever? He had only known the woman for two weeks. People didn’t fall in love in two weeks with someone they barely knew.

Dammit. He was almost all the way in love with the woman.

Santini, what the hell are you thinking?

She’s a pain in the ass, prickly as a porcupine and so damned defensive. Just the look on her face today when he brought her lunch…he sighed. He knew she didn’t like showing her vulnerability to him, to anyone. But she had for him. That little bit had awakened a need to do things like that more often. And forever.

Before he could work through the feelings, the door whooshed open. She was still in her scrubs. They were blue today, almost the same shade as her eyes.

“
Gonna stand out there trying to open the door with your mind, Santini?”

“
Uh, no.” Oh, that will win her over.

She gave him a saucy smile. “Is that pizza for me or are you just happy to see me?”

The words didn’t register. He was in love with her. Leo loved just about everything about her, from the sprinkle of freckles that danced over the bridge of her nose to that smart mouth of hers. Damn. He was pretty sure that she would be pissed when she found out.

Her brows furrowed. “Santini? Are you okay?”

He shook himself, trying to push all those thoughts aside, but his voice was still a little rough when he answered. “Yeah.”

“
Okay, come on in.”

She stepped back and allowed him to pass. After she shut the door behind him she leaned back against it. He turned to face her.

“
Are you hungry?” he asked.

Her eyes widened. He didn’t blame her for being surprised. Arousal was thrumming through his blood and he heard it in his voice. Leo just couldn’t help it. His fingers itched to touch. His mouth wanted to taste. Every bit of his body needed her in a way that should scare the hell out of him.

“
Maryanne?” he asked. He would take a step back if she asked. It might kill him, but he would do it.

Then, a small smile curved her lips. “Not really hungry for pizza right now.”

Relief coursed through him as he strode toward her. He tossed the box on the table without stopping.

“
Thank the Lord,” he said as he pulled her away from the door and into his arms. The moment he pressed his lips against hers, he knew he couldn’t let her go. Ever.

Now, he just had to convince the woman in his arms.

Chapter Six

Leo stumbled into her bedroom and they fell on the bed with a tangle of limbs. He fell off to the side, bouncing on the mattress to avoid crushing her beneath him. He rose up and rested his weight on his elbow and looked down at her. She was smiling up at him and it struck him then. He wanted to see that smile ever day of his life. He wanted to be the one that made her this happy all the time.

After a few moments, her smile faded. “What?”

He shook his head. He couldn’t tell her how he felt. She was skittish as it was. If he told her he was falling in love with her, she would freak out.

“
Oh, God, I look horrible, don’t I? I didn’t sleep last night because I was worried about Jack and then I had a long day today. I must look a mess.”

She didn’t have much makeup left on her face that was true. But there was a wholesome inner beauty to her, something that had nothing to do with her physical appearance. It would have shone through regardless of her outward appearance.

“
No, it isn’t that.”

It was hard to hold back his true feelings. Leo wasn’t a man who ran around singing to the world about private things, but he wanted to for her. Something told him Maryanne wouldn’t accept it just yet. He was the kind of guy who planned everything out and he hadn’t planned on this. But seeing her now, laying in bed, and feeling her body next to his, he knew that he had come home. For a man who had spent his life in the military, that meant more than anything else.

He couldn’t tell her but he could show her.

Leo leaned down and kissed her, softly at first, keeping his eyes open as he brushed his mouth over hers. Her eyes clouded with need then drifted shut and he deepened the kiss. He kissed his way down to her neck as he slipped his fingers beneath her shirt. He pulled it up over her head.

When he saw the simple front closure bar, he sighed with appreciation. There were times he loved fancy lingerie on a woman as much as the next guy, but since his brain wasn’t working beyond getting them both naked, simple was best for now. He popped it open and his brain shut down.

God, she was beautiful. Silken skin, pink nipples, and just the right size for his hands. He brushed his fingers over the tip of one, then cupped it. He dipped his head and took a hardened tip into his mouth. That one little sample of her had him wanting more. This wasn’t enough. He wanted to taste every inch of her.

He kissed his way down her body, enjoying the curves, the smoothness of her flesh. When he reached her waist, he pulled her pants and panties off easily in one quick motion. Leo knew he was being a little indelicate, but the urgency to see her naked, to touch her bare skin overrode his better instincts. He tossed her clothes on the floor behind him. She lay naked before him, the soft glow of the sunset lighting her skin.

He wondered what he did right in his life to have this moment with her. He skimmed his hand up one of her legs before following the path with his mouth. She shivered as he kissed a path up her legs. When he reached the pussy, he took a deep breath. Musky arousal with a trace of femininity. Her scent drew him in.

The moment he touched his mouth to her sex, he was completely lost. He slipped his tongue inside her wet passage. The taste of her danced over his taste buds. Sweet, tart…intoxicating. Just like the woman. She molded her hands to the back of his head, urging him on. He barely noticed. All that mattered was Maryanne. Her needs. Her pleasure.

He took her clit into his mouth and pulled it between his teeth as he slid a finger inside her. Her muscles clamped down hard on his digit and he hummed against her clit. Leo could just imagine what she would feel like against his cock as he thrust into her. He added another finger and in that next moment she came apart, screaming his name. He wanted that again, he wanted to hear his name as she came again. This time though, he wanted to be with her, to feel all those muscles contracting against him.

Leo rose to his knees, and in the next instant, he realized he forgot to bring a condom.