The Santini Collection 1-4 (28 page)

She frowned.

“
Oh, don’t look that way. I promise you will be rewarded.”

He gave her another intense kiss then left her alone. She sighed. It wasn’t as if they hadn’t had enough time together in bed. She lost count the number of times they made love. She grabbed her kimono and slipped it on as she stood and made her way to the bathroom. It had been a long time since a man slept over. She hadn’t had many lovers. Timing and well…she was selective. Respect was as important to her as passion. Gianni had that in spades.

She rinsed off her face realizing she knew more about him than she did men she dated for months. Their emails had started out as simple back and forth’s. But in those few weeks he was gone, they had grown closer and she had learned so much about the man.

As she brushed her teeth, she thought about why she was so attracted. Well, except for zero percent body fat and that gorgeous face. He was so pretty—but it was more than that. She could tell he was kind, he loved his mama and the rest of his family, and he liked curvy woman.

There definitely was a God she thought with a chuckle.

“
You better hurry up in there, Kianna or I’m going to eat this all myself.”

Happy with him, with spending the day with him, she decided to heed his warning. She definitely would need some food to keep up with him.

* * * *

Gianni was setting the plates on the table when his phone rang with Leo’s ring tone. “Shouldn’t you be busy with that cute wife of yours?”

Leo chuckled. “Right now, Maryanne isn’t in the mood for anything in the mornings.”

“
Ah,” he said immediately understanding the situation. Maryanne was in her second trimester and the morning sickness had been pretty bad.

“
So, what are you calling me for?” he asked.

“
Just checking on you. No vision problems?”

He rolled his eyes at the question. “Leo, I’m a PJ and I have medic training just like you do.”

“
I know you have the training.” Gianni heard Maryanne’s voice in the background. “My wife just pointed out that Santini men are notorious for ignoring an illness.”

“
Yeah, well, I’m fine. Better than fine.” It was then he realized he was smiling. He had the same goofy smile on his face all morning.

There was a beat of silence. “Damn. I owe Vince money.”

“
What do you mean you owe Vince money?”

“
He said you wouldn’t last twenty four hours. You’re not even in your apartment are you?”

If there was a way to lie and make both his brothers lose money on the bet, it would be worth it, but Gianni didn’t see a way. “No, I’m not.”

Something caught the corner of his eye and he turned to look at Kianna. Right then, the air backed up in his lungs as every thought seemed to dissolve. She was fresh faced but her eyes were still sleepy. Her hair was still a springy mess, as usual. The emerald green kimono made her skin glow.

How did he get so fucking lucky?

“
I hate that he’s going to win,” Leo said, breaking into Gianni’s thoughts.

There was more from Maryanne. “I know you told me not to take the bet, but I thought Gianni had more resistance.”

Without thinking, speaking from his heart, Gianni asked, “How long would it have taken if it had been you and Maryanne?”

“
Ah, so that’s the way of it.”

“
I think. But, see, I made a wonderful breakfast for my lovely lady, so I am going to go eat and enjoy the morning with her.”

“
Damn, you made that custard French toast didn’t you? Oh, shit. Gotta go,” he said not waiting for Gianni to sign off.

“
That was one of your brothers?”

“
Yeah, Leo. Maryanne still has morning sickness.”

He was staring at her again but he couldn’t seem to help it. She mesmerized him. It had taken all of his control not to wake her up earlier. They had been up most of the night making love, so he felt a little guilty. Okay, not a whole lot—but he wasn’t an animal. Maybe.

“
What?” she asked.

“
Nothing.”

She shifted her weight from one foot to the other. “You keep staring at me.”

“
I like you.”

“
Really? I could never tell.”

He chuckled and walked to her. He had to kiss her again, had to reassure himself it wasn’t all a dream. He cupped her face and did just that.

He pulled back before he lost control. “So, I hope you like custard French toast.”

“
I don’t know if I’ve ever had it.”

“
Well, you are in for a treat.”

He led her to a dining chair and waited for her to sit.

“
Coffee?” he asked.

“
I can get that.”

He waved her back in her seat. “No, you sit, relax. You cooked last night.”

He grabbed a mug, filled it then grabbed the cream and sugar. It was odd that he knew more about her than he’d known about most of his girlfriends in the past. When someone is your lifeline, the one person you can be honest with during a deployment, you get to know that person really well.

He shook away any deep thoughts today. It had been a long two months and he planned on making up time. He grabbed the plate of French toast and brought it to the table.

“
Prepare to be wowed.”

She laughed. “You would have to do a lot to top last night.”

He smiled. Sunday morning, French toast and a sexy woman to share both with.

Life just couldn’t get much better.

Chapter Five

I have three downfalls: Sugar mixed with cinnamon, antique jewelry and books. Actually, I could probably do without the first two if I had an unlimited supply of books. –Kianna

Kianna sighed as she slipped another bite into her mouth. Cinnamon, sugar, hazelnuts and maple syrup danced over her taste buds. She moaned on the second bite.

“
Oh, Lord, and I was ready to be nice about it. I mean, men always think they can cook, and it turns out that they can’t. But, there is no reason for lies on this one. That was magnificent.”

Gianni glanced down at her plate. “You didn’t finish it.”

“
You gave me enough for five people.”

“
I gave you about half of what I ate.”

She frowned. “You’re younger and you’re a man. What do you have, zero percent body fat?”

He shook his head smiling. “Of course, I did work up an appetite last night.”

She wanted to tease, but she wasn’t ever really good at it. Besides, he was making her uncomfortable the way he was watching her. He had been doing that since she’d joined him in the kitchen. He looked like he wanted to just eat her up.

“
I don’t think I can eat anymore.”

“
But you liked it?”

“
No, it was horrible. I gagged on each piece.”

He laughed. Every time he did, it tripped her heart up just a little.

“
So, did your mother teach you how to cook breakfast like that?”

“
First, my mother would point out that is sexist, but since Dad is useless with anything but a grill and chili, she would give you a pass. We all know how to cook. Mom thought it was important that we know how to fend for ourselves. She jokes around that my father was living off junk food and canned meats when she met him.”

“
I bet you’re the best. I don’t know if any of them could make something that good.”

“
I would like to say I am but Vince is the best cook. He really loves to spend time in the kitchen.”

“
The Marine?”

He nodded.

“
Hard to think of a Marine in the kitchen cooking. But I guess that would be a case of me stereotyping.”

“
I have to say even after meeting him you would think the same thing. We are more than the rank and the uniform.”

“
I think you proved that last night, PJ.” Then she felt her face heat.

He threw his head back and laughed. The happy sound bounced off the walls of the kitchen. God, he was so damned pretty, so wonderful.

Stop it, girl
. He’s not going to stay around. He’s younger and military. She needed to remember she had rules about men in uniform. Especially this. For the first time in her life, she was going to have an affair with a man just to have the affair. Don’t worry about what happens next, just live in the now.

She sighed and looked over the table. “I guess it’s my job to clean up.”

He shook his head and took her hand. Without a word, she knew what he had in mind.

“
Gianni, I need to clean up the kitchen.”

“
I need to taste you. I think my needs come first…at least in this case.”

He pulled her up out of the chair and lifted her into his arms.

“
Gianni,” she said with a squeal.

“
What?”

She rolled her eyes. “I know I’m not an easy load to carry.”

He stopped at the doorway of her bedroom. “Now that’s just silly. Of course, you are a handful, but that’s what I like in a woman. And seeing that I’m trained to carry men who weight a lot more than you do, you’re nothing for me to pick up.”

He walked into the room, and set her on her feet.

“
I’ve always been kind of big for my age.”

She snorted. “Definitely.”

He laughed again, that wonderful sound that filled her bedroom. She would never be in her bedroom without being able to think of that.

“
I was just always tall, more muscled, comes with trying to keep up with all my brothers. Little women make me nervous. I don’t trust a woman who deprives herself of food because other people tell her she should.”

“
Oh…wow.”

“
I know, I sound like a freaking commercial, but I like you the way you are. Here,” he said walking her to the full-length mirror. He slipped behind her.

“
Do you see what I see?” he asked, his breath feathering against her flesh.

She barely noticed that he’d slipped his hands to the sash of her robe. It parted revealing some of her skin. She had been a little lazy and only pulled on a pair of panties. Kianna thought he would pull it all off. Men usually went for all or nothing. Instead, he let it hang showing a hint of her breasts and belly.

“
Do you?” he whispered. “Do you see what I see when I look at you? Women rarely do.”

She shook her head, her gaze still on his hands. His fingers were long and tanned, skimming over her flesh.

“
I see a beautiful woman, in spirit and in deed. That makes the beauty on the outside more stunning.”

He trailed one finger down her stomach all the way to her sex.

“
I couldn’t think of anything but getting back here to touch you.”

He nibbled on her earlobe, his tongue darting out over it before he bit down.

“
Taste you.”

She closed her eyes and leaned her head back.

“
No, keep your eyes open. Watch.” He said. His voice had grown rougher each time he spoke.

She complied and watched as he slipped his hand beneath the waistband of her panties.

“
And here…so sexy. So beautiful.”