The Santinis: Marco, Book 2

by Schroeder, Melissa

  “I don’t want to talk about it. Tonight is only for happy discussions. Unless you want to bash Sara.”

  He wanted to say more, she could tell from the expression on his face. He rarely held back when it came to her love life, but thankfully he refrained.

  “I’ll make the drinks, you get out the carbos that will kill my waistline,” he said with a smile.

  “You got it.”

  And maybe, just maybe, she wouldn’t go to sleep thinking about one sexy lieutenant just yards away from her bed.

  Chapter Two

  “So, she’s not a senior citizen,” Vince said conversationally.

  Marco wasn’t fooled. Vince wanted to take a few jabs at him. He said nothing as he grabbed up his keys to drive for the night trying to ignore Vince’s amusement. He was still trying to deal with his feelings about watching his brothers flirt with Alana. One thing he knew, any kind of discussion would lead to a fight that would definitely turn physical. Santinis didn’t mind mixing it up a bit, but he wasn’t in the mood. He didn’t want Alana finding out. He had been attracted to her from the start, but it didn’t explain the urge to beat the hell out of Vince and especially Gee.

  He glanced at Vince. “No.”

  That had been one thing he had felt guilty about. He let his brothers assume she was older because he was sure they wouldn’t see her. It had nothing to do with the fact that he knew both of them would want to get to know her better.

  Of course, Vince wouldn’t let it go. “And, she’s hot.”

  Why did he invite them over for a visit? Why didn’t he just keep her to himself? Dammit. He had to remember she wasn’t his.

  He noticed that Vince was looking at him in that way that made the three younger Santinis nervous. He liked to know what was going on in their lives just like some little old woman.

  “Don’t talk about her that way.”

  Gee came walking out. “That’s right. Don’t talk about my future wife that way.” He closed his eyes and hummed. “That voice of hers about drove me crazy.”

  Marco knew what his brother was talking about. The Hawaiian lilt was something he’d gotten accustomed to, but there was something about the way she talked, the roll over her voice as she spoke made him lose his thoughts. He wanted to hear her say his first name, against his skin, in the dark.

  Shit.

  He ignored his brothers, saying nothing because he knew they would make more out of it than it was.

  “Are you ready, yet? Can someone tell Leo this is his bachelor party…or at least not a bachelor any more party?”

  Gee nodded. “Leo, stop talking to my girlfriend and let’s roll.”

  Leo was walking down the hallway. “So, what did I miss?”

  Vince smiled. “Marco here almost beat the hell out of us for flirting with is landlady.”

  “And I found the woman I’m going to marry,” Gee said.

  “You’re going to marry some old woman with a lot of money in Hawaii?” Leo asked as he slipped on his shoes.

  “No. Who cares about her money? She’s not old,” Gee said, wiggling his eyebrows.

  “Yeah?” Leo said as they headed out the door. “How old?”

  “Not old. Very young,” Gee said.

  Leo grunted. “Like could get thrown out of the military young?”

  “No.”

  Marco tried to ignore the byplay of his brothers but it was hard.

  “I would say twenty-eight,” Vince said.

  “No, I would say about twenty-one. Or maybe twenty-two,” Gee responded.

  “Twenty-five. She’s twenty-five,” Marco growled. He hated rising to their bait but they would just keep going on. Proving his point, Gee continued.

  “And gorgeous.”

  Marco snorted. “You only like her because she brought you food.”

  “No. That’s not it. She has some meat on her bones and I do like a curvy woman. She’s got hair all the way down to the middle of her back. Also, she told me she loved me.”

  Marco shook his head. “She did not.”

  “Yes, she did. With her eyes. And, as you said, she brought me food. That makes her a fifty on a scale of one to ten.”

  “Air Force math never adds up,” Vince said laughing.

  “I don’t care. She wants me. She loves me. That’s all that matters,” Gee said.

  This time Marco wasn’t so irritated when he said, “Shut your pie hole.”

  “What’s on the agenda tonight?” Vince asked, apparently realizing they needed to switch subjects. There was always a chance the brothers would end up fighting for no other reason than to fight if they didn’t.

  “I suggest Honolulu. There are a few clubs we can hit.”

  “Any on the list?” Leo asked.

  Being military, there were a lot of places restricted to them, depending on where they were stationed. Marco almost rolled his eyes but didn’t. Leo acted like he was the mother hen of the group now that he was married. Marco had been in the military long enough to know the rules, but Leo seemed to feel the need to check on them.

  “None of the ones I go to. The ones on the list are there for a reason. Especially here. There are some bad parts of downtown Honolulu. Besides, there are plenty of Honolulu clubs that can handle us.”

  “Not sure any of them can handle the Santinis but I’m willing to give them a try,” Gee said. “Let’s get this show on the road.”

  * * * *

  “So, I think that possibly we should go over to Maui for a week,” Colin said.

  She sighed. When he drank after a breakup with Sara, he was always planning trips for the two of them.

  “And why should we do that?”

  “We could go all wingman for each other and find some hot loving.”

  She giggled as she took a healthy sip of her lava flow. “I don’t think that’s going to work in my case. You know how I am.”

  “I know what you need to do. You need to be a slut, as least for one night.”

  “And why would I do that?”

  “Then, you might not feel so badly about what happened with Pete.”

  “So, according to you, I need to loosen up my morals and sleep with a man I don’t know for an evening—”

  “Men.”

  “As in more than one?”

  “Yes.”

  “Now I know you’re drunk. The man who always threatens my dates wants me to have a gangbang to get over my mistake.”

  He frowned. “I didn’t say that I would approve, but it might help you.”

  She cast her gaze to the heavens but found no help. When she looked at him, he was studying her. His eyes were glazed over from the amount of alcohol he had consumed but he was thinking. When Colin thought, it was a bad thing.

  “What?”

  “You like Santini.”

  Damn. If Colin sniffed out her attraction, he would make the lieutenant’s life miserable.

  “I don’t care what you suggest, I will not have a night with all the Santini men.”

  He stared at her for a moment, then he laughed. “That would be awkward, yeah?”

  “Want another drink?”

  He shook his head then rested it on her shoulder. The gentle lap of water soothed her, soothed both of them. They were born and bred Kama’aina, or locals, and they never thought of living anywhere else for long. They had both done their time off the island, and they enjoyed travel, but Hawaii would always be home in the end.

  “I think I just want to sit here.”

  “That sounds like a plan.”

  “You know I love you, Alana.”

  “I love you too, even if you offer warped advice.”

  “And that’s why you love me. Too bad the thought of kissing you disgusts me.”

  She laughed. “Right back at ya, Colin.”

  And they sat there, watching the stars and listening to the ocean. Alana wouldn’t have it any other way.

  * * * *

  “Hey, your landlady had company last night,” Leo
said as he came through the front door. It was barely seven in the morning and he had already been out on the beach running. Sadly, he had been the designated driver at his own after the fact bachelor party.

  “What do you mean?” Marco asked.

  “She’s in the driveway talking to some guy.”

  “So, he could have stopped by.”

  Leo shrugged. “If he did, it was early. She’s still in her robe.”

  Marco stood and walked to the window. Sure enough, he saw Alana talking to some guy in a slick sports car. She was wearing a kimono. His irritation grew as she leaned in and kissed the guy.

  “Oh, that will just not do,” Gee said. “I’ll put up with a lot but not her being with a schmuck with a sports car.”

  Marco frowned. “Hey, I have one.”

  “Exactly,” he said sipping his coffee. “What kind of coffee did you say this was?”

  “Kona,” he said without taking his gaze away from the scene in the driveway. She laughed at something the dickhead in the car said and he felt a growl rumble in his chest.

  “Oh, I think someone is very, very angry,” Gee said.

  He glanced at his brother. “What do you mean?”

  “Uh, you growled, Marco.”

  Shit. “I did not.”

  “Yeah, you did, I heard it too,” Leo said.

  “Screw this,” Marco said and walked out the door. He had been on his way for a run and now he definitely needed it.

  He heard the car driving away and changed directions. It was against his better instincts, but he did it anyway.

  “Alana,” he said, catching her before she walked into the house. She turned to face him, her face a little pink from embarrassment.

  “Did you need something Lieutenant Santini?”

  He shook his head. “What I mean is that I wanted to thank you again for the pineapple. My brothers really liked it.”

  She smiled and he felt his heart leap into his throat. All because she smiled at him. Maybe he was still drunk from the night before. Of course, he hadn’t been drunk but there had to be some kind of explanation for the way his head was spinning.

  “That’s good. I hope you had a fun time last night. Did you need anything else?”

  “I don’t think I’ve ever seen your friend from this morning around before.”

  Her face turned even pinker. “Excuse me?”

  “Well, in the few months I’ve lived here, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a man leave.”

  When he said it, it sounded like an accusation.

  “You don’t come home every night, lieutenant.”

  “Oh, I just never thought…” then he trailed off when he realized he was about to stick his foot in his mouth. It was already too late. Her smile faded.

  Shit.

  “I might not be the type of woman you are interested in, but it doesn’t mean that men aren’t interested in me. Is there anything else?”

  He wanted to apologize, but he knew that it wouldn’t work, not right now. He shook his head. She said nothing else as she slipped through her door and shut the door, locking it loudly.

  “Oh, way to go, bro,” Gee said from behind him.

  Great. Exactly what he needed. Gee would never let him get away with this without giving him a hard time.

  He said nothing to his brother as he turned and headed down the path. He needed that jog. Unfortunately, Gee came with him.

  “You know, I don’t understand why you haven’t asked her out.”

  He shrugged. “She’s not my type.”

  “A woman like that is every man’s type, and I hate to tell you bro, she so is your type. You always went for the exotic looking women. And Alana is definitely that.”

  For once he wished he had unhealthy brothers. He could try and outrun Gee but he was younger and he was a PJ. He’d done the training Marco had for SEALS. He was as fit as any SEAL because as a combat paramedic he had to carry men on his back.

  “She’s my landlady. What happens if we go out and the break is bad?”

  “Well, let’s be honest, it would be your fault.”

  “That’s stupid. What makes you say it would be my fault? She could turn into some kind of crazy woman with men she dates.”

  “Come on. Alana is the epitome of sweet. What woman—especially a woman with her kind of money—picks up a pineapple and cuts it herself for guests she’s never met.”

  “Lots of women would.”

  “Not a lot of women I know.”

  “You know the wrong women, Gee.”

  “Can’t help it. The dating pool is kind of small in Valdosta.”

  Marco snorted. “Yeah, I can imagine. Gotta have a few sexy coeds at the university.”

  He shrugged. “I have to deal with the questions about why I’m not an officer.”

  Marco knew that could be an issue with some people. Out of the Santinis, he and Vince went to Annapolis. Leo and Gee both opted to enter as enlisted. Both had wanted to have jobs that were either closed to officers or had very few of them in the field. They might give each other shit, but all of them respected their chosen career paths.

  “Screw them, then.”

  Gee laughed. “That’s the problem. They don’t want that.”

  Marco chuckled as he lengthened his strides. Gee responded in kind without a word.

  “So, back to Alana. I think you should ask her out.”

  “And I say, none of your business.”

  “Just saying, bro, you get that pissed with us and that one guy who was leaving—and I’ll bet the dude was gay—you might want to work through those feelings.”

  “You think the guy was gay?”

  “Just a hunch. That or a friend. If they spent the night in bed together, it couldn’t have been that great if all he gave her was a kiss on the cheek, so I am saying nothing happened.”

  The knot in his stomach loosened. “Doesn’t matter.”

  “Just one thing to think about. If she comes home with a guy again, are you going to be an ass? Because, if that’s the case, you might want to just go ahead and date her. I could see her tossing your ass out if you keep acting like you have this weekend. Race ya’ to the steps.”

  And just like that, the little ass took off. Marco didn’t speed up. Instead, he let his brother’s suggestion infiltrate his thoughts. There was a chance that over the next two years, he would have more interactions with Alana when she was with men. There was a good chance that he would make an ass of himself again. He couldn’t help it.

  All his life he was known as the quiet Santini. He could be loud around his brothers, but in groups and especially with women, he was often the quietest person in any gathering. His mother had always made the joke it had been the reason he had long-term girlfriends in high school. She was convinced all the girls thought he was actually listening to them as they jabbered on.

  He smiled. His mother knew them all so well. For a woman surrounded by men, she gave as good as she got. And she always knew just what to say.

  What would she say to him now? She would probably tell him to get his head out of his ass and go apologize. He sighed and looked over at her house as he slowed to a walk. He would, but he needed to wait until his brothers were gone.

  By then, he might have just figured out what to say to her.

  Chapter Three

  Alana was standing on a chair rearranging her cupboard when her home phone rang. There was a good chance it was someone from the charity so she ignored it. It was the weekend and if it was an emergency, she would handle it. Board members didn’t accept her boundaries and their idea of an emergency was remarkably different than hers. So, she didn’t give them her cell phone and she dealt with them through landlines.

  She sighed as she set another platter on the top shelf. She rarely used it, but it was her mother’s and there were things she just couldn’t let go after the accident. She glanced around her kitchen. It was still a disaster but it was shaping up. She’d spent more than two hours cleaning and re
arranging her house, mainly out of irritation. It needed it, but she needed to work off her mad—not to mention her embarrassment. She knew men looked at her differently than say a super model…or a cheerleader. Still, she didn’t like to have it thrown in her face, especially by Marco Santini. It seemed worse somehow.

  After her message, a woman with a thick Texas accent spoke. “Hello. This is Maryanne Santini and I am looking for my idiot husband and his idiot brothers.”

  Alana jumped off the chair almost killing herself in the process but she figured it was worth it. She didn’t know where the Santinis were that afternoon, but if a wife was calling, there was a good chance something bad had happened.

  She grabbed the phone, breathless. “Hello, are you still there?”

  “Yes. Sorry to bother you, but no one is answering their cells. Do you know where they are?”

  Alana looked out the front window. “The car is still there, hold on. Maybe they’re on the beach.”

  “Thank you. I’m assuming your Alana, the landlady?” She continued on without waiting for an answer. “I really need to talk to Leo. Are they behaving themselves?”

  “Yes. I mean, they’re adults.”

  “That’s true, but when the four of them get together, there always seems to be a problem. Last time we were all together, Gee and Marco got in a fight about which career field was tougher, being a PJ or a SEAL. They settled it with arm wrestling.”

  “Uh, that seems civilized,” she said, trying to keep up with the other woman’s thought process.

  “It was after they rolled around in the backyard and their mother had to cool them off with the hose.”

  Alana stepped out on her deck looking towards the beach. She squinted against the bright afternoon sun. The beach was packed, mainly because of the great waves and mild temperatures. Being Saturday, there were a lot of families enjoying time together. She scanned the beach thinking she might be wrong. Then, she saw them.

  Good God, they were walking up from the beach, without shirts, wet…her mind went blank.

  “Hello?”

  She let loose a little breath trying to calm her heart. “Sorry, they are on their way back from the beach. Hold on.”

  She moved the phone away. “Leo? Your wife is on the phone.”