Loving a Santini

by Schroeder, Melissa

  He pulled up and looked down at her. Her red curls were tangled against her pale-yellow sheets. There was enough light from the kitchen to give him a good view of her.

  “You…” he shook his head.

  “What?”

  “Sorry, it’s just hard to put into words.”

  Her gaze softened. “Yeah? Right back at ya, Santini.”

  He chuckled. He leaned down and brushed his mouth over hers.

  “Thank you.”

  “For what?”

  “Giving me that gift. Making love to you is…” he shook his head again. He had known this woman only a few weeks, and he was unable to think of anything to explain his feelings. He barely knew her, but he was already falling for her. She was sweet, giving, and the most amazing kisser. Making love to her had left him unable to form a thought.

  “You’re worrying me, Nando.”

  “It’s just a little overwhelming.”

  She offered him a small smile. “It’s that way for me too. What happened to taking it slow?”

  “That was for me.”

  “So, you’re basically telling me that you’re a slut.”

  “Wait, what?”

  “You think about a month of knowing a woman is a long time to get her into bed, then you might be kind of a slut.”

  She was giving him a devious little smile.

  “It’s not that.”

  “Really?”

  “No. It’s because since the moment I met you, I’ve wanted you.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Okay.”

  “No. I haven’t been with anyone in a serious relationship for a long time. I’ve had a few dates here and there.”

  “How long before you got them into bed?”

  He chuckled. “Stop. Woman, I am trying to tell you that in the few weeks I’ve known you, you have tempted my control.”

  “Are you telling me that you’ve been attracted to me since the beginning?”

  He nodded as he nibbled on her bottom lip.

  “But you acted like you didn’t want to get near me, other than for your massage.”

  “All my control.”

  She snorted. “Please.”

  “Seriously. Plus, when you touch me to heal me, it’s different.”

  “How?”

  “Not sure, just is.”

  “Hmm.”

  He gave her a quick kiss, then slipped out of her and rolled off the mattress. After disposing of his condom in the waste basket, he returned to bed. She’d slipped under the sheets. He joined her, snuggling up next to her. She turned so her back was against his chest. He slipped an arm over her waist.

  “Now this, this is paradise.”

  She sighed as she traced her fingers over his arm. “I would have had no idea you were such a dirty talker in bed.”

  “It’s because of you.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I don’t know, really, but you bring it out in me.”

  “So you’re blaming me?”

  “I’m thanking you.”

  “For making you a dirty talker?”

  “It turned me on to talk that way to you. And watching the way it made you hot. That was fucking hot.”

  She shivered in his arms, and he could feel himself growing hard against her ass once more. She sighed and wiggled against him.

  “Damn,” he said as he kissed his way down her spine. “I thought you would let me have at least a little recovery time.”

  “Nando.” He knew she was probably trying to make it sound like an admonition but instead, it came out more like a moan. He grabbed a condom from the bedside table and slipped it on. Then he rolled her over, lifted her hips as he rose to his knees. He entered her fast and hard, causing them both to moan. She was still swollen from their last lovemaking and each time he thrust into her, her muscles clung to his cock. He reached down beneath her, so he could press on her clit. It was enough to send her hurdling over into pleasure once more. Her contractions were just what he needed. He came then so hard, he thought he saw stars.

  They collapsed on the bed together.

  “Okay, you need to stop taking advantage of me,” he said.

  She chuckled, then they both started laughing together. Yeah, he had been right. He was definitely in paradise.

  Chapter Ten

  Sunshine woke up the next morning to the sound of birds chirping and an empty bed. She frowned. Had Nando left? Then, she heard the shower running. Figures the Marine would beat her at getting up. She sat up and bit back a groan. She ached everywhere, especially her thighs. The man definitely knew his way around the female body. She hadn’t had that much sex since…well, ever. No wonder why Lalani and Alana always seemed so damned happy. If all the Santinis were like that, Sunshine now understood. She slipped out of bed and wobbled a bit. Damn.

  She made her way to the bathroom and smiled. Nando was singing softly, probably trying not to wake her up. She recognized the Kenny Chesney song, and damn, there was one thing he couldn’t do well. He couldn’t sing any better than she could.

  She tiptoed over to the tub, then peeked around the curtain. God, that body. She would forgive the singing because he was like her own personal Adonis. Water slid down his body with a fair amount of soapy suds. They eased their way down over his amazing ass. Was that even real? It looked like it had been sculpted out of marble.

  “Hey,” she said. He jumped and looked back at her over his shoulder.

  “Hey. Sorry if I woke you.”

  She shook her head and stepped into the shower with him. “The birds woke me. I actually thought you left me.”

  He frowned. “I’d never do that.”

  “I know, but I was in bed by myself.”

  He smiled and turned to face her. He brushed his mouth over hers. She stepped closer. His erection pressed against her stomach.

  “I thought last night would have been enough for you.”

  They’d made love four times before finally falling into a deep sleep.

  “Never,” he said, but it ended on a gasp as she wrapped her hand around his cock. The water made it easy to stroke him. He settled his hands on his hips and leaned his head back.

  “You wouldn’t let me do this last night,” she said, sinking to her knees. She opened her mouth and took him into her mouth…just the crown. She swirled her tongue around him, lightly slipping it over the slit at the top. Then, she took him completely in.

  “Ah, fuck, yeah, babe. Your mouth feels so damned good on my cock.”

  He was right. When he talked like that, it did turn her own. His fingers tangled in her hair as she continued to suck him. She kept one hand wrapped around the base as she slid her other hand down to her sex. She teased herself as she continued sucking him. She knew he was close, and she wanted this, but he pulled her away.

  “Nope, I want to be in you,” he said.

  He turned off the water and lifted her out of the tub. Then, he placed her in front of the vanity. After using one of her big fluffy towels to dry them both off, he lifted her onto the counter. She reached for him, but he shook his head.

  “Place your hands on the counter.”

  There was no way she wouldn’t obey when he used that tone. Damn. She was never one for dominant men and he wasn’t truly, but when he ordered her around like that, it was a turn on. He grabbed another condom, ripped open the packaging, then rolled it slowly down his shaft. She watched him, mesmerized by the movement of his fingers as he took his sweet time putting it on. By the time it was on, she looked up at him and saw his wicked smile.

  “You like to watch, Sunshine?”

  She slid her tongue over her bottom lip and he groaned. Before she could respond, he slipped his hand to the back of her neck and leaned forward to kiss her. It was short, hot, and wet. He stole inside, his tongue ventured into her mouth and she sucked on it, hard. It was over before she was ready, but at this moment, she would give him control of the situation.

  He grabbed hold of her hips and tugge
d her closer to the edge of the counter. Then he spread her legs wider and slipped a finger inside of her. All the while, he kept his gaze locked with hers. He added another finger as he continued to thrust inside of her.

  “Oh, yeah,” he said. “You’re so fucking wet for me.”

  He hardly cussed when they weren’t having sex, so he was right, it did turn her on, just like he said. She tugged on one of her nipples and started to move in rhythm with his fingers. Warm tension gathered in her stomach, then dropped down to her sex and she grew slicker with desire. Just as she was sure she was about to come, he removed his fingers. Her eyes flew open and she moaned in irritation, but he ignored her protestations. Instead, he spread her legs wider with one hand, and had his cock in the other.

  He guided himself into her, once again, taking his sweet time. By the time he was fully seated inside of Sunshine, she was shaking with need. He started to move, his momentum measured and precise. She wrapped her legs around his waist, meeting him thrust for thrust. He leaned down and took a nipple in his mouth, teasing her with his tongue and his teeth as he pinched her other nipple. The slight pain sent a wave of pleasure rolling through her all the way to her sex.

  Soon, he was plunging into her faster and harder. He kissed his way up her throat to her mouth.

  “Come with me, Sunshine,” he said, as he flicked his fingers over her clit. That one little movement sent her hurdling over the edge into bliss. He followed her, shouting her name so loud it echoed off the walls of the bathroom.

  Moments later, their breathing was the only sound in the bathroom. He rested his forehead against hers, then he brushed his lips against her temple.

  He slipped out of her, got rid of his condom, then picked her up.

  “Hey, I can walk,” she said, weakly. She might have just lied. She wasn’t so sure her legs would hold her up.

  “I know you can. I like carrying you, though.”

  He placed her on the bed, then crawled in beside her. After pulling up the sheet, he pulled her close and rested his chin on top of her head. Her heart was just now calming; although, she was anything but calm. She knew it was early days in their relationship. But, she couldn’t fight the feeling that this was more than just a casual relationship. What had she gotten herself into? She was falling fast and hard for Nando, and he was all wrong for her.

  “Sunshine, stop thinking for right now, and go to sleep.”

  “Don’t tell me what to do.”

  He chuckled. “I wouldn’t presume to tell you what to do, but I thought—since we got barely any sleep last night—that maybe you should get some sleep now. You can figure out whatever is bothering you much faster if you aren’t exhausted.”

  She smiled and snuggled closer. He was right, of course. With his body heat surrounding her, she drifted off to sleep.

  * * *

  Later that morning, Nando cooked breakfast for the two of them. She had tried to get him to go out for breakfast, but he hadn’t wanted to be out in public. Not just yet. It was nice that it was just the two of them. He loved the idea of puttering around her kitchen as she drank her morning coffee.

  The house was just as cozy that morning as it had been the night before. He loved the older homes on Oahu, the ones that had withstood hurricanes and earthquakes, and looked as if they were made for happy families. She had the windows open, of course, and the quiet breeze had brought in the scent of plumeria and the morning rain.

  He had made pancakes, which she proclaimed to the be best thing she ever ate. He didn’t care. All he cared about was sitting at her little kitchen table getting to watch her in that sexy green kimono. She’d left her hair down after their bathroom escapades, and he liked the way it fell on her shoulders in soft waves. He couldn’t wait until he could entice her back into the bedroom and he could undo the knot on her robe and slip his hands beneath the fabric.

  “What?” she asked.

  He smiled. “Nothing.”

  “You’re thinking naughty thoughts.”

  He shrugged. “Kind of a given if you’re in front of me.”

  Her cheeks flushed, but she said nothing else as she sipped her coffee.

  “Do you have any plans today?” he asked.

  She shrugged. “I usually clean the house on Sundays.”

  “How about another ride on my bike?”

  The 1000-watt smile she gave him was enough of an answer. Still, she said, “I would love that.”

  “Good. After we get the kitchen cleaned up, we can head out.”

  “Nope.”

  “What?”

  “This is my job. You cooked, and I clean. It’s the way my mother and I did it.”

  He smiled. “Okay.”

  She rose from the table, but he grabbed her wrist. She stopped and looked down at him.

  “Thank you for last night, this morning, and today.”

  She leaned down and brushed her mouth against his. “You’re welcome.”

  Then he let her go. It might be a little caveman-like, but he liked seeing her in her kitchen. It wasn’t the activity, but the way she moved. Plus, she fit there. Well, the whole house seemed like the perfect backdrop to the sexy woman who was quickly becoming an obsession for him. She also mumbled to herself, which was damned cute.

  He sighed and rubbed his chest. The woman was getting to him. The damned Santini curse. One night. One night and he was wondering how he would sleep in his bed without her. He knew there were people who would say there was no way he could be falling this fast, this hard. But, he had at least two generations of proof that men in his family fell in love and that was it. He hadn’t ever felt this connected to a woman. And, in fact, he thought that it was odd. She wasn’t his type at all, or at least, he thought she wasn’t when he’d met her. Sure, she was happy and confident—not to mention smart—all of which were turn ons for him. But she seemed to be more of a free spirit, a woman who didn’t like conforming to anything but her own journey.

  A knock at the door brought him out of his thoughts. Her hands were in the soapy water in the farmhouse sink.

  “Hey, could you get that?” she asked.

  “Your wish is my command,” he said.

  She giggled as he rose from the chair. The knocking was louder by the time he got there, which was only about a second to two. Rude—especially on a Sunday morning.

  When he opened the door, he found Major General Sinclair standing on the stoop.

  “Santini?”

  “Sir? Can I help you?”

  “Yeah.” He scratched his head. He wasn’t in uniform, since it was Sunday morning. Instead, he had on a green polo shirt, a pair of khaki shorts, and sandals. He looked like he’d lived on the island for years, although Nando knew he had only just arrived.

  “Sir?”

  “I thought this was Sunshine Foster’s house.”

  A sinking feeling enveloped him and left his stomach hollow. Damn.

  “It is.”

  “Nando,” Sunshine said from behind him. He heard her steps approaching. “Who is it?”

  She stopped beside him. He looked at her. He knew she recognized the man on her stoop. Her smile faded, and she frowned. “What are you doing here?”

  “I thought we should have a talk,” he said to her. Then he looked at Nando.

  “But first I want to know what Santini is doing here this early in the morning at my daughter’s house?”

  Chapter Eleven

  Sunshine stared at her sperm donor and wanted to scream. It had been such a wonderful little bubble she and Nando had created; but, of course, life was never that fair to her. She really did believe that she must have been a serial killer in her past life to deal with some of the things she’d had to deal with in this life.

  “First, I don’t know how you found me.”

  “I looked you up online.”

  “And second, I don’t think you have a right to ask Nando anything. He has more right to be here than you.”

  She felt Nando’s arm brush a
gainst hers, and she relaxed a little. She knew it hadn’t been an accident. He was letting her know that he was there to support her and that everything would be okay. She was seriously starting to doubt it.

  “I wanted to talk to you.”

  She crossed her arms and tried her best not to let her feelings get the better of her.

  “And I’ve made it perfectly clear that I don’t want you around.”

  He sighed. “Is there any way I can come in so we can discuss this?”

  She opened her mouth to tell him just where to take his civility and shove it, but Nando said, “You might want to before people start wondering what is going on?”

  She looked at him and he motioned with his head. She looked around her father and found a couple of her neighbors had gathered across the street. Damn. One great thing about this area is that she knew her neighbors and could count on them. Bad thing was that they were all nosey Noras.

  “Fine, come in.”

  She stepped back and let Sinclair walk in.

  She shut the door and then waited. He looked around the kitchen, then back at them. From the irritation in his eyes, he did not like what he saw. Tough.

  “Say what you came to say.”

  “Babe, maybe we should get dressed.”

  Dammit. With a sigh, she nodded. “We’ll be right back, so don’t touch anything.”

  Her father nodded, and she stomped back to her bedroom. Nando followed her then shut the door behind him.

  “You really didn’t think to tell me that your father is Major General Sinclair?”

  She sighed and closed her eyes, pinching the bridge of her nose. Today had been so wonderful before her sperm donor showed up.

  When she opened her eyes, she found a slightly irritated Nando staring at her.

  “I never thought it would matter.”

  “Why not? He’s your father.”

  She crossed her arms. “He’s the sperm donor. He made it very clear to my mother that he wanted nothing to do with their little mistake. He had a family on the mainland and a career.”

  “Your mother told you that?”

  She shook her head and sat down on her bed with a sigh. “I found the letters after Mom was committed. They were...not nice.”