“I felt I needed their permission to ask you to marry me. I think Anthony already had an idea.”
“Marry you?” she asked, her voice a little stronger.
“Yeah,” he said, entwining his fingers with hers.
“Why would you need to talk to them?”
This was the hard part, because whenever he spoke of his connection to Anthony and her father…it was just difficult to express.
“My father is a bastard. You know that. Everyone knows that.”
She was blessedly silent for once and just nodded.
“Your father took me in as one of his own sons and treated me like part of the family. Your mother thinks of me as her son in a way. Before meeting them, I was never accepted for just being me. All of you gave me that.”
“She tells people she has six sons and one daughter.”
He smiled. “I had a bit of a crush on her when I first met her.”
She laughed. “Figures. I get my mom’s cast offs.”
He cupped her face. “I had to show them all respect. I needed them to know that I love you more than life, and where ever you go, I go.”
She didn’t say anything for a moment, then she shook her head. “I can’t expect you to give up your career.”
“We’ll figure it out. I just wanted them to know how much I respected you, and how proud I would be to be your husband. I want you flying in that uniform, because I know it is part of you. I love that part, along with the one that seems to think she needs fifteen little doodads on her keychain.”
“Yeah?” she asked.
He nodded. “Plus, like I told you. You are pretty damned hot in your uniform. But I need to ask your father’s permission first.”
Then she motioned with her head behind him. “You can tell them now.”
He looked over his shoulder and realized her parents were standing there. Her mother was dabbing at her eyes with a tissue, and her father was smiling.
“Sorry,” Tony said. “We’ll let you two have a moment alone.”
He ushered his wife out and shut the door.
JT closed his eyes and turned around to Elena. Of all of the asinine...when he opened them, he found her smiling at him.
“I can’t believe I screwed that up.”
“How did you screw it up? They looked pretty happy to me.”
“Your mother was crying.”
“Happy tears. You know Mom. If she gets sad, she gets pissed.”
He sighed because that much was true.
She said nothing else, but she kept smiling at him.
“What?”
“When do I get this amazing proposal?”
“I need to get a ring.”
“You need a ring? You were going to propose to me without a ring? That’s kind of tacky,” she said in an overly prissy voice.
“I take it back. I am not going to propose, we’ll just get married.”
Elena smiled. “I have to say, you do know how to make a Santini woman happy.”
He shook his head. “You’re crazy. All of you.”
She pulled him closer. “Yeah, and you’re one of us. Plus, you just said you wanted to marry me, so our blood will be mingled with our children.”
He brushed his mouth over hers but said nothing.
“Please tell me you want to have kids,” she said.
“Oh, yeah,” he said as he leaned her back. “I think we can definitely have as many kids as you want.”
He brushed his mouth over hers again. He needed this connection, to know that she was okay.
“Please, don’t ever do that again,” he said.
“What?”
“Be in danger.”
She laughed. “Oh, babe, you’re in so much trouble. You’re marrying a Marine.”
With that announcement, she pulled his head back down. He was seriously thinking about stripping her clothes off her when there was pounding at the door.
“I might say I am okay with this, but it doesn’t mean I don’t expect you two to behave while I’m here,” her father said from the other side of the door.
She made that rude sound he loved so much. “I am going to kill him. In fact, I might kill him, then use his body to kill Anthony.”
JT chuckled and set his forehead against hers. “I love you, Elena.”
“I love you, too.”
He kissed her and was losing himself again when her father knocked on the door again.
“I’m really not kidding.”
“They don’t listen at all,” Anthony said loud enough for them to hear.
“Oh, Anthony, don’t be a tattletale. No one likes those,” Mrs. Santini said.
“They’re discussing us as if we aren’t here,” he said, shaking his head.
“It will only get worse but you’re stuck now.”
“More than happy to be stuck with you,” he said as he bent his head to kiss her again. He ignored the rather loud argument her family was having on the other side of the door and went about celebrating his engagement.
THE END
If you enjoyed this book, please think about leaving a review online to help people discover The Santinis!
ABOUT Melissa Schroeder
From an early age, USA Today Bestselling author Melissa Schroeder loved to read. First, it was the books her mother read to her including her two favorites, Winnie the Pooh and the Beatrix Potter books. She cut her preteen teeth on Trixie Belden and read and reviewed To Kill a Mockingbird in middle school. It wasn’t until she was in college that she tried to write her first stories, which were full of angst and pain, and really not that fun to read or write. After trying several different genres, she found romance in a Linda Howard book.
Since the publication of her first book in 2004, Melissa has had close to fifty romances published. She writes in genres from historical suspense to modern day erotic romance to futuristics and paranormals. Included in those releases is the bestselling Harmless series. In 2011, Melissa branched out into self-publishing with A Little Harmless Submission and the popular military spinoff, Infatuation: A Little Harmless Military Romance. Along the way she has garnered an epic nomination, a multitude of reviewer’s recommended reads, over five Capa nods from TRS, three nominations for AAD Bookies and regularly tops the bestseller lists on Amazon and Barnes & Noble. She made the USA Today Bestseller list for the first time with her anthology The Santinis.
Since she was a military brat, she vowed never to marry military. Alas, fate always has her way with mortals. Her husband just retired from the AF after 20 years, and together they have their own military brats, two girls, and two adopted dog daughters, and is happy she picks where they live now.
You can keep up with Mel all over the web:
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Coming Winter of 2015, find out what happens with Brando!
ONE NIGHT WITH A SANTINI
He was searching for something that was missing from his life.
Brando Santini is headed to New Orleans to blow off some steam with a few of his buddies. The respite from his life as a Marine doesn’t really seem to do the trick until he runs into his college crush, Kaitlin Fitzpatrick. After a little dancing and a few drinks, they end up in bed together and Brando knows she’s the one for him.
One night will never be enough.
Kaitlin never forgot Brando. She never would have thought the sexy nerd would have remembered her. More than that, she definitely didn’t expect he would be interested in seducing her. Their time in New Orleans is intense but much too short. The memories of his lovemaking leave her counting the days until she sees him again.
A complication neither of them expected.
By the time Brando arrives in Maryland, Kai
tlin suspects that their one night together has left them with more than memories. When Brando insists on marriage, she refuses on the grounds he doesn’t love her. But what Kaitlin doesn’t understand is that when a Santini wants to prove his love, nothing will stand in his way—not her five brothers, his own annoying family, or even the woman he adores.
Don’t miss Elena’s twin, Dante, in A Santini in Love, now available everywhere!
She was the last woman standing.
Madison Baker was born and bred to be a Marine. When a roadside bomb ends her first deployment—not to mention her career—she is left to pick up the pieces of what is left of her life. She’s returned to Oceanside to regroup and move on. It doesn’t mean she’s ready for a relationship, even if a particular Santini has different plans.
Love happens when you least expect it.
When he first met Madison back at the Academy, Dante Santini is sure the woman was put on the earth to irritate him. She’s prickly and mouthy. She always thinks she’s right. Worse—she almost always is. She hasn’t really changed over the years. One disagreement ends up with them lip locked and very nearly falling into bed, Dante discovers he might need to rethink his first impression.
When Madison is convinced she witnesses a murder, the only person who believes her is Dante. Together, they sift through the meager evidence, trying to unearth the secrets someone is trying to hide. Neither one of them expecting it would draw them closer—or that a killer is hell bent on making sure those secrets stay buried.
* * * *
Dante enjoyed having the fresh night air whip through Madison’s jeep. Charlie was laying in the back seat, relatively quiet.
“I don’t know if letting your sister run off with JT was a good idea,” she said, pulling into his driveway.
“Aw, he’s like a brother to her. He’ll make sure she gets home okay. Besides, if anyone tried anything on her, even a little tipsy, she would be able to kick their ass.”
“Hmm,” was all she said.
“Thanks for the ride home, Mad Madison.”
“I already said that.” Then she chuckled. “I can’t believe that girl calls me that still.”
She was smiling and it was like that first day he met her. She was his sister’s roommate and she’d been so cute…and sexy. So fucking sexy.
“What?” she asked.
“It’s just…”
Before she could stop him, he leaned forward and brushed his mouth over hers. She stilled. He pulled back and licked his lips.
“What did you do that for?”
“I’ve been wondering what it would be like since the first time I saw you.”
“You have not.”
He closed his eyes and pictured her that day. “You had your hair up in a ponytail, all sassy and curly. You were wearing an old high school t-shirt, black and gold, and a pair of worn jeans that hugged your hips.”
He opened his eyes. She looked stunned. “Oh, hell, I left Madison Baker speechless.”
He leaned in again and deepened the kiss this time. Raising his hand, he cupped her face and slid his tongue against the seam of her lips. She hesitated then opened her mouth. He dove inside, enjoying the warm, wet comfort of her mouth. She moaned, the sound of it vibrating against his tongue and through his body. Hell, he felt it in his soul. He leaned closer still, pressing his body against hers. He was seriously thinking of inviting her into his house when she leaned against the horn. The blaring sound was like cold water. They both pulled back.
He opened his eyes slowly. She raised her hand to her lips and brushed them against it.
“I think we might need to explore this new development,” he said.
She was shaking her head. “I don’t think that’s a good idea, Dante. I have issues.”
He snorted. “That sounds like an excuse.”
“It is.”
“Let’s just say that you like to kiss me. I like to kiss you and maybe we need to explore this whole new thing between us.”
“No.”
He leaned in and stole another kiss. “Yeah, I think so, but I’ll let you sleep on it.”
He slipped out of the car before she could argue with him. He made it up his walk easily, but when he tried to unlock the door, he dropped the keys on the stoop. It wasn’t because he was drunk. His hands were still shaking from that kiss.
You met MJ’s brothers in The Santinis, now, get to know them in their own spinoff novella series: Semper Fi Marines!
Tease Me- Book 1
A man who thinks he has what he wants.
Bran Johnson always knew he wanted to be a Marine. What makes it even better is longtime gal pal TK is now stationed at the same base. Unfortunately, Bran is having a hard time dealing with his feelings when he realizes that TK is considered a hot commodity on base. Worse, he finds himself taking a backseat to her admirers.
A woman who always wished for more.
Tess Keller has loved Bran since they were in high school. The former football captain always treated her like a friend so she tried to move on. Unfortunately, he's in her business constantly now. One passionate argument leads to more than either of them expected. Tess knows it isn't going to last because Bran is never going to settle down. So, to save face, she suggests they stay friends, only with the side benefit of being sometime lovers.
A Marine determined to win at all costs.
Bran agrees to the friends with benefits idea just to keep himself close to Tess. She might think he's not around for the long haul, but this is one Johnson brother who knows exactly what he wants...and just how to get it. And what he wants is Tess in his bed and in his life forever. Nothing will stop him, not even Tess herself.
Tempt Me- Book 2
The man who could be general.
Jesse Johnson is a man everyone assumes will be a general. Everyone, that is, but Jesse himself. He isn’t sure if he wants to give that much to the military. His father has spent most of his life surviving a lonely existence with only his work for comfort. Jesse doesn’t want that—he wants it all.
The woman who tempts him to misbehave.
The last year has been bad for Zoe Jones. Her boyfriend was killed by some nasty guys who then put her in the hospital. She’s come to Virginia to heal not to fall for some by the book, drop dead gorgeous Marine with a chip on his shoulder. But one little encounter leads to a kiss and that kiss leads to all kinds of interesting entanglements. She knows it won’t last because he has big plans, but she can’t help but falling a little in love with him.
A Marine on a mission.
Jesse knows Zoe thinks they’re just having a bit of fun, but he has other plans. Forever kind of plans. He’s one man who knows how to organize a full on assault to get the woman he loves—and nothing will stop him.
Touch Me – Book 3
A man trying to forget.
Jackson Johnson had always planned to spend his life in the Marines serving his country—that is until he came back from a mission with memories he’d rather not have. He feels like he’s circling the drain until he meets the new tenant next door. An altercation with her unruly dog has them at odds. That is until he finds himself kissing her.
A woman who doesn’t have time for love.
Veterinarian Hannah Richmond doesn’t have time for the surly Marine or any man for that matter. Still, resisting his kisses proves futile and soon she finds herself falling for Jack. For the first time in a really long time she discovers she might just want to try for that happily ever after—that is until her past comes back to haunt her.
A Marine determined to prove his love.
Jack knows Hannah is pushing him away because she wants to keep him safe but there is one thing she needs to understand: this Marine will never retreat until she surrenders.
Enjoy this excerpt from
Tease Me !
Later that night, Bran frowned when his phone played Beethoven’s Fifth, alerting him that MJ was calling. He felt oddly deflated that Tess hadn’t called, but
he knew she was busy.
“Hello, MJ.”
“Hello, yourself. How’s the house hunt?” she asked in typical MJ fashion. His father liked to say that MJ was born talking, and that wasn’t far from the truth. She was always half way through a conversation before Bran knew they were having one.
He didn’t know how to answer the question. Now that MJ and Tess started talking back and forth on the phone, he wasn’t sure how to proceed. Part of him knew he needed a place, and the house down the street would be perfect. But there was a bigger part of him that didn’t want to leave Tess’ house.
“Okay, still looking.”
A beat of silence. And that was a bad thing with MJ. “You know you can’t mooch off Tess forever. And besides, she has a personal life.”
“I know that.” Then he realized what she said. “Wait, has she talked to you about that?”
“What, that you’re a mooch? Not in detail.”
“Her personal life. Has she complained to you?”
“Nope.”
Then nothing. She just let the silence stretch. She might have been the youngest Johnson, but MJ knew just how to control all of them. And one way was with silence. Even knowing that, he took the bait.
“What do you mean by personal life?”
“Listen, I talked to Jesse, who told me she is gorgeous. Of course, I always knew she would be. She was just one of those girls who needed to grow into her looks. Now, with you there, you could be cramping her style.”
“Cramping her style?”
“Yeah. I mean, if I were her and working on a base with a ton of military men, I know I would probably be busy. Okay, if I hadn’t sworn off military men like I had.”
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