He stepped back from her and gripped one of her hands in his, intertwining their fingers as he turned and led her to the front of the house. He knew the evening would be enjoyable for her, especially since she would be with her two closest friends and would finally meet all of the men at the ranch. Before the night concluded, he fully intended on getting the kiss he knew they both desired.
* * *
Evie certainly didn’t consider herself a wanton woman. But she wouldn’t classify herself as a prude, which made the lack of a kiss from Santo incredibly frustrating. She wanted to feel the same heat and intensity she had felt Thursday night after their first date.
When he had picked her up at her apartment and lifted her into his truck, she thought a kiss inevitable. She had done everything save throw herself at him when he helped her down from the truck at the ranch to convey how much she wanted to kiss him. Maybe she had gone too long without a man and any talent she had with flirting had become rusty.
She got the feeling he wanted to kiss her, too, but for some reason, he held back. Maybe he hoped to build the anticipation between them so when they finally kissed it would be unbelievably intense. She had enough anticipation for both of them.
He glanced down at her and gave her one of his decadent smiles and squeezed her hand lightly as he opened the door to the house. Instantly the sound of multiple male voices joined by Elena’s and Anya’s greeted her ears. She even heard a man singing a Christmas song and she looked at Santo curiously.
“Buzz.” He shrugged. “He believes every day should be celebrated with Christmas songs.”
She began to laugh at the idea and wondered how she would be received. Would the other men like her? Would Anya and Elena help her navigate the tricky waters of meeting so many new faces?
They walked through a short foyer and turned the corner into a dining room and Elena’s sudden shout of delight drew everyone’s attention, putting an abrupt end to the off-key song Silver Bells. “Evie! What are you doing here?” She scrambled out of her chair where she’d been leaning against a tall cowboy and rushed to her, wrapping her in a tight hug.
Anya bolted over to her just as quickly, and as soon as Elena stepped back, Evie found herself wrapped in Anya’s arms. “I’m so excited to see you here! We’ve been talking about getting you out here forever, but we’ve been so bad about dragging our feet…”
“I’m glad you did,” Santo said with a smirk. “It allowed me to come in like the hero I am and bring you altogether out here.”
Elena rolled her eyes dramatically. “Yes, Mr. Hero, we are all very appreciative.”
Evie covered her mouth to hold in her giggle, and Santo turned his incredible hazel eyes to her. “Already laughing at me? We haven’t even been in the house for five minutes and you’re ready to forget about me and laugh at my expense with your friends?”
She lowered her hand and grinned up at him. “Absolutely.”
His eyes widened slightly before he chuckled softly. He shook his head at her, then turned his attention to all the men in the room quietly watching their interaction. “Everyone, this is Evie. She’ll be joining us for dinner tonight.”
One of the men standing in the center of the dining room took a few steps towards her and extended his hand. “I’m Stryker. I belong to Anya.”
Reluctantly, Evie released her hold on Santo’s hand and shook hands with Stryker, beaming up at him. “Any man confident enough to introduce himself as belonging to Anya gets a gold star in my book.”
Stryker gave her a lopsided grin before stepping aside so Phantom could similarly introduce himself, indicating he belonged to Elena. Slowly the other men approached her, each wanting to shake her hand and making polite, easy chatter. She didn’t know how she would remember all of their names correctly—Stryker, Phantom, Brusco, Lobo, Buzz, and finally Snap stepped away from the stove to greet her.
“Santo said we had a very special guest coming tonight and I needed to make my best meal ever. I hope you like it.” His energy and exuberance made him come across as the youngest in the group, though Evie guessed they were all fairly close in age.
“I’m certain I’ll love whatever you’ve made. This is a real treat to me.” She glanced up at Santo who still stood by her side, his hand resting on her lower back, his thumb rubbing slow circles against her through the dress. She wanted to tell him to stop because she couldn’t concentrate on anything other than how good he made her feel. Her mouth seemed to be unreceptive to the idea, though, because her lips wouldn’t move to ask him. She wondered if he even knew the kind of power he wielded over her with such a simple caress.
“Your timing couldn’t be any better,” Snap said, returning to the stove. “Dinner is just about ready.”
The aromas drifting through the room made Evie’s mouth water and her stomach growled, though she hoped not loud enough for anyone else to hear. Elena and Anya attempted to talk to her, saying how excited they were she had finally come out to the ranch, but all she could focus on were the giant men who stood in the room. She had to say something.
“Honestly, were you all created in a lab or something? You’re all tall and built like trucks. Or are you all secretly related and just left that piece of information out?”
Lobo and Brusco let out a bark of laughter, and the rest of the men chuckled softly. “We’re close enough to consider each other brothers. But no, we’re not related,” Santo answered, his chest vibrating against her arm as he replied to her and she realized she had moved closer and leaned into him.
“Nor are we genetic mutants.” Stryker grinned.
“Well, we know most of us aren’t,” Brusco said, a glint in his eye. “We’re still trying to figure out Snap.”
“Nice one, Brusco,” Snap said, turning from the stove and waving a pair of tongs around. “Just keep in mind who is cooking your food and all the many, many revolting things I can do to it without you ever even knowing.”
“I take it back. I take it back!”
Evie laughed, enjoying their banter and how they made her feel completely at ease with them so quickly. She glanced up at Santo to find him watching her closely. “You okay with all of this?” He kept his voice quiet and soft so the others in the room couldn’t hear him as they continued to tease Snap and Brusco alternately.
“For a second date, I’d say you’ve outdone yourself.”
He smiled. “Good. I needed to get creative to impress Romani royalty.”
Evie laughed and felt the heat rising in her cheeks when he didn’t take his eyes off her. “Romani, yes. Royalty, no.”
“Okay, everyone, soup’s on. Our guest goes first!”
“Thanks, Snap,” Santo said, guiding Evie towards the stove. He snagged a plate off a stack on the counter and handed it to her. “Get as much as you want. With these guys, there won’t be any seconds available if you want more later.”
Evie nearly dropped her plate when he settled his hands on her hips, guiding her forward. She swallowed hard and concentrated on the food in front of her. He lifted the lid to a warming tray and the scent of deliciously grilled steaks left her drooling. She grabbed the smallest steak and continued moving down the line of food, and her stomach rumbled in excitement as she uncovered grilled lobster tails, corn on the cob, and mashed sweet potatoes perfectly caramelized with brown sugar and butter.
Santo piled his plate high with food and guided her to the dining table as everyone else followed behind them. Her eyes widened as each man returned to the table with his plate loaded down just as full as Santo’s. Buzz had two plates, and he grinned at her as he saw her looking at his plates with curious eyes. “I’m a big guy. I need a lot of fuel.”
She had never seen a man as large as Buzz, but he struck her as a gentle giant. All of the men struck her as kind and gregarious, and, despite being surrounded by their obvious strength and power, she felt no intimidation. She watched closely as Stryker and Phantom both made sure Anya and Elena had everything they needed before tending
to themselves. Their love for the women she considered her sisters shone in everything they did.
Stryker sat after everyone else had taken their place at the table, and they held hands to say a prayer of thanks before everyone quickly dug into their food. The first bite of steak nearly melted in her mouth and she feared she had moaned out loud from the way others at the table looked at her. She enjoyed the flavors from the grill and blend of spices Snap had used on the meat, and sipped from her glass of red wine, the perfect pairing for the meal. “Snap… This is amazing. Where did you learn to cook like this?”
Snap shrugged one shoulder. “I taught myself. I’ve always enjoyed cooking. And since the rest of the guys don’t even know how to boil water, I offered to tackle the meals as long as they always clean up.”
“You make it sound as if we would starve without you.” Santo shook his head at his friend.
“As much as this might shock you, pop-tarts and frozen meals aren’t real food,” Snap retorted.
“So, you aren’t going to touch the rest of my cherry pop-tarts?” Buzz asked, his face a mask of innocence. “I’ve been forced to get extras each week because you keep depleting my supplies.”
The table broke out into laughter and a few of the men and Anya pointed at Snap, shouting “Busted!” in a sing-song voice.
Evie laughed with them and looked at Santo who grinned from ear to ear. “Are y’all always like this? I don’t see how you can get any work done. I’d fall off the horse from laughing too hard at all your conversations.”
“Oh, this is nothing. We’re behaving ourselves tonight since you’re here,” Buzz offered before Santo could reply. “If you saw us in our true form, you’d think we’re all a bunch of delinquents or should be committed for psychiatric help.”
“What makes you believe I don’t already think that?”
The men howled with amusement, and Anya and Elena were laughing so hard they had tears building in their eyes. Santo smiled at her and lightly rubbed her lower back and her breath caught in her throat. She knew he meant it as a simple caress, acknowledging his pleasure with the way she accepted his friends, but it stirred the fire she had been struggling to hold back.
She wanted him. Plain and simple, she craved his touch, his caresses, the feeling of his lips on her skin. The attraction she felt for him nearly stole her breath. Their first date had given her a glimpse of his intellect and witty humor. Coming to his home, he showed her the depth of his friendships and his desire to please her by bringing her to see Anya and Elena. The pure pleasure from his kiss haunted her, and she wanted more.
She took another drink of the red wine, hoping to calm her shaky nerves. If he asked her to spend the night with him, she doubted she’d tell him no. Just the thought of his hands on her bare flesh left her feeling light-headed.
“So, Evie, Santo told us you work for Judge O’Connor. How long have you worked for her?” Stryker asked, concentrating on cutting off another bite of steak.
Evie forced herself to ignore the icy fingers that tickled the back of her neck every time she thought of the judge and what she may be up to. “Since she was first elected into the position. I started helping her before she officially took over as judge. We’ve already been actively campaigning for her re-election this fall. I can’t believe it has already been four years.”
“So, you’re the one we get to thank for all of the flyers in the mail and the signs all over town?” Buzz teased.
“Absolutely. We’re fairly far north in the county. I’ve spent many weekends traveling south of here and putting up signs wherever the property owners allow. We’ve only got a couple of good months left for her to campaign.”
“Does she have any competition?” Snap asked.
“For a short time, yes. Jonas Franklin came out campaigning against her very hard in June. Then…well…” she glanced at Elena and saw her friend’s face had gone slightly pale. “Obviously he isn’t a contender any longer. Right now, there’s a gentleman who used to be a lawyer a few years back that has decided to run against her. He runs a ranch about forty-five minutes south of here, and he’s got an aggressive strategy.”
“I heard about him. Isn’t there rumor that he wasn’t successful as a lawyer which is why he ran back to the family ranch?” Santo asked in-between bites of sweet potatoes.
“If only that rumor took hold more aggressively. It’s true that he lost more cases than he won, but he has been able to promote his success on some high-profile cases he led. Fortunately, Judge O’Connor has a very good track record from her time as a lawyer and has made many decisions as the judge that the constituents strongly support. Ultimately, I think she’s going to win. Of course, I’m going to work as hard as possible to make it a landslide.”
“When do you have time for all of this?” Santo asked. “You’re at the courthouse until Francis leaves as it is.”
“I make time. Often on the weekends or even after work, no matter the hour. I’ve put up plenty of signs with just the aid of my flashlight to see what I’m doing.”
Santo frowned. “That’s incredibly dangerous. You could get bitten by a snake, or worse, someone could try to harm you. You shouldn’t go out there alone.”
Evie set down the corn-on-the-cobb she had been about to bite into and arched an eyebrow at him. “I’m able to take care of myself. I always carry my handgun with me when I’m out. It will stop a snake and certainly stop anyone thinking they can take advantage of me.”
“Evie’s one tough cookie,” Anya interjected. “You may look at her and think she is an easy target, but you’ll quickly learn otherwise.”
Santo watched her closely for several moments, then sighed and nodded. “I believe it. She nearly used her Taser on me the other night.”
Snap began to choke on his bite of food and Brusco whacked him on the back hard a few times. He took a quick drink of his wine and cleared his throat before eyeing Santo and Evie, mirth dancing in his watery eyes. “Seriously? I would pay to see that happen.”
Santo shot him a glare, shaking his head. “Doesn’t surprise me. You see what I have to live with, Evie?”
“A group of people who love you and would do anything for you? Yeah. You have it rough.”
Stryker let out a burst of laughter. “I like you, Evie. You’re welcome here anytime.”
Santo looked over at her with a smile lighting his eyes, though he tried to hide it from his friends. His hand caressed her lower back again. “I see how it is. Take their side. You’re just here on a date with me, that’s all.”
Elena leaned forward in her chair across from Santo. “So this is an official date? That makes this date number two, doesn’t it?” Her gaze darted back and forth between Evie and Santo.
Evie looked at Santo with a smirk on her face. “Well? Is she right?”
He shook his head at her. “Now you’re going to put me on the spot? I thought you were supposed to be extremely loyal.”
“Oh, I am. I just don’t want to be rude since Elena obviously questioned you.” She struggled to hold back her laughter. She enjoyed seeing him on the spot.
He didn’t take his gaze off her as he answered. “Yes. This is definitely date number two.”
“Good. Dates number three and four and forever not far off?” Anya piped in.
“Anya!” Evie blushed furiously. “Are you serious?”
Santo chuckled. “It’s fun being put on the spot, huh?”
Evie bit her lower lip and nodded at him, fighting the giggles threatening to spill out. “A real delight.”
“You’re a terrible liar, you know that?” He smiled and winked at her. They both burst out into laughter at the same time and looked back at the rest of the group, who all watched them with knowing smiles. Santo and Evie shook their heads at them and glanced sideways at each other, but said nothing more.
The evening passed far too quickly, with plenty of laughter and banter, and Evie felt as if she had found seven new friends—though she hoped Santo mig
ht become more than just a friend if everything played outright. When people began to slowly peel off and head for bed, her heart beat faster, wondering whether Santo would ask if she wanted to spend the night.
After Stryker and Anya said goodbye, Santo stood and extended a hand to Evie. “Ready to head home?”
Her heart sank slightly, but she forced a smile to her face. “Yes. I hadn’t realized how late it is.”
They headed out to his truck and he helped her in the same way he did at the beginning of the night, but she didn’t respond to his embrace. She wondered if he had any real desire for her, or if she had only hoped for it, and imagined things that didn’t exist. Perhaps his touch all along had been purely friendly.
The idea she had been reading into things between them made her feel sick to her stomach. Had he felt anything when he kissed her the other night? Why had he asked her on a second date if he wasn’t interested?
“I enjoyed having everyone meet you tonight, but I have to admit I wanted you all to myself most of the time.”
His words pulled her out of her frustrated thoughts and she realized they were back on the highway to town. “You—what?”
He chuckled and held out his hand over the console and she hesitantly slid her hand into his. “It’s hard to share you. I wanted your laugh to be just for me. I wanted to be the only one receiving your smile. But I knew you would enjoy meeting the group and seeing Anya and Elena in their new home. After you told me you’d been wanting to go out there, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to impress you.”
Elena stared at him, hoping he meant everything he said. “I enjoyed it. You made a good choice. But I wanted to be alone with you, too.”
Protected in His Arms: Elite Texas SEALs Page 7
