Conquering Love (The Santorno Stories)

by Sandrine Gasq-Dion

  “I’m okay with that,” Colin moaned. “I can’t even think when you do things like that to me.”

  “I’m okay with that.” Nikolai chuckled.

  The kids all met up at the bowling alley and secured the lanes, waiting for the rest of them to show. Stefan and Nico went to the snack counter to get their drinks and food. Phoebe stood with Tanner watching them walk.

  “God what a nice ass.” They both said it at the same time and busted out laughing.

  “So, you and Nico?” Phoebe arched an eyebrow at Tanner.

  “No, we are going to wait a bit. You and Stefan?”

  Phoebe looked at Tanner and knew she could trust him. “We made love in Paris, right after Colin was released from the hospital.”

  Tanner’s jaw dropped. “You did?”

  “Yes, at the Santorno/Greystone benefit. It was one night and I screwed that up, too.” Phoebe sighed.

  “He’s so in love with you, Phoebs. He always was. He obviously forgave you.” Tanner looked toward the snack counter. “Oh, great. Skank is here.”

  Phoebe was indignant. “What the hell is Jaime doing in town? Did she hear Stefan was going to be here and ran to rub herself against him?”

  “Ugh, Britt’s here, too.” Tanner looked around for Damon. “Why do I have a bad feeling about this?”

  “It’s okay, Tanner,” Phoebe promised. “I’m way past that now and Lily knows Damon is in love with her.”

  Jaime licked her lips. Nico and Stefan were alone at the snack counter and she sashayed over, smiling. “Well, the Youngblood boys are back in town.”

  “Not interested, Jaime,” Stefan said very clearly and looked away.

  “How about you, Nico?” Jaime ran her hand over his ass.

  “I have a boyfriend,” Nico said very sweetly, smiling wide.

  “No shit? Gay? Wow. I mean I kind of suspected.” Jaime smiled. “Who’s the lucky guy?”

  “I am.” Tanner stood behind her, his smile not what you would call friendly.

  “No shit? Wow, this is just getting better and better.” Jaime pursed her lips and licked the lower one. “Poor Stefan. Phoebe still hasn’t forgive you for that kiss, huh? How many years has it been now?”

  She slid against him, rubbing her tits on his arm. Stefan moved further away and gave her a look that would wither most people. “It’s never going to happen, Jaime. I’m with Phoebe, as in she is my girlfriend.” Stefan enjoyed her look of amazement.

  Jaime looked at him. “You’re lying.”

  “No. He’s not.” Phoebe shoved the other woman aside and leaned in to kiss Stefan quite thoroughly. He picked her up and she wrapped her legs around his waist.

  “Bathroom. Now.” Phoebe kissed him again.

  Jaime watched Stefan taking Phoebe into the bathroom and she looked dumbfounded at Tanner and Nico.

  “Well, shit.”

  “Damon Youngblood.” High school skank No. 2 stroked her fingers down Damon’s chest the second she saw him arrive.

  “You are one fine specimen,” Britt purred as she pressed against him.

  Damon backed away from her touch and gave her a firm look. “I’m taken, Britt. Plus, I’d rather not have to get a prescription for penicillin right now.”

  She ignored the blatant insult. “Oh yeah? Where is she, then? I would never leave you alone.”

  “Damon!” Lily smiled and brushed past Britt. She grabbed him by the back of the neck and crushed their lips together. Damon palmed her ass and Lily moaned into his mouth.

  “Lily.” Damon said softly as he bit her lip softly.

  “Car. Right now.” Lily dragged him by the hand outside. They made it to Damon’s car and Lily crawled into the backseat.

  Damon followed her in and shut the door, loving her flushed face and excitement. She took his hand and put it in her pants and then slid hers directly into his pants and pulling them down. She gripped him and stroked.

  “Oh my God, Lily.” Damon rubbed the front of her panties.

  “Kiss me.” Lily pulled him down and Damon took her mouth.

  It was so damned hot in the car Damon thought he would pass out. Lily was stroking him faster and he knew he was going to come.

  “Lily, shit! I’m coming.”

  The next thing he knew, her lips were on him and the shock of it increased the intensity of his orgasm. He cried out loud as Lily sucked him harder as he came. She took it all and licked him slowly, taking the head in and running her tongue around before finally giving his slit a quick swipe and pulling his pants up. Damon was stunned. Her face was flushed and she was breathing hard.

  “Lily, oh my God.” Damon was still trying to form words.

  “It was my first time, if you’re wondering.” Lily blushed. “I could use a drink now, though.’

  “Why did you do it?” Damon tried to shake his head clear.

  “I guess I’m still insecure. I mean, when I saw Britt,” Lily closed her eyes as her voice trailed off.

  Damon’s eyes softened.

  “Look at me.”

  Lily opened her eyes.

  “I’m in love with you, Lily. I only want you. That will never change. Please don’t think you have to do more than you’re ready for to keep me. I’m not going anywhere.”

  “I love you too, Damon.”

  “You’re the only one I have ever wanted.” Damon kissed her sweetly. “Now, about that drink.”

  Stefan didn’t know whether to push her up against the wall or sit on the damn toilet. Phoebe was all over him and he finally decided to keep her up against the wall. Phoebe’s hands were in his hair and she was kissing him hungrily.

  “Phoebe.”

  “I want you, Stefan, so much.” Phoebe pulled her shirt off and pushed Stefan’s face in between her breasts.

  “Wait.” Stefan pulled away and caught his breath. “Not in here.”

  “Don’t you want me?”

  Stefan eased her down and looked into her face. “Stop this.”

  “What?”

  “I’m in love with you, Phoebe. I always have been. Nothing will ever change that.”

  Phoebe looked in his eyes and began to cry. “God, I am so sorry! I’m acting like a slut!”

  Stefan held her tight. “No. You are not, hear me? There’s nothing to be sorry for. I don’t know one guy who wouldn’t love to have his girlfriend push him into a bathroom and ravage him,” Stefan chuckled. “But I promised you romantic, and romantic you shall have.”

  “Stefan.” Phoebe sniffled, smiled, and kissed him. “I love you.”

  “I love you, Phoebe. I always will.”

  Stefan peeked out the stall and took Phoebe’s hand, leading her to the bathroom door. Phoebe stopped suddenly and held onto the bathroom sink. The room was spinning and she felt as though she might throw up. She closed her eyes and waited for it to pass.

  “What is it?” Stefan looked at her face.

  “Just got dizzy, that’s all.” Phoebe smiled. “Come on.”

  Katiana had gone to the bathroom and was washing her hands when strong arms wrapped around her.

  “You’re not supposed to be in here.” Kat looked down and realized they weren’t Landon’s hands.

  “But baby, I missed you.” Joe smiled and kissed her neck.

  Katiana shoved back against him, hard. “What are you doing in here?”

  “Came to say hello.” Joe moved closer. “I missed you.”

  Katiana looked at the door and Joe stepped in front of her.

  “Get out of my way.”

  “Or what?” Joe grabbed her and Kat screamed loudly.

  Landon and Joshua turned around and traded worried looks.

  “Kat.”

  Landon cleared the benches and ran, with Joshua right on his heels. Katarina was looking for the rest of the guys.

  “Hunter!”

  Joe had Katiana pressed against the wall and was running his hand over her breasts.

  “Baby.”

  “Get off of me!” Katian
a kneed him and ran, only to have him grab her hair and yank her backward.

  “You bitch!” Joe punched her and she went down. Joe crawled on top of her.

  “What the fuck!” Landon flew in, grabbed Joe off of Katiana and threw him into the wall.

  Katarina was checking on Katiana, and Landon had Joe against the wall, strangling him. He tightened his hand around his neck until Joe was gasping for air.

  “Landon, stop it! Joshua, stop him!” Katarina screamed.

  By now, all of them were in the bathroom and it took four of the guys to pull Landon from Joe.

  He looked at all of them and snarled, “This shit isn’t over, Reynolds!”

  “Next time, I’ll let him finish,” Stefan growled.

  Katiana was crying and there was blood seeping from her lip. Katarina and Phoebe were holding paper towels against it. The police arrived a few minutes later and Nico looked at them and drawled, “Nice of you to finally show up.”

  “Don’t even think about taking matters into your own hands,” they warned the kids.

  “Now, why would we do that?” Stefan smiled wide. “Do something about it and we won’t have to handle it ourselves. And trust me, my uncle Dante will hunt this guy down and kill him unless you put the dude in jail tonight. For the record, you just let him get away.”

  “Joe Weiss did this?” The cop gently lifted Katiana’s chin.

  “Yes.” Katiana was still shaken. She looked uncertainly at the guys. “He shoved me around, punched me, and put his hands… on my body.”

  “Put out an APB on Joe Weiss. Lock him up for assault.”

  An enraged Landon narrowed his eyes at the cops. “You’d better hold him for a while; he’s safer there.”

  “Landon.” Katiana put her hand on his arm.

  “Oh, God.” Landon picked her up and held her. “I’m so sorry I didn’t get here faster.”

  Nikolai arrived in a rage and it took all of them to hold him back. “Joe Weiss hit my sister? Where the fuck is the sonofabitch!”

  “Get him out of here!” Colin shouted. The longer Nik got a view of his sister bleeding, the worse it was going to get.

  Outside the restroom, Katarina was calling her fathers when she felt a hand on her ass. She whirled around to find her ex, Brody, leering at her.

  “Don’t touch me.” She noticed he was smiling. “You knew, didn’t you?”

  “Who do you think helped him?” Brody bragged.

  “Why? Why would you do that? Kat never did anything to you.”

  “No, but you did, didn’t you? This whole time you were in love with Joshua Reynolds. You used me, Kat. I won’t forget it.”

  “Get the fuck away from her.” Joshua stood in front of Katarina. “Don’t test me, Brody. I’ll kill you.”

  “Later.” Brody smiled and sauntered off.

  Joshua turned around to see Katarina visibly shaken. He took her in his arms and held her tight. “I won’t let anything happen to you, Kat.” Joshua kissed her forehead.

  “I know.” Katarina palmed his face.

  “I think it’s safe to assume bowling night is cancelled?” Jensen looked at the group.

  “Let’s head to Grandpa’s.” Hunter advised the group.

  Dante had to be restrained when Katiana and the others got to the grandparents’ house. In the end, Kyle took him outside to calm him down. Jordan looked at his granddaughter’s face and applied ice to it.

  Landon went outside and found Dante beating the shit out of a tree as Kyle tried to calm him down.

  “You want an axe?”

  “I want him dead! How dare he put his hands on my daughter!”

  “I almost killed him.” Landon looked at his uncle, still shaken.

  “You should have finished the job.” Dante’s hands were shaking with rage. He knew it was about to overtake him.

  “No, you shouldn’t have, Landon. Dante.” Kyle tried to get his husband’s attention.

  “I wanted to kill him, believe me,” Landon told them.

  Kyle hugged Landon. “I know, thank you.”

  “Yeah, um, also we need to keep an eye on Nikolai. I believe he will kill him.” Nikolai and Katiana were carried by the same surrogate and took their sibling status seriously.

  “I’ll talk to Vince and Andrei.” Kyle ran a hand through his hair. “Do people not know about us?”

  “I think they always assume it’s a rumor,” Landon laughed wanly.

  Kyle chuckled. “They’d be wrong.”

  “I want you with her twenty-four/seven Landon,” Dante instructed.

  “Done.”

  Katarina was on the back deck when she felt Josh’s arms come around her. She leaned into him, he kissed her neck softly and Kat turned her face and caught his lips. Josh caressed her face and kissed her pulling her around into his arms. “Josh.” Kat moaned.

  “You are so beautiful.” Josh caressed her face kissing her softly.

  “I want to be closer to you tonight.” Kat palmed his face.

  “How close we talkin’?” Josh cocked an eyebrow.

  “Not that close.” Kat giggled.

  “Oh okay good, you scared me for a second.” Josh smiled.

  “I’m still a virgin.”

  “Well, so am I.” Josh blushed.

  “I want you to be the one I make love to.” Katarina caressed his face kissing him softly.

  “I want to make love to you somewhere besides here.” Josh chuckled.

  “Me too.”

  Landon sat with Kat in his lap. She had fallen asleep and he was tracing his fingertip over her split lip. Dante crouched in front of him and smiled. “Why don’t you take her to the bedroom?”

  “I like the sound of this already,” Kyle chuckled.

  “Kyle!” Dante glared at him.

  “You’re no fun.” Kyle pouted.

  Landon stood up with Kat in his arms and looked at his uncle. “You can trust me with her.”

  “I can trust you, period, Landon.” Dante hugged him. “She loves you.”

  “I love her.” Landon looked in her face.

  “Awww.” Kyle hugged Dante. “That is so sweet. By the by, my grandfather biological clock is tick-tick-ticking.”

  “Yeah. Glad Kat didn’t hear that. Goodnight, Uncle Kyle.” Landon rolled his eyes.

  “Night.” Kyle winked.

  “I would say something but it’s inappropriate right now.” Christophe smiled. They all turned and looked at with their mouths hanging wide open.

  “What?” he asked innocently.

  “There is an inappropriate time for you?” Mark looked as though he was in shock.

  “Oh, stop it.” Chris smiled.

  “I love you, Christophe.” Dimitri hugged him.

  “Can ya show me?”

  “Aaand he’s back.” Jason sighed.

  Greg studied Jay. “What is it?”

  “He’s just like me babe, his temper.” Jay sighed.

  “Hey, they stopped him tonight, and we will talk to him, okay?” Greg hugged him tight.

  “I love you, Greg.” Jay kissed his neck.

  “I love you, munchkin.” Greg winked.

  Kyle took Vince aside. “Nikolai’s going to want revenge, Vince.”

  Vince watched his son with Colin, studying the rage just under the surface.

  “I’ll talk to him.”

  Jensen motioned Joshua over and he and other guys huddled in the corner. “Something’s up and I don’t like it.” Jensen looked around. “Did you guys notice Aidan was at the bowling alley, too?”

  “No.” Nico looked shocked.

  “He was there, way in the back. Watching Tanner.” Jensen’s expression was serious.

  “I thought he left town?” Nikolai looked at Nico.

  “Obviously, he’s back.” Hunter glanced at Jensen.

  “I think they’re all working together now and that includes Jaime and Britt.” Stefan looked over the girls, puzzled. “But why?”

  “We should get more i
nfo.” Nico smiled.

  “Reconnaissance?” Colin smiled wide.

  “Yep.”

  Landon was caressing Katiana’s face. He knew he had lost it tonight and if they hadn’t stopped him, he would have killed Joe. He ran his fingertip over her lips.

  “Landon?” Katiana opened her eyes.

  “Yes. Shhh, go back to sleep, baby,” Landon whispered.

  Katiana palmed his face. “Are you okay?”

  “I’m not the one who got punched. How does it feel?”

  “Like my lip is ten sizes too big.” Katiana smiled and then grimaced. “I must look awful.”

  “You look beautiful.” Landon barely brushed her lips with his.

  His rage returned as he looked again at her split lip. “What kind of guy hits a woman?”

  “I never knew he was like that.” Katiana shook her head.

  “I’ll never let anyone hurt you again.”

  “I love you, Landon,” Kat whispered.

  “I love you.” Landon kissed her again and pulled her into his arms.

  “Night.”

  “Night, Kat.”

  chapter ten

  Tomas Russo jogged along the path, thinking about having woken up in bed with Leo Scofield— in the house that Leo had shared with Theo Mitchell. He was actually okay with it. His relationship with Leo had progressed and even though they hadn’t said the L-word, Tomas knew he was in love. They had been taking things slow, which was partly due to their hectic work schedule. Whenever they did find time together, it was precious.

  He smiled when he saw Theo running toward him. They stopped in the middle of the path.

  “Morning,” Tomas slightly panted.

  “Have a sleepover did we?” Theo waggled his brows.

  “Yes. We made s’mores and played Truth or Dare.” Tomas cracked up.

  “Awesome!” Theo laughed.

  They ran together toward the community center and Tomas stripped off his shirt and jumped into the pool. Theo followed and they started doing laps. Theo came up and watched Tomas cross the pool.

  “When are you going to tell him you’re in love with him?”

  “What?” Tomas banged right into the wall. “Ow.”