The Santinis: Leonardo, Book 1

by Melissa Schroeder

  “Please tell me you don’t have sisters.”

  “Nope just the three brothers like I said. My mother said she would never be so mean to a girl and do that.”

  “Yeah, well, it worked because like I said, I was a tomboy.”

  “You told me that the other night but I find it almost impossible to believe,” he said in mock disbelief.

  “No, really. I can even take down a two hundred pound Army dude.”

  He laughed and she tried to ignore the way his eyes sparkled at her. She was a sucker for a man with a sense of humor. “You didn’t take me down. You caught me off guard.”

  “That’s what they all say.”

  The waitress returned with their entrees. “Another margarita?”

  She shook her head. “Nope. I’ll stick to water.”

  Leo ordered water also. It was another thing she liked about him and about his brother. They had a couple of glasses of wine the other night, but they both watched their drinking.

  “So, you picked San Antonio, why?”

  She shrugged as she chewed her first bite. “I went to UTSA and Grannie was already here at the Air Force Village. I wanted to work at a military hospital. The only other place with so many opportunities was DC and that’s where Dad is, and Brett, my oldest brother. He’s at the Pentagon, too. So, while I don’t mind my Grannie checking up on me, I do mind them. They never understood why I needed space.”

  He nodded and she did sense he understood.

  “I have kind of a personal question and I don’t want you to be offended,” she said.

  “Okay, but I think I can answer the question.”

  “You do?”

  “Yes. And the answer is no, I don’t have a problem with you using me as a sexual object.”

  He said it with such a deadpan expression, she couldn’t stop the tickle in her throat bubbling up into giggles.

  “No,” she said, still chuckling. “Although I do appreciate your sacrifice. What I wanted to know is that you said your father is an officer, and I know Vince is if he’s teaching at Quantico, so why didn’t you go the college route?”

  He cocked his head and studied her for a few seconds, then said, “I wanted to be a medic from the time I was a freshman in high school.”

  It was another thing that both of them understood. “And you chose the Army because…”

  “I wanted to be on the front lines. Other services can get there, but Army has a better chance. Plus, it kept me out of Dad’s realm. When I went in, he was still active, and I just didn’t want to deal with that.”

  She nodded. “I don’t know how my brothers handle that with my father, but they’re freaks.”

  When he didn’t respond, she looked up at him. He was staring at her with the strangest look on his face.

  “What?” she asked looking down at her chest to see if she dropped food on herself, then glanced back at him.

  “Nothing, just it’s nice to see that you’re so close to them. We’re the same way. People on the outside, they don’t understand.”

  On the outside. Yeah, that was a good way of putting it. Military life for kids could be bad, wonderful and everything in between. Sometimes, the only friend you had was a sibling, and you had to count on each other more than other families, especially in this fast paced world.

  She nodded. “We were close. Maybe it was losing Mom when we were all so young, but I know part of it is the brat thing.”

  Her mind wandered back to Jack and whatever news he had been saving for her. Leo touched her hand and she looked up at him.

  “I’m sorry I made you sad.”

  “Not sad, worried about Jack, but that’s okay. It will all work out in the end.”

  He nodded. “So, how about I tell you horrible stories about my brothers to make me look good.”

  And just like that, she couldn’t help but smile. “Sounds like a plan, Santini.”

  * * * *

  By the time they reached their apartment complex, Leo was ready to scream he was so damned hot. She hadn’t flirted, hadn’t even tried to. She had been herself, and that was more of an aphrodisiac than anything else. It was the first time in a long time that he had been this attracted to a woman just based on their interaction.

  Okay, that sounded bad in his head. More than bad. If his mother could read his thoughts… Whoa, no reason to go down that road. He didn’t have time for therapy right now.

  After parking the truck, he looked over at Maryanne. “So?”

  She glanced at him. “I had a good time, but I’m not sure we should keep going out. First dates can never tell you everything, and it could be an anomaly. Like some kind of freak accident.”

  “A freak accident is like you hitting me.”

  She snorted. “No, I meant to do that.”

  He chuckled. “Okay, why don’t we test my theory? You still think we should remain platonic, then I’ll agree.”

  She frowned. “What theory?”

  He undid his seatbelt, then hers.

  “Leo.”

  He knew she was warning him, but her voice came out all breathy. The sound of that sweet southern voice slipped beneath his skin. He cupped her face as he leaned closer. She licked her lips and he groaned as he pressed his mouth against hers.

  Just like before, she tasted of heaven and sin wrapped in a bundle of need. He slanted his mouth over hers and deepened the kiss, slipping his tongue inside. Sweet and tart, just like the woman. Damn, he could just imagine how her flesh tasted, not to mention other more intriguing places.

  His heart beat against his chest, and his cock hardened. Just like the other night he found himself lost in her. Everything around him dissolved into the background as she slipped her hands to his shoulders. He slid his hands down to her waist and pulled her closer. The heat of her body, the taste of her and the sweet scent made for a heady experience. He was contemplating leaning her back against the seat when there was a loud knock on her side of the truck. He ignored it at first, but the knocking got louder. He tore his mouth away from hers and glared at the intrusion. Her brother Jack was giving them both a death stare. Maryanne didn’t make it any easier. She slid her hands to the back of his head and tried to pull him down for another kiss.

  “Uh, Maryanne, your brother.”

  Her eyes opened slightly. “What?”

  Oh, god, he wanted her. Wanted her like he wanted to breathe, but with her brother standing there looking ready to lob off various appendages, he was pretty sure that it would be a no go tonight.

  “Your brother is staring at us.”

  Her eyes widened as she tipped her head back and looked. The sound that emitted from her was primal and downright scary.

  “I’m going to kill him. Dead. First, I will make him cry and then I will kill him.”

  “I can see you, MJ. If you don’t want me to kill your Army guy, you might want to get out here right now.”

  Regretfully, Leo straightened and pulled her with him.

  “I am so sorry.”

  Leo shook his head. “Don’t be. I proved my theory right.”

  “Are you going to get out of there?” Jack asked.

  She turned her head. “You want me to tell Grannie about Vivi Sanders? I didn’t think so.”

  Then she looked at him.

  “Vivi?” he asked.

  “He snuck her into the house one night when he was fifteen. I think it was…you know his first. Well, I saw it and I have used it as blackmail since.”

  He watched her brother walk away but only to the sidewalk. “Wow. You’re…”

  “What?”

  “Pretty cool.”

  She laughed and he responded in kind. He couldn’t help it. When she was happy, it made him happy. And that probably made him a sap, but he didn’t care at the moment. He had never felt this intrigued by a woman…at least not as long as he could remember. They had a bumpy start, but now they seemed in tune with each other. There was a vibe there between them that had his head buzzing an
d his body yearning.

  “That theory?” she asked.

  “I think you can agree there’s some sparks there.”

  She nodded. “Yeah. But…”

  “Listen, we’ll take it slow. No rushing it.”

  She sighed. “Okay. I’ll be busy with Jack all weekend. There’s something going on with him.”

  “No worries. I understand brothers.”

  “I bet you do,” she said with a smile. Then, she leaned over, cupping his jaw and gave him a kiss. It was sweet, and definitely not as erotic as the one they had just shared but it pulled at him the same way.

  “I don’t have all night,” Jack bellowed outside.

  He laughed. “Lord help any daughters your brother has.”

  She smiled. “Thank you for dinner.”

  Then she opened the door and stepped out of the truck. She walked up to her brother who was saying something to her and pointing to the truck. She reached up and smacked him in the back of the head again. Then started walking to her apartment. He watched until she opened the door and waved.

  He drove to his own parking space, his mood definitely lighter than it had been in a good long while. There was something about her, something that made him think it was more than mere attraction. She was skittish for some reason and mainly because he was military. He would have to be careful about scaring her. He needed a plan.

  And, if there was one thing Santinis knew it was how to make a plan. The woman wouldn’t know what hit her.

  Chapter Five

  Maryanne walked down the hall, her mood getting worse by the moment. She thought coming to work would help, take her mind off things, but nothing seem to be helping. Of course, Jack’s news had been bad—worse than she was expecting. She still wasn’t ready to accept it. He had stayed for two weeks, leaving late the night before. And he had waited until the last minute to tell her. Well, okay, not the last minute, but pretty damn close.

  Inwardly, she sighed. It had taken all her control not to cry. The Johnson boys didn’t like any crying. Truth was, they fell apart when she started weeping. She had used it against them for years because she could get just anything she wanted. Now, though, it would not work. A job’s a job and the dedication her brothers had to theirs was admirable. Or so people told her. At the moment, she thought it just sucked.

  So, she had driven from the San Antonio Airport, barely holding it together until she closed her front door. She had ignored Leo’s messages because she didn’t want to embarrass herself. In her experience, men, especially ones who had just met her, didn’t want to deal with a blubbering mess.

  As if conjured out of her thoughts, she saw Leo walking down the hallway. She couldn’t fight the little sigh that slipped from her lips. There was nothing like seeing a military man, dressed in his uniform, striding down the hall like he owned the place. Just seeing him made her heart do a little tap dance. The familiar rush of excitement rushed through her, brushing over her nerve endings. She shivered in reaction.

  It had been a long two weeks. While they hadn’t made it into bed, the heavy petting had left her frustrated. Of course, she hadn’t had a choice with Jack around.

  “Hey, Johnson. Your brother keep you busy last night?”

  His tone told her he was joking but she couldn’t really summon a smile for him. “No, he had a late flight.”

  “Gee, sorry to see him go.”

  That did make her laugh. Jack had made sure he had either accompanied them or was waiting outside when they got home. Her brother definitely knew how to cock block a fellow serviceman.

  “How about lunch?” he asked.

  She glanced at the overhead clock. “I have less than thirty minutes to my next appointment.”

  “That’s okay. I brought some with me.”

  She looked down at his hands then back up at him. “Yeah? Is it imaginary, Santini?”

  He chuckled. “Naw. I have it in the lounge.”

  Maryanne blinked. “You’re not supposed to be in there.” In fact, it was considered impossible to get the charge nurse to agree.

  “I talked to Nurse Samantha and she let me in.”

  She just bet she did. Samantha ran the floor like a four star general but she had a notorious weak spot for young men in the military. She had two herself serving and with Leo’s charm, there was a good chance that Samantha would let him throw a party in the lounge if he wanted.

  When they stepped into the lounge, she spied the table covered with the red and white checked cloth. She stopped, but he grabbed her hand and tugged her toward the table. Heat filled her face at the knowing looks her coworkers were tossing in her direction.

  He let go of her hand when they reached the table. She really didn’t know what to say.

  “Leo.”

  “Maryanne, sit down. I ran out to Rudy’s to get you some brisket.”

  She hesitated and looked up at him. “That’s a long way.”

  He shrugged as he pointed to the seat and waited for her to sit. She did, but not before she saw the little smile curve his lips. He leaned over placing his hand on the back of the chair. When he spoke, she felt his breath against her ear. “You said you liked it, and so I thought I would get it for you.”

  Then he gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. The Styrofoam containers were sitting there as neat as could be, and there was even a little bud vase in the middle of the table.

  “I...”

  He laughed as he sat down. “And the quick ride out there was worth it if it left you speechless.”

  She didn’t know how to respond. She’d never really had anyone try to romance her before…and that is what it felt like. They were involved but...they hadn’t been to bed and it was nothing serious. Not really.

  “You look stunned. It’s just lunch, love.”

  She shook her head and leaned over to keep her coworkers from hearing. “Guys just never do this kind of stuff for me.”

  He offered her a crooked smile that did funny things to her insides and chucked her on the chin. “Then you’ve been dating the wrong kind of guys.”

  She leaned back and even as emotions she didn’t want to feel tried to force their way out, she smiled. “Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome. I just thought you needed it. You seemed...upset Saturday and I wanted to do something for you.”

  It was scary how much he could figure out about her. She hadn’t told anyone about Jack’s assignment but Leo knew something was bothering her. They had spoken for five minutes on the phone. Her brothers had known her from the day she was born and still couldn’t figure that out.

  “Jack’s being deployed.”

  He nodded and dished out the food. “Ah. So not nursing a broken heart.”

  She shook her head. “No.”

  He glanced at her, his gaze scanning over her. She could see his mind working behind that sexy face of his. “It’s his duty, Maryanne.”

  He didn’t try to placate her. He just said the unvarnished truth, which for her was always better to deal with.

  “He volunteered. Again. They all do.” She shook her head “They piss me off.”

  Leo laughed. “But you love them.”

  “Yeah.”

  “Where’s he going?”

  She shrugged. “I don’t know. He couldn’t say.”

  Which made it worse. Sure, she obsessed whenever she knew where they were, watching every news program and she was insane enough to have a Google alert for whatever country they were in. But…it was better for her that way.

  “Hey,” he said, his voice lowering and filled with so much concern she felt tears burn the back of her eyes. She looked up at him. “Don’t be sad. I bet he’ll be back before you know and he’ll happily be interrupting my pursuit.”

  She laughed and sniffed. Then, she leaned in and gave him a kiss on the cheek. “You’re sweet.”

  His cheeks turned ruddy and she smiled. The fact that he was blushing because of her gratitude was kind of cute. And sexy. Why did she find i
t so appealing that the big Army medic blushed? She was in deep after two weeks if that was getting to her.

  “So, no brothers around, yeah?”

  She sighed. “I hope not. It would be just like Jack to call them. It would be easy for them to pop in since everyone is CONUS right now. But at the moment, no.”

  “Good. How about pizza in tonight?”

  She smiled. “Trying to fatten me up, Santini?”

  He grinned back at her. She felt something clogged her throat. “I have a feeling if I don’t feed you, you’ll waste away to nothing. So, how about it? I’ll bring the pizza.”

  “No anchovies this time. I can’t believe you and Jack did that to me.”

  “That wasn’t my fault. He told me you loved them.”

  “What woman in her right mind would like anchovies on a pizza?”

  He shook his head. “Are you trying to avoid the question?”

  A little, but she wouldn’t admit it out loud. Having him in her house without her brother playing guardian would be dangerous. Like fall into bed, lose her mind kind of dangerous.

  And she really wanted to be dangerous with Leo.

  “Just pizza?”

  He nodded.

  “Yeah. I like that idea, and I’ll provide the beer.”

  Then she dug into her food, feeling better by the moment.

  * * * *

  “Do not expect anything tonight, Santini,” Leo murmured as he made his way to Maryanne’s apartment.

  It was hard to convince his body to pay attention though. Leo wanted more than a little kiss good night. The cold showers he was taking every day were getting irritating. He hadn’t been this frustrated since high school. He found more ways of making out with Maryanne than he ever did during his teenage years and Leo knew he was almost at the end of his rope.

  Still, he knew not to push. Granted, Jack had been the main reason they hadn’t gotten any further, but something was telling him to go slow. A huge part of him, the one that wasn’t listening to his hormones, wanted to take his time. It should scare him, but as his father always said, once a Santini found something he wanted, there was nothing that would stand in his way. The only thing that did, or one of the biggest things, was her experience with men.