A Santini's Heart (The Santinis Book 10)

by Melissa Schroeder

  He frowned at his youngest brother. “You’re allergic to cats.”

  Nando sighed. “Yeah, but she was a really pretty woman.”

  He chuckled. “You don’t change.”

  “If I let some idiot cats get between me and a pretty woman, I don’t have the right to call myself a Santini.”

  “Let me guess. You persuaded her to stay with you overnight with the use of the app.”

  “Of course.”

  “As I said, you never change. Let’s get this set up so we can get back to the ranch.”

  Later that night, Tia was lying in bed and staring up at the ceiling. She couldn’t sleep. It wasn’t that she wasn’t tired. If she hadn’t had the long day of work, she still would be exhausted. She didn’t get much sleep the night before, thanks to Carlos. But, follow a strenuous night of lovemaking, along with a never ending day of work, then the break in at her house...she just wanted to escape into dreamland.

  Wasn’t happening. All she could think about was Carlos across the hall. He hadn’t pushed her to sleep in his room. He had offered. She had declined. And he had been a perfect gentleman about it, dammit.

  With a sigh, she lifted her head, turned her pillow over and then settled back down. She should have brought her ereader with her. Then maybe she would have something to do. Of course, Tia wasn’t really sure where she’d put it. It had been months since she had turned it on.

  She should make a list of things she needed to look for. There were a lot of them. With determination, she sat up in bed and looked for her purse. She would write these things down and look into them. Her ereader was one of them, but she was missing other things as well.

  “Where is a pen when you need one?” she said to no one in particular. It took her only a few seconds to realize she didn’t have one in her purse. Maybe she should go downstairs. Carlos was bound to have a pen down there. And paper. She needed paper.

  She grabbed the robe she brought with her and was tying the sash when she realized what she was doing. Who in their right mind goes on a pen hunt at—she looked at the clock—two in the morning?

  With a sigh, she sat on the bed. He had her losing her mind. She didn’t want to make a list of things. She wanted Carlos. Wanted to sleep next to him again. While she hadn’t gotten a lot of rest the night before, she yearned to feel his body heat next to hers. It was odd, because she had never been the cuddling type, except with Carlos, things were just different.

  Why was she sitting in her room not getting any sleep? What kind of point was she trying to prove? That she didn’t need him? She didn’t need him, but she wanted him. Admitting that to herself wasn’t easy. Her relationships in the past had all been short. Very short. She didn’t have time to get tangled up with a man. They got in the way of her goals in life. Now though...she wanted to get tangled up and as much as possible.

  It was stupid. Just sitting there in the middle of the night with nothing to do but stare at the ceiling. It didn’t prove anything, other than the fact that she was stupid. Before she could change her mind, she rose from the bed and marched to the door. She opened it, only to find herself face-to-face with Carlos.

  They both said nothing for a long moment.

  “Fancy meeting you here,” he said.

  “Oh, come on. We both need sleep.”

  She brushed past him and didn’t look back as she made her way into his room. The soft, familiar creak in the floorboard told her he was following her. She stepped into the room and started for the bed. She wanted sleep. Before she could reach it, though, Carlos grabbed her hand. He spun her around, then pulled her into his arms.

  “I just want it agreed to that both of us wanted this.”

  She frowned. “I never hid the fact that I wanted you.”

  He studied her for a long second. “That’s true.”

  She set a hand on his chest and leaned closer. Without hesitation, he met her halfway to brush his mouth against hers. She parted her lips and took him inside, enjoying the feel of his tongue sliding against hers.

  He walked her backwards and they both fell onto the bed. She was laughing when he kissed her next. When he pulled back, he had lost some of the humor, and it was replaced with something serious. Her heart started to pound against her chest as she tried to swallow.

  “What?”

  He shook his head.

  “No. Tell me.”

  He opened his mouth, but no sound came out.

  “Carlos?”

  “Sorry. I just...I was thinking how much it meant to have you here.”

  She blinked. “I’m always here.”

  “In my bed kind of here. Not just at the ranch.”

  She knew he was trying to say something but wasn’t getting it out. Fear, laced with a healthy dose of panic, threaded through her blood.

  He chuckled. “Oh, lord. The expression on your face is just priceless.”

  “What?”

  Again he shook his head. He leaned down to nibble on her bottom lip.

  “Stop worrying and just feel,” he said as he started to kiss down her body.

  She wanted to argue, and even opened her mouth to do just that, but all that came out was a moan. She decided to ignore her worries and, for once, listen to Carlos.

  A couple days later, Tia found herself in the kitchen arguing with Carlos. It wasn’t a new experience, but this time, she was definitely going to win. The only thing that bothered her was there was a witness to it. Knowing the Santinis, Nando was probably texting a blow-by-blow of the argument to everyone in the family.

  “I say you should stay here.”

  “I heard you. It’s been two nights and nothing has happened. I’ve had new locks installed, so everything should be okay.”

  He frowned. “I don’t like it.”

  “Write to Dr. Phil so you can talk about your feelings. I am going back. I need to check on my house, my mail, make sure everything is going well out there. Hell, I have to make sure I don’t have stinky stuff in my refrigerator.”

  “Be serious. You don’t have stinky stuff in your refrigerator. You’d have to keep food on hand for that.”

  “I’m going. I have time before my next client to make it out there and back.”

  He frowned, but said nothing else before turning and walking away. The fact that he had given up so quickly on the fight sort of surprised her.

  “He’s worried about you,” Nando said as he sat down at the table with a sandwich. She thought Carlos ate a lot until she met Nando. The man never seemed to quit eating.

  “He just wants me to stay here.”

  “That’s not all he’s after. And you know it.”

  She glanced at the younger man. Being the youngest of the family was never easy. There had only been her and Adrian, but still, it had been hard. Having four older brothers and one older sister could not have been easy. That was why, just every now and then, he would make a comment that would give her pause.

  “Yes, I do, but I need my space. It makes me itchy being away from my own surroundings.” Not to mention the fact that she was falling in deeper with Carlos. She didn’t need to lose her head over the man, but it was happening and happening fast. “And I don’t think the danger is around anymore.”

  “I agree. If it was a drug addict, they aren’t going to sit out there and wait on you. Add in that there have been no videos posted tells me nothing is going on. Carlos can’t think rationally when it comes to you.”

  “What does that mean?”

  “Don’t be obtuse, you know he’s halfway in love with you. I can look at the situation rationally, but he can’t because you are involved. He cannot let anything happen to you. Ever.”

  “What?”

  He studied her. “You really don’t know? No Santini would get involved with someone at work, especially a partner, if he wasn’t serious. Just be gentle. As my mother likes to say, Santini men are hard-headed and soft-hearted for the women they love.”

  She was still stuck on the halfway i
n love with you comment when Carlos came stomping back in.

  He stood there for a long second, then he crossed his arms over his chest. “Okay. You can go home.”

  She didn’t say anything at first. First, he was damned sexy when he was mad. Second, she couldn’t actually believe he gave her a freaking order.

  “Oh, how gracious of you.” She didn’t even try to hide the sarcasm in her voice.

  “But, I want to go with you right now. Just to be sure.”

  Tia wanted to argue. She opened her mouth to argue, but Nando cleared his throat. She didn’t look at Carlos’ brother, but it reminded her of his comment.

  “Sure.”

  Surprise moved over his face, but he didn't smile. He just gave her an arrogant nod. “Let’s go.”

  He turned and walked out of the room. She looked at Nando, who was smiling at her.

  “I told you. Just falling down the hill into love. I can’t believe I’m the only single one left in the family.”

  She sighed and grabbed her purse. When she made it out the front door, she found him sitting in her truck. So, he was at least going to let her drive. Taking her time, she walked around the hood, then climbed into the driver’s seat.

  “I still don’t agree with you,” Carlos said.

  “Okay.”

  “You would be safer here.”

  “Be reasonable. You and Nando need some time alone. If there is anything out of place, I’ll come back.”

  His shoulders relaxed. “Thank you. I just want to make sure you’re safe.”

  She heard it there in his voice, the concern and the affection. Santini men might have soft hearts, but she had always thought hers was hardened. That was until Carlos used that tone.

  With a sigh, she started up the truck. He might want to protect her from whoever had been on her property, but her big question was…who was going to protect her from falling for Carlos?

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  The day of the benefit arrived, and Tia found herself locked into a room with Marcella and her sister-in-law Joey. Marcella had always struck Tia as, well, not pushy, but definitely assertive. Joey was a whole other level. Like General Patton kind of level.

  She wasn’t a large woman, but she commanded the room, that was for sure. From the moment Tia met her, she had been overwhelmed by the small dynamo. It was easy to see why she was seen as the matriarch of the Santini family. She was dressed in a dark red gown. It complemented her skin tone, as well as set off her eyes. Her personality just added to the package.

  The two mothers did what they did best, mother. They helped her with her hair, which Marcella had insisted she wear down. Then, they started in on her makeup.

  “Here, this color,” Joey insisted as she handed her some lip gloss.

  “I do know how to put on my own makeup.”

  Joey smiled. “Indulge me. I didn’t even get one daughter out of my bunch.”

  She set the lip gloss down. “I need to get my dress on first.”

  “Of course,” Joey said with a smile. “I wasn’t thinking.”

  “You always think about colors, Joey.” Marcella looked at Tia. “She’s an artist so it’s her first thought.”

  “True.”

  “I’ll be right back.”

  She hurried into the next room. Being with the two women had been a little overwhelming at first. They must have sensed it, because their easygoing banter, along with their stories about Santini children, had put her at ease. It had been so long since she had had a day like this with her mother. Granted, she had never really gotten ready for something like this, but her mother had been with her during the barrel racing years. They had spent a lot of time in small rooms, doing her hair and makeup for the ceremonies.

  The wistful yearnings for her mother to be here rose up once again. She should have given her parents more time to make it to the benefit. She hadn’t expected to miss them tonight, but she was kind of wishing they were there. It was her fault that they weren’t here.

  Pushing aside her melancholy thoughts, she unzipped the bag that held her dress. It still took her breath away. Even in the bathroom it sparkled and shone as if it were a designer dress for someone who was about to walk the red carpet. Tugging off her shirt and pants, she then slipped the dress over her head. As with the first time she tried it on, she enjoyed the way the material slid over her flesh.

  She zipped up the back, then turned and faced the mirror. There was a knock on the door.

  “Come in.”

  The door swung open and revealed Joey and Marcella.

  “Oh, Tia, you look gorgeous,” Marcella said.

  “You do. I would have killed for that height,” Joey said.

  Tia glanced at her. “You don’t need it with your personality.”

  The moment she said it, she worried she’d stepped over the line. But Joey threw back her head and laughed.

  “Oh, lord, you do fit in with the Santinis.”

  Marcella stepped forward. “I have something for you. I have these, and they will be perfect with your dress.”

  She handed Tia a pair of teardrop earrings. A sapphire sat in the center surrounded by diamonds.

  “Oh, Marcella, I can’t wear these.”

  She nodded. “Yes you can. Just borrowing for tonight. I saw them when I was packing my stuff up this morning, and it struck me how beautiful they would look. Put them on.”

  Tia knew she shouldn’t, but it was hard to resist them. Add in the smile Marcella was giving her, and she just couldn’t say no. She slipped them on then looked in the mirror. They sparkled just like her dress, but with the sapphire, it added another level of glamour to the entire outfit.

  “See, I told you,” Marcella said. “I can’t wait for Carlos to see you.”

  “The man isn’t going to know what hit him,” Joey said.

  Carlos stood on the far side of the room from the entrance and scowled when another group of people turned out not to be Tia.

  “What is taking them so long?” Carlos asked.

  “They’re women,” his father said. “Isn’t that right, Papa?”

  Carlos looked at the two brothers. His father and his three brothers were all pretty close in height, and bore a strong resemblance to their father. Dark hair, although both of them were a little gray around the edges, dark brown eyes, and tough exterior that spoke of their time in the Marines. They had both worn tuxes, as he did, instead of their mess dress.

  “Don’t try to incriminate me,” Papa said.

  “You know it’s true.”

  “Yes, but I’m not stupid enough to say it. And let’s be honest, you are only saying it now because Joey and Marcella aren’t in earshot. Thank God Nando and Gee aren’t here,” he continued, naming the two youngest of their families. “They both tell on us all the time.”

  Carlos was laughing when he looked toward the entrance and saw her. Everything in the world seemed to stop, except her. She was standing there in a gown that seemed to be made of stars. Each time she moved, it sparkled under the lights. A cascade of auburn curls dripped over her bare shoulders. She hardly ever wore her hair down, and definitely didn’t fix it that way. So many curls…so many ideas.

  She was gorgeous.

  “Lord,” was all he could say. He tried to swallow but found his throat too dry to accomplish it.

  “Yep, he’s a goner,” Papa said.

  “Yeah, I would say so,” his father responded.

  Carlos ignored both of them and strode through the crowd. He didn’t pay attention to the people who tried to stop him. More than once he knew he received odd looks from others, but it didn’t matter. All he could see was her. By the time he made it to the foot of the stairs, she had descended. She smiled at him.

  “Something wrong, Santini?” she asked.

  He shook his head, his throat still too dry for him to speak. God, he couldn’t even come up with words at the moment.

  Concern darkened her eyes. “Carlos?”

  “Sorry.
I just can’t…” he shook his head. “It’s really hard to come up with words when you look like that.”

  Her frown dissolved into a smile—dimples and all. Her eyes lit up with joy. She went from beautiful to stunning.

  “I have a surprise for you.”

  “You do?”

  Nodding, he took her hand and pulled it up to his mouth. After he kissed it, he drew her next to him and walked her through the crowd. He had planned this surprise for weeks, with the help of his mother. There were a few times he had worried he wouldn’t be able to pull it off. But, he had persisted because he knew it was important for Tia.

  She stopped walking the moment she saw her parents. He had kept it from her because he had known she was too proud to ask them to come after that initial invitation. For a moment, he wasn’t sure just how she took it. She stood there looking at them as if trying to figure out if they were really there. Then, confusion dissolved and Carlos had the pleasure of watching true joy move over her expression.

  “Who? How?”

  He nodded. “I told them it was important for them to come.”

  She glanced at her parents, then turned to face him. Without any hesitation, she cupped his face and leaned in to give him a long, enthusiastic kiss. Just about the moment he wanted to take it to next level, she pulled away.

  “Thank you,” she said. “Oh, I got lipstick on your mouth.”

  He pulled out a handkerchief. “No worries.”

  “Come on,” she said, after he put the cloth away. It was her turn to lead him through the crowd. “Let’s go see my parents.”

  As he watched her hug her mother and father, he saw the joy it brought to her, Carlos smiled. He wanted more, so much more than just that kiss, but for right now, this was all he needed. Her happiness had become his, and he was starting to understand just what his siblings, cousins, and uncles had meant all these years.

  The Santini Curse was definitely a blessing in disguise.

  Halfway into the benefit, Tia was on her way back from the bathroom when Chet found her.

  “Tia. I saw that your parents are here.”