“It wasn’t a pleasant breakup. I caught him lying to me. Then, I caught him cheating on me.”
He frowned. “I would say I was sorry he was an ass, but I can’t.”
“You can’t?”
He shook his head. “No, because if you had gotten married, we wouldn’t be having dinner.”
“There is that.”
“Do you like living in College Park?”
She nodded. “I didn’t really want to live in Baltimore, and I got a great job in College Park. It takes me about fifteen minutes to get to work.”
“You’re working with stroke survivors?”
She blinked. “Yeah.”
He must have picked up on her tone. He glanced up. “What’s wrong?”
She shook her head. “Nothing. I’m just amazed you remembered that.”
“Of course I remembered it. It was your goal, right? You talked about it all the time.”
But no one, outside of her best friend Wendy, had paid attention. Well, expect Brando apparently.
The waiter returned with their drinks and took their orders, Kaitlin felt a little more in control. She could do this. She could have dinner with Brando. She had done it before. Of course, she had been engaged. Nothing had changed on his side; but for her, she could put him in the friend category. Now, it was different. Looking into those dark chocolate eyes with the impossibly long eyelashes sent heat racing over her flesh. Seriously, how did a man have lashes like that and not look feminine? But he did.
Her gaze dropped down to his mouth. Lord, she wondered about it all the time. There were rumors about him in college. More than one friend had told her of all his conquests. He had been rated one of the best kissers on campus by the sororities.
“Earth to Kaitlin,” he said, humor filling his voice.
She looked up and found his eyes dancing.
“Sorry,” she said, as she felt heat fill her face.
“No problem. You have to have your moments of deep thought.”
Kaitlin laughed at the term he’d come up with while they were in college. She was often letting her mind wander, especially around him. All her brain cells went on vacation when he was around.
“I don’t know about deep thoughts, but I am definitely worn out.”
“Oh? Hard week of partying?”
She shrugged. “I went out once or twice with some people I know. Our panels started at eight in the morning. Who has a conference in New Orleans and expects people to attend early morning panels?”
“Bastards,” he said with a laugh. “But I am glad you are here. Makes it easier.”
She frowned. “Makes what easier?”
“I was going to look you up when I got to Maryland. I wondered if you had gotten married.”
“Really, Brando? You expect me to believe that you thought about looking me up?” She shook her head.
“I did. A lot.”
She studied his serious expression. He might joke around a lot and he always knew how to pull a smile from her no matter how bad she felt. So, she knew he was serious now.
“You did?”
“Yes. See, I was kind of hoping you weren’t married.”
She shook her head as she tried to figure out what the hell he was talking about.
“What do you mean?”
Brando sighed. “It’s that I always regretted not keeping up with you. You were one of my best friends in college.”
Of course. He was looking for a friend. She could be friends with him. There was absolutely nothing wrong with that. Or the fact she would fantasize about him later…that was totally allowable as a friend. Because, she knew that men like Brando Santini didn’t go for women like her.
“Well, I am glad too. It will be fun to have you back in College Park.”
And she would just pretend that she was happy with the situation, just like she had in college.
“So, your brothers? What are they up to?” he asked.
More comfortable with this kind of conversation, she smiled and went into horrible stories about her brothers.
* * * *
By the time Brando was seeing Kaitlin to her room, he was convinced he should get some kind of award. It was hard to believe it was taking more of his attention to control the arousal thrumming through his blood than it had in college. Of course, actually talking with none of that blood in his brain had been hard to handle, but he had pulled it off tonight.
“This one is me,” she said.
He hated the tone she was using with him now. It was the same thing as if she had patted him on the head and said goodnight. He knew that she saw him as a friend. He had said something wrong during dinner, and she had switched off. Before then, she had been staring at him like she wanted him for dessert. He had been fully ready to play that role for her. Hell, he knew he wasn’t going to get any sleep, but he wasn’t about to go out. She was in his mind and tugging on his soul again. He didn’t know if he would ever be able to get her out of his head now.
Brando knew he had this last chance. He was going to make sure she understood where they stood. She unlocked the door and turned to face him.
“I am so glad I ran into you tonight.”
He smiled. “I think it was more that I ran into you.”
She chuckled. “Yes, but then, you had issues with being too focused at times.”
“Hmm.”
Silence. She was trying to step back into her room, and he couldn’t let that happen. She needed to understand that when he got to Maryland, he was planning on pursuing her, in every way possible.
Before she could take another step back, he rested his hand against the doorjamb and leaned closer.
“I can’t let you go without a goodnight kiss.”
She blinked. “Oh, Brando, you don’t have to do that. I understand. It’s sweet, but, let’s just leave it at that.”
That was not the response he expected. That was his only excuse for allowing her to step further into the room. She was already closing the door.
He knew he had to make sure she knew that he wasn’t trying to be sweet. Brando stepped forward.
“I think you might be confused about something.”
She frowned. “What are you talking about?”
“The kiss was more about what I wanted.”
He slipped his arm around her waist and pulled her forward. He had the pleasure of watching her eyes widen in surprise before he slammed his mouth down on hers.
CHAPTER THREE
For a long minute—maybe two—Kaitlin didn’t react. She couldn’t. Every thought she had dissolved as she felt his mouth move over hers.
Brando pulled back an inch. When he spoke, she felt his breath against her mouth and shivered.
“This works a lot better if you participate.”
She blinked at the sound of his voice. This wasn’t the sweet man she thought she knew. He wasn’t the friend who could always make her laugh no matter what the situation. A dark thread of need deepened his tone. It left her head spinning and her body throbbing. Kaitlin had never heard that before in a man’s voice. Not directed at her.
She opened her mouth, then snapped it shut.
“What?”
Normally, Kaitlin would lie, but maybe because of the loss of brain cells, she couldn’t. “I…I’m confused.”
He chuckled. “Let me help you decide on the matter.”
Without another word, he lowered his mouth to hers as he wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her tight against him. This time she knew it was coming, but wasn’t any better prepared for it. The kiss blasted through her body, leaving her head spinning, her heart beating so hard against her chest that she was sure she’d pass out at some point. She knew she had two choices. One was to run away and slam the door in his face. The other was to hold on and enjoy the kiss. She picked the latter.
Closing her eyes, she returned the kiss. He must have liked it because he growled an
d deepened the kiss. He slipped one hand up to cup her face as he slanted his mouth over hers again and again. As he continued to kiss her, he walked her back into the room and shut the door. Before she was finished, he tore his mouth away.
“We need to get you naked.”
His voice was rough, raw. All of the sweet man she knew had been stripped away and this man was on the edge. It sent tingles dancing over her flesh. He stepped forward and placed both of his hands on her shoulders. Then he turned her around. As he pulled the zipper of her dress down, Brando skimmed his finger down her spine. She shivered.
“Does that bother you?”
She shook her head as he kissed her shoulder. The simple gesture had her curling her toes into the carpet.
“No,” she breathed.
“Ah,” he said, as he let her dress fall to the floor. A rush of cool air feathered over her, including her very bare rear end. She closed her eyes, as she just remembered she’d worn a thong.
“Well, well, well,” he said, admiration easy to hear in his voice. He dragged his fingers over her bottom. It was a light touch, but it affected her. “If I had known you were wearing this under your dress, I would have never made it through dinner. There is a good chance I might have fainted from lack of blood to my brain.”
She shook her head again.
“You don’t think so?” he asked. Before he allowed her to answer, he playfully smacked her bare flesh. “That’s what you get for not believing me.”
She shivered again. She had never been into things like that. Or maybe she was, because heat flared over her flesh. She might be into them because it was Brando. He could drive a saint to sin.
“You don’t know how long I have fantasized about touching you.”
He undid her bra, then eased it off her. She didn’t know where he threw it, because he turned her around.
“Good God, I definitely would have never been able to pass a class if I had seen you naked. I would have been fully occupied with how you looked and then working out ways to get to see you naked again.”
He cupped one of her breasts and rubbed his thumb over her nipple.
“Brando,” she said, half embarrassed…and very, very aroused.
“What?”
She swallowed as he continued to tease her nipple. He raised his gaze to hers. “I am only telling the truth. I fantasized about you constantly. It was embarrassing at times.”
“What are you talking about?”
One corner of his mouth kicked up. “Well, there was once or twice that you were talking about statistics class and I started to come up with my chances of seeing you naked. Of course, reality is much better than any fantasy I could conjure up.”
Before she could respond, he kissed her. Then, they were falling back onto the mattress. He gave her no chance to recover. He kissed his way down her body, taking particular interest in her breasts. With ease, he slipped her thong off, then pulled her to the edge of the bed. He spread her legs and pressed his mouth to her sex. She thought she was prepared for it, but she wasn’t. He slipped his tongue inside of her, over and over, teasing her clit until she was almost out of her mind. When she thought she was about to fall over the edge, he pulled away.
She moaned in irritation and he chuckled. “Nope, darlin’. I want to be deep inside you when you come.”
He pulled his shirt over his head and slipped off his jeans. He wasn’t wearing any underwear. Of course he wasn’t. He was Brando Santini. She had a feeling that no male in his family wore underwear.
Lord he was amazing. Golden skin, long lean muscles. A spattering of hair covered his chest, which thinned to a single line that bisected his six-pack abs. His erection curved up against his belly. She licked her lips.
“Oh, I don’t think so,” he said.
She looked at him.
“No, I can’t have your mouth on my cock right now. If you did, it would be over in a matter of seconds.”
Brando moved closer, then he cussed and turned to grab his pants again. He retrieved his wallet and pulled out a condom. After ripping open the package, he rolled it onto his erection. Within seconds, he had her positioned on the bed as he kneeled between her legs. Grabbing her by the hips, he pulled her up and entered her in one hard thrust.
“Aw, damn,” he muttered. “I’m sorry, Kait. I shouldn’t have been so rough.”
She wrapped her legs around his waist as she kissed his throat. “Don’t be sorry. Just start moving.”
He laughed and leaned down to give her a kiss, then did as she ordered. Again and again, he thrust into her, pushing her back up to the edge she had been at before. Pressure built, her body readied for her release…then, nothing. She could not seem to get over that barrier. He must have understood.
He slipped his hand down between their bodies and pressed against her clit.
“Come with me, Kait.”
She could do nothing else but what he asked. In one blinding instant, her orgasm exploded. She bowed up off the bed against him. As convulsions shook her body, she barely heard him shout her name as he thrust into her one last time.
Then, he was kissing her, cupping her face and kissing her as if his life depended on it. In the next instant, he collapsed on top of her. She wrapped her arms around his neck and held on tight.
A few moments later, he leaned up and looked down at her. There was a look in his eyes that had her worried.
“What?”
He shook his head. “I just…you don’t know how long I thought about this.”
She frowned. “And?”
Slowly, his mouth curved. “My imagination could have never prepared me for that.”
Her heart did a little dance. “Yeah?”
“Yeah.” He kissed her nose then slipped away. He went into the bathroom and she heard the toilet flush.
He was looking around on the floor as she sat up. “What are you looking for?”
He grabbed up his wallet, then pulled out a couple more condoms. “Glad I thought to bring these.”
After tossing them on the bedside table, he grabbed the comforter, helped her under it, and joined her there. He pulled her down with him, holding her tight as she settled her head on his chest.
“Brando?”
“Hmm?”
“What did you mean when you talked about thinking about me that way?”
“Naked?”
She nodded.
“You had to know I had a crush on you in college.”
She raised her head and hit him in the chin.
“Damn.”
“Sorry,” she said, rubbing the top of her head.
“No problem. I’m a Marine, I can take it,” he said with a smile.
“What are you talking about? You had a crush on me?”
He held her gaze as he nodded.
“Why didn’t you say anything?”
He shrugged. “You were engaged. I couldn’t overstep that line.”
She studied him for a long time, looking for any kind of deception in his expression. She found nothing but raw honesty. Brando might tell a fib every now and then, but he was one of the most honest people she knew.
He held up three fingers. “Marine’s honor.”
“Okay,” she said, settling against him.
“Now, give me a few minutes, and I’ll let you take advantage of my body again.”
“Me?”
“Yeah. I know you haven’t gotten enough of me. We only have a few hours, and I aim to use every single minute I can.”
He said the sexiest things to her. How could she resist a man like him? She sighed.
“Okay, that did it.”
Before she knew what was happening, she was flat on her back with a very sexy Brando leaning over her. Heat darkened his eyes.
“What?” she asked, her voice sounding breathless. It was probably because the man stole the breath right out of her.
He gave her that lopsided smile
of his. “Time for round two.”
CHAPTER FOUR
Just before dawn, Brando woke up. After all his years in the military and being raised by a Marine, it was usual for him. Brando had spent most of his life getting up before dawn, no matter where he was in the world. He didn’t mind it. It gave him time to watch Kaitlin sleep.
He lay next to her enjoying the quiet moment. The only sound in the room was her breathing and the cute little snore she had every now and then. It was hard to believe he had actually gotten his chance with her. It all seemed to be coming together, just like his mother had always said it would. All the Santini mothers claimed that he would know when he met the one. The moment he met Kaitlin, he had known. She had smiled at him and he felt it to the soles of his feet. He had never had such a reaction to a woman before.
When she had told him she was engaged, it had made him doubt all the Santini Curse talk. Since he’d never had that feeling again, Brando had been sure the Curse was not for him. No matter how attracted he had been to the women he dated or how fantastic the sex was, he never felt that click like he did with Kaitlin.
Now, though, he had to admit that his mother had been right. He had almost skipped the trip to New Orleans. He was getting too old to be going out with the guys for a night of rowdy drinking. But something had told him to come. Sure, he was moving back to the area, but he probably wouldn’t have looked for her too hard. He had been worried how much it would hurt to see her with another man. It had almost killed him last time.
A small shaft of light peeked through the curtains. It was weak, just that first light that rose over the horizon. It brought out the lighter gold strands within the tangled curls dripping over her shoulders. He couldn’t stand it any longer. He had to touch her. With a light touch, he skimmed his fingers down her back. She wiggled this way and that, then sighed and settled down. He smiled. He had known she would be sweet, but she had surprised him with her naughtiness. There were layers to her he wanted to discover. There was so much he wanted to know about her life now, but he hadn’t been able to stop from taking her twice more. Even after all of that, he wanted her again. He knew they had just a few more hours until she had to leave for the airport.
One Night With a Santini Page 2
