A Second Past Midnight (The Sentinels) (16 page)

“Good, now
what about dinner?” Surely Arrigo wasn’t eating packaged food for every meal.

“Ah! F
or dinner, we will be having filet mignon with grilled asparagus. I learned very quickly that Arri has to have a good meal or he acts like a starving bear.”

Sana
knew exactly what Marcus was talking about. Arrigo had frequently waited too long to eat and could be quite the grouchy bastard. The memories flooded her mind, but her heart still ached at how she had ended their relationship. She realized that Marcus hadn’t asked any questions about her or how she knew Arrigo and she decided that might be a good thing. Arrigo might not want her blabbing about their past to Marcus.

After lunch, Sana
watched movies just to pass the time, while Marcus sat on the other couch doing who knows what on a laptop.

There were two couches in the living room and Sana took advantage of her own space by lying down. Even though she anxiously awaited Arrigo’s return
, she began to feel sleepy. The past twenty-four hours had been tiring and considering that she couldn’t remember when the last time was that she had slept through the night, she decided a nap might be a good idea.

Sana felt pressure against her stomach and didn’t recognize it. Then, as the pressure moved up her body, she realized someone was touching her. No one should be touching her, but the darkness surrounded her. With quick reflexes, she reached toward the hand that touched her. Grasping it firmly, she twisted it severely until she heard the person call out with pain.

“Sana!”

Startled, Sana jerked her eyes open to find Arrigo standing over her with a twisted look of pain on his face. Quickly, she looked down to realize that she had Arrigo’s hand twisted backward. If she hadn’t woken when she did, she probably would have broken his wrist.

Releasing him, she jolted up from the couch and stepped away from him. The moment horrified her. Why
hadn’t he stopped her? What if she
had
broken his wrist?

“I’m sorry,” she muttered.

Arrigo’s stance stiffened and she saw the expression on his face change. The pain vanished and in its place appeared a look of wanting. She had seen Arrigo look at her that way before, but it had been so long that she doubted her memory until he arched a brow. A devilish grin spread across his face and she knew it was indeed the same expression that she’d seen years before.

Sana leapt at him and wrapped her arms around his neck. “Arrigo,” she whispered. Before he could respond though, Sana pressed her lips to his and wrapped her body around his in a way that let him know what she wanted.

Arrigo pulled her tight against him so that she felt his erection and it only heightened the sensations her body felt.

“If you take me to bed I’ll make up for almost breaking your wrist.” Sana wanted
him, now.

Arrigo laughed as she wrapped he
rself around him. Encasing her in his arms, she felt her body purr at his touch.

“Please stab my eyes out now.” Sana looked back over her shoulder to find
Marcus in the kitchen.

“In a minute,” Sana replied coldly. She smiled
, but didn’t move away from Arrigo at all. The way her body sizzled right then, she didn’t care if Marcus watched. Well, she really did, but Sana wasn’t moving just yet.

Turning back to Arrigo,
she slid her hands to his face and tiptoed up to him until their lips met. She loved how he kissed her. Her lips molded against his and his taste penetrated her senses. Sana couldn’t believe she had ever pushed Arrigo so far away that he had faked his death to disappear.

Her damn brain was always working overtime and those gloomy thoughts cooled her mood
considerably. Relaxing her stance, she slid away from Arrigo, but not enough that she couldn’t feel the heat of his body.

“I want to take you to our room and make your toes curl,” Arrigo whispered in her ear.

Sana looked up into his inviting eyes and felt a twinge in her stomach. Emotions and hormones were two different things, but they collided often in the female body and Sana hated that. Wanting Arrigo’s body was one thing, but then the sadness had taken control of her brain and it frustrated her. Then, for Arrigo to say something so erotic had aroused her to an extreme, but what caught her attention more than anything was how he had said “
our
room”
.

Swallowing hard, Sana smiled and slid her hands down his broad shoulders and let them drop. Arrigo grasped one hand before she lost contact with him.

“We should eat first.” His statement sobered her for the time being.

Arrigo led her to the kitchen where Marcus was preparing dinner. She watched as he cut up vegetables for a salad.

“So, am I staying here tonight or do I need to find a hotel?” Marcus asked.

“You’re fine as long as you stay in your room.” Arrigo smirked and looked down at Sana. He winked.

“Oh good. I was hoping that I didn’t have to move out just yet.” Marcus smiled and Sana couldn’t help but notice how handsome he was. She wondered how many hearts he had already broken and how many more there would be. But while he was handsome, no one had ever appealed to her like Arrigo did.

Arrigo sat down on the stool at the kitchen island and pulled Sana toward him so that she stood between his legs.

“You’re such a pain in the ass.” Arrigo sneered at Marcus.

Sana stifled a laugh as she watched them banter. It lightened her heart to see Arrigo with a friend.

“Sana, I don’t know how long you’ve known
Arri
, but you may want to reconsider your relationship with him unless you like being berated on a regular basis.”

Sana knew that Marcus’ words might just bring him a death sentence and before she could interject Arrigo jolted from his chair.

“You need to shut the fuck up!” Arrigo shouted. Surprisingly though, he turned and disappeared up the staircase, leaving Sana standing in the kitchen.

She knew exactly which nerve Marcus had struck with Arrigo and she thought it might be time to enlighten him to Arrigo’s buttons. On the other hand, it could be entertaining to see Arrigo
lose it with Marcus and possibly rip his head off. Watching Arrigo when he was pissed off had always entertained her unless of course he was mad at her.

“What the hell did I do? I was just joking!”

“You must not know Arrigo very well,” she said. He took family very seriously.

“I don’t mean to be rude bu
t what would you know of Arrigo?” Marcus asked.

Sana laughed
wickedly and it came from deep within her.

The stories she could tell Marcus about Arrigo would make him laugh
, cry, and run away in fear. Sana didn’t even know where to begin so she started with the simplest explanation first. Leaning over the counter, Sana spoke humorlessly.

“We’ve been married for five years.” Sana decided that would be more than enough information for Marcus to dwell on at least until she had gone to convince Arrigo to come back down for dinner.

His jaw dropped open and she saw the wheels spinning in Marcus’ expression and with that, she went after Arrigo up the stairs.

Sana went to the bedroom
to find Arrigo, but he wasn’t there. As she stepped back into the hallway, she saw the door to the other bedroom ajar. It was the room that Arrigo had slept in the night before.

Pushing the d
oor back, she paused at the sight. Arrigo sat on the mattress with his head buried in his hands.

“I’ll take you home or wherever you want to go,” Arrigo muttered.

Sana felt confused. Moments earlier Arrigo had referred to
their
bedroom and now he was kicking her out? It didn’t make sense. Then it hit her, he wasn’t offended by Marcus’ smart mouth as much as he was worried that she would leave. After all, they had been apart for two years and it was all her fault.

“Arrigo?” she whispered.

He looked up at her and she felt his eyes sear her as he stared back at her. “I can’t ever take it back.”

Sana swallowed hard as she felt her eyes well up with tears. She knew he had blamed himself for the death of their daughter, but he
wasn’t the one responsible for the small life that had lived inside her. Even at that, they had never mourned together.

“It wasn’t your fault Arrigo. I shouldn’
t—” Arrigo cut her off.

“You!
You weren’t the one that missed the appointment!” Arrigo shouted. Sana didn’t move. She knew they both needed this and it was long overdue.

“Arrigo.
Every day for the past two years I have blamed myself for our daughters’ death, but it wasn’t anyone’s fault and it wouldn’t have mattered if you had been there or not. ” Sana reached over to grasp Arrigo’s arm. She needed to touch him, both for his comfort and for hers.

Arrigo slid his
large hand over hers and just stared at her. They sat there silently for several minutes. The guilt had torn both of them apart over the past two years and Sana knew it. She had blamed herself and saw that Arrigo did the same. It would do neither of them any good to dwell on the guilt or the past. Even though neither of them had blamed the other she felt an unspoken forgiveness pass between them.

“I don’t want you to leave,” Arrigo said softly.

Sana felt her heart pound with joy and apprehension. It would be as if they were starting their lives together all over again.

“
And I don’t want to leave.” Sana shook her head.

Arrigo slid his arm around Sana and pulled her to his lap. Lifting her chin, he pressed his lips against hers. He needed her more
now than he ever had before, and he wanted her to know it. With his lips forcing hers to yield against his, he savored her. With Sana’s arms around his neck, he lifted her as he stood up.

Walking toward the door, Arrigo imagined her naked in their bed
and his body hardened. That’s where he wanted her. Naked with her body wrapped around his.

Sana’s hand trailed a path around his neck and over his jaw. When her fingers rested on his scar, he stiffened. He hated that scar, not that most people enjoyed marks that deformed their appearance. This one was a constant reminder though of how stupid he had been
to think that he could take on four armed men alone.

“What is it?” she asked. Sana looked into his eyes. All he could think about then was how awful that scar looked and he wondered how she could stand to look at him.

“My face is wrecked.” Letting out a sigh, he waited for her to attempt to make him feel better even though it would probably be feigned. Arrigo let her slide to her feet so that she stood in front of him.

“It’s just a scar Arrigo
. I have several new ones too and besides that’s not necessarily my favorite part of you.” With a quick glance toward his groin, Sana smiled at him. Arrigo felt relief wash over him and knew once again that he she was the perfect match for him.

Dropping to her knees, Sana reached up and grasped the button to his pants. As much as he wanted her mouth on his shaft, they
couldn’t do that right then. At least not in the hallway.

“Rain check?”
Arrigo hissed.

Sana looked up at him with an arched brow. “Why?”

He nodded toward the stairs.

“Damn it! I knew I should have stayed downstairs.” Arrigo turned to see Marcus top the staircase. He
couldn’t help but laugh. The boy had the worst timing.

As he turned back to
Sana, her cheeks were tinged a bright shade of crimson. He liked that color on her. It reminded him of how she looked after they had sex or after she’d chased down a thug and beat the crap out of him.

Pulling her up
so that she stood next to him, he noticed she wouldn’t look toward Marcus. He didn’t like her feeling that uncomfortable.

“You need to get your ass back downstairs before I kill you
,” Arrigo growled at him.

“Dinner is served, not that anyone is interested in food,” Marcus grumbled. He had already turned to head back down the stairs.

Arrigo pulled Sana against his chest and leaned to her ear. “I really was looking forward to your mouth wrapped around me,” he whispered.

Sana giggled. “You’ll have to wait until after dinner I suppose.”

Arrigo breathed in her scent and couldn’t refrain from moaning. “I really hate Marcus right now.”

“So do
I,” Sana whispered back.

“Then let’s go torture him.” Arrigo turned so they could go downstairs. “I’ll start by pulling out his fingernails and then you can gut him.”

Sana rolled her eyes at Arrigo’s sick sense of humor. He knew that if he hadn’t said it though, she would have.

“House rule number one—” Arrigo announced as they walked into the kitchen. “
You
will stay downstairs no matter what.”