The Santini Collection 1-4 (31 page)

She gave him a suspicious look, but he didn’t give her a chance to argue anymore. He knew she had wanted to send him home. Not because she didn’t want him there, but he knew that her sister wasn’t happy he was there. He would give them their time, but he was busy making up for the two months he had fallen for her through emails. He wasn’t about to give up even one night, especially when nights with the woman you loved weren’t easy to come by.

For a second, he stopped.
Love
. Shit, he was in love with her. He looked at her and she was studying him as if he was sick.

“
Are you alright?”

He shook his head and smiled. “Nope, but that’s okay.”

He took her hand and pulled her to him.

He kissed her then, fast, quick and wet. Damn, the woman had a mouth on her.

“
Gianni, my sister’s just down the hall.”

“
I’ll be quiet…but not sure you can be.”

“
Really?”

“
Yeah.”

She cocked her head to the side and studied him. Humor danced in her eyes. Of course he loved her. How could he not? She was made for him.

“
I accept that challenge.”

He picked her up and threw her on the bed. She gasped then giggled as she bounced.

“
I aim to win that,” he said.

Moments later, he called truce as he captured her moans with his mouth as they road the crest together. He figured it was totally worth it.

* * * *

The next morning, Kianna watched her sister breathe in the aroma of her coffee.

“
Did you sleep okay last night?” she asked and almost winced at the banality of it. She didn’t know how to act the morning after she’d had hot sex just a couple rooms away from her baby sister. It had been different when she had been married. Not really, but for some reason it just seemed different.

“
Sure, you know I can sleep anywhere.” She didn’t open her eyes when she answered. Zoe was definitely not a morning person, had never been. From the moment she had come home from the hospital, Zoe had always been a night owl.

“
I remember when we lived in that house in Athens, remember that? You slept through the tornado siren.”

“
Well, a lot of people do that. That’s why they have those weather radio thingies now.”

“
The siren was right by our house. It was less than a block away.”

She smiled and opened her eyes. “So, you want to tell me what’s going on with you and fly boy up there?”

She shrugged. “Not sure. Want to tell me why you’re here?”

Her sister smirked. “Not sure.”

She sighed and stared. “Zoe.”

Her smile faded. “Just had to get out of town. I’m kind of over my head right now.”

“
Did you and Adam break up?”

She shrugged.

“
What does that mean?” Kianna asked, even though she was afraid of the answer.

“
That means I don’t know where the hell he is.”

Kianna heard the tears in her sister’s voice. “Oh, baby, I’m sorry.”

She stood up and pulled Zoe into her arms as she started to sob. “I don’t know what happened, Kiki.”

The use of Zoe’s nickname for her was a worry. She rarely used it these days so she knew there was a problem. “Did he take anything, steal anything?”

She shook her head and pulled back. “That’s just it. All his stuff is still there. He just vanished off the face of the earth. No one has seen him. It isn’t like him at all.”

Kianna wanted to roll her eyes but didn’t. Zoe seemed like a pain in the ass to most people, but the truth was she had a soft heart for bad boys. Kianna just wished some day Zoe would meet a good guy. And like him.

“
Have you talked to the police?”

She nodded. “Nothing. I filed a missing person’s report, but that isn’t going to go anywhere.” She sighed. “I feel better now. Thanks for letting me vent. I haven’t told anyone really.”

Kianna kissed her forehead. “Remember that I’m always here to talk to.”

“
I think that’s why I wanted to come see you. I knew you would do something about it. So, what is going on with you and the younger man?”

“
He’s not that much younger.”

“
Okay, but not your usual type. Uniform types…you’ve avoided them since you were married.”

She nodded. “Yeah. But, well, we started emailing while he was deployed.”

“
Just be careful and remember to be happy.” The sound of the front door had Zoe making a face. “He went to work out this early?”

Kianna laughed. “He is military.”

* * * *

Gianni stepped into the house and heard laughter. He couldn’t help smiling in response. He noticed the bag sitting on the floor by the sofa. Gianni hated to admit it but he was kind of happy to see her go. Granted, once she started to behave, she was pretty cool, but he wanted time alone with Kianna. His revelation from the night before was too new. He wanted to work it out.

Zoe stepped into the living room. “You are disgusting.”

“
Well, good morning to you too.”

She chuckled. “I never understand the reasons for getting up so early.”

“
You can’t get much done sleeping the day away.”

“
Yeah, but you’re asleep by the time it gets fun.”

He laughed. “Okay, you got me there.”

Her smiled faded. “So, fly boy, I figure you’re probably going to be here when I come back next time.”

“
Probably, unless I’m deployed.”

She rolled her eyes. “You military types are way too happy about order to suit me.”

He laughed. “I take it you avoid us at all costs.”

“
Yeah. You know what it’s like to be the youngest. Kianna might seem sweet to you, but as an older sister, she wasn’t when I was a kid.”

“
She loves you,” he said, enjoying Zoe but feeling the need to defend Kianna.

“
And I love her. I also know her better than anyone but Etta. If I listen to the vibes around here, I’m going to have to get used to you. I just want you to know that if you hurt her, I will come back here and make you disappear. They won’t be able to find enough pieces to identify you. Understood?”

“
Yeah, but I won’t hurt her, not on purpose.”

“
God, you two were made for each other. Just be sure to make her understand you’re in for the long haul. Kianna doesn’t have a good track record with men, although she’s the only one of us who has been married.”

He said nothing to that. His brain was trying to wrap around the idea that Kianna had been married at one time. She had never said a thing. It had been three months…if he counted their time together in emails and she never mentioned it. Before he could sort out his feelings, Zoe was calling her sister in.

“
Okay, Kianna, I need to head out now. I heard there was a storm moving in.

Kianna came out of the kitchen with a bag. “Here, eat something on your way back.”

Zoe smiled and he could see the love right there. She might have been acting like a brat the night before, but there was no doubt she loved her sister.

“
Thank you,” Zoe said, giving Kianna a hug. “I’ll call or text when I get home.”

“
No texting on the road,” Kianna warned.

“
Of course not. You two behave yourselves now.”

She danced down the porch steps to her little car. As she backed up, Kianna sighed and settled her head against his shoulder. Something settled in his chest…something that should scare the hell out of him. Being a Santini, he knew better than to fight it.

It was going to be hard enough fighting for the woman he loved. Fighting himself just seemed stupid and a waste of energy.

Chapter Eight

As a born and bred Santini, I believe in fate and listening to signs. –Gee

A couple weeks later, Gee came to an abrupt stop in front of an antique store. There in the front display was a ring. Not just any ring. This one was gold, and from the looks of it, about a hundred years old. A simple solitaire sparkled in the late afternoon sunlight.

“
Damn, Santini,” Andrews said as he ran into him.

“
Sorry. Hey, I need to go in here and look for something.”

Andrews gave him a look that told him he knew what was going on. The entire flight had been giving him shit over Kianna since he got back. He’d missed every poker night and there had been a lot of moaning when he skipped a trip to Pensacola for a weekend. He didn’t really want to waste time with the guys when time was so precious in the military.

“
Antiques?”

“
That ring,” he said taking a step closer.

He looked at the ring and rolled his eyes. “Aw, damn, you’re gonna get married.”

“
When you find the woman…that’s it.”

Andrews sighed. “I have to get to City Hall.”

“
Just a peek,” he said and hurried into the small store before Andrews could say anything else. When he heard the little tinkle of the bell, he knew his friend had followed him in.

A little man shuffled out from the back. “Can I help you young gentlemen?”

“
Yes, sir. I would like to look at the ring in the window. The diamond solitaire.”

He nodded as he shuffled over to pull it out of the display. “A beautiful ring. Circa 1920 with a flawless diamond.”

The old man’s hand shook as he handed it to Gee. The moment he touched the ring he felt a little jolt.

“
How much?”

The man named a price that had Andrews whistling. “Better make sure you love her, Santini.”

He slipped the ring back between the red velvet but didn’t respond. He had figured out he loved Kianna several weeks ago, but he hadn’t had the nerve to say it. It made him a bit of a coward, but part of it had to do with Kianna. She was still wary of him, and when he talked of more permanent things, she would change the subject. If he had told her he loved her, she probably wouldn’t believe him.

“
I can afford it.” Just barely. He would have to dip into his savings, but he had it. He had finally gotten his hazardous duty pay all worked out and finance had gotten it to him just a few days ago. So…it was possible.

“
I also offer a ten percent discount to military. So take that off the top.”

Gee glanced up at the man. “Yeah?”

He nodded, a proud smile curving his lips. “I was Army once upon a time. I have two sons who are retired Air Force, and a granddaughter who is in the Reserves.”

“
I’ll take it.”

“
God, I hope you know what you’re doing,” Andrews said. “I’m going to walk down to City Hall.”

“
Okay. Catch up with you.”

Once Andrews left, Gee watched the old man package up the ring. “Do you know what you’re doing, young man?”

Gee grinned. “Nope. But that’s not always important. I know I need to be with her. That’s all.”

He nodded. “You’re one young man with your head on straight.”

Now he just hoped Kianna thought the same thing.

* * * *

Kianna hated the politics of her job. She loved teaching, loved the fact that she actually helped people become better English students, but she hated smoozing around. She had always thought of it as a necessity of the job. She wanted to make tenure. Or had wanted it at one time. Lately, though, she started to think of other things, of possibly not always teaching in Valdosta. It was silly of her, but just being around Gianni made her think of other things.