Melissa Schroeder - A Santini Takes the Fall (The Santinis Book #9) Read online

  “Alana. She wants everyone dating or married, and I think she was hoping we would hook up.”

  There was a slight tickle in the back of her throat. She wasn’t sure if it signaled a laugh or a shout. It could go either way, depending on the tempting piece of man in front of her.

  “Hook up?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Hmm,” was all she could say. She was getting the worst feeling, and it wasn’t one she wanted to deal with right now.

  “I mean, you’re damned beautiful and, most of the time, I would be happy to have a little fun. It’s just, I am a little busy right now, and I don’t have time for dating. Also, I’m not looking to settle down.”

  “How nice for you.” If he had known her better, the buffoon would have realized the tone she was using wasn’t good for him. One of her dancing partners had called it the chill before the storm.

  “So, I thought I would warn you.” He smiled just like Jon did when he had done something he wanted praise for.

  “Thanks.”

  He kept standing there looking at her. From her years as a dancer, Lalani was usually okay with someone studying her as he was. But, with this man, she had to fight the urge to fidget.

  “Was there something else?”

  “No.”

  She waited and he kept standing there. “Could you move so I can go to the front door?”

  “Oh.”

  He stepped back and let her go.

  “Tell Alana I’ll be over in a little bit.”

  He turned and started to walk away. She was woman enough to admit, she could admire that world-class ass as he strode toward the guesthouse. He was pretty, but his manners definitely weren’t. So, there could be a screw-up in the Santini family. Every one of the men she had met in the last few months had all been charming.

  With a sigh, she pushed him out of her mind—or tried to—and walked to the door. She loved this side of the island, and had often thought she would definitely live here once she got older. It was quiet most of the time, but she also loved the rush of being in Honolulu.

  She had a lot of time to decide about that, she thought. Besides, being in Honolulu made it easier to operate her school. She was about to knock on the door when it whooshed open. Alana was smiling at her as Jon came running to the front door.

  “My Lani,” he screamed and launched himself toward her. She barely held onto the box of cookies she had brought Alana.

  “Hey, there, little man.” She stumbled back a few feet, but easily gained her balance. Four years as a professional ballerina, not to mention twenty years of training, left a girl with muscle and good reflexes.

  She set him down on the ground.

  “Sorry about that,” Alana said with a laugh.

  Lalani pulled off her sunglasses and gave her friend a narrowed look. “Oh, you have more to explain to me.”

  Alana’s eyes widened. Lalani stepped through the door, and she saw Marco in the living room.

  “Hey there, Marco. How was the mission?”

  He shrugged as he picked up Jon. “Uneventful.”

  She knew better. As the daughter of a former Special Forces officer, she knew there was never an uneventful mission. At least, to the general populous, it sounded like they came back all safe and sound.

  Alana shut the door. “I set up on the lanai so we could work.”

  “And, so I could yell at you.”

  Marco’s eyebrows came down, and she could see the threat there in his eyes. He would never hurt her, but Lalani knew he would read her the riot act if she even thought of being mean to Alana.

  “Don’t worry, SEAL. Your wife is trying to create mischief with one of your relatives. I just have to remind her how I feel about it.”

  When they were on the lanai, she crossed her arms and looked at her friend. “Really? That is what you thought would be a good match for me?”

  “He’s sweet.”

  She could only stare at her friend. Maybe the pregnancy hormones had zapped her brain. “Sweet? He stopped me outside to let me know that, while apparently I don’t make him barf, he wasn’t interested.”

  Alana gasped. “He did not.”

  “He did. Maybe not in those words, but he wasn’t the smoothest operator. I’m not easily offended. I’m a ballerina and our directors can be the worst. I once stood in front of the entire Company while Mikhailov told me I danced as if I had been born of a union of cousins marrying.”

  “That was wordy.”

  Lalani crossed her arms. “He’s Russian. He was trying to call me inbred. Anthony was more offensive.”

  “He was?”

  “Oh, please. It was the tone. He thinks I put you up to it. I could tell just by the way he talked to me.” She didn’t lose her temper that often, but as her father said, she had a dancer’s temper. It was slow to heat, but put her down, or someone she loved, and she would easily rip you to shreds. “As if I need help in that area. It’s not like I can’t find a man on my own. I have to tell men all the time I am not interested in dating. Why would I have to have you fix me up with a cousin-in-law?”

  “You definitely don’t need help from me,” Alana said, her voice dancing with amusement. “I’m sorry, but I thought you two might get along.”

  “Get along? He’s a buffoon. Besides, I especially don’t need a man that old.”

  “Old?”

  “He’s in his mid thirties and not interested in settling down? Yeah, I don’t want that kind of dude.”

  Alana bit her lip and her eyes danced.

  “What?”

  Then she heard the chuckle, deep, rich, and it shivered down her spine. She knew without a doubt the man in question was standing within earshot. She looked over her shoulder and found the man in question standing next to his cousin. Marco wasn’t even trying to hide his smile. For his part, Anthony smiled, but it held little humor, and it was definitely dangerous.

  “So, Lalani, tell me what you really think of me?”

  CHAPTER FIVE

  Anthony planned on having a lot of fun at her expense. He just wished he’d been filming her the moment he caught Lalani going on and on about his age. It was too delicious to ignore. A little telltale blush had bloomed in her cheeks, and he had a feeling she was the kind of woman who did not blush easily.

  Alana had made excuses and dragged her back into the house, while Anthony had enjoyed a beer as Marco cooked.

  “Did you really tell her she was good looking but you weren’t interested?”

  Anthony shrugged. He didn’t regret it. Well, not really. Okay, there was a tiny little part of him that was regretting it now, but it was for the best.

  “Not sure she’s my type.”

  “What? You don’t like gorgeous women?”

  “She is gorgeous.”

  There was no denying that. She wore a pair of board shorts that clung to her hips and a short t-shirt the color of the Pacific Ocean. When she moved, he got a little peek at her belly button. Why he found that so appealing, he didn’t know. Inwardly, he chastised himself. Of course, he knew why. She was in amazing shape, her stomach muscles as defined as her legs. He could just imagine slipping his hand against her smooth flesh…

  “So, maybe you don’t like dancers.”

  Anthony blinked, trying to follow the conversation. “She’s a dancer?”

  “Yeah, but not the type you told my mom you were dating. Of course, it probably doesn’t matter, since she thinks you’re so old.”

  Damn, he was still irritated by that comment. He wasn’t going to let her get away with calling him old, not in that tone she had used. It had been as if she were calling him a murderer. So, every time he got the chance, he gave her a jab. It was hard not to. She had gotten caught, and there was one thing Lalani didn’t like…getting caught and having to explain herself. He might have only known her a short time, but her actions the rest of the night had made that evident.

  The woman in question came strolling out onto the lanai.

 
; “Marco, we need to have a chat.” She handed his cousin a beer, and then offered one to Anthony. He accepted, but she barely paid attention.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing at the moment, but next month there is going to be that fundraiser, and she is trying to stay in charge. She needs to delegate. It isn’t good for her.”

  “I hear you, sistah,” Alana said.

  “Hard to miss my loud voice, and it isn’t anything I didn’t say to your face.”

  She had Jon on her hip as she walked up to them. He expected Jon to ask for him, but instead, he giggled and reached out for Lalani. She laughed. Not a tinkle of a laugh, but a great big belly laugh that sent something shivering over his nerve endings.

  “It isn’t that big of a deal. It’s just hosting the benefit.”

  Lalani rolled her eyes. “You are going to be even further along and getting tired all the time.”

  “I can handle it.”

  “At least let me take over some of the duties. I’m sure if SEAL man here isn’t deployed again, he will help.”

  Marco nodded as he turned over the chicken then covered the grill. “And I am sure we can get Anthony to help.”

  Lalani glanced at him. “Sure. He can help too. Plus, you know Dad will help, and I can get my Ohana to help.”

  “So, you’re Hawaiian.”

  She nodded, but paid little attention to him. She had her focus on Alana.

  “You can boss us around, but be sure you allow us to do the hard stuff.”

  “Yeah,” he chimed in. “There’s no reason to tax yourself. You’ve got Santinis and…Lalani’s family. Heck, if you wanted help, my mom and Joey would come to help as well.”

  Alana sighed and rubbed her belly. “Okay. But I want to be involved.”

  “You are the Supreme Being and all-powerful,” Lalani said. “Hey, Marco, when are you going to feed me?”

  “Soon.”

  She opened her mouth, and Anthony couldn’t help himself. “Why don’t you two grab a drink and come sit in the shade with me?”

  Lalani sniffed in his direction, but he caught the glance she gave Alana. The mother to be was looking a little tired, and he knew Lalani saw it.

  “Sure. Come on, Jon.”

  “Nope. Gonna help Daddy.”

  She laughed. “Give me a kiss first.”

  Jon obliged and then ran over to his father and leaned against his leg. Anthony understood it. With a father who was gone for long periods of time, Anthony remembered those first few days after his father came home. All of them followed him around as if he was the pied piper of the Santinis.

  They settled in their chairs at one of the patio tables that had an umbrella.

  “Nothing like enjoying a pretty day with two lovely ladies,” he said.

  Alana smiled at him. “Thank goodness for the steady trades, or it would have been horrible today.”

  Lalani said nothing, but looked out over the ocean.

  “So, you do some surfing?”

  She shrugged, and he had to hide a smile. He was pretty sure she wouldn’t have been as snobby to him if he hadn’t caught her talking about his age. And, of course, being raised a Santini made him talk to her constantly.

  “Please, don’t overwhelm me with all the words.”

  Her lips twitched, and she sipped at her water. “I understood you didn’t want to be bothered by me.”

  “That is not what I said and you know it.”

  She shrugged. “The exact words don’t mean anything. It was the attitude.”

  “Oh, so you don’t like people being honest.”

  She gave him a smile that sunk into his blood. He liked confident women, and this one had it in spades. She wasn’t brash about it, but she definitely knew who she was and what she was about. It was hard not to be. “That’s what people who are rude say,” she returned.

  “Oh, now, Lalani, you have dealt with rude people before,” Alana said.

  “That’s work,” she said. “I try to keep my personal life as simple as possible. And, difficult people are now no longer whom I work with.”

  The two women shared one of those looks that told him there was more going on there. He hated to admit it, but he wanted to know more. He wasn’t about to start dating a friend of Alana’s. It would never end the way she wanted it, and he didn’t want to make things awkward. Although, he wasn’t sure how much more awkward it could get.

  “There’s no reason we can’t have a good time.”

  “You’re still talking. There’s a reason.”

  Marco chuckled as he attended the chicken. Anthony shot his cousin a look that warned of retribution, but the SEAL didn’t see it. He was too busy with the food.

  “What do you do for a living?”

  Alana opened her mouth, but Lalani interrupted her. “I teach dance in Honolulu.”

  “Ah.”

  He couldn’t see her eyes because she still had those damned sunglasses on. “You live in the city?”

  She nodded. “I enjoy it.”

  He rolled his shoulders. “Too many people.”

  “There is that. But one of the best things about this island is that you can escape to somewhere quiet in less than thirty minutes. As long as it isn’t rush hour. Alana said you are NCIS?”

  He nodded.

  She tipped her head in acknowledgment, knowing he was going to be as stingy with information as she was. Her lips curved. Damn, he liked clever women. They were always more fun.

  “Are you at Pearl or Kaneohe?”

  “Pearl.”

  She nodded. “That must be a drive in the mornings.”

  “Oh, Anthony gets up so early it doesn’t matter.”

  “Old habits,” Lalani murmured as if she understood.

  “He’s training for the triathlon.”

  “Oh, have fun with that.”

  He looked her over. “You look like you’re in shape.”

  She laughed. “Well, thanks. You know how to break out the compliments.”

  “You have good muscle definition, so I find it hard to believe that you don’t train for something.”

  “I’m a dancer, but I don’t like the idea of contests like that. For me. I tend to be kind of competitive. It is not attractive.”

  “So, you are saying competitiveness is unattractive.”

  “No, not at all. As a dancer, it served me well. But when I do those kinds of things, outside of my normal training, I obsess.”

  “But you never obsessed with dance?”

  He thought she was mad when she didn’t answer right away, but she pulled off her glasses. She was thinking about how to answer his question.

  “I guess you could say I was. I’ve been dancing for so many years. My mother said I danced before I actually walked, but that was my mother.” A wistful smile curved her full mouth. “She wasn’t like one of those scary stage moms. It just came natural to me, and she played along with it. And knowing how much you had to put into it, she actually tried to slow me down.”

  “She didn’t want you to succeed?”

  “She thought there was more to succeeding than being the best at your career. Mom always believed in living. She said people obsessed about careers and money too much.”

  “Sounds like a wise woman.”

  “She was.”

  Then she slipped her glasses back on her face. He wanted to know more. She spoke of her mother with such love and admiration; there was no doubt that Lalani had adored her. The easy affection toward her family and all that sass made her a little too intriguing. But, before he could ask anything else, Marco announced dinner was ready. As they got their dinner ready, he realized he was more captivated than he wanted to admit.

  But now he knew the color of her eyes. Hazel, with shots of green throughout the irises. They tilted up at the corners and gave her an exotic look.

  Damn, he had always been partial to hazel eyes.

  The awkward moment stretched so Alana, as usual, stepped in to smooth it ove
r.

  “There is a real reason we invited you both to dinner,” Alana said.

  “Other than trying to set us up?” Anthony said.

  Alana gave him a frown, and he immediately felt bad. “Sorry.”

  She nodded. “Marco and I have talked about it, and we would both like you to be godparents for our next baby.”

  “Oh, wow,” Lalani said.

  He looked at Marco, who nodded. “You don’t want to have one of your brothers?”

  Marco smiled. “We wanted someone close by this time. You and Lalani are here and once I’m out of the Navy, this is where we will stay. And you know Jon so well, it helps.”

  Lalani squealed and jumped up. She hugged Alana. “I will be the best godmother ever.”

  Then she ran over to Marco and hugged him. Anthony leaned over and kissed Alana on the cheek. “Thank you.”

  She turned her head and looked at him. “And now you know why I needed you two to get along. Be nice because you will be in each other’s lives a long time.”

  Anthony looked over at Lalani, who was watching him. He knew then that she understood what that meant. Years. And both of them would take it seriously. He had seen her with Jon.

  Now there was no avoiding her.

  Damn.

  CHAPTER SIX

  Lalani sat back in her chair and sighed. Her stomach was filled with the wonderful huli huli chicken Marco had cooked, and she was feeling a little less crazy. “You really do know your way around the grill, for a haole.”

  Marco didn’t take any offense and smiled at her. “Thanks. I knew with you coming over, I would have to make sure to have enough food.”

  She smiled. Many dancers would starve themselves to maintain weight, but she had been one of the lucky ones. A fast metabolism and constant workouts had made it impossible not to gorge herself. Granted, she didn’t eat fatty foods as often as she liked, but it made it easier to indulge every now and then. “I should be insulted, but since it’s true, I can’t complain. Plus, you are getting to be a damned good huli huli chicken guy.”

  “Do you always eat like that?” Anthony asked.

  She glanced over at him. He was definitely a pretty man. He had a ton of dark hair, and he let it grow a little long. It curled at the ends. What she wouldn’t give to slide her fingers through it.