The Santini Collection 1-4 (18 page)

“
What do you mean by that? That host knew who you were.”

She laughed. “I forget you’ve only been here for a little while. If you live here for any amount of time, especially if you’re Hawaiian or married to a Hawaiian, you get to know a lot of people.”

“
And so everyone knows you.”

She realized he didn’t know her story. Alana was accustomed to having people know about what brought her to this point in her life. Explaining herself wasn’t normal. From the expectant look on his face, she decided there would be no getting around it.

“
When I was eighteen, I was at UCLA my freshman year of school. My parents and brothers were killed in an accident. It was kind of a big thing here on the islands, so people know me and they know my charity.”

He nodded. She could tell he was disappointed that she didn’t reveal more but she couldn’t right now. She normally didn’t even have to tell people about it. Explaining the horror of that incident still made her cry and she refused to do that on a first date in front of her SEAL.

Dammit. Not her SEAL. A SEAL.

“
Did you ever go back to college?” he asked.

“
Yeah, but I stayed on the islands. I went to UH. It was just easier.” She wanted to get away from the discussion of her family. “So, your brothers had a good time, yeah?”

To this he frowned. “Yes.”

She had hit a nerve with that one. “What?”

“
I just…okay, I’m not happy with Gianni or Vince—especially Vince at the moment.”

She shook her head. “Brothers.”

“
What do you mean by that?”

“
It’s been a few years, but I remember the rivalry. It’s probably good you didn’t go into the same service.”

He took a sip of beer and nodded. “It wouldn’t have been too hard on Gee or me. We are young enough not to have to compete with the others. Plus, we are far enough apart in age it doesn’t really matter. Now, Leo and Vince, they are really close in age. Less than two years. So, it would have been hard. Leo didn’t want to go into the Marines though.”

“
And your father is okay with this. He was a Marine too, right?”

He nodded. “He’s happy we all wanted to serve. It’s a Santini tradition.”

“
My father was an only child, but I think he would have liked to have my brothers serve.”

“
Neither of them did?”

“
No, they were only in middle school when they were killed.”

Damn. He opened his mouth but was interrupted by Ashton Martin, a local politician.

“
Alana, darling, I didn’t know you would be here tonight.”

She sighed and turned her attention to him. If she hadn’t been so interested in talking to Marco, she would have noticed Ashton coming in. He had more hair gel and teeth than sense, but he did help her with fundraisers.

He leaned down and kissed her cheeks. There was an odd sound from the other side of the table. She glanced at Marco who was giving Ashton the death glare.

“
I’m not making an appearance, Ashton. I’m on a date.”

He turned to Marco. “I see.”

She could tell his feelings on the subject. Ashton was only an eighth Hawaiian, much less than she was, but he was kind of stuck up about it. He didn’t like mixing with haoles. She truly thought it had more to do with the fact that they couldn’t vote for him.

“
Ashton, this is Marco Santini. He’s stationed here with the military.” That changed Ashton’s demeanor quite a bit. “Marco, this Ashton Martin, one of our local politicians.”

Marco smiled and was pleasant enough. They were lucky enough that their entrees came and she could shoo Ashton away. When he left them alone, Alana dug into her mahi mahi. She had missed lunch and was starving.

“
So, did you ever date Ashton?” Marco asked casually.

She choked on a bit of fish. She grabbed her water and took a gulp.

“
I’m sorry, but no. He’s much too old for me.”

“
He doesn’t think so.”

She frowned at Marco. “I can promise you that he doesn’t. Ashton has never looked at anyone that way. Even his last wife. He is all about his career. He thinks he will make it to DC at some point.”

“
You don’t like him.”

“
I wouldn’t say that.”

He gave her one of those toe-curling smiles. “You can’t even be mean about someone you don’t like.”

“
I don’t approve, something completely different than not liking.”

“
What don’t you approve of?”

She could have just shied away from the question. Most people wouldn’t want to talk about things like that on a first date. Marco was different. He didn’t talk much so she found that when he did question her, it was important to pay attention.

“
He uses his Hawaiian heritage to get ahead and to exclude people. That just seems wrong to me.”

Something shifted in his eyes and then his lips curved again. Oh, god, her heart started beating and her body heat shot up a thousand degrees.

“
I agree,” he said. Then, he shifted the talk to other things. She figured it was just a moment in time, but she would cherish the moment Marco Santini looked at her as if she were the most special woman on earth.

* * * *

Marco pulled through the gate at the house and was kind of disappointed he couldn’t come up with something else to do. He hadn’t planned on a long date, mainly because he knew his limits. All SEALS did. Being alone with Alana for hours on end was hard on him…especially certain body parts.

He parked in front of her house.

“
I had a really good time tonight, Marco.”

He loved hearing his name in her accent. She drew out the name a little and the Hawaiian lilt in her voice made it sound magical. Everything she said sounded magical.

“
I’m glad.”

Lame, Santini. Really lame.

She reached across the console and patted his hand on the steering wheel. “And I forgive you.”

He frowned and looked at her. “What did I do now?”

“
I understand this was something you were doing to prove you weren’t a complete jerk. It’s fine. I enjoyed it and I enjoyed dinner.”

She leaned toward him and brushed her mouth over his cheek.

“
I have an early morning tomorrow, so I’m going to head in.”

For a second he sat dumbfounded. He couldn’t seem to respond. She slipped out of the car and he couldn’t come up with anything to say. She thought he did the date out of pity. Why would she think that?

He looked at her walking away. There was a light mist of rain that always seemed to cling to this side of the island falling around her. The glow of her porch light created an almost mystical scene. She was already at the door by the time he reacted.

He opened his door and marched toward the door. She didn’t hear him until he reached her. He grabbed her arm and turned her fully around.

“
Marco?”

He didn’t say anything. He cupped her face and slammed his mouth down on hers. For months now he had resisted her out of respect. He poured all those feelings into the kiss, thrusting his tongue between her lips. She didn’t respond immediately, but the next instant, she slipped her hands up to his shoulders and pressed all those wonderful curves against him.

His body reacted immediately. It had been a long time since he’d had a woman…really wanted a woman. Now, he had one that made everything in his body sizzle, his brain shut down. Without breaking the kiss, he backed her up against the door. God, she tasted so good.

He slanted his mouth over hers again and again. He was already fully erect. She shivered against him and it was enough to bring him back to reality. With much regret, he pulled away from the kiss.

“
I just wanted to clear that up.”

He untangled himself and then walked back to his car.

It was going to be one long fucking night.

Chapter Six

Alana shifted in her chair trying to enjoy the late afternoon breeze, but it didn’t help her mood. All week she had been growing more agitated by the day. She was known for her even temper but just yesterday she hung up on a board member. It was that or tell him to shove it. That would have definitely raised a few concerns.

“
Are you going to tell me why you’re being a raving bitch?” Colin asked.

She frowned at him. He had dragged her out trying to get her out of her funk but it was getting worse by the minute. Right now, she wanted to dump her drink on Colin.

She shook herself from that thought and took a sip of her drink, then set it down on the table.

“
That’s a dirty mouth you have on you. Does your Tutu know you talk like that?”

“
You know her. She taught me the words. So, are you going to tell me what’s going on?”

She sighed. “I’m frustrated because of Marco.”

“
What did he do?”

She glanced out at the passing traffic on Kam Highway and tried her best not to sigh again. “Kissed me.”

He frowned at her. “What’s wrong with that?”

“
Nothing.” Not really. Except that she hadn’t had a decent night’s sleep since he did it. Her lack of sleep had definitely added a layer of that bitchiness Colin had pointed out.

“
I thought he kissed you before.”

She shook her head. “No. He gave me a kiss. This was a
kiss
.”

“
Ah.”

He had one of those condescending looks that irritated her. Okay, most of the time they amused her. This time she wanted to punch him in the face.

“
What does that mean?” she asked.

“
Well, it’s been awhile for you.”

She frowned into her drink. “I had a date a couple months ago.”

He shook his head. “First of all, we have to talk about you admitting that as if it is a good thing. Secondly, I meant sex. It’s been awhile.”

“
I don’t know why I share things with you. You always say horrible things about me. And not trying to be the raving bitch you accused me of, but you are hardly someone who should be talking.”

“
I have sex fairly regularly.”

She snorted. “Besides, it wasn’t sex. Just a kiss.”

“
Tell me this. Did you forget your last name?”

That kiss was seared in her memory. The feelings filtered through her just as they did every time she thought of that moment. She had never had a man kiss her like it meant more to him than his next breath. There was a pretty good chance she would remember it on her deathbed before she remembered any sex she’d had.

“
Yeah.”

“
Being the man that I am, I’ll give a little advice. Men like Santini do not kiss like that on a whim.”

“
I think that he might just be a better kisser than you. In fact, from my experience with you, I would say he is definitely better.”

“
There’s that bitchiness again.”

Dammit. She hated when Colin was right. He rarely was. It was probably the reason he was so damned smug about it when he was.

When she didn’t respond to his taunt, he apparently decided to continue on. “He wouldn’t do that to his landlady.”

She snorted. “Sure, whatever. He hasn’t touched me since.”

He stopped with his fork midway to his mouth. “You’ve been out again?”