Read Online One Night With a Santini by Melissa Schroeder - Free Book Online Page B

to get married while he was still active duty, but it didn’t mean she could keep herself from dreaming.
    “I think we need to get you back to bed,” Brando said as he set the last of the dishes in the dishwasher.
    “Is that a fact?”
    “Yeah, you need some rest,” he said as he approached her. Before she knew what he was doing, he lifted her off the stool and walked her to the stairs.
    “Brando, put me down.”
    He shook his head. “Don’t want to.”
    “Are you trying to be romantic?”
    “Maybe I am. Is it working?”
    She cocked her head to the side and pretended to think about it. “A little bit. You really don’t have to do things like this.”
    He stopped on the landing and looked at her. His expression was serious.
    “You’re a woman who deserves to be romanced, Kaitlin. Don’t ever think you don’t.”
    She smiled and gave him a kiss on the cheek. “Thank you.”
    He started to climb the stairs again. “Not a problem.”
    She smiled, enjoying the way it felt to have a man like Brando Santini at her beck and call. She could definitely get used to it.
    * * * *
    As dawn broke the next morning, Brando decided for once, he would stay in bed. That said a lot because he was usually out of bed by five-thirty in the morning. But now, it was cozy and, he thought as he reached for Kaitlin, his bedmate made it easier. Unfortunately, she wasn’t there. He opened his eyes and sat up. There was light coming from beneath the bathroom door, and there were not so very nice sounds coming from behind the door.
    He slipped out of bed, grabbed a pair of boxers and walked closer to the door. The gagging had stopped and the toilet flushed. Water was running.
    “Kaitlin, are you all right?”
    She didn’t answer right away, but after a few moments, he heard her footsteps. The door opened. She was pale and there were huge dark smudges beneath her eyes.
    “Oh, baby. Come on. You get in bed.”
    She shook her head, but he ignored it. He led her to the bed and helped her into it. He pulled up the sheets.
    “Do you want the comforter?”
    She shook her head. “Too hot.”
    “Okay. You get comfy and I’ll get you some water.”
    “Thank you.”
    He kissed her forehead. After relieving himself, he made his way downstairs. He would get her some crackers and water and baby her all she wanted. Apparently, her lack of sleep the last couple of nights was weighing on her. Before he could make it to the kitchen, there was knocking at the door.
    “Come on, Kaitlin. I know you’re in there and it’s damned early this morning.”
    He frowned. The voice was definitely male. Worried the man would disturb Kaitlin, who needed to rest, Brando walked over, unlocked the door. He found a tall, irritated man standing on the stoop. He had long blonde hair pulled back into a ponytail. His eyes narrowed—the same shade as Kaitlin’s. His frown turned darker when he saw Brando and what he was wearing.
    “Who the hell are you?”
     
     

 
     
     
     
    CHAPTER TEN
     
    For a moment, Brando tried to find the humor in the situation. The fact that two of her brothers had said the exact same words to him was kind of funny. In fact, both of her brothers reminded him of Anthony. Big, loud, and obnoxious. Apparently, Kaitlin got all the sweetness in the family.
    He wanted to tell the massive man to kiss his ass, but he couldn’t because of Kaitlin. From the looks of this one, he was Declan, the chef. His hair was too long for him to be a fireman. Telling her brother to kiss his ass would have felt good, but he was still trying to win the woman over.
    “I’m assuming you’re Declan,” he said.
    His eyebrows rose in surprise. “You still haven’t answered my question.”
    “Come on in. Kaitlin is upstairs.” It was then that he noticed the box Declan was holding. “I doubt she will want to eat any of those. She’s under the weather.”
    Declan stepped in, a frown still marring his features. Brando would give him crap about it, but he