Read Online The Santinis: Leonardo, Book 1 by Melissa Schroeder - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Melissa Schroeder
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the couch.
She took her time following him as he tugged her along. “I’m not sure I want to do this.”
“I think it will make you feel a whole lot better.”
“Guys always say that, but it’s always about how they feel.”
He kept walking through her room.
“Wait.”
He ignored her and led her into the bathroom. He released her hand and started a bath. He knew she didn’t like people to know her weakness for something so girly as a bubble bath, but he did and was about to use it against her. He poured some of the bubbles into the bath.
“You might want to get naked because your gonna be uncomfortable in those sweats when they get wet.”
“I–”
“Better hurry up, or I’ll take up all the space.” He could feel her staring at him, but he ignored her. Instead he lit all the candles then pulled off his clothes. He slipped into the tub. He held out his hand. “Come on, Maryanne.”
She looked down at his hand then up into his face. The small smile she offered had his heart tumbling down at her feet. The silly woman had no idea just how much he loved her, but soon, she would. She tugged off her clothes and he helped her into the tub. She sat with her back to him, leaning against his chest.
“Now this is nice.”
“Yeah, I have agree,” he said. “Although, you better not tell any of my students that I did this because there would be hell to pay.”
She chuckled as she threaded her fingers though his. He could feel her relaxing against him. “I promise as long as you don’t tell anyone at the hospital. I have a reputation to uphold.”
“No worries. Your secret is safe with me. No one will know the Battleax of BAMC likes bubble baths and candles.”
She sighed. “I have to invoke fear in my patients or they won’t push.”
He nodded. “I have a question for you.”
“No, I don’t go for threesomes and I don’t have any friends who do. Although, Freddy or Dave would probably be happy to accommodate you.”
He chuckled, happy that she was finally relaxing enough to joke around with him. “Yeah, you’re enough for me.”
The quiet returned. He could see her trying to figure out what that comment meant. It was like when they first started going out. She was weighing everything he said as if waiting for him to say something hurtful. The woman must have dated some shitty men.
“Your question?”
“Oh, I know from your reputation that you could have taken a job at one of the big hospitals or worked as a contractor or at clinics and made a lot more money.”
“And?”
“Add in the fact you said you wanted to avoid men like me.”
She snorted. “Military men in general.”
“Then why are you working at a military hospital?”
The sigh was long and she shrugged. “I don’t know. I...”
She said nothing else but he knew what she was thinking.
“You wanted to serve in your own way.”
“Don’t make me out to be someone who is some kind of wonderful person.”
But she was. She worked well past her hours, making sure that her patients were taken care of. In the six weeks he had known her, he had seen it. She stayed late and showed up early. And, she was dedicated to each of her patients. She fretted if they weren’t doing well and she celebrated when they accomplished the most simple of feats.
She wouldn’t accept his thoughts on that. He knew that. She had this hardened core that made her seem bigger than life, when she was just one woman. It was one of the things that he loved about her.
And he liked that thinking that no longer scared him. The one thing that did scare him was her not being in his life. Less than two months and she had become the most important thing in life to him.
“I understand why you do it.” She stiffened. “Oh, let it go, Maryanne. Just because I figured out why you do it isn’t bad.”
He hadn’t meant to sound so pissed but it was a raw nerve with him. He needed the connection to be tighter and she kept trying to pull away.
She took her time following him as he tugged her along. “I’m not sure I want to do this.”
“I think it will make you feel a whole lot better.”
“Guys always say that, but it’s always about how they feel.”
He kept walking through her room.
“Wait.”
He ignored her and led her into the bathroom. He released her hand and started a bath. He knew she didn’t like people to know her weakness for something so girly as a bubble bath, but he did and was about to use it against her. He poured some of the bubbles into the bath.
“You might want to get naked because your gonna be uncomfortable in those sweats when they get wet.”
“I–”
“Better hurry up, or I’ll take up all the space.” He could feel her staring at him, but he ignored her. Instead he lit all the candles then pulled off his clothes. He slipped into the tub. He held out his hand. “Come on, Maryanne.”
She looked down at his hand then up into his face. The small smile she offered had his heart tumbling down at her feet. The silly woman had no idea just how much he loved her, but soon, she would. She tugged off her clothes and he helped her into the tub. She sat with her back to him, leaning against his chest.
“Now this is nice.”
“Yeah, I have agree,” he said. “Although, you better not tell any of my students that I did this because there would be hell to pay.”
She chuckled as she threaded her fingers though his. He could feel her relaxing against him. “I promise as long as you don’t tell anyone at the hospital. I have a reputation to uphold.”
“No worries. Your secret is safe with me. No one will know the Battleax of BAMC likes bubble baths and candles.”
She sighed. “I have to invoke fear in my patients or they won’t push.”
He nodded. “I have a question for you.”
“No, I don’t go for threesomes and I don’t have any friends who do. Although, Freddy or Dave would probably be happy to accommodate you.”
He chuckled, happy that she was finally relaxing enough to joke around with him. “Yeah, you’re enough for me.”
The quiet returned. He could see her trying to figure out what that comment meant. It was like when they first started going out. She was weighing everything he said as if waiting for him to say something hurtful. The woman must have dated some shitty men.
“Your question?”
“Oh, I know from your reputation that you could have taken a job at one of the big hospitals or worked as a contractor or at clinics and made a lot more money.”
“And?”
“Add in the fact you said you wanted to avoid men like me.”
She snorted. “Military men in general.”
“Then why are you working at a military hospital?”
The sigh was long and she shrugged. “I don’t know. I...”
She said nothing else but he knew what she was thinking.
“You wanted to serve in your own way.”
“Don’t make me out to be someone who is some kind of wonderful person.”
But she was. She worked well past her hours, making sure that her patients were taken care of. In the six weeks he had known her, he had seen it. She stayed late and showed up early. And, she was dedicated to each of her patients. She fretted if they weren’t doing well and she celebrated when they accomplished the most simple of feats.
She wouldn’t accept his thoughts on that. He knew that. She had this hardened core that made her seem bigger than life, when she was just one woman. It was one of the things that he loved about her.
And he liked that thinking that no longer scared him. The one thing that did scare him was her not being in his life. Less than two months and she had become the most important thing in life to him.
“I understand why you do it.” She stiffened. “Oh, let it go, Maryanne. Just because I figured out why you do it isn’t bad.”
He hadn’t meant to sound so pissed but it was a raw nerve with him. He needed the connection to be tighter and she kept trying to pull away.
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