Chapter 15

15

They finally made it to her kitchen sometime past midnight. Dante had thought maybe they should ignore their hunger pangs and just make love again. Apparently, Madison had disagreed. She dragged him down the hallway to get something to eat.

Women.

Charlie followed behind them. She turned the lights in the kitchen on and off three times before heading to the pantry.

“Cereal?” she asked.

“That sounds good,” he said, thinking it would be quick to make and eat. Then he could get her back into her bedroom.

They filled their bowls and settled at the small kitchen table.

“Do your folks get down here that much?” he asked.

He sensed her stillness and looked up at her.

“Uh, no. I haven’t seen my parents in a long time. We talk on a weekly basis, well, almost weekly. Most of the time.”

There was something there that hurt. Before, he would have let it go. But now, he didn’t want to. He wanted—no needed —to know what brought that sad look into her eyes.

“What’s that about?”

She shrugged. “We’ve never been that close.”

They weren’t. He knew that. It was odd because he always thought the smaller the family, the closer they would be. He had seen it during her time at Annapolis though. For being their only child, the Bakers had a strange way of acting like it. He always thought an only child would get more attention.

“What?” she asked.

It was his turn to shrug. “I was just thinking that a smaller family would be closer than our family, but maybe I’m wrong.”

She hesitated for a long moment, and he thought she would stay quiet on the subject. Then she sighed.

“I think in a bigger family, there’s less pressure.”

He snorted. “Yeah, because having three older brothers and a twin sister to compete against, that was easier than just being an only child.”

Some of the tension seemed to dissolve. “You forgot about Fernando.”

“No, I don’t count the baby,” he said, smiling as he thought of his youngest sibling. “Mom thinks that idiot can do no wrong, so we all lose out.”

She smiled like he knew she would.

“But, if someone irritates you…or disappoints you, then there is always someone else to turn to.”

That’s when it hit him. The bastard was treating her as if she failed him in some way.

He had only met her father once or twice, but he hadn’t been a big fan. Mr. Baker was a Marine, but he was a bit of an ass. He never appreciated his daughter in Dante’s opinion. There was a definite chill he got from the man. Her mother seemed to do whatever her husband told her to.

She wasn’t eating any more and she wouldn’t meet his gaze.

“Madison.”

She sighed. The sound was so sad, so lonely; he ached when he heard it. Finally she raised her gaze to his. There was a shimmer of tears there.

“Your father is wrong. You are not a disappointment.”

She blinked as if trying to control the tears. “He never said that.”

But he had implied it. His absence was enough to let Dante know that. “When was the last time you saw him?”

He felt her pull away from him. Not physically but emotionally. Dante reached across the table and took hold of her hand.

“I was at SAMMC.”

San Antonio Military Medical Center. It had to be after she returned from Afghanistan. How could a parent not visit their only child? Especially one that was hurting, fighting every day to be stronger. The son of a bitch hadn’t come to see her in three years.

“Ow, Dante.”

He realized then he was squeezing her fingers. He loosened his grip, and lifted her fingers to his mouth.

“Sorry.”

She sniffed. “I’m not made of glass. I can handle it.”

“But you don’t have to. You know that, right?”

“I…”

“I’m here and I have strong shoulders, if you haven’t noticed.”

Her gaze drifted over his shoulders and then to his bare chest.

“Yeah, I kind of noticed that.”

And just like that, heat licked through his blood. He wanted her again. Right here and now, but for some reason, he knew it wasn’t the right thing to do at the moment. He tugged on her hand.

“Let’s go.”

“Bowls.”

He sighed and they rinsed off their bowls and put them in the dishwasher. He led her down the hallway to her bedroom. They settled in bed, her head on his shoulder. It had started raining, and he liked hearing the patter of drops against the roof.

“So, tell me about this training you’re doing with the dogs.”

She said nothing, then, “You want to talk about that?”

He nodded and kissed her head.

She glanced up at him, then settled her head against his chest.

And there in her room with only a soft night-light to illuminate the room, he listened to the rain fall and the woman he loved talk.

Life was pretty damned good, in his opinion.

Madison’s cell phone vibrated against the nightstand waking her up. Madison wasn’t that happy about it. Neither was Dante, who grumbled in his sleep and tightened his arm around her waist. She grabbed the phone and rolled her eyes when she saw Elena’s number.

“What are you calling me for at two in the morning?” she whispered. She tried to slip away from Dante. He tightened his arm even more.

“I’m bored and I figured you would be up all night with what happened.”

She normally would be. Dante had made sure she had been tired out enough to pass out after the second time they made love.

She wiggled and dislodged Dante’s arm. When she was finally free, she slipped out of bed and then padded barefoot down the hall.

“Madison?”

She waited until she got into the kitchen before answering.

“What?”

“I thought I lost you.”

“Nope. Just wanted to walk to the kitchen.”

Elena sighed.

“What’s up, Santini?”

“I’m…out of sorts.”

“Wouldn’t have anything to do with a certain NCIS agent, would it?”

“Everything to do with him. I pretend that none of my brothers are in trouble all the time. Even with Brando deployed at the moment, I’m more worried about JT. And that makes me feel horrible.”

“Ah. Well, since I’m an only child, I don’t understand.”

Dante stepped into the kitchen with nothing but a pair of boxers on. He was frowning, there was some stubble on his chin, and his hair was a mess. Damn, the man was gorgeous. She’d dated Marines before. It was sort of hard not to get involved since the job took so much of her time. But none of them could compare to Dante. Sure, they had been built, but there was a soft heart beneath that iron exterior.

That made him more attractive than any man she knew.

His narrowed look softened, then turned sensual in a mere split second. He started walking toward her with purpose.

Her heart flip-flopped.

“We agreed it was only one night. No strings.”

“Why did you say that?” she asked as Dante backed her up against the kitchen counter. He nuzzled her neck, then she felt his teeth graze along her jaw.

“I didn’t really think about it. Wait, no, I did, but the whole idea of being that close and not getting a taste, that was too much to ask a girl to resist.”

“Oh, okay. I guess I can understand a little bit,” Madison said. If she could have Dante for only one night, she would have to jump at the chance. Thank God she didn’t have to make that choice.

“Your voice sounds funny,” Elena said.

“Really?”

“Oh, God. Is my brother there doing something to you?”

“Uhhh,” she lost the ability to talk. Dante was kissing his way down her neck and pulling up her shirt.

“This is just wrong. Bye.”

Then, the phone went dead. She dropped it as Dante pulled down her boxer shorts. He put her up on the counter, then pulled his own down. She heard foil crinkle and realized he brought a condom with him. He had it on before she could say it wasn’t really right having sex in the kitchen.

He slipped into her. She was already wet, but she was a little sore from the activities of the night. A gasp escaped before she could control it.

Dante stilled. “I’m sorry.”

She laughed and he pulled back and looked at her.

“What?” she asked when he kept staring at her.

“I just love it when you laugh.”

She leaned forward and kissed him. “And don’t be sorry. Just get on with it, Santini.”

His mouth curved up and his eyes filled with laughter. “Yes. Ma’am.”

He started to move again, pulling her to the edge of the counter. Soon, they were both falling over into the edge of pleasure.