Chapter 8
8
Dante glanced over at Madison as he drove her Jeep. She stared out the passenger side of the vehicle and pretended to ignore him. It was a tactic he’d dealt with a huge chunk of his life. His sister was fantastic at giving the silent treatment. When they were adolescents, he would often tick her off enough so that she would shut the hell up. This time, though, he didn’t want Madison to be quiet. He wanted her talking. He thought the best way to do that was to give her a few minutes to cool down.
Madison wasn’t really happy at the moment, but Dante didn’t give a damn. She had been close to losing it tonight. He was pretty sure she probably wouldn’t slip over the edge, but with the rate of suicides and near suicides in returning military members, Dante wasn’t about to leave her alone. Every Marine needed someone to have their backs. He didn’t even want to contemplate why he really needed to be there. Sure, Marines watched out for their own, but there was something deeper there. It went beyond their former relationship. Dante wasn’t quite sure where it would lead them, but he had an overwhelming feeling he’d been struck by the Santini curse. And he wasn’t all that happy about it.
He avoided the area she said she saw the murder. Truthfully, he wasn’t sure if she really saw a murder, but he knew she believed it. That was all that mattered.
“You really didn’t need to take me home.”
It was the first set of words she had strung together since they started the journey from his house. Dante didn’t respond. He’d watched his father and his uncles in action. He knew better than to engage at this point. She would use any excuse for a fight. Dante would be okay with an argument because he was pretty sure another one would end up with them kissing. And maybe more. A whole lot more.
He shifted in his seat trying to get more comfortable. Of course, it was almost impossible. He was halfcocked just thinking about kissing her and taking her to bed. Every time he moved, the zipper of his jeans brushed against his burgeoning erection.
“And I don’t like the fact that you decided you needed to drive.”
Even her bitching at him didn’t do the trick. If anything, it heightened his need to touch her. Arguing with her had changed from something irritating to something that aroused him.
He was so screwed.
Charlie set his chin on her shoulder. When she raised her hand to pet her companion’s head, he noticed it shook. He wasn’t going to mention it though.
“I just thought you should have someone with you. What if the guy figures out who you are and decides to get rid of you, his only witness?”
There was a beat of silence. “I can take care of myself.”
He turned onto her street. “I know you can. Hell, you almost bested me in some of the drills.” For his younger self, it had been humiliating. Being attracted to her made it even worse. Now, though, he felt a strange sense of pride that she could hold her own. “But what kind of Marine would I be if I expected you to have your own back? And, if my mother ever found out…well, I don’t even want to think about that.”
Another small space of silence, then he felt her relax. She sighed. “It always makes me laugh how afraid all of you are of the women in your family.”
He pulled into her driveway. “Seriously, you’ve seen some of them in action. They’re damned scary. Look at Elena. She’s always been much scarier than I am.”
“Not true. And I am going to tell her you said that.”
The irritation in her voice had faded.
“Elena tells everyone she is scarier than I am. She’s proud of the damned fact.” He switched off the engine and turned to face Madison. Even though the streetlight was weak, he could see that her breathing continued to be shallow and her face still pale. “It’s one night. After tonight, maybe we can sort this all out. But you need some rest.”
She sighed again. “Damned Santini.”
She turned to get out of the Jeep, but he set his hand on her arm. She looked down at his hand then up at him.
“Maybe, for my peace of mind, I would rather I was here tonight. There probably isn’t an issue, but I would really hate if something did happen and I let you handle it yourself.”
Her eyes narrowed. “Your charm doesn’t work on me.”
He smiled. “It does a little. I mean, admit it. I am pretty damned charming.”
She rolled her eyes and got out of the Jeep, but not before he saw her lips twitch. Charlie jumped out behind her. Dante grabbed his overnight bag and followed her.
The moment he stepped into the house, he felt the difference. This was an open space. He knew she had been living there for only a couple months as a renter, but all the colors were cool and neutral. Soft blues and greens dominated most of the walls. He immediately felt lighter.
The hallway had a nightlight that was so bright he blinked. Even from where he was standing in the foyer, he could tell Madison had more of those nightlights throughout the house. Little bubbles of light filled the space.
She hesitated then reached over to the hall light. She turned it on and off a few times. Then, he heard the deadbolt lock and unlock the same amount of times. He now understood why she didn’t want him there. When he looked at her, Dante could read the shame on her face. He didn’t say anything. He just acted as if she had turned on the light.
“I have a guest room, but it only has a twin bed.”
She slipped her shoes off at the door and he did the same. Both of them had spent time at Asian bases throughout their youth. It was another thing they had in common.
He could almost feel her irritation and a trace of the embarrassment. Dante decided both of them needed to lighten the mood.
“I thought maybe I should do some up close and personal protection.”
She crossed her arms and cocked her head. “And really, that works with women? You must definitely date some very sad women.”
“I don’t leave any of them sad.”
She dragged her teeth over her bottom lip. He could tell she was trying not to laugh.
“I thought you’d have a better line than that.”
He stepped closer. He could smell her then. Faintly, the essence of Madison mixed with the night air filled his senses. It left him off balance and definitely even more aroused.
“When you have the moves, you don’t always have to have great lines.”
He didn’t touch her with his hands as he leaned down to brush his mouth over hers. Just like before, he felt that rush, the one that left him slightly heady and ready to push her against the wall and take her right then. He could just imagine how her flesh would feel against his. She had one of those deep voices that would drive him insane when she moaned his name as he pressed his cock into her. Every hormone screamed for relief, urging him to act on the fantasy.
Instead, he pulled back, savoring the taste of her on his lips again. Now, though, he did touch her. He lifted his thumb to rub it against her lower lip. “I’ll bunk on the couch then. I’d rather be out here and keep an eye on things.”
Plus, if she was in the room next to his, just a couple feet away, he would have a hell of a time controlling his impulses tonight. Even being on the couch was going to make it hard to control himself.
“Okay, but just understand this doesn’t mean anything.”
He nodded and followed her down the hall. He was still dizzy from the kiss and the lack of blood in his brain. Madison packed a punch he wasn’t sure he would ever be able to resist.
Dante was afraid it didn’t just mean anything, but it could mean everything.
Madison paced the floor of her bedroom. Her heart rate was still up, her nerves frazzled from the night’s events. Charlie was with her, walking beside her. Every now and then, he would rub his snout against her bare leg.
She shoved a shaking hand through her tangled hair, wincing when one of her fingers caught on a particularly nasty knot.
“Damn.”
She heard the floor creak outside of her door.
“Madison?”
Dante.
Having him in her house wasn’t the best thing to help her relax. She was anxious and embarrassed. Or anxious because of being embarrassed. She kept most of her OCD issues at bay, but tonight…it was too much to ask of her. He didn’t say anything or react in any way. He acted as if nothing had happened. Nor did he mention the multitude of nightlights she had around the house. She wasn’t sure if that was a good thing.
“What?”
He hesitated. “I thought I heard you say something.”
She rolled her eyes. Since he’d forced her to bring him home with her, he’d been all up in her business. The man just didn’t know how to accept she could take care of herself. And he wouldn’t quit kissing her. He really needed to stop doing that.
“No. I didn’t say anything.”
He hesitated. “Okay. Call if you need anything.”
She listened to his bare feet pad down the hallway to the living room. The idiot wouldn’t even take the guest bedroom. He had insisted on sleeping on her couch.
Damned Santini. They were all stubborn and irritating and…well, she hadn’t met one of the men who wasn’t straight up sexy and charming. And she had one sleeping on her couch. Most heterosexual women would kill for the chance. Hell, most of them would call her an idiot for not inviting him into her bed. Maybe she was….an idiot One thing was for sure, if she had, she’d have worked some of her nervous energy away.
With a sigh, she sat on her bed. Charlie jumped up beside her. She ran her hands through his fur. It was an odd feeling having someone watch out for her. At the hospital, her parents had visited, briefly. They had come once and while she was sure her mother had wanted to come back, her father had been too busy to visit his only daughter.
She pressed her palm against her chest trying to loosen the tightness that always seemed to appear when she thought of her parents. It wasn’t something she could solve, especially since her father refused to engage with her on the matter. She had failed him and he had moved on.
With a sigh, she pushed those depressing thoughts away. The night had been filled with too much excitement, good and bad. Thinking about her issues with her father wasn’t going to help her sleep.
At least, she knew for one night, she had someone watching out for her on her couch. She couldn’t stop her lips from curving. The man was really a pain in the ass, but how could she fight him? He was right. He was charming and— dammit —an excellent kisser. He would make sure she would be okay through the night, both physically and mentally.
Of course, she wasn’t sure who would protect her from him.
Pushing that thought away, she slipped under the covers. Charlie lay next to her as she settled her mind and tried to get some sleep. All her worries could be dealt with tomorrow.