Chapter Ten

Chapter Ten

Anthony was still trying to convince himself he could shake his attraction to Lalani three days after Aeden left. He’d done his best to avoid the house when he knew she was there, and he did not call her. She might not realize that Aeden had programed her number into Anthony’s phone, but he’d resisted calling her.

After a swim in the ocean, he still felt out of sorts. He’d go into work, but he wasn’t in the mood. Instead, he headed out to breakfast. He didn’t always eat a big breakfast, but he needed it after the week of activities. He’d taken off Tuesday and Wednesday to spend time with Aeden. There was one thing he could say about the Fitzpatrick part of the family; they were as crazy as the Santini side.

He parked his car in the shopping center and made his way down the sidewalk to Big City Diner. It was still early and he was feeling every one of his thirty-five years, but he knew getting out on Saturday morning was the best thing. Otherwise, he would be thinking about a woman…one that shouldn’t be preoccupying him. He stepped into the café and heard her laugh. Great, now he was hearing her while he was fully awake.

There it was again. It was musical, like the woman herself. He looked around and found her waiting by the hostess stand. There was a tall African American man with her, who looked to be her father. He knew he should turn around and walk out. It was best to keep avoiding her. It wouldn’t be heroic, but it would help him keep his sanity. Of course, he didn’t. He couldn’t. She was dressed in a long flowing blue Hawaiian dress with white flowers. Her rebellious curls were tied behind the nape of her neck with a scarf that matched her dress. There was a dangle of gold at her ears, and he realized they were ballerina slippers hanging from a gold chain earring.

So, instead of walking away, he intruded on her day. “Well, this is a surprise, Lalani.”

Her laughing stopped as she looked over at him. The sweet smile dissolved and a frown replaced it.

“Santini.”

The man with her turned, and he was sure it was her father. He was an older, African American gentleman who wore a bright red Hawaiian shirt and a pair of khakis; also, he was built like a tank

“Santini? You’re not one of Marco’s brothers, are you?”

“No, he’s a cousin. My name’s Anthony.”

“Oh, so you’re Tony’s kid. Are you going to introduce us, Lani?”

He cocked his head to the side. “Yeah, are you going to introduce us, Lani?”

“Dad, this is Anthony Santini. Santini, this is my dad. Oh, look. There’s the hostess.”

“Are you here by yourself?”

He rocked back on his heels and nodded.

“Well, why don’t you join us, son.”

The look Lalani gave her father would have left a lesser man in flames. Her father ignored her.

“I don’t mind if I do, Mr. Hawkins,” he said, giving her a grin.

“Call me Doug.”

She rolled her eyes. As the hostess showed them to their table, Lalani took the lead as he and Mr. Hawkins followed behind them. They took a table on the outdoor patio, which suited Anthony’s mood. It was a pretty day outside, and he liked the idea of enjoying it.

“What service are you in?”

“I’m out. Marines was my choice, but I’m with NCIS now.”

“And got a good assignment I see. I was in the Marines for twenty-five active.”

He looked at Lalani, who was reading her menu as if it held the secret to all of life’s mysteries.

“Really? So, that’s how you know the Santini name.”

“Well, and I know Alana. Sweet girl, and I had to make sure someone was taking good care of her.”

The waitress came and took their food orders.

“So, how long have you been on the island?” Doug asked.

“Not long. I’m still not sure I like it, but it hasn’t been too bad. I can get used to not having any winters. I was in San Diego before here, so I am getting used to the mild temps.”

“Where did your folks settle?”

“They went back to Arizona. My brother is running a ranch nearby and, well, for Mom that will always be home. Dad said she got to pick when he retired.”

He looked at Lalani. “You know, sweetie, your mother knew Marcella.”

She looked at Anthony. “Your mother?”

Anthony nodded. “Still the one in charge.”

Lalani said nothing to that and sipped at her coffee.

“So, have you two been dating?”

Lalani choked on her coffee. “Uh, no.”

“Well, why not? Anthony here seems like a fine young man.”

She looked at Anthony, then back at her father. “ Young man?”

Anthony frowned. “Hey, I’m only thirty-five.”

She smiled, that evil little one that irritated and turned him on simultaneously. “And I’m eight years younger, so you seem ancient to me.”

“I can keep up with you, Lani.”

“I’m a ballerina, and trained dancer. We have stamina not everyone can understand.”

“Yes. Lani here was one of the youngest ever hired ballerinas of the New York Ballet Company.”

Anthony blinked. “New York.”

“She was amazing. Still is.”

“Daddy, stop bragging.”

“Have you seen her dance? Amazing. So, I would be careful with challenging her, Anthony. Girl is stubborn as the day is long. And, she refuses to give in.”

So, he was disgusting. Because as her father went on and on about her stamina, he was gaining a totally different picture of Lalani. It had nothing to do with dancing, but just how long it would take to satisfy her. Before he could say anything, the waitress returned with their food and fresh drinks. He decided to concentrate on eating and not on the woman across the table.

Lalani was still trying to control her irritation when her father excused himself. From the moment she heard his voice, she had been in a state of panic. Thankfully, her father hadn’t asked again about dating. She was still raw over the one kiss they had shared days earlier. Anthony wasn’t affected by it apparently. And that irritated her even more.

The waitress returned with the check and Anthony grabbed it up off the table.

“Daddy’s not going to like that.”

He shrugged. “I didn’t ask.”

She crossed her arms beneath her breasts. “What are you doing here?”

He looked up at her. She wished she could see his eyes, but he’d slipped on a pair of mirrored sunglasses just a few minutes earlier. Now, she had no idea what he was thinking.

“We just had breakfast and now I’m paying.”

She sighed. “You’re being obtuse on purpose.”

He handed his credit card to the waitress, then he sat back in his chair and studied her. “That’s a new one. I don’t think I’ve ever been called that.”

“We need to avoid each other.”

“I didn’t follow you here.”

“I believe you. But maybe we need to do our best to stay away from each other.”

“Yeah, but see, that’s going to be hard to do. I live at Alana’s and will for the foreseeable future. Maybe we need to deal with it up front.”

Desperation slipped beneath her cool exterior. She didn’t know if she would be able to deal with it…with him. The man had been in her thoughts more than once in the last week, and she had been more than a little peeved that not once had he called her. She wasn’t a woman who waited around on a man, but this one was causing her more than a few restless nights.

The waitress returned with the receipt for him to sign.

“I said; Daddy isn’t going to like that.”

“My dad would expect me to treat your father and you to breakfast.”

And there it was. That was why she couldn’t walk away form him. He was sexy, and he tempted her in the worst way. Her body still shivered every time she relived that one kiss. She hadn’t had a man melt her brain like that in a long time. She had been lucky she didn’t wreck on the way back to her apartment.

But there was this side of him. He was a good man, and that combination was hard to resist.

“Tell you what? Why don’t we get together tomorrow? We can go out, or something. Then we can see what happens.”

“That’s the way you ask a woman out?”

“Nope. That’s the way I ask you out.”

She huffed and he laughed.

“So, you treat other women better.”

He shrugged again in that way that drove her crazy. “I treat each woman differently because each woman is different. But know, I always treat them right.”

She sighed. “I shouldn’t.”

“But you will,” he said, his voice sounding impatient.

“Okay. Noon.”

Before he could change the time, her father returned. Anthony said nothing about the proposed meeting, but the smile told her he got exactly what he wanted.

What the hell had she just done?