The Santinis: Vicente, Book 4 (7 page)

“
We do what we want. There are no rules.”

Her shoulders relaxed and she gave him a shy smile. “Yeah?”

She was naïve in so many ways and he laid the blame at Mike’s feet. Jules wasn’t that experienced, but she had been married. She should know more about her power over men if she’d been married to the right man.

Now that she seemed relaxed, he tugged on the sheet. She gasped, and giggled when he pulled her over on top of him. “Yeah.”

He pulled her bottom lip between his teeth and she shivered against him. He couldn’t stop his reaction any more than he could quit loving her. When his cock hardened against her, her face turned red. He laughed.

“
I’m sorry, Jules, but I hate to tell you I’m in a state of almost constant arousal around you. Now that I have every gorgeous inch of you against me while we’re both naked, it’s gonna happen.”

She smiled. “So everything was okay?”

“
Okay?”

She rolled her eyes. “I don’t have much experience so I don’t have any idea.”

“
First, for most guys it doesn’t take much. Seriously. But, you blew my mind.”

And she had. He’d been confused about her reactions but now they made sense. There was an element of…innocence and when she had her first orgasm, she’d sounded surprised. He wanted to know what went on in her life and her marriage but he couldn’t ask her now. He didn’t feel he had a right. Besides, he was feeling too good to bring it down with questions. So, he kept it light.

“
Now, what about me?” he asked with a smile.

“
What?”

“
Well, I said nice things to you. Now tell me how wonderful I am.”

Jules settled her forearms on his chest. “You were wonderful?”

She tilted her head to the side as if giving the question great thought. Her silky tresses slipped over his skin.

“
What did you exactly do?”

He leaned up and kissed her then swatted her on the ass. “I rocked your world. Three times if I counted correctly.”

“
You kept count?”

“
All men keep count. At least the good ones.”

“
What do the bad men do?”

“
They don’t rock your world three times.”

Then, she laughed. That Jules laugh he loved so much. Over the years, he would hear a woman laughing that almost sounded like Jules and he would search for her. Didn’t matter where he was, he would think she was there. And now, she was lying on top of him, naked, and laughing. A man couldn’t ask for much more.

When she noticed him watching her, her smile faded. “What?”

“
Nothing. I just always liked your laugh.”

“
Yeah?”

“
Yeah.”

She wiggled and he groaned. “I’m sorry.”

“
No, don’t be.” He shifted and entered her, then cursed. He opened the drawer to grab another condom. He rolled it on and said, “Take me in, Jules.”

She sat up, and rose to her knees. Inch by inch, she sank down on his cock. He was ready to come just from the sight of that. He’d left the light on and he was glad for it now. Smooth skin, all that red hair, and lord, she had the prettiest breasts. Not overly large, but the perfect size for his hands…or his mouth. She lifted up and sank down again. The woman was going to be the death of him. She was so damned tight. Soon though, she sped up her rhythm. Watching her take control of her pleasure was probably one of the sexiest things he’d ever seen.

His control was slipping, but he didn’t want to take over. He wanted this to be hers to give. But it didn’t mean he couldn’t help her along. He slipped his hand between her legs and pressed on her clit. A couple of strokes and she came apart. She shuddered with her release, arching her back and allowing her head to fall back. A sensual moan escaped from her throat.

Erotic, amazing and beautiful. He couldn’t resist joining her a moment later as she still shivered from her release.

Moments later she collapsed on top of him and he wrapped his arms around her.

It was then that he knew there was no doubt. She was the woman he wanted in his bed, by his side, for the rest of his life.

Vince was looking over the course directive for the next session when there was a knock at his door. He welcomed the interruption. He wasn’t getting anything done thanks to daydreaming about Jules.

“
Come.”

The door opened to reveal Jesse Johnson. He was in civilian clothes.

“
Are you busy?” he asked.

“
Not really, come on in. Have a seat.”

Before MJ and Leo married, he knew Jesse by reputation and now he knew him just a bit better. Of the three brothers, he was the hardest to read. He was the oldest and reminded Vince of the General more than the others. There was already talk that he would make a star early and from everything Vince had seen, he was definitely on track to do it.

Jesse settled in a seat in front of Vince’s desk. “I guess you’re wondering what I’m doing here.”

Vince nodded trying not to reveal his irritation. If the man thought he could warn him away from Jules, he better think twice. After the night he’d just had with her, he refused to let anyone get in the way, even if he was family in a round about way.

“
I sort of feel responsible for Jules. I was the one who started the paperwork to kick Mike out of the service.”

“
He said he decided to get out.”

Jesse shook his head. “No. He was lucky he lasted as long as he did. He had a lot of problems from the very first. He barely made it out of basic.”

Vince didn’t know what to say to that. They hadn’t really talked after the wedding. Truth was, he dreaded each call. He didn’t want to hear how happy Jules and Mike had been in their marriage. Vince wasn’t too sure how he would have handled them having children.

And in that instant, he realized that’s what he wanted. In his head, he had seen the two of them together, but now, he knew what he wanted for sure. He wanted that marriage, kids, the whole thing. And he only wanted it with Jules.

“
Earth to Santini.”

He shook his head and focused on Jesse. “So, you’re saying he was a shit Marine.”

Jesse shrugged. “I could handle it if he at least tried. He didn’t though. He expected to succeed without trying.”

The memories of high school came back to him: Mike quitting the basketball season, quitting his job, ditching school. Without the happy haze of high school friendship clouding his thought process, Vince realized his former friend hadn’t been good at sticking it out.

“
Yeah, he had a history of it.”

Jesse nodded. “You know some guys. They’re losers, can’t get their shit together. They get in the military and it seems to all come together for them. Then they’re the best in the unit. That didn’t happen with Mike.”

“
So what happened?”

He shrugged. “Truthfully, he didn’t give a fuck. As I said, he wanted the reward without even trying. Subsequently, when he failed, he blamed everyone else. Including Jules. And, well, I know after he got Article Fifteen, he just never recovered.”

For a moment, he said nothing. “Are you telling me he was court martialed?”

He nodded looking confused. “Yeah. He’d had all kinds of issues. Insubordination, dereliction of duty. When he started drinking, he was lost to the Marines.”

“
He’d said he got out because of Jules.”

And that had always bothered him. Not that he thought he had a chance with her, but the truth was, he had never met a woman more ready to be a Marine spouse than Jules was. She loved being a brat, loved the lifestyle. It had always niggled at him that Mike claimed she’d been a dismal failure. When she had told him Mike had been kicked out, it hadn’t really registered. Mainly because he hated hearing anything about her time with Mike.

“
Nope. In fact, he held it together longer thanks to her in my opinion. If you know Jules, you know that she’s one for organizing anything and she did it for Mike, for a while at least. But, he started to resist. Then…the drinking and the women.”

“
Women?”

“
Yeah, your friend was a real bastard. He couldn’t keep it in his pants. I think that was what drove Jules completely away. She put up with a lot from the bastard, but when he started cheating on her…not to mention messing with their money, she walked away.”

It was hard to think of Mike that way. Of course, Mike had had his faults just like anyone else. But these things…Vince would have never expected the cheating. Of course, he’d lied to him about sleeping with Jules when they were in high school, so now Vince wondered what else his friend lied about.

“
I just wanted you to know there was a lot in their relationship and I want to make sure you don’t hurt her. That’s one woman who doesn’t need any more pain.”

“
You aren’t interested in her otherwise?”

Jesse shook his head. “Naw. I kind of see her as a sister. Of course, if Mike hadn’t had that wreck, I probably would have killed him myself. Their marriage, in the end, was a living hell for Jules. There was more than one night I felt I failed protecting her.”

At the moment he had much of the same feelings.

“
And I’m assuming you’re going out with her soon.”

“
In a way. We went out last night.”

Which wasn’t exactly a lie. He just didn’t feel right outing their relationship in front of Jesse. Truth was that Vince wanted to keep it between them for the next little while. It was something he wanted to share with only her.

Jesse chuckled. “And here I thought you were committed to your title of Last Santini Standing.”

He shrugged. “I guess we’ll see.”

He gave him a look that told Vince he didn’t believe him.

“
So, I take it you went out to see MJ again.”

He smiled. Vince might not like the man sniffing around his business, but it was nice to see another military family as close as the Santinis, mainly because it prepared MJ for the intrusive life of a Santini.

“
Lord, yeah. I think she’s bigger today than she was last night.”

“
You didn’t tell her that, did you?” Vince asked.

Jesse rolled his eyes. It was so like the same expression MJ had when she was irritated that Vince laughed.

“
I’m not stupid.” He sighed and stood. “I just wanted you to know there’s nothing going on between Jules and me. And, know if you do anything to her, I will hunt you down and make you pay.”

Vince studied him for a moment then nodded.

Once he was alone, Vince sat back and looked outside. He had been ready to live alone the rest of his life. He’d always thought that he’d never meet a woman like Jules. He didn’t feel comfortable settling for someone who just didn’t have his whole heart. It wasn’t the Santini way. And, he couldn’t do that to another woman.

She’d been back for a while and Vince knew that his mother had been spending time with her. He’d avoided the shop even though he drove by it at least once a week. Which did not make him a stalker. Really.

Okay, a little bit, but his mother had been so worried about her, Vince felt the need to make sure she was alright. Of course, he never stopped, but that didn’t mean anything.

He scrubbed his face with both his hands. He had to ask Jules about her relationship, but he was worried about pushing her. Last night had been more than he ever expected. Waking up with her in his bed had been a memory he would never forget.

He needed to know what went on at some point, but he didn’t want to lose her. Vince knew without a doubt, this was his last chance with her and he wasn’t about to screw that up.

Now, if he could just remember that, he’d be fine.

* * * *

Jules was just stepping out of the shower when she heard the roar of a Harley. She dressed as fast as she could knowing that Vince would probably stop over. They hadn’t made any plans, but she had a feeling he would want to stop by.

As she pulled her top on, she admitted that she had hoped he would stop by. Last night had proven that she wasn’t a complete failure in the bedroom. And sadly, she had been daydreaming all day about another night with Vince. Being preoccupied with sex was something that she didn’t have to deal with since her high school days.