A Santini's Heart (The Santinis Book 10) by Melissa Schroeder Page A

around you.”
    Her gaze went to his erection, and she felt her face heat.
    Carlos chuckled, but said nothing as he leaned down to cup her face. The gentle touch to her face didn’t prepare her for the kiss. He kissed her like before, but the urgency had increased tenfold. There, on the tip of his tongue, she could taste her arousal, and it pulled another moan from her. He tore away from the kiss, opened his bedside table drawer, and grabbed a condom.
    After rolling it on, he urged her back onto the bed and joined her, kneeling between her legs. He lifted her hips, and thrust into her, slowly, inch by inch. All the while, he kept his gaze on hers. When he was in her to the hilt, he leaned down and kissed her before he started to move within her. Tia had thought she wouldn’t be able to come again, but he took his time, teasing her with mouth, his hands, and his cock. She felt that familiar tension rise within her again. Thrust after thrust, he edged them both closer to their release. His rhythm increased, and she knew he was close.
    “Come on, Tia. Come with me, baby.”
    She looked up at Carlos, his gaze hot and direct. At that moment, she could not deny him anything. She bowed up off the bed and let go. Pleasure consumed her, as she felt him thrust one more time before he called out her name to follow her into blissful surrender.

CHAPTER NINE
    L ong moments later , Carlos stirred. He was still laying on top of Tia where he had collapsed after making love.
    “There is a very good chance that I am dead,” Carlos said.
    Tia laughed, a carefree sound he hadn’t heard that much of in the last few months. He pulled himself up and looked down at her. Her hair was a tangled mess against his comforter, and she still had her eyes closed. It was the sweet smile that made her look like an angel.
    “I like that sound.”
    “Of being dead?”
    “No, your laugh.” When she opened her eyes, he read the question in their depths. “I haven’t heard you laugh that much lately.”
    She was quiet for a long moment. “I do, but never to your face.”
    The comment pulled a chuckle from him.
    “Thanks for that.”
    “You’re very welcome.”
    Damn, but he loved her. Carlos waited for the panic to rise, but it didn’t. It probably never would again. The moment he had thrust inside of her, he felt that connection beyond the physical, and it became crystal clear to him. She was the love of his life.
    The rational side of him knew he hadn’t been ready for the revelation. It wasn’t like he didn’t know her, but he wasn’t sure he was cut out for the Santini curse. Now, though, he knew it without a doubt. There would be no way for him to fight it, and he didn’t want to. Of course, there was someone who would, and she was the woman who owned his heart.
    He gave her a kiss and lifted himself off her. After ridding himself of the condom, he made his way back to the bedroom. She had moved and was now leaning against the pillows.
    “You know you can’t talk. You didn’t laugh much when I met you either,” she said.
    “True. I was just pissed off.”
    She said nothing for a moment. “I always wondered if you had issues later on. Adrian said no.”
    The fact that she had asked didn’t embarrass him. If anything, it made him happier. It was nice to have a person who didn’t tiptoe around him. His family never had, but other people had. Women especially. A man would never have to worry about that with Tia. Straightforward and honest.
    He slid into bed beside her, then slipped his arm around her, and pulled her over to lay on top of him.
    “My main problem was being mad at the world. I had an idea of what my life was going to be like, and it didn’t happen.”
    “Hmm.”
    “What?”
    “It just seems so easy to identify. I am not knocking you or your PTSD, but maybe it’s because I work with some pretty severe cases.”
    That was true. While he worked with clients, Tia always took the worst cases. She had more than one person