A Santini Christmas by Melissa Schroeder Page B

knowing that Stewart was just a few feet from her. It was something new for her. Comfort with a big old bad Marine standing guard.
    With that thought, she slipped off her shoes and jeans. At that point, she just decided sleeping in her t-shirt was enough. Moments later, she was snugged in her bed; the horror of the night fading and the contentment of having Stewart close by filled her.
    Damn Marine.
    It was her last thought before falling asleep.
     

Chapter Nine
     
    Papa woke up before the sun. Years of training couldn’t stop that from happening. He was a creature of habit, unfortunately. He sat up and stretched. The cracks that sounded as he twisted his back made him feel old. He knew he was much too young for those kinds of sounds to emanate from his body.
    He hadn’t had much sleep. Part of it was the couch. He doubted Joey would have been able to fit on it. The other trouble he had was the woman herself.
    She hadn’t said much about her past, but he had figured out part of it. He knew she didn’t trust men. He thought she’d been burned, maybe treated badly by a guy so she avoided them. Now he knew better.
    There was no mistaking the terror he’d seen on her face last night as she beat the shit out of the college boy. Even with the situation, he felt his lips twitch. The women packed a hell of a punch and Papa was pretty sure that kid would think twice about taking on a woman again. Hell, with the kick to his crotch, Papa wasn’t sure the kid was going to have a fully functioning weapon for a while.
    His smile faded as his mind moved back to Joey. He decided not to think too much about the woman. He was a little too raw from the night before and besides, he had morning needs to attend to.
    After he was done, he walked out of the tiny bathroom and glanced toward the curtain where Joey slept. As soon as he had closed it the night before, he knew it was more than just to shield herself in the room. It seemed she was cocooned from the world in a way. She participated, but she was always careful about how much she involved other people in her life. Damn, he had to have been stupid not to have picked up on some things. She didn’t scare easily. Now that he looked back, there were times that she positioned herself in a place to have a quick escape. She was skittish of men…but not him. Not now. She seemed comfortable around him. Last night, she’d wanted him in her bed. And sadly, he had turned her down.
    He sighed. That had been one of the hardest things to do. From the moment he had seen Joey Antonio he had wanted her. It wasn’t something he could explain to most people, but he understood the Santini Curse. Most Santini men knew when they met the woman for them. He had mocked it for years. The younger generation always did. Papa hadn’t truly believed it until he’d stepped into that bar. Now, he knew what his uncles and father talked about.
    In the three weeks he’d known her, she’d not only engaged him on that primal need. Now, she’d crawled right into his heart. He didn’t know the entire story behind what had happened to her. Knowing it, knowing what she had built for herself…he couldn’t help but fall for a woman like that.
    He hadn’t paid much attention to the room the night before, but now that he glanced around, he realized just how much Joey was in that room. It was simple, not garish. There were small splashes of color here and there. Then, he saw the paintings. They lined the wall in an area where he assumed most people would put a table for dining. The window on one side probably afforded her the best light to work.
    Damn, she was talented. There were landscapes of the beach. Not during the sunny summer. No, this showed the sea rough and the sky overcast. Then he realized that was the way it had looked when they had taken a walk the week before. There were pencil drawings of Sam and Thelma, then he came to the easel. It was covered, but Papa just couldn’t resist. He pulled the fabric