A Santini Christmas Read Online Free PDF

accident of birth?”
    For a second he didn’t say anything, then he laughed.
    “ What?”
    “ You have just the right amount of sarcasm to please me, Joey.” He took a sip of his soda. “So, are you going to tell me your full first name?”
    “ You couldn’t charm it out of Thelma?”
    “ No. She told me if you didn’t want me to know, I didn’t need to know.”
    She bit her bottom lip and tried to keep from laughing, but it was no use. He sounded so irritated by the whole issue. His eyes narrowed when she snorted.
    “ What?”
    “ So…poor little Marine couldn’t get Thelma to tell him stuff?”
    He made a face and she had to bite her lip to keep from laughing. He looked so put out.
    “ It didn’t used to be a problem.”
    “ I bet it’s never a problem for you.”
    “ What the hell is that supposed to mean?”
    She realized then that she said it aloud. With a sigh, she decided to end any chance she had with the man—not that she wanted one.
    “ Listen, I get it. You’re big and tough, not to mention you’re a Marine and gorgeous. Women are always falling over themselves to get your attention. I’m sure that Thelma’s reaction to you is rooted in your time together when you were a little boy, but I am almost positive you were probably a pretty little boy too.”
    He blinked, calling attention to those large dark lashes and those impossible milk chocolate eyes. “You think I’m gorgeous?”
    Of course, out of all of that, that is the one thing he remembered.
    She shrugged. “You don’t make me want to vomit when I see you.”
    There was another beat of silence and she fiddled with the edge of the sleeve of her jean jacket.
    “ Well, that’s a good thing.”
    He said it with enough self-depreciating humor that she had to smile. When she looked up from the table, she found him grinning at her.
    “ It is a good thing. I would have never been able to suggest pizza otherwise.” He just kept grinning at her and there was a part of her that wanted to go with the flow. There was no way there would be anything between them. She didn’t know when she would trust a man that much again. Since he was a Marine who would probably ship out at some point, there was no reason to think there would be anything between them.
    “ Listen—“
    “ Oh, that doesn’t sound good,” he said easily.
    She sighed. “I don’t date for a good reason. I don’t have time.” That sounded good. It was at least partially true.
    “ Really?”
    He sounded skeptical but not sarcastic. There was at least that.
    “ Yes. I am trying to save up some money for school.”
    “ Your folks can’t help?’
    She shook her head. “No. They’ve got enough on their hands at the moment.” Her father’s illness wasn’t something to talk about or the fact that when they did have money, her parents usually gave it away to those who needed it more.
    He nodded. “I’m not sure if I would have made it through without going to Annapolis.”
    Of course, he was an Annapolis graduate. Then it dawned on her that he was a captain or O-3. There was a good chance he had been to Vietnam before coming there.
    “ You’ve been in country?”
    He nodded. “Just for six months though.”
    “ And your brothers, none of them went?
    He shook his head. “They all wanted to go. Mom was happy they didn’t. She doesn’t like her babies far from home.”
    She rolled her eyes. “Your poor mother having to deal with four boys. I wouldn’t wish that on anyone.”
    He opened his mouth to say something but was interrupted by the server bringing them the pizza. When they were finally alone, she asked, “What?”
    He shook his head. “I just never thought about how being a mom of four boys would deal with it. I guess my mom just never really showed that it bothered her much. Of course, she is kind of the rock star of the family.”
    “ Oh, so a mama’s boy?”
    He blinked again, then he laughed out loud. “I can’t win with you. But no, I am not