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“It doesn’t have to be. I did feel like it was a little disrespectful to say that in front of someone else, though.

” Vanessa quieted at that. “I know we fought a lot, but on my side, it wasn’t all serious.

That’s how I grew up, jokes, insults, bickering.

That’s how my family communicated. And, to be honest, I liked getting you riled up ‘cause you were cute when you were mad and the make-up sex was crazy. Maybe you saw it differently.”

“If you mean aside from the issues with your friend … it was more good than bad,” she admitted slowly.

“I did love the making-up part, but after a while I wondered why we had to fight first to get to that. You didn’t take a lot of things seriously, but sometimes that actually made it worse, like you weren’t trying to hear me when something was really bothering me. ”

“Like the bathroom thing,” he acknowledged after a moment.

“The privacy thing. I know you grew up with a lot of boys in the house, and it was fine to be all up in their business, but my household was different. It just wasn’t appropriate. And as close as you and I were, I wasn’t comfortable with you seeing that much. There’s no mystery left after that.”

She paused after that unexpected litany poured out of her. He didn’t look surprised when she darted a glance at his face. Troubled, yes, but not surprised.

“It wasn’t because of my brothers. You were in school all day or at the library studying after that.

I was out on long-ass shifts for days at a time or leaving for emergency calls.

I wanted to spend as much time with you as possible when we were home together.

Ten minutes in the bathroom was ten minutes too long away from you. ”

Fuck , that was the sweetest explanation for his intrusions that had honestly never once occurred to her. Stunned, she was the one who went silent as her heart throbbed, like an old wound being poked and prodded.

“But it goes both ways,” he said after a moment. “You went through my phone. I’d call that a privacy problem.”

Her face flamed. “I did that because you were giving me reasons to worry.”

“It was still an invasion of my privacy. I never did that to you. I did the bathroom thing because I wanted to be closer to you, but you were looking for reasons to get pissed off,” he said pointedly.

She sighed hard. “Let’s just say we both crossed boundaries that we shouldn’t. What about you? You got pissed with me too, like real pissed. So now’s your chance to get that off your chest.”

“If you want to hear it.”

“Not sure I do, but go ahead,” she responded, tension tightening her spine.

“Well…kinda like back there when you made that comment in front of the woman at the store. You did stuff like that a lot, made little jokes about me in front of other people. And you corrected me a lot or always had to explain something to me like I’d never heard of it before.

Mansplaining except in reverse. Like, I got it, you had a bunch of degrees, and I didn’t, but I was cool with that.

In fact, I was really proud of you for graduating law school. I love how fuckin’ smart you are.”

Yikes, her heart again. How was he managing this, making her angry and yet so touched all at the same time?

“You called me a nerd. A big nerd. Professor Donahue,” she countered, trying hard to stay on the angry side. But she was softening like melting butter in his sunshine.

“That’s ‘cause you are a nerd. My nerd. The total package. Juicy boobs, a nice butt, and a big, beautiful brain. What’s not to love?”

Vanessa was flooded with embarrassed delight that erupted into laughter. “I can’t tell if that was the best compliment I’ve ever had or the worst.”

“Either way, you said it didn’t bother you that I wasn’t a suit and tie guy with a bunch of degrees, working in a boardroom or head of a company like Nico. But sometimes, I wondered if it did.” His face was flushed, and the wrinkle on his forehead had deepened.

Was he also thinking about Scott, who’d accomplished all those things? He had mentioned that during their “elevator moment” but as there were other more urgent things on her mind during that encounter, she hadn’t given it much thought at the time.

She had to stop and stare at him. “Are you serious? You’re a firefighter.

People love you guys. Lawyers, not so much.

They make jokes about us dying and everyone laughs.

Ha ha, so funny!” He chuckled at that. “But you guys are bona fide heroes. I was really proud of you, too. I was proud to say I was with someone who’d risk his life for people he didn’t even know. ”

The look he gave her, with his eyes shining with such sudden and earnest adoration, made her turn away quickly. She wished he’d stop looking at her like that.

She took an inhale of the fresh outdoor air and said, “I can acknowledge that I might have played Knowledge Nerd once too often. And I shouldn’t have made jokes about you in front of other people. You never did that to me. I’m sorry for that.”

A grin stole over his face. “Holy fuck, an apology from Professor Donahue? This is a great vacation already.”

Vanessa resisted that grin and faced forward again. “Treasure it. It’s probably the only one you’ll be hearing from me. Whew!” She fanned her face with her hand. “This was a little heavier than I was expecting for my first night in town.”

“It’s a start,” he replied cryptically. “Welcome to my new show, Relationship Rehab.”

“What the fuck?” she exclaimed, then burst out laughing a second time, so hard she had to stop walking. “You really need to stop watching so much HGTV.”

“Yeah, yeah,” he grumbled. “Alright, I’m all talked out. Let’s go do some fun shit.”

They turned back to the hotel to drop off the shopping bag and head back down to the restaurant, where the Michelin chef served up a great meal of fresh seafood, including smoked fish, garlic scallops and the creamiest lobster bisque she’d ever had.

After dinner, they went out to listen to a band in an open-air park, sitting on a blanket on the grass.

Santino had brought wine, which they drank while lounging and listening.

Things were light and easy until later that night, when it was time to sleep.

Vanessa stood by her side of the bed after her shower, staring at the cool white bedding.

Santino slipped under the covers on his side, wearing just his boxer briefs as he usually did.

His body was all long, tanned goodness, and she turned away from the sight of his bright eyes, his smooth, muscled chest and arms and the veined Adonis belt.

His thighs were still thick, also veined.

She’d once known every single raised line, had traced them with a loving tongue.

And those weren’t the only parts of him that were deliciously thick and veined that she’d loved licking and sucking.

Before she got in, she hastily rushed to her closet and came back with a dressy scarf, wrapping it around her neck so he couldn’t possibly reach her “on “switch.

That, coupled with her bonnet and the hotel robe belted and knotted around her waist, would hopefully send him the message she was closed for business.

Looking over at his nightstand, all she saw was a half-empty glass of water, but when she scanned for that feather, it was nowhere in sight.

He had been in the process of typing something into his phone and was still focused on the tiny glowing screen. “I’m texting Virgil to say we’re settled in, and the room is awesome. Also, to let him know your brother and her will be joining us for the rest of the week.”

“Uh-huh.” It was more of a squeak in her throat than an affirmation.

Fuck, her nerves were jumping. Just the sight of that firm chest with the golden-brown nipples was causing her heartbeat to pulse in places that she desperately needed to stay cool and disinterested.

The sheet was up to his waist but what was underneath…

Apparently done, he put the phone on his nightstand. That’s when he turned and saw her standing awkwardly by the bed, shifting from foot to foot. He grinned, his gaze touching her from head to toe. “What’s up with the outfit? I know its Canada, but it’s not that cold.”

“I feel something coming on,” she said, clutching the robe tighter and burrowing her chin into the scarf.

“Hm, coming . Interesting choice of words.” That grin turned lazy, and despite the fuzzy robe and the bonnet, his gaze turned hot. That blue fire swept up and down her form. “Are you gonna stand there all night or are you gonna lie down?”

Rolling her eyes as if annoyed at the question, she lay down with awkward, jerky movements far away on her side of the wide expanse of mattress.

She faced the ceiling with her body rigid, arms crossed over her stomach, legs crossed at the ankles.

He also stayed flat on his back and put one arm up under his head.

Vanessa was excruciatingly aware of his intake and exhalations of breath, the way he absentmindedly scratched his thumb across that lickable rollercoaster of abs.

“Did you have a good time today?” Santino asked after a long, weighty pause.

“Well, considering you hijacked my trip and are forcing me into hanging out with you, yeah, sure. It’s absolutely great.”

“Come on, admit it. You had fun,” he scoffed. “Maybe not as much fun as we used to when you weren’t mad at me.”

“According to you, that was almost never,” Vanessa reminded him archly.

“Nah, I always had a good time with you.” He fell silent.

The room was cool, but the robe and the remnants of the wine in her bloodstream were making her feel warm.

Lying still, it was easier to track where the warmth flowed.

Tingling palms, restless feet, the rising flush in her chest. The flaring heat of his body beside her.

Then he spoke again, soft laughter lacing his words.

“Remember that night at Dom’s birthday party? ”