A Little Harmless Faith: Wulf Siblings Trilogy, Book One

by Melissa Schroeder

  He chuckled. “Well, you’re yelling at me, and you never do that. Even with people you don’t like, and I think you still kind of like me.”

  “I might change my mind.”

  “Come on, Nic, you both needed a nudge.”

  “Giving you permission to tell him who I was?”

  “No. He figured it out.”

  She snorted.

  “I promise. On that little screen, he watched the way you moved and then he ran out the door.”

  She walked over to her bed and sat down. “That’s what he said.”

  “In my experience, if a man is that obsessed about a woman, he’s interested in more than a working relationship.”

  “Oh, believe me, he told me that this morning.”

  “Terms?”

  “We haven’t talked much about those, but he did say something about ending when we left Hawaii.”

  It was Micah’s turn to snort. “Yeah, sure.”

  “What does that mean?”

  “Nothing. You two seem attracted to each other, so why not enter into an agreement? Is there something else stopping you?”

  “Work. We would have to deal with each other afterwards.”

  “That hasn’t been a problem before. You and I have no issues.”

  “You’re special.”

  “Aw, that’s sweet. What about that attorney in Hong Kong you told me about? You were working with him, and I am sure you continue to deal with him upon occasion.”

  Dammit. One of the things that was wonderful about Micah was his intuitiveness. It was occasionally also one of the more aggravating aspects.

  “True, but it’s different with Jensen.”

  “Why?”

  Because I might just be in love with him, and if it goes wrong, I’ll be beyond screwed up.

  She didn’t say that though. She couldn’t, because if she said the words out loud, they might come true.

  “I don’t see him every day. I also live with Jensen. Granted, the houses are usually huge, but still.”

  “Hmm. So you don’t want to talk about it?”

  Dammit.

  “No. I don’t know.”

  “Come on, Nic. You’re smart. What does he have that all of those other men didn’t? I remember asking you to come to Hawaii when I started my club and you turned me down flat.”

  “And you should thank me for that. Dee is the only woman who could put up with you.”

  “True. Still, you hold back from men all the time. Why is this man getting under your skin?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Any other Dom of his caliber and you would say yes on the spot.”

  “I told you. Work.”

  He sighed. “I see you aren’t going to be honest with me.”

  Guilt nudged at her. “I just haven’t worked through all of it yet.”

  “Okay, but at least keep the option open. You two could be great together.”

  “Or we could destroy a great working relationship.”

  “If there is no risk, it’s just not worth it to try.”

  She knew he was talking about his relationship with his wife Dee.

  “Kiss that sweet wife for me and those babies. I have things to think about.”

  “Sure thing. Call anytime.”

  “I was nice. I could have called at six this morning, so behave yourself from now on, or I will.”

  She hung up on his sputtering. The call made her feel even worse about the situation. She was ready to say no. She wanted him, but it wasn’t until this moment that she realized how much she valued his friendship. Nicola planned on leaving his employment someday, but she always thought they would remain friends.

  Her phone buzzed in her hands. When she saw Serenity’s face on the screen, she knew she couldn’t avoid her.

  “What do you want?”

  “I was calling to see what went on today.”

  “Well, he proposed we enter into an agreement.”

  “Not surprised he did.”

  “Until we leave the island.”

  She snorted. “Yeah, right.”

  “Why does everyone have that reaction?”

  “Who else did you talk to? You told someone before you told me?”

  “Calm down. I had to call Micah and find out what he told Jensen.”

  “I guess I can deal with that. Okay, what’s the plan?”

  “I had planned on saying no.”

  “But?”

  “That was before he kissed me.”

  “What?! Did you tell Micah about that too? I swear, you really—”

  “Calm down. I didn’t tell him.”

  “Good.” Then she sighed. “How was it?”

  “Talking to Micah? Same as always.”

  “Nicola!”

  “Okay, it was hot, wet, and I couldn’t think straight for at least half an hour.”

  “I knew it. You have to say yes.”

  She rolled her eyes. Serenity still had daydreams and fantasies in her head. She claimed to be a realist, but she wasn’t. Not really. She was still the child star who dreamed of a happier life. At least she had it now with her guys. Serenity just couldn’t understand that not everyone got a happily ever after.

  “No, I don’t. There are complications. Think about that.”

  “Like what complications?”

  “Like I work for him.”

  “And?”

  “That’s…well that could be bad. I mean, what happens if things go wrong? Think about how awkward it will be if one of us is ready to end it and the other isn’t?”

  “Oh, honey, you’re in love with him.”

  She fell back on her mattress and silently cursed best friends. “No. Maybe. I don’t know.”

  “If you are, you’re worried that after you leave the islands, he’ll just be back to being a Dom with others and you’ll be left out there on your own.”

  Her heart sank. “Yeah. Oliver was hard enough to get over. And he sucked as a boyfriend. I know Jensen is an excellent Dom.”

  “It’s more than that and you know it.”

  She wanted to deny it, but she knew she couldn’t.

  “Remember when I was trying to figure out what to do about the guys?” Serenity asked. “You told me to take a chance. You need to take a chance again. It’s been years since you’ve had a relationship.”

  “I have relationships all the time.”

  “You have sex. Albeit probably good sex, but not relationships. Those take time.”

  “We have ten days left here.”

  “And you have known him for four years. It will mean more.” She paused. “Unless you are a coward.”

  “Don’t even try that with me, woman.”

  “Why not? It works. Just think about it in the context of trying something new. You need to challenge yourself. I think your issue lately—which you have complained to me about—is that you find a lot of Doms boring right now. Maybe you need to try for a deeper connection. Maybe you and Jensen can find that.”

  “Okay. I have to go now.”

  “Why?”

  “I have a lot to think about.”

  Serenity laughed. “You do. Ta.”

  Nicola clicked off her phone without responding.

  Could she do this? Jensen had become an integral part of her life in the last four years. Jules had called her his binky, but there was a part of Nicola that understood it went both ways. They had lived in each other’s pockets almost from the beginning. Her attraction had started about a year earlier—surprising and embarrassing her. She couldn’t pinpoint the moment she started thinking of him differently, but he had started invading her dreams. And there were those moments when he would smile at her. Nicola swore her heart melted right then and there.

  She thought through the pros and cons. And she arrived at one definite decision.

  Before she could change her mind, she hurried out of her room and down the staircase. She arrived at Jensen’s office. He looked up at her—still wearing
the reading glasses—and smiled.

  Yep, there it was again. Her heart melted. “No work time play.”

  “Understood.”

  “We do not tell your family, and we keep this between us.”

  He nodded. “No need to get them involved.”

  “Then, I agree.”

  10

  For a long moment, Jensen said nothing. His brain had stopped working the moment she said the words ‘I agree’. He blinked a few times trying to force himself to think, but his thoughts were still frozen. Did she really agree to be his submissive? Bloody hell.

  She cocked her head to the side. “Jensen, are you okay?”

  He nodded, then cleared his throat. All of a sudden he felt like an untried virgin. She was studying him as if she thought he’d lost his mind. Not exactly the reaction he wanted from his submissive.

  He wanted this, needed it on a level that he didn’t yet understand. She was standing there, the bright sunlight shining behind her, and he had only two words running through his mind.

  I want.

  He wanted her on his desk, bent over as he took her from behind. He wanted to lean back in his chair while she was on her knees in front of him, his cock in her mouth. He could just imagine the way her tongue would swirl around his shaft as she gazed up at him with those damned eyes of hers.

  Damn. Beads of sweat had already dampened his palms. She left him randy and almost out of control in his need for her. They had a verbal agreement. It was still work hours. He knew it was important to stick to their agreed upon rules, but he wanted a taste of her. No matter that he had waited for months. Now that he knew she was going to submit, it was hard to resist the pull of her. She was such a strong woman, so he knew their D/s play would be challenging.

  “Tonight then?” he asked.

  She nodded.

  “Do you want to go to Rough ‘n Ready?”

  The moment the question slipped out, he regretted it. He didn’t want to share her with anyone else. Even if that meant walking around a club, he didn’t want people to look at her, to think about her. She was his.

  And he sounded like a boy with a new toy. Bloody fucking hell. It was the first time in his history as a Dom that he felt so possessive with a sub.

  “No,” she said. “This is us, alone. I don’t want an audience.”

  He felt the same way, but he thought she might want to get a private room. He wasn’t stupid enough to make the mistake a second time.

  “Do you go to many clubs?” he asked.

  She hesitated. He wondered at it, and he really didn’t want to order the answer out of her. Thankfully, she said, “I did years ago, but I stopped.”

  “Why?”

  “Truth is, I didn’t want to run into you at any of them. You are a member of several of the clubs I frequented. I thought it would be odd to run into each other, even if you knew of my preferences.”

  “That worked out well,” he said, not bothering to hide the sarcasm in his voice.

  Her mouth twitched. “You weren’t supposed to be there, if you remember.”

  Jensen shook his head. “So sneaky. That’s why you dressed up the way you did?”

  “I’m still recognizable. My worry is that it would reflect on the family if I were found there. Micah’s pretty tight with security, but you never know. Those rags have some incredibly sneaky bastards working for them. And while it’s okay for you to be a member, they would rip me to shreds for the fact that I am woman.”

  The way she talked about Ross made him itch. “I sense there’s something more between you and Ross.”

  She frowned. “Are you talking romantically? There isn’t. He’s in love with his wife.”

  Jensen knew that was true, but there was something else there, something that told him they had a deeper connection than just two people in the life. He knew she was. Granted, Ross was the owner of the club, but Jensen knew a lot of club owners wouldn’t allow it. That meant they had a more personal relationship.

  “I also heard two subs complaining about him and the other owner. They do no demonstrations or play unless it’s with their wives.”

  “Yes, I’ve heard that too. Have you ever played publicly?”

  He shook his head. “I didn’t want to create more grief for you. Have you?”

  She wrinkled her nose. “I had to perform for so many years on the ice, I wasn’t inclined to do so in my private life.”

  That made sense. He knew she still loved to skate, but only did it if she could rent some time on the ice, privately. She hated being gawked at. Even after all these years, people who loved skating recognized her. More than once they had been stopped for autographs, especially when they were in Colorado.

  He glanced at the clock. It was late afternoon and he knew that they both needed to eat. They would need it for the activities he had planned for them. “Did you want to go out for dinner?”

  She thought about it. “I guess we could. There isn’t much to eat since Marta wasn’t here today.”

  “Where?”

  “How about that little sushi place down in Waikiki near the hotels.”

  He liked that idea. It was always busy, but the sushi chefs were always fast. It would be filled mainly by locals.

  “That sounds brilliant. I have an errand to run, but I’ll be back in about an hour or so, then we can go. Does that work?”

  She nodded and said nothing else before leaving the room. He turned his seat around to stare out the window. He had fought this need for her for months and now he was giving into it because she was a submissive. The idea that she worked for him apparently didn’t bother him as much as her not living in the life. Now that he knew she was, he could care less about the work relationship. No, that was wrong. He did care. He needed her. He had never had a personal assistant who was as good at knowing what he wanted and exactly when he wanted it.

  He shook himself out of his thoughts and knew he had to get a move on. He had to call Micah to see if he was at the club, so he could do some shopping. Jensen needed some toys to play with tonight and they had the best supply.

  He dialed the number to the club and Micah picked up on the second ring. “Rough ‘n Ready.”

  “Ross, this is Wulf. I was wondering if you could do me a favor and let me come in to shop now.”

  “Not coming to the club tonight?” Micah asked, humor threading his voice.

  “Nope. I have a very private night planned.”

  “I thought you might. Come on in. I’ll be happy to let you spend money at my club.”

  Jensen hung up and grabbed the keys to the sedan they had rented. The sooner he got this and dinner done with, the sooner he would finally have Nicola all to himself.

  11

  They arrived home just as the sun was setting. Jensen had driven, and Nicola assumed that he had told John to make himself scarce. Hopefully, he had used some kind of excuse as not to raise suspicions. There was no need for rumors to start when this affair would be short-lived.

  She and Jensen walked side-by-side as they made their way to the front door. The idea of what was to come had left her very aroused and a little scared. What if they didn’t work well together? It happened sometimes, and usually she could merely walk away. If tonight was a disaster, it would lay there between them, through the next few days at least.

  He unlocked the doors and shut off the alarm. After she stepped through the threshold, he shut the door behind her, then locked it. Her heart raced as she knew each step further into the household was a step closer to their time together. During dinner, she’d forced herself to eat even as her body had begged for relief.

  She’d just slipped off her shoes and was starting to make her way to the kitchen when he said, “Nicola.”

  His voice had changed. It wasn’t something people would normally hear, but she knew him well. It was deeper, a bit more authoritative than she was accustomed to. This had to be his Dom voice. “Yes?”

  “What kind of panties are you wearing?”


  Really damp ones. “A thong.”

  “Go upstairs and strip out of your clothes but leave your panties on. Sit on that little bench in front of my bed, legs spread, hands behind you. Do you understand?”

  She nodded.

  “Oh and take down your hair. I like it down. Go.”

  She wanted to defy him, just to see what he would do. It might cause a few sparks, but that would delay their fun. Nicola so wanted to have fun.

  Without rushing, she walked up the stairs to his room. Just because she was doing his bidding, it didn’t mean she had to rush. In fact, taking her time would draw out the anticipation just a little more.

  His room was a bit bigger than hers, but with the same sized bathroom. She glanced at his dresser. On it lay several toys to play with and she wondered about them. Before she could inspect them closer, he apparently didn’t trust her to follow his orders.

  “Don’t dawdle,” he yelled up at her.

  She stripped out of her dress, followed by her bra. She folded them and put them on the bench where she was to sit. As instructed, she pulled the pins out of her hair. When she heard his footsteps on the stairs, she hurried over to the bench and sat as he had ordered.

  Even though she still wore her panties, she felt exposed. Her breasts were bare, and there was no mistaking the dampness in her panties. He would definitely be able to see it with her in that position.

  He walked through the door carrying a tray that had a water pitcher and two glasses on it.

  “Well, you do make a very good sub. Who would have known?”

  He set the tray on the dresser, then approached her. He stopped between her legs.

  “I had a feeling you would have pretty breasts, and I was right,” he said as he brushed the backs of his fingers over one nipple. His touch was a like a shockwave to her system. Heat sparked, and her nipples tightened.

  She wanted more, craved it, but she did not utter a word. He stepped away and she almost moaned in irritation. He made his way to the balcony.

  “I know it will probably make it hot in here, but I need to close these doors. People know we live here, and you know how high-powered lenses can wreak havoc on privacy.”

  She nodded.

  When he had them closed, he walked back over to her. “We haven’t talked much about what you have done in the past. I assume regular play, yes?”