A Little Harmless Lie: Harmless, Book 4

by Melissa Schroeder

  She turned away and pulled off a glove to grab a bottle of water. She took a large swallow and faced him. “What are you doing here this early, Micah?”

  “I thought to get some work done.”

  Which was odd because Micah didn’t do work early in the day. It was one of things she envied about him. He had no problems living his hedonistic lifestyle. He intertwined it with being a very successful business man, but he seemed to revel in the fact that he slept until two in the afternoon every day.

  “Well, I’m trying to get my workout done so I can go home to shower, so…”

  He shoved his hands in his pockets and rocked back on his heels. “So, what?”

  She knew he wasn’t dense. He knew she wanted to be alone and he was taking pleasure in denying her wish.

  “I have a feeling you have better things to do than watch me work out.”

  He chuckled and the sound had every hormone in her body jumping to attention. Wet heat slipped through her body, over her nerve endings. “I doubt that. How long did you train in ballet?”

  “Jazz,” she said, and then silently cursed herself for allowing that information to slip out.

  “I knew you had some training in dance from the way you move behind the bar.”

  She frowned. “What do you mean?”

  He paused. “Well, there’s just something in the way you move that speaks of some kind of dance training.”

  Crap. She thought she kept that hidden away, had for years. “I didn’t know you paid that much attention to your employees.”

  His smile widened. “I don’t usually. But you intrigue me.”

  Just hearing him speak the words had her heart whacking against her ribs. She turned and grabbed her towel to wipe herself down. If he wasn’t going to leave, she would at least clean herself up.

  “So, you’re stalking my every move.”

  “I wouldn’t say that.”

  “It’s that obvious that I used to dance?”

  Her nerves were jumping and not just with arousal. Maybe she’d been here too long. She had grown comfortable in her surroundings and that was never a good thing. But she had fallen in love with Oahu, the people and her job.

  “No, not really. But since I used to fight, I pick up on things like that.”

  “Oh, I forgot you used to do those ultimate fight things.”

  “Things? I guess you could call it that. It definitely shouldn’t be considered anything but a means to an end.”

  “Did you get hurt?”

  He shrugged. “It was worth it. Helped me open Rough ’n Ready.”

  She nodded. “Well, I’m on my way home.”

  But when she tried to step around him, he moved into her path. Every nerve in her body sizzled.

  “Why are you rushing out? People say that your workouts last at least an hour.”

  “Ross, back off. That does sound like stalking.”

  “If I wanted to stalk you, you’d have no idea, that’s for sure. After my stint in the ring, you know I was a bounty hunter?”

  She did, but only after she had taken the job. Since she rarely saw bounty hunters in the bar, she figured she was safe. Considering the six-foot-plus mountain of gorgeous muscle looming in front of her, that might have been a mistake.

  “Okay, so you can stalk me. Gotcha.”

  She turned to leave, but apparently Micah wasn’t ready for that.

  “I didn’t say you could leave.”

  She stopped in her tracks. Not because he ordered her. Not really. It was the tone of his voice. It had changed. Subtly. There was an edge to it that wasn’t there before. Worse was her reaction to it. The dark order sent a tsunami of need flowing through her. She didn’t need this, didn’t want it. Hunger surged, battered at her defenses.

  “I didn’t ask.”

  He drew in a deep breath, his nostrils flaring slightly. Even that turns me on, she thought. Her blood pounded through her, her heart turning over at the fierce look he gave her. God, she needed to get away from him, away from this crazy longing he pulled from her.

  She moved to get around him, but he wrapped his hand around her upper arm. She didn’t feel threatened. If she told him to take his hands off her, Micah would do it. There was a deep core of goodness in him, the type of thing that made him dangerous to a woman like her. He was dangerous in a completely different area. She wanted him. More than she had ever wanted another man. It was something she had avoided by keeping her interactions with men very superficial. She dated men who did absolutely nothing for her, so she wouldn’t be tempted. Unfortunately, this man would tempt the most pious of virgins.

  She looked down at his hand then back up at him. The heat she saw flicker in his eyes flared deep in her belly, shot straight to her sex. Dammit, he barely touched her and she was quivering, waiting. Wanting.

  “What?”

  He turned her, slowly, until they faced each other, so close that her breasts rubbed against him each time she drew in a breath. Her nipples were hard, her mouth dry. Her body was one big hormone begging for relief.

  “I don’t know what the hell it is about you, but…” He groaned, and before she knew what he was doing, he dipped his head and moved his mouth over hers. She didn’t respond at first. She tried her best to resist, pretending it didn’t affect her. But he pulled her closer and her breasts pressed against him. His hands skimmed down her spine to her ass. She could feel his arousal through their layers of clothing and she couldn’t stop herself, or the hunger he seemed to wrench from her.

  His tongue slipped over the seam in her mouth and she opened, willingly, craving this connection. Longing welled up in her, surged through her blood. She slipped her hands up his shoulders, behind his neck, and then she plunged her fingers into his long silky strands.

  He groaned again and deepened the kiss while he lifted her off the ground. Everything in her body screamed for relief, one that she knew only Micah could give her. She pressed closer, wrapping her legs around his waist. Liquid heat pooled between her thighs. All her nerve endings seemed to shimmer. Every thought dissolved at the feel of his tongue sliding against hers, the way his heart pounded against hers, and how much she burned to feel his flesh against hers.

  The sound of a door slamming in the distance brought them both back to their senses. They pulled apart, their breathing choppy. He eased her down, grimacing when she slid against his erection. Both of them groaned.

  “That should not have happened,” she said between gasps.

  “It was just a matter of time, Dee.”

  She shook her head. “You live a lifestyle I don’t.”

  It wasn’t exactly true. Secretly, she read BDSM and had a thing for big, bad Doms as the heroes, but she definitely would never admit it. Not to the big, bad Dom standing in front of her.

  He eyed her with suspicion. “You don’t know until you try it.”

  She shook her head. His face was flushed with arousal, his breathing still unsteady, and she was sure without letting her gaze dip, wonderfully aroused. She squeezed her thighs together to try and diminish the pulse of need between her legs. It just made it worse.

  “I can’t.” She could hear the regret in her voice. For the first time in her life, she realized what she was missing out on with her personal agreement for no sex. “I need to go.”

  She grabbed her back pack, eased on her slippers, and walked to the door.

  “Dee.” She stopped but didn’t look back. “You don’t have to come in tonight.”

  She glanced back over her shoulder at him and swallowed. She could see desire for her in his expression, and it made her heart tremble, her body yearn. In all her twenty-seven years there had never been a man who tempted her as this one had.

  “No. I can do my job. Unless you would rather I wouldn’t?”

  He shook his head and offered her a small smile. “You’re the best. And you know how Thursday nights can be busy.”

  She hesitated, then nodded. She hurried out of the club, glad that
she hadn’t run into anyone. As quickly as possible, she slipped into her car and started on her way home. By the time she was on Pali highway, she drew in a deep breath, trying to calm her nerves. She knew she shouldn’t have done that, shouldn’t have touched, been touched, but she had been. Never before had a man gotten that close, mainly because she never let them, hadn’t until today.

  Damn, she didn’t want to leave, but maybe she should start thinking about it. She had come to love Hawaii and the way of life there. The moment she stepped off the plane over two years earlier, she had felt some kind of connection as if she were coming home.

  She smiled. Who would have thought a girl raised in New York City would think that? But she did. It stirred something in her blood every day she saw a rainbow, watched the sun rise, or smelled Plumeria and salt in the air.

  And then there was the man. She wanted him, more than was good for her health. She couldn’t, wouldn’t put either of them at risk. There was still a price on her head, although she hadn’t heard anything lately. It didn’t matter. Not safe for either of them. She’d have to keep her hands to herself.

  And for the first time in ten years she felt regret because she was sure Micah Ross would be a man who knew just how to handle her. Dee just couldn’t take a chance. With another sigh, she hit the gas and let the Hawaiian wind fly through her hair. She was going to enjoy Hawaii as long as she could.

  Chapter Three

  Dee smiled when she saw Kai Aiona step up to her bar.

  “How’s it going tonight, Dee?”

  From the moment she’d met him several months earlier, she’d liked May’s big brother. He was average height, but most people didn’t notice it. He was big everywhere else, especially his muscles. The man worked on the docks and it showed in his sculpted arms as he leaned on the bar. He had a wealth of tattoos, mainly Hawaiian symbols. And she knew from the few times she’d seen him on the beach, he sported a nipple ring to match his earring. In fact, rumor was that he had more interesting piercings.

  “Same as usual. Busy, but then it’s a Saturday night. Surprised to see you here.”

  He rolled his eyes. “My soon-to-be brother-in-law has been after me to come in.”

  She laughed. “Somehow I don’t see you hanging out some place like this.”

  He cocked his head to the side. “Now why would you say that?”

  She leaned forward over the bar. “For one, you’ve never been in here before, even though I know Evan would’ve let you in for free, being family.”

  “And?”

  He leaned forward, his face just inches from her, his gaze on her lips. Oh, crap. Men often took her genial manner with them as flirting. She’d always been more comfortable with them than with women. Truthfully, Kai was the sort of man she should be interested in. He was a caretaker. She could feel it to her bones. But even with him this close, with the scent of sea on his skin and his gorgeous body, he didn’t interest her in the least.

  She shrugged and moved away, as casually as possible. “I just think if you were really interested, you would’ve shown up before now.”

  He didn’t say anything for a few moments, and she looked up from pulling a beer.

  “Might be I don’t like to be some place where I might see my sister naked.”

  A laugh bubbled up at the pained expression on his face. “Brothers are always squeamish about their sisters.”

  The moment she said it, she regretted it. His gaze caught hers and she saw the interest, the speculation. She had been so careful not to reveal any information about her family.

  “Brothers?”

  She nodded.

  “How many?” She hesitated and he shook his head. “Never mind.”

  She sighed. “I just don’t like talking about my family. I had a…disagreement with them years ago. We don’t talk.”

  “It’s odd for me to even imagine that with my crazy family.”

  Keisha came up and smiled at Kai. “Hey, Kai. What have you been up to, bra?”

  Dee took Keisha’s order and listened to the two of them chat. It was easy to forget just how well everyone knew each other on Oahu. It was like one big little town.

  “Don’t be a stranger,” she said, as she hefted her tray and walked away. Kai watched, his gaze zeroing on her ass.

  He must have felt Dee’s attention because he glanced over at her and had the decency to flush.

  “Talking me up and then watching another woman.” She tsked. “I’d hate to see what May would make of this.”

  Kai smiled. “My sister knows I’m like that. If I thought I had a chance with you, I wouldn’t look at another woman, but I don’t think I do.”

  She said nothing, just crossed her arms beneath her breasts.

  “And secondly, Keisha and I go way back.”

  She arched an eyebrow. “How far?”

  He pursed his lips. “Eleventh grade, prom.”

  She leaned against her bar and watched his gaze go back to Keisha. The relationship her friend had been in had been…well, bad. The guy hadn’t been too happy when she’d ended it, which had resulted in Dee having to threaten the asshole when he’d had the stupidity to show up at her place looking for Keisha. Those self-defense moves had come in handy, and he had left with a broken nose and talking in a higher octave.

  Keisha needed an easy relationship with no complications. Kai was a good guy. He slept around a bit, but she didn’t know a lot of men who didn’t. A girl who had two brothers knew what men were about. But unlike a lot of other guys, Kai was decent. He never hurt a woman. In fact, he was still friendly with most of his exes from what she could tell. Knowing Keisha needed someone to make her happy, if even for one night, Dee made her decision.

  “I’ll let you in on a secret.”

  He tore his gaze from her friend. “What?”

  “Her and that loser, Ruben, broke it off. She kicked him out.”

  Kai pursed his lips as his attention returned to Keisha. “Really? Well, maybe I should stick around.”

  She laughed. “Yeah, she might need someone to help her mend that broken heart.”

  Kai offered her a smile and a wink. “I’m just the man to do it.”

  She watched him as he eased his way through the crowd to follow Keisha. Kai was just the type of guy she should get involved with, if she was wanting to get involved with anyone. He was easygoing, so laidback he never let anything ruffle his demeanor. Not like a certain someone with long silky hair and a hard-on for ordering her around.

  Jesus, when was she going to get that man out of her head? It had been two days since the kissing incident. She swore she could still taste him there, lingering on her lips. This wasn’t like her at all. She did not get hung up on men. Sure, they were fun, but getting involved was complicated, especially with her life.

  “Was Kai Aiona bothering you?”

  She jumped when she heard Micah’s voice behind her. Damn, he was sneaky. Granted, the music was loud, but she usually could sense a person coming up behind her. Micah’s ability to sneak up on her was another worry.

  She drew in a deep breath and turned to face him. He was behind the bar again, a place that he’d never ventured in the two years she’d been working for him. Not until this week.

  “No. Kai is just hanging out. I have a feeling Keisha and him might be rekindling some of their high school romance.”

  His gaze didn’t leave her as she pulled a beer for a customer and then took the man’s money.

  “I just wanted to be sure.”

  She drew in another breath. The man was dangerous to her psyche, to her body, to her very life. He made her want to be stupid, to just jump his body and take what he wanted to offer. A man like Micah Ross might not want attachments, but going to bed would be complicated. And damn, it would be good. Really good.

  She pushed that thought aside as she wiped down the bar.

  “Ross, I can take care of myself.”

  He shook his head and opened his mouth, but apparently though
t better of it. “I need to talk to you after your shift tonight.”

  She frowned. It wasn’t that odd, except she couldn’t think of anything they needed to discuss. She nodded. He hesitated, then turned and walked away. People moved out his path without probably knowing what they were doing. He projected just what he was, top alpha in a club filled with them.

  God, she wanted to know what he was like in bed. It was a hunger that had been simmering for months. Now that he seemed to be completely and absolutely focused on her, it was hard to keep it off her mind. It was consuming her daytime thoughts and still invading her dreams. Something had to give.

  She shoved thoughts of Micah Ross to the back of her head as another waitress came up to the bar for an order.

  What the fuck was he doing?

  Micah asked himself that over and over as he watched Rex let the last of the workers leave. It was just the two of them and one more employee left. She was wiping down the bar, finishing up her work. He could tell she was taking her time. Hell, she had avoided him for the past two days and he could understand that. He felt like an ass for his behavior in the gym. Anyone could have walked in on them. Kissing her definitely would have caused a commotion in the club. Worse, it might have diminished her authority, and that was something he could not allow. Almost everyone who worked there looked up to her. Especially the bouncers.

  Apparently finished with her work, she walked toward the stairs to his office. His palms were sweating, his heart thundering. Damn, he was acting like a fifteen-year-old.

  He wasn’t even going to touch her. Other than apologizing, he had no plans to do anything in that quarter. But then things never went as planned with Dee.

  She knocked on the door twice before opening it.

  “What did you need to talk to me about?”

  She was straightforward as usual. He stayed seated behind his desk. Normally he would have risen as a show of respect, but he didn’t really want to embarrass himself. He was already half-aroused. He motioned to the chair in front of his desk. She hesitated, her hand still on the door knob. Then she released her breath and stepped forward.