Tangled Passions (Task Force Hawaii Book 4)

by Melissa Schroeder

She laughed as their waiter brought their appetizers. They both took healthy portions of the poke before she responded.

  “Yes. When I told my parents I was moving here, they acted as if I said I wanted to be a serial killer.”

  A chill washed over Drew. He looked up at that comment and stopped for a long moment. She was smiling as if it were a joke, but he wasn't sure. He knew that sociopaths loved to do things like that. Make jokes, even while knowing they were doing just that.

  "So, how long have you been using Premiere Connections?" she asked.

  "You're my first date."

  Her eyes widened. “No."

  "Yep,” he said with a smile. “I heard about them through an investigation. Plus, I heard they were really good.”

  "An investigation?” she asked.

  "Branson Anderson. We're investigating his death."

  "Oh?" she asked, her smile fading.

  "Yeah. I have nothing to do with that part of the investigation. Just all body work. My work is done, but they brought back information on Premiere Connections, so I thought I would check them out. “

  "I dated him, you know?"

  "Who? Branson?"

  She nodded. "He was nice, but, he wasn't right for me. A little too old."

  He wanted to ask her why she went out with him three times then, but he held his tongue.

  “What was he like? I saw him speak once at my school, but I never personally met him.”

  “He was a complete workaholic. It was hard to get time together when he had his ear attached to his phone. I found it all boring. Other than that, he was nice. It was a waste of time though."

  “What was?”

  "The dates. They were a waste of time."

  "Why do you say that?"

  She hesitated, and he realized he might have stepped over a boundary.

  “I’m sorry. That was personal.”

  “No, I brought it up and it was no secret. He was still in love with his wife. Easy to see. Kind of sad, but sweet in a way. To find someone you loved that much...I guess that's all anyone can hope for."

  He smiled. "Definitely."

  She took a sip of wine and watched him over the rim of the glass.

  “So, how long have you been using Premiere Connections?” he asked.

  “A few years. I’m not always current, and I’ve only dated a handful of guys.”

  “Ah. Are you telling me you’re selective, because I might get a big head?”

  She laughed. “I might be doing just that, Mr. Drew Franklin.”

  “I feel kind of honored.”

  “You should.”

  She was smiling at him, and her eyes were still dancing with amusement, and not for the first time that night, he felt like a total ass. He had to stop that. He wasn’t being horrible, and truth was, if they found nothing else on Lana, she would never know she was investigated. If she was the killer, it was best that they had this information ahead of their interview.

  “Okay, tell me why you like to play with blood?” he asked, wishing that this date would end as soon as possible.

  11

  By the end of the night, Drew was sure Lana wasn’t the killer. Not that he was skilled at investigation, but he was a good judge of human nature. It was the one thing that had allowed him to escape most of the nerd beatings his friends had been victim to.

  “I really had a good time tonight,” Lana said as they stopped by her car. “God, that sounded lame.”

  “Not lame. I had a good time too.”

  She smiled. “That’s good.”

  He knew what she was expecting, and normally he would just say goodnight and walk away. The problem was that he had to appear to be dating the women. His other issue was that he knew he had an audience. How did undercover cops handle this?

  He stepped closer, placed a hand on one hip, then lowered his mouth to hers. One soft kiss and he knew. No spark, nothing. There was no excitement, at least on his part. He pulled back and dropped his hand. Lana’s eyes fluttered open, and it was easy to see that maybe he wasn’t interested, but she clearly was.

  "I'll give you a call."

  She shook her head. "You don't have to say that, Drew."

  "No. I will."

  She gave him a shy smile and then got into her Honda, and he watched her drive away. For a long moment, he stood there, wondering about the night. He hadn’t dated since before the shooting. After tonight, he might just take a chance on it again. At least when this case was done.

  He walked back to his car and started on his way to return to TFH. It had been difficult to ignore the fact that everyone had been listening. New dates were bad enough, but dealing with a whole horde of folks listening in wasn't that much fun. Add in that they were now recording the exchange, and if they picked up on anything, it would be entered in to evidence. It could be played in court.

  With a sigh, he pushed that thought out of his head and drove the back streets to TFH. He parked his car in the rear. For a long moment, he sat there and looked at the back entrance. Close to a year ago, his whole life had changed. One little mistake, one little bullet, and everything had gone to shit. A man bent on hurting Elle had lost control and a stray shot had hit him. He and Cat had just had one memorable night together. He would never be able to forget that.

  The first day back had been the worst, but now, it was just a dull ache every now and then. That’s why the last few days had been horrific for him. Facing her every now and then wasn’t that bad, and their paths only crossed at briefings or the occasional team get together. Now though, they had to spend time together for the case. Getting ready had been bad enough, but going over evidence was going to be worse. Like when he had to talk to her about a date he’d just been on. He scrubbed a hand over his face trying to clear his head before going into the building. When he felt ready, he stepped out of his car and headed for the door. He walked down the hallway and then up the stairs to the first floor.

  The place was dark and deserted. Light spilled out from Cat’s office, telling him that she was still there. He walked quietly to her doorway and then stood there and stared at her. He rarely got time alone with her anymore, and most of that was by his own design.

  "I thought there would be more people."

  She turned around, seemingly out of breath. “Damn, I didn’t hear you.”

  “Hmm.” There was something so damned sexy about a breathless Cat.

  “Where is everyone?” he asked.

  “Emma and the boss went home. Evie was a little fussy. Graeme was in for a while. Elle apparently has been going to sleep around eight at night.”

  He smiled. “That’s good.”

  The silence stretched out and he waited for her to say something, anything. But she didn’t. He realized that unless he said something, they could be stuck there all night. He handed her the earbud and the tracking device. “Here you go. It was hard to act casually.”

  “You didn’t seem to have a problem,” she said as she stored the earbud and GPS devices in her desk drawer.

  He frowned. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “Just that. You were good tonight.”

  “Oh, don’t kill me with your praise.” She didn’t smile like he had hoped. “Cat, what you said. What did it mean?”

  “Nothing.”

  “No, it meant something.”

  She sighed. “Just go, Drew.”

  He wanted to do just that, but his instincts told him to push the discussion.

  “No, I think you need to tell me what you really meant by that.”

  “I said just go. I don’t want to talk about it. It seemed like a really nice date, and you appeared to like her.”

  Was that jealousy he heard? No, it couldn’t be. She didn’t have feelings for him, or she wouldn’t have given him the brushoff when he had been shot. People who cared stuck around. Still, she had been acting strangely, but maybe it was because they were working on the case together. He couldn’t say he was all that comfortable with
the situation, and he knew she couldn’t be either.

  He opened his mouth to say something else, but she ignored him.

  “Make sure to contact those other three women.”

  It sounded like a normal order, but beneath the surface, he detected a thread of irritation.

  “I will.”

  “Fine.”

  He turned to leave, then stopped. “Are you sure there’s nothing wrong?”

  Her back was to him, but he could see her reflection in the computer screen. She closed her eyes and seemed to pray for patience. “Yes.”

  “Good night.”

  She waved her hand as if it were too much for her to answer him. He walked out of her office, irritated and still not sure what he did wrong. But there is one thing he had learned in the last year: trying to figure out Catherine Kalakau was just a waste of energy and time.

  For as long as Cat could remember, early Sunday mornings meant Liliha coco puffs and then church. She rarely made it to her mother’s house on Sundays, and today would be no different. It wasn’t that she hated her mother. She loved her. And that was why she had to stay away. Every time they were together, there seemed to be an argument and for some reason, Sundays seemed to be worse than any other day of the week.

  She sat on her surfboard and looked out over the water. The area was dotted with surfers waiting for the next wave. It wasn’t all that good of a surfing day, but she had to get out of her house. Looking over the files was starting to get to her. Add in the fact that she felt guilty for being rude to Drew last night, and she really didn’t want to be in a confined space.

  Her father had always said the one place he found peace was on the water.

  Water is life.

  He said it all the time. So, she’d grabbed her board and headed out.

  And, she had found some peace. There was something about hearing the water lap against her surfboard. It soothed her.

  It also made her think.

  She was going to have to fix this situation with Drew. They needed to move on so they could work together. There was always a chance that he would end up working with her on other cases. They couldn’t deal with this constant nastiness…most of it coming from her.

  She didn’t want to talk to him in the office. Instead, she decided to pop over to his apartment later today. The sooner they got it all cleared away, the easier it would be at the office.

  As she heard the rush of the next wave, she laid down on her board to prepare for it. For now, this was all she needed to make her feel whole.

  Drew had an early morning for Sunday. He’d promised his mother he would make it to church and a Sunday lunch. He had done both and gotten stuck talking to them—or rather, avoiding the conversation about—the case. After a run on the beach and a shower, Drew decided he was owed a night off.

  He’d just stretched out on the couch to catch up on TV, when his doorbell rang around five. He walked to the door, a sense of foreboding weighing on his shoulders. He had a feeling he knew who was on the other side of the door.

  He looked through the peephole and almost groaned when he saw Cat. The woman was trying to kill him. He was sure of it. The night before, he had been plagued with dreams about her. Hot, sweaty dreams that had left him aroused and irritated. It had been months since that had happened, but he assumed it was because they were working together. He wanted this damned case cleared as soon as possible. Otherwise, he might just die from lack of blood to his brain.

  He opened the door.

  “Hey.”

  She wasn’t smiling, but Cat hadn’t been smiling much lately. “Hey. Do you mind if come in?”

  Yes. “No.”

  He stepped back and let her pass. The sweet scent of her tickled his senses. Just that had his body humming. He shut the door and followed her in. Damn, she was wearing board shorts. That, along with the little blue tank top, had his fingers itching to touch.

  “Is there something new with the case?”

  She stopped in the kitchen and turned to face him. She looked so unsure of herself, so unlike the woman he knew.

  She licked her lips, then said, “No. Well, sort of. I wanted to apologize.”

  “For what?”

  “For being kind of nasty last night. There was no call for it, and it was unprofessional.”

  “Okay. I don’t think you were that nasty, but I accept.”

  She studied him for a long minute. “Just like that?”

  “Yeah, just like that.”

  “Fine.”

  The curt response tugged a smile from his lips. She had been a little bothered by it. She wouldn’t be so rude if not. “There’s that word again.”

  She rolled her eyes and raked her hand through her long black hair. He followed the movement, he couldn’t help it. He knew how soft her hair was. It had brushed against his cheek when they had kissed last year.

  Dammit.

  “Sorry. I just…it won’t happen again.”

  She was fidgeting. Cat never fidgeted. In fact, she was known to have nerves of steel. He knew that it was one of her tells. When they were playing cards, Adam had told him to watch the other players, observe their behavior. Even when Cat was nervous, she would stay still.

  “I wasn’t that upset about it.”

  But the mere thought that she might be jealous had occupied his thoughts and, apparently, influenced his dreams.

  “Cool. Well, I’ll get going.’

  But she didn’t move.

  “I will let it go if you can tell me one thing.”

  “What?” she asked, crossing her arms beneath her breasts.

  He cocked his head to the side and watched her. Oh, yes, she was irritated, and she wanted to be anywhere but there. It was easy to see. “Why did you get so mad?”

  “I don’t like you having to do this job. You’re a civilian, and there is no reason for you to be involved.”

  “I think there is. But I don’t think you’re telling me the truth.”

  Her eyes narrowed as he took a step closer. God, there was that scent again. Every now and then, he would catch a whiff of it at the office. It wasn’t perfume. Cat didn’t like that stuff. No, this was pure Cat. Soft, subtle, with a mere hint of spice from the herbal soap she used. It was so hard not to want to take a big, luscious bite.

  “And what do you think the reason is?”

  “You were jealous of Lana.”

  She snorted. “Not likely.”

  That snort, along with the unsteadiness of her voice, told him she was lying. He stepped closer, crowding her against the kitchen counter. “Oh, yeah. You were.”

  She lifted her chin. “Damn cocky to think that way, if you ask me.”

  He shook his head as he leaned down. He could feel the heat of her body. They were mere inches apart.

  “Maybe. But, I’m right.”

  “No.” Her voice quivered when she spoke.

  He nodded. “And you know what the most embarrassing thing is?”

  She shook her head as her tongue darted out over her fuller, bottom lip.

  “It’s kind of a turn on. It shouldn’t be, but it is.”

  “Drew…” her voice trailed off as he leaned closer still.

  He knew it was now or never. He had spent so much time trying to romance her last time. Months of preparation, all carefully orchestrated. This time, though, it was different. He wanted all that romance, but the only thought that consumed him was having…her. Right now. That one thought pulsed through his blood. The need to take, to conquer, it was all he cared about. He needed her on a level that he just didn’t even understand himself. So, to make sure he never had any regrets about Cat, he bent his head and kissed her.

  The first taste was exhilarating. It was as wonderful as he remembered. He started to fall, right there and then. He knew it was probably stupid, idiotic after what happened last time. His body and heart didn’t care.

  Before he lost control, he pulled back and looked down at her. She opened her eyes and loo
ked up at him. Desire shimmered in her gaze. It was then that he knew he had her.

  “Your choice. Yes or no?”

  Her tongue darted out again, and he followed the motion with is eyes. Then he raised his gaze to meet hers. It was still there, the need…she wanted him. She could deny him, but something shifted over her expression that he couldn’t discern.

  “Yes.”

  “Thank God,” he said before slamming his mouth down on hers and losing himself in her.

  12

  Searing heat spiraled through Cat’s veins as Drew slanted his mouth over hers and deepened the kiss. She could do nothing else, other than surrender to the passion. It crashed over her and through her entire being.

  He pulled back from the kiss and she felt lost.

  “Cat. Look at me.”

  His voice ground out and she did as he ordered. This was not the sweet man who had stolen kisses. This was a stranger, one that excited and scared her simultaneously. His dark brown eyes seemed almost darker, somehow possessed. He wanted something, and she was the thing that he wanted. He stepped closer and slipped his hands around her waist. With one hard yank, he pulled her against him. Her heartbeat was out of control.

  “If you’re just fucking around with me, you better tell me right now,” he said, biting out every word so it felt like a hammer to her soul. “You can save any little shred of civility we have between us.”

  She opened her mouth, but he stopped her by shaking his head.

  “But, if you say yes now, just know there will be no pretending it didn’t happen later. I won’t go back to being your little buddy you pat on the head. You might not want to go on after this, but one thing is for sure, I’m not going to be in that friend category anymore.”

  She should say no. It would be the smart thing to do. Their lives were complicated and right now, they had other things to worry about. He would want more than she thought she was capable of giving him. Drew would demand more than just a little fun in bed. Cat knew she wasn’t good enough for him…for anyone. But in this one moment, in this split second, she yearned. She wanted to be good enough, to be the woman he thought she was. So, instead of saying no, or stepping away, she cupped his face. Rising up on her toes, she didn’t hesitate. Instead, she pressed her lips against his, opening her mouth immediately. He stole inside, tangling his tongue against hers. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed against him. Her head spun, any objection she could have come up with dissolved as he deepened the kiss and took complete control.