A Little Harmless Obsession

by Melissa Schroeder

  He reached out and patted her hands. “We’ll get the bastard. You still have someone driving you back and forth to work?”

  She nodded, still amazed that Kai and Danny had no objection to Evan taking her to and from work. There had been some big male-bonding moment she’d missed out on. As if conjured up by her thoughts, Evan walked through the door, and she knew he was looking for her. It had been a week since they’d first made love, but she couldn’t stop the secret thrill curling in her tummy as he zeroed in on her. His gaze passed over her, his smile widening, until he saw who she was sitting with.

  Officer Carino turned to look at him, then back at her. “Is Evan Chambers the man who was here the night of the first incident?”

  She nodded.

  “You’re involved?” Before she could answer he waved it away. “I expected it when you brought in those photos, but I had hoped…” He shook his head. “Well, that’s a disappointment.”

  She blinked, then realized he was interested in her. It dawned on her then that not once since he had arrived had the detective called her Ms. Aiona, but May. What was with her karma? She went years without attracting any alphas, and now they seemed to be coming out of the woodwork.

  “Detective. Is there something wrong?” Evan asked as he took the seat beside her.

  “No, I just thought I’d let Ms. Aiona know we are still keeping on top of the situation.”

  Evan studied the detective for a moment then said, “That could have been done with a phone call.”

  Embarrassment had her face turning red. She looked at Evan and noticed that he hadn’t taken his eyes off the detective, his face an expressionless mask. Dammit, she didn’t need this. It was hard enough that she was losing sleep. Granted, it was because she spent every night at Evan’s being thoroughly pleasured. But with the stress of running the restaurant by herself, being sick with worry about Chris and his sister, not to mention dealing with falling completely and absolutely in love with Evan, she had her breaking points.

  “Evan, could I talk to you a moment…alone?”

  His head whipped around, anger sparking in his gray blue eyes. He didn’t like her tone, but she didn’t like his behavior.

  Without waiting for an answer, she slipped out of her seat and smiled at the detective. “Was there anything else you needed?”

  He glanced at Evan. “No. Just know you can call me night or day.”

  That earned him a growl from Evan. She shot him a nasty look. “Stay here or follow, but I have to do some paperwork in the office.”

  With that, she turned on her heel and marched back to the office. Damned if he was going to treat her like she was some kind of object he owned. She might be his sub, but she refused to allow him to rule over her life. She slammed the door after entering. Two seconds later it shot open. Evan stood in the doorway, looking larger than his six-three frame.

  “Have you come to apologize?”

  He looked nonplussed at that. “Apologize? What for?”

  “Shut the door.”

  Again, he looked surprised, probably because she gave him an order. When he hesitated, she said, “I don’t want anyone in the kitchen listening in.”

  His eyes softened a bit and he closed the door. He shoved his hands in his pockets and leaned against it.

  “What do you think that was about?”

  He studied her. “He was here to hit on you.”

  She nodded. “Partly.”

  Another growl rumbled low in his chest. This wasn’t like Evan at all. He was an alpha through and through, but she had never seen him display such…loss of control.

  “Are you going to stand there glowering at me?”

  “If I feel like it.”

  Oh, God, he sounded pissed and not a little pouty. Evan Chambers pouty? Her world was just not making any sense today. And it shouldn’t make him more attractive, but it did.

  “You have to understand I don’t need you lording over me all the time.”

  He sneered. “You didn’t complain about it last night.”

  She sighed. “I have no problem giving you control in the bedroom. You know that. But what I refuse to do is give it to you all the time. Especially at work. What the hell do you think would have happened if you had started arguing with the detective?”

  “He’d learn to stop sniffing around my woman.”

  A little jolt of joy filled her at the term my woman, but she pushed it aside. “And I would lose a lot of respect from my staff. It’s hard enough running this place without Chris around to help me. Do you think I need this right now?”

  “I wasn’t going to cause a scene.”

  She didn’t say anything, just crossed her arms beneath her breasts and raised an eyebrow. He rolled his eyes and moved to the chair and collapsed.

  “Okay, I wasn’t planning on it. But I could tell by the way he was looking at you that he wanted you.”

  She threw her hands up in the air. “Why would I want him when I have you?”

  His lips curved. “Is that supposed to make me feel better?”

  “It’s the truth.”

  She couldn’t lie, would never be someone who could hide her feelings. It would probably come back to bite her in the ass. Honest people tended to get hurt. But she just would not falsify her feelings. It wasn’t the way she was made.

  “Still, it doesn’t mean I will put up with your bull-headed behavior. This is as bad as when you went after Rick.”

  “Bastard hasn’t bothered you since, has he?”

  The satisfaction in his voice ignited her temper. “He wasn’t bothering me before. He’d stopped months ago, so I don’t know what the hell you think you did.” He opened his mouth to argue, but she plowed ahead. “I need you to understand that while you are in charge in the bedroom, I am in charge of my own life.”

  His smile faded, his eyes turning cold.

  “Are you trying to tell me that our relationship doesn’t extend outside of the bedroom?”

  “Yeah, like I could stop that if I wanted to, which I don’t. I care about you, Evan, but what I need from you is some understanding. I have to be in charge here, I have to be the one who handles all the fires, especially with Chris gone. If I lose my employees’ respect because my lover comes barging in and punches an officer, I won’t have much credibility. It would be worse than Rick showing up here.”

  His eyes narrowed. “What do you mean? I’m worse than that jackass?”

  She sighed again and rubbed her temples. Her head was starting to pound. “No. But I wasn’t involved with him by then. I’m involved with you.”

  His temper seemed to cool. “I’m sorry. How about I make it up with a late dinner at my place?”

  She shook her head. She wanted to, wanted it more than was good for her own thoughts. For years now, she’d had these feelings for him. Now that they were involved, they were bigger, so big they scared the hell of her. She needed some space, and dammit, she needed some rest.

  “No. I need to stay home tonight.”

  He said nothing, studying her. “Is this some kind of power play?”

  “Jesus, Evan, I need a good night’s sleep. I’m working split shifts and double shifts, trying to keep this place going in Chris’s absence, and at night you aren’t letting me get any rest. Do I look particularly well-rested?”

  “You didn’t say anything about it earlier.”

  She threw her hands up in the air. “You mean when I was rushing out the door because I was late again? I have a headache starting, my back is aching, and thank the good Lord, Simone is opening tomorrow. I will get to sleep in, then we can do something tomorrow night.”

  “I might be busy tomorrow.”

  His words lashed out at her, but this was one case she could be just as mean. “Fine. Either way, I’m staying home tonight. I’m getting some sleep.” And figuring out what the hell I’ve gotten myself into. She couldn’t say that out loud, but she sensed he might have picked up on it.

  Without a word, he
stood and walked around the table. Grabbing her arms, he pulled her out of the chair and took her mouth in a bruising, possessive kiss. The heat of it had her melting, had her whole body lighting up like fireworks at Magic Island. She speared her hands through his hair while she pressed her body against him. Every cell of her being cried out for more, wanted, needed to have him take her here, but he pulled away, releasing her so abruptly that she almost lost her balance. When she opened her eyes, she found him staring at her as if she were poison.

  “Evan…”

  “Call me if you change your mind.”

  With that, he strode out, his anger and the passion he had stirred still clinging to the air. May collapsed into her chair, her body humming and her mind numb. Her vision blurred and it took her a moment to realize she was crying. It wasn’t her way, she wasn’t a bawler, but she felt the need to have a good cry well up and overtake her. She was so tired, so ready to just lay her head down on the desk and fall asleep for a month. Tears poured, streaking down her face as she laid her head down on her desk. Several minutes later, she brought herself back under control. Drawing in a deep breath, cleaned up her face with a tissue, then pulled out a mirror she kept handy to clean up the damage. Her eyes were red, but not worse than they had been lately…though a little puffier. When she felt better, she grabbed a bottle of water from the office fridge and got to work on the paperwork. The sooner this was done, the sooner she could get home and sink into oblivion.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Evan slipped his key into the slot and unlocked the door to May’s house. He didn’t think he was breaking any rules, but he moved as silently as possible. Her father, Daniel, had given him the key so that he could come and go as he needed while working on the house. Granted, he probably hadn’t thought that Evan would use it to let himself into May’s room, but he shrugged away the guilt. He turned the corner that lead to May’s room, and stopped when he saw the dogs blocking the entryway. He waited until he saw both their tails thumping in their regular greeting. He released a relieved sigh. He didn’t need the damn dogs waking up everyone in the house.

  It was bad enough that he was there. One night. She asked for one night and he couldn’t give it to her. Worse, it wasn’t so much as to have sex with her, but to feel her in bed sleeping next to him. It had been a little over a week since their first time together and he couldn’t survive one night without her. Worse, he didn’t have the balls to ask. Instead, he was sneaking down her hallway like a thief. Lord, if they could see him at Rough ’n Ready.

  He reached her door and slowly turned the knob. As silently as he could, he slipped into her room and then shut the door behind him.

  He could see her lying there, the moonlight washing over her skin. The flutter of breeze filtered through the room and the smell of plumeria filled his senses. All his recriminations dissolved the moment he saw her there, snuggled up to the pillow, her face relaxed. As quietly as possible, he shucked off his pants and shirt, joining her in bed without any clothes. As he slid onto the cool sheets, she turned to him, as she always did. God, he didn’t think he would ever get used to this, get used to how right it felt to have her head on his chest. He knew it would never last, couldn’t, but he would relish every night he could feel her just like this.

  His muscles relaxed, his mind drifted, until he felt her move against him. One leg slid up his, flesh against flesh.

  Okay, this was not going to be as easy as he thought it would be. She was warm, and …was that her lips he felt against his skin?

  “May?” he whispered.

  A giggle was his answer. He rolled her over, stretching out on top of her. Even in the darkened room he could see the mischievous glint in her eyes, the soft smile curving her lips.

  “You should behave in your daddy’s house.”

  She arched one eyebrow. “I wasn’t the one sneaking in during the middle of the night. What happened to letting me rest?”

  He couldn’t think of a word to say. Mainly because at this moment, her whispered words, the intimacy of the moment sharing a secret struck him like a blow to the chest. The air backed up in his lungs and his mind whirled. Nothing had every felt this so very right, ever. There had never been a woman he would giggle in bed with, or one who could challenge him so much in and out of the bedroom.

  “Evan?”

  Damn, he was in love with her.

  He couldn’t say it, couldn’t tie her to him that way. May didn’t understand why he could never allow himself to have kids, why he would never be able to give her a happily ever after. But he could give her now, in this moment, he wanted to show the way he felt about her.

  “Evan, you’re scaring me. Are you all right?”

  He smiled. “I’m not sure.”

  Before she could ask him anything else, he bent his head and touched his lips to hers. With little licks and nips, he tasted her. This was a woman who could undo him with a look. At this moment, he wanted nothing more than to dissolve into her.

  He cupped her face and deepened the kiss, dipping into her mouth to get a full taste.

  With soft hands, he slid her top up and over her head. Her shorts soon followed, landing on the floor somewhere off to the side.

  She didn’t protest, but he stopped, raising himself up to his elbows. It took her a moment to open her eyes. Passion and something else, something that was piercing his heart, mingled there.

  “May?”

  She said nothing for a moment, then, “Yes.”

  That one word was like a lifeline. It warmed his chest, his blood, and he moved down her body, brushing his mouth over her flesh. He feasted on her breasts, his tongue first circling one, then his lips pulling it into his mouth. Her legs moved restlessly against the mattress, her fingers slipping through his hair. He looked up, noticed she was biting her lower lip, and smiled. His Maylea was a vocal lover, and it had to be killing her to keep from moaning her pleasure.

  He continued his path down her body, enjoying the way her stomach quivered as he nipped and kissed it.

  She laughed, the sound both charming and arousing, the moment he dipped his tongue into her belly button. The woman was a delight, one he was sure he would never get enough of. While he had always taken direct pleasure in her release, now he took what he wanted. He continued to kiss down her body, spreading her legs apart, opening her sex to him. God, her arousal fed his own. He dipped his finger into her core, happy at the way her muscles clung, aroused at how wet she was. It was amazing that with no D/s play and very little foreplay, she was so close to orgasm. He could feel her orgasm sitting there, shimmering on the edge.

  He set his mouth against her pussy, enjoyed her quick intake of breath and muffled moan. The taste of her exploded across his tongue, drugged his senses. Each time he tasted her, he was amazed at just how delicious she could be. Her legs moved restlessly against his head, pounding on the mattress, and he continued to torment her. He wanted her as hot as when he controlled her every thought, her every need. And he seemed to be doing it, without the play, without the need to lord it over her. It was as if she gave to him what he needed, a sub who understood that her pleasure was his to give. He slipped his tongue between her slit again, then up and over her plump clit. He could feel her muscles quiver, feel them brace for the onslaught of her orgasm. He pulled the nub between his teeth and sucked. A moment later, she came, her body convulsing. He lifted his head and watched her, the look of wonder, the complete satisfaction that took over her body. Wanting to see it again, he pressed his fingers into her and took her clit back into his mouth. She came again, a hard jolt traveling through her body so strong he was sure he could feel it moving through his. Now was the time, he thought. He needed to be in her, to push her up and over again, and experience that supreme feeling of completion with her. He quickly moved up her body, barely stopping to lick each of her nipples. He had the head of his cock pushing against her entranced when he cursed himself. He hadn’t even thought of bringing a condom.

  “May?
”

  She barely opened her eyes.

  “I don’t have protection.”

  “Have you been tested?”

  He nodded.

  “Clean?”

  He nodded again.

  “I’m on the pill.”

  It was all he needed to plunge into her core. It was amazing just how hot and tight she was, the slick feel of her pussy lips gliding over his cock. They clung to him as he pulled almost all the way out and then thrust back in to the hilt. He grabbed her hips, pulling her off the bed as he rose to his knees, angling to move deeper. It took no more than three more thrusts and she was coming again. He muffled her cry of release by kissing her, thrusting his tongue into her mouth. She immediately started to suck, pull him deeper into her mouth as he plunged into her hot core.

  Frenzied now, he sped up his thrusts, losing his mind to everything but completing his own orgasm. She pulled her mouth away, and looked up at him. She trailed her fingers over his cheek, then cupped it.

  “Evan. I love you.” She said it so tenderly he wasn’t sure he’d heard her, but he saw her lips move, understood what she’d said. Her eyes were so soft, so understanding, so accepting. With those three words, he lost it. One last deep thrust and he came, losing his seed inside of her. His orgasm seemed to last forever, his body shuddering as the last of it moved through him. He collapsed on top of her, and she immediately embraced him, her arms wrapping around him. He couldn’t seem to stop shivering as she brushed her lips over his temple.

  “Sleep,” she whispered gently.

  He obeyed the command, drifting off into a deep sleep.

  The smell of sex jolted Evan first. Fuck was the only thing he could think. The whore had brought someone home. He had hoped she wouldn’t show up. What did it tell you about a woman when her nine-year-old son wanted nothing to do with her? Hell, he always prayed that some night, some john would kill her. Unfortunately, they never did. He’d slipped into the apartment and hoped to avoid her and whatever loser she’d brought home with her. They were always the same, sad men who couldn’t get laid without paying for it. His mother was trash, disgusting, but they paid her.