A Little Harmless Fascination
Melissa Schroeder
Wanting her isn't smart, seducing her is inevitable, but falling in love with her could be downright deadly for both of them.
A Little Harmless Fascination
Harmless Book 7
Security expert Conner Dillon isn’t a man who often takes a vacation. So when he is ordered to take a month off and his sister insists on a trip to Hawaii, he isn’t very happy. But, after seeing his landlady Jillian Sawyer again, he might just find something—or someone—to occupy his time.
For years, Jillian has always had a crush on Conner. Now an erotic romance author with a thing for Doms, she finds herself beyond intrigued by the man. He is good to the core, but there is something else darker in him that calls to her.
After one night in bed, they both find themselves addicted. In Jillian, Conner has found the perfect sub…and in him she finds someone she can trust. Falling in love isn’t what they expected, but walking away is impossible—especially when they realize someone wants Jillian dead.
WARNING this book contains the following: An uptight security expert who prefers schedules, a romance writer who does not, tattoos, a trip to the Aloha Swap Meet, and of course this would not be a Harmless book without a trip to Rough 'n Ready. Ice is recommended as any Harmless Addict will tell you, but the author takes no responsibility if a reader should become overheated. Read at your own risk.
eBooks are not transferable. They cannot be sold, shared or given away as it is an infringement on the copyright of this work.
This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locale or organizations is entirely coincidental.
A Little Harmless Fascination Copyright © 2012 by Melissa Schroeder Edited by Chloe Vale Cover by Kendra Egert All Rights Are Reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. First electronic publication: April, 2012
Table of Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
About Melissa Schroeder
Other Books by Melissa Schroeder
Dedication
To Brandy Walker for keeping me on schedule and for being so much fun during Harmless in Hawaii. Your love of the absurd always makes me laugh. To Ali Flores who has one of the kindest hearts and sweetest souls. One of these days, Joy and I will make you design a plan and stick to it. And to Joy Harris, who is always more than her name and understands what being a Cappy is all about. You truly are a friend of romance and to every romance author out there.
You three ladies make this crazy publishing world a little less crazy.
Thanks,
Mel
Acknowledgements
Once again, this insane process was made possible by the usual suspects. Brandy Walker who keeps me on schedule, Kendra Egert who does the most wonderful covers, Chloe Vale who edits and formats the books, and the wonderful Addicts who are just bloodthirsty enough to keep me writing for fear of reprisals. None of this would have been possible without any of you.
Prologue
Maura Dillon pushed open the door to the ER as she shook off Zeke’s hand. The smell of the hospital still had her head spinning. She hated it, hated the way it made her feel. She remembered sitting in a similar ER years ago, waiting for her brother to show up and knowing that her parents were dead. The smell of antiseptic still made her want to puke.
A large hand clamped down on her shoulder, and she shook it off.
“Don’t fuck with me, Zeke.”
She heard the exasperated sigh and ignored it. The only thing she gave a damn about was getting to Conner. Of course, Zeke just kept following her.
“Love, if you go in there screaming at him, it isn’t going to help.”
She stopped in her tracks, drew in a deep breath, and looked at him. “Being gentle and sweet hasn’t worked.”
He cocked an eyebrow. “You’ve been sweet?”
She rolled her eyes. “Have I bitched about him working eighty hours a week? No, I just let it go. I saw how bad he looked, and I let it go. I suggested vacations, weekend trips, and taking a fucking day off. Did he listen to me? No. And now look what happened.”
Without waiting for an answer, she turned on her heel and walked up to the attendant window.
A woman who looked to be in her forties was writing something down as slow as a turtle. Lord, her nerves were jumping beneath her skin. Her stomach was tied in knots. When the woman finally looked up at her, Maura said, “I’m here to see jackass Conner Dillon.”
The woman’s lips twitched. “I take it you’re his sister?”
She nodded.
“He’s in room four, second door on the left.”
She hit a button and a buzz sounded. The doors swung open, and Maura hurried through them. Fear and anger churned in her gut. With each step, her anxiety increased. He was the only person she had left in the world. They had each other and that had been enough. When she’d gotten the call from the ER doctor, everything had stopped. She might not have many close friends, and her romantic relationships were embarrassingly few and far between, but she could not lose Conner. It just could not happen. When she reached the door, Zeke stopped her.
“Take a deep breath, Maura.”
She closed her eyes and did just as Zeke ordered.
“The doctor told you he’s going to be okay, so take it that way. If you go in there screaming like a banshee, he’ll get even more stubborn.”
She nodded and opened her eyes. “We’re in agreement, right? He has to take a month off.”
Zeke nodded. “Sure. I’ve got my mate Rory coming over to help us out. Conner is going on vacation.”
“Whether he likes it or not.”
Chapter One
How the fuck did I end up here?
It was the only thought that came to mind when Conner Dillon looked around the small quarters. It wasn’t the fact that it was sparse in amenities that bothered him. He didn’t like clutter. Actually, he liked the little apartment. It had a small kitchen and eating area, with a no-nonsense bathroom and bedroom. He had a big house in Miami, but this suited him just as fine. So his irritation wasn’t about the living area—it was about the location. There was only one person in the world who could get him to Hawaii when they had a big job in LA to handle.
Maura.
It only took one freaking doctor telling her that Conner’s chest pains were a sign that something was seriously wrong, and that Conner was heading toward a heart attack, for Maura to breakdown. After losing both of their parents when Maura was only a teenager, she had freaked. And this time, his best friend and business partner Zeke had turned on Conner and sided with Maura. Bastard. There had been no fighting the two of them.
Now he was in fucking Hawaii.
“Is there something wrong?” the sultry southern voice asked from behind him.
He turned and looked at his new landlady for the next month. Jillian Sawyer was a c
ontradiction in terms. Her voice spoke of her upper-middle class upbringing in Atlanta. Whenever he heard her speak, he thought of hot summer nights and necking on the back porch. He’d been feeling uneasy since she’d opened the front door.
The tattoos down her arms and braided hair, along with the nose piercing, would be a shock to most people. The light cocoa skin brought out her sea green eyes, and she was graced with the most amazing bone structure. Most people wouldn’t suspect she had one of the highest IQ’s of her graduating college class—or so his sister had told him. Her dress didn’t fit with her upbringing. A worn out T-shirt cupped her abundant breasts and stopped just above her pierce navel. Her jeans were just as worn, hung low on her hips, and clung to every damn curve.
She cleared her throat, and he realized that he had been staring at her for several moments without saying anything. He tried to ignore the way his blood was starting to heat and smiled at her.
“No. The space is good.”
Her lips twitched. “Don’t overwhelm me with your praise, Conner.”
He hadn’t missed the sarcastic tone, and he was pretty sure his sister had acquired it from her the two years they’d roomed together at the University of Georgia.
“Sorry. I just don’t like mandatory vacations.”
“From what your sister says, you don’t like vacations at all.”
He could tell she was fucking with him. There was always a look in her eyes that warned she was in a mood. He should let it go because it would start out as flirting and end with them yelling at each other. But, right at this moment, he didn’t want to. Something was urging him to tease her.
He opened his mouth to respond but her cell phone rang out the University of Georgia fight song.
“Speak of the devil,” she said before answering. “Yes, your big brother is here, and he’s fine. I understand the FBI taught him how to get around on planes. And, seeing that he’s an old man, he knows how to drive. He made it all the way over here to my little oasis without getting lost or running anyone over.”
She was silent for a moment or two, and Conner could just imagine his sister rattling off instructions.
“I’m sure it was very serious. Of course, bugging him constantly is going to end up being worse for him. He came here to rest, so you need to let him do it. Do you want to talk to him?” Silence again. “Okay, well you get some rest and behave.”
She hung up and gave him a cocky smile.
“Your sister is concerned.”
He rolled his eyes. “Tell me about it. I can’t believe she talked me into coming here.”
She shook her head. “What a shame. You have to spend time in Hawaii relaxing. Quit being such a whiner.”
Before he could respond, there was a shout from outside.
“Jillian, love, what are you doing in there?”
“Give me a second.”
She turned and headed toward the door. After flinging it open, she settled her hands on her hips.
“What do you want, Mick?”
“Adam and I are going for a ride. Wanna come with?”
She shook her head. “No, I have a new tenant to attend to. You two have a good ride.”
She shut the door and turned to face him. She shoved her hands into the pockets of her jeans and tapped her thumbs against the fabric. “Well, what do you think?”
“I already said it was a good space.” He noticed her fidget, and Jillian didn’t do it that often. He didn’t know much about the woman, but he did know this was a sure sign she was nervous. He didn’t think he’d ever seen her nervous before. Not like this.
“Cool. I have some work to do, so if you can handle settling yourself in, I need to get back to it.”
He cocked his head to the side and studied her. He had known her, or known of her, for about ten years, but he realized then how little he knew about her.
“You just told your friend you couldn’t go for a ride because you would be helping me.”
Her cheeks reddened. “I don’t like lying, but I have a deadline breathing down my neck. Mick and Adam don’t understand about that. They think being a writer is just all fun and games.”
“Isn’t it?”
Her eyes narrowed. “I don’t have time for your fun and games, Agent Dillon.”
He shook his head. “I’m not an agent anymore.”
“You will always be Agent Dillon, overprotective brother and the talk of the dorms to me.”
“Talk of the dorms?”
She laughed. “It was embarrassing to Maura, but you were the subject of much gossip when you came to visit. Anything else?”
He shook his head.
“I should finish my edits tonight, and if you want a tour of the island, I’ll be happy to do it. Tomorrow. Afternoon. No, after one.”
He nodded. “I have a feeling I’ll crash for a while.”
She gave him one of those sultry smiles that had been driving him crazy since he’d arrived.
“Call if you need me.”
If he didn’t know better, he would have said she was being suggestive. While she flirted with him sometimes, he had never really taken it seriously. There was a barrier there she put up for all men. In his relationships, he needed something more. Submission from a partner did not work if the partner did not completely trust him…and he had a feeling Jillian trusted few people. Especially men.
Before he could respond, she turned and walked out the door. He couldn’t help but admire the way her jeans molded to her very generous ass. Once the door shut, Dillon looked around the small living space. It was humid and hot, even with the windows open. He knew before coming that the place didn’t have AC, but even living in Miami didn’t prepare him for this.
He sighed as he opened the fridge and pulled out a bottle of water. Jillian had said not to worry about having any groceries at first, and she had been right. There was bread, some milk and a few eggs, along with several bottles of water. He twisted off the cap and took a long drink. Glancing at his suitcase, he realized that for once he would wait to unpack. It wasn’t like him, but hell, maybe he should revel in the vacation.
Before he knew it, he’d finished off the water. He tossed it into the recycle bin Jillian had in the kitchen area. The thought of Jillian brought up her image in his mind. He wondered just how many tattoos she had and just where they led to.
He shook his head, amused with himself. It was a testament to just how tired he was that he was fantasizing about Jillian. The woman had no schedule, led a completely bohemian lifestyle, and was friends with his sister. She might as well be wearing a big sign that said “Off-Limits.”
Conner rolled his shoulders. Damn, he was still hot. He grabbed his suitcase to find something to wear for the night but first, a cold shower. Hopefully, it would help cool him off…and take his mind off his luscious new landlady.
* * * *
Jillian groaned when she heard the knocking on her door. She had been up until after two in the morning working. It was Conner Dillon’s fault. He’d broken her concentration the night before. Not because he was a new tenant, but because he was Conner. Sexy Conner. But she’d gotten the edits back to her editor, and she had a week off before she had any other new work to do. Her back still hurt from the hours hunkered over her laptop. Even just rolling over hurt. She would definitely need a massage this week, or she would end up spending the next two weeks working the kinks out.
She buried her head and prayed whoever it was would leave. She was sleeping in, dammit. It couldn't be important, not really. If it was, someone would call her. More than likely it was some lost tourist. So many of them came to Hawaii thinking that all the inhabitants of the islands worked for the tourism board. While she normally didn't mind, today was just not the day she could be an ambassador of aloha.
Finally, the knocking stopped. She sighed and was almost back to sleep when the knocking started up again.
"Fuck."
She got up out of bed, barely able to see. She squinted at th
e clock. Dammit, it wasn't even nine am. She was going to kill someone. First, she would torture them slowly, until they begged for death. Then, she would kill them. With some effort, she stumbled to the front door.
"You're dead," she said as she opened the door. She found Conner on the other side.
Great. This was exactly what she needed. Her hair was a mess, and the man who had broken her concentration the night before was here bright and early.
"I'm sorry, but you said to come by around noon or one?"
She blinked at him. "It's not even nine."
He frowned and looked down at his watch. God, the man was gorgeous. Even in her beleaguered state, she could appreciate him. She always had. From the first time she’d met him, she had been intrigued. All that muscle and brawn packed into one delectable package was too much to resist. Throw in that he was so protective of his sister and he was downright irresistible.
Until he opened his mouth.
"It's way past noon."
She frowned at him, realizing he was being serious. Jillian grabbed his hand and pulled him closer. She looked at the watch.
"You forgot to change the time."
He blinked at her with those steel gray eyes. Damn, how could a man have such impossibly long eyelashes and look so masculine?
"What?"
"You're five hours ahead there, Dillon. Didn't you notice?"
He blinked again then looked down at her hand which still had hold of his. Heat sizzled up her arm, throughout her entire body. She released him and took a step back.
"I can't believe I didn't change my watch. Or that I didn't notice it's only nine in the morning."
She couldn't either. She’d lived with Maura in college and considered her a close friend, but she didn't know Conner that well. But what she did know was that he was always on time. He was on top of things and took control of just about every situation there was. This was just not normal for him. Now she was starting to understand why Maura was so worried.
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