A_Little_Harmless_Fascination

by Melissa Schroeder

  "Even your family?" he asked.

  She made a face. "Especially my family. They know I live on an island somewhere, but they have no idea where. I have an idea they think it’s somewhere in the Caribbean. Plus, I have a Georgia cell phone number."

  "If the stalker had access to phone records, he could figure it out," Maria said. "Any kind of cell phone tower hit would definitely give him the location you were in last."

  "Whoa, I don't have a stalker. Probably. Okay, it isn’t a sure thing, but let’s not go crazy about this. I agree that it needs to be checked out."

  "There are many ways to find a person, especially today," Maria said. “You are very visible online.”

  "Who knows where you live?" Conner asked.

  "You, your sister, and knowing your sister and her relationship with him, Zeke. Then there are a handful of writers who I've met up with here. But for the most part, I keep it pretty secret. I don't want anyone to know where I live."

  "So you were worried about a stalker already?"

  She shook her head. "My family. With my grandmother's will, they are stuck getting my approval on everything. I wouldn’t put it past one of those lazy bastards to show up here on a regular basis to try to get my approval for all kinds of crap. So I keep it secret from everyone except Charles."

  "Charles?” he asked a little too sharply. That earned him an annoyed look from Jillian and a knowing smile from Maria.

  "He's the lawyer in charge of the family money. Because of the terms of the will, he needs to know where I am at all times."

  He nodded, but he was going to ask her more about her personal life. Granted, he doubted that it was an ex. He had a feeling that Jillian kept her privacy. Still, you never know how many people you touch in a given day. Hell, it could be someone at the swap meet that she saw on a regular basis. Including the asses who had the house beside her.

  "I'm going to take this back to the lab right now. Trail of evidence," Rome said. He glanced at Conner. "Wanna come with me?"

  He didn't want to. He wanted to stay and ask Jillian about her ex lovers. And everyone else she talked to. There was something she was hiding from him, and he didn't like it. But he probably needed to talk to Rome privately, and he needed time to cool down.

  "I can stay here with Jillian," Maria offered.

  He didn't know if she did that because she saw the look in his eyes or if she wanted to ask Jillian work questions. It was probably a little of both. And, she might find out more from Jillian than he could. The idea that he was so jealous of her exes wasn’t a good sign.

  "Okay. Call if anything else happens."

  Jillian rolled her eyes as Maria and Rome walked outside to give them some privacy.

  She settled her hands on her hips and looked at him. "I think I can handle myself, Dillon."

  He stepped up to her, grabbed her by the arms, yanked her forward and kissed her. When he pulled back, he touched her forehead to his. "Just promise me you will listen to Maria."

  She pulled back and looked into his eyes. "Okay."

  He studied her, trying to figure out if she was lying or not.

  “I promise. I’m not stupid, Conner. I know that this is serious. I will not hide because of it, but I won’t take any stupid chances. Plus, I’ll listen to the woman who used to be an FBI agent. I am not an idiot.”

  “I didn’t say you were. I just want you to understand that you need to be careful.”

  He could tell he had offended her, but he didn’t care. He would rather have her safe and pissed off than hurt. Still, she didn’t seem to hold it against him. She leaned forward and gave him a sweet, soft kiss that had him groaning. Within seconds it turned hot. He pulled back and rested his forehead against hers again.

  “This guy is pissing me off. I had some toys to play with tonight.”

  She smiled. “Well, then, you better hurry back here, stud.”

  Maria cleared her throat discreetly from behind him.

  He sighed. “Behave.”

  She nodded and watched him leave, saying nothing else. He trotted down the steps to the sedan where Rome waited for him.

  "How long have you known Jillian?" Rome asked as he pulled out onto Kam Highway.

  "About ten years."

  Rome glanced at him.

  "No, not like that. She was my sister's roommate in college. I knew her, but not really. When I was ordered to take a month off, my sister decided to get me as far away from the office as possible. She called Jillian and rented the room from her for me. Not to mention that she bought the ticket."

  The detective glanced at him from the corner of his eye. His lips twitched. "It's killing you, isn't it?"

  He snorted. "Like the devil. Of course, Jillian helps me take the edge off."

  "I had a feeling about that. Micah vouches for her, so I have a feeling she’s a good egg. And Maria is positively giddy about talking to her.”

  “She’s changed a lot since the last time I saw her.”

  “Maria?”

  “Yeah. I have to say you are probably the reason.”

  He pulled to a stop at a light and glanced over at Conner. “So, you've known Maria for a long time?"

  "Yeah," Conner said, more comfortable with this line of questioning. "I knew her when she was just a teenager. Even then she was a know-it-all pain in the ass."

  Instead of getting mad, Rome’s lips twitched. Apparently the man knew exactly who he was marrying. Maria was a good person, but she was often times too sure she was right about things. Worse, she usually was right and never let you hear the end of it.

  "Was her father as much of a bastard as I think he was?" Rome asked.

  Conner nodded. "He was my mentor, and without him I probably wouldn't have made it in the FBI. But he was a shitty father."

  "You were in sort of the same situation from what Maria said with your sister."

  Conner shook his head as Rome pulled out onto H-3. "No. Maura was a little older than Maria was when her mother died. She’d already been accepted to University of Georgia and was entering a year early by the time our folks were killed in a car crash. Plus, I was lucky she got paired up with Jillian the first year. She sort of took Maura under her wing.”

  "But, if she hadn't been that old or going off to college? If you had been forced to make the decision...."

  He glanced over at Rome and realized that he was weighing and measuring Conner on some level.

  "I would have walked away without a thought because family is more important than anything in the world."

  Rome shot him a smile. "That's the way it is in my family. Maria's was a little screwy. I'm just hoping I can get her over the fear that she doesn't know how to be a parent. She about faints every time I mention that I want to have at least three kids. Being the Italian Catholic I am, I really want more, but I don’t mention that."

  “Good luck with that one.”

  Rome nodded. “Going to need it, but not any more than you are going to need, right? I mean, are you planning on settling here in the islands?”

  It wasn’t until that moment that the idea slipped into his mind. He didn’t need to live in Miami to run the company. He could stay here, be with Jillian…and slowly go crazy. He wasn’t made for Hawaii any more than she was made for some place like DC or Miami. Jillian belonged here and he didn’t.

  “No. My business is in Miami, so I’m only here for the month.”

  If Conner didn’t sound that convincing, Rome said nothing about it. Conner was pretty sure the detective didn’t believe him, but it was the way it would have to be. They both had obligations and lifestyles.

  It was just the way it was.

  * * * *

  Jillian had been trying to keep the conversation going with Maria, but it kept trailing off. Jillian was pretty sure she knew what was going on.

  “Go ahead.”

  “What?”

  “I don’t mind you asking about the business. It will probably take my mind off things right now. Let’s
get comfortable in the living room.”

  Maria practically skipped into the room. If her nerves weren’t shot, Jillian would get a kick out of her. Newbies could sometimes irritate Jillian, but there was nothing like being around a novice still excited about the business. Once they settled down, Maria didn’t hesitate to start her questioning. After ten minutes, Jillian did not have a doubt that the woman had been an excellent FBI agent. She shot questions at her as if Jillian was a suspect.

  A flash of light brightened the room telling Jillian the guys were finally home.

  “I didn’t think they would ever get home.”

  Maria smiled. “One thing you should be used to here on the island is the leisurely pace.”

  “I guess. I’m just a little on edge.”

  “Of course, you are. Hell, I know I would be.”

  She studied the former agent. “I don’t think anything would bother you.”

  Maria waved that away. “I’m just really good at hiding it. Like talking to you about writing. I will probably pass out from the stress of it when I get home.”

  Jillian chuckled. “I would have never guessed.”

  “Well, I was very nervous. And excited. I haven’t decided what to do, but I like that you are so open about the business part of it. I don’t have to worry about money, thanks to my father’s royalties, but it is nice to know there are more options out there these days.”

  Jillian hadn’t even thought about John Callahan’s work, but he had penned a few New York Times best sellers on the nonfiction list. And many of them stayed up there even today.

  The door opened, and Conner came in with a grim look on his face.

  “Nothing yet, before you ask. It will take a few hours to get into the lineup to be tested. I doubt they will find much, but it’s worth a try.”

  Rome followed him in. “There was a double homicide in Waikiki, so you know that’s going to take precedence.”

  She nodded. “Makes sense. Did you want something to drink before you head home?”

  He shook his head. “Just need my bed…not to mention my woman. I hope she didn’t make you feel like a bug on a lens.”

  Maria shot him a look that told him he would be in trouble for that later on. “No one else thinks that. Just you.” She turned her attention back to Jillian. “Thanks again for all your help. I’ll send those chapters to you tomorrow. And you,” she said as she gave Conner a kiss on the cheek, “don’t forget about my gift. I expect something nice.”

  “That’s rude,” Conner said, but Jillian could tell from his voice that he wasn’t mad. In fact, his tone was very close to the way he talked to Maura.

  “Nice doesn’t work with you. And I know you can afford it.”

  With that, Rome tugged her out of the house, and Conner shut the door behind them.

  “What took you so long to get back?” she asked

  “I had Rome check out a few people for me.”

  “What people would that be?”

  “Adam and Mick.”

  She shook her head. “There’s no reason to check on them.”

  “Mick spends a lot of time paying attention to you.”

  “Yeah, well, he spends more time paying attention to Adam.”

  That had him stopping. “Oh?”

  “I guess your snooping didn’t tell you that, huh? Well, they’ve been living together for five years.”

  “They are both former Special Forces.”

  “Yeah, I know.”

  He frowned. “And you didn’t tell me?”

  “You didn’t ask.”

  He settled his hands on his hips, his expression fierce. “Dammit, Jillian, I’m not trying to be an asshole. I’m trying to find out who scared the hell out of you.”

  She took a breath. “I know that, but I know those guys.”

  “Well, I had a talk with them.”

  She felt the weight of his actions. She didn’t like being watched over so much. Not really. “Shit. You have to know they would never hurt me.”

  “I do. After talking with them, they wanted to beat the living hell out of whoever scared you. Plus, they gave alibis for earlier today, and Jamie verified it.” He paused and looked at her. “Are you sure they’re together? There is something definitely going on with them and Jamie.”

  “Really? Well, I guess they could be bi, but even so, they are definitely together.”

  “How could you know? They don’t act like it.”

  She chuckled. “What does that mean?”

  “I live near South Beach, so I know a lot of bisexuals and gay men. Hell, my business partner is bi, and it doesn’t bother me. They just don’t act like a couple.”

  “Well, since I accidentally walked in on them having sex, I’m pretty sure they are.”

  He chuckled. “I guess that would prove it.”

  “Are you hungry?”

  He smiled. “Yeah, a little.”

  “I’ve got the makings for pizza.”

  “Yeah? I heard from Maura it is the best around.”

  “Prepare to be wowed.” She leaned up and gave him a kiss that had her body and her mind humming by the time she pulled away.

  “Come on, you can help.”

  And the big bad Dom smiled, took her hand, and let her lead him into the kitchen.

  * * * *

  "You're worried about this guy?" Micah asked him.

  "Yeah. It's weird, but she's right. Jillian has made it virtually impossible to find her. Seriously. I never knew anyone worried about his or her privacy this much, and I handle private security. So the fact that someone has found her, and has had the ability to rattle her, is more than a little disturbing."

  Micah studied him for a moment. The stoic Native American definitely could make anyone squirm.

  “What?” he asked.

  "You sure you're not blowing it out of proportion?"

  Conner shook his head. He might be a little over the top but he knew better. His gut was telling him this was not something to ignore. "You didn't see the pictures."

  "Okay, that is creepy as shit. There were some of them of you two alone?"

  He nodded. "I have another worry I didn't tell her."

  Another silent study from Micah. "That you think this has more to do with you than her?"

  Conner should have known he would pick up on it. Micah had been a bounty hunter before he opened the premier BDSM club of the islands. When Dee ran away from Hawaii, it took Micah less than twenty-four hours to find her. His instincts would have made him a superb FBI agent, but Micah would have never fit in at the bureau. And there was that juvie record.

  "Yeah. I don't know of anyone who would have a hard-on for me this long other than Dee's family. They’re still pissed at me."

  “I’m sure they are. Having any problems with them?”

  “No. Since several of them gave testimony, they are in hiding, so I doubt they would have the time or the money to do it. But, I did piss quite a few people off.”

  "You're going to have to go back through your cases."

  He grimaced, thinking about it. "And, I either need the FBI to help—"

  "Which will take forever."

  Conner nodded. "Yes, or I need to get outside help."

  "Use your resources."

  "I can't. I do and Jillian will know."

  "Talk to that business partner of yours."

  He shoved his hand through his hair in frustration. "Who will do anything Maura tells him because unfortunately, as Maria pointed out, he is trying to get my sister back into bed."

  Micah sighed and crossed his arms over his chest. "Damn, you're going to make me talk to my brother-in-law."

  "If you could?"

  "He's actually here for the wedding and in a shit mood. Maybe this will help. The only time he’s nice is when he’s around Dee"

  "Why is he in a bad mood?"

  Micah shrugged. "I've learned with that family you don't ask about bad moods unless you’re in the mood for a fight, and there�
��s a good chance something is going to get broken." He sighed theatrically. “Those Italians have world-class tempers on them.”

  Conner laughed. Dee and Devon's father had been organized crime, and both of them had gone into hiding when he'd put a hit out on them.

  "I guess so,” Conner said.

  “I think it's more of one of those freaky-genius things. Devon has a through-the-roof IQ. He can't just sit around and not do anything. He's trying for Dee's benefit because they are attempting to rebuild their relationship, but you can feel him fighting it. Sitting in one spot just isn't good for him. So, if I give him something illegal to do, he might be in a better mood. Which in turn will make Dee happy."

  "Which is a benefit to you."

  He smiled. "But of course."

  He shook his head. “What does she see in you?”

  “I’m the man of her dreams.”

  As soon as he said it, the phone rang. Micah looked at the number and his expression softened. Conner didn’t have to be told that it was Dee on the other end.

  “Hey, babe. I was just talking to your FBI man.”

  He listened for a while and glanced at Conner. “Yeah, I guess he might be taken now. He has a job for Dev, so you can be free of him.”

  Another pause. “I have no idea if it’s illegal, but I don’t think we need to worry about it. Conner will take care of him.”

  Conner rolled his eyes. Like that family worried about legal. Granted both of them were somewhat legal now, although Devon still hid behind a fake name and persona. Conner didn’t want to know the reasons. It was a constant reminder that he was on the run from something or someone, and Conner didn’t want to get involved. One thing he knew, Devon could handle himself.

  After Micah hung up, he looked at Conner. “Let’s go.”

  “Where?”

  Micah rose and started to shut off lights.

  “My house. Devon has his own equipment and doesn’t want to chance getting me in trouble here. Lord only knows what he does with those laptops he brings.”

  “Laptops. As in more than one?”

  “Yeah. He has his own plane so he doesn’t have to worry about any security.”