Constant Craving (Task Force Hawaii #3)

by Melissa Schroeder

  They both took their shoes off and lined them up against the wall by the door. Jess and Luke made their way out into the living room, rubbing their bodies up against Charity first, then moving onto TJ. Traitors.

  Dropping her purse on the breakfast bar, she went to the refrigerator to get a drink of water. She loved her Cosmos, and she loved macadamia nut crusted fish, but with the alcohol consumption, she was feeling parched.

  After filling the glass, she turned to face TJ. He was watching her with that look—the one she was sure drove people crazy. A person couldn’t read what he was thinking with those flat eyes and the almost blank expression.

  “Stop that.”

  “What?”

  “Looking at me that way.”

  His eyebrows shot up. “What way?”

  Oh, his tone told her that he was definitely screwing with her.

  “Like I’m a suspect.”

  He shook his head as she nodded.

  “How do you know how I look at suspects?”

  Oh, God. His voice. The Texas accent had deepened and rolled over the words. It did all kinds of funny things to her insides.

  “I just do. It’s like you’re trying to figure me out.”

  “Most of the time, I’ve already figured out suspects. You...not so much.”

  Charity frowned, then took another sip of water. He wasn’t making all that much sense, but it might not be him. It might just be the drinks with dinner. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  He didn’t answer for a long time. He stared at her with a look that she imagined most people would term as predatory. “You’re a complicated woman.”

  “I take pride in that.”

  He acknowledged that with a nod. “I assumed you would.”

  “Now what is that supposed to mean?”

  He just smiled. Oh, hell, he looked so cute. His hair was particularly curly today. And that smile—it would entice a nun to sin.

  “Charity?”

  “What?”

  “Sorry. Was just thinking.”

  “About what?”

  “That big bed in your bedroom.”

  “TJ.” His name escaped on a sigh that sounded more like a plea. After the chat with Emma, she had been thinking of all kinds of things, one of them was how much she wanted TJ. Like wanted him more than she wanted her next breath. It wasn’t a feeling she was accustomed to.

  “But then, as I said earlier, any flat surface would do for me.”

  Her pulse scrambled, and the air seemed to back up in her lungs. She shouldn’t want a man who had done the things he had done. But what if he was telling her the truth earlier?

  “What did you mean about not revealing yourself in your last investigation?”

  “It means that when I’m around you, I can’t think straight. Mainly because it’s hard to think with no blood in my brain.”

  He had stepped closer. It was beyond intimate. She could feel the heat of his body. It never failed to get to her.

  “I have no problem with my job, keeping it professional, but from the first time I met you, I couldn’t seem to be that way. Hell, just seeing your picture for the first time, before I met you, I wanted you. I didn’t realize how much until you smiled at me.”

  He took the glass of water out of her hands and set it on the counter behind her, then he caged her in by placing his hands on either side of her against the counter.

  “This isn’t a good idea, TJ.”

  “I disagree,” he said, as he nibbled on her bottom lip. “Is it smart? No. But good...actually you might be right.”

  He said nothing else, as he nuzzled her neck. Oh, God. He brushed his mouth over her pulse point, then his teeth and tongue. The man was driving her crazy.

  “So, you agree. Not a good idea.”

  “No.” He worked his way to her earlobe, took it between his teeth, and gave it a tug. His breath was hot against her flesh. As he pressed his body closer, she felt the hard, long length of him against her. “I think it is an excellent idea.”

  Charity said nothing, but she leaned her head away to give him better access. Heat flashed through her as every drop of moisture seemed to dry up. She closed her eyes and moaned.

  “Charity?”

  She forced herself to open her eyes and look at him. There was no doubting what he was asking. He was leaving it up to her. She knew he would walk away and give her space if she said no, but she didn’t want to say no. It was probably stupid and definitely complicated, two things she tried to avoid for the most part, but with TJ, she didn’t care.

  “Yes.”

  He groaned and took her mouth in a hot, wet, completely erotic kiss. It flashed through her, pushing her arousal to new heights, and it was just a kiss. He tugged her forward and started walking backwards. As he worked their way through the living room, the rush of the moment hit her. This man, this time. It was right. If it wasn’t, she didn’t want to know about it. They bumped against the wall, as he tried to undo the tie at the back of her neck for her halter top. Her breasts spilled free of the soft cotton fabric. Going without a bra had probably been the best idea in a long time. With a wiggle, her dress fell to the floor at their feet.

  He stopped just inside her doorway and stared. He shot a look up at the ceiling and mouthed the words thank you, then he bent his head, taking her nipple into his mouth. Heat seared through her as need rose. She speared her fingers through his hair as he teased her. The man was dangerous with that mouth. He had barely touched her with his hands, and she was ready to explode.

  Need coursed through her. They fell onto the bed, with little planning from what she could tell, but she didn’t care. She loved the feel of his rough hands working over her flesh.

  They both fumbled with his shirt, giggling as they fought to open the buttons. Before he had it off, Charity started to work on his shorts, pulling the zipper down. He batted her hands away.

  “Hey,” she said, still laughing. “I’m practically naked, and you have too many clothes on.”

  “Give me a second here, woman,” he said, frustration easy to hear in his voice.

  She laughed, enjoying him, relishing this moment with just him.

  He shucked off his shirt, dropping it on the floor with her dress, then he eased them to the bed. Once she was laying on top of her mattress, he slipped her panties off and spread her legs apart. Without hesitation, his mouth was on her, his tongue slipping inside of her slick passage. She was so wet, wetter still as he tasted her. The hum that tore from his throat rushed through her, pushing her over that first peak.

  The intensity of it left her shattered, unable to even comprehend what was happening. He rose then, slipping off the rest of his clothes and retrieving a condom out of his wallet. He tore the package open and rolled it on before joining her back on the bed.

  He moved between her legs, kneeling on the bed. Taking hold of her by the hips, he thrust into her in one, long movement. As he started to move within her, she moaned. Her orgasm had left her weak, unable to move. But even as she thought it might not happen, the rush of excitement hit her again.

  “Yes,” TJ said. “Look at me, Charity.”

  She fought to get her eyes opened and then heat surged again. She could smell the Hawaiian night air on him, and the underlying scent she would always know him by. His fingers bit into her flesh as he increased the rhythm. She arched up, her eyes sliding closed, as the sheer enormity of her next orgasm blew through her. It left her shaking, as she felt him thrust one more time. With a shout, he followed her into pleasure this time.

  Chapter Eleven

  TJ was pretty sure he was dead. The only sign that he was still breathing was the beating of his heart.

  “Hey, you weight a ton,” Charity said pushing at his shoulder.

  He grunted and didn’t move. Every muscle in his body seemed to have turned to mush. It would be impossible for him to move. He might just have to stay there the rest of his life.

  “TJ?”

  He dre
w in a deep breath, and along with it, her scent. Sweet and pungent at the same time. Even that was complex. The woman had layers and layers to her, and he wasn’t sure if he would ever get down to the bottom—but he knew that uncovering them would be interesting.

  “There is a reason they call it dead weight.”

  She laughed. Since he was still inside of her, he could feel all the delicious vibrations run from her through him. He was starting to realize her laugh was one of the best sounds in the world.

  “Are you saying you’re dead?” she asked.

  He forced himself to move. With great effort, he rose to his elbows so he could look down at her. Moonlight dappled her skin. Her hair was a tangled mess against the brilliant yellow pillow case, and her mouth curved up in a one-sided smile. Her eyes were closed. Damn, the woman was gorgeous. Physically, that was easy to see, but there was a joy within her. He was sure that was the reason he had become so infatuated with her so easily. She didn’t hide her feelings, and she wouldn’t lie about them.

  “I’m saying I might be. Old man like me, all this activity...plus, add in that I’m fairly certain I saw God once or twice.”

  Her smile widened as she opened her eyes and slipped her hands up his arms. “Is that a fact?”

  He nodded and brushed his mouth against hers. “Yep.”

  It was barely a touch, but he wanted more. The urge to deepen the kiss, to lose himself in her once more almost overwhelmed him. He didn’t understand the driving need he had for her. Well, beyond the obvious sexual desire. There was something about her that drew him in and held onto him. He just didn’t understand it.

  She pushed at his shoulder again. “I do appreciate that, but I’m serious about the being heavy thing.”

  With regret, he rolled off her. The sigh she released was almost comical.

  “I can breathe again.”

  “I’m not that heavy.”

  Instead of trying to cover her nude body, she stretched, bowing off the bed. He had never met a woman who was so comfortable in her own skin. Damn, was he ever going to get used to her? With a sigh, she settled back down and looked at him.

  “What?”

  “Nothing, no comments from me, except that I’m glad you’re not modest.”

  “I’ve never been afraid of nudity. Never bothered me in the least. We traveled a lot when I was young, lots of museums. Plus, my parents had a very healthy view on sexuality. No shaming people for what came natural.”

  “I, for one, would like to thank them for that.”

  With a throaty laugh, she raised up to settle her weight on one elbow and looked at him. “Honey, you are all solid muscle. I take it you work out.”

  “Used to. Working on the house, I don’t really have to now.”

  She smiled as she ran her fingers down his chest. “Yeah, I can see that.”

  He shook his head and laughed. “You are always surprising me.”

  “Is that a good thing? I would think it was.”

  “Yeah,” he said, leaning in to kiss her again. He rose from the bed and went to the bathroom to throw away the condom. When he returned, she was propped up on her elbow. The only light in the bedroom came from the bathroom, but he could easily see her. It almost stopped his heart seeing her against the crimson red and gold comforter.

  “What?”

  “Just trying to figure out how I got so lucky.”

  She snorted. “You were lucky. I mean, after everything you did, and I still let you have me.”

  He cocked his head. “I would say we both had each other.”

  For a long moment, she said nothing. Then, her lips curved. “Yeah, I like that.”

  “And I think we are about to have each other again,” he said walking toward the bed.

  “You think?”

  He climbed onto the mattress and pulled her closer. Easily, slowly, he kissed her. She hummed. The sound of it moved over his flesh and sunk into his soul.

  “Yeah,” he said, nibbling on her bottom lip. “But this time, I plan on taking my time.”

  Just before dawn, TJ felt a sharp pain vibrate from his chest through his body. He opened his eyes and found himself face-to-face with Jess. She was sitting on his chest, clawing at it. Her brilliant blue eyes were easy to see in the dark room.

  “Go away,” he whispered.

  The cat stopped for a second and then, without breaking eye contact, she clawed at his chest again.

  “Mother fucker,” he said, trying to keep his voice low. He didn’t want to wake Charity, who was snoring softly next to him. He lifted Jess and set her on the floor. Then, he felt another paw on his back and the scratch that followed.

  Another oath slipped from his lips, before he lifted Luke and put him down on the ground next to Jess. He looked over his shoulder at Charity. She was still sleeping, snuggled up with her pillow. He’d had her three times the night before, and still he craved her. He wanted nothing more than to ease her to wake with a kiss, then do even more. But, at this moment, she looked so peaceful, he really didn’t want to disturb her. So, he eased away and out of bed. He looked down at the cats, who continued to study him.

  “Get used to it. I’m going to be around here a lot.”

  Jess licked her paw as Luke snarled at him.

  “Sorry, bud, but your claim on your mistress is over.”

  Jess still ignored him, and Luke gave him a look that said he would gladly smother TJ in his sleep. So, apparently, Luke was okay with him being a friend, but not in Charity’s bed. The stupid cat better just get used to it. Not wanting to disturb Charity, he decided to go take a shower.

  Charity came awake slowly. She knew she was alone in the bed without looking. TJ had been quiet, but Charity had felt him leave the bed just a few moments earlier. With a yawn, she stretched her arms over her head and then winced. Damn, she had used muscles the night before that had been long unused—which was odd for her. From her early twenties, Charity had had an active sex life. She didn’t exactly sleep around, but she never shied away from her sexuality. As she had told TJ, her parents had been open, and her mother had insisted that a woman had every right to sexual satisfaction. But...she was sure that TJ had used her body in ways that had never been attempted before. She smiled. Damned if she hadn’t enjoyed every minute of it too.

  Drawing in a deep breath, she turned over to her side. The mattress still had his imprint. The sheets smelled of him. She heard the shower and sighed. Maybe she should join him. The master bath shower was big enough for the two of them. She smiled and slipped from the bed, but not before she noticed his phone buzzing. The picture was of the Ryan Reynold’s adaption of Deadpool. The top of the screen read Wade. She didn’t answer, as that was invasion of privacy, but she sat on the bed trying to work through what was bothering her.

  Wade was the real name of Deadpool. What were his other brothers’ names? Luke—and they had laughed at that because of her cat. As in Luke Cage. Matt was the other brother. Matt Murdock who was also known as Daredevil.

  And that left her with a man who preferred to be called TJ. He was called The Hammer. Both Charity and Emma had looked and could not find his name anywhere. It was as if he had been named with the initials. She worked through all the names of Marvel—since his parents seemed to be leaning that way with the other three. What name would embarrass him enough not to use it?

  The moment it struck, she giggled. No. Could his parents have been so horrible? And if they had been that horrible, she definitely wanted to meet them both. It was almost too perfect. Charity popped up off the bed and walked into the bathroom. She opened the door and steam poured out. The mirror was clouded. She walked to the shower and slowly opened the door. At first, he didn’t seem to notice her. He was rinsing shampoo out of his hair. Damn...she had said it before, and she had been right. The man was built. She saw the injury to his shoulder. She had felt it the night before, but in the harsh light, it looked worse. She let her gaze travel down his body. He glanced over his shoulder at her. The
smile he shot her had her heart quivering.

  “Morning. I didn’t wake you, did I?”

  She shook her head. “Do you mind if I join you?”

  His mouth curved. “Not at all.”

  He moved up closer to the shower head, and she stepped in behind him. He was warm and wet and too much to resist. She slipped her arms around his waist and pressed her body against his.

  “Hmm,” was all he said, but the satisfaction was easy to hear.

  “So, Thor, how did you like last night?”

  He stilled. “What?”

  She laughed and drew back. He turned to face her. “Thor. What does the J stand for?”

  He hesitated, and she knew he was trying to come up with a lie. It delighted her even more.

  “How did you figure it out?”

  “Your brother called. I didn’t answer it, of course. I couldn’t. But, I saw the pic. Then I thought about your brother’s names, the fact that your parents run a comic book store, and there is only one name in the Marvel Universe that would embarrass you enough to go by an acronym. So what does the J stand for?”

  “Jackson. My mother’s maiden name.”

  She thought about it, then said the name out loud. “Thor Jackson Callahan.” A bubble of laughter escaped before she could stop it. “Sorry. It couldn’t have been easy running around with that name.”

  He rolled his eyes. “You have no idea.”

  “Your secret is safe with me, for now.”

  He was quiet for a long moment again, then his mouth curved. “Is that a fact?”

  She nodded.

  “Of course, I could offer some kind of payment for it.”

  Charity felt the heat in her rise, her body already responding to the dip in his voice. She glanced down. He was fully erect, his cock curving up against his belly.

  “Yeah? Like what?”

  He stepped closer and slipped his hands around her waist, then down to her ass. Pressing closer, she couldn’t fight the hum that vibrated out of her chest. Bending his head, he kissed her. Not a brush of the mouth, but thrusting his tongue into her mouth. She sucked on his tongue.