A Little Harmless Addiction

by Melissa Schroeder

  His eyes popped open. “Hey, Jocelyn. Come on to bed.” The tone of his voice told her that he had other things on his mind than sleeping.

  “Not sure that’s a good idea.”

  He frowned as his eyes drifted closed. “But I love you, you crazy woman.” Then he started snoring.

  It would have been comical if she hadn’t felt her heart almost fall out of her chest onto the floor. Did he really mean it? There were times when he looked at her that she thought he might. But it could be the alcohol talking. Men said really stupid things when they were drinking. Hell, people did. Still, there were times when he pulled her close and the look in his eyes told her he felt at least something more than lust.

  The memory of his accusations that afternoon came back to her. He had been in pain. They both had, but she could feel his as strongly as hers. He did love her. She kept seeing the pain in his eyes as he asked her about Greg. But it wasn’t just that. The way he had loved her after she told him about Greg should have told her then.

  Still, the man had another think coming if he thought he could say he loved her and she would forget it all.

  Because this one time in her life, Queen Jocelyn wanted it all. And dammit, Kai Aiona was just going to have to deliver.

  Someone was trying to break his head open. Or at least it felt that way to Kai. He tried to open his eyes and should have known better. The sun had been hot on his face and now it seared his eyeballs.

  “Fuck.”

  “That’s a good way to put it,” Jocelyn said.

  Fuck. He was at Jocelyn’s house. How did that happen?

  “You might want to get up because considering how much whiskey your brother-in-law claimed you drank, you probably need to use the bathroom.”

  With that she left him blessedly alone. It took him some time to be able to open his eyes again. When he could, he slowly rose to sit up in bed. His stomach threatened to lose the contents and he closed his eyes. He heard her soft footsteps as she walked toward him. She grabbed his hand, placed something cool in it. He opened his eyes and found a glass of clear, fizzing liquid.

  “Drink it. If you are going to lose it, you’ll clean it up if it ends up in my bed.”

  Again, she left without waiting for an answer. It took him longer to drink down the cure than he expected, but he kept it down. Twenty minutes later, he walked into the kitchen to the smell of food. He’d showered and it had cleared his mind. He had a lot of apologizing to do for his behavior yesterday.

  She apparently hadn’t heard him, so he felt free to watch her as she puttered around the kitchen. God, he had been an ass last night. He didn’t know what he had said to her, but he hoped he didn’t say anything he would regret. It was all fuzzy, but he remembered Evan dragging him out of the club. He also had a vague memory of Evan carrying him into the house.

  She turned and her mouth opened as she gasped. “Don’t sneak up on me.”

  He walked to her then, took the plate of food and placed it on the kitchen counter. Taking her face into his hands, he leaned closer and kissed her. Long, slow, sweet.

  He pulled back, but held onto her face. “I’m sorry.”

  “You didn’t do anything—”

  “For yesterday. For blaming you for something I did.”

  She frowned at that.

  “I should have told you about Keisha. Should have told you everything, but I hadn’t dealt with it.”

  And he had allowed the ignorant actions of his old high school sweetheart to make him almost lose this woman. The one he wanted forever.

  “I want to tell you about her, about why I messed up.”

  She sighed. “I would like that.”

  “But not right at the moment. First, I need coffee. And I need to grovel. Or I think that Evan said I did.”

  She picked up a mug and handed it to him. “Food’s for you.”

  She wandered out to the little lanai and he joined her there a few minutes later.

  “Thank you.”

  She glanced at him, then back to the view. “What for?”

  “First, for taking me in last night. Not sure that I would have gotten any care at home. Probably would have gotten yelled at.”

  “Why is that?”

  “I think my father would kill me if I messed things up with you.”

  She smiled. “Yeah, I got that feeling when he called looking for you last night.”

  Damn, it was like he was a teenager again, his father looking for him past curfew. “Sorry about that.”

  She shook her head and looked at him. ‘I understand. I was worried when I couldn’t reach you, but I thought you might be ignoring me.”

  He heard the catch in her voice and felt like a bastard. She looked away.

  “Jocelyn, I’m sorry.”

  She nodded.

  “No. I am sorry.” He took her hand and tugged on it until she looked at him. “I was an ass. I expected everything from you, but I wasn’t willing to share. I should have. There wasn’t much I could tell you other than Keisha used me. I thought I was okay with it until she packed up and left. And I knew if I had realized my feelings earlier, she might have not left and gone back to that bastard.”

  “You feel guilty. It’s not your fault.”

  He shook his head. “Not all my fault. But partially. I should have realized. I am not sure if we would have lasted. I doubt it. But I would have liked to have tried.”

  “Why do you think you two wouldn’t last?” she asked.

  He looked at her hand as he played with her fingers, then glanced back up at her face. “Because I realize I was waiting for you.”

  Tears filled her eyes. “Oh, Kai.”

  “I know that it sounds stupid.”

  “It doesn’t sound stupid at all.”

  “I wasn’t always truthful with Keisha. Not that I lied or cheated, but I kept it light because I thought she wanted it that way. Maybe she didn’t, I’m not sure. But I didn’t take the chance. I just didn’t want to do that with you. I didn’t want to lose you.”

  She slipped her fingers in between his. “I want to explain to you why I didn’t tell you about Greg.”

  She drew in a breath and he knew she was trying to pull herself together.

  “You don’t have to.”

  “No. I do. I was trying to deal with it, trying to figure out just how to cope.”

  He cocked his head and studied her as she looked out over the small backyard again. He heard something in her voice.

  “I was on medication before I came here. All kinds of medication. Well, two types. Mostly to help with the anxiety.”

  “I know and it’s understandable. Anyone who had been through what you had been through would need something.”

  She snorted, but he heard the pain and embarrassment.

  “You’re a fantastic woman, but you’re not superwoman.”

  She cast him a look that would have had another man running away. But he wouldn’t. He wanted her too badly and she needed to know the truth.

  “You’re not perfect, Jocelyn.”

  Frowning she asked, “What do you mean by that?”

  “You’re high maintenance.”

  “I am not.”

  “You are too. You want things a certain way. There’s a reason your nickname was Queen Jocelyn. And I am sure you liked the name. It fits you.”

  “Oh, really?”

  He nodded. “Yeah, babe. You won’t let me clean the kitchen, and more than likely, you’ve reorganized Cynthia’s kitchen at work.”

  Her expression blanked as she pulled her hand from his and then crossed her arms. “If I am such a pain, why do you even want me?”

  He shook his head. “Damned if I know. Probably the masochist in me.”

  Now her eyes narrowed and lit with green fire. She opened her mouth and he started laughing.

  “God, you should see yourself.” He plucked her out of her chair and settled her on his lap. “I love you. Everything. The good and the bad. I don’t expect yo
u to be perfect. I just want you to be Jocelyn.”

  Her expression softened then. “You told me you loved me last night.”

  He felt his face flush and wondered what other embarrassing things he had said to her.

  “Then you called me a crazy woman.”

  He laughed. “And do you have something to stay in return?”

  Her lips curved and her eyes sparkled with devious humor. “Thank you?”

  “Jocelyn—”

  “I love you. And just like me, you’re not perfect. Although, I do believe I am closer to perfect than you are.”

  He gave her a kiss. “You definitely are. So you’re hanging around?”

  “Yeah. I was wondering…since you had so much stuff here already, well, clothes, did you want to move in with me.”

  His heart constricted when he heard the uncertainty in her voice. Even after a declaration of love, she wondered. He would definitely use the rest of their lives to prove that he was around to stay.

  “Yeah.” He swallowed the lump that had risen in his throat. “Yeah, I would like that a lot. Although, we will need something bigger and closer to Honolulu.”

  She kissed him, sweet, long, wet. “I love you, Kai.”

  Her whisper reached past his heart, right down to his soul.

  “I love you too.”

  And they sat there, watching the day come alive around them in the glow that they had found what they needed.

  About the Author

  Born to an Air Force family at an Army hospital, Melissa has always been a little bit screwy. She was further warped by her years of watching Monty Python and her strange family. Her love of romance novels developed after accidentally picking up a Linda Howard book. Since her first release in 2004, Melissa has had close to 30 short stories, novellas and novels released with seven different publishers in a variety of genres and time periods. Those releases included an Eppie nomination and two CAPA nominations, along with a multitude of best sellers. Her contemporary, A Little Harmless Sex, became an international best seller in June of 2005 and was named one of the 100 bestselling Nookbooks of 2010.

  Since she was a military brat, she vowed never to marry military. Alas, Fate always has her way with mortals. Her husband is an Air Force major, and together they have their own military brats, two girls, an adopted dog daughter and they live wherever the military sticks them. Which until recently always involved heat and bugs only seen on the Animal Discovery Channel. In her spare time, she reads, complains about bugs, travels, cooks, reads some more, and tries to convince her family that she truly is a delicate genius. She has yet to achieve her last goal.

  If you want to know more about Melissa, stop by the following websites: www.melissaschroeder.net, groups.yahoo.com/group/Melsbookchatters, twitter.com/melschroeder, www.facebook.com/pages/Melissa-Schroeder/17997114885. For all things Harmless, join the Facebook group www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=160200550663144&ref=mf

  She loves to hear from her readers so be sure to drop Melissa a note: Melissa@melissaschroeder.net or PO Box 2706, Manassas, VA 20108.

  Look for these titles by Melissa Schroeder

  Now Available:

  Grace Under Pressure

  The Seduction of Widow McEwan

  Leather and Lace

  Harmless

  A Little Harmless Sex

  A Little Harmless Pleasure

  A Little Harmless Obsession

  A Little Harmless Lie

  A Little Harmless Addiction

  Once Upon an Accident

  The Accidental Countess

  Lessons in Seduction

  The Spy Who Loved Her

  Coming Soon:

  The Last Detail

  Falling for her might be easy, seducing her may be damned hard, but keeping her alive might just be deadly.

  A Little Harmless Lie

  © 2010 Melissa Schroeder

  Harmless, Book 4

  Coming from nothing, Micah Ross now has more than he knows what to do with. His Hawaii BDSM club is flourishing, and he has his pick of women. Except one. Dee Sumners is cute, sexy, feisty…and, since she’s on his payroll, off-limits. Plus, she insists she isn’t into the life. Until one heated kiss hints that his head bartender secretly hungers to be his sub.

  Life on the run doesn’t allow Dee to indulge in long-term relationships. Still, Micah manages to work his way through her tough armor and under her skin. Yet even as she succumbs to his skilled seduction, her survival instinct forms a plan to leave the island she has grown to love—and the man she’s in danger of loving.

  When Dee disappears, Micah’s anger turns to fear when he realizes she didn’t leave willingly. Calling on his skills as a former bounty hunter, he tracks her to the mainland only to discover she is entangled in a web of lies and deceit that not only threatens their love, but her life.

  Warning: This book contains more Hawaiian settings, a Native American Dom who always thinks he’s right, a woman on the run, sexy kisses, murderous relatives, a trip to Sin City, and a seduction that is sweet and hot and everything in between. Ice water and a towel are recommended while reading.

  Enjoy the following excerpt for A Little Harmless Lie:

  He was watching her again.

  Dee mixed a Colorado Bulldog as she rolled her shoulders, but it didn’t get rid of the feeling that Micah Ross was watching her. He’d been doing it most of the night and it was making her damned self-conscious.

  “Is there something wrong?”

  She looked up at Keisha and smiled. The tall black woman had become one of her few friends since moving to the islands two years earlier. “Nope. Just a feeling.”

  “Oh, you mean the boss?”

  She glanced up sharply and Keisha’s smile widened. “It’s kind of funny how he watches you all the time.”

  “Well, I don’t like it. Makes me think he doesn’t trust me.” And while she did lie about some things, she had always been trustworthy in her job.

  “Uh, honey, that’s not why he watches you.”

  She turned to pull a beer. “Yeah, why else would he do it?”

  Keisha said nothing and Dee looked up. Her friend rolled her eyes. “Are you that stupid?”

  No, she wasn’t. Most men were easy to read. They wanted one thing, and one thing only from her. Well, two things. First, their booze, then they wanted sex. She had avoided the second problem while making a good living off the first. Either way, she didn’t like deep men. Those men were dangerous. They could hide things from you. Things that could end up getting you killed.

  Micah Ross was deeper than any man she had met.

  “There’s a pool going,” Keisha said.

  That caused Dee to come to a dead stop. “A pool?”

  “Yeah, we want to know how long it will be before Ross can’t control himself. I have dibs on two weeks from Tuesday and I really want to go back to the mainland to see my mom.”

  “It’s that high?”

  Keisha laughed as she hoisted her tray up. “Honey, it’s been building the last six months.”

  With that, she turned and sashayed through the crowd. Dammit, Dee hated that. She didn’t need people speculating what was going on between her and Ross. She didn’t like gossip. It made her too interesting. That would cause her too many problems to count.

  She rubbed her forehead and tried to get her mind back on work. It was bad enough she’d dreamt of him more than once in the last few months. Who wouldn’t, she thought with irritation. He was gorgeous. Not the usual pretty boy, he was tall, over six feet, with long straight hair, a proud Native American nose and Jesus, his body. She’d seen him just about naked since he’d paired up with subs for the crowd a few times when she first started working there. Saying the man was built just didn’t do him justice. Sinewy muscles, golden skin, not to mention a world-class ass.

  Lord, she had to stop thinking about that. No men. That was her rule. She didn’t trust easily, but men especially. She couldn’t be sure that one of them wouldn�
��t offer her up on a silver platter for the price.

  And if that made her feel sad, she would just have to ignore it. Stupid girls got themselves killed. Falling for a guy like Micah Ross was definitely stupid.

  Business was starting to slow down, so she decided to start looking over the bar, starting cleaning up and doing inventory. Mondays weren’t that busy, but she never left her bar for the next worker without a good supply. In her position as head bartender, she didn’t have to stock the bar. She could make the next bartender on duty do it, but Dee held herself to higher standards than that.

  She picked up a bottle of Patron and made a note that she needed another one. Once done, she turned to put it back.

  “How’s it going?”

  Her heart jumped to her throat, every nerve going on alert and the bottle slipped from her grasp. The crash was barely heard over the roar of the pulsing music, but it did draw the attention of a few people sitting at the bar. Micah was behind her in an instant. He grabbed her by her upper arms and spun her around.

  “Are you okay?”

  She looked up at him, held immobile by his nearness. She had never been this close to him ever. She could see the concern in his eyes, feel his breath feather over her face. Even with all the people in the area, she could scent him. Bayberry…and Micah. It made her head spin and left her feeling vaguely aroused.

  “I-I’m fine, Micah. You can let me go.”

  He looked down at his hands on her arms as if he didn’t realize he still held her. He wanted to argue, she could see it when his gaze pierced hers again. After a moment’s hesitation, he released her.

  There was no reason for her heart to be beating the way it was. Her entire body simmered with heat. Good Lord, it wasn’t as if she hadn’t been that close to a man before. She was acting like a teenager.

  “Are you sure?” he asked, his low, seductive voice easy enough for her to hear. He had moved closer, his lips within inches of her ear.

  She nodded and turned to grab the broom. Without saying anything she cleaned up the glass. He stayed there, watching her as if she were a child who needed supervision. By the time she was done, her nerves were jumping.