Hostile Desires

by Melissa Schroeder

  It took her a moment to compose herself. Bleeding hell, he was so pretty. How was she supposed to concentrate?

  * * *

  An hour later, Graeme looked up from the tablet and realized the sun was starting to set. They’d both fallen silent, intent on their research. He noticed that Dumfries was now laid out in the yard, belly up.

  He turned to say something to Elle, but he forgot what the moment he saw her. The sun was off to her side, the last rays of brightness dancing over her curls. He liked that she had let her hair grow out just a bit and that it had a little curl to it.

  Alabaster skin—especially in Hawaii—made her stand out, but nothing entranced him more than those sea green eyes. Even if the rest of her face was stoic, her eyes definitely showed her true feelings.

  She must have felt his study, because she raised her head and looked at him. He slipped off his glasses.

  “What?” she asked.

  “Nothing. I was thinking how pretty you are.”

  She sighed. “Listen, Graeme, this isn’t a good idea.”

  “What isn’t a good idea?”

  “You. Me. We can’t do things like you did last night.”

  “Oh, you mean the kissing?”

  “Yes, I mean the kissing.”

  “I was thinking about trying it again.”

  She shook her head. “No. It’s...I am not a good risk for a relationship.”

  “I didn’t say I wanted a relationship.”

  Once the words came out of his mouth, he wanted to take them back. Until the last year, he had been deployed most of the time. Relationships had been hard to maintain. Now, though, he was looking at her, and he was wondering what it would be like to have a long-term relationship with a woman like Elle.

  “Even so, I am not a good risk for sex. You know I am a sexual assault survivor.”

  He had guessed that a few months ago. She had been the one who had been there for Jin Phillips after they had found her near death from a vicious sexual assault.

  “Yes.”

  “I just haven’t...” She closed her eyes as if mortified. He went on instinct and reached for her hand.

  She opened her eyes and looked at him.

  “No pressure.”

  She shook her head, as she offered him a sad smile. “Don’t, Graeme. We’ll both feel embarrassed, and then we will lose what friendliness we have now. It will become awkward.”

  He shook his head, as he pulled her hand to his mouth. He brushed his lips over her knuckles.

  “Is that what happened with your husband?”

  She tensed, but he didn’t let go.

  “I don’t need the particulars, love. I just want to know what not to do.”

  She shook her head again. “You couldn’t be any more different from him if you tried.”

  “You had a good marriage?”

  “No. From the beginning until the end, it was a disaster. The rape just highlighted our problems. It doesn’t help if your wife not only gets abducted and raped, but she’s the one witness that helps you nail the bastard you’ve been chasing for months. He called it emasculating.”

  His heart broke for the woman, but rage poured through him as well. He understood that a lover would be upset, but saying something like that to a woman who had been through what she had been through...it was unacceptable.

  “I have to agree with you.”

  “I knew you would understand.”

  “Understand what, love?”

  “That I’m not a good risk for you. Especially at my age.”

  Graeme shook his head. “You act like we’re Harold and Maude. You’re just a few years older.”

  “Still.”

  “Age has nothing to do with it. What I meant, is that I agree that I’m no’ like your ex. I’d never turn away from you.”

  Her eyes turned so sad. “You weren’t there, Graeme. It was horrible. The papers...they were relentless. And well, Gerald, he had never been that good at dealing with pressure. When I found out he had been cheating on me, I walked out.”

  “I will say once again, I am not like that.”

  Before she could respond, Graeme leaned forward and brushed his mouth over hers again. The small touch had his blood humming and his heart singing. It was barely carnal, but it touched his soul.

  Before he could push too much, he pulled back. “Are you hungry?”

  She lifted her free hand to her mouth, then looked at him. The dazed expression when her gaze met his pleased him. He didn’t want to be the only person stunned by it.

  “Eat?”

  “Yeah. How about we head over to Luibueno’s and get some fish tacos?”

  She studied him for a second, then slowly, surely, her mouth curved. “That sounds smashing.”

  As she went to get ready, he sat back in the chair with a smile. He would take it slowly. He would give her time to get accustomed to having him around. Once she was ready, he would be the one she took a chance on.

  Chapter Ten

  The next three days passed in a blur of autopsies and meetings for Elle. The flu moved through the medical examiners’ office, leaving them just as understaffed. Since they didn’t have a need for her, Elle had offered her lab for help, especially with Drew at her side.

  “Hey,” Charity said from the doorway. The forensic tech might be fabulous working on the evidence, but she had a thing about dead bodies. She didn’t like spending any time in Elle’s lab.

  “Hey, yourself.”

  “Are you going to be able to come tonight?”

  Charity and Cat had put together a little bachelorette party for Emma over at her brother’s house.

  “I wouldn’t miss it, but I can’t drink.”

  “Why not?”

  “I’m on call.”

  Charity frowned. “That sucks.”

  “Not really. I’ll be off all next weekend for the wedding. HPD owes me big for the last couple of weeks, and I plan on taking advantage of them.”

  “Oh, I guess that’s good.”

  “And I am staying at the hotel, so I can drink all I want.”

  “So, are you coming by yourself?”

  “To the bachelorette party?”

  Charity rolled her eyes. “No, the wedding.”

  Elle finished the email she had been composing, then turned and looked at Charity. Today’s outfit was, as usual, spectacular. The red mandarin styled dress hugged all of her curves, while she had pulled her hair up, affixing it in a bun with black and red chopsticks. She was also wearing a pair of platform boots.

  “What did you ask me?”

  “Really, Elle, what is with you?”

  “The workload has left me knackered.”

  “Oh, sorry. I live in the dungeon most of the time, so I forget everything that goes on.”

  She nodded.

  “I was asking about a date for the wedding.”

  “I didn’t know I was supposed to bring a date.”

  “You don’t have to, but I was wondering because Drew and Cat are going together.”

  She smiled. “Yeah, I know.”

  “She isn’t going to know what hit her, is she?”

  Elle laughed. “Not once he gets her out on the dance floor.”

  Drew slipped by Charity. “What has you two laughing?”

  “Nothing,” Elle said. “We’re talking about our plans tonight.”

  “Yeah, we’re going out for dinner tonight,” Drew said.

  “That’s it? For the alpha of the group, you guys are taking him out for a meal?” Charity asked. “That’s kind of lame.”

  “Del said he didn’t want to really do anything. I heard his future brothers-in-law offered to take him to Rough ’n’ Ready, and Del declined.”

  Rough ’n’ Ready was the only BDSM club on the island, and had a hefty price tag even for one night.

  “Do you think they could get us in?” Charity asked.

  Elle laughed. “I am not going to Rough ’n’ Ready. And I have a feeling tha
t is so not Emma’s scene.”

  “Well, damn. I bet I could talk them into getting me a guest pass. I’ve always wanted to see the inside of that place.”

  Elle shut down her computer and grabbed her purse. “On that note, I’m going to head out right now. I need to clean up for our night out. Eight, right?”

  Charity nodded. “Yeah.”

  “You filed the reports, right, Drew?”

  “Yes. Everything should be taken care of. I’ll lock up for you.”

  “Thanks. I’m off.”

  She made her way out into the hallway and to the lift. She got on, punched the button for the first floor. She leaned against the back of the lift as it went up. Usually, she tried to walk up the stairs once a day, but today, she just didn’t care. It had been a long week, and she had been on her feet for most of it. The only thing she hoped for at the moment was to be able to sleep in.

  The doors opened and she stepped off. As soon as she did, she saw Graeme coming in the front door with Adam. He was wearing another of those TFH shirts the guys all seemed to like to wear. This one was blue, which deepened the tan he had. His eyes seemed more brilliant whenever he wore that particular shade of blue. But, she got no further than that. Both men wore grim expressions. They had definitely not had a good day.

  “Oh, you two look like you’ve had a bad experience.”

  Adam shook his head. “Just found another storage container filled with Chinese citizens. It wasn’t a pretty sight after a couple weeks at sea.”

  Hawaii was a stopping place for many human traffickers from the Far East, especially places like China and Thailand. Almost weekly there was a report of a container being found filled with people, mainly young women.

  “That sounds horrible. Were there any alive?”

  Adam nodded. “I have a feeling they would rather not have survived. They will all be sent back.”

  And more than likely sent to prison. She shivered.

  “Where are you headed?” Graeme asked.

  “I need to clean up. We’re doing the bachelorette party tonight, and I feel as if I’ve not showered in three days.”

  Graeme hesitated, then said, “Don’t get too rowdy tonight.”

  She had a feeling that was not what he had been planning on saying.

  “Kind of hard to since I’m on call.”

  “I know the feeling,” Adam said. “See ya later.”

  After Adam left, she waited for Graeme to say something, but he just stared at her.

  “Was there something you wanted?”

  It took a second before his mouth curved. “I think I made that clear the other night.”

  A wave of heat spread over her body. “I meant for work.”

  “No. Carino still hasn’t found the original file, but I am piecing it together as much as I can from the news reports, and from what the Kalanis gave us.”

  Then irritation moved over his expression.

  “What?” she asked.

  “I need to call them. I try and check in every day with them right now.”

  And that was the way he was. He was dedicated to his job, but it was more than that. He wanted to make sure her parents knew he took the case seriously.

  “What?” he asked.

  She shook her head. “Nothing. I’m sorry I haven’t been able to help that much.”

  “A lot of your job is done. You gave me the report on the death. Her parents offered to have her exhumed.”

  Elle sighed. “That won’t help much. We have the time of death, and we have the bullet. Doc didn’t leave anything out.”

  He nodded, then they both fell silent.

  “Well, I guess I should go.”

  “Yeah. Hey, I was thinking if you weren’t busy tomorrow, that you might want to go over what I have so far.”

  “I’m not sure how much I can help with it if it doesn’t have to do with the autopsy findings.”

  “Another set of eyes would help.”

  She was exhausted, and had planned on spending the day in bed. But the idea of getting to spend a little time with Graeme, even if it was for work, sounded like a splendid idea. “Okay. But I insist you bring Dumfries with you.”

  “I canna believe that bastard dog has stolen another woman from me. Okay. Say around noon?”

  She nodded and headed out the door, feeling infinitely better than she had five minutes earlier.

  * * *

  Several hours later, Elle sat back in her chair and sighed. Emma’s brother and his lovers lived in Kailua on the windward side of the island. The mansion they owned backed up to one of the best beaches on the island—and that was saying a lot on Oahu. The pool sparkled in the moonlight, as she listened to the trade winds shift through the palm trees. They were close enough to the ocean’s edge, she could hear the waves rushing to shore.

  “A woman could get used to this,” Charity said. She was sitting beside her at a long table on the covered lanai. Cat and Emma sat across from them.

  “Indeed,” Elle said. “I can see the ocean, well a bit, but I would like to own a house next to the water some day.”

  “It’s a dream come true for me,” Jaime brought out cocktails to the poolside dining table. “I don’t think I could ever take another winter in England.”

  Another Brit, Jaime Alexander lived with Sean—Emma’s half brother—and Randy. She and Elle had not talked much, but they had chatted a bit about their homeland.

  “Now, I have two virgin drinks for the doc and Emma. The rest of us are slutty.”

  Charity laughed, as she reached for a drink. “Now, that I can deal with.”

  “Thanks, Jaime,” Elle said. “And thank you for having the party here. I am not sure I would ever want to leave my house with a view like this.”

  “Not to mention those two men. How do you handle them?” Cat asked, as she sipped on her drink.

  Jaime opened her mouth, but Emma stopped her.

  “Oh, God, don’t ask. Jaime will go into detail, and it will make me want to bleach my brain again,” Emma said. “I don’t even want to think about the times I forgot to call to say I was coming over.”

  “You spoil all our fun,” Charity said.

  “Do it when I am not around,” Emma said, sipping on her virgin lava flow.

  “Okay. So let’s ask Elle about Graeme,” Cat said.

  There was a moment of silence before everyone turned to look at Elle.

  “What?” Elle asked.

  “You mean that tall blond that looks like he’s ready to lead his clan to victory?” Jaime asked. “He’s yours?”

  Elle shook her head. “He’s not mine.”

  “He looks at her…a lot,” Emma said, leaning back in her chair. “Has for awhile.”

  “Your hormones have gone to your head, Emma,” Elle said, not liking the direction of this conversation. She counted these women as friends, but she had made it a policy not to reveal too much. Ever since the mess in England, she tried her best to keep things nice but professional. At least, her private life—not that she had one.

  Emma nodded. “There was this one time, when she had to pick something off the floor. The world could have exploded around him, and he would have kept looking at her ass.”

  “He did not.”

  Emma smiled. “He did.”

  “Well, either way, I told him nothing would happen.”

  “Wait, what?” Charity said, slamming her glass down on the table. “He’s told you he’s interested?”

  “Yes, after he kissed me. The first time.”

  Emma sat up. “There’s been another time?”

  “Yes, when he came by my house to work. Then we went out to eat that night, and he kissed me good night. So, maybe three.”

  “How could you not have told me?” Charity asked, her voice filled with accusation.

  “I’m sorry. Nothing is going to come of it, so it doesn’t matter.”

  “Yeah, it does.”

  Elle narrowed her eyes. “We were not on a date. E
mma said the bet was about a date.”

  Another beat of silence when everyone seemed to be trying to figure out what to say.

  “Are you telling me that there’s another bet on it?”

  Charity opened her mouth, then she slanted a look at Cat, who shook her head.

  “Just the sex part. So you will tell us when that happens.”

  “First, that’s not going to happen. And second—”

  “Why not?” Jaime asked.

  “For one reason, he is almost a decade younger than I am.”

  “Ohhhh, a younger guy. They are so much fun,” Jaime said.

  “I have to agree with that,” Charity said.

  “You’re barely twenty-five.”

  She shrugged. “He was legal.”

  Elle couldn’t fight the bubble of laughter. The woman really had no problem with being honest about her past relationships.

  “Okay. But still. Working together and relationships are not always the best thing.”

  “He’s not like your ex at all, Elle, and you know it,” Emma said.

  She knew Emma understood, and not just because her relationship with Del made her privy to information. Emma worked for them by contract, but Elle knew that, more than likely, Emma’s brother Sean would have done background checks on all of them.

  She conceded that with a nod. Graeme definitely wasn’t like her ex.

  “Either way, I already told him I wasn’t ready for something like that. I explained my issues, and told him he would be better off to just forget about anything like that with me.”

  “And?” Cat asked.

  She took a sip of her drink before she answered. “He said he would wait.”

  “Oh, mama, have mercy. I bet that man said it with that thick Scottish accent. I would have melted into a puddle of lust right there,” Charity said.

  “Anyway, I really don’t think it would be a good idea.”

  “You’ve said that more than a few times,” Jaime observed.

  “It’s because she’s trying to convince herself,” Emma said.

  Damn, the woman was too smart for her own good.

  “I think it’s a great idea. Emma and Del work together, and look how that turned out,” Cat said.