Prelude to a Fantasy

Prelude to Book Eight, A Little Harmless Fantasy

One night in Hawaii leads to more than either of them are ready for. Join Zeke and Maura for one night to see how it all started.

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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.

Prelude to a Fantasy Copyright © 2012 by Melissa Schroeder at Smashwords

Cover by Brandy Walker

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: December, 2012

Table of Contents

Prelude to a Fantasy

About the Author

Other books by Melissa Schroeder

First chapter of A Little Harmless Fantasy

Prelude to a Fantasy

A prequel to A Little Harmless Fantasy

Zeke breathed in the warm Hawaiian night air as he pulled Maura out of Rough ‘n Ready trying to cool his irritation. Anger boiled in his gut and his hands itch to hit something. Zeke couldn’t remember the last time he lost his temper, but he was dangerously close tonight. Conner wouldn’t have been happy if he had to bail Zeke out of jail because he beat the shit out of some Dom with an Aussie accent.

Zeke was known for his cool head, but Maura knew just what fucking buttons to push. Hell, it was like she sewed them.

“Zeke, wait,” she said struggling against his hold.

He ignored her plea. The best thing he could do was get as far as he could away from the BDSM club. The moment she had walked out into the common area of their shared suite, he had been ready to kill. Damn her for wearing a dress that clung to every small curve of her body and damn him for spending the last three hours looking at those long legs. He had studied her so closely he was pretty damned sure she wasn’t wearing panties.

His cock twitched. Shit. He was lucky to have any kind of ability to walk a straight line at the moment. He had spent the night trying to fight every hormone in his body—especially the ones that were telling him to get a cab and make love to her in the backseat.

What the bloody hell was the woman doing to him?

“Your brother sent you here to check out the woman, not be checked out.”

It wasn’t easy dealing with his feelings toward Maura. He had been protective of her from the moment he met her several years earlier. She was Conner’s sister and that made her part of his family in a way. They had been working closely the last few months and now…he couldn’t get her out of his mind. Each date she talked about had him ready to go mental on men he had never met. Tonight, he’d been damned close to beating the living shit out of a guy just because he’d tried to pick her up. It was bad enough she apparently thought she was into BDSM, but now she thought she could play.

Not while he was within grabbing distance.

She huffed pulling him out of his thoughts. "Well, I’m pretty sure he didn't want us to leave before we have the information."

A growl threatened to explode. The woman just would not let it go. "We found the girl. All we have to do is call Conner. He'll come over, we'll go back to Miami."

And I can find someone to clear you out of my system.

He had to or he would go insane. From the moment they landed in Hawaii his body had been humming. He wanted to touch her, taste her; he wanted to fuck her until she couldn't walk.

And that was not something a guy did to his best friend's sister.

Right?

Right.

"Really, I just wanted to look around. I thought it might be interesting to talk to one of the owners."

He stopped abruptly and she stumbled into him. His body reacted immediately. Hell, he was already half aroused, and now that she had her entire body against his, he barely had enough blood in his brain to function.

Zeke turned and crowded her up against the wall.

"And just what the hell do you mean by that? What are you looking for woman?"

She settled her hands on her hips and raised her chin slightly. Oh, fuck. It was hard enough to resist the woman but when she got argumentative, it made him want to kiss her. "I just wanted to talk to him. I've been thinking about exploring my needs."

The thought of her walking up to a Dom who was bold enough to own a BDSM club and asking him to help her with her needs had Zeke ready to scream.

Zeke didn’t play, never got into it. Not for himself. He didn’t actually play. He had another kind of need in the bedroom, but, well, Rory was off somewhere on assignment. Besides, Zeke wasn’t sure he wanted share her with his lover. Rory wasn’t the settling down type, no matter how much Zeke wanted him to. Not to mention, Conner wouldn’t be happy if Zeke slept with her. If he shared her with Rory…well, that would end the friendship and their company more than likely.

“Your brother didn’t finance this trip for that and you know it. Besides, what do you know about your needs?”

Okay, now he sounded like an ass. She rolled her eyes and started to walk away. He grabbed her again and pulled her back. This time he stepped closer. He caught a whiff of her scent just then. She always smelled of cinnamon…like some kind of sweet treat.

God help him, he wanted to take a big long lick.

He shook his head and tried to get his mind back on the discussion. “Listen up, Maura. Those guys in there don’t play around.”

Her lips curved and he couldn’t help the way his heart did a little tap dance. Her tongue darted out over her bottom lip. It took every bit of his control not to swoop in for a taste.

“I thought that’s what these guys were here for.”

“They are more than you can handle, little girl.”

If anything, her chin went up higher. Damn her for being so fucking determined. And damn him for being in love with her.

His brain stopped right there and then. In love. Him. With his best friend’s sister.

Well, bugger me.

“Zeke?”

He shook his head trying to ignore the dominant thought. Fuck, he was in love with her. What the bloody hell was wrong with him?

“Are you going to continue to stand there and say nothing?”

He grabbed her hand and hauled her down the street. If he was lucky, he would ignore just how perfectly right it felt to touch her this way.

“Your brother said to keep a low profile.”

She didn’t snort but he knew she was close. Lately, Maura had been trying to break away from her brother. Not completely, but enough to spread her wings. The former FBI agent wasn’t too happy that his sister was so open. Zeke was caught in the middle. It was hard enough dealing with Maura on a daily basis, but now that she had decided to explore her sexual options he was having problems forming words.

Zeke wanted to be one of those options more than he wanted his own breath.

“Why are we heading back to the hotel?” she asked sounding more like a pissed off teenager. Dammit, why was that attractive to him?

“Because, we have to report in.”

The moment he said it, her phone rang with the Darth Vader Death March music.

She smiled and answered.

“Hello, brother, dear.”

She frowned. “There is nothing wrong with my tone. And to answer your question—although you didn’t ask it but I am assuming you would—yes, we found her. Not sure how long she’ll last here so you might get here as fast as you can.

She was silent as she listened to her brother and Zeke found himself losing his thoughts again. Lately, whenever he looked at her, really looked at her, he couldn’t think. There had only been one other person who had done that to him, and it scared the hell out of Zeke.

The wind caught a strand of her hair and she brushed it away. The gesture was small but so feminine that he found himself mesmerized by it.

“Of course he’s still here.”

She held the phone out to him. For a second, he couldn’t act. His brain just couldn’t seem to work.

“Zeke?” she asked, annoyance threading her voice.

He took the phone. “Hey, Conner, shouldn’t you be in bed?”

His best friend grunted. “I’ve been to bed already. It’s almost six here in Miami.”

“Ah.”

“I want you to stay there.”

He held the phone out and looked at it. Then he brought it back to his ear. “What?”

“I’m going to head out that way and should get there tomorrow or the next day. I want you two to stay there and keep an eye on the girl.”

“You want us to stay here?” Zeke asked, cursing inwardly.

There was a pause. “Do you have a problem with that?”

It wasn’t a good idea, but he couldn’t say that to Conner. He would ask Zeke why he didn’t think it was a good idea. Telling Conner he wanted to fuck Maura until they were both too tired to walk, probably wouldn’t go over well. It wasn’t something you said to your best friend about his little sister.

“Uh, no.”

“Great. I’ll get a flight. I don’t want to have the jet come all the way back here for me. Go to bed.”

Conner clicked the phone off before Zeke could respond. Of course he did. He always did. Conner was a man who had little time for small talk and when he was done with his conversation, he was gone.

“So, we get to stay for a few more days?”

He looked at Maura. Her gaze was hopeful and her face flushed with excitement.

“Yeah. Conner’s gonna try and get here by tomorrow.”

She smiled at him, and those damn green eyes sparkled behind her glasses. “Sounds like an excellent plan to me.

Ah, shit, he was in trouble.

* * * *

Maura couldn’t keep from tapping her foot in the elevator. All the energy from Rough ‘n Ready seemed to have followed her back to the hotel. She had never felt so alive. It just proved to her more that she needed to look into learning more about the life.

She had never been to a BDSM club before. She knew that her brother Conner was a member of one in Miami or had been. Lately, all he seemed to do was work, but when they first opened the company, he was. And, she didn’t see what was wrong with her belonging to one. She had the money and she wanted to explore her sexual identity.

“Forget it.”

She looked at Zeke. God, was there ever a man who turned her to jelly like him? She didn’t think so. He was sex on a stick. Her best friend Jillian could use him as a hero in one of her erotic novels. Tall enough that she could look up at him when she was wearing heels—thank God for that—and so damned sexy she had trouble remembering her name when he looked directly at her.

He had always been an odd companion for her brother—or so she had thought at first. Dreads, tattoos, an Irish accent, and the most scrumptious eyes made him impossible to ignore. She didn’t know men could have such long eyelashes. When he would look at her it was like the world faded away.

She sighed. It was a shame he wasn’t into BDSM. He had unequivocally refused to discuss it. She knew from what her brother had said Zeke wasn’t into to the life. It was just her luck she was half way in love with him.

“Maura.”

God, the way he said her name always made her melt. That and made her panties so damned wet.

She shook her head to clear it. “What?”

“I said forget it. You are not going back to the club.”

She shrugged allowing him to think that was what she was thinking. “I wasn’t planning on doing it tonight.”

“Or any other night. We can’t spook that woman. Your brother has been looking for her for too long.”

That much was true. Her brother had taken the disappearance of Marjorie Rizzoli personally, although he hadn't been the person in charge of the protection duty.

"It wouldn't hurt to go back."

He ignored her long enough to have the door ding open. He grabbed her hand and pulled her out of the elevator. She was getting damned sick of him pulling her along like she was a naughty toddler. But it was hard to be too angry when her skin came alive every time he touched her.

"I’m not about to have you go there again on my watch."

"You don't have to go with me."

"There is no bloody way I would let you go back there on your own."

"I am over the age of twenty-one."

He said nothing as he marched her down the hall to their suite.

"Zeke, I'm not doing this to be a pain in the ass."

Silence. He opened the door and practically thrust her into the room.

His frown irritated her. She opened her mouth to say something but he growled.

"What was that?" she asked.

"I am not about to let you go back there on your own."

She crossed her arms beneath her breasts. "I believe I’m over the age of consent. I think I should be able to go where I want."

Okay, so that made her sound like a spoiled brat, but she didn't care. She did a little bit, especially with Zeke. She'd been half in love with him for a year and it wasn't just because of his sexy Irish accent or the fact that he was a straight up Alpha. He was also kind and so understanding. There was such a good core to the man it made her all gooey inside.

Although he would never accept that she thought of him that way.

"First, you can’t. Your brother would kill me. Why not wait until he gets here?"

The desperation in his voice confused her but she wouldn't let it deter her.

"Because there is no freaking way he will let me go."

And it had nothing to do with the fact that his baby sister wanted to go to a BDSM club. No, for Conner it would be about the case. He would worry about her spooking his quarry.

"So, you just expect me to take you back there and watch you wander about to find a man for the night."

The anger in his voice made her blink. "I-I'm not looking for a man for the night. I just want to look around more."

"No."

She blinked again. "What?"

"I forbid you."

She settled her hands on her hips and glared at him. "You have no right to forbid me."

In the next moment he exploded. "You cannot expect me to watch you there, strutting around...I can't do it."

The words were ground from some part of him as if it had been wrenched from somewhere dark and dangerous.

"I--"

"No."

He started approached her and she backed up. "You cannot be so cruel to expect that from me."

She couldn't say anything. He continued to stalk toward her, his dark chocolate gaze centered on her. It was if she were the only thing in the world. The dangerous tone in his voice scared her a little but it also sent a thrill of excitement coursing through her veins.

She came up against the door leading into her bedroom. She held out her hand but he paid no attention to it.

He placed his hands beside her hand on the door. “I will not allow it. I can’t.”

She tried to swallow but she found her throat dry. “Y-you can’t?”

Without breaking eye contact, he nodded his head. “And I won’t.”

She swallowed. She knew Zeke was lethal and many people were frightened by just the look of him. He was tall, lean, muscled. Add in the dark skin and the dreads and people assumed he was a threat to their safety. But she had never really been scared of him.

Until now. Not that she thought he would hurt her, but he was threatening her sanity. She licked her lips and he moaned, bending his head closer. In that one instant their breaths mingled their lips only inches apart.

“Oh, fuck it,” Zeke said as if making some decision.

She wasn’t left long trying to figure out what he was all about. He crushed his mouth against her. For a second she couldn’t respond. Her brain had fizzled and all thought seemed to drain from it.

He pulled back and he was breathing heavily. “Maura?”

Her lips tingled, heat danced over her nerve endings. She looked at him and noticed her glasses were fogged up. Regret and embarrassment filled his expression.

“Listen, I’ll leave.”

She realized he was stepping back, moving away from her. It was her one chance. That thought pushed her to step forward, grab him by the shirt and jerk him back against her. She pulled off her glasses and threw them on the table next to the door.

“Yeah, fuck it, sounds about right.”

He froze for only a couple seconds, then he wrapped one arm around her as he opened the door with his free hand. They stumbled into the room and barely made it to the bed. He didn’t hesitate. He tipped her back and they both fell on the bed. The giggle that erupted from her mouth stopped him. He pulled back and looked down at her. An odd look came into his eyes as he continued staring at her.

“What?” she asked.

“I haven’t heard you laugh like that in a really long time.”

She couldn’t say anything to that. Breath tangled in her throat; her chest started to hurt.

His lips curved. “Breathe, Maura, you’re going to need it.”

She shivered at the heat she heard in his voice. Without another word, he bent his head and kissed her. Slowly, sweetly…keeping his eyes open the entire time. She allowed the pleasure of the kiss to take over. Something in her chest loosened.

He pulled back. “Maura.”

She knew he was going to say something that would hurt, so she lifted her fingers to his mouth. They didn’t need that tonight. She wanted him now, for as long as they could handle it. For once in her life, she didn’t want promises about the future. She just wanted him.

“Don’t. No promises, no worries. Just…us.”

He hesitated then nodded. “Just us.”

He slipped off the bed and pulled her with him. He spun her around, made quick work of her dress, tossing it on the ground behind him. He moved her hair aside and trailed his fingers down her spine.

“Of course you’re not wearing anything beneath that.”

His tone was so chastising she laughed.

“What?” he asked, his fingers still dancing over her skin.

“It isn’t what a girl dreams of hearing. I mean, you find me naked beneath my dress and you complain.”

He turned her around. “Not complaining.”

“Really? You don’t sound all that impressed with me.”

“You take my breath away.”

It was an old line, one he had probably used on more women than he could count, but it sounded wonderful. He slid his hands around her neck, then allowed one to skim down her body. The moment he touched her nipple, she sucked in a breath. They were so damned hard and so damned sensitive right now. He pinched it and she moaned.

“All of you is beautiful, Maura.”

His voice was so serious it did funny things to her insides. She tried to look away, but he slipped his fingers beneath her chin and forced her to look at him.

“No. You are. I know you think you’re some geek but you’re beautiful. In your looks, but more importantly inside. You’re kind and what makes you so sexy to me is that you are strong. Don’t ever let anyone, man or woman, tell you otherwise.”

She studied him for a moment, her heart melting. He always seemed to say the right thing to her. Cupping his face, she kissed him. His sigh sounded as if he had been giving some kind of gift. When Maura pulled back, she watched him again. Waiting.

He smiled pulling off his shirt and his pants. If she had lost brain cells before seeing him completely naked, she definitely problems now. The man was a god, all hard muscle, dark skin. Her gaze dipped lower. Lord have mercy. His erection bobbed up against his stomach. She reached out and wrapped her fingers around it. He leaned his head back and groaned as she stroked him. The action told her how much he wanted her, wanted this and damn that was a powerful thing to her.

She needed a taste, needed to feel the thrust of his cock inside her mouth. But before she could do that, he pulled her hand away. Irritated, Maura frowned up at him.

He smiled. “Sorry, love, but you do that, and it will be over in a matter of seconds, I’m afraid.”

Before she could respond, he tumbled them back on the bed. They landed on the plush mattress with an oomph from both of them, but he wasted no time. He kissed his way down her body, nipping at her flesh. The touch of his mouth and tongue against her skin pushed her further, had her body begging for some kind of relief.

Then, he settled himself between her legs. He didn’t hesitate. Pressing his mouth against her pussy, he slipped his tongue inside her. Oh, God, he was dangerous. Over and over, he teased her, adding a finger. Just as she thought she would explode, he pulled back. Kissing his way up her body until her reached her breasts. She arched up against his mouth the moment he pulled one of her nipples between his teeth. The small movement shot straight to her sex. Every cell in her body tingled with need, anticipation.

He pulled back abruptly. “Bloody hell.”

He slid off the bed and for a moment, she thought he was leaving.

“What are you doing?” she asked as she rose to her elbows and watched him go through his pants. He said nothing. “Zeke?”

“I need a bloody condom.”

Relief poured through her. “Oh. I have some of those.”

His head whipped up and he was frowning. “And just why did you have condoms?”
She laughed. Zeke wasn’t big on jealousy and neither was she. Still, she liked the fact that he was a little upset she had been planning something.

“Well, until you freaked out at the club, I had hoped to invite you back here with me.”

His frown dissolved into a grin. “Nothing wrong with that, love.”

She knew it was an endearment he used often, but tonight, it meant more. At least to her it did. She would allow herself this indulgence.

“Where?”

“Bedside table.”

He rushed to get it and then joined her back on the bed.

She stopped him by placing her hands on his chest. “Whoa, Zeke, I didn’t get to play with that beautiful body you just showed me.”

“I promise you can do that later. Right now, I have to be inside you more than I need my next breath.”

He knocked her speechless again. Who said things like that with a sexy Irish accent? She slipped her hands up to cup his face. She pulled him down and kissed him then, long, wet, and erotic.

He moved between her legs, donned the condom, and entered her in one long, swift thrust. She moaned and he stilled.

“Sorry, Maura.”

“Oh, no, that just felt so fucking good,” she said as she wrapped her legs around his waist.

“Don’t stop now.”

He laughed, as he slowly pulled out and then thrust back in. Each stroke hard, soon the headboard was slamming against the wall. Slowly he built up his rhythm. Tension gathered in her stomach then slipped down to her pussy. God, she was so close to exploding. Then, he reached down and pressed his thumb against her clit. She came apart, her orgasm causing her to convulse.

He followed her moments later, her name on his lips.

* * * *

In the dim moonlight, Zeke watched her sleep. She was always so vibrant when she was awake so it was kind of nice to see her now. Maura was a part of him that he would never be able to shake. He skimmed his fingers over her arm. He couldn’t stop touching her, didn’t want to. He knew it wouldn’t last. He had seen the look in her eyes when they’d been in Rough ‘n Ready. Maura had never been the kind of woman who hid her desires, and it was pretty obvious to him she wanted to play.

Damn him for not being a Dom. He could never do it. It just wasn’t what he wanted in bed. At least, he didn’t want to do it. Now…watching Rory do it—that was a different thought all together. But the other person he loved would never accept that kind of relationship. He couldn’t even keep Rory around for more than six months before his first lover would bail on him.

She lifted her arm and slid her hand up his chest. The small move had his heart jerking and his libido racing. Lord, she did him in.

“Zeke?”

He looked down at her and knew what she was asking. He wanted that. He wanted to lose himself in her, in them, and forget everything that existed outside of the room. It was going to break his heart in the end but he couldn’t resist her. Zeke knew that no matter what, he would love her until the day he died.

He leaned down to kiss her, pushing away his thoughts and living in the moment. He would take all she offered and try to walk away in the end. But for tonight—for however long—she was his.

Read how Maura and Zeke finally get back together forever—including the very sexy Rory McAllister in the upcoming January release: A Little Harmless Fantasy.

What starts as simple fantasy among friends, becomes an overwhelming need that none of them can deny.

Maura Dillon has always been someone who lived life on her own terms. From the time she in college she knew she had different needs than most of her friends. But she never thought she would find herself torn between two very sexy men, or that they would want to add her to their relationship.

Zeke and Rory have known each other for years. Their casual relationship has spanned a decade, but now that they are living together things are on a whole other level. Add in their mutual attraction for Maura and things are just getting out of hand.

Rory understands their desires and suggests a week in Hawaii. No rules, no limits, no regrets. But as their nights are filled with unimaginable erotic pleasure, there is someone lurking in the shadows. Someone who wants revenge, and will stop at nothing to succeed.

»WARNING: this book contains the following: Two sexy men who are hot for each other and the heroine, more Hawaiian scenery, a Dom who thinks he can control everything, two lovers who know he can't, and scenes that push even Harmless Addicts over the edge.

Enjoy the entire first chapter (unedited and unproofed):

Chapter One

For the fourth time in less than ten minutes, Maura Dillon found her mind wandering. She looked out over the late afternoon Miami traffic and felt herself her brother’s voice in her ear, and just spaced out. A second later, she realized that her brother had stopped talking.

“What did you just say?” she asked leaning back in her desk chair closing her eyes. She felt herself drifting again, as if she were floating in the Pacific, enjoying the warm sun on her skin. She could almost smell the salt of the ocean and feel the breeze shift over her. It did nothing to help her the pounding in her head. She felt as if she hadn’t had a good night’s sleep in three weeks. Probably because she hadn’t.

“You sound distracted,” Conner said.

Inwardly, she sighed. Her brother could always sniff out her mood, even five thousand miles away. It was one of his most irritating traits—and he had a lot of them.

“I’m not distracted. I’m just a little tired.”

There was a beat of silence. With most men, it didn’t mean anything. With Conner, it was a lethal situation. She turned her chair back so she faced her desk waiting for the other shoe to drop.

“No, this is distracted, not tired. When you’re tired, you’re bitchy.”

She ignored that comment, mostly because it was true. “I got the preliminary report on that group you want us to work with.”

“You’re going to ignore my question then?” her brother asked.

“Yes. When did you get all loving and want to talk feelings?”

“I didn’t say it was about feelings. You just did. So you are distracted.”

She was, but how did she tell her brother she was testy because she needed sex. She didn’t. She shared a lot with her brother, much to his irritation, but this, she could not. It was hard enough dealing with the dream team of Zeke O’Brian and Rory McAllister.

“I’m distracted by this job. It doesn’t help that I am now a blonde.” She shoved her hand through her now chin length hair. It had been a whim a few days ago and she had loved it. But, now she wasn’t so sure.

Another beat of silence. “You only mess with your hair color when you’re depressed.”

She held the phone out from her ear and looked at it, then put it back. “This is Conner Dillon, right? Or has Jillian been giving you inside information?”

“Jillian hasn’t and I know you better than you think I do.”

That was probably true. Conner was devious that way. He seemed like the ultimate Alpha in any group, but one thing that had made him an excellent FBI agent was his observation skills. It was the bane of her existence when she was growing up—especially when he was left to raise her on his own. Nothing like having a criminal profiler watching your every move. Not that her teenage years had been that exciting.

“How do you know about the hair color thing, then?” she asked.

Maura recognized the aggravated sigh. She had first heard it when she was fifteen and asked her brother about lubricant. “The first boyfriend breakup you dyed it that disturbing bright red shade.”

Of course he would bring up her breakup with Tommy Foster—otherwise known as the Scumbag from Boca Raton. “There was nothing disturbing about it.”

“It glowed in the dark.”

She remembered the look on Conner’s face when she stepped out of the bathroom and chuckled. “Okay, I will give you that. It was pretty bad.”

“If you aren’t going to tell me, talk to Jillian when you get over here.”

“I can talk to Jillian some other time, but there’s nothing to talk about.” Then she realized what he had just said. “Get over there? What are you talking about?”

“I want you to come over to Hawaii for a week.”

Stranger and stranger. It was never a good idea to underestimate Conner, especially when he was scheming. And she definitely defined this as scheming. He was devious and most people wouldn’t pick up on it. They would see him as being efficient. She knew better. Conner was born creating plots.

She cleared her throat and readied herself for battle. Well, possible “I wasn’t planning on coming over anytime soon. I was just there six weeks ago for your wedding.”

No matter how much she wanted to run away from the office and her personal infatuation with Rory and Zeke, she would not use a trip to Hawaii to get away. Which, even as she thought it, made her crazy. Insane. Bonkers. Any sane woman would do it without much thought. She had gone over the edge.

And that is what those two had done to her. They had pushed her to the point that she was turning down vacations from her brother.

“I need someone who is good at being a nerd and it comes to you naturally. “

Most people would be upset with that comment, but not Maura. She was a nerd and proud of it. It was one of the many things Conner had taught her. On top of it, she knew he was lying.

“First, you’re lying. Big lying, but I love you for it so okay, I’ll come see you and Jillian.”

“And I want Rory and Zeke with you.”

That made her to pause. Going to Hawaii would be a great escape. She could forget her problems, spend some time recharging her brain. Bringing the source of her problem with her wouldn’t give her a break. Her concentration was already shot and now she had to deal with them dressed in trunks and all oiled up? She shivered.

“But who will run the office?” she asked.

“Tina is well trained and former FBI. I’m sending a few of the new hires here to be trained in the office with her.”

Which made sense, but it didn’t explain why she needed to be in Hawaii. Maura knew she could definitely help with that and keeping the office running while Tina was training. Maura could also help with part of the training.

“The Petersen case is going to trial next week. Don’t you think one of us should be here?”

“No. The federal prosecutor said he didn’t need you. Which is for the best.”

She frowned. She didn’t think so. They did all the legwork and found out that Petersen had been funneling millions of dollars through the company he was CFO for. The owner had thought there was something hinky up, so he brought Dillon Securities in to look it over.

They just didn’t know Petersen had been working for the Columbians.

“Are you trying to get me out of the country?”

“Hawaii is part of the country. And when you get here, you would be smart to remember that.”

She rolled her eyes. Conner had become more Kama’aina than Jillian who had lived there for a several years. Heck, he even took off early every Friday to celebrate Aloha Fridays. That was so not like Conner—and she was glad for it. Jillian had definitely loosened her brother up. Before falling for her best friend, Conner had been uptight—and he still was to a point. But now he had someone to tell him to take a break when he got too intense.

“Sure, sure. But, why do Rory and Zeke need to come with me?” she asked and then cringed at the whiny tone in her voice. It was worse that she didn’t know what her brother’s motives were. There were times she knew him better than she knew herself, but lately, he’d been acting very un-Conner like. If he wanted to talk about feelings, there was something very wrong. The idea that she had to spend a week with them in Hawaii didn’t appeal. Okay, that was a lie. It did. But in the wrong way.

“Because they are associated with the case too. It would be best if you three are unreachable.”

“So, Hawaii isn’t connected to the rest of the world. I think the Hawaiians would be more pissed about your comments than some stupid haole tourist made?” she asked.

He ignored her question. “And, there’s that house I rented for us during the wedding crap—”

“Oh, how I love to hear my husband say our wedding was crap,” Jillian said in the background. The amusement in her voice had Maura smiling.

“Now you did it, Conner. And I am not helping you with Jillian.”

He grunted and Maura imagined that Jillian had plopped down on his lap. It was something that she did on a regular basis.

“I don’t need help with Jillian. I can handle her all on my own.”

The tone in his voice left little to figure out just what he was talking about.

“Ugh, ew. I am going to bleach my brain after that image suggestion.”

He chuckled. “It’s your fault. You sent me over here.”

“Okay, moving onto other things, you said you had the house that you rented?”

“Yes. I found out someone backed out of the week’s rent for it, and I jumped on it. Use the jet.”

She wanted to argue with him, just for the fact that she didn’t want to be with the two men while they were together. Zeke and she had mutually decided he could not give her what she needed, so they had split. It was hard enough to working together, but seeing him with his old lover Rory, knowing the two of them were living together now, was a little too much to take. Worse, she was attracted to both of the men. Having them in the same house, day in and day out, might just be the death of any sanity she had left.

Before she could talk to Conner about not inviting the guys, Zeke walked through her office door, and of course, Rory followed behind him.

“Has Conner talked to you about this trip?” she asked.

“No I haven’t,” Conner said on the phone.

“Trip?” Zeke asked, his brow furrowing.

“Let me talk to him,” Conner said.

“No. I’ll tell him.”

She didn’t need her brother sniffing out her mood with Zeke. Both men were relentless and they would badger her. At least in Hawaii, she could ignore them and enjoy the sunshine. Not to mention, a trip to Rough ‘n Ready would help.

“Maura—”

“Love you,” she said and hung up.

She took a second to gather her composure. Maura had found it best when confronted by the dual assault of having both Rory and Zeke in the room to be prepared. If she didn’t, her tongue stuck to the top of her mouth. When she felt she was ready to address them and not drool on herself, she looked at them.

“He wants us to be in Hawaii when the trial starts.”

The men shared a glance. It irritated her on some level she didn’t completely understand. What was she thinking? Of course she understood. It made her feel small and petty but she seemed unable to move past it. She hated they knew each other so well a glance was all they needed to communicate. Worse, she hated being jealous it. She was envious of their intimacy and their secrets. It would be bad enough if she was just hot for one of them, but both of them had her hot.

Both of them—and that was the problem.

She was definitely mental. What sane woman would be jealous of two men who obviously have the hots for each other?

What made it even crappier were the dreams she had started having about both of them. It was disturbing her sleep and now disrupting her work. That was not good. Going to Hawaii was going to make it worse—unless she could find herself a Dom to play with while she was there. It might help her work out the demons that seem to be chasing her for the last few months.

She glanced at Zeke and tried to keep her mind on the conversation. It was hard to do because the man was beyond gorgeous. What made him even more tempting was the fact that he didn’t see himself as attractive. His mother was Haitian and his father had been Irish, and both of them were easy to see in his character and his looks—not to mention his voice. His skin was dark brown, his eyes the color of milk chocolate and he had the body of a tough Irish fighter. All sculpted muscles and that stiff upper lip. Now that he had shaved his head and grown a goatee, he was even sexier. He was often times too serious, but maybe that is what appealed to her. He was hot and smart, two things that weren’t always easy to find.

“Maura?” he asked, those dangerous lips turning down.

She pushed those thoughts aside. Thinking about his lips wasn’t something she should do. Especially since Rory was now in the picture.

“As I said, he wants us there. It is kind of odd, but then, I can work on computer stuff there with no problem.”

“And you agree with it?” Zeke asked.

She didn’t really pay attention to the question. He had a baritone voice with that Irish lilt to it that just made her melt. She could remember hearing it first thing in the morning after their first night together.

“Uh, no. I would rather stay here because I have a load of work to do, but he wants us there. I will adjust. He’s using the lame excuse that he needs us there and he’s sending new hires for the upcoming Honolulu office here to be trained.”

“That’s actually a good idea,” Rory said.

She forced herself to look away from Zeke to Rory. An Irishman himself, Rory was what most people would call black Irish. Dark hair, blue eyes, and a lanky muscular build made him a treat for the eyes, and she had been dying for a bite. He was unconventional in every way. He had died some of his hair blond, probably just because he wanted to. The tats made him stand out even today when everyone seemed to be getting one. She had only seen glimpses of them because apparently, Rory liked to have his tats in naughty places.

He had a quick temper and she had often wondered if that is why he got into BDSM. Zeke had said when they were younger that Rory had learned to control it.

They were opposites in a lot of ways. Zeke thought through everything. And, that is one of the reasons she had been sure he was a Dom. When she had found out he wasn’t, even after he tried to play a bit, she had been disappointed. But, apparently, that was Rory in some capacity—from the rumors she heard.

Zeke was good at looking at the positive things and making the best. Rory had a jaundice view of life that she truly appreciated. The few times he had been around her without Zeke, his sarcastic comments had gotten a chuckle from her.

And sadly, she wanted them both. But they were apparently interested only in each other.

"So, he thinks we can't protect you?" Rory asked with a sarcastic tone.

"I can protect myself, thank you very much," she said watching him settle in the chair in front of her desk and then lift his feet to the edge. "Feet off, McAllister."

Rory gave her a sweet smile, although there was nothing sweet behind it, and did as she ordered. She had a feeling he wasn’t accustomed to women telling him what to do.

Zeke ignored the byplay. He crossed his arms and looked down at her. "Did he hear something about the Alvarez family?" he asked. Of course, Zeke would think of the case first.

"No. But he just thinks it would be best if we were gone. And you know Conner. If he has decided we need to be gone, that’s the end of the discussion. He rented that house he had for the wedding."

"That sounds like a brilliant plan," Rory said. "Are we taking the jet?"

"Yes."

Zeke opened his mouth to ask another question but she had too much to worry about. And she needed them out of her office right now. The combination of sexy men was starting to give her the vapors.

"Call Conner and ask him anything. I am assuming we are leaving tomorrow morning. Can you boys be ready by then?"

"I've been ready for months, love," Rory said with one of those cute lopsided smiles that made her insides quiver. But she ignored it. Or pretended to. He had been saying things like that the last few weeks and completely confusing her. It was as if he was flirting with her and she didn’t get it. She didn’t have the time to even think about it.

Zeke did not like it from the look on his face. He gave Rory a warning glance, then said, "What else do you have on your agenda today? It's almost five."

"I'm going to meet with Tina. She needs to take over my meetings if I am going to be gone next week."

Rory nodded. “Right-o. I have a few calls to make too. Your brother doesn’t like to plan ahead.”

She laughed. “If you knew Conner before Jillian, you would never say that. But this was planned. He checked out the house, probably offered an obscene amount for it, and then worked it out with Tina. He plans, but he likes to pretend he doesn’t.”

“And you let him do this?” Rory asked.

“I don’t let Conner do anything. But, when all you have is each other, you learn to allow for your eccentricities.”

She started to pull up some files on her computer. After a few moments, they were still there, both staring at her. She sighed.

“Go away.”

Zeke opened his mouth but Rory chuckled. “Let’s go, Zee. The lady has work to do. Let us know if you need anything.”

Rory stood and headed to the door. With a worried glance in her direction, Zeke followed Rory out the door. When it clicked shut, she leaned back in her seat and growled. She couldn’t stop herself. It was impossible. They were going to drive her crazy. She needed to find herself a man in Hawaii and ignore the two men who had been driving her crazy.

She closed her eyes. If only she could listen to her common sense, she would be able to do it. Unfortunately, her common sense seemed to be on a holiday. The only thing that she could think was how much fun it would be to play with both Rory and Zeke.

She was doomed.

* * * *

"You want to tell me what that was about in there, Rory?" Zeke asked as they walked down the hall to where their offices were located.

"What do you mean?" Rory asked. His attempt to sound innocent failed, at least with Zeke. Most people would never guess just how devious the man truly was.

"You questioning Maura about her brother like that." He didn't like it. He knew that Rory was planning something and it wasn't going to be good. Whenever Rory got crazy plans in his head, Zeke was always left cleaning up the mess and dealing with heartache.

"Nothing. Just wondered why she would do it for him. She's a workaholic."

That much was true, but it didn’t sound like a reason Rory would be "But she loves Hawaii and a chance to see him, she will do anything."

They reached Zeke's office first and he stepped in his mind on the plans for the flight. He would have to make sure to get ahold of Michaels and tell him of the switch of staff on the job, although Conner probably already did, cheeky bastard.

"I get that. It's unnatural."

Zeke shook his head. Of course Rory would think that. With his fucked up family, Zeke understood why he never wanted to see them…or talk to them.

"To you and me, maybe. To them, no. They have always had each other's back. It's kind of heartwarming to see the way they look out for each other."

Rory said nothing as he leaned against the doorjamb.

"What?" Zeke asked.

"You have that tone in your voice when you talk about her. It’s the same one I heard last year when you were involved with her."

Zeke bit back a sigh. He settled in the chair and looked at his oldest friend and lover. They had known each other for so long, it was hard to remember a time when they hadn't been together...or on each other's mind. Zeke had known that Rory hadn’t been really happy about his relationship from Maura. It was hard to make someone understand his position.

"She wanted things I couldn't give her."

He hated to admit it, but that was the truth of the matter. He had never felt like such a loser as when he realized that he could not be the man she wanted in the bedroom. They might not be together anymore, but just being near her made him feel better. It was pathetic to even admit that to himself, but it was the truth. He might have allowed her freedom from their relationship, but he couldn’t get her out of his head…or his heart.

Zeke could tell his honesty did not sit well with Rory. But they had promised each other that this time they would be honest. He loved Maura, maybe as much as he loved Rory. And, his heart still hurt when he thought about the night Maura and he realized it would never work.

"What kind of things?"

Zeke glanced over Rory's shoulder and saw Denise the office manage standing there. Six feet tall and plastic surgery perfect, she smiled at Rory. He smiled back, but Zeke felt no jealousy. She wasn't his type.

Maura was.

"Hey, Denise, did you need something?"

"No, I just wanted to leave these with you. They need to be signed by the end of the month." She slinked in and handed him the forms. She gave him a smile that he knew was an invitation. It was no secret he and Rory were involved. Worse, people had heard the rumors that they sometimes brought a woman into their bed. When that had made it's way around the office, he had to deal with women who wanted to experiment.

One hard and fast rule that he and Conner both believed in was not fucking the help.

"Thanks. I have to make a few calls before six tonight."

'Oh, " She said. "Have fun in Hawaii."

With that she left them alone. Rory stepped into the room and closed the door.

"What was it Maura wanted?"

He should have known Rory wouldn't let it go. "She's a sub. You know I don't do that."

He was busy looking over the papers Denise just gave to him, but when the silence extended, he looked up. The interest on Rory’s face was enough to make him want to curse. Dammit.

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because you don't like her. Admit it, you never spend time with her alone."

He shrugged. '"I got the vibe that she didn't want to have much to do with me once I moved here. I figured she was jealous of me."

He had known she was hurt when Rory had come back into his life, but it had been almost a year that they had called off their relationship. Still every now and then he would catch her looking at him with something akin to longing in her gaze. It made working with her very hard because he couldn't help wanting her.

Zeke walked to his desk. Rory hadn't liked her because Zeke had told him about their relationship. But, now, he might be changing his mind.

"A week in Hawaii just the three of us could be a lot of fun."

He stepped behind Zeke's chair and started to rub his shoulders. Zeke tried to resist the temptation. It as futile, he knew that, but he put up the fight for a few seconds.

"Think about it, Zee. You, me, a woman who likes to be tied down..."

Rory’s voice trailed off then he turned Zeke's chair around. He leaned closer a, bracing his hands on the armrests. The soap they had shared that morning in the shower permeated the air and brought back the memories. Zeke closed his eyes and shuddered.

Rory nuzzled Zeke's neck then he felt his teeth nip at the sensitive skin. He was a weak man. When it came to temptation there were only two people in the world who could get him to forget about the consequences. One of them had just dyed her hair blonde. The other was Rory.

"You know you like the idea, doncha, love? You're picturing it right now."

Of course he was. His cock twitched as he tried to keep his cool but he had never had control when it came to Rory. It was one of the things that both he and Maura had over Zeke. He couldn't resist either of them and right now, he wanted Rory. Needed him so much his hands were already shaking.

Rory kissed a path up to his mouth and then attacked his mouth. His tongue thrust into his mouth, over and over. How could it that this man could make him come undone so fast?

When he pulled back, Rory smiled. “Come on, Zee. It’ll be fun. Just think of everything that we could do. She’s hot for it too, you know she is.”

Zeke knew Rory was right. Knowing that he could watch her submit, one of his ultimate fantasies…Damn.

“Need a little relief, love?” Rory asked, his voice teasing Zeke as his fingers slipped down his chest.

His cock hardened further and his body yearned. He wanted that, wanted to feel Rory’s talented mouth on his flesh. But…they were at the office and at the moment, the door was unlocked. They didn’t hide their relationship, but having sex at the office was something else. As co owner he couldn’t do something like that—no matter how much he wanted to.

“No. Not at that office.”

Rory rolled his eyes but backed off. He liked to push Zeke’s buttons and he had a lot of experience doing just that.

“There was a time when that wouldn’t have stopped you,” Rory said.

“I wasn’t a boss then. Plus, we are about to leave for an entire week, or more. I don’t want anyone walking on us starting our vacation early.”

Rory gave him a smirk then walked away to the windows that overlooked Miami. There was something else bugging him, something that Zeke knew he was trying to work out in his head.

"You have to let it go with Maura. While she might be up for a little play, Conner would not be happy."

Rory rolled his shoulders. It was a sure sign that he wasn't happy with what Zeke had said. One of the best things and one of the worst things about Rory was that once he got an idea, he would never let it go. It was something that made him good at his job, but it also made him a pain in the ass lover.

"You think she would go for it?"

Zeke sighed. Rory wasn't going to let it go. "I think she might. It wouldn't be good."

Rory glanced over his shoulder and smiled. Those damned blue eyes twinkling at him. "I thought you said she was good. I thought what you said was she particularly liked..."

"I know what I said. It would cause problems here though."

"Problems? How?"

"Not everyone is like you. Especially women. The complications at work would be tough. It was hard enough last time when Maura and I decided to split ways. Besides, you know what happened last time we brought a woman into the bedroom."

"It was one hot fucking night, that's what I remember."

Zeke shook his head. Rory was right and with Maura, well, it would go beyond most of his fantasies. But their last experience had been very bad.

“So, you forget when she started to stalk you? How she threatened me? You always do have a selective memory.”

"And you remember too. You remember watching me tie Sherry down, don't you? The way she happily would do anything I told her. You liked to watch when she sucked me off."

Rory’s voice deepened over every word and Zeke had to take a bracing breath to control his need. His body was throbbing and his cock was so hard he probably wouldn't be able to walk straight. Rory was one of the best at talking sex.

Rory walked toward him. Anticipation skated along his nerves. Zeke licked his lips. Instead of approaching him, though, Rory veered off toward the door.

"You think of that when you tell me you don't want to share her."

And with that he left Zeke, the door silently clicking behind him.

Even with the AC on full blast, Zeke felt a small dribble of sweat slink down his back. He closed his eyes trying to calm the heat dancing over his nerve endings. Damn. The man could always control him.

It had always been like that from the beginning and Zeke had allowed it. Rory had his control issues because of his childhood and Zeke could handle it. They weren't Dom and sub. Zeke was truthful about that when he told Maura. And weirdly for Rory, he only liked to Dominate women. Of course, it fed into Zeke's need to watch. There was something about watching Rory work over a sub. With the right sub, Rory could send Zeke over the edge. And Maura would be perfect.

She was the right combination of sexy, smarts and submissive. He remembered the first day he met her. Never in his life did he have a reaction like that to a woman. She had smiled at him, her eyes sparkling from behind her glasses and his tongue had stuck to the top of his mouth. He actually stuttered. The only other person who had made him lose the ability to speak had been Rory.

It was inevitable that they get involved. Their arguing had only been foreplay to the bedroom. The sex had been wonderful, stellar. Still, he knew Maura had wanted—needed more. Something he couldn't give her.

But Rory could.

The naughty thought whispered through Zeke and he shivered. He wanted it more than he wanted his next breath. He wished life was as easier, then he could have both of them. The need he had for both of them scared the shit out of Zeke. It almost overwhelmed him at times. He could give into the suggestion, but he wasn’t too sure he would come out unscathed. He also had to think of Maura. He and Rory would still be together, and she would be left alone.

He just didn't think he could do that, no matter how much he wanted her. Needed her. He loved her too much to take advantage of her. And wasn’t that just a bitch.

With a sigh, he turned his attention back to work. Zeke had learned a long time ago that life didn’t always work out the way you wanted it to.

About Melissa Schroeder

From an early age, Melissa loved to read. First, it was the books her mother read to her including her two favorites, Winnie the Pooh and the Beatrix Potter books. She cut her preteen teeth on Trixie Belden and read and reviewed To Kill a Mockingbird in middle school. It wasn’t until she was in college that she tried to write her first stories, which were full of angst and pain, and really not that fun to read or write. After trying several different genres, she found romance in a Linda Howard book.

Since the publication of her first book in 2004, Melissa has had close to fifty romances published. She writes in genres from historical suspense to modern day erotic romance to futuristics and paranormals. Included in those releases is the bestselling Harmless series. In 2011, Melissa branched out into self-publishing with A Little Harmless Submission and the popular military spinoff, Infatuation: A Little Harmless Military Romance. Along the way she has garnered an epic nomination, a multitude of reviewer’s recommended reads, over five Capa nods from TRS, over twelve nominations for AAD Bookies and regularly tops the bestseller lists on Amazon, All Romance Ebooks and Barnes & Noble.

Since she spent her childhood as a military brat, Melissa swore never to marry military. But, as we all know, Fate has her way with mortals. She is married to an AF major and is raising her own brats, both human and canine. She spends her days giving in to her addiction to Twitter, counting down the days until her hubby retires, and cursing the military for always sticking them in a location that is filled with bugs big enough to eat her children. 

You can connect with Mel all over the web: 

WEBSITE

TWITTER

FACEBOOK FAN PAGE

HARMLESS ADDICTS

HARMLESS SERIES

THE CURSED CLAN SERIES

Or email her at: Contact@MelissaSchroeder.net

Other Books by Melissa Schroeder

Harmless

A Little Harmless Sex

 A Little Harmless Pleasure 

A Little Harmless Obsession 

A Little Harmless Lie 

A Little Harmless Addiction

A Little Harmless Submission

A Little Harmless Fascination

A Little Harmless Military Romance

Infatuation

Possession

Surrender

The Cursed Clan

Callum

Once Upon An Accident

The Accidental Countess 

Lessons in Seduction 

The Spy Who Loved Me

Leather and Lace

The Seduction of Widow McEwan

Leather and Lace—Print anthology

Texas Temptations

Conquering India

Delilah’s Downfall

Hawaiian Holidays

Mele Kalikimaka, Baby

Sex on the Beach

Getting Lei’d

Bounty Hunters, Inc

For Love or Honor

Sinner’s Delight

The Sweet Shoppe

Her Wicked Warrior

Connected Books

Seducing the Saint

Hunting Mila

Saints and Sinners—print of both books 

The Hired Hand 

Hands on Training 

Cancer Anthology 

Water—print

Stand Alone Books

Grace Under Pressure 

The Last Detail 

Her Mother’s Killer 

A Calculated Seduction 

Telepathic Cravings

Coming Soon

A Little Harmless Fantasy

Angus

A Little Harmless Ride