A Little Harmless Faith
A Little Harmless Faith
Melissa Schroeder
Harmless Publishing
About A Little Harmless Faith
Harmless Book 13, Wulf Siblings Book 1
What can a Dom do, when he realizes the one woman he could never live without in business is the woman he needs in his bed?
Jensen Wulf has everything a man could want. Money, power, and more women than he can count. Unfortunately, the one woman he needs is the one woman who is off limits. His personal assistant practically runs his entire family business and any entanglements with her would be a mistake. Still, his infatuation turns to obsession when he realizes she is secretly a submissive.
Nicola McCann knows dreams don’t always come true. She walked away from an olympic career and knows there is no future for her and Jensen beyond the job. It doesn’t stop her from fantasizing about him. He is the ultimate Dom and the sub in her wants him more than her next breath. When he discovers her secret, she gives into her needs with one rule: their D/s relationship ends when they leave Hawaii.
To Ruth Jean Bodnar
You introduced me to a world filled with Winnie the Pooh and Peter Rabbit. You always supported my love of reading from library trips to buying every Trixie Belden every published. I am the writer I am today because you were the mother you were. I miss you more each and every day.
Acknowledgments
As many readers know, this book was put on hold due to a personal health issue. I cannot say how much everyone's comments, thoughts, prayers, emails, and cards have meant to me.
A big shout out to the Addicts, who have been supportive since they were first founded on Facebook over seven years ago. Your support means more than you will ever know.
A big thanks to Noel Varner who worked with me over these last 7-8 months to get A Little Harmless Faith up to snuff, even with a broken finger. You are always so supportive of my work.
I am blessed with some amazing friends, including Joy Harris and Brandy Walker. Joy, you kept the Addicts hopping and made sure that everything ran smoothly. From the first moment of my diagnosis, Brandy, you have been there. From the care packages to the hat you made for me to your attendance at the Schroeder girls' sushi celebration, you have been the best friend any girl could want.
A big wet kiss to Les and my girls. They had a lot on their plates trying to take care of the family caretaker. Every appointment, every chemo infusion, Les, you were by my side. I don’t know if I would have been able to handle it without you.
And last, but not least, to the entire staff at the Fair Oaks Inova infusion center, but especially to Nurse Allison who saved my life more than once thanks to my allergic reactions. All of you are truly angels of the first order and I can never thank you enough.
Hawaiian Terms
Aloha - Hello, goodbye, love
Bra-Bro
Bruddah- brother, term of endearment
Haole-Newcomer to the islands
Hiwahiwa - precious
Howzit - How is it going?
Kamaʻāina-Local to the islands
Mahalo-Thank you
Malasadas- A Portuguese donut without a hole which started out as a tradition for Shrove (Fat) Tuesday. They are deep fried, dipped in sugar or cinnamon and sugar. In other words, it is a decadent treat every person must try when they go to Hawaii. If you do not try it, you fail. Do yourself a favor. Go to Leonard’s and buy one. You are welcome.
Pupule - crazy
Slippahs - slippers, AKA sandals
Contents
Meet The Wulf Siblings
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
A note from Mel
About the Author
Also by Melissa Schroeder
Meet The Wulf Siblings
They come from privilege and power, a stone’s throw away from the British royal family. But these siblings know how to get dirty when it comes to life.
A Little Harmless Faith
June 2018
Jensen Wulf had no idea the one woman he could never live without in business was the woman he needed in his bed. He just has to convince the contrary woman he loves her.
A Little Harmless Taboo
Late Winter/Early Spring 2018/19
Julienne Wulf has always played the good girl, in her business and her personal life. Unfortunately, she’s fallen for a totally inappropriate man who knows exactly how to make her be bad.
A Little Harmless Trust
Summer 2019
After an accident, Jakob Wulf must learn to live again, even if he doesn’t want to. Thankfully, he’s just met the one woman who can teach him to live again.
Copyright © 2018 by Melissa Schroeder
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
Edited by Noel Varner
Cover by Scott Carpenter
Digital ISBN: 978-1-939734-62-4
Print ISBN: 978-1719437516
Created with Vellum
Prologue
Four years ago
Jensen Wulf let himself into his New York brownstone and sighed with relief. It had been a long three months since he’d been here, in what he had termed as his sanctuary. He’d left on his own accord, ready to make a fresh start and walk away from the heroin haze he’d lived in over the last four years.
The apartment smelled fresh. The vinegary scent of heroin no longer clung to the furniture. He assumed that his mother had made sure everything had been cleaned out before he returned. She was good like that. She kept things tidy, even as everything else was falling apart. The floors had been redone, there was a new coat of paint throughout…damn, he owed her.
He had disappointed her, more than a few times, but almost dying of an overdose was the worst. He would never forget the look of pain in her gaze. It was that look that had made him realize he wasn’t just hurting himself.
There was mail stacked up on a credenza. His mother had taken care of the bills, he knew that. But, he was sure there was other correspondence for him. He picked up the envelopes and stepped into the living room.
He didn’t see her at first. She was sitting in the chair to the right of the fireplace, her phone in her hand as she read something on the screen.
“I thought you would never make it in here.”
American, but there was a slight accent to her voice that he couldn’t place. She was dressed in a striking red blouse, a short black skirt, hose, and fuck me heels. Her hair was dark brown and long from what he could tell. She had it up in a ponytail. A black coat was draped over the arm of the chair.
“Excuse me?”
She looked up at him. Ice blue eyes. Jesus, it didn’t fit with the rest of the package.
“You spent a lot of time in the foyer.”
He opened his mouth to explain why, then he remembered it was his fucking house.
“Who the hell are you?”
She smiled, but there was little humor behind it.
“Nicola McCann.”
The name was familiar, but he was sure he had never met he
r.
“And you are sitting in my house for what reason?”
“Your mother hired me.”
“For what?”
“I’m your sober companion. We're going to be best friends for the next three months.”
1
Hawaii, Present Day
Nicola stepped off the last stair from the private jet and cursed her life. Okay, she sounded like a bitch, even to herself…in her own head. She had flown from LA to Honolulu on a private jet, and she was cursing her life. Rich people problems, indeed.
She slipped on her sunglasses and ignored the bead of sweat that had already formed on her back and was now slowly rolling down her spine. She was not a woman made for tropical beaches or humidity. Before she was eighteen, she had spent most of her life in an ice rink. She longed for a day in the snow, drinking hot chocolate, and riding a sled.
“Move it along, Nic,” Jensen said from behind her, irritation easy to hear in his voice.
He didn’t like being here anymore than she did. Hawaii was gorgeous, but she had a feeling Jensen’s irritation arose from the laidback style of Hawaii. He had a lot of time on his hands when he was here, and he knew that’s when he made mistakes. Mistakes, that’s what they called it since the one time he had gone on a bender three years ago. Idle hands and all of that.
She stepped aside and waited for him to take the lead. She followed behind him, not out of duty, but it was the easiest way to get things done. Nicola gave up duty a long time ago.
“Did you contact Micah Ross?” he asked.
“Yes. He knows you are on the island today.”
One way to make sure he kept himself occupied was through the BDSM club, Rough ‘n Ready. If he could find a sub or two to play with while on his business trip, Jensen would keep his nose and arm clean. She wasn’t sure if that made her a pimp, but she was fairly certain it didn’t. Jensen didn’t have to pay for subs. They clamored for him. And lately, for some unknown reason, she’d started to get pissed about it.
“Good. I guess you can drop me off there on the way to the house.”
She blinked. “What?”
He glanced back at her. “I want you to drop me off.”
They’d just arrived on the island and it was the middle of the day. “Jensen, they’re not open this early.”
He blinked as if just realizing it was sunny out. “Oh.”
“Let’s go to the house, check in, you can clean up, change and then head out.”
He didn’t look happy about the situation, but he nodded and slid into the sedan.
She shook her head and walked around to the other side of the car. This was probably not going to be a good trip. Lately, a lot of their trips had been uncomfortable. There was something off about Jensen, and she didn’t know what it was.
Her old sober companion instincts had reared their ugly head, but Jensen was going to meetings. A lot of meetings, but he was going. In fact, he had insisted that he make sure the listed times they had from their last visit to the islands was correct.
She slipped into the backseat of the limo, and looked over her schedule.
“Remember, day after tomorrow, you are going to Maui for a meeting with the Johnson family.”
He grunted, which meant he was at least listening to her. “Johnson? Doesn’t sound very Hawaiian.”
He’d already remarked on that—several times.
“No Hawaiian family can claim one hundred percent Hawaiian blood. At least not many.”
“I thought these wankers were fighting us because we aren’t Hawaiian?”
“They are, in a way. They are trying to preserve the beauty of Hawaii.”
He shot her a dirty look. “You’ve been against this development from the beginning.”
She nodded. “I think there is no reason for it and I agree with the locals.”
He snorted and looked out the window.
“And what was that for?”
“It seems to me to be hypocritical.”
“Why?”
“You make a living being my assistant. Therefore, you would stand to gain from the deal.”
“First, I only get paid my salary.”
“Which is insanely high.”
She was getting sick of this argument. “And, if you sign a deal with the Johnson family, that doesn’t make me any richer. Also, I can disagree with what you do and still work for you.”
“Is that a fact?”’
She didn’t like his tone. She called it his royal we voice. He always used it when he thought he was above everyone else. Dismissing him, she tried her best to concentrate on the work at hand. She had a billion emails to answer, but Nicola ignored them. Instead, she texted her best friend Serenity to tell her she had arrived.
On island.
About damned time. When will I see you?
As soon as his lord Wulf leaves for the club tonight.
Good. Mick said he will make your favorite shrimp.
One of these days, I will steal that big hunk of man from you.
Good luck, loser. You have to fight Adam and me for him.
Nicola smiled. Her friend had found her soulmates just a year earlier and Nicola was so happy for her. Still, she was a little envious. Both of them had forever wondered if they would find even one man to trust. Serenity found two.
“What?”
She glanced up at Jensen, who was watching her intently.
“What, what?”
“Why are you smiling?” he asked.
“Nothing. Just Serenity.”
“Ah. So, you’re going to go over there tonight.” He sounded like he was accusing her.
“And? You don’t need me. You’re going to the club.”
He mumbled something under his breath as he turned to look out the window.
“You’re mumbling again.”
“I said that you spend a lot of time with them.”
It was her turn to blink.
“What do you mean by that?”
He turned back to her. “You just seem to spend a lot of time with that threesome.”
“I get to see Serenity very seldom, so when we are here, I spend as much time as I can with her.”
“And them.”
“Excuse me?”
He rolled his eyes. “And them. Those men.”
“You liked them before.”
“That was different.”
“Jensen, are you sure you haven’t scored recently? Have you started using again?”
“That’s not funny.”
“What am I supposed to think? You’re saying insane things.”
He opened his mouth, then snapped it shut.
“Exactly. Serenity is in a committed relationship with two men. They are not swingers. But, I have been promised my favorite dish when I come to the islands.”
“Shrimp truck shrimp.”
“Yes,” she said, a little surprised that he knew.
“What? I pay attention. Besides, you’re out at Giovanni’s constantly. And you got Freddy to learn the recipe just how you like it.”
She smiled and then started going through her emails. She didn’t want him to know exactly how stupid happy that made her.
“Dinner with the trio, then?”
“Yes. Serenity did ask if we were all going out while we were here.”
“Sure.”
But that meant nothing. Lately, Jensen had been acting oddly. More than odd. He had been avoiding her. And, since he had a past and was a recovering addict, she had worried. Still, it was the only sign, so she had reserved judgement.
She glanced at him once more. He was looking out the window again, ignoring her. It was hard to believe they were four years down the road. She had taken the job at the pleading of his mother. It was one she hadn’t wanted, since Jensen had a reputation of being a bad boy. Being a blood relative of the Windsors did not help. People loved to do things for and to him. She had avoided working with those kinds of addicts. Still, it was hard to ignore a plea
from a mother who loved her son so much. Little did she know, it would be the last work she did in the field.
“I take it you don’t need me next week, do you?”
He shrugged. Good God, she was not in the mood for this. She could push him, but it would just make him react more like an ass. So, she followed his lead and looked out the window. The midday traffic wasn’t heavy. Late October wasn’t a big tourist time for Hawaii. The landscape flew past her as they drove down H-1. They’d bought a house on Portlock Rd. House? More like compound. She was just a girl who grew up in a small Colorado town in a two-bedroom home. The Wulf’s would have no idea what that was like. Ever.
“You like these men?”
She turned her head. He wasn’t looking at her, but had laid his head against the back of the seat and had his eyes closed. “What?”
“You like Adam and Mick?”
“I like that they make my friend happy. She’s had enough bad times to last a lifetime. That the two of them see it as their mission in life to keep her happy make them gods in my opinion.”
“Hmm.”
Then, silence again. She knew this was a tactic he used in business. Jensen lulled people into thinking he was a bad boy without any brains. The proverbial rich boy who cared more about his money than people. They would be wrong. As much as she hated to admit it, there was a world class brain in that beautiful head of his, and he did care about people. Like the rest of the family, his English upbringing sometimes got in the way of showing it, but it was there.