Constant Craving (Task Force Hawaii #3) Page 22

  He narrowed his eyes as he studied her. She was trying not to laugh.

  “Tell me the truth.”

  Her eyes widened. “I am telling you the truth. Unless you think it isn’t true that I’m pretty.”

  He opened his mouth to refute that, but he caught the gleam in her eyes. “Do not try that crap on me. I said something else in the ambulance.”

  “Okay, okay. You told me you loved me.”

  Well, shit. He hadn’t meant to tell her. Not right now. It was too early, and they had been wrapped up in the investigation.

  “Oh.”

  She cleared her throat, and he waited for it. The brushoff. He knew her history with men, and he had really made a fucking muck of things. He’d rushed it, and while women like the “l” word, it was too fast. He probably came off as a creep.

  “I was on drugs, so it doesn’t count.”

  “Really? Because your mother told me you are usually brutally honest when you are drugged up.”

  He was going to kill his mother. No, he wasn’t. But he might talk to her sternly. Scratch that. His mother was kind of scary when she was pissed at them, so he would just tell her not to tell people that anymore. Maybe.

  “She’s got a drinking problem.”

  Charity gave him a look of disgust. “Thor Jackson Callahan. Do you want me to call your mother and tell her about what you said?”

  “Shit. No.”

  Charity’s expression softened. “My mama always said to trust a man who has a healthy fear of his own mother.”

  He shook his head. “I didn’t mean to tell you.”

  Her eyes widened. “You weren’t going to tell me you loved me? Ever?”

  “No.” She frowned. “I mean, I was going to tell you. I was going to ease you into it.”

  “Ease me into it.”

  “Yeah. Get you used to the idea that I was in love with you. I know everything is moving fast, and we had the investigation.”

  “Yeah, there was that.”

  “So, I didn’t want to scare you off with professions of love.”

  “Makes sense. But, you told me in front of the EMT. Oh, and you also told me not to tell anyone your name is Thor.”

  “In front of the EMT?”

  She nodded as her mouth curved. “She was impressed, but I think your days of keeping that little secret hidden are over.”

  “I think I really will kill my mother for giving me that name.”

  There was a long silence, and Charity cleared her throat.

  “Are you freaking out?” he asked.

  She shrugged. “So, you love me?”

  He nodded, waiting. Sure, she wouldn’t kick him out today. He’d gotten wounded helping her. But, as Del had said, Charity wasn’t one for long term. She would nurse him back to health, then the freak out would take over, and she would slowly put distance between them. Well, he wasn’t having it. He loved her, and she was stuck with him.

  “Just so you know, I’m not budging. I love you, and I am not going anywhere.”

  “Well, that’s good,” she said as she took his hand. “Because I love you.”

  For a moment, he didn’t think he heard her correctly. Then her words set in. His heart lightened as he felt his lips start to curve.

  “Yeah?”

  She nodded. He tugged on her hand and pulled her out of her chair, and then onto his lap.

  “TJ, be careful of your arm.”

  “It’s fine.”

  She cupped his face, as the laughter faded from her golden brown eyes. “I was so worried when you got shot. I thought I was going to lose you.”

  “Did you beat Remington over the head with one of your awards?”

  She laughed. “Yeah, I did. Then I broke his nose.”

  “That’s my woman.”

  “I do love you, Thor Jackson Callahan.”

  “And I love you, Charity Frederica Edwards.”

  “Frederica is not my middle name.”

  “At the moment, Howard could be your middle name and I wouldn’t care.”

  She kissed him. In that one kiss, he could feel her emotions roll over him. The fear of the day before, the love she felt for him. It spread through him, warmed his heart, and soothed his soul. He returned the kiss with enthusiasm. When he pulled back, she had tears in her eyes.

  “Don’t cry,” he said, brushing away one tear that escaped.

  “I’m sorry. It has been a rollercoaster lately. It still gets to me.”

  He gave her one long kiss again, then eased her off his lap and stood. He took her hand and tugged her off the lanai and toward the bedroom.

  “How about we spend the day in bed?”

  She shook her head, but she came along easily. “You are supposed to get some rest.”

  “That wasn’t exactly what I had in mind.” He wiggled his eyebrows, and pulled her into his arms at the foot of the bed. He nuzzled her neck and drew in her scent. This was it. This was home.

  She shook her head. “You need your rest.”

  He pulled back and looked at her. “We’ll get rest. Later.”

  She was laughing when they fell onto the bed together.

  Thank You

  Thank you so much for reading Constant Craving. I hope you enjoyed TJ and Charity and a visit with the team. If you enjoyed the book, please think about leaving a review on your favorite online book retailer and tell your friends about the book.

  Mel

  About Melissa Schroeder

  From an early age, USA Today Bestselling author Melissa Schroeder 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 over sixty 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, three nominations for AAD Bookies and regularly tops the bestseller lists on Amazon and Barnes & Noble. She made the USA Today Bestseller list for the first time with her anthology The Santinis.

  Since she was a military brat, she vowed never to marry military. Alas, fate always has her way with mortals. Her husband just retired from the AF after 20 years, and together they have their own military brats, two girls, and two adopted dog daughters, and is happy she picks where they live now.

  Keep up with Mel, her releases, and her appearances by subscribing to her NEWSLETTER or join in the fun with her Harmless Addicts!

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  Also 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 Fantasy

  A Little Harmless Ride

  A Little Harmless Secret

 
A Little Harmless Rumor

  THE HARMLESS PRELUDES

  Prelude to a Fantasy

  Prelude to a Secret

  Prelude to a Rumor, Part One

  Prelude to a Rumor, Part Two

  THE HARMLESS SHORTS

  Max and Anna

  Chris And Cynthia

  Evan and May

  A LITTLE HARMLESS MILITARY ROMANCE

  Infatuation

  Possession

  Surrender

  THE SANTINIS

  Leonardo

  Marco

  Gianni

  Vicente

  A Santini Christmas

  A Santini in Love

  Falling for a Santini

  One Night with a Santini

  A Santini Takes the Fall

  SEMPER FI MARINES

  Tease Me

  Tempt Me

  Touch Me

  TASK FORCE HAWAII

  Seductive Reasoning

  Hostile Desires

  TEXAS TEMPTATIONS

  Conquering India

  Delilah’s Downfall-returning soon

  ONCE UPON AN ACCIDENT

  An Accidental Countess

  Lessons in Seduction

  The Spy Who Loved Her

  THE CURSED CLAN

  Callum

  Angus

  Logan

  BY BLOOD

  Desire by Blood

  Seduction by Blood

  BOUNTY HUNTER’S, INC

  For Love or Honor

  Sinner’s Delight

  THE SWEET SHOPPE

  Cowboy Up

  Tempting Prudence

  LONESTAR WOLF PACK

  The Alpha’s Saving Grace

  CONNECTED BOOKS

  The Hired Hand

  Hands on Training

  A Calculated Seduction

  Going for Eight

  SINGLE TITLES

  Grace Under Pressure

  Telepathic Cravings

  Her Mother’s Killer

  The Last Detail

  Operation Love

  Chasing Luck

  The Seduction of Widow McEwan

  Snowbound Seduction

  COMING SOON

  A Santini’s Heart

  TASK FORCE HAWAII

  EVEN PARADISE HAS A DARK SIDE

  Working with local, state, and federal agencies, the men and women of TASK FORCE HAWAII work on cases ranging from bank heists to terrorism. A diverse team filled with ex-military, law enforcement, medical, and technical support, they are Hawaii’s last defense against the worst criminals. The series will include six books total.

  SEDUCTIVE REASONING

  BOOK ONE

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  He has a killer to catch and no time for love. Fate has other plans.

  Former Army Special Forces Officer Martin “Del” Delano has enough on his hands chasing a serial killer and heading up TASK FORCE HAWAII. He definitely doesn’t need the distraction of Emma Taylor. From the moment they meet, she knocks him off his feet, literally. Unfortunately, she’s the best person to have on the team to make the connections to help them catch their killer.

  For Emma, it’s hard to ignore the lure of a man like him. Tats, muscles and his Harley cause her to have more than a few fantasies about Del. He’d never be interested in a geek like her, but she can’t resist toying with him. When she pushes the teasing too far, she ends up in his bed. She convinces herself she can handle it until the moment he steals her heart.

  Del can’t help falling for the quirky genius. She’s smart, funny and there’s a sweet vulnerable side to her that only he can see. As Emma gets more involved with the investigation, she becomes the target of the psychopath. When the danger escalates, Del promises to do anything to save the woman who not only captured his heart but also his soul.

  Martin Delano stepped out of his pickup and shut the door, as a light trade wind danced over his skin. He slipped his shoulder holster on, then looked up and down the street. Finding no traffic, he jogged over to the other side, following the lights set up by the Honolulu Police Department.

  Being former military, he should be used to the early morning wakeup calls, but it didn’t mean he had to be happy about it—especially this morning. The lights burned his eyes. Damn, he was getting old when he couldn’t seem to make it up and at work without a cup of coffee. He should have grabbed one before he left his house in Hawaii Kai.

  Police tape marked off the spot, and a very serious looking young officer in uniform stood by the entrance. His militant expression told Del this was his first big assignment. The kid raised his hand as if to stop him…or die trying. God save him.

  He wasn’t in the mood.

  “HPD only, sir,” he said, his voice stern.

  Del sighed and pulled out his Task Force badge. He’d been there a year and people in the department still didn’t know who he was. Of course, the officer looked like he was straight out of the academy, so that was probably the reason. However, the department was small, and Del had been on TV enough that he thought everyone knew his face. And, as the local members of his team kept telling him, everyone knows everyone else on the island.

  The officer’s face reddened. “Sorry, sir.”

  Del nodded and attached the badge back onto his belt. “I’m looking for Rome Carino.”

  “Of course, sir.” He turned and motioned with his hand. “He’s right over there, by the Medical Examiner.”

  Del glanced over and saw where he was talking about. There was a barrier set up along the opposite side of the bridge. That would have been done probably before the ME had shown up.

  “Mahalo,” Del said, as he walked past the officer towards the ME. He passed a few familiar faces. Some smiled, some frowned, and others barely acknowledged his existence.

  The air was muggy from the recent rain, and the sun would start rising soon. Traffic in Honolulu was always a bitch. The influx of tourists added to the locals’ aggravation, but figure in the water main breaks and the rail construction, it could be a real pain in the ass. Being Monday made it worse, and the McCully Bridge over the Ala Wai Canal was always busy.

  As he approached the group, he noticed a handful of detectives he knew. He had been there for a year now, and he still felt like an outsider. Being a Haole didn’t make for easy detective work in Hawaii. Not to mention, a few of them thought he shouldn’t have been given the job. Carino had been offered the job at one time, but he declined. Now, Del was starting to understand why.

  Del knew it was a bad sign when Carino called him. Del’s team only handled the major crimes, the ones that would require more than a little diplomacy working with various law enforcements. Not that he was always good with diplomacy, but in other words, Carino didn’t want the headache.

  He noticed Drew Franklin, the ME assistant. Nice kid, local, tall and skinny, with a world class mind and an irritating habit of trying too hard. But he was good on the job, even if he did have an odd sense of humor, and an odd choice in clothing. He was wearing a pair of jeans today, his regular sneakers, and a T-shirt that said ‘I like big books and I cannot lie.’

  “Howzit, Del, I just got here too.”

  Del nodded. “Did you get the call?”

  He pushed his horn-rimmed glasses back up the bridge of his nose. “Dr. Middleton called. She said I didn’t need to be here, but I thought maybe Cat would be called out.”

  “Nope, I was on call last night, so I took the call.”

  “Makes sense.”

  “I’m glad you think so,” he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm, but it went over Drew’s head.

  He just smiled as they walked together. The closer they got to the scene, Del’s worry grew. He knew it was a dead woman, but for him to be called out, it had to be huge. Maybe a celebrity or dignitary. That meant it would hit the news services soon. Damn, he hated dealing with the press.

  Carino noticed him and turned to greet him. Lean and tall, with feral eyes, he’d moved to Hawaii from Seattle
several years earlier. The homicide detective had been one of the most welcoming in the HPD. His wife had insisted on inviting him over for dinner several times. A lot of folks weren’t happy when they hired an outsider like him, but Carino had been a transplant also, and Del had an idea he had wanted to make everyone know that he accepted him.

  “Sorry about calling you out, Del, but Dr. Middleton thought it was important. Usually, I go with her gut, and when she showed me, I was sure of it.” He nodded. “No problem.”

  Carino looked at Drew. “Dr. Masterson could use some help.”

  “Of course,” Drew said and hurried off, almost tripping over his larger than average feet in the process.

  Carino and he watched Drew greet the doctor with as much enthusiasm as he had Del.

  Del shook his head. Was he ever that young and eager? He couldn’t remember, but he was sure that he had been when he entered the military. When he turned back to Del, he offered him a grim smile.

  “Man, to be that young again,” he said, voicing Del’s thoughts.

  Del nodded. “Makes me tired just listening to him sometimes.”

  Carino’s smile faded. “I didn’t want to say anything in front of him, not yet, but I have a bad feeling this might be a serial.”

  Del knew Carino wasn’t jumping to conclusions. When there had been a serial killer terrorizing Honolulu, and especially the BDSM club members at Rough ‘n Ready, he had been at the head of the case. He had caught the killer no one else had expected—with the help of an FBI agent, who had later become his wife. Carino did not make assumptions.

  A heavy lead weight started to tighten in his stomach. This was going to be a fucking nightmare. He just knew it. And, it would put his team to the test again. He didn’t have a background in investigative work. Being an Army Ranger did give you a skill set that helped out in some things, but investigating a serial killer was different. Thank God he had a team with more experience in that department. Both Cat and Adam were in the department during Carino’s investigation. And he knew his ME had experience with that kind of thing.