A Little Harmless Rumor (14 page)

It took him a little bit and a lot of effort, but he made his way downstairs and went in search of her. Randy followed him, walking just as gingerly. He found her, kneeling in the sand, her face wet with tears.

It broke his fucking heart.

“Jaime…”

“What?” she spat out. Oh, princess never did like showing her emotions.

“I shouldn’t have said it. I was trying to…”

In that moment, she looked up at him, her eyes filled with unshed tears, and he knew he couldn’t send her away. He couldn’t send either of them away. They were the reason he got out of bed every morning, the only people who would truly understand him. The only two who would love him like he needed to be loved.

He eased his way down onto the sand, knowing he would pay for it when the pain meds wore off. “I’m sorry. I was being an ass. Don’t leave.” He looked behind him to Randy. “Either of you. I want you to stay, to be with me. “

Jaime shook her head, and his heart sank.

“Are you saying no?”

“Don’t ask because you’re afraid of being alone.”

It was his turn to shake his head, and he instantly regretted it. “Afraid of being alone? Woman, I just told you two to leave. Where do you get such asinine ideas?”

“It’s why I said no to your marriage proposal. You freaked me out, and I knew that you were just upset that we might be split up as partners.”

“I proposed to you because I love you. Of all the dumbass, insane reactions.”

“And, I wasn’t ready. Randy and I talked about it. We both freaked out and ran away because, well, you were so sure and we weren’t. Different times, but we both had the same reaction. I never—“ Randy coughed, and she smiled as she wiped away tears. “Randy and I never thought we would get another chance. But we have it, and I want you. I want you and Randy and say fuck everyone else in our lives. This is what matters.”

Joy filled his entire being and made him so dizzy. When he stood up, he realized it might have more to do with the pain drugs. He stumbled, and Randy caught him.

“Whoa, there, babe,” Randy said, as he helped Sean stand upright. When he was face-to-face with him, Randy kissed him. “Everything she said and more.”

Jaime stood up, put an arm around each one of them. “Let’s go to bed. This has been kind of a sucky week on the injury front.”

“Don’t worry, princess, we’ll both be back in shape to keep you happy soon.”

She laughed, and Sean let the sound rush over him. Nothing sounded better than that.

E
mma and Sean
sat in silence as they looked out over the ocean. Del had dropped her off an hour earlier, and she had asked to talk to Sean alone. He had consented, as he always did. It was odd to be so comfortable with another human being. At least, it was for her. But, from the moment she and Sean had settled their differences in Thailand, she had been comfortable with him.

“So, you’ve decided to stay here?” she asked.

He nodded, his expression lighter than she had ever seen it. “Well, sort of. First, I wanted to clear it with you.”

“Why?”

“I want to be close to you.”

She didn’t smile, though she wanted to. It had been so long since another human had worried about her that way. When he had burst into her life six months earlier, she thought she could walk away. She didn’t need a half-brother. But, truth was, she needed him.

“Do you think you can earn a living here? I mean, outside of handling my stuff?”

“We can pick up some jobs here and there, but we’ve been talking about opening our own firm. But to keep us busy, Conner Dillon is always looking for contractors who don’t want to work full time.”

“That’s good. You need a home.”

He glanced at her. “There is plenty of space for you. I bought this with you in mind.”

She rolled her eyes. “No thanks.”

“You don’t want to live with your big brother?” he asked, humor lacing his voice. Still, she heard something else, something close to hurt.

With a sigh, she forced herself to look away from the ocean and give him her full attention. Her brother. They didn’t look that much alike, but she saw herself in his eyes, and his high cheekbones. It was hard to imagine that she now had someone else in her world, someone who belonged to her.

“Not really. No offense, but living with another person would be a challenge for me.”

Sympathy filled his expression, and she shook her head. She hated the look. That’s why she rarely told people her entire story. The pity wasn’t for her. It was so they could feel better about themselves.

“No, don’t do that. Don’t pity me.”

“I don’t pity you. Why would I? A world class mind, definitely can take care of yourself, but I would like to get to know you better.”

“Well, I guess I could stay in Hawaii.” She glanced back at the house, then looked at him. “I take it you’re all together?”

He nodded. It still seemed odd to her, but what did she know. Other than her parents, she had only had one long-term relationship with another human, and that was Sean. Emma didn’t even know how to deal with a relationship with one person, let alone two.

“Too many people.”

He chuckled. “Passing judgment?”

“No. I just can’t imagine putting up with another person in my personal space all the time. Having two, ugh.”

He laughed then, a big belly laugh that echoed over the sweet Hawaiian air. “You do make me happy, Emma.”

“Are you really happy? Are they treating you right?”

His expression softened. “Yeah, they are. Looking out for me?”

“You’re the only brother I have. And I have ways of making people pay.”

“Is that a fact?”

She nodded. “I can get into a person’s life, and before they know it, they have nothing left. No job, no money, no house.”

“You’re kind of scary.”

She nodded. “I protect what’s mine.”

He smiled and chucked her under the chin. “Then, I count myself lucky.”

They went back to watching the waves roll in. Considering how she lost her parents, she knew most people would think she would want to stay as far away from the ocean as possible. “I was already thinking about staying here though.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah. Delano actually talked to me about a job. Not full time, but some kind of contract work. They need a person with my skill set.”

“I didn’t know you were interested in that kind of work.”

She shrugged. “Not sure if I am, but solving crimes is like solving puzzles. I like puzzles.”

“So, you would stay here. Are you sure?”

She knew what he was asking, but she had returned to Thailand. It had been hard to do, but she had done it. She could handle Hawaii, especially if her family was here.

“Yeah, I can stay. Anywhere I live is going to have some kind of natural disaster. I would much rather deal with a Tsunami warning than a tornado. Those bastards just drop out of the sky.”

He chuckled. Suddenly they heard something crash in the kitchen.

“I said to let me get it for you,” Randy said, his voice calm and filled with humor.

“Well, if you two would not put important things on the top shelf, I wouldn’t have issues. We are not all bloody giants.”

“You do have a lot of stuff on the high shelves,” Emma said.

“She lives with two men who are over six feet tall. You would think she would ask one of us.”

“Sometimes, a woman has to do for herself.”

Something clattered to the floor, and this time it sounded as if glass had shattered.

“It’s not normal, but it’s home,” she said.

His chuckled turned into a full-blown laugh, as she leaned her head on his shoulder. They might not be the average
Ohana
, but it was nice to have them around. Maybe, she might have just found her home.

T
hank
you so much for reading A Little Harmless Rumor. If you enjoyed Randy, Sean, and Jaime, please tell friends about the book and if you have the time, I would truly appreciate a review at your favorite online retailer.

Thank,

Mel

I
f you loved Sean
, Randy, and Jaime, make sure you get the stories that tell you how they first met!

PRELUDE TO A RUMOR, PART ONE

Sean Kaheaku
is at the top of his game. He’s been trained by one of the best in the spy biz and that definitely comes with perks. One of those is working with Jamie Alexander.  The sexy British spy definitely tempts him in the worst way.

Jaime
has heard enough about Sean to know he is considered one of the best in the field. Of course, he has slept with most of his partners—both male and female. Usually, she wants nothing to do with men like him, but something about the sexy Hawaiian intrigues her.Their mission is easy. Get in, plant the listening device, get out. But one misstep on their assignment has them pushing the limits of their undercover roles in the most delicious way.

P
RELUDE TO A RUMOR
, PART TWO

Former SEAL 
Randy Young
isn’t looking to settle down. He just got out of a bad relationship with his share of emotional scars. When he and
Sean Kaheaku
team up on a surveillance job, he isn’t opposed to a little fun while they work.

Sean learned the hard way that workplace romance doesn’t work out. Hell, hookups are always risky.  But, when they find themselves on the run in a foreign country, lines get crossed, and both of them discover more about each other than they ever expected.

C
oming
this Fall from Melissa Schroeder and Harmless Publishing, a new spinoff from the bestselling Harmless Series,
TASK FORCE HAWAII
.

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.

Check out the
SERIES TRAILER
.

L
earn More at Mel’s Website

You met Del and Emma in A Little Harmless Rumor, now find out what happens with them!

Resisting her might just kill him.

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.

A temptation she can’t ignore.

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.

A killer obsessed.

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.