Hostile Desires (15 page)

“Let’s get to it, then.”

Happy that he finally had a direction to move in, he headed off to his office with Floyd in step with him.

L
ater that afternoon
, Elle was just finishing up a report when her mobile rang. She saw the number and decided to quit avoiding Gerald.

“Hello, Gerald.” She glanced at the time and realized it was the middle of the night in England. “Kind of late for you to call.”

He didn’t say anything right at first. She assumed she surprised him by answering.

“Had a long night. I thought I would have to leave another voice mail,” he said, his voice tinged with irritation.

“You might want to stop doing that. I just delete them.”

Another pause. The man did not like people telling him what to do, especially a woman. Being ignored by one was an even worse offense to Gerald.

“I understand you helped on another serial killer case.”

Of course. Gerald always thought of his career and who could help him with it. She had known from the start what he wanted, but there was still a small part of her that had hoped she would be wrong.

“Yes, but I wasn’t that involved with the investigation.”

“It sounded like it from the news reports.”

It had been six months and not once had she been mentioned, except in reference to her findings. That meant he knew she had been working with TFH. If he had known the entire time, it was a bit creepy if he had been keeping tabs on her.

“It seems I might have an issue here in London with one.”

He never changed. It made her kind of sad that he would probably always be like this. Gerald’s father had been a legend at Scotland Yard, and anyone in law enforcement knew his name in London. It was hard to live up to. Once he started to get recognition, the pressure had ruined him. He’d become obsessed with outdoing his father, and sadly, she had been a part of that. She had wanted to help him exorcise the demon of always being compared to his father. She had just never thought Gerald would leave her trampled, her career ruined, and her life in shambles. Truthfully, looking back on it, it was inevitable.

“And why are you calling to tell me?”

Silence greeted that question. She had been so eager to help him with his career during their courtship and marriage that he probably thought she would jump at the chance to help him. Damn, she must have been so pathetic when they were together.

“I thought you might want to come help with it. It would really help your career.”

She pulled the phone away from her ear and looked at it. Did he really just say that? Bloody hell, he was still as condescending as ever, but there was something else in his voice, something close to desperation.

“I don’t need help with my career.”

“If you ever wanted to come back to London, it might be good for you to do this. Get you in good with the right people.”

“The right people? Like you?”

“Well, I know you’re a good sort.”

He really was a wanker. “Oh, so you mean maybe DSI Harrington, the one you were fucking in my bed? Do you think she would like me back?”

He sighed, and even that sounded patronizing.

“I thought if you ever wanted to work again in London—

“That is never going to happen.”

A slight pause again. Poor Gerald. He had to be so befuddled. “What?”

“I am home now. I’m not leaving Hawaii. And even if I was, I would never work for anyone in the police force there.”

“Why not?”

How had she been so infatuated with Gerald? Was it because she thought they made a good team? That was a sad thought. “I can’t trust you. I can’t trust them. Don’t you remember what that was like? Of course you don’t, because you were leading the charge. Listen, Gerald, I don’t wish you ill, but if you think I will ever work with you again, you have to have gone mental. I am not about to work with you ever again.”

“I should have known you would pull this. You can’t get over what was done to you.”

Anger surged through her. He would see it that way. Oh lord, he hadn’t changed.

“No, I can’t. The bastard raped me, planned on killing me, but I got away. You want to know something, though? What you and all your buddies did to discredit me was worse. I trusted all of you. I thought of all of them as my family, but when you felt the spotlight being taken away from you, you attacked, and you had your idiot friends help. Don’t call me again. I will not be helping you. And for God’s sake, don’t call my father.”

Then she hung up. Of all the nerve! The man hadn’t learned anything. It had been almost a decade, and he thought that with a good laugh and a referral from him, she would run back to England and help him out of a tight spot. It said so much about him...but sadly, it said more about her.

All those years ago, she had wanted to be accepted, to be able to be part of the team. In that, she let the little things go. She accepted his patronizing tone, and forgave him when he talked down to her.

She heard a step behind her, and realized someone was in the room with her. She had expected it to be Drew, but she looked over her shoulder and found Graeme standing there.

“Remind me to never make you mad.”

She shook her head. “I can’t believe I married him. He’s dumb.”

He snorted. “He had to be an idiot.”

“How do you know that?”

“Love, he let you walk away. The man has to be bloody stupid.”

Dammit, when he said things like that, her heart just melted.

“Are you almost ready? I was wondering if you would want to have dinner with two very handsome gentlemen?” he asked.

“Two?”

“Dumfries is feeling a little ignored.”

Again, just like before, the heaviness evaporated, and her soul felt lighter. “That sounds splendid. I’ll bring the wine.”

T
he killer threw back
a shot of whiskey and winced. He really shouldn’t be drinking. His doctor had warned against it, but then, his doctor could go fuck himself.

Thirty years. Fucking thirty years, and he had been free. Now, because of some stupid act by an ICE head, he might lose everything. He had fought so hard to make it out of the gutter, to build himself up, and now it could all be taken away from him. He should have taken care of that gun himself all those years ago.

Now, he needed to stay one step in front of the police and that damned McGregor. TFH was being very tight-lipped about the entire thing, but he had heard the Scot was handling the case. And there was one thing he knew about the Scottish: they never gave up.

J
ust after five that afternoon
, Elle stood in front of her mirror and wondered if she was dressed right. She had not been on a date since before her marriage, so she didn’t really know what to wear. She blinked. Okay, she was not on a date. She was going to work.

She’d stopped off at her house to freshen up and change. Now, though, she felt she might be too dressy for the evening. She’d grabbed her birthday present from Doc, a violet sundress. Four months and this was the first time she was wearing it. It accentuated her slim waist, while giving the illusion that she had hips. The earrings her parents had sent her for her last birthday dangled, catching the light. She’d even redone her makeup, applying lip gloss and eyeliner, something she didn’t do that often. She reached for her perfume and then stopped before applying any.

Bloody hell, she was getting ready for a date.

Her stomach flip-flopped. Cocking her head, she laid a hand on it. It felt as if her stomach was doing somersaults. Why had she not realized until this moment that she was doing that? And why now?

It had been the phone call. It had to be. When she’d kicked Gerald out of the house, she’d only seen him twice afterwards before she left London. The pain and anger had festered inside of her, eating away at the idea of being involved with another man. Truth was, at that time, she had no ability to cope with it. The rape had traumatized her, and she’d been walking around like a zombie, unable to deal with anything other than getting through each day.

But today, she had stood up for herself for the first time. Well, at least the first time with Gerald. It had felt brilliant. Now she was getting dressed up for a date with Graeme.

She waited for panic. It was the reason she hadn’t had a date in so long. Emotionally, she hadn’t been ready. It wasn’t that she had voiced that, even in her head, but now, seven years later, she accepted that her emotional balance had been threatened by the thought of dating.

Until Graeme.

Was that why she had tried to avoid him by being such a bitch when he’d first arrived? Maybe she had sensed her attraction and, in self preservation, she had decided to act out. How very juvenile of her.

And now? Now she wanted to see where it went. He was too young for her, that was true, but he made her feel happy. For right now, that was enough.

Elle grabbed her purse and headed for the front door. Graeme had given her directions to his house. She was nervous, but she was excited too. Granted, it was at his house, but there was something very sexy about a man who wanted to cook for her. Other than her father, she didn’t know of any man who had done so.

With her hand on the knob, she hesitated. She planned on having dinner with two gentlemen, doing a little work, then coming home. But there was a part of her who felt she should be prepared to take a chance. She turned around and headed to the bathroom. She wouldn’t go all out, but Elle had never been that spontaneous. Grabbing her toothbrush, she snapped on the travel head, and slipped it into her purse.

Happy with her decision, Elle headed to the door, stopping by her kitchen to grab the guava wine she had in the fridge. Within minutes, she was on Kam Highway heading to Laie.

As she drove through Haleiwa, she took comfort from the little shops and the waves she received from some of her neighbors. She had always loved this drive, loved her little town. After living in London for so many years, she had worried living out on this side of the island would be boring. Instead, she found solace in the slower pace. It reminded her of her upbringing in Oxford. The cute little shops and the more local feel had been just the ticket for her.

She passed Sunset Beach, and smiled when she saw a boy and his father walking down with fishing poles. She wanted to take her father fishing when he came. They had often sat in a little rowboat for hours, fishing quietly. It was one of her most treasured memories from her childhood, and she wanted recreate it in Hawaii with her father.

Elle came to a stop at a light and realized she was making plans. Real plans. First, for tonight, and then with her father when her parents visited. In the last seven years, she hadn’t been making personal plans. She had focused on work and healing, but now...she wanted to think about the future.

Someone beeped behind her. She smiled and hit the gas. Yes. She wanted to have future plans, and right now they included a dashing Scotsman and his adorable dog.

G
raeme had
the potatoes on the grill, and he had cleaned up the house before he started on the Mahi Mahi he’d picked up. He knew how to cook and how to cook well. It was a survival mechanism. While his father was a fantastic cook, his mother had burned more dinners than he wanted to remember. None of his sisters really could cook, and if they had any talent, they hated the process. Graeme loved it.

His dad was well known for being innovative in his pub, and Graeme had learned a lot. He knew how to cook just about everything Scottish, but his father’s love for experimentation was alive and well in Graeme. Granted, he hadn’t done a lot of it in the last year or so, but it wasn’t like he had anyone to impress before now.

He pulled out some seasonings and started to sprinkle them on the fish. Yes, he was trying to impress her. Granted, he knew Elle thought he would get over it, just move on at some point, but he knew better. She had kissed him the other day. It was the first time she had initiated affection, and it had not stopped since then. More than once, he had felt the brush of her hand against his back, and she had held his hand when they went shopping for food the other day. It wasn’t much, but it was something. He knew they had turned the corner, even if she did not.

Dumfries drew his attention by whining and wagging his tail.

“No way. You are not getting this. It’s for Elle.”

When he said her name, Dumfries whined again. His dog seemed to have the same feelings for Elle that he did. Whenever Graeme said her name, Dumfries reacted. Worse, he seemed genuinely irritated when Graeme had arrived home without her.

“She should be here soon.”

That did not make Dumfries any happier, so Graeme grabbed a treat and tossed it to him. As usual, his dog caught it in his massive mouth and wandered back to the living room to enjoy it.

Graeme glanced at the clock. He hoped Elle hadn’t gotten stuck anywhere. H-2 was easy enough to navigate on a Tuesday afternoon, but if there was any kind of significant accident on Kam Highway, it could shut the two-lane road down in both directions.

He heard the sound of a car, and then a door shutting. His heart did a little dance—odd that. Graeme knew he was somewhat intrigued by Elle—okay, a lot intrigued. But, he hadn’t reacted toward a woman like this since he had been a bumbling fool in his teenage years.

There was a soft knock on the door, and he waited just a second, wiping off his hands. He didn’t want her to think he’d been waiting by the door. Drawing in a deep breath, he opened the door and lost all thought.

She had donned a purple dress, one that brought deepened the green in her eyes. She was...stunning.

“Hi,” she said, offering him a smile. She had a bottle of wine in her hand. “I hope this will work for tonight. I had it in my fridge, and you had said something about fish for dinner. Of course, if you would rather not, we can just stick it in the fridge.”

He blinked. She was babbling. Elle never babbled. She was precise in every word she used, even in social settings. Then it hit him. She was nervous, maybe just as nervous as he was.

Something loosened in his chest. It was nice to know he wasn’t the only one on edge tonight.

“It will be perfect,” he said, as he took the bottle from her right hand before Dumfries nudged him out of the way. “Well, that was rude, you mongrel.”

Dumfries paid no attention to him. Instead, he sat down in front of Elle and offered her a paw, the wanker.

“Oh, aren’t you handsome,” she cooed as she shook his paw, then petted him.

“Come on, Dumfries, let our date in the door.”

The dog threw him a nasty look, but Dumfries did as ordered. Elle laughed, a light, bubbly kind of laugh that made his heart sing. He said nothing as he waited for her to step into his house.

He followed her into the living room, which was just off the side of the kitchen. It was a bigger house than hers, as he was sure he would have all sorts of relatives and military friends showing up. Plus, with a dog like Dumfries, he didn’t have much of a choice. A small house would be destroyed by his dog.

“Oh, this is lovely.”

The admiration he heard in her voice allowed him to release a breath he didn’t realize he’d been holding. It was the first time she had been to his house, and he wanted to impress her.

“Are these your sisters?” she asked, as she looked at the photo gallery that filled his walls.

He nodded. “The one on the table is of my parents.”

He set the wine down and grabbed the corkscrew to open it.

“Good lord, you are a very good looking family. Your parents must have had their hands full.”

He chuckled as he watched her. “They definitely did with my sisters, but I was a saint.”

She gave him a speaking glance before she moved on to the pictures from his time in the Marines.

“What? I
was
a saint. There’s a reason I am my mother’s favorite.”

She shook her head. “First, that just tells me you’re what Charity calls a mama’s boy.”

“That’s rude.”

She shrugged. “Probably the truth. But, I was talking about five children. It’s hard for me to think of such a large family.”

He poured the wine into the glasses and joined her in the living room. “It was always just the three of you?”

“Thank you,” she said taking the glass. “And yes. My family has always been just the three of us. I was born after years of trying and a few miscarriages, so my parents counted themselves lucky when I came along.”

“I can understand that feeling.”

She looked at him and sighed. “Don’t make more of this than it is.”

“What is it?”

“I’m not really sure. I don’t know where we’re going.”

“I don’t either.”

“Our ages—”

“Don’t matter.”

She shook her head. “Just know that I am attracted to you, but I am not sure I’m built for relationships. Not anymore.”

“And know that after growing up in a house with five women, I have the patience of a saint—as I pointed out before.”

She laughed. “Okay.”

“Why don’t you go out onto the lanai? I need to grab the fish and the asparagus.”

“Oh, you’re grilling the whole dinner? That sounds scrumptious.”

When she turned to leave, he found himself watching the sway of her hips and listening to the way she cooed to his dog. It was almost too homey, but it felt right. This woman, this night.

He had to pull himself out of his stupor and went about his tasks. He had a lady to impress with his culinary skills.

A
couple hours later
, Elle’s stomach was still full from the smashing dinner and enjoying the evening. Sure, they were spending it looking over all the leads both Graeme and Marcus had dug up, but it was still enjoyable. There wasn’t a beach, but she enjoyed being close to the water. She could hear it lapping against the rocks.

“Earth to Dr. Middleton,” he said.

She glanced at him with a smile. “I just love that sound. Water is so soothing.”

He didn’t say anything, but he kept staring at her. The moment stretched out, and she felt a tickle at the back of her throat.

“What?”

“Nothing, you just seem very happy.”

“Why does everyone say that like they are surprised?”

He shrugged. “You would smile sometimes, and it wouldn’t reach your eyes.”

She thought about it. Had she been like that? After dealing with her ex this afternoon, she felt as if a heavy burden had been lifted. She had finally said what she wanted, and she felt as if that part of her life was over.

“Good to know.” She glanced out at the setting sun. “How do you not sit out here and just stare all day long?”

He chuckled. “It was hard not to after I found the house. But, then I realized I had to pay rent.”

She smiled. Streaks of red and orange still filled the sky, but it would not be long before it was dark. Hawaii didn’t change its clocks; and as it was, it would be well after eight, and she had an early morning.

“So, you have a list of people to look through,” she said.

He nodded.

“I guess I should be on my way.”

The moment she said it, Dumfries was on his feet and waiting as if he were going with her. She laughed and made her way into the house.

“Elle?”

She turned around to face Graeme. The fading sun was behind him, highlighting the golden hues of his hair. Arousal darkened his eyes. Just seeing that stirred to life her own desires.

He took her hand and pulled her slowly to him. The closer she got to him, the more her heart sped up. When he finally had her in his arms, he nuzzled her neck. For a man who seemed to be very sensual, he took his time about getting to it.

“You always smell like roses, Eleanora.”

His accent had thickened, as he dragged his tongue over her pulse point. Every time he did that, her knees went weak. He tugged on her earlobe, pulling it between his teeth and sliding his tongue over it. The man was deadly with that tongue. The one thought brought to mind all kinds of naughty things. Things she wanted to do, or have done to her.

He pulled back and looked at her. It was the most serious expression she had ever seen on his face. He dropped his hands.

“All you have to say is no. I’ll step away.”

She looked at him then, this big, brawny warrior, and she knew that he would. No question about it. It was her choice. Always.

“I want to stay.”

For a second he said nothing. The moment stretched, and Elle worried that he might be having second thoughts. Suddenly, he groaned. The sound so primal it lit through her blood and sent her head spinning. He took two huge steps to her, grabbed her by the waist, and yanked her against him. He kissed her, but it was different than before. This wasn’t seductive or teasing. Raw need pulsed through her as Graeme plunged his tongue deep within her mouth. She could do nothing but surrender.