A Little Harmless Submission 6 (25 page)

Sinner's Delight

The Sweet Shoppe

Tempting Prudence

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Seducing the Saint

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Cancer Anthology

Water

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Stand Alone Books

Grace Under Pressure

The Last Detail

Her Mother's Killer

A Calculated Seduction

Telepathic Cravings

Coming Soon

Infatuation: A Little Harmless Military Romance

Getting Lei'd—Hawaiian Holidays

A Little Harmless Gift

Harmless Short

A Little Harmless Fascination

A Lethal Woman

Going for Eight

Writing as Kiera West exclusively for Siren Publishing

The Great Wolves of Passion, Alaska

Seducing Their Mate

The Alpha's Fall

Convincing Ethan

Shane's Need

Coming soon

Rand's Craving

Jason's Salvation

Max's Need

Claiming Their Mate

Coming in November to digital from Melissa Schroeder,
her first ever MILITARY HARMLESS ROMANCE.

To prove her love and save her man,
she has to go above and beyond
the call of duty.

Infatuation: A Little Military Harmless Romance

Francis McKade is a man in lust. He’s had a crush on his best friend’s little sister for years but he has never acted on it. Besides the fact that she’s Malachai’s sister, he’s a Seal and he learned his lesson with his ex-fiancé. Women don’t like being left alone for months at a time. Still, at a wedding in Hawaii anything can happen—and does. Unfortunately, after the best night of his life, he and Mal are called away to one of their most dangerous missions.

Shannon Dupree is blown over by Kade. She’s always had a crush on him and after their night together, it starts to feel a little like love. But after the mission, Kade never calls or writes, and she starts to wonder if it was all a dream. Until one night, her brother Mal drags him into her bar and grill and Shannon gets the shock of her life.

Kade isn’t the man Shannon knew in Hawaii, or even the last few years. Twelve hours of torture changes a man, especially one who had never felt so vulnerable. He still can’t shake the terror that keeps him up at night. Worse, he is realizing that the career he loves just might be over. He isn’t fit for Shannon, or the love she offers him. When she won’t leave him alone, he decides to prove his point.

Shannon is still mad, but she can’t help but hurt for the man she loves. He is darker, a bit more dangerous, but beneath that, he is the Kade she has known for so many years. When he pushes her to her limits in the bedroom, Shannon refuses to back down. One way or another, this military man is going to learn there is no walking away from love—not while she still has breath in her body.

Warning: This book contains two infatuated lovers, some drunken dancing, a hard-headed military man, a determined woman, some old friends, and a little taste of New Orleans. As always, ice water is suggested while reading. It might be the first military Harmless book, but the only thing that has changed is how hot our hero looks in his uniform—not to mention out of it.

Enjoy an unedited excerpt from

Infatuation: A Little Harmless Military Romance

“Are you talking about that hot Seal your brother brought with him?” May Aiona Chambers asked as she stepped up to the two women.

“Oh, May, please, could you join us in the conversation,” Jocelyn said with a laugh.

“As my sister-in-law, you should be used to it by now.” She dismissed Jocelyn and honed in on Shannon. “He’s been watching you.”

“What?”

“That Marine, he’s been watching you all day.”

Shannon snorted trying to hide the way her pulse jumped. “You’re insane. Does this run in the family? You might want to adopt children, Jocelyn.”

“No, really, he has. He does it when he thinks you aren’t looking.”

She turned around and found him easily on the other side of the dance floor. His erect posture made it easy. Even in civvies he looked like a Marine. The Hawaiian print polo shirt hugged his shoulders and was tucked neatly into the khaki dress slacks. He wasn’t the tallest man in the room, but he stood out. All that hard muscle, not to mention the blond hair, and the to-die-for blue eyes made him a gorgeous package. Everything in her yearned, wanted. Of course, he wasn’t looking at them. Shannon turned back to her sister and May.

“You’re drinking, right?” Shannon asked.

May rolled her eyes. “No, really he has. You know what those Seals are like. He can do surveillance without you knowing. It’s his job. But, you should see the way he looks at you.”

She couldn’t help herself. “Like how?”

“Like he wants to take a big long bite out of you.”

A shiver slinked down her spine followed by a burst of heat through her blood at the thought. Since she had met him five years earlier, she had been interested in him. Kade was sexy, that was for sure, but there was something more to him than just a good-looking man. There was an innate goodness in him, one that made a woman know he would take care of her no matter what.

“If I were you, I would make use of the event to get him in bed.”

Shannon snorted again, trying to keep herself from imagining it—and failing. “Please, May, tell me what you really think.”

“Believe me, I know about waiting, and it isn’t worth it. I waited years for some idiot to notice me. I think of all the time we wasted dancing around like that.”

“Did you just call your husband an idiot?” Jocelyn asked.

May rolled her eyes. “Evan overlooked me for years, of course he’s an idiot. But, in this situation, you have to be strategic. I saw Evan almost every day. This guy, he’s going to be gone again with that job of his. You have got to take advantage of the wedding and get him into bed. Get a little wedding booty.”

She should be mad, but it was hard to be. May looked so innocent with her sweet smile and her voice sounded like something out of a movie. Shannon just couldn’t get irritated with her. Before May could say anything else, they announced the cutting of the cake. She turned to face the banquet table and as she did, she caught Kade looking at her. It was the briefest moment, just a second, but even across all that space, she saw the heat, the longing, and felt it build inside of her. The breath backed up in her lungs. In that next instant, he looked away.

It took all her control to turn her attention back to the event at hand, seeing her brother and her sister-in-law beaming at each other, she took another sip of champagne. May was right. She had to take a chance. If he said no, if he ignored her, then she could drink herself in a stupor and have months before she had to face him.

But there was one thing Shannon Michele Dupree did right and that was being bold. She chugged the rest of her champagne, set it on the table next to her and headed off in Kade’s direction. That man wouldn’t know what hit him.

Coming November 2011
to digital everywhere.

In print this November from Samhain Publishing.

Falling for her might be easy,
seducing her may be damned hard,
but keeping her alive might just be deadly.

Harmless, Book 4:
A Little Harmless Lie

© 2010 Melissa Schroeder

Coming from nothing, Micah Ross now has more than he knows what to do with. His Hawaii BDSM club is flourishing, and he has his pick of women. Except one. Dee Sumners is cute, sexy, feisty...and, since she’s on his payroll, off-limits. Plus, she insists she isn’t into the life. Until one heated kiss hints that his head bartender secretly hungers to be his sub.

Life on the run doesn’t allow Dee to indulge in long-term relationships. Still, Micah manages to work his way through her tough armor and under her skin. Yet even as she succumbs to his skilled seduction, her survival instinct forms a plan to leave the island she has grown to love—and the man she’s in danger of loving.

When Dee disappears, Micah’s anger turns to fear when he realizes she didn’t leave willingly. Calling on his skills as a former bounty hunter, he tracks her to the mainland only to discover she is entangled in a web of lies and deceit that not only threatens their love, but her life.

Warning: This book contains more Hawaiian settings, a Native American Dom who always thinks he’s right, a woman on the run, sexy kisses, murderous relatives, a trip to Sin City, and a seduction that is sweet and hot and everything in between. Ice water and a towel are recommended while reading.

Enjoy the following excerpt for

A Little Harmless Lie

She picked up a bottle of Patron and made a note that she needed another one. Once done, she turned to put it back.

“How’s it going?”

Her heart jumped to her throat, every nerve going on alert and the bottle slipped from her grasp. The crash was barely heard over the roar of the pulsing music, but it did draw the attention of a few people sitting at the bar. Micah was behind her in an instant. He grabbed her by her upper arms and spun her around.

“Are you okay?”

She looked up at him, held immobile by his nearness. She had never been this close to him ever. She could see the concern in his eyes, feel his breath feather over her face. Even with all the people in the area, she could scent him. Bayberry...and Micah. It made her head spin and left her feeling vaguely aroused.

“I-I’m fine, Micah. You can let me go.”

He looked down at his hands on her arms as if he didn’t realize he still held her. He wanted to argue, she could see it when his gaze pierced hers again. After a moment’s hesitation, he released her.

There was no reason for her heart to be beating the way it was. Her entire body simmered with heat. Good Lord, it wasn’t as if she hadn’t been that close to a man before. She was acting like a teenager.

“Are you sure?” he asked, his low, seductive voice easy enough for her to hear. He had moved closer, his lips within inches of her ear.

She nodded and turned to grab the broom. Without saying anything she cleaned up the glass. He stayed there, watching her as if she were a child who needed supervision. By the time she was done, her nerves were jumping.

“Was there something you wanted?”

He didn’t say anything. She glanced up at him. His body was rigid, his gaze fastened on her mouth. A tremor of need shifted through her blood. Dammit. She cleared her throat.

“Micah?”

The heat in his eyes sent a shaft of need spiraling through her as she took a step back from him. From temptation.

“No. Just wanted to make sure you were doing okay tonight.”

She frowned. He watched her a lot but he rarely worried about her taking care of herself. “Everything’s fine. You know how Monday nights go.”

He kept watching her mouth as she spoke. It was a bit disconcerting. A lick of heat raced up her spine. His gray eyes darkened, his pupils dilating. Every bit of moisture in her mouth evaporated. Her nipples pebbled, ached. It took all her control to lick her lips. The need to squeeze her thighs together to relieve the unbearable tension between her legs almost overwhelmed her.

He took a step closer to her. The music, the people, everything faded to the background. Without a word, he dipped his head, but jerked back at the sound of Keisha’s voice.

“Hey, I need another gin and tonic.”

He shot Keisha a look of death before glancing back down at Dee. She couldn’t say anything. Hell, she could barely think at the moment. In that one second, she had wanted him with a need that was burning her up inside. Her entire body was pulsing, yearning. But the moment was over as he glanced around at the customers. He said nothing as he turned on his heel and stomped out from behind the bar. Dee pressed a hand to her chest, trying to calm her heart and then leaned against the bar.

“Hey, Dee? Wake up, girl.”

She looked up at Keisha and offered her a weary smile. “I’ll get it. Give me a second. And definitely, I owe you a thank you.”

She cocked her head to the side, her chocolate brown eyes twinkling. “Why? Because the big bad bossman looked like he wanted to gobble you up?”

Dee closed her eyes and shivered. “Yeah.”

“Ohh.” Dee’s eyes shot open.

“What?”

“Well, I didn’t know you liked him that much.” Dee inwardly cursed. She had kept her attraction to him under wraps until that instant.

“I don’t like him.”

“Honey, you may not like him, but I could hear it in your voice. You want him.”

“Show me a heterosexual woman who wouldn’t find him attractive, and I tell you the

woman is an idiot.”

Keisha laughed. “No. This is different. I have never seen that reaction to any man in the two years you’ve worked here.”

Dee finished making the gin and tonic and placed it on Keisha’s tray.

“You’re loco.”

Keisha laughed. “Oh, you do. This is going to be good. Just don’t do anything until my day on the pool. I need that money.”