Authors: Riley Murphy
RequiredSurrender (31 page)
“If I’ll have you?” He squeezed her so hard she yelped. “I
own you, remember?”
“Today’s the last day of our three-week trial.” She walked
her fingers up the naked skin of his chest and stopped at his collarbone with a
couple of warning taps. “So you better be nice to me, Master, otherwise I might
change my mind about this slave gig.”
He shrugged against her until she was forced to sit back and
look at him. Which was a huge mistake because his eyes were back to being dark
and smoldering. Carrying a look that could convince her to do anything. And he
knew it, the devil.
He grinned, his words skated over her like silk across
marble. “Go ahead, but I promise you I’ll change it back.” His eyes fairly
gleamed. “You know how much I love a challenge.”
She matched his grin. “I do. You’re so lucky.”
His chin came up a notch. “I am?”
She saw his notch and raised it an inch. “Yeah, because I’m
going to challenge you from now until the day you die. Which, if you’re not
careful, could be sooner than you think.”
He laughed and it was like a hug to her soul.
“Sounds like heaven.”
“It is, but you’re going to go through hell to get there.
This,” she stabbed a finger at him, “
I
promise
you.
”
He yanked her in for a bear hug and she nuzzled her nose
against his neck and breathed in deep. When he spoke his throat vibrated
against her cheek.
“Do you know that apples are a member of the rose family?
And speaking of roses, you never did tell me about the meaning of the six
clustered together, did you?”
“I forgot to check.” She closed her eyes and enjoyed the
inner peace. “What does the group signify?”
He spoke in her ear, “A need to be cherished.”
Her eyes opened and she watched the pulse beat steadily
under his skin while she held her breath, waiting for him to say more.
“That’s what you have. What you want to be. And I’m going to
spend my lifetime making sure you are. Making sure you never feel unloved
again. I swear.”
The cleansing breath escaped and…fucking hell, she sniffled,
“I never cry.”
He gathered her closer and kissed the top of her head. “I
know, princess. I know.”
Epilogue
“What did Alistair say?”
Jo twisted in the desk chair and smiled. “That he was going
to enjoy dragging Anjay’s sorry ass to the poverty line.”
Ted nodded. “He’ll do it too.”
“I know, but not until Anjay finishes with all those therapy
sessions we made him agree to. It could be years before I see any
compensation.”
He sauntered over and tossed her cell on the desk. “Here.”
“What?” She looked up and frowned. “I thought I didn’t get
this back until I finished with this stup—er, fascinating essay on how wrong I
was to leave the house without it the other night.”
“It was late on a Saturday and you were driving to a bad
part of town against my wishes. What if you’d broken down?”
“OnStar.”
“What if you’d been attacked?”
“Karate lessons.”
“What if it worried the hell out of me until I almost lost
my mind?”
“I’d suggest Xanax, but that’s on the taboo list.”
“Jo.”
“All right. I just needed original signatures on those
documents, that’s all.”
“Next time Cam takes you.”
“I know.”
“Good. You look great by the way.”
She looked down at the sheer and totally see-through outfit
and scowled. “Don’t you get sick of seeing the same thing every day?”
“No.” He grinned. “Not when that thing highlights you naked
under it.”
She didn’t know how he managed to melt her insides with only
a look, but here she was crushing all over him. It was pathetic. Annoying. A
big pain in the—
“Stop analyzing and just accept it.” Before she could ask
him how he knew what she was thinking he sat against the edge of the desk and
pushed the phone toward her. “The reason I’m giving this back to you earlier
than I planned to is because E called. Apparently Lacy’s in some kind of a
pickle and has been trying to get hold of you.”
Jo snatched up her phone. “Pickle?” She checked the caller
ID. Three missed calls and a message. “I gotta call her.” She found her number
and dialed. “Huh, no answer. I better check the message.” As she scrolled then
waited for voicemail to sound, she asked, “How long ago did E call? He didn’t
give you any other clues? Whoa!”
She held the phone away from her ear and listened. Lace was
yelling to be heard over…what was that in the background? A saw?
“You were right about the quiet ones. He’s fucking crazy. He
locked me in a chastity belt and made me apologize to Joe. Now he’s breaking
through my bedroom door with one of Joe’s saws. You and Ted have to come over
and talk some sense into the guy. I can’t—”
The screech of the saw stopped and all Jo could hear was
Lacy breathing. It was eerie and awful until she heard a loud bang and Lacy
yell, “Get out of my room! I’m warning you. I’m—eat this, you bastard!” and the
line went dead. Clearly David had taken her at her word when she’d thrown the
phone at him.
Jo didn’t move. Only eyes shot up. “You heard.”
“Yeah. That’s a shame.”
Shame?
Ted didn’t sound the least bit upset. “We have
to go over there.”
“No.”
“Yes.”
He brushed her hair aside and shook his head. “We’re not
going anywhere except maybe upstairs.”
“B-but what about Lacy?”
“She’s going to be fine. Providing she wises up and stops
pushing her guy. David’s not the guy to push. You can quote me on that.”
He got up and was halfway to the door before Jo got her head
around those words.
“I thought he was the nice guy out of you three.”
He turned but continued walking backward to the door. “Yeah?
Well, you thought wrong. I wouldn’t want to cross him.”
He spun around and was out the door before she jumped up and
chased after him. “We have to go help her.”
He stopped so abruptly she ran into him. Fortunately he was
fast and swung around to catch her as she stumbled. “Be careful. Are you okay?”
“Yes, but my friend isn’t. She needs our help.”
Pulling her into his arms, he patted her shoulder. “What she
needs we can’t give her.”
“And what’s that?”
“Divine intervention.”
“If you’re trying to make me feel any better about all this
it isn’t working. Is she going to be okay with him?”
“She’s strapped in a chastity belt and facing a guy with a
saw. What could go wrong?”
His making light of the situation put her immediately at
ease. Then he squeezed her and plastered up against him, she couldn’t help
noticing. She sniffed and sniffed some more. “Mmm. I smell cinnamon and nutmeg.
Maybe some sugar. Did you make fresh sauce?”
“I did.”
“That’s great.”
“But it’s not for us.”
She leaned back and looked up at him. “What? Why not?”
“It’s for your dad and Uncle Vic.”
“You see? I told you not to serve it to them when they came
for dinner. Now they’ll be stealing all my sauce.”
“Your sauce?”
She loved his grin. “Well it certainly isn’t theirs.”
He popped his brows up and down and then said, “It will be
tomorrow. I promised your mom I’d clean out the gutters, remember? I’m going to
drop the batch off to them then.”
She closed her eyes and snuggled in for a hug. “You never
should have started with all that handyman stuff either. Next my dad will have
you installing that stupid French molding he always wanted in his bedroom.”
“Too late. What do you think I’m doing after I clean their
gutters?”
Opening her eyes, she scowled. “How many times do I have to
tell you I want you all to myself? You have to stop doing these things for
them.”
“They have no one else, Jo. And what about you? I notice you
don’t have a problem ditching me to do those spa appointments with your mom.
How many facials do you guys need to get before you admit to being best friends?”
“I can’t help it if I’m a little jealous. I like it when
it’s just you and me.”
“Uh oh.”
“What?”
“Well, I wasn’t going to mention this until tonight, but…”
She leaned back. “Yes?”
“Next weekend I made arrangements for us to go up to the
resort. It will be closed to the public from Thursday to Monday.”
“Just me and you?”
He shook his head. “Sorry.”
“Who else?” She was getting excited. Despite what she said
about wanting to be alone with him there was certain company she’d enjoy and
her parents and uncle weren’t on the list. “Ethan and Colin?”
“Yes, they’ll be there. Also a friend of mine you haven’t
met. Michael Kavanaugh will be joining us.”
Jo couldn’t have been happier. They’d only been up to the
resort a few times in the last several months, but each time was better than
the last. Every day was an adventure with a guy like him. Maybe because the way
Ted had it figured, Jo and him were both bruised apples and when they’d finally
accepted this and had come together? They made perfect, awesome sauce.
“Have I told you lately that I love you?”
“No.”
He sounded so disgruntled she laughed but didn’t say the
words. She didn’t want to spoil him. “I don’t mind sharing you with friends.”
His eyes twinkled. “That’s not what you said when I
suggested that three-way.”
The guy was incorrigible. “I said no to another woman, but I
did leave the topic open for discussion about another man.”
“Yeah, no. Not going to happen.”
That was just fine with her. “Seriously, I don’t mind the
company of friends. It’s just my family. They hog you every chance they get.”
“Huh, kind of like you.”
She laughed and smacked him on the shoulder. “I’ve never
heard you complain about my hogging of you.”
“And,” he drew an index finger down the bridge of her nose,
“you never will. I must say though, I’m looking forward to seeing the guys.
Since I handed the reins of the club over to Dillon I hardly see E and David
anymore.”
“What do you mean? We were just at Colin and Ethan’s place a
few nights ago.”
“Yeah, but it’s not the same thing. It’s too…”
“Homey?”
“I was thinking more like civilized. And besides, David
wasn’t there. But who knows? Maybe D and your other friend will come if she
plays her cards right and behaves.”
Lacy.
She’d almost forgotten about her. Some friend.
“Ted? Is Lacy all right with him?”
He hugged her up and growled, “Master.”
“Oh no, we’re not doing that until I know for sure my girl
is going to be okay.”
“Sure. David’s tough, but he’s no abuser.”
Jo wasn’t convinced. “Ted.” She drew his name out with a
super lone “e”.
“Just think. She had her phone with ample time and
opportunity and she chose to call you to bitch about her situation? If she was
really scared wouldn’t she have called the police?”
Hm. That sort of made sense.
“Besides she can tap out anytime she wants. David’s a stickler
for sub safety. So stop worrying.”
“I can’t help it. A saw?”
Ted shrugged. “Sure, sometimes you have to work with what’s
available. I’m thinking she must have done something to push him over the edge.
It takes a lot to make a guy like him crack. That’s why you want to be careful
when he does. Who’s Joe and why would D have one of the guy’s power tools?”
“He’s um, Lacy’s handyman.”
“Interesting.” Ted released her and went up the hall.
“How so?” She was forced to catch up from behind. When she
did he wordlessly held out his hand and she took it.
“If he’s been using those handy hands on D’s property I
would say one or both of them are in for an impromptu remodel.”
Jo gulped.
“And judging by your sudden silence and the fact that your
friend is on pussy lock-down I’m thinking that’s exactly what’s happened.”
That rubbed Jo the wrong way and when they reached the third
floor landing she let go of his hand. “Lace is a free spirit. She’s—”
“Pretty much fucked. As you’re going to be as soon as I get
that outfit off you.”
For some reason that made her feel better about the whole
thing. Of course it could have been because he was taking off his shirt at the
moment and the sight of all those muscles bunching and rolling like fine molded
steel had her breathless.
“Come here,” he patted the black leather saddle, “I want you
to go for a ride.”
She took two steps and when her eyes latched on to the
stool, she halted. “What’s that?”
Ted walked around and picked up the black and deep-green
item. Holding it up, he said, “It’s a Dragon’s tail, princess. I know how much
you love those beasts.”
She took one look at the braided leather handle and lone
flat strap shaped exactly like a tail and raised her brows. “It’s handsome, but
not as handsome as you are.” She made her way to him, and then without another
word, she took off her top, tossing it aside before she wrapped her arms around
him tight. And although it wasn’t required of her, she leaned back in the
embrace and said, “I belong to you, Master.”
“Yes, you do,” he whispered before he curled down for a kiss
that stole her reason. Her sanity. Her very breath. She was dizzy with need by
the time he let go of her. “Let’s get you set.”
She nodded, but before she turned away he took hold of her
chin and tilted it up. “I love you, Jo. I promise to cherish you every day
we’re fortunate enough to be together. But,” he searched her face prior to
continuing, “if you swear this time I’m not letting it slide.”
Fuck you.
“Okay,” she said out loud.
And a minute later, when she was in no position to ask him
about it he murmured, “I heard that, by the way.”
About Riley Murphy
Riley Murphy still gets a thrill when her honey walks into
the room. Not bad considering they’ve been married for 26 years. She has two
awesome kids whom she’d be honored to have as friends if they weren’t her flesh
and blood. Gee, her life in Florida would be darn near perfect if not for the
fact she’s currently being held hostage by a sassy English bull terrier who has
delusions of being the Dom in their relationship. Riley loves to hear from her
readers.
Riley welcomes comments from readers. You can find her
website and email addresses on her
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Required Surrender
ISBN 9781419944390
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Required Surrender Copyright © 2013 Riley Murphy
Edited by Grace Bradley
Cover design by Fiona Jayde
Photos: Hotdamnstock.com, Daz3d.com and Piotr
Zajac/Shutterstock.com
Electronic book publication February 2013
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