Stone Cold Surrender (64 page)

“Yes.
Playing
the
piano
relaxes
me.”
She
decided
not
to
tell
him
that
when
she
had
returned
from
Montana
two
days

ago,
it
had
been
the
sound
of
the
music
she
had
played
on
her
piano
that
had
brought
solace
to
her
aching
heart.
“If

you’d
like
to
have
a
seat,
I’ll
fix
us
a
cup
of
coffee.”

“Thanks,
I’d
appreciate
it.”
He
watched
her
leave
the
room.
He
had
played
out
in
his
mind
what
he
was
going
to
say
to
her
and
now
that
the
time
had
come
for
him
to
say
it,
he

wondered
if
he
would
have
trouble
getting
the
words
out.

He
was
a
master
at
putting
words
down
on
paper
but
now
that
it
was
a
matter
of
the
heart,
he
was
at
a
loss
for
words.
He
needed
to
let
her
know
just
how
much
he
loved
her
and
how
much
she
meant
to
him
and
that,
more
than
anything,
he
wanted
her
in
his
life.
Loving
her
was
more
than
a
stone
cold
surrender.
It
was
a
lifeline
he
needed
to
make
his
life
complete.

He
sat
down
on
the
sofa,
liking
the
softness
of
the
leather.
The
entire
room
had
her
scent
and
he
was
engulfed
in
the
pleasantly
sweet
fragrance
of
her.
He
leaned
his
head
back
and
decided
to
close
his
eyes
for
a
second.
He
could
hear
her
moving
around
in
the
kitchen
and
in
the
distance
he

could
hear
the
sound
of
boats
tooting
their
horns
as
they

passed
in
the
harbor
and
the
faint
sound
of
an
airplane
that
flew
overhead.
But
his
mind
tuned
out
everything
as
he

slowly
drifted
into
a
deep
sleep.

“I
forgot
to
ask
how
you
want
your—”

Madison
stopped
talking
in
midsentence
when
she
saw

that
Stone
had
literally
passed
out
on
her
sofa.
Quickly

walking
over
to
the
linen
closet
she
pulled
out
a
blanket
and
crossed
the
room
back
to
him.
She
touched
his
shoulder.
“Stone,
you’re
tired,”
she
said
softly.
“Go
ahead
and
stretch
out
on
my
sofa
and
rest
for
a
moment.”

Glazed,
tired
eyes
stared
at
her.
“But
we
need
to
talk,

Madison,”
he
said
in
a
voice
that
was
heavy
with
sleep
and
weighty
with
exhaustion.

“And
we
will
talk,”
she
said
softly,
quietly.
“As
soon
as
you
wake
up
from
your
nap.
Okay?”

He
nodded
as
he
stretched
out
on
her
sofa.
She
placed
the
blanket
over
him
and
moments
later
his
even
breathing

filled
the
room.
She
sighed.
He
was
intent
on
talking
to
her
and
she
didn’t
want
to
think
about
what
he
had
to
say.
He
probably
thought,
considering
the
affair
they’d
shared,
that
he
owed
her
the
courtesy
of
letting
her
know
that
things

were
over
between
them
and
he
was
moving
on.

She
didn’t
want
to
think
about
it
and
decided
to
take
a

shower
and
relax
and
try
to
forget
he
was
there
until
he

woke
up
and
made
his
presence
known.
But
as
she
looked
down
at
him
she
realized
that,
even
if
he
didn’t
make
a

sound,
she
would
know
that
Stone
was
within
reaching

distance
and
for
her
that
was
not
good.
It
was
not
good
at
all.

Stone
slowly
opened
his
eyes
as
soft
music
drifted
around
him.
He
immediately
recognized
it
as
a
piece
by
Bach.

When
Delaney
had
been
around
eight
or
nine,
she
had

taken
music
lessons
for
a
short
time
and
he
distinctly

remembered
that
same
classical
number
as
being
one
she
had
relentlessly
hammered
on
the
piano
as
she
prepared
for
her
first
recital.
He
slowly
sat
upright
and
gradually

stood,
folding
up
the
blanket
Madison
had
placed
over
him.

He
sighed
deeply.
He
had
come
all
this
way
to
talk
to
her

and
instead
he
had
passed
out
on
her.
He
stretched
his

muscles
then
decided
to
go
look
for
her.
He
needed
to
let
her
know
how
he
felt
about
her
and
hoped
she
felt
the
same
way
about
him.

Stone
found
her
standing
on
a
balcony
that
extended
from
her
bedroom.
She
had
changed
out
of
the
slacks
and
silk
shirt
she’d
been
wearing
to
a
long
flowing
skirt
and
a

matching
top.
She
was
standing
barefoot,
leaning
against
the
rail
with
a
glass
of
wine
in
her
hand
as
she
looked
at
the
city
below.
He
was
sure
he’d
been
quiet,
that
he
hadn’t

made
a
sound,
but
still
she
turned
and
looked
straight
at

him.
Their
gaze
held
for
several
moments
and
when
a
small
smile
touched
her
lips,
his
stomach
tightened
in
response