Surrender
Authors: Melody Anne
Having everything to lose
can make a person
do
desperate things.
Would you surrender to
help
the one you love?
Surrender
Book One
By Melody Anne
Copyright © 2013 Melody Anne
All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including xerography, photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, is forbidden without the written permission of the author.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental.
Printed and published in the United States of America.
Published by Gossamer Publishing Company
Editing by Exclusive Publishing
Cover art by Exclusive Publishing Company
Salt Lake City, Utah
Look for us online at:
Email: [email protected]
Table of Contents
Excerpt from Mary Joyce’s
Below the Radar
Excerpt from
Bluegrass Undercover, by Kathleen Brooks
This book is dedicated to my Grandma Eileen. Thank you for always believing in me, for taking me into your home when I needed a place to go, and for taking such great care of me. I miss you every single day, and the only sadness I feel of this amazing journey I’ve been on, is that you aren’t with me to share it. I love you, Grandma. I am thankful that you are looking down on me from the Heavens. I know I’ll see you again someday.
I have to admit I had a lot of fun writing this book. I love strong, take-charge men. I tend to write most of my books with that personality, but I got to take Rafe’s character one step further. This story shocked me, though. Originally, there weren’t nearly as many family scenes. I guess I can’t help myself. In my personal life, family comes first. That has become very apparent in my writing. I just can’t seem to leave family out.
My life has changed so much over the last two years. I am so unbelievably thankful to have achieved what I have. When I wrote my first book, I hoped a few people would be interested. I never expected the response I got and the love you all have for the Andersons. It humbles me. I say it often, and I’ll never stop saying it; I have the most amazing fans in the world. Many of you I consider friends. You make me smile, laugh, and cry tears of joy. I love speaking with you. I love all the wonderful things you share with me.
A special thank you goes out to Denise Bush and Jane Bowen who make me the most wonderful advertisements for my Facebook wall, and more. Thank you for the quality and time you put in. Thank you to my Street Team, Melody’s Muses. Each one of you truly does inspire me. Thank you for sharing my books, for encouraging me in all I do, and for being such a support system. There are way too many names to put in here, and I don’t want to hurt any feelings, but a couple of people from the beautiful UK are very close to my heart. I don’t always manage to comment on everything I see on Facebook, but I read it all and I love your comments and encouragement. One of my fans still has a sexy cop to get a pic of. ;) You are all amazing!
This book also has a special character in it that the fans helped to create. He was in the first draft as a generic character until I ran a contest on Author Ruth Cardello’s street team page. I want to thank Jane Bowen, Julie Brewer, Jenny LaMere and Natalie Townson for their suggestions. You created Shane Grayson, who’ll we’ll meet in this book and get to know a lot better in book two.
Thank you Nikki, who I couldn’t do this job without. You are there to listen to my panic when the books aren’t going right. You lead me back in the right direction when I truly suck (which is often) and you create the most stunning book covers that are out there. I love your work! I dislike you a bit when I have to revise half the book, but then I love you again when the book is so much better because of it. Thank you for continuing to be my best friend. Without you and Stephy in my life, I would only be a third of a person.
As always, thank you to my family for not nagging me too much when I’m in my office from afternoon until dawn, for understanding my desire to make these books, and for standing by me every step of the way. Family always comes first – always! I couldn’t do any of this without my beautiful daughter, my amazing son, and my husband. I have so many other family members who help me in so many ways that I can write a book just about that. My life is so much brighter because of all those who surround me.
A final note goes out to a few other authors. I’ve been reading since I was in Kindergarten (We won’t say how long that has been) and I have so much love and respect for authors who have opened my eyes to so many adventures. Because of this journey I’ve taken, I’ve gotten to meet the most amazing women, and a few men, who inspire me, and help me strive to be so much better than just mediocre. Ruth Cardello has taken me under her magical wing and makes me feel like I can reach the sky. Kathleen Brooks is full of energy and can make me laugh, and touches me with her humanity. Terri Marie and Randy Mixter were there for me in the beginning of my journey and I love watching their success.
I’ve also gotten to visit with and meet some of my heroes; Sandra Marton who has over 80 books published is so kind and helpful, and Lynn Raye Harris who’s talent is an unstoppable force. Each one of you has helped me, inspired me, and makes me want to be better. Thank you. There are so many more that I hate naming names, but hopefully I’ll be like Sandra with nearly a 100 books out someday, and then I’ll have time to thank you all.
Melody Anne
*The Billionaire Wins the Game – Book One
*The Billionaire’s Dance – Book Two
*The Billionaire Falls – Book Three
*The Billionaire’s Marriage Proposal – Book Four
*Blackmailing the Billionaire – Book Five
*Runaway Heiress – Book Six
*The Billionaire’s Final Stand – Book Seven
+The Tycoon’s Revenge – Book One
+The Tycoon’s Vacation – Book Two
+The Tycoon’s Proposal – Book Three
+The Tycoon’s Secret – Book Four
-Midnight Fire – Rise of the Dark Angel – Book One
-Midnight Moon – Rise of the Dark Angel – Book Two
-Midnight Storm – Rise of the Dark Angel – Book Three
#Surrender – Book One
See Melody on Facebook at facebook.com/authormelodyanne where you can join in contests, talk to the author and have win lots of prizes
Melody’s Web Site:
www.melodyanne.com
Twitter: @authmelodyanne
Coming Soon:
*Because of Honor - A new series
*A new line of the Anderson Family
*Submit – Book Two in Surrender Series
Divorce.
His throat closed up even thinking the word. He was twenty-eight years old and had conquered the universe or thought he had.
No!
He had.
Then his picture perfect world had shattered with one single word.
Divorce.
He’d been respectable, always treating women with admiration. He hadn’t jumped into marriage at twenty-one, but dated the same woman for three years, cherished her, gave her everything. He thought he’d found perfection, but he was disillusioned.
Raffaello Palazzo sat straight up, his eyes narrowed.
No!
He wasn’t this man.
He wouldn’t grovel.
“Goodbye.”
He barely glanced up as Sharron walked past, her five-thousand dollar purse slung over her shoulder, flaunting the smirk on her face as she slammed the door in all its finality.
A few of her complaints against him were that he worked too much and didn’t give her the attention she thought she deserved. With the simple slamming of a door, she was gone.
He was grateful she was. When he’d walked in the week before, carrying roses, attempting to give her more attention, he’d seen that she wasn’t choosy about where her attention came from. She’d been in bed with his business partner.
Rafe’s eyes closed as he momentarily pictured that moment;
“Are you cutting out on us?”
“It’s my anniversary. My wife’s favorite flower is the Hawaiian Flora. I had them express delivered to the floral shop and I’m picking up her bouquet,
then taking her on a surprise trip to Paris where we celebrated our honeymoon.”
“You’re the most whipped man I know, Rafe,” his assistant, Mario, said with a smile.
“I’m half Italian. My father taught me how to cherish a woman,” Rafe replied, not offended in the least. He only hoped to have as strong of a marriage as his parents for just as long.
“When does Ryan get back? If you’re cutting out, I need one of the business partners here to get work done.”
“He’s flying in on Friday. I spoke to him a few days ago and he met someone. We’re going to meet her next week.”
“I can’t take anymore. Get out of here before all the love catches. I’ll see you Monday.”
“Night, Mario. Thanks for all the hard work this week.”
Rafe waved to his faithful assistant as he headed for the door. Life was great – his corporation was flourishing without help from his family, and his personal life couldn’t be better.
It didn’t take Rafe long to reach the florist and then arrive home. When he couldn’t find Sharron downstairs, he smiled in anticipation. Hopefully, she was stretched out on the bed in a sexy nighty.
When Rafe opened the door, he found her in bed scantily dressed, but she wasn’t alone. He froze as shock filled him.
“Oh, Ryan,” Sharron screamed, and Rafe’s illusions of happily ever after shattered.
Silently, he stood in the dim light as one of his two best friends screwed his wife. It had been Ryan, Shane and him since middle school, always sharing – always there for one another. Rafe guessed Ryan figured Rafe’s wife was included in what Rafe was willing to share. He was wrong.
