Total Surrender

by Erika Wilde

  “I’m sure he’ll be happy to have your dessert,” Arabella said as she withdrew her credit card from her wallet and handed it to Luca to pay for everything.

  Luca held up a hand and shook his head. “Oh, no, this is our treat,” he insisted.

  Sofia nodded her agreement beside her husband, her eyes soft and caring. “Maddux . . . he’s done a lot for us. More than we can ever repay him for. Please, enjoy your dinner and dessert on us.”

  They were so sincere that Arabella didn’t argue. “Okay, thank you. It was a pleasure meeting you both.”

  “You, as well,” Luca said, settling his arm over his wife’s shoulder. “Tell Maddux to not be a stranger, though he’s clearly found better ways to pass his time than hanging out around here.” The old man winked at her.

  Arabella laughed, while Milo stepped forward and took her to-go bags for her. “I’ll be sure to let him know.”

  From the Italian market, it didn’t take long to reach Maddux’s building, but it was enough time for Arabella to wonder about Sofia’s intriguing comment, about Maddux doing so much for them, and more than they could ever repay. The couple clearly adored Maddux and thought highly of him, which meant her brusque and boorish beast had a charitable side to him. As much as he’d like her to believe he wasn’t a nice guy, she’d seen too many glimpses to the contrary.

  Right now, Maddux Wilder was an angry man lashing out, but at the core of who he was, Luca and Sofia had just revealed to her that there was a man who was kind, caring, and generous. He’d somehow helped the couple, and they were grateful for whatever he’d done for them.

  Arabella wanted to know that compassionate man, and even more foolishly, she wanted to be the woman who took away his pain and hatred and replaced it with tenderness and affection.

  An impossible wish, considering her father was his mortal enemy and she was merely the pawn between them.

  Chapter 15

  Arabella walked into the lobby of the building with Milo accompanying her, surprised to see Maddux talking to two uniformed police officers. She was even more shocked to find Gavin there, as well, standing stiffly beside one of the cops. As soon as she entered, her heels clicking on the smooth stone floor, everyone turned and looked at her . . . the officers with concern, Gavin with an arrogant, possessive stare, and as for Maddux, she couldn’t read his neutral expression at all, though the clench of his jaw gave her a hint of his irritation.

  Dismissing Gavin altogether, she walked right past him and stopped next to Maddux instead—not thinking twice about where her loyalty automatically gravitated to. “Is everything okay?” The fact that Gavin was there with law enforcement made her distinctly uncomfortable.

  Before Maddux could say anything, Gavin jumped in. “Jesus, Arabella! I’ve been worried sick about you. You haven’t returned my calls or answered my texts. I’m here to get you out of this messed-up situation!”

  He stepped toward her, and it was a good thing that one of the police officers put his hand out to hold Gavin back, because Maddux’s entire body tensed, and his hands curled into fists at his sides. No doubt, he wasn’t going to let Gavin touch her, and that protective demeanor gave her a dizzying rush of pleasure.

  With a calm that belied the undercurrent of rage churning through him for his adversary, Maddux met her gaze, his voice composed. “The police are here for a welfare check.”

  “Welfare check?” she echoed, dumbfounded.

  One of the cops nodded toward Gavin. “Mr. Scott here claims that you’re being held against your will by Maddux Wilder.”

  “I’m fine,” she said, looking both of the officers in the eyes so they could see she wasn’t hiding anything.

  “You don’t have to lie, Arabella,” Gavin said, his tone enraged. “Tell them the truth, that he’s holding you captive.”

  She laughed at his insistence as she came to the realization that if she had to choose between leaving with Gavin or staying with Maddux, it was a surprisingly easy decision. And remaining with Maddux wasn’t about protecting her father anymore . . . it was about the possibility of exploring her forbidden desires with a man who’d unearthed them and discovering the woman she was meant to be. However, getting Maddux on board with that idea was much more difficult than she would have thought considering the hands-off approach he’d suddenly erected between them, but she wasn’t done trying to seduce him into changing his mind.

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she said, addressing Gavin directly. “I just spent the day at work and stopped at a market down the street. I’m free to come and go as I please.” Okay, not one hundred percent the truth. She could leave as long as she had a security guard with her, but she honestly didn’t feel restricted at all.

  “He’s already brainwashed you,” Gavin hissed, then glared at Milo, who was standing casually off to the side. “And what about this guy? Who is he?”

  “That’s Milo. My driver.” She shrugged. “He took me to work and picked me up.”

  Gavin’s complexion reddened, and it was all he could do to keep his temper in check.

  “Well, that’s about all we can do here,” one of the officers said, and glanced at Arabella. “You don’t appear to be in distress and you’re in good health, and there isn’t anything suspicious or illegal going on that we can see, so we’ll be on our way.”

  The other cop gave Maddux a polite nod. “Thank you for your time, Mr. Wilder. We apologize for bothering you.”

  They turned to leave, forcing Gavin to follow them out, but not before he shot a dark, violent look at Maddux. The other man was unmistakably pissed off that his efforts had been thwarted.

  “Everything okay here?” Milo asked Maddux, a thread of concern in his voice as he handed Arabella the grocery bag he’d been holding. “Or do you need me to stay with Arabella?”

  Maddux shook his head. “She’ll be secure up in the penthouse. She’ll see you the same time tomorrow morning.”

  Milo nodded. “I’ll be here. You two have a good evening.”

  Maddux pressed his hand against her lower back and escorted her toward the elevator. Once they were enclosed inside, he pressed the two button, which was where the MadX-Tech offices were located, and then the M button. It appeared she was heading up to his apartment alone. She was disappointed but not surprised.

  “Well, that was interesting,” she said, referring to the welfare check.

  “Indeed.” Maddux pushed his hands into the pockets of his dress pants and studied Arabella curiously. “You had the perfect opportunity to tell those officers I was holding you hostage and against your will, but you didn’t.”

  “You’re not holding me hostage, Maddux,” she said with a smile as the elevator doors opened on the MadX-Tech floor. “Maybe I’m starting to want to be here, despite your vendetta against my father.”

  His gaze held hers as he stared at her for a long moment, conflicting emotions chasing across his gorgeous expression before he shuttered them all, but not before she saw his desire . . . and the want and need that reflected her own. That intense look stole her breath and her heart beat wildly in her chest at the possibility of him giving in to that deep, intimate longing that was getting stronger and stronger between them.

  But just as the doors started to close, he slipped out, crushing any hope she might have had that her decision to stay of her own free will changed his mind about getting closer to her. She’d just have to keep trying. She was nothing if not persistent.

  He was obsessed with Arabella. There was no other explanation for the way she invaded his thoughts all day long while he was working or the compelling urge he had to keep an eye on her in his penthouse even when he wasn’t there. He even liked how easily she’d already made herself at home, and especially enjoyed the gregarious way she talked to him via the security cameras. It was insane, but he’d smiled more times in the short period since she’d moved in than he had in the past year because of her affable personality.

  Not wanting to miss watc
hing Arabella in action, as soon as he arrived back in his main office, he sat at his desk and turned on the monitor displaying the various angles of his apartment. Christ, he was becoming a fucking creeper, but he couldn’t deny that he was beginning to crave this woman in ways that had him tied up in knots inside. He did his best to avoid spending time alone with her, yet every chance he had, Maddux had his eyes on her. The contradictory actions weren’t lost on him.

  He found her in the kitchen, unloading whatever she’d purchased at Moretti’s onto the counter. She set two round aluminum tins on the stove, turned on the oven, then glanced up at the camera. He sat up straighter in his chair, anticipating the conversation to come.

  “I bought two servings of rigatoni with meat sauce so you wouldn’t have to worry about dinner,” she said, talking to him as if he was right in front of her. “And Sofia insisted on packaging up some of her tiramisu for you, as well, which she said was your favorite.”

  At the mention of those two items, his stomach growled hungrily. He’d had a busy day with meetings and calls and hadn’t had time to eat lunch, and quite frankly, he was starved.

  “I’m going to put your rigatoni in the oven to heat it with mine, in hopes that I can convince you to join me for dinner tonight. I’d really love the company.” She exhaled a deep breath, a hint of vulnerability softening her features. “I just . . . really don’t want to spend another evening alone.”

  The fact that she wore her emotions so completely on her sleeve thawed a little more of Maddux’s resolve to keep the walls between them nice and high and insurmountable. She turned back to the stove and slid the heatable containers into the oven to warm the food inside, then without saying another word or looking at the camera again, she left the kitchen.

  He didn’t like the feeling of being . . . ignored. How fucking ironic was that? He followed her trek through the living room, where she kicked off her heels, then padded in her bare feet out the French doors leading to the terrace. Hands braced on the railing, she looked out over the view, and he couldn’t get her words out of his head. I don’t want to spend another evening alone.

  He scrubbed a hand along the light beard growth on his jawline, feeling those contained and guarded parts of his psyche slowly caving to the soft, imploring way she’d asked him to join her. He knew what it felt like to be alone, and though he’d spent the past fourteen years living that way by choice, for once he just wanted to enjoy a woman’s company beyond something sexual. Not just any woman, he amended, but Arabella, specifically.

  He justified that it was just a meal, and he had enough self-control to eat dinner with a woman without crossing any physical lines. Once dinner was over, he could retreat to his penthouse office until she was asleep for the evening, then he’d join her, because he didn’t relish the thought of spending another night tossing and turning on the hard, uncomfortable couch in his apartment office as he had the evening before.

  Decision made, he stood up and removed his work tie and hung it on a hook behind the office door, where his suit jacket was, then unfastened the first five buttons down his shirt and rolled the sleeves up to his forearms so he was more comfortable and casual. He took the elevator to his apartment, then made his way out to the terrace, where Arabella was still standing, a slight, cool spring breeze feathering through her unbound hair.

  As soon as she heard his footsteps, she turned around, surprise and delight widening her big blue eyes at the sight of him, and damn if her unconcealed joy didn’t make him want to smile. It took effort not to be a total sap and grin.

  “You came!” she said on a rush of breath, her excitement palpable as she clasped her hands in front of her.

  He pushed his fists into the front pockets of his slacks. “It was the tiramisu that lured me,” he teased, surprising himself with the humorous tone of his voice.

  She stepped toward him and raised a brow, her expression equally playful. “Was that all that lured you?”

  Her. Always her. God, what was happening to him? She was like a beacon of light to his darkness, drawing him closer and closer.

  “And I’m hungry,” he admitted, unwilling to confess how much being in her company had factored into his decision.

  “Okay, I’ll take it,” she said happily. “Dinner should be just about warmed up, so I’ll go and plate it. It’s such a lovely night out. How about we eat out here on the terrace?” she suggested, indicating the outdoor table he rarely used.

  “Sounds good. While you’re getting dinner, I’ll grab us a bottle of wine to go with the meal.”

  “Perfect!” Grinning enthusiastically, she passed him on her way to the kitchen, a visible bounce to her step.

  Maddux made a quick trip to his wine cellar, selecting a mellow Pinot Noir that would pair nicely with a tomato-based red sauce. He grabbed two wineglasses and met Arabella back out on the terrace just as she was setting two plates of steaming rigatoni on the table, along with napkins and silverware. They sat across from one another, he poured them each a good portion of the Pinot Noir, and they started eating the delicious meal. The whole situation almost felt domestic . . . and more comfortable than he would have expected.

  A few bites in, she dabbed her napkin across her mouth and glanced across the table at him. “I really enjoyed meeting Luca and Sofia,” she said of the Morettis. “They were warm and kind, and they think very highly of you.”

  “Surprised?” he asked wryly, taking a drink of his wine.

  “No. Not at all,” she said with a shake of her head. “For sure, you’re a mix of contradictions. I mean, you’ve kind of given me whiplash over the last few days with your shifting moods, but despite how surly you can be, I’m also starting to see how much you care about certain people around you. Your siblings. Milo. And the Morettis, for starters. I understand that I’m the exception and your brusque attitude toward me stems from whatever is between you and my father, but despite all your attempts to make me believe you’re this mercenary beast, I don’t believe that’s who you truly are deep inside.”

  Whoa. Maddux processed her astute comment as he ate a bite of his dinner. Her insight shouldn’t have surprised him considering she was an idealist who tended to see the good in people—Gavin withstanding, because the guy was a royal dick—but Maddux didn’t want Arabella prying into his character and unearthing the part of him he reserved for the people he cared about or loved, which was an incredibly small circle . . . so why was he tempted to reveal more of the man he was beneath all the pain and anger that had driven him for fourteen long years when no other woman had ever prompted such an urge?

  “But don’t worry,” she went on affably after taking a drink of wine, unaware of his internal struggle to constantly keep his emotional walls up around her. “I promise not to tell anyone that you’re a really nice guy and ruin your boorish reputation.”

  “I appreciate that,” he said, keeping a straight face.

  She pushed a few of the noodles around on her dish before glancing across the table at him, her expression suddenly thoughtful. “Can I ask you something?”

  No. That’s what he should have said and shut down whatever serious question was coming his way, but his mouth and brain didn’t cooperate. “Yes.”

  “Luca and Sofia said that they owed you . . . that you’ve done a lot for them and more than they could ever repay.” Her voice was soft and curious. “What did you do to help them?”

  Arabella didn’t realize it, but her question was a loaded, explosive one, and the honest answer would undoubtedly send her reeling in shock. Six years ago, when Maddux had first started purchasing real estate in the area, along with rebuilding the low-income areas and helping to restore small fledgling businesses that were about to go under, Maddux had learned that Theodore and Gavin had quietly claimed the neighborhood as their own little financial playground.

  Every month, they demanded lofty payments from the stores and markets with sole proprietorships in exchange for “protection” that the businesses didn’t ne
ed. But not making those payments resulted in threats, accidents, and casualties . . . exactly what had happened to Maddux’s own parents.

  He’d been fucking livid when he’d discovered the underhanded scheme and the fact that Theodore and Gavin were trolling a neighborhood that was now Maddux’s turf. When he’d learned that Luca and Sofia had been on the verge of bankruptcy and being destitute as a result of being bilked for every bit of their monthly profits, Maddux had sent an explicit warning to Theodore and Gavin . . . step foot anywhere near his properties again and Maddux would break every fucking bone in their bodies and bury them in a place where only maggots would ever find them.

  It had been his first power play toward the two pricks who’d destroyed Maddux’s family, and even though it had taken him six more years to be in the position to finally take Theodore completely under with the right leverage, the Morettis, along with the other businesses in the neighborhood, had been grateful for Maddux’s protection, which hadn’t cost them a thing.

  Arabella was watching him expectantly, still waiting for some kind of answer from him. Maddux downed the rest of his wine and refilled his glass, suddenly needing something much stronger to navigate his way through this emotional minefield with Arabella, and himself . . . because as much as he knew he ought to tell her the truth about her father’s corrupt ways, which would effectively put a much-needed wedge between himself and Arabella, something held him back.

  Fuck . . . he just couldn’t bring himself to devastate her so callously. It was Theodore who’d destroyed so many lives, and Arabella, who was completely innocent to her father’s dirty dealings, shouldn’t have to pay the price for his offenses. Yet Maddux was aware that she’d discover the truth about everything eventually . . . just not tonight.

  After another long swallow of wine that nearly depleted the alcohol in his glass, he met her gaze. “I helped Luca and Sofia when they were in a tough financial situation.”