Submission (Surrender Book 1)

by Tina Donahue

  Not enough to make them taste better than cardboard. “Eggs have never been my thing.”

  “Just as well. They’re filled with cholesterol.” He shoveled them into his mouth. “Damn, I’m full. Ready for our hike?”

  She didn’t like walking across a parking lot to get into a mall. “Like this?”

  “Nudity doesn’t bother me. But clothes might be better so nothing scratches your legs, arms, ass, cunt…”

  “What exactly are we going to hike through?”

  “Nature. Come on.”

  Once they’d dressed, he led her on a trail wide enough to keep the vegetation at bay. Maybe the crappy stuff was ahead.

  They reached a hill. Everest couldn’t have looked higher to her.

  Tav barreled forward, her in tow.

  Puffing from his pace, she held back.

  He tugged her arm. “Come on, it’s not that steep and it’s worth it.”

  “Why? Are you going to plant your flag at the top and claim the land as yours?”

  “If only, but no. Want me to carry you on my back?”

  “Be serious.”

  “I am.” He returned, pulled her arms over his shoulders and hefted her up, gripping her thighs. “Mind if I run?”

  “Are you kidding? I’m too heavy. You’ll hurt yourself.”

  “I’ve carried camping gear weighing more than you do. Hang on. But close your eyes.”

  “Why?”

  “Just do it. Okay?”

  No, but she complied.

  They reached the top faster than she expected. Wind lashed them.

  “Are your eyes still closed?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Good.” He put her down and positioned himself behind her, his hands on her shoulders. “You can look now.”

  The hill dipped to a brief beach, the ocean stretched to the horizon. Sunlight glittered off the water, surf crashing against the shore, spray filling the air. She gripped his fingers. “Wow.”

  “I know. This is my fave spot.”

  She understood why. Although she’d lived in California her entire life, she’d never spent time at the ocean. As a child, she’d been too poor to take the bus there. As an adult, work kept her busy. She’d deprived herself and hadn’t realized it until now. “I could look at this forever.”

  “We’ll stay as long as you want.”

  They walked along the shore, dodging water, and explored in both directions, at last returning to the first spot. Agreeing to eat lunch there, they hauled their food from the tent and enjoyed the day until it turned to night.

  A heartless signal her stay here had ended. No different from when she’d been on Lucius’s yacht, waiting for the helicopter.

  Like then, she and Tav didn’t speak, their silence heavy and uncomfortable. He kept glancing at her and she repeatedly looked away. She helped him pack the stuff and offered to assist with the tent, but he shook his head. “I’ll come back for it later. I booked this spot for a week.”

  She couldn’t ask if he’d also done so with the other locations, possibly hoping she’d stay longer.

  Buckled into her seat, she pretended to listen to the DVD to avoid any conversation.

  Offering none, Tav brought her back to Surrender, gave her an impassioned then sweet goodbye kiss, and drove away.

  By Sunday, Bree had never been as frazzled. Partly because she missed Tav and Lucius so much. Her time with each was at opposite ends of the spectrum, but equally awesome, encouraging her to take a chance on whatever came.

  She couldn’t allow it, deleting their numbers from her phone in case she weakened. Each time Jacquie buzzed her, Bree feared the guys were calling and she’d break, spending more time with them, digging herself deeper, and ending up in a hole she’d never get out of, namely clinical depression.

  Not once did they phone.

  Rather than feeling relief, their silence agitated her.

  If that wasn’t bad enough, she obsessed about where Cody planned to take her today, her fear building to a critical level. In some ways, terror was a positive. At least being scared shitless cut into her grief and those moments she mulled over her decision to stay alone, wondering if she was making the right choice.

  When her mom called Saturday morning, chirpy as hell, saying she’d met the absolute best guy ever, Bree knew being free was the way to go. As Dionne Warwick had sung, the only thing a girl got when she fell in love was a shitload of pain.

  No thanks.

  Once this day with Cody was over, Bree would embrace her single life… if she survived his events.

  Rather than have him pick her up at her house, she opted to wait for him at Surrender, the club closed, the lot empty except for her car. She didn’t want to give him the wrong message about saying yes to their outing, or cause Lucius and Tav to feel as though she was hiding her residence from them because she liked Cody better.

  She didn’t. They’d uniformly claimed her heart and repeatedly sent her into a tailspin. Her problem, not theirs. She bore them no ill will for being undeniably hot, impossible to resist, and also decent. She hadn’t realized what truly fine men Lucius and Tav were until she’d spent time alone with them.

  Now it was Cody’s turn.

  Every time a motor neared the grounds and slowed somewhat, she gripped her steering wheel, expecting him. She hadn’t a clue what he drove. Since no one was at the valet desk to open the gate, she’d given him the access code.

  Although it wasn’t yet six, she expected Cody to arrive early as Tav had.

  At six on the dot, she dismissed her expectations and sagged in her seat, eyes closed.

  A rumbling motor neared and didn’t dissipate as the others had.

  She grasped her seat and held her breath.

  Headlights flashed on the vegetation then the illumination swerved to the right, the driver following the bend.

  Once completed, a muscle truck approached, sleek and black, Cody behind the wheel, his grin on her, carnal heat in his eyes.

  Chapter 11

  Delighted his day had finally come, Cody dashed from his vehicle to get Bree’s door.

  “Hey.” He helped her from her car, pulled her close, and kissed her like crazy, her scent and soft curves setting him on fire. Even his goosebumps had bumps. This was going to be such a fucking great day, her passion matching his, their embrace fierce, tongues dueling to see whose would gain entry.

  He let her win and sucked her hard.

  She moaned.

  That’s my girl. Don’t hold anything back.

  Today, she’d learn to let go in a way she never had. Since they were on the clock, he broke free, gestured toward his vehicle, and made an elaborate bow. “Your carriage awaits.”

  She stroked his chest. “Looks like you’ve been feeding it steroids.”

  “High-octane gas to get me where I need to go. Speaking of which, don’t want to be late.” He hurried her to the passenger door.

  Rather than get in, she gave him a worried look. “Exactly where are we going?”

  “Nowhere, if you don’t get inside.” He swatted her ass playfully. “Do you trust me?”

  Myriad emotions played across her face. “I’m trying, but I’ve never done this stuff.”

  “There’s always a first time. Believe me, it’s the absolute best. I envy you.”

  Her look said he was nuts, but she piled in.

  He drove faster than the speed limit allowed. When she pointed it out, he nodded. “Keep an eye peeled for cops. Want to get to where we’re going by seven.”

  “How far is this place?”

  “An hour away. Less if Sunday drivers aren’t around.” He zipped past a vehicle. “Then we take a van to the actual location, or near it, and hike to—”

  “Wait. Hike?”

  “Yeah.” He squeezed her thigh. “The reason why you had to wear sensible shoes. Don’t worry, it’ll be great.” He’d booked a crew for her and him alone, which wasn’t easy on such short notice, but lucre definitely did t
alk in money-obsessed California.

  She swung between watching for the law and wringing her hands.

  He covered them with his, unsurprised at her icy fingers. “When you’re no longer a virgin, you’ll wonder how you ever lived without this stuff.”

  “What exactly?”

  “Is that a cruiser?” He pointed.

  She looked.

  And so their drive went, her mining for details, him evading answers. He’d never been as grateful to see the crew and van waiting for them. At least they’d keep her from panicking and cornering him with additional questions.

  The hike also helped. Once they were in the forest, the brisk walk had her breathing too hard to do anything but concentrate on getting more air. She didn’t even react to the bridge.

  Cody figured she expected them to cross it.

  Rather than doing so, the crew stopped first and set up their equipment.

  When she realized they’d be bungeeing, her horror returned in spades. She gripped the concrete rail, looked down, and sagged. “Oh my fucking God, how far away is that water?”

  One hundred and twenty feet, mild by bungee-jumping standards. The Royal Gorge Suspension Bridge in Colorado reached over a thousand feet. He explained as much and, in comparison, how low this one was… a baby bridge.

  Her color didn’t return. She quizzed the crew: “Have you ever lost anyone because the straps broke? Can a person survive dropping into the water? I can swim, but I’m no Olympian gold medalist, so will that matter?”

  The three guys looked to him for help.

  Cody lifted his hands. They were on their own.

  Patiently, they explained how this worked, even whipping out their smartphones to show her videos.

  She eyed those broadcasts as an oncologist does X-rays showing an inoperable tumor. “I don’t think I can do this.”

  “Sure you can.” Cody eased her into him, her butt to his cock. His dick had been hard from the moment he picked her up and hurt even more now, longing for her heated cunt. Later. The main reason they’d both stay alive. “We’re going down together, eye to eye. Like this.” He turned her in his arms and kissed her deeply.

  Her shivers changed to lewd moans. She wrapped her leg around his and clawed his sweatshirt, trying to get closer, desire erasing her angst.

  To his mind, lust worked better than tranquilizers or booze. Once he had her breathing hard, he eased his mouth away.

  She sagged against him.

  He gestured for the guys to put a move on before she got edgy again.

  They worked furiously, belting him and her together.

  She dug her fingers into Cody’s shoulders, her alarm returning.

  Holding her tightly, he brushed his lips over her ear. “Don’t worry, I have you.”

  “God, I hope—”

  Before she could finish, he stepped off the platform.

  Bree shrieked and clutched Cody’s shoulders, his head, neck.

  He shouted, “Easy, babe.”

  Oh fucking dear God. Her stomach was back on the bridge, everything else plunging toward water.

  Shaking uncontrollably, she squeezed her eyes, her jaw clenched so hard her neck hurt. Wind rushed up to meet them. Mist sprayed. She expected to drown.

  The fall stopped, and they snapped back, their bodies flung upward.

  Cody cheered.

  He had a freaking erection.

  She clutched him tighter. Didn’t help. They dropped again. She hollered, “The rope broke!”

  “Naw.” He patted her ass. “We’re bouncing.”

  Like a ball. However, they were still attached to their lifeline and alive. Never had she been happier and kissed him deeply, not allowing him speech or air.

  When she wound down, she rested her cheek against his and smacked his ass hard.

  “Ow. What was that for?”

  He had to be kidding. “This. We could have died.”

  “We didn’t and you enjoyed it, right?”

  She had, in a horrified way. How nuts was that? “Can we do it again?”

  “Absolutely. I built time in for five extra jumps.”

  Lasting through them wasn’t something she thought she could do, until she did. On the last one, she craved more, adrenaline vaporizing her restraint. Hell, on their final fall, she cupped his balls and he stroked her clit.

  Back on the bridge, she cradled his face. “Why can’t we stay here and jump all day?”

  “There are other things to do.” He marched her toward the van.

  Their next adventure landed them on a boat, not too far from Bree’s club. The day was warming, though not enough to shed her windbreaker.

  Cody tied his sweatshirt around his waist and slipped on shades. He resembled a surfer, his blond hair lighter in the sun. “You’re going to love this.” He hugged her to him.

  She liked how danger increased her arousal. If they could have fucked on the bridge, she would have done so. Her pussy was so wet, the moisture had seeped through her panties and jeans. She pressed her legs together. “This, as in deep sea diving?”

  “Nope. You’ve already gone down, now you’re going up, but not as far as later.”

  “Meaning?” She squeezed his wrist. “We’re parachuting from a plane?”

  “That’s going up then down, sort of like bungeeing. This is a whole other ballgame. Here we are.”

  Once the boat stopped, the middle-aged guy driving it helped Cody strap her into a metal chair. He took the spot next to hers and held her hand. “Wait for it.”

  “Don’t let go.”

  “Never.” He kissed her fingers.

  Her pulse accelerated from his heated breath and what awaited. She wasn’t a stranger to parasailing, at least the kind shown on television and in films, but had never experienced it. To her relief, they wore lifejackets should anything go wrong.

  Back in his seat, the guy gunned his boat.

  It zipped across the ocean.

  She and Cody took off.

  Her lungs emptied on a yell.

  Didn’t stop them from soaring higher and higher, her insides still on the boat, head spinning.

  Howling like a wolf, Cody bounced in his seat, pumping his fists.

  “Holy hell, stop!” She dug her nails into his arm. “You’re going to make us fall.”

  “No damn way.” His shout couldn’t have been more exuberant. “Look at this.” He swung his arm in a wide arc.

  Only a bird would have a view equal to theirs: water beneath them, land to the side, people no larger than specks.

  “Wow.”

  “I know.” He hooted. “This is almost as good as bungeeing.”

  Both sports were epic, scary yet thrilling. She shouted into the wind, her hair flying everywhere. “How long does this last?”

  His grin died. “Why? You don’t want to go down already, do you?”

  She lifted her face to the sun. “I could do this forever.”

  “Told you! We’ll be up here for an hour.”

  Too little time that zoomed by faster than a blink.

  Bummed to be back on earth, she shuffled next to Cody on the dock.

  He slowed his pace. “Missing the rush already?”

  She nodded.

  “I knew it. Come on.” He pulled her toward the pier. “We got two hours before we have to leave, not much time to eat and drive there.”

  “Where?”

  “The best surprise, so please don’t ask anything else. If you loved my other stuff, you’re going to go fucking crazy over what’s next.”

  At a beach restaurant, he stuffed her with beef tacos, cheese enchiladas, chips, and salsa, but nixed the booze in favor of soft drinks. “You’re going to need a clear head.”

  She sucked Diet Coke through her straw and swallowed. “Did you do extreme sports when you were still living with your parents?”

  Scooping steak fajitas onto a flour tortilla, he nodded. “I started with skateboarding and surfing, then moved on to other stuff. They did
n’t know about my activities.”

  “Yet they let you and your brother play with bows and arrows?”

  “We got those on our own. Used our allowances and money we made from odd jobs to buy them.” He bit into his food and spoke around it. “Our parents hadn’t a clue what we were doing until after my accident when my wound infected. Two days had already passed. Until then, my brothers and I did what we could to staunch the blood.”

  Their server brought more chips. Bree dipped one in salsa. “Must have been an unpleasant surprise for your folks. How long did they ground you?”

  “If they’d had their way, it would have been for life. They certainly tried to keep me at home and bedridden from the time I was five.”

  The chip stuck in her throat. She forced it down. “Are you serious? How awful. Are they hypochondriacs because they’re physicians? Did they treat your other brothers the same?”

  “Nope.” He dumped salsa on his fajitas, the liquid sizzling on the iron plate. “Just me. I had severe asthma as a kid then my paralysis hit.”

  Bree went cold, too shocked to speak. His muscles had muscles. No physical disorder seemed formidable enough to hurt him. “Did a car hit you?”

  “Nope. Woke up one day and couldn’t move as I had been. Weak didn’t describe it. More like my bones were missing and I couldn’t hold myself up. At first, my parents worried I had Duchenne muscular dystrophy, but I didn’t. I had more tests and hospital stays than I want to recall. No one could find a cause. I was simply floppy like a doll.” He finished his fajita and built another. “It lasted for months, then one day my asthma was gone, and I got out of bed on my own. My muscle tone wasn’t what it had been, so I had to take it easy. Before long though, I was tearing across the yard with my brothers, until mom lost it and forced me back into the house.”

  He shook his head. “She and Dad kept ordering me to slow down so I wouldn’t have a relapse. Honestly, their vigilance lasted two years. If I had a runny nose or my eyes watered from eating too many peppers, which they also didn’t know about, they kept me home from school, ready to lock me in an oxygen tent. I kept telling them whatever I had wasn’t only gone, but it built up my immune system. I don’t get colds, the flu, or other stuff everyone else suffers through.”