Ultimate Surrender: The Surrender Series, Book 2

by Jennifer Kacey

  Natalie looked hopefully at Wyatt but didn’t say anything.

  “Works for me. Make it so.” He said the last part in his best Jean-Luc Picard voice from Star Trek: The Next Generation.

  Campbell shook his head and chuckled. “Trekkie.”

  “You say it as if it’s a bad thing.”

  Fifteen minutes later, Natalie was dead tired but on her way home. Calling it a night with no real answers didn’t give her a warm and fuzzy feeling, especially not with having to deal with a resurgence of her past mistakes.

  And for once she wasn’t going home alone. That comforted her a hell of a lot more than she expected it to.

  The police at least had some place to start, and maybe they’d get lucky. Not that lady luck had been smiling down on her for the past…while. Could be her luck was about to change. She glanced at Campbell on the way back home and leaned her head against the headrest as she reached over and took his hand in the back of the cab.

  He squeezed it and lifted it to kiss the back of her knuckles.

  Maybe, just maybe, her luck had already changed and she’d just been too scared to notice.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Campbell

  Stepping inside the condo, they were greeted by the dogs. Hopping like circus animals, they greeted each of them and Campbell sighed. Nothing like coming home to someone who acted as if he’d been gone for years. He picked up Killer and Natalie did the same with Angel.

  There were licks all around from the puppies and Campbell laughed.

  “What?” Natalie asked as she hung up her purse and tossed her keys on a side table. She kicked off her shoes while he took his first deep breath in hours.

  “No matter how shitty a day can be. No matter what crap hits the fan and gets flung all around. Coming home to this always makes me feel better.”

  “Me too. Coming home to an empty house after a day like today would totally not do it for me. Let me take them out real quick.”

  Natalie stared over at him. “You wouldn’t mind?”

  He tried not to sigh at her guarded question. As if she’d owe him for offering to do something for her. The growl he wanted to let rumble free he kept in check. Mostly. “Not at all.” He snagged the leashes, latched them on, and headed back outside. “Be back.”

  A few minutes later he stepped back inside. Natalie was right there to take Angel. “Thank you,” she whispered up at him and then unhooked the leashes on both collars to go hang them up.

  They worked well together. As in often.

  Campbell wondered if hell had frozen over. With a shake of his head he set down Killer, who immediately ran over to Natalie and whined, getting up on his hind legs.

  “Think he wants up?” Natalie asked.

  “No. I think he wants his girlfriend.” Angel was staring down at him, tongue out, tail wagging.

  Natalie set Angel down and Killer licked her and they wandered off together to get in some kind of trouble. “Totally best friends now. Very funny. And Angel’s never really done well with other dogs. Like ever. Wonder what’s different about Killer?”

  “He’s awesome.” He took Natalie’s hand and led her over to the couch in the living room.

  “You’re biased.” She shook her head and sat down when he gave her a little nudge. Pulling her knees up to her chest to set her cheek on her knees made him want to growl. He hated seeing her withdrawn. Made him want to punch something. Namely a douchebag named Braden.

  He had more questions. Like a million of them. He wanted to know what happened when she found out she was pregnant. He wanted to know how her labor was and if she had any contact with her son. From the way the light in her eyes dimmed when she spoke of him, she really didn’t act as if she had a relationship with him.

  She acted lost, and the need to pummel the dickheads who hurt her boiled inside him. Her parents being the other two at the top of the list.

  “Hungry?” he asked, though her answer was inconsequential since he was going to cook anyways.

  “Not really.”

  “Excellent. I’ll make soup and sandwiches for us.” He grabbed the remote and turned the television on for her. Some random cooking show looked obnoxious. That would do.

  “Okay.” That was her only response, which told him all he needed to know. Not even one grumble out of her when he manhandled her was not the Natalie he knew. As if the dogs knew she needed love too, they got on the couch with her, one on each side. She put her knees down crisscrossed and the dogs laid their heads on her thighs and she petted them absentmindedly.

  He kept an eye on her from the alcove leading from the kitchen to the living room. Didn’t take him ten minutes to put grilled cheese together with tomato soup in coffee mugs for both of them. He set the mugs on the coffee table and plated up the sandwiches that he cut in half.

  Calling the dogs into the kitchen, he fed them in their bowls so hopefully he and Natalie could eat in peace in the living room.

  A different food show was on. They were showing how people make the suckers with gum in the middle. He left it on even though he knew Natalie wasn’t really seeing it.

  He set a plate in her lap. “Eat.”

  “Still not hungry.”

  “Eat anyway.”

  “Why?”

  “Because it will make me happy and if you eat good I’ll draw you a bath and I’ll wash your hair and fuck you to sleep.”

  Tears made her eyes look glossy and she blinked fast trying to clear them. “That sounds nice.”

  Holding her chin, he kissed her trembling mouth once. Again. “I know it’s been one shitty day. But you know what’s awesome about shitty days?”

  “Is this when you tell me shitty days are great because then we can appreciate the good ones more? Can’t have the peaks without the valleys bullshit?”

  He smiled. Couldn’t help it. “Nope. Though that existentialism is great, I was just going to say they’re awesome when they’re over. And stick a fork in it. This one is done. So.” He pointed to her triangle sandwiches and grabbed her coffee cup from the table to hand to her. “Eat some. It’ll make me feel better.”

  “Make you feel better?” She took a bite and then a sip of her soup.

  “Exactly. And you don’t want me to be upset, do you?” He gave her his best sad puppy-dog face.

  Rolling her eyes, she tried to hide a smile behind her cup as she took another sip. “I guess not.”

  “Great.” He dipped a triangle in his coffee mug and took a big bite.

  Dinner was a pretty silent affair. The dogs finished before they did and they came back in, hunkering down on their now-shared dog bed. The fact there was another one right next to the one they now occupied apparently made no difference.

  Natalie ate pretty well, better than he expected actually, and he took the dishes back to the kitchen and cleaned up. Flipping the light off, he went and settled back on the couch.

  Slowly Natalie came out of her shell and lifted his arm closest to her so she could snuggle into his side.

  “Hi.” He squeezed her gently and kissed the top of her head.

  “Hi.” Moving up a bit, she kissed his lips. “Thank you.”

  “For what?”

  “Being you, I guess. You really surprise me. I thought I knew who you were, and I’m learning I didn’t have a clue. I normally hate being wrong.”

  “And who did you think I was?”

  For a few seconds she said nothing and he wondered if she was going to answer. When she started he more than kinda wished he’d never asked.

  “Egotistical, pompous, dismissive, rude.”

  “Ouch.”

  “Can you deny any of them?”

  Didn’t take him long to answer. “Nope. Not a one of them.”

  “But…”

  “But?” His eyebrows went up at the end o
f the word.

  “You’re incredibly kind but fierce. Loyal to the people you care about, and I think it’s more than just surface stuff. You really care about people you’re close with. It’s not just for show and I can see that now. You’ve been up just as long as I have. Well, actually longer since I slept for a bit in Greta’s office. Yet you bring me home, feed me even when there wasn’t anything that sounded appetizing at all, but you found something easy for me to handle. It was delicious by the way. Loved the sour cream in the soup. You took care of the dogs too so I could stare at a wall for a bit and get my bearings.”

  “I knew you just needed a little bit to decompress. You had a rough day.” Downplaying all of it wasn’t difficult. “Didn’t feel like I did that much.”

  “See, and then there’s this humble side of you that I honestly can’t reconcile with your Domly Dom side I saw last night. I truly expected it to completely be different with you this morning and at work. Kept thinking you were going to be heavy-handed and think you could demand all sorts of stuff. You didn’t do any of that.”

  “Domly Dom side. That’s awesome. And no. I know where we stand. I get to control you in the bedroom. That’s it. Well, and anything to do with your safety. Nonnegotiable.”

  “And at some point when you were playing with that little girl today I overheard you say something about all of your family being teachers and something about a big card your mom’s students made you when you came home from overseas. I don’t remember what you said but I got the distinct impression they support you no matter what. That they’re incredibly proud of you. The man. The Marine. Always have been, I think.” She shrugged and he really heard what she said instead of just shrugging it off. “Maybe the distance is something only in your head.” She cuddled him again. “I’m starting to think I only know a very small piece of you and I almost want to know more.”

  “Almost?”

  “Almost,” came out in a whisper as she eyed his mouth.

  He felt it like a caress.

  Instead of shying away from it, this time she took a deep breath, got up on one knee, and swung the other onto the couch on the other side of his hips.

  He ran his hands up her thighs, settling them on her waist. Tucking her pelvis in close to his body as she sat down on him lit a flame inside him he hadn’t felt in a very long time.

  It wasn’t trust per se.

  At least that’s what he told himself as she leaned in close and kissed him.

  Biting her lip, she eyed his shirt at the bottom before lifting it over his head.

  He let her.

  He hadn’t let any woman he was with initiate sex…ever. Not that he could remember at least.

  Staring down at him, she traced his shoulders with her fingers. Then his pecs, abs. “You’re a work of art.”

  “I’m just a guy. Nothing spectacular.”

  “You are spectacular. No question about it.”

  Unable to keep his hands from her any longer, he pulled her shirt up and off, tossing it on the couch beside them. “This. You. These.” He palmed her breast and released the front clasp of her bra, letting her spectacular tits spill into his hand. “Perfection.”

  With his fingers making circles on her, she grabbed his hands and pressed them to her flesh. “I think you said something about a bath.”

  “Indeed I did, and let it be known I am a man of my word.” He easily stood, hauling her up with him into his arms. “I hope you know by now I’m quite a stickler on quality control.”

  She licked his shoulder. His throat. “You are. Does that mean you’re going to need to inspect your work?”

  His dick throbbed behind his zipper. ”I will most definitely need to check you very closely to make sure all of your folds and creases are well…cleaned.”

  Carrying her to the bedroom, he closed the door on the dogs and set out to fulfill every one of his promises. And for once, when they got to bed, he let her take the lead.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Natalie

  The next morning, on Sunday after a couple early hours in bed, they were talking about things Campbell still had questions about and he asked for more info about Braden.

  “I’m really not certain how much more I can tell you, Campbell. I haven’t spoken to him in years.”

  “When’s the last time you talked to him?”

  “The last time I saw him we actually didn’t say two words to each other.”

  “What?”

  “He was having a huge argument with my father.”

  “About?”

  “Don’t know. Was behind closed doors. I’m sure it was about how much money he wanted to keep quiet.”

  “You said the last time you saw him. But if the meeting was behind closed doors, then…”

  “He stormed out, tucking something in the inside pocket of his coat. His hush money. He looked at me with pity. I’ll never forget it. Never. But he didn’t say a word. He looked at my father, my mother, and me one last time and then left. That was it.”

  “Hasn’t contacted you since? Nothing? Truly?”

  “Not a word. And it’s not like he couldn’t track me down through my parents if he really wanted to. I’m unlisted in the phone book but he has to know where I work.” She put a plate of buttered toast on the table to go with their poached eggs. After grabbing jelly and another knife from the drawer, she took it with her to the table and sat down.

  “Why do you say that?”

  “My father didn’t go completely ballistic when I originally told him my thoughts on buying the clinic. At first he seemed to consider it and told me to put a presentation together for the board of directors of Grant Enterprises. I thought he was actually entertaining the notion for a bit but now I think he was doing nothing but stalling so he could get his lawyers in place to block all of my inheritance.”

  Campbell’s jaw went tight as he ripped off a piece of toast with his teeth. “How does that equate to Braden?”

  “He was one of the board members.”

  His fork tinged on the plate when he dropped it. “You’re shitting me.”

  “Afraid not.”

  “And he’s still on the board now?”

  “He’s the president on the board now. How you like them apples?”

  “Of all the incredibly shitting things to do in the world, that one is so far up the list of Hershey squirts I have no idea what could possibly be higher.”

  “Uhh. Eww.”

  “Sorry. I distracted you but oh my fucking God what a dick move. What did Braden have to do with the proposal?”

  “I freaked out hardcore the day I was supposed to give it. Threw up before the meeting. Awful. I’d never been so nervous, but then he wasn’t there when I gave the presentation. Thought it was going well. Of course they turned me down completely, but there were enough packets from the presentation for each of the members. His would have been waiting for him in his inbox the next morning. He must have gotten one. It had the clinic address in it.”

  He thought for a minute while he ate but he didn’t say anything.

  “I’ve had no interaction with him since right after I found out I was pregnant. Why would he want to hurt me now?”

  “I have three very valid reasons.”

  “I’m ready.”

  He counted them off on his fingers. “He’s delusional. Psychotic. Or maybe just a good ole homegrown sociopath.”

  “I’m not discounting that at all. Crazy is crazy, but…”

  “But?” he prompted.

  “His only focus before was money. Straight-up greed. Do I think ‘asshole’ needs to be prominently featured on his tombstone? Absolutely. But that’s still just greed.” She shrugged. “He was a very steadfast man even back then. Straight and narrow all the way. Can’t imagine that changing.”

  “Maybe it hasn’t,” he
offered.

  “But there have been no demands of money. Not ever. Not even a penny asked for. Just threats and things to hurt my reputation and that of the clinic. Nothing more.”

  “Nothing more. As if your life is worth nothing.”

  Natalie took his hand and gave it a squeeze. “It’s worth a lot. Just not a lot of money since my inheritance will probably be tied up until my grandchildren are elderly.”

  “Hmm. Good point. Odd though.”

  “What is?” Her heart hammered in her chest but she tried to act normal. But when he touched her, even a simple gesture as running his thumb across her knuckles, her knees literally went weak. The way he affected her, she should have been running for the hills, but she just couldn’t.

  “What’s happening, how you’re being targeted, certain words being used, it’s personal. Anybody else you know of that could have it out for you?”

  “I wouldn’t know who. And say Braden is the guy. What have I ever done to him? Everything that went down before was definitely a one-way street, and it certainly wasn’t in his direction.”

  “No one from the clinic who sticks out in your mind as enough of a crazy that would do something like this?”

  “I’ve had my fair share of crazies in there. Pissed-off boyfriends, fathers, pimps.”

  “Pimps. You’re serious.”

  “Some working girls use the excuse of getting pregnant to get out of that lifestyle. Pimps normally don’t take that very well. So they’ll show up there looking for them if they get wind they’re under our care.”

  “I’ve apparently heard it all now.”

  She shrugged. “Normally whatever altercation happens we can get them out of the clinic pretty quick. Sure we’ve had to call the cops several times, file police reports.”

  “Anyone ever been hurt?”

  “Scratches and some bruises have been it.”

  He growled and she looked up at him. “You say it like it’s no big thing. Someone laying their hands on you with the intention of harming you. It’s a big thing. A huge big thing.”

  For a minute she was so stunned by his vehemence on the topic she didn’t know what to say. “I don’t think I’ve ever had someone care so much about me. You know what I mean.” She said a heck of a lot more than she meant to and tried to cover it up at the end.