Unexpected Surrender

by J. M. Walker

  “Tell me why you kept this from me,” I demanded.

  Luther wrapped his hand around my calf, placing a soft peck on my knee. “It was the only way I could have you, but I wasn’t expecting this to turn into something more.” He ran both hands up the back of my legs, cupped my ass and pulled me toward him. “I wasn’t expecting to need you in ways I’ve never needed someone before.”

  “Luther,” I breathed, running my fingers through his dark hair.

  “And I sure as hell wasn’t expecting you to control me the way you do.” He swiped his tongue over my clit.

  I shivered, latching onto his head. “I-I don’t control you.”

  He chuckled, blowing a hot stream of air over my mound. “Yeah. You do, Lexi. In more ways than I care to admit.” Before I had a chance to respond, his mouth was on me.

  I swallowed a gasp.

  His tongue slid inside me, controlling the very sounds leaving my lips. Closing his lips around my throbbing clit, he sucked and pulled until his name left my lips on a shattered scream.

  “That’s right, Lexi. Scream my name. Let me hear who’s controlling you. Who’s your fucking Master?”

  I groaned, undulating my hips against his face.

  Luther released my lower body and shoved me to the ground. “I don’t give a shit how pissed you are.” He slammed back into me. “You’re mine. You’ve always been mine.”

  “Get off me,” I demanded, struggling beneath him.

  “Lexi.” Luther’s voice washed over me, his hands running down my sides. “Use your damn safeword.”

  “Stop.” I pushed away from him and grabbed my panties. Rising to my feet, I slipped them back on and smoothed down my dress.

  “Lexi,” Luther said gently. “I didn’t want it to be this way.”

  “Then why didn’t you tell me who you were?” I yelled, glaring at him. “You said after spending the night with you, I would want more. You were right. I did want more. Why didn’t you tell me then that you were pretending to be my Master?”

  “I wasn’t pretending.” Luther stood from the floor and righted his pants. “All of this was real. My feelings for you.”

  “Your feelings for me.” I scoffed. “Right. You wanted sex. That was it. You beat my brother within an inch of his life and yet I still let you fuck me. You convinced me that The Club could help me pay you back.” I shook my head. “God, I’m so stupid.”

  “No. You’re not. The Club has helped you.”

  “How, Luther?” I snapped. “How has The Club helped me?”

  His jaw clenched, his dark brows narrowing in the center. He tucked his dress shirt back into his pants. “I tried stopping myself from fucking you. I didn’t want it to happen in your office.”

  “So, it’s my fault?” I raised an eyebrow.

  “What?” His eyes widened. “Fuck. No. It’s my fault. I can’t control myself around you.” He took a step toward me.

  “Don’t.” I held my hand up, stopping him. “Stay there. I can’t deal with this right now. I’m done. This?” I waved a finger between us. “Is not happening. Ever again.”

  Much to my surprise, he laughed. The smug asshole actually fucking laughed.

  “Alright, pet.” Luther did up his pants and fixed the collar of his shirt. “I stopped even though you didn’t use your safeword like you were taught. But you go ahead and keep telling yourself that this is done.”

  “I’m serious.” Although I said the words, I wasn’t so sure I believed them myself.

  “Sure. I believe you.” He came toward me.

  I backed up until I hit the wall. “Luther.”

  “You keep telling yourself that there’s nothing between us. That you can resist me. That you don’t want me. That this will never happen again.” He placed a hand on either side of my head. “You keep telling yourself that one look from me and you don’t want to fall to your knees and beg me to do whatever I want to you.”

  I glared up at him.

  He caged me in, leaning down to my ear. “You keep telling yourself that one command from me and your body doesn’t become wet. Deny it all you want, Lexi. You want me. You will always want me. Because it’s exciting. Dangerous. You’ve lived by the rules your whole entire life.”

  “I have no idea what you’re talking about.” But he was right. I had always played it safe. Maybe that was why I was so damn attracted to him.

  “Sure, pet.” He kissed my cheek. “Deny it all you want but I know you can’t resist me.” He pulled away, gave me a smirk, and left the room.

  A breath escaped me. Sliding down the wall, I scrubbed a hand down my face. He was right. God was he ever right.

  ***

  (Luther)

  “You did what?”

  I almost laughed at my sister’s outburst but thought better of it. “I revealed who I was. I told you I was doing that.”

  “I thought I had more time.” Vanessa began pacing. “So what does this mean? Does she know you own this club? Does she know that the money we’ve been paying her has been coming back to us?”

  I sat back in the leather chair. “No. But I’m sure she’ll figure it out.”

  Vanessa shook her head. “I can’t believe this. Her brother still owes money. What does this mean? You can’t expect her to show up here again.”

  “I’ll deal with it when the time comes.”

  “You’ll deal with it when the time comes,” Vanessa repeated. “This isn’t right. She’s innocent. Her brother—”

  “You care for her.” I sat forward. “Should I be jealous?”

  Vanessa rolled her eyes. “Sorry big brother. I don’t want your sloppy seconds, but I don’t want her hurt. She doesn’t deserve this shit.”

  “No. She doesn’t.” I had to figure out a way to make her forgive me. Was there something that could help me break down the walls she had built? The deli. An idea came to me. I just hoped it would help me get through to Lexi before it was too late.

  Lexi

  IT HAD BEEN A week since Luther revealed who he truly was. Seven damn days since I found out he was my Master. And ever since then, I couldn’t get him out of my head. It had been bad before I found out who he was, but it was even worse now since the big reveal.

  I hadn’t received a text from Miss Vee either since then. I had so many questions, but I was still pissed at Luther. I didn’t want to contact him and let him think I had forgiven him. I sighed, rubbing the back of my neck.

  “Uh…Lexi?”

  I turned, finding Charlie standing at the entrance to the kitchen.

  “You might want to come and see this.” He headed to the back of the deli.

  “Will you watch the counter?” I asked one of the waitresses.

  “Of course.” She gave me a small smile and took over cleaning and serving customers.

  Heading to the back, I stopped suddenly. Two men were pushing a large stainless-steel fridge up against the wall. That was when I noticed the stove. My heart thumped hard behind the walls of my rib cage. The oven was huge. Larger than I had ever imagined it would be in person.

  “What’s going on?” I asked, stepping in front of it and running my hands along the sleek edges.

  “These were delivered for you, ma’am,” one of the men told me. He flipped through a clipboard. “You are Lexi Adams?”

  I frowned. “I am but I never ordered these.” What the hell was going on?

  “We know.” The younger man of the two opened the fridge. “We figured this might help answer your questions.”

  My heart raced. A large bouquet of red roses sat on the middle shelf inside the fridge.

  “Lexi? Is that from Luther?” Charlie asked.

  I ignored the accusatory glare from him and headed to the fridge. I thanked the men, left them a tip, and pulled the flowers from the fridge. The sweet scent of the roses wafted around me.

  “There’s a card.” Charlie pulled a small envelope that had been placed inside the bouquet.

  “Thank you.” I took it
from him. “Will you ask one of the staff to turn on the appliances in a few hours and make sure everything works, please? I just need a moment.” I headed to the office before he could protest and ask any more questions.

  Closing the door behind me, I locked it and placed the flowers on top of the desk. Opening the envelope, I grazed my thumb over the beautiful script on the small black card.

  My dearest pet,

  I’m sorry for everything. I hope the appliances and flowers will be a start to your forgiveness that I don’t deserve, but crave just the same.

  I will be awaiting your call.

  Your Master

  My stomach tumbled.

  I was half tempted to throw the flowers out but I couldn’t find it in my heart to do so.

  Before I could think twice about it, I called Luther.

  “Pet.”

  My body flushed at hearing his deep voice.

  “Thank you for the flowers and the appliances but I can’t pay you back.”

  “I don’t expect you to pay me back, Lexi. It’s my present to you.”

  I hesitated. “Why?”

  “I care for you. I know you have questions. I’m willing to answer those questions but not over the phone. Come to The Club tonight. I’ll be there, working.”

  “Working?” I repeated, gripping the phone tight in my hand.

  “Lexi.” He paused. “I own The Club.”

  Of course he did. “And Miss Vee?”

  “She’s my sister.”

  Pinching the bridge of my nose, I blew out a slow breath. “All this time—”

  “Come to The Club tonight. I’m not answering any more of your questions over the phone. It’s not safe, pet.” Luther hung up, the sound of the call disconnecting, vibrating through me.

  “It’s not safe, pet.”

  What the hell was I getting myself into?

  After Luther hung up, I read the card from him over and over. He was sorry. About everything. Could I believe him? I wanted to. God, did I want to. But these feelings I had for him scared the shit out of me. Did I want to take that chance?

  I hardly knew him. But I found that I wanted to. I wanted to know everything. Where he grew up. What his childhood was like. I knew his father had passed but was he a good dad? Did he care for both Luther and Vanessa like he should? Why was Luther paranoid? And what the hell did my brother do to piss him off?

  A hard knock on the door to my office startled me.

  “Lexi.” My brother knocked again.

  “What?” I pulled open the door.

  “What’s going on?” He pushed me back and shut the door behind him. “You’re sleeping with Luther, aren’t you?”

  “I have no idea what you’re talking about.” I was not having this conversation with my brother.

  “Lexi, you do know who he is right?” Charlie’s brows narrowed in the center. “You also remember how you met him? He kicked my ass. He wanted me fucking dead. He probably still does. But you don’t give a shit about that, do you?”

  “Excuse me?” I placed my hands on my hips, glaring up at him.

  His pupils dilated, his body swaying.

  I frowned. “Are you high?”

  “No.” He waved a hand in front of him. “I don’t do that shit.”

  “Right.” I grabbed his arm. “What’s going on with you?”

  Charlie shoved out of my grip. “Nothing. Why don’t you go run along to your boyfriend seeing as that’s all you care about.”

  “Me?” I laughed. “Who the hell has hardly been home the past few weeks? Who told me to contact The Club? Who keeps asking me if I’ve made payments and how much we still owe Luther? Who the hell is the one that put us in this situation in the first place? Oh yeah. That’s right. It was you. So fuck you, Charlie. You can go to hell.” I stormed past him, threw open the door, and stomped to the back of the deli. I sent one of the waitresses a text, telling her I was calling it a day and that something had come up. When really, I needed to get away from my brother before I was the one who murdered him instead of Luther.

  I left the deli abruptly, walking the few blocks to The Club. Once I arrived at the alleyway leading to the building that held so many firsts for me, I paused. This would be the first time I would be here knowing who my Master was. Could I do this knowing that he was in fact Luther? Knowing that Luther had kept this huge secret from me?

  My phone vibrated in my bag. Pulling it out of the inner pocket, I answered. “What do you want, Charlie?”

  “I want to make sure that you’re okay,” he mumbled.

  “I’m fine. Even though I have a dickhead for a brother.”

  “Listen, I’m sorry about that.” He sighed. “The things I said. I just want you safe. It’s fucking with my head knowing you’re sleeping with the guy who’s threatened my life.”

  “Well if you didn’t give him reason to threaten you, I’m sure none of that would have happened.” I could not believe I had justified Luther’s reasoning for threatening my brother. God, what the hell was wrong with me?

  “You really have no idea who you’re sleeping with, do you?”

  “I’m not talking about this with you.” But I knew I was going to find out. One way or another, I would make Luther tell me about him.

  “You’re playing with fire, Lexi. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.” Charlie disconnected the call before I could argue. Even though he was right, I was a big girl. I couldn’t help the fact that my heart wanted more. That it wanted to figure out what made Luther tick. Or why he turned out the way he did. I wanted to know about his first tattoo. Everything that made up Luther Knight. I wanted it all.

  When I reached the door, I lifted my hand to knock but it opened before I even got a chance to. My eyes widened at Luther standing in the doorway.

  He crossed his thick arms under his broad chest, leaning against the doorjamb.

  My mouth watered.

  The tailored suit hugged every inch of him like a second layer of skin. The dark scruff on his jaw had grown in some since the last time I saw him.

  “Pet,” came his curt reply.

  “Hi, Luther,” I said, my voice shaking.

  He smirked, stepping back. “Come in.”

  “I wasn’t expecting you to answer. I thought it would have been Miss Vee.” I stepped over the threshold.

  “My sister is preoccupied,” he said, closing the door behind me.

  “I still can’t believe she’s your sister.”

  “Half-sister to be technical. We have the same father but different mothers. My mother died when I was little. My father met a new woman and they had Vanessa.”

  “Oh.” My chest tightened. “That’s sad.”

  “It is what it is.” Luther took a step toward me. “You look good, pet.”

  I swallowed hard. “So do you.”

  He pinched my chin, placing a soft peck on my forehead. “Did you like your present?”

  “Yes.” I stepped back, my heart fluttering at the sweet scent of spice wafting into my nose. “But you didn’t have to do that.”

  “I know. I wanted to.” He held out his hand. “Let me give you a tour.”

  “Miss Vee did that already,” I reminded him.

  “She didn’t give you a tour of the whole place.” He paused. “I won’t hurt you, Lexi. Not like before.”

  “You mean, not like when you kept who you were from me?”

  “That’s right.” He leaned down to my ear. “But I know you like a little pain mixed with your pleasure. I have fucked your ass, remember? Your moans made me so fucking hard, pet. I never thought you’d be into that, but you were, and I plan on making you feel that sweet pain again. And again.” He kissed my cheek, releasing me. “Coming?” he asked, holding his hand out again.

  Heat spread throughout every inch of me. Blowing out a slow breath, I ignored the warning in my head. That little voice telling me that Luther was bad for me or that he would break my heart. Instead, I placed my hand in his.

  A wick
ed grin spread on his face as he wrapped his fingers around mine.

  My heart picked up speed.

  I realized then that there were many sides to Luther and I had a feeling that I hadn’t seen all of them. But this side, the side leading me down the hall towards the unknown parts of the club I hadn’t been to yet, this side was lethal. Because I knew that one command from him and I would submit. No matter what.

  Lexi

  “THIS PLACE ISN’T LIKE your romance books or any of the movies you’ve seen,” Luther explained, keeping hold of my hand in a firm but gentle grip.

  “How do you know if I’ve watched those movies or read those kinds of books? I could like action or horror.” It wasn’t true, but he shouldn’t have assumed.

  “Right, pet.” He chuckled. “And I like romantic comedies.”

  “You do?” I asked, my eyes widening.

  His laugh deepened.

  I giggled. “I like horror movies but yeah, romance is my jam.”

  Luther grinned, tapping my nose. “I know.”

  “I haven’t read a good romance book in a while though. Or any book for that matter.” Life got in the way when I needed those books the most. It wasn’t fair if you asked me.

  “Life’s too busy sometimes.” Luther cleared his throat. “Listen, whatever you see beyond these doors is private and confidential. I know you signed a waiver but I’m just reminding you. We have to protect our members. And that includes you.”

  I nodded. “I understand.”

  “Alright.” Luther brushed the back of his hand down my cheek. “Ready, pet?”

  “I just have one question first. What happened to the money I was paying you?”

  “I’ve set it aside. I don’t need it.” He reached into his pants pocket and pulled out a wallet. “I know you won’t accept this now, but you will. In time.” He handed me a check.

  I coughed, my eyes widening at the number staring up at me. “Y-You’ve kept the money for me?”

  Luther nodded. “Of course. Like I said, I don’t need it.”