Falling In (The Surrender Trilogy 1)

“Then we’ll have a safe word.”

“A what?”

His gaze grew hopeful, his eyes softening further, a hint of color returning to his face. “A safe word. A word you wouldn’t normally say in intimate situations. You say that and everything stops. It’ll be your ticket to end our contract. Game over. All you have to do is breathe it and I’ll let you go.”

Everything was always so final with him. He didn’t have gears. There was no slowdown or reverse. It was full steam ahead or nothing.

Scout thought about what he said. She wasn’t sure what had happened in his past to make control such an unbending need of his. For some reason it made sense that Lucian would perform best in that sort of dynamic. The question was, could she?

Resigned, she knew she couldn’t just walk away at this point. She’d never forgive herself for turning down the opportunities he offered just because she was too afraid to try. It was sex. Sex was physical. She could do that, surrender her body, but hold tight to her emotions.

She also couldn’t deny that he piqued certain unknown appetites. When Lucian kissed her, things happened. She was curious what else there was, what else he could make her feel. So long as she kept her mind grounded in the physical and avoided the emotional, she should be able to do this.

Sighing, she asked, “What would the word be?”

His smile was a true expression of deep satisfaction. It spread over his face slow and beautiful like a sunrise, chasing away the darkness. “That, my dear, is your choice.”

The perfect word skated off her tongue before she even realized she had chosen it. “Checkmate.”

Chapter 15

Trust

Lucian carried a bag of Scout’s personal items onto the elevator as she held her housekeeping uniform. “I need to use your iron when we get upstairs. This is horribly wrinkled.”

“I’ll have someone come pick it up for dry-cleaning.”

She grimaced. “You’re not sending out my housekeeping uniform for someone from housekeeping to clean. That’s ridiculous. It can’t be that difficult to iron.”

He shrugged as they stepped off. “Never tried.”

Weren’t they a pair? He placed her bag on a chair in the seating area and flipped through a pile of mail on his desk. Scout scrutinized her uniform and brushed over some of the creases.

“You know I could have another one delivered for you, but I’m not going to do that because you know how I feel about you working in the first place.”

Great. This again.

“If you don’t want me working at Patras, I’ll go get a job somewhere else.”

Tossing the mail back on the messy desk, he took the uniform out of her hands and hung it from a sconce on the wall. He turned her until she was facing him. “I don’t want you to work at all. I can provide everything you need.”

“Lucian, that isn’t practical. I need spending money.”

“Why do you need money?”

She rolled her eyes and countered, “Why do you?”

“So that I can take care of you.”

“Smart-ass.” She carried her bag into the guest room and set her black shoes out for the morning after she unloaded her toiletries.

“Seriously, Evelyn, if you need money I’ll give it to you. Just tell me how much you need.” He gathered up her cosmetic bag and carried it into the master bath. He returned and picked up her sneakers and carried them into the master bedroom.

“What are you doing?” she finally asked when he picked up her bag.

“What are you doing? I told you where you were sleeping. My bed’s that way.”

Okay, then.

After she unpacked her minimal amount of belongings and discovered ironing was not difficult, but a pain in the ass, they sat at the small dining area in the corner and had dinner. Lucian ordered almond-crusted fish with rice and green vegetables. It was delicious.

The closer their meal drew to an end, the more reality seeped in. She was going to have sex with Lucian Patras. Tonight.

The thought was too surreal for Scout to actually form any kind of anxiety over. Curiosity kept her moving forward. The minutes ticked by and she figured she’d better just go with it. She did need to shower though.

When she came out of the bathroom, the master bedroom was empty. She smiled when she noticed a long black nightgown lying on the turned-down bed. Lucian must’ve run down to her room and brought the silk gown back.

Scout untied the towel around her head, glad she decided not to get her hair wet again. Sleeping on wet pillows sucked. She’d done that too many times in her life after using the facilities at the shelter just before curfew. After quietly shutting the door, she removed her robe and picked up the gown. It whispered over her skin like a delicious secret.

She hung the robe and waited. What now? Looking at the bed, she debated climbing in there and waiting for Lucian. The penthouse was set in dim lighting and bathed in silence.