Surrender (27 page)

“This way, please.”

Ari wanted to put her foot down, but considering they were in what looked to be an apartment complex, now wasn’t the time for her to defy him. Even though he always promised her that all she had to do was say
no
and he’d stop, it wasn’t him she was afraid of; it was her reaction to his touch.

She didn’t think she’d be able to tell him
no
, and she really hated herself each time she detonated in his arms. It made her feel cheap and dirty – not the woman her mother raised her to be.

He pulled out another card and slid it where a doorknob should’ve been, and the door easily opened. Whatever had happened to keys and knobs? She guessed it was too ordinary for Rafe to enter a building with good old-fashioned deadbolts. She wouldn’t be surprised if there were laser beams to strike down trespassers.

“Are you going to tell me where we are?” she snapped as she walked inside and found herself entering a large living room area.

“This could be your home. I’ve had it leased for months,” he responded as she turned to look at him. She was appalled at how confident he was that she’d cave to him.

“You’re wasting your money. I don’t want your apartment. Please take me home now,” she said as she turned back toward the door.

“Look around, Ari. What have you got to lose?” Though he spoke softly, the tone in his voice told her he wasn’t making a request. It was a command. He wouldn’t let her leave until she searched every inch of his lovers shack.

“So, this is where you chain your whores up and do unimaginable things to them. It looks a bit too home and garden. I was expecting a dungeon with whips and chains hanging on the walls. Of course, I haven’t seen the rest of the place, so that might just be through a secret passage,” she snapped as she began moving toward the hallway.

“I don’t need whips and chains, Ari. I’m quite convincing,” he whispered in her ear, making her jump. She hadn’t realized he was right on her heels.

“Yes, you’re a manly god who all should fear and bow to. Whatever was I thinking?” she said as she turned to bat her eyes at him. He glared at her in response.

“One of these days that tongue will get you in more trouble than you know how to deal with.”

“Is that a threat, Rafe? For a man who doesn’t punish his women, you sure use a lot of intimidation.”

Rafe pushed her hard against the wall, his body blocking her from moving as he gazed down at her, his eye color almost fully purple. Her heart rate quickened and her breathing became shallow at the hunger mixed with rage that shone through his dark depths.

“I never once said I don’t punish, Ari. I do punish, and I will delight in teaching you obedience. What I’ve said is I don’t cause pain,” he growled before his head bent and he took control of her lips.

She pushed against his chest, knowing there had to be a bed nearby,
and within a few minutes she’d be a goner if he continued ravishing her mouth. Just as her knees began to grow weak, he pulled back, his breathing ragged.

“Finish your tour,” he commanded as he turned and walked away. Ari leaned against the wall for several more seconds as she heard him open a cupboard. When she felt confident in her legs moving without her sinking to the floor, she moved further down the hall and walked through an open doorway.

Her eyes widened at the four-poster bed centered in the room. It was stunning with thick posts and a deep purple comforter. Purple was her favorite color. It had to be a coincidence. There was no way he could’ve known that. She wanted to run her fingers over the cover and see if it was as soft as it looked, but since she’d never sleep in that bed there was no point in torturing herself. She’d never have this life of luxury.

That isn’t true
, she snapped at herself. When she finally did finish school and got the job of her dreams, she’d make an excellent salary. When she was secure, she’d treat herself to those things that made life a little easier. She’d also treat her mother and make up for all the years of sacrifice she'd given.

Ari turned to leave, not daring to look in the bathroom where she knew there would be a large tub calling her name, and that’s when something caught her eye. She turned back to the bed and looked up.

Her eyes widened as she realized what it was. Her hand came up and covered her mouth as she took a step closer. What really unsettled her was that it wasn’t horror she was feeling, it was the beginning stirring of excitement.

“I can see by the way your body is tensing that you won’t be as opposed to my lifestyle as you vehemently say. I think the thought of the things I want to do to you turn you on and you’re just too afraid to admit it – to me or yourself.”

The sound of Rafe’s seductive voice whispering in her ear while the sight of his bondage straps floated before her made her knees weak. His hands came around her stomach and slid beneath her shirt, his fingers slipping up the skin of her stomach.

He slowly moved up and over her breasts, his fingers lightly brushing against her nipples through the thin cotton of her bra as his breath whispered across her neck. When his tongue slid out and tenderly trailed across her skin, heat surged through her core, demanding her body to respond – and it did, instantly becoming moist and ready.

“Yes, Ari. You want this. You want this so bad that you’re trembling with desire. You want to play all kinds of games with me. Admit it. Stop fighting me and let me make the decisions. I’ve never once had a woman regret it.”

Ari’s entire body tensed as her passion evaporated. He may as well have slapped her in the face. How many other women had he screwed in this same bed? How many others had he ran his fingers across, then thrown out like yesterday’s garbage?

“I’m ready to go home now,” she said as she pulled away and walked out the door. She didn’t stop until she was clear of the apartment and standing before the elevator. She was grateful he didn’t try to stop her. At least he was keeping his word of taking
no
for an answer.

There was utter silence on the car ride back to Ari’s apartment. Rafe couldn’t understand why she’d had the sudden change of heart in the apartment he’d handpicked for her. It was a beautiful place, and he’d learned much about her over the months and had items he knew she’d like brought in.

He treated his mistresses well. With Ari, he’d gone above what he normally did and had taken extra time to get to know her. He knew which scents were her favorites, knew that she preferred a luxurious bath to a diamond necklace, and most importantly, that she was in a shell, just waiting for someone to free her.

She may think she’d won in their battle of wills, but she’d only delayed the inevitable. At the moment he was too angry to discuss their arrangement any further. Besides, he wasn’t playing on a fair battlefield. She was still recovering from surgery. He preferred his victories when his opponent was at full strength.

He pulled up outside her dilapidated apartment complex and stepped from his vehicle. Annoyance flashed through him when she opened her car door and stepped out before he made it around to her side, but he said nothing, just followed her up the sagging steps.

The next item on his list of to-do's may be to get the complex condemned. He’d be doing the tenants a favor as he knew the building wasn’t up to code. Rafe couldn’t stand slum-lords. They were worthless bottom feeders who preyed on the weak and helpless. Maybe, he’d buy the property and fix it up. He made a mental note to look into it.

“Thank you for the ride,” Ari said as she slipped her key in the rickety door lock and opened the creaking door.

“I’ll see you soon, Ari.”

“Don’t bother. I think we’ve come to the end of our short journey together. I hope you’ll respect me and yourself enough to let this go,” she replied while looking down at her feet.

Rafe backed her into the apartment, his meaning clear as they moved until she ran into the wall. He placed his fingers beneath her chin and tugged until she finally met his gaze.

“If all I saw was disinterest on your face then I
would
go away, Ari. Unfortunately for both of us, you’re far more interested than you profess. There’s fire burning in your eyes, and whether you like it or not, your body responds to me like a fiddle to its bow. When you stop the fight, I’ll be there to release those inhabitations you hold onto so tightly and you’ll have to hang on for the ride – because believe me, it will be wild.”

Ari’s breathing deepened and Rafe knew he could take her right where she stood. He knew she wouldn’t fight him – wouldn’t do anything but cry out his name as her pleasure reached its crescendo.

He decided to let her suffer, even though he’d also be hurting. In the short run it was worth it, though tonight when he lay in bed aching, he may regret his decision.

“You have my number,” were his parting words as he walked out her door.

Needing to burn off energy, Rafe drove straight to the gym and changed, then headed to the boxing ring. As he did his warm ups, adrenaline began pumping through him. He’d feel much better after a good battle.

“Rafe, it’s been a while. You’re in luck, Sam’s here.”

Rafe turned to find his favorite trainer, Mickey, leaning against the wall with a delighted smile on his face. Rafe just nodded his head. The man got a bit too excited at the prospect of blood spilling, and they both knew that was about to happen. Sam was a middle-weight champion boxer, and Rafe’s favorite sparring buddy.

They got rough, and by the end, both of them were hurting, but
it was a good ache. Boxing was an outlet – it relieved his high levels of stress and calmed him. He was ready.

A crowd started to gather as Rafe climbed into the ring. They all enjoyed watching a good sparring match. Sam stepped from the locker-room and their eyes locked and his friend smiled.

“I didn’t think I was going to be able to kick some ass today. It’s been a while since you’ve been down here. Are you sure you want to go a few rounds with me, pansy.”

“I think you’re just too damn chicken to fight me. Did you leave your big boy pants at home,” Rafe shot back.

“Nah, I left them at your mother’s house when I snuck out the window this morning.”

Rafe laughed as Sam stepped into the ring and came over to give him a half-hug. They turned as Mickey joined them.

“All right, boys. You know the rules. No groin shots or any of that sissy hugging. If I have to pull you apart I’m going to get cranky. Keep it clean and knock the crap out of each other,” Mickey said as he patted them each on the shoulder.

Rafe and Sam hit gloves then went to their corners. The bell rang and they came out fighting…

“Rafe!
What happened to you?” his mother exclaimed when he walked in the house. They were all supposed to be gone already. He loved them, but he was ready for their meddling visit to be over.

“I’m fine, Mom. I was just sparring at the gym.”

“You have a black eye and swollen lip,” she exclaimed.

“Yeah, that tends to happen when I spar with Sam,” he said with a chuckle. “You should see what his face looks like. It’s never pretty, but it looks even worse now.”

“That’s terrible. I didn’t know you were still into that awful boxing. I could just kill your father for introducing you to the sport.”

“Yeah, you have to say that as my mother, but it looks a lot worse than it feels. As a matter of fact, I haven’t felt this good in a while,” he answered as he walked into his den and moved behind the bar.

He grabbed a cold bottle of beer and took a long swallow. He wouldn’t admit it, but he was a lot more sore than he should be. It really had been a while since he’d sparred. He was going to have to try and get down there more often – at least a couple times a month.

“We were planning on leaving tomorrow morning, but we can stay until you’re better.”

“No! I mean, thanks for the offer, but I’ll be working night and day over the next few weeks, so you’d be wasting your time hanging out here,” he quickly said, hoping he hadn’t hurt her feelings with his insistence that she leave.

“Okay, I get it. You want your space back. We’ll take off, but you’d better call us if there’s anything at all that you need. Do you understand?”

“Yes, of course, Mom. I’m going to head up to bed. Let me know when you get back home, okay?”

He gave his mother a hug,
then managed to walk up the stairs without flinching. As he tugged off his shirt he winced. His shoulder felt like it was on fire. Sam hadn’t realized he’d been shot a couple weeks ago, and had landed a punch in the exact wrong place. Rafe had seen stars for a moment, and Mickey had called the fight, then proceeded to lecture Rafe for the next fifteen minutes about being a stupid idiot.

Rafe didn’t allow many people to call him an idiot, but he made an exception for Mickey. He’d know the guy since he was in grade school.

After a hot shower he felt far more human and decided he’d survive. He also got his appetite back, so made his way downstairs to grab a sandwich. After he finished, the doorbell rang. His staff was already turned in for the night and he didn’t want his parents to be woken up, so he rushed to the door to find out who could be rude enough to come calling at almost midnight.