Surrender to Me
Authors: Shayla Black
Tags: #General, #Romance, #Triangles (Interpersonal relations), #Adult, #Erotica, #Fiction
Table of Contents
Chapter One - Saturday, six days earlier
PRAISE FOR THE NOVELS OF SHAYLA BLACK
Delicious
“Another winner from Black . . . will thrill erotica and mystery fans alike.”
—
Romantic Times
“A book to be savored over and over. I consider it one of the best books I have ever read.”
—
Romance Junkies
“Erotic, emotional . . . suspenseful.”
—
Joyfully Reviewed
“An absolute winner.”
—
Fallen Angel Reviews
Decadent
“Wickedly seductive from start to finish.”
—Jaci Burton, national bestselling author
“A lusty page-turner from the get-go,
Decadent
lives up to its title, grabbing readers from the very first chapter and not letting go until the very end with a shuddering climax worthy of any keeper shelf.”
—
TwoLips Reviews
Wicked Ties
“I loved it!”
—Lora Leigh, #1
New York Times
bestselling author
“Not a book to be missed.”
—
A Romance Review
“Absolutely took my breath away . . .
Wicked Ties
wound itself around me and refused to let go. Full of passion and erotic love scenes.”
—
Romance Junkies
Strip Search
(writing as Shelley Bradley)
“Packs a hell of a wallop . . . an exciting, steamy, and magnificent story . . . If I had to rate this book out of ten, it would certainly get a fifteen! Twists, turns, titillating and explosive sexual chemistry, and memorable characters—readers can’t ask for more.
Strip Search
is highly recommended!”
—
The Road to Romance
“An exciting contemporary romance with suspenseful undertones . . . the love scenes are particularly steamy. This book would be perfect for readers who enjoy their romance with a hint of suspense.”
—
Curled up with a Good Book
“Blew me away ... a great read.”
—
Fallen Angel Reviews
“The twists and turns in
Strip Search
make for an intriguing climax . . . Bradley is a master of tying love and mystery together. I highly recommend this book.”
Bound and Determined
(writing as Shelley Bradley)
“This story explores one of my favorite fantasies . . . a desperate heroine takes a handsome alpha male hostage. Much sexy fun is had by all. Especially when the yummy captive turns the tables!”
—Angela Knight,
New York Times
bestselling author
“Steamier than a Florida night, with characters who will keep you laughing and have you panting for more!”
—Susan Johnson,
New York Times
bestselling author
“A searing, frolicking adventure of suspense, love, and passion!”
—Lora Leigh, #1
New York Times
bestselling author
“A flawless story that grips readers from page one and doesn’t let up.”
—
The Road to Romance
Titles by Shayla Black
Wicked Lovers series
WICKED TIES
DECADENT
DELICIOUS
SURRENDER TO ME
Anthologies
FOUR PLAY
(with Maya Banks)
Titles by Shayla Black writing as Shelley Bradley
BOUND AND DETERMINED
STRIP SEARCH
THE BERKLEY PUBLISHING GROUP
Published by the Penguin Group
Penguin Group (USA) Inc.
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Penguin Books Ltd., Registered Offices: 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England
This book is an original publication of The Berkley Publishing Group.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental. The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party websites or their content.
Copyright © 2011 by Shelley Bradley, LLC.
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights. Purchase only authorized editions. HEAT and the HEAT design are trademarks of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.
PRINTING HISTORY
Heat trade paperback edition / March 2011
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Black, Shayla.
Surrender to me / Shayla Black.—Heat trade paperback ed.
p. cm.
eISBN : 978-1-101-47883-7
1. Triangles (Interpersonal relations)—Fiction. I. Title.
PS3602.L325245S87 2011
813’.6—dc22
2010043027
For Cecil Robson, with love.
You will never know
the impact you had on my life.
You’ll always be a vivid,
larger-than-life hero to me.
Acknowledgments
To the readers on my Shayla Black Facebook page, hugs on all your encouragement every time I posted a new excerpt of this book. You made me smile and kept me going through some tough days.
Thanks to Sylvia Day for cutting through the BS to give such sage advice. You’re the best conference roomie ever!
Kris Cook, your friendship means the world to me. I don’t know what I’d do without you.
Special appreciation (and much bowing and scraping) to Sophie Oak for saving my butt at the last minute—more than once—with this book. I am super grateful. I owe you margaritas on the patio!
Thanks to my wonderful editor, Kate Seaver, for all the extra time she gave me to pull this book together, and for loving it as much as I’d hoped she would.
As always, to my wonderful family for putting up with me during deadline dementia. I wonder sometimes how you manage it, but I’m always grateful that you do.
Prologue
Friday
R
UBBING damp palms on his denim-clad thighs, Hunter stood in front of the door of the bathroom Kata had retreated to and let out a deep breath. It didn’t help; every muscle remained clenched. If there was another fucking way . . . But there wasn’t, and he knew it. This was it.
His heart pounded as he pushed into the room. The fragrant, humid air wrapped around him. Everything smelled like her: spicy amber, sweet lilies. Beyond arousing. Like always, he turned hard and aching in an instant.
God, he loved this woman.
Seeing him, she gasped and scrambled for her towel on the basin. He grabbed the damp terry cloth first, loving the hell out of her in nothing but a lacy, baby blue thong. Her smooth olive skin and lush breasts with those tight, rosy brown nipples tempted him like nothing ever had. The dark ropes of her wet hair dripped down her back, framing her freshly scrubbed face. He couldn’t wait to get back inside her, to hold her again. Yesterday, she’d been dealing with too much, so he’d backed off, hadn’t pressed his way into the snug, silken clasp of her pussy.
Tonight, all bets were off.
Realizing that he wasn’t going to give her the towel and that he blocked the path to her clothes, Kata faced him squarely, chin raised. “What now? I’ve told you how I feel and what needs to happen. If you’re here to stop me from leaving, you can’t.”
Ah, that stubborn streak of hers that intrigued him so much. Normally, he’d argue until he wore Kata down or seduce her until she gave in with a well-sated cry. This situation was far from normal. Until dawn, his most important role was to keep her safe. Nothing mattered more. Hunter had only one way left to do that . . . and give her what she wanted.
It was going to tear his fucking heart out.
He had no illusions; he’d never be the same. He’d be every inch the miserable bastard his father had been for the last fifteen lonely years, that Logan was now. Hunter had always sworn he’d do whatever it took to hang onto the one woman meant for him.
Goddamn it; in a handful of hours he’d have no choice but to let her go.
Hunter crossed his arms over his chest, restraining the urge to embrace Kata, stroke her tempting flesh—and never stop. “First, if you go home, you’re not only putting yourself in danger, but your family, too. You might not know everything about this asshole threatening you, but he knows you. Why wouldn’t he come after those you love?”