Surrender To Me (Surrender Trilogy Book 2) Read online

  Carter likes this, waking me gently with her hands brushing over my skin, easing my body into a state of instant want. I can’t suppress the smile when I become aware that this is not a dream. After the fairy tale wedding and the time leading up to it, being apart for only a short time was much too long, but fortunately, that’s over now. She lies beside me, her hand wandering idly up my legs, fingertips brushing over the inside of my thigh, and then higher, underneath my skirt. I know her well enough by now—if I go to bed by myself, I wear something that allows easy access. I put on a slip though. She’s got to work for something. The fabric is out of the way a moment later, and I lose myself in the play of her fingers, warm wetness welcoming her.

  “Did you miss me?” she asks.

  My moan is part half frustration, part undisguised lust. “What do you think?”

  She sighs, her breath a whisper touch against my neck, making me shiver.

  “I’m so happy that you’re here.” Carter leans in to kiss me, her tongue slipping past my lips as she pushes her fingers deeper into me. I’m all rested and ready now, jet lag and earlier exhaustion forgotten as I give in to the inevitable.

  “Good. I’m pretty happy too.”

  I close my eyes, concentrating on all the sensations, pleasure taking over my mind. I love the slow glide of her fingers into me, her thumb brushing over my clit, the deep intense orgasm only a heartbeat away.

  “That’s it, baby,” she murmurs. “Let go.”

  I take advantage of not being tied down this time, my fingers curling around her wrist and directing her movements. Not that she needs it—Carter knows exactly what I need, every time. As I lie gasping, she smiles down at me and kisses me softly.

  “Welcome to Vienna.”

  Less than half an hour later, Carter has changed into a beautiful long dress, dark blue with some silver sparkles, while I’m still on the bed, naked. Somehow I don’t think she minds.

  “You must be hungry,” she says, fastening her earrings. “I know this was a strange way to start off our marriage, and I really want to make it up to you.”

  “You were off to a good start,” I say, making her laugh.

  “I didn’t mean just sex. That too, granted, but I’d like to have an evening out in town. Have some good food, see the lights…”

  “You’re not going to do much walking in those shoes.”

  “No. Sightseeing will be tomorrow. I have most of the day off, just a couple of meetings. The day after tomorrow, we’ll be off to Zurich, and before we head home…you can pick a place off the map where you’d like to go.”

  “What?”

  “Oh, I didn’t mention that before? I wanted us to take our time, combine business with pleasure. It’s not like I am here all the time.”

  I still don’t know what exactly the business is or was, but there’s already been lots of pleasure, with more to come. I have almost forgotten about Bora Bora by now.

  “Wow. This is so amazing…thank you.” I jump to my feet and embrace her, only then realizing I still don’t have any clothes on me and she’s ready for the night out on the town. Carter hugs me back tightly. She doesn’t use so many words, but there must be something that I keep doing right, why she chose me. I have faith in us. Whatever it is, I’ll just keep doing it.

  Carter changes her shoes after all, and we walk the few minutes to the restaurant, stop at St. Stephan’s cathedral on the way. We’re lucky—it’s still open, and so we can take a moment to admire the interior. I’m still not used to the shift—everything in my life is larger than life now.

  We get a few curious looks, but I see right away that we’re not the slightest overdressed for this gastronomic restaurant. The waiter leads us to one of the intimate booths. The light is soft and dimmed in here, highlighting round tables and stark white tablecloths. Carter, no stranger to places like this, chats with the waiter and listens to his recommendations with interest. I’m drifting a little, still amazed about how the European trip is panning out so far. When he brings the appetizers, I’m slightly taken aback for a moment, until Carter informs me that this will be a nine course meal.

  “I promised you Bora Bora,” she says, taking my hand. “I know you were so looking forward to going there, so I owe you. As you know, we don’t do this every day. That’s not so much about money as it is about time, but I want this trip to be special for both of us. After all, it is kind of our honeymoon.”

  “This is great, but I want you to know it’s okay. I know what you do is important. I’m not going to sulk because we sometimes have to change plans last minute.”

  “How did everyone take it?” she asks.

  “I didn’t tell my parents. I took the girls shopping, and I think they’re okay. Hey, no one can fully understand the dimensions of your business, so it all looks normal to them.”

  “Okay then. I thought I’d give everyone a little gift—as my introduction to the family, so to speak. Your parents talked about a cruise they wanted to take one day, so I got them one. Your friend won’t have to pay a mortgage anymore.”

  For a split-second, I’m convinced my jaw has dropped all the way to the floor which I’m afraid makes for an unattractive look. “You didn’t have to do that. When…”

  “I had Marlene make the necessary arrangements. Look, this isn’t much. I just wanted to give them something.”

  This is a double-edged sword. I know Mom and Dad were a bit disappointed that most of the wedding preparations were taken out of their hands, and they were struggling to find a gift for someone who already has everything. They are polite with Carter, but I suppose that like Haley, they are wondering about the circumstances that brought us together.

  Haley. Oh my God. She might misinterpret this on an epic scale.

  Carter takes a sip of her wine, not knowing what to make of my reaction. “You don’t look too happy, but I think it’s too late to take it all back.”

  “Oh no, please don’t think I’m ungrateful. My parents would just wait forever, and never go on that vacation, so that’s awesome. Haley…I just can’t convince her you didn’t manipulate me into all of this with some sinister plan.”

  “Do you feel like I did that?” Carter asks in all seriousness.

  It’s my turn to reach for the wine. “I had a say in it, didn’t I? I came to you, remember? I wanted you back. I couldn’t stop thinking about you. It’s not about the money, or the clothes, or the travel. It’s because no one ever made me feel this way.”

  The next course arrives, interrupting my passionate speech. Living the high life takes a lot of energy. I think I’m actually hungry enough to eat all of it.

  “Haley will come around. I think everyone’s a bit intimidated.”

  She doesn’t deny it.

  “Speaking of which, can I ask you about your mission here?” I lower my voice as if we’re in a spy movie. Then again, Carter’s activities behind the curtain are the real thing. There’s a good reason to talk about them quietly.

  “I’m not sure what to tell you. There’s a woman who needs a safe place—I’m sure you figured that out. We decided that Switzerland would be this place. She has two kids, and an ex-husband coming after her, so we didn’t want to take any chances.”

  “An ex-husband with lots of money and power, I assume.”

  “Correct.”

  I’m curious, and then there are things I don’t want to know, not really, but I have to ask anyway.

  “Is he going to try anything? Are you in danger?” This makes me think of the gun on the wedding day. “He could follow us all the way home?”

  “I don’t want you to worry. I’m not kidding. My security staff is aware of him and his connections, and if any of them were foolish enough to come near us, I promise you they’d regret it.”

  I lean back in my chair with a sigh. “That’s…reassuring.”

  “I know I made mistakes last time. That will never happen again.”

  I have no doubt that she’s serious. I trust her, but I�
��m not sure I trust the people on the other end of this. It’s part of my reality now, and I guess it’s true that there’s no point in being scared all the time. It doesn’t mean I’m done asking questions. She brought me to this special place where you can pay the price of a used car for a bottle of wine, so I will push this out of my mind for now.

  “Don’t worry,” she says again. “I wanted to make sure myself that everything’s taken care of, and it is. We’ll spend a nice vacation and then go home.”

  So be it.

  Later, when we’re back in the suite and ready for bed, she produces a small box and holds it out to me. “I have one more gift for you I didn’t have the chance to give you earlier.”

  “Another gift? Thank you. This is all too much, but thank you.” There’s a bracelet with a half moon pendant inside, and a blue stone.

  Carter takes it out of the box and reaches for my ankle, fastening the bracelet. There’s something deeply erotic about the simple gesture.

  “Thanks. This is beautiful. I love the half moon.”

  She smiles. “Actually, it’s meant to be a C—just a little reminder that you’re all mine.”

  I knew there was a sexy reason behind it. “I don’t think I need to be reminded, but it’s wonderful.”

  “I’m glad you like it.”

  There’s something incredibly exciting about this exchange, the play with power dynamics. When the lights are off and we lie in each other’s arms, I feel like I need to remind her of something as well. “I love everything about our lives. I know I don’t always give you the impression, but I’m grateful for things the way they are. You don’t have to always give me more. I’m in it for the long run.”

  She holds me closer in response. Someday, I will convince her that no chains, imaginary or real, are necessary to hold me. This is everything I want.

  * * * *

  The next morning, we spend sightseeing as promised. We visit Schonbrunn Palace and spend a long time walking in the gardens, admiring sculptures, fountains and the Roman Ruins. In the evening, Carter takes me to another part of the city to the Prater, a permanent fair where the famous giant Ferris wheel looms. To my surprise, Carter takes my hand and walks past the line to one of the staff members operating the wheel.

  “Ms. Forbes,” he says, “so nice to see you. The next one is yours.”

  I should be used to this by now, doors opening wherever we go, but I’m not, and the next moment, I find myself sitting in one of the enclosed gondolas that usually hold six people, but is reserved for the two of us. There’s a piccolo of champagne which I’m sure is forbidden to other customers, and a small selection of chocolates. Then the gondola lurches slightly, and we go up. I clutch the bench with both hands as the people, buildings and stands on the ground become smaller and smaller. I haven’t been in Ferris wheel since I was a kid, and that, of course, wasn’t this high. I don’t remember the gondolas moving either. Carter changes places to sit beside me, laying an arm around me. “Relax,” she whispers close to my ear. “It’s supposed to be fun.”

  “It is,” I say, trying not to look down, though the lights of the city are pretty. My stomach is doing a bit of a flip-flop with each round. Carter puts the small bottle and the chocolates into a bag, and kisses my temple.

  “I’m sorry I didn’t ask. I thought it was romantic.”

  “You hardly ever do,” I tease her, slowly getting used to the experience. “You can help me relax later.”

  “I certainly can. You think you can handle dinner?”

  My stomach growling is all the answer she needs.

  I’m so focused on this cultural experience that I almost forget about the reason we’re here in the first place. Even Carter who hardly ever lets her guard down, at least not in public, seems carefree and relaxed. When we sit down in the restaurant, tired of walking, she asks, “Have you thought about where you want to go?”

  “That’s tough,” I admit. “There are so many places I’d like to go, but I know we’re on a schedule. I never even thought I’d visit Vienna, and this is so amazing. I read about the Greek islands, those seem really beautiful. Or somewhere in Italy. Anywhere in Italy. I’ve never been to London. Or Paris.”

  Oh my God, I sound like a kid let loose in a Toys’R’Us.

  “Don’t worry,” Carter says softly. “We’ll go to all these places eventually, just not this time. I know I’m deciding many things on my own, which is partly because I have to, in order to keep the business going, and partly because I’m used to it. I want you to have a say in this too.”

  “I know. I swear I’ll get a handle on all of this. Let’s narrow it down to a few days on the beach somewhere?”

  “All right. We’ll go to Zurich tonight, and by tomorrow afternoon, I need your decision. We can spend three days or so…let things calm down for a bit at home.”

  “You mean the guy who might or might not be coming after us.”

  She laughs. “No, I mean your friend Haley. I assume she has heard from her bank by now.”

  * * * *

  Indeed she has.

  What the hell is going on? We can’t accept this! is only the first of a dozen of text messages, ending with, Call me when you can. We really need to talk about this.

  Lara texts me too: P, I don’t know what to do. Haley’s pretty upset.

  No kidding. At this point, I’m slightly irritated with the two of them. Can’t they see that I’m happy, that everything’s the way it’s supposed to be? It’s not like Carter is trying to buy their silence on anything, or their friendship for that matter. She’s well aware that they still regard her with suspicion, but she gave them the money anyway, because she can. Why can’t they just be grateful for it?

  Meanwhile, our trip continues. The sky is already dark when we take off for Zurich in the private jet, the lights of Vienna fading in the distance. Since my “abduction,” I’ve been on the jet a couple of times, and the experience is nothing even like the first class flight I came here on. We have other passengers:

  The woman greets Carter briefly, her gratitude obvious, before she turns her attention to her two children, a shy ten-year-old girl and a baby boy. We will accompany them to a safe location and then go on our own way. The atmosphere is tense, and I’m relieved that the flight isn’t longer than a little over an hour.

  The driver, a tall brunette woman, waits for us at the airport. I watch with curiosity as she and Carter hug briefly.

  “Muriel, it’s good to see you. This is my wife, Penelope.”

  “I heard.” Muriel smiles politely. Her handshake is slightly painful. “Congratulations.” She turns her attention to the other guests. “And you must be Victoria,” she says to the girl.

  “Emilia, and Cody,” Carter continues the introductions. “Penelope and I will leave tomorrow afternoon. I assume everything is ready at the house?”

  Muriel nods.

  “Good. Let’s go then.”

  The house overlooks a lake, with the mountains in the distance. It’s a beautiful location, but no one is enjoying it much at the moment as everyone gets settled in their rooms. There is more security staff here, and it makes me wonder how many Carter actually employs. I have a lot to learn, no kidding.

  It turns out that Muriel is a great cook as well, because she prepares dinner for all of us, and her skills come close to the wonders Marlene can produce.

  Emilia barely touches her food. She looks pale and withdrawn—who could blame her? I’d be scared if I had a crazy ex-husband coming after me, kids to think about, and depended on the kindness of strangers. We retreat to separate quarters after dinner, and even then, Carter doesn’t offer much of an explanation.

  Maybe I should stop wanting one. She’s helping a woman in a desperate situation, what else do I need to know? I wish I could tell my parents and friends all about it, so they’d stop making assumptions about her.

  When I wake up the next day, Carter is already gone. I take a quick shower and head downstairs where I find her
with Emilia, talking. I do a bit of a double-take at the sight of Carter holding the baby, which opens up another multitude of questions to me. We never even talked about children. Does she want them? Did she ever? Do I? Too many of those before the first coffee.

  “Good morning, Penelope,” Carter says, her voice warm and happy, a stark contrast to her tense demeanor last evening. “Sit down, eat with us. Thanks to Muriel, there’s coffee and food too. She did an amazing job preparing everything for us.”

  Somehow I don’t think she and Emilia talked about breakfast before I entered the room. I’m not sure how to feel about this—any of it. It’s not that I’m jealous. Emilia obviously has enough problems of her own. She needs someone to help her out, not…I almost physically shake my head. I need coffee, right now.

  Carter hands the baby back to his mother and joins me at the counter where I pour myself a cup and fill my plate from the buffet Muriel has created.

  “Are you all right?” she asks.

  “Yes, sure. I won’t say I’m not curious, but…You’ve explained to me that this is the way it is. The fewer questions, the safer it is for everyone, right?”

  “That’s right,” she says, sounding relieved. “Did you make up your mind yet?”

  I take a sip of my coffee, trying to reconcile the current situation with this other dilemma of mine. It’s strange to live a rich person’s life, with all the comforts and responsibilities that come with it. We need to keep Emilia’s jerk of an ex-husband from getting to her. Oh and by the way, let’s have lunch in London or Madrid later today. It’s not the kind of to-do list I used to write.

  “Could we go to Nice?”

  Carter laughs, surprised. “I didn’t think of that, but sure we can. I’ll let the pilot know. You’re wearing it,” she remarks, meaning the ankle bracelet.

  “Of course I am. I like what it means.” Her eyes darken, and I bet she’s as impatient as I am to get out of this house and to a place where we can be alone. Hey, it’s been a couple of days. That’s a long time to go for us.

  We’re going to Nice.

  Everything will be fine, including Emilia and her family.