Ultimate Surrender: The Surrender Series, Book 2 Read online

  “I’m not most girls.”

  “No. You’re most definitely not most girls.” The expression on his face looked like he’d sucked on a lemon or a week-old tuna.

  Whatever.

  “Why’d you stay in NYC then if you’re so against being a part of your family’s legacy?”

  Several answers popped into her head. They ranged from sarcastic to snarky to downright rude. She settled on one and opened her mouth, ready to let him have it for being so damn nosy. “It’s home.” She blinked and shut her mouth, shocked that she’d told him the truth. Again.

  He simply nodded. Not demanding more info. Not looking down on her for her decision. Just simply understood.

  His thoughtfulness was an unanticipated punch to the gut. She stiffened her spine as if she were going into battle and decided to push his buttons to put them on a more familiar sparring ground.

  “Quid pro quo. Why—”

  “No worries. I’m the second son of high school sweethearts. Both teachers. One older brother who’s a teacher, and my younger sister is a…” He waited for her to jump in, which she didn’t do. “A teacher. Come on. I led you right to it.”

  “Why would I guess she’s a teacher? I’ve never met her before. She could have been a trapeze artist with the circus, or a biochemist for Bloomingdales, creating their newest scent.”

  “Because all Newburys are teachers.”

  “You’re not.”

  His grin. It wasn’t flirtatious, charming, or manipulative. No. It was genuine and disarmed her more than anything else he’d ever done.

  He ran his hand over his closely cropped hair. It made him look younger, vulnerable even. It made her pause with how much she wanted to know more about him. So she straightened her spine and got back to business.

  “Thanks for telling me all of that, but it wasn’t what I was going to ask you.”

  “What do you want to know? I’m an open book.”

  “Why did you kiss me?”

  “Oh. That.”

  “Good grief, Campbell, it wasn’t that bad.”

  “Bad? You think I thought it was bad?”

  Rolling her eyes came quite naturally. “You look nauseous. I’m pretty certain even I can tell that’s not a good sign when you kiss someone.”

  “Well, what about you?”

  She gave him the what-the-fuck face. “What about me? You’re the one who kissed me.”

  “And you most definitely kissed me back.”

  “Did not.”

  “Ha!” The noise burst out of him like a gunshot. “I distinctly remember the feel of your tongue in my mouth.”

  Wanting to refute it would do nothing but perpetuate a lie. And she hated a liar. “I didn’t want to.” That was the truth.

  Eyeing her mouth, he stepped a tiny bit closer so when he stopped she had to tilt her head back the slightest amount to look up at him. Not many men made her feel small, but Campbell was definitely one of the few who did. “Didn’t want to kiss me or didn’t want to like it?”

  “Both,” whispered out of her and she swayed toward him. “What’s wrong with me?”

  His hands brushed against her waist and he took half a step closer, eliminating the rest of the distance between them. “Nothing wrong with a bit of animal magnetism.”

  “You think way too highly of yourself.” She licked her lips and he most definitely didn’t miss the action.

  “And you don’t think highly enough of yourself.”

  He was right but he didn’t need to know that. “What makes you so smart?”

  “I know women. Know when they need something. When they’re denying something happening between themselves and another person.”

  “So you can read minds, Dr. Campbell?”

  His smile. This time it was pure dominant male. “No. Body language.” His hand on her waist moved to the back and down. A bit more. More. He slid it down over her jeans and pulled her into him a bit more. “And scent, Natalie. I can pick up on your need from that too.”

  Watching his nostrils flare, she let a little moan slip out.

  “Fuck I need your taste again.” His other hand slid into her hair and he grabbed a handful of it and yanked her head back. Exposing her throat seemed to be exactly what he wanted. His tongue slid up the column of her throat and her pussy pulsed between her thighs.

  She should stop him.

  Calling a halt to—this—was exactly what she needed to do.

  Being seduced by him wasn’t on her planner. Getting caught in some kind of torrid affair so it could be splashed all over the headlines was the last thing she needed on her plate at the moment. Especially with the psycho dude after her for who knew what fucked-up reason.

  What could it hurt? tickled her mind, as his hand snuck beneath her shirt and his palm slid along her skin, getting closer and closer to her breasts.

  Her breath caught in her throat as he flicked open the front closure of her bra, and one of her large breasts spilled into his hand.

  “Fuucckkk,” he cursed against her mouth right before he pinched her nipple.

  Her back arched, and she pulled at his shirt. Naked. He needed to be naked. And so did she.

  The knock knock knock sounded just as he reached behind himself to yank his shirt over his head.

  They stood there. Frozen. Two paths laid out before them in that pregnant pause and neither of them said anything. Neither of them moved.

  Knock knock knock. “It’s Wyatt.”

  Campbell cursed and pulled his shirt back down.

  “Thank God,” she whispered and stepped away from him. Scrambling to trap her boobs back in her bra was definitely not how she wanted to greet a NYPD detective.

  Dammit, she’d almost made a huge-ass mistake.

  She knew Campbell was a playboy. No question about it. He admitted it. It’s not like he was trying to coax her under false pretenses into his bed.

  No. She’d been about to make an egregiously stupid mistake with her eyes wide open.

  Watching him out of the corner of her eye, she thought he seemed…something. Pissed. Horny. Who knew?

  She didn’t. And she shouldn’t care. Wouldn’t care.

  Rolling her eyes at herself didn’t happen often but she made up for it.

  Detective Wyatt was getting added to her Christmas card list for the interruption of the century. What if he hadn’t come for several more minutes?

  Gawd. Heat suffused her cheeks as several scenarios ran through her head with rapid fire.

  Glad. She was glad they’d been interrupted.

  She didn’t need him and couldn’t afford his distraction.

  By the door he stood, waiting for her to get finished.

  And there wasn’t even an ounce of her that wanted to know what he was packing below his belt.

  Glancing at his fly from twenty feet away, she could have sworn his dick jumped.

  Not even an ounce of her.

  Totally not.

  At all.

  Chapter Three

  Campbell

  Natalie confining her tits back in her bra was some kind of crime against nature.

  One handful.

  That was all he got before Wyatt showed up.

  One. Fucking. Handful.

  And honestly that one only counted as like a half because he’d been so stunned his hand was up her shirt. Only explanation he could come up with was he’d gotten on some kind of autopilot on her. Nothing else made sense. Especially not that he’d just wanted to comfort her. That he’d honestly been interested in her answers to his questions above and beyond creating a file in his head on her. Wanting to solve the who, what, why mystery of who was after her hadn’t even entered his mind.

  Shaking his head, he turned away from her. Last thing he needed was to think of her bodacio
us rack again. His dick was going to need a serious cum-ectomy if he thought of her. Again. Naked. On the table behind him. Her feet over his shoulders. His hands wrapped around her wrists, holding her in place. His cock buried deep inside her as she came on him.

  Opening the door, he barely kept his growl in place. “Wyatt. Thanks for coming.” ’Cause apparently you’re the only one who is.

  “No problem. Sorry it took so long. I stopped down at the scene of the latest hit-and-run to see if there were any cameras in place watching that intersection.”

  “And?” Natalie asked as she approached. “Find anything?”

  “Nothing. There was a camera supposed to be on there but it stopped working two months ago.”

  “That’s quite coincidental.” Campbell tried not to sound accusatory but he totally failed.

  “With budget cuts for the city there are lots of things that suffer. Red light cameras aren’t one of them. They’re maintained above several other items.”

  “City revenue,” Natalie offered.

  “Exactly. But this one just happened to be a standard intersection camera due to the number of accidents that occur there.”

  “So no footage.” Natalie’s disappointment was a punch to the gut he wasn’t expecting.

  “Nada.”

  Campbell didn’t like how hopelessness made her look and he was confused by his need to pull her to his side and comfort her. Instead he planted his fists on his hips and faced Wyatt as he stepped to the table and laid a pad and pen down. “Anything else? Any other footage? Other surveillance from the businesses around Mirch? Eyewitnesses? Fucking cell phone footage from a fourteen-year-old YouTuber?”

  “Nada,” Wyatt sighed and yawned. “Sorry. I’m pulling a double and am going on a full twenty-four with no sleep.” He yawned again and shook his head. “Natalie, why don’t you come with me?”

  “Where?” Campbell and Natalie asked at the same time. Hers sounded a bit nicer, but whatever.

  “We’ll use your office, Campbell. I’ll get her statement and then I’ll take yours. See if either of you remember any details about this time.”

  “Why not talk to us together?” He asked the question but Natalie waited just like he did to hear the answer. “Maybe it will speed up the interrogation, too. That way you can get home and we can figure out what Natalie and I are going to do to keep her safe.”

  “Nope. Her first. Then you. And while I’m talking to her you can brainstorm on what safety measures need to be taken.”

  “How long are you going to be?” Campbell enquired through gritted teeth.

  Wyatt picked up his pad and the pen clipped to it and gestured for Natalie to precede him into the office. “As long as it takes. You know that’s always the same answer. We’ll be out as soon as we’re done. And lay off the coffee, Campbell. You’re looking a bit jumpy.”

  If you only knew the half of it.

  Natalie never looked back. Not once. Just walked ahead with her fists clenched at her sides.

  The office door closed Natalie and Wyatt in together and Campbell firmly on the other side of it. Not allowed into his own office. What the fuck? With tight fists he started a walking path around the fucking conference table and receptionist area.

  Pissed off didn’t even touch his mood.

  He was worried about Natalie and more than just as a client.

  Horny didn’t get close to how bad he needed to come and he was lusting after Natalie. His client. Whom he didn’t like.

  How the hell did he fall down that rabbit hole?

  He was smarter than that.

  Mixing business and pleasure was spelled one way only. It started with dis and ended with aster.

  But fuck she came alive in his hands. It was like she lit up. Could it have been a natural effect of the adrenaline pumping in her system after he took her down to the ground before she got hit?

  Of course.

  Could she be just as confused by the whole thing as he was?

  Would make sense.

  Was he going to listen to the good sense God gave him and steer very clear from her and the trouble he could see behind her eyes?

  One trek around the room.

  Another.

  And an extra for good measure.

  No clue. None at all.

  First thing he needed to do was stop thinking about her. Easy. Seriously. He could do that.

  Half a dozen promenades around the room and he was right back deciding what he could do with the hottie in his office. True he didn’t make it half a lap without her filling all of his thoughts, but whatever. He could quit anytime.

  His head weighed in with a resounding, Run.

  Didn’t take his dick two seconds to kick his head to the curb so he’d have a clear shot at nailing her.

  Listening to his dick hadn’t led him astray yet. Well… Not exactly astray he didn’t think. Maybe a bit off course, but man had he partaken in some amazing scenes before.

  The kicker?

  Something in his chest kept squeezing when he even considered walking away from her. Almost as if his heart or—shudder—his feelings were trying to weigh in on the monumental decision he was battling over.

  That couldn’t be right though.

  It sure as hell hadn’t ever happened before.

  He hadn’t officially accepted the job yet. Maybe he could switch with Clay.

  If he wasn’t invested in her detail then he could maybe get a bit frisky—

  Hands on the door and muffled voices outside drew his attention. The metal door swung open with a not-so-happy Clay leading the way. “You don’t need to be here until we know what’s going on and what we’re dealing with. I don’t even know the condition we’re going to find her in.”

  “Which is even that much more of a reason that I should be here.” Angela followed him in with baby Wyatt in tow. Named after the detective interrogating his wom—client in the other room.”

  “Hey, Campbell? You all right?”

  Glancing over at Clay, he shrugged. “I’m solid.” Mostly.

  “Then can you safety the weapon you have pointed at my family?”

  His Glock was in his right hand. When the fuck had he done that?

  So much for thinking he wasn’t one hundred ten percent invested in Natalie and getting her safe again. At least his finger wasn’t on the trigger. But Lordy. He released the hammer, safetied the gun, and tucked it back in his side harness. Clicking it into place, he shook his head. “Sorry, man. My fault. Guess I’m a bit on edge still. Earlier was…rough.”

  Natalie’s voice kicked up inside his head. Thanks, Captain Obvious.

  Just what he didn’t need. To hear her even when she wasn’t standing there. What in the world had he gotten himself into?

  Angela gestured toward Campbell and then to Clay. “See, everything is just fine. We need to be here for our friends and I have the best and most wonderful security guard in the world to protect me and baby Wyatt.” Leaning over, she brushed a kiss on Clay’s cheek and then hummed against his mouth.

  “You can stay.”

  Begrudgingly. Campbell didn’t think he’d ever really seen that word put into a visual display before, but he couldn’t say that anymore after Clay sorta gave his wife the green light.

  Not that baby Wyatt had even the slightest of a clue something was amiss in his world. Snuggled against his mama’s throat, with his little mouth hanging open, he had nothing to be concerned with in the entire world.

  Campbell gave Clay shit about him having a kid all the time, but honestly? He was wicked envious. Angela was awesome. Her whole family was amazing, and they’d kind of made him an honorary member after they learned he was the one protecting her for most of her pregnancy.

  Unable to stay away, Campbell stepped forward and patted the sleeping baby on the back. He stirr
ed for a couple seconds and then resettled, going completely limp again.

  “He loves you, Campbell,” Angela offered, and it wasn’t the first time she’d said it. “Anytime you’re around he calms right down.”

  “Well, he does have an amazing middle name. Probably has something to do with it.”

  Clay snorted and ushered Angela over to a soft armchair in the corner they’d brought in just for her.

  “Angela, why didn’t you ever fall for my charming personality?”

  Angela laughed silently, trying hard not to jostle the baby.

  Clay stared him down with a growl.

  “Oh can it, Cujo. I know she’s all into you and shit—uhh—sorry. Stuff. But none of my charm worked on you. At all. It baffles me still to this day.”

  He wasn’t all that curious about the answer but he needed something else to think about. Anything other than the fact the detective had been talking to Natalie for quite a while and he was ready to climb a damn wall.

  “You are charming, but you know that. I was immune to you. There was no one else but Clay for me. I knew it when we were kids. No one else held any interest for me. Nothing you did wrong, and nothing you could have done differently. You just weren’t the man for me.”

  “That’s it?”

  “Well and you were quite a man-whore if I do remember correctly the few tales you shared.”

  “You shared what with my wife?”

  Campbell just smiled and drew a fake halo above his head.

  “You’d better hope I never find out what awfulness you regurgitated.”

  Campbell paced again. “You sure as hell won’t hear it from me.”

  Clay nodded at Campbell’s office. “We saw Wyatt’s unmarked car downstairs. How long’s he been in there?”

  Glancing at his watch, Campbell had to estimate it. “Twenty-four minutes.” And thirty-two seconds. Okay, maybe not so much of an estimate.

  “So what happened?” Angela asked with her brow scrunched low in worry.

  “She’d just run outside and less than a minute after that a car nearly ran her over.”

  “Why did she run outside?” Clay asked it and Campbell acted oblivious. “You’re fucking kidding me.”