Dare to Surrender (26 page)

“Thirty is the new twenty-five.”

Joy couldn’t help but chuckle through her tears. She hugged Erica tighter, giving her a kiss on the cheek. They stayed like
that for a few more minutes, cheek-to-cheek, until finally Joy took a few deep breaths and pulled back. But Erica kept her
close, staring at her strangely.

“You love him.”

Joy snorted. “What? That’s ridiculous!”

Erica just stared at her. “You do. You normally wouldn’t care about something like this so much, but with this guy you do.”

“Of course I do! I’m not a thief!”

“No, but you usually just accept the outcome of things and move on. You’re definitely more upset about this particular shenanigan
than usual.”

“Maybe,” Joy admitted with a pout.

“Uh-huh.”

After a few moments of silence, Joy sighed. “We’re a mess. I steal from my non-boyfriend, and you hate the first guy you’ve
been attracted to in years.”

Erica picked a nonexistent thread off her dress.
“Well…”

“Well, what?” Joy put a hand over her mouth and gasped. “It’s not the rich guy, is it?”

“He’s not… quite as preppy as I thought.”

“So. You misjudged him? The great Erica O’Reily actually got it wrong.”

“I’m not saying that. I’m saying I hardly even know him.”

“But you had sex with him.”

“Maybe.”

“How was it?”

There was that blush on her friend’s face again. “Freaking phenomenal,” she finally admitted. “And…”

“And what?” Joy demanded.

Erica squealed as she sat on the sofa. “He’s covered in tattoos!”

“Get out!”

“I know!” Erica’s eyes glittered. “He looks so preppy, but then he takes off his shirt, and he’s totally covered. It’s really,
really hot!”

Joy nodded. She was well aware of Erica’s tattoo fetish.

“And they’re good ones,” she went on. “Not crappy ones, but very artistic.”

“You must have had an orgasm just looking at them.”

“I almost did.”

Joy was silent for a second. “Yeah, I know how you feel. I get that way sometimes when I see Ash’s sculptures.”

“So, what’s the problem, then?”

“We’re total opposites.”

Erica looked thoughtful. “Maybe it’s true. Maybe opposites attract… and then you have to look at the core to see what matches
up.”

“Are we talking from personal experience, by chance?”

Erica shrugged. “I don’t know. All I’m saying is maybe it’s a good idea to know all the facts before you make a final decision.”

Joy twisted to the side and brought her knees to her chest. “Erica, what’s gotten into you?”

Erica twisted the pendant at her neck and gave a nervous laugh. “Um… Blaine?”

Joy threw a pillow at her friend. “You tramp!”

“You think so?”

“Yes! And it’s about time.”

The girls fell into a heap of laughter, just as they’d done a million times before.

Finally Erica pulled away. “You’re sure this Ash guy is different?”

Joy paused and then, “Are you sure this Blaine guy is different?”

“No. But I’m willing to take a chance.” Her gaze softened. “Are you?”

“Yeah. I think so.”

“Now listen. You’ve been through a lot today. Let me cook you something amazing.”

“I thought you’d never ask.”

Standing, Erica said, “You just put your feet up and relax for now, okay? I’ll bring you a glass of wine.”

“Thanks, Erica. I love you, you know.”

“I know.” Smiling, she turned and went into the kitchen.

Lying back on the sofa, Joy stared at the black-and-white photograph of Erica and her that sat in a frame on a side table.
It was from a few years back when they’d gone camping in Mendocino. That was a good trip; they had so many good memories.
Joy just wanted her friend to be happy.

And Joy wanted to be happy, too. Erica was finally coming to terms with her working-class roots, but what about her? Why did
Joy always pick the wrong guys?

Was Ash wrong?

No, everything about him was right, and just the thought of him made her toes curl and her heart skip as she pictured his
teasing grin and electric green eyes. Ruby said he may have cheated, but Joy had a hard time believing that. She just knew
he could never do something so dishonest and untrustworthy.

He was different; he was nothing like the usual scammers she picked. She bit her lip. It was Joy who was going to have to
prove that she wasn’t the unfocused mess he thought she was.

She just wasn’t sure exactly how to do that.

Y
ou seem jumpy tonight. Anything wrong?” Ash asked as he carried over two tumblers of whiskey.

Just as she was leaving Erica’s after a long dinner, Ash had called, inviting her over. She loved that he was thinking of
her and had immediately jumped in a cab to his house. Erica had insisted Joy borrow a hundred dollars until she got paid,
so at least she had a few bucks to last until Friday.

“Oh. Um.” She’d almost forgotten about the events from earlier. “I was mugged today.”

“What!” he demanded. Suddenly the easy-mannered blond man she had known turned into something resembling a very angry lion.

She gulped. “Yeah. Earlier. In an alley. I’m okay; they just got my wallet.”

He was beside her in an instant, assessing her in one all-encompassing gaze. “Why didn’t you tell me earlier? Are you okay?
What happened?”

She let him lead her to the sofa where he gently pushed her onto the cushions. She became aware of all the framed photographs
scattered around the room, mostly images of her, and a fresh wave of panic washed over her. Guilt still spread through, but
she ignored it. She had a plan, a plan to fix everything. Isn’t that what responsible people did when they fucked up? Fixed
it? She was going to fix it. First thing in the morning.

He took her in his arms, brushing a soothing hand over her hair. “It’s okay, baby. I’m here.”

She breathed in his scent: whiskey, soap, and him. If he found out what she’d done, would she ever be this close to him again?

“Oh, babe. You’re shaking.” He scooped her up in his arms and stood.

“What are you doing?”

He kissed her softly on the forehead. “Taking care of you.”

Ash lit the last candle. Looking around the bathroom, he thought Joy would be pleased. He’d pilfered about ten big, white
candles from his emergency supply and scattered them around, lighting the room in a warm, soft glow. After he’d heard that
Joy had been robbed, he thought he was going to lose his head. Pure rage had bolted through him, leaving a white-hot anger
pulsing in his veins.

Some fucker had dared to rob his Joy.

His
Joy? Where had that thought come from?

Even now, several hours later, he still fought back the anger and fear of what could have happened.

Don’t go there, Hunter.

Helpless. He fought that feeling, but he needed to do something for her, anything. Because he couldn’t track down and kill
the asshole who’d held her up, he decided to take care of her instead.

He was just turning off the bathwater when Joy appeared, looking half awake, her hair still messy from sleeping. His gaze
dropped to the pale skin of her thighs, and his body immediately responded with desire.

“What’s all this?” she asked, her eyes wide.

He crossed the room and placed his hands on her shoulders. “I thought you could use a nice relaxing bath.”

“You didn’t have to do this, Ash.”

He placed a gentle kiss on her nose. “I wanted to.”

She sighed and he could have sworn she looked reluctant for a second. But then she reached up and cupped his head with her
palm, pulling him close for a kiss. Holding him, she ran her tongue over his lips, pushed her way inside his mouth.

When she stepped back, his cock was throbbing. Then she pulled the T-shirt over her head and threw it on the ground, and everything
in him went tight with lust.

She stood there before him, the candlelight flickering over her pale skin, highlighting the dip of her waist and the beautiful
curve of her full breasts. Her nipples were hard, tight points, and he couldn’t wait to taste her skin.

She stepped out of her panties and then stepped forward to tug off his shirt and pants. When they were both naked, she got
on her tiptoes and kissed him again.

He wasn’t sure what had shifted, but her manner was different. He let her lead.

“This was supposed to be for you,” he said.

“You deserve a little pampering, too.” She glanced around the bathroom, and her gaze landed on some bath items his designer
had strategically left near the tub. The bathtub was a huge, square minimalist piece that went with the Zen theme he’d gone
for when he remodeled the flat a few years ago. He’d never thought to use any of the props the designer had left, but it looked
like Joy had other plans.

She poured a small bottle of some sort of oil into a wooden bowl on the counter, and the scent of lavender wafted through
the steam. Then Joy filled it with warm water, submerged a towel into the water, and placed the bowl on the rim of the bathtub.

“Come here, Ash,” she said as she climbed into the tub and settled back with a contented sigh.

Even if he’d wanted to deny her, there was no way he could have. Lust pounded through his veins; his cock was throbbing for
her. And there was more…. He wanted her with more than his prick. The need came from somewhere else… somewhere in his chest.
He didn’t stop to examine those feelings.

Sometimes when he looked at her, like now, she took his breath away and he couldn’t think about anything except her exceptional,
feminine beauty.

Her hair was a brilliant mess, the ends swimming in the water around her shoulders. Her hazel eyes twinkled in the dim light,
the candles flickering in their depths. Her skin glowed under the water, her breasts sticking out just enough so he could
see her nipples, tight and pink.

“Joy, you’re the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.”

She opened her legs wide and swam her hand between her knees in the water in a gentle stroke. “Come here, baby.”

For some reason, the words sent a shudder through him. No woman had ever referred to him by anything other than his given
name.

Joy did everything differently, didn’t she?

He climbed into the bathtub, let the warm water swallow him as he settled in front of her, between her legs. Carefully, he
settled back against her. He felt the tight curls of her damp pubic hair at the base of his spine, felt the soft curve of
her belly touch his lower back… her breasts, her nipples wet and slippery against his skin.

His balls were so tight, his cock so hard. But he wasn’t in a hurry. Thanks to Joy, the scent of lavender filled the room
in a relaxing scent, and the steam rising from the water was like a calming whisper.

He felt her hands on his head as she placed a soft, warm kiss at his ear. “Just relax,” she whispered, and he nodded. With
Joy he actually could relax and it felt…

Damn good.

Her hands were on his face, her fingertips gently grazing his skin. Then she began stroking him in slow, small circles, starting
on his chin and around his mouth.

“How does it feel?” she asked in a low voice.

“Amazing.”

He sensed her smile. She continued the gentle massage, using those leisurely circles on his cheekbones, his temples, his forehead.
He hadn’t realized how tight he was until he felt the tension drain out of his body under her touch.

He felt warm water sluice over his hair, and then she drizzled what he suspected was shampoo onto his scalp. Using her palms,
she pressed and rubbed her hands over his head, thoroughly massaging his scalp from around his ears, the back of his head,
his forehead.

“Oh, yeah… just like that, Joy.”

“You like it?”

“Fuck yeah,” he said.

“I want to please you.”

“Oh, sweetheart. You do.”

She continued to massage his scalp, working around his hairline. When she reached his ears, she gently kneaded his earlobes,
and he was shocked when a fresh wave of arousal washed over him.

“Tilt your head back.”

With his eyes closed, he arched slightly and angled his neck so Joy could rinse the shampoo out of his hair. Careful not to
get water or soap in his eyes, she used the water that had been in the bowl and poured the warm, lavender-scented liquid over
his head in a slow trickle.

His arousal ratcheted up another notch; he was so fucking hard. He groaned out loud from pleasure.

But she wasn’t done yet. She wrung out the oil-infused towel and wrapped it around his head. The warmth and scent of the damp
towel was like an unknown luxury, and he leaned back once more against Joy.

They stayed like that. Joy traced a lazy pattern around his chest, his nipples, and then her fingers dipped beneath the water
to graze his stomach. Softly, she brushed her fingers against the tip of his erection, and he bit back a groan.

She took a washcloth and squeezed some lavender soap onto it. Then she dipped it in the bathwater and began to retrace her
path, using the washcloth to rub over his chest, his abdomen, and lower. She wrapped the damp cloth around his penis and stroked
him. She paid special attention to the underside, pressing right below the head, and all the muscles in his abs tensed as
he gasped.

“Joy, I could get used to this.” The sensation of the cloth and warm water, feeling Joy’s body slick and wet behind him; add
her relaxing treatment from moments ago, and he already wanted to come.

He placed a hand on hers, stopping her. As he turned in the tub to face her, the towel slid off him and into the water. Her
eyes were big and dark, her skin slightly flushed. His heart started thumping. With all the women he’d been with, he’d always
made sure it was about his partner. He’d never let his own pleasure come first; wasn’t that the nature of being dominant?
He was the bondage master. He was supposed to be in charge. It went without saying.

But with Joy it was different. When it came to intimacy, things were equal. She asked for what she wanted and had no problem
giving him what he wanted in return.