Surrender 01 - Surrender

caused the flesh beneath her skin to absorb an intense burning sensation. She really had gotten too much sun. As she looked at her throbbing arm, she realized she was walking next to him in only her skimpy bikini top and shorts. She must have dropped her bag back on the deck. She felt far too exposed.
    Then it hit her: the women had spoken of his Ari. That meant he’d said something about her before she met his sisters. Puzzle pieces started coming together. It had been no coincidence that they’d found her on the beach. Why, oh why did she have to be so naïve? Of course she wasn’t just going to meet great people who wanted to whisk her away for a moonlit dinner on a massive yacht.
    “You can release me anytime,” Ari snapped as she tugged again, ignoring the searing pain, and too irritated by the turn of events to keep her tone light.
    “I don’t think so. I saw the look on your face at the railing. You might just be stupid enough to jump overboard.”
    Ari knew they were way too far from shore now for her to swim back. She wasn’t suicidal — just desperate to get away from Rafe . She really hoped his meddling sisters had extra clothes on board.
    “I won’t deny that the thought crossed my mind once I discovered this was your boat. However, I realize we’re too far out now. The gentlemanly thing for you to do would be to turn the boat around and drop me off back at the dock,” she said in her haughtiest voice.
    Rafe stopped and backed her against the wall. He bent his knees, aligning their bodies so his chest pressed against her breasts as his eyes devoured her face.
    “Since when have I ever claimed to be a gentleman, Ari?” he asked with a seductive smile.
    “I refuse to play games with you, Mr. Palazzo.” She paused as a new thought occurred. What if it hadn’t been his sisters’ meddling? What if he’d actually planned the whole thing?
    “Did you send your sisters out to bring me here?”
    “No. I would rather keep you far away from my family. However, I can’t say I’m disappointed to see you. I’ve been thinking about our evening together and I would love a repeat performance. By the quickening of your breath, and the way your nipples are hardening against my chest, I’d say you wouldn’t mind another opportunity yourself,” he said with utmost confidence.
    Ari hated how right he was. She’d been dreaming about Rafe for two months, and the dreams had only become more erotic since she’d actually shared his bed. She’d like nothing more than for him to sink deep inside her again. She just wasn’t prepared to deal with the self-loathing when he treated her like a whore afterward.
    “True, my body responds to you, but that doesn’t mean I want you. I’d rather sleep with a stranger from the beach than have your hands on me again,” she bluffed.
    “Liar,” he whispered as his head descended and he ran his tongue along the soft skin of her neck. Ari barely managed to hold the sigh in. If only he weren’t so appealing!
    “I’m cold, Mr. Palazzo. Could you please allow me to use a guest room to shower and change? I don’t have anything with me and I would greatly appreciate it if there were some clothes I could borrow,” she said through gritted teeth. It was taking all her concentration to control her breathing as his tongue circled her reddened skin. The way he touched her made her forget all about the rapidly worsening sunburn.
    “Mmm, you taste salty. I’d be glad to help you clean up,” he offered as he moved back and started walking through the halls of the boat again.
    “I can clean up just fine on my own,” she said as he led her up a set of stairs. His laughter was her only answer.
    Soon, he was pushing open a large door and leading her inside a spacious room. She looked over the couch and two chairs set around a modern cherry table. Original paintings adorned the walls, with special lighting to bring out the colors and textures of the artwork. The room as a whole was remarkably decorated with an arresting mixture of dark and light.
    “Go through that door on the right. I’ll have some clothes brought in — unless you want to change your mind on my offer to help you.”
    “I’m fine,” Ari said as she raced away from him and went through the door. She was in a decent-sized room with a couch and mirrors and a couple of side tables. Another door was to her right and she walked through, happy to find a full-size walk-in shower.
    A large tub sat in the