Surrender 01 - Surrender

idea,” he said as he reached for the file he was looking for and slowly approached her. Triumph sparked in her eyes when he leaned down. She really thought she had him fooled.
    “What’s that, lover?”
    “Why don’t we talk about you,” he said, his tone not giving anything away.
    “Mmm, what do you want to know? I’m an open book,” she said seductively.
    “Well…” He paused, wanting to fully enjoy the devastation on her face when she heard what he was about to say.
    “Why don’t we talk about the fact that you’re broke, you’re about to be homeless, and you’ve been banished from the high-society circles from here to New York?”
    It took a moment, but his words finally registered. Sharron stiffened; her satisfied smile fell away and hatred glowed in her eyes before she managed to control it. She plastered on a devastated expression in its place.
    Rafe didn’t feel the victory he’d planned on. To his surprise, he almost pitied the woman — almost. She had reaped what she’d sown. He was done with his small game. When he walked to the phone and lifted it to call his security, she flew off the couch toward him.
    “What are you doing? Please! Let me explain. I was trying to be happy again after you threw me out. I lost all joy in life and wandered around like an empty shell. Then I met Antonio. I thought he was a good man. He was so nice to me at first. That’s why I got the new breasts and nose — I wanted to please him. But then he turned out to be a real jerk. I thought he’d take care of me, so I wasn’t careful with the divorce settlement, and then, out of nowhere, he kicked me out of his house, wouldn’t even let me have the jewelry he’d bought for me. I didn’t do anything to deserve that. Now I have nothing, no money, no home — nothing. You can’t just leave me like this, Rafe. You love me.”
    Rafe listened to her speech without feeling a single emotion.
    “According to my sources, he kicked you out because he found you in bed with the pool boy. Isn’t that a bit clichéd, Sharron? The pool boy — really ?”
    “That’s a lie. I would never do that.”
    “Tell it to someone who cares. I honestly don’t. I thought I’d enjoy seeing you like this, but you matter so little to me that I’ve already grown bored with this conversation.”
    “You were never so cold before. What in the hell has happened to you?” she screamed.
    “I’m who I always should have been.”
    “But what am I supposed to do?” she wailed.
    “It looks as if you’ll have to figure it out. I want you to leave my home, Sharron. Don’t come back.”
    With that, Rafe lifted the phone and called security. They were there within seconds and Sharron didn’t stop screaming the entire time they hauled her from his office. If she came back again, he wouldn’t hesitate to have her thrown into jail.

Chapter Thirty-One

    “It’s so good to have you back, Ari!”
    Ari braced for impact as her three friends engulfed her in a group hug. The embrace caused a modicum of pain to her still-healing wound, but it was worth any discomfort to feel so loved.
    “I’ve missed you girls. What crazy adventures were you up to while I was gone?”
    “We filled you in on everything when we went to visit you in the hospital. Now it’s so your turn to spill. Who the heck was that complete hunk who was in your room the last time we were there? It’s been killing us waiting all weekend to find out.”
    “Oh, he’s nobody, really,” Ari said, unwilling to discuss Rafe. With the messages she’d been receiving from him, she’d been on pins and needles. She knew the other shoe would drop; she just didn’t know when. If he’d only stop playing games, at least then she would know what his next plans were. As things were, she was jumping at every shadow, listening through her thin apartment walls to every door that opened or closed.
    Ari was grateful finally to be back at work — he wouldn’t be showing up here. He had too much class to storm her building and carry her off. Darn! The thought of him doing just that stirred up the beginning flames of excitement. Shudders, yes, but not of fear…
    What was she thinking? The man was screwing with her head whether he was around or not. All this stress couldn’t be good for her health.
    “You are such a liar — and a very bad one, at that. From the second he walked into your room, the temperature rose fast and furiously. The heat in his eyes alone was enough to