Surrender To Me

WREN

I WOKE up slowly to find myself wrapped in Bane. He had one arm over my chest and his leg over my thigh. I was too hot-uncomfortably so-but I let out a content sigh. I shouldn’t get used to this. I shouldn’t want to be here, but he made me feel safe, and that was something I’d been chasing for most of my adolescent and adult life.

After our shower last night, he put me to bed, then spent an hour going down on me. It was heaven and torture wrapped up in one. The man knew how to pleasure a woman, giving me multiple orgasms, ones that chased the one before it. By the time I begged him to stop, he surged up my body, his thick cock sliding between my folds and into my pussy. He’d taken it slow that time. When he ate me out, he seemed to be taking his time, making sure I was enjoying every moment of it.

Even though it was foolish, I think Bane made love to me last night. When we came, we came together, and afterward, he’d cleaned me up, then curled around my body and went to sleep. I looked over at his face, smiling at how peaceful he was. I didn’t know much about his businesses, but they must be stressful. I wondered how often he slept-slept that restful, regenerative sleep people need to keep functioning.

Beside me on the side table, my phone began to vibrate. Reaching out, I picked it up and saw I had a call from Hawk. Shit, I hadn’t even told him about the bookie or Bane and my agreement with him to wipe the debts. Well, now was as good a time as any.

Sliding from the bed, I got a little resistance from Bane, but after I patted his hand, he released me. Scooping up his shirt, I slid into it, then I walked out into the living room.

“Hawk?”

“Wren!” he said happily. “How are you, big sister?”

“I’m great.”

“Yeah? That’s amazing. Everything is amazing.”

Pulling the phone from my ear, I stared at the screen. This was my brother, right? “What’s so amazing on your end?” I asked.

“I got the money!” He announced it proudly like this was the first time he’d managed to solve one of his problems on his own. Honestly, I think it may have been. “I’m going to take it to Bane today.”This text is property of Nô/velD/rama.Org.

My stomach dropped. “Where did you get the money from?”

“Don’t worry about where I got it from, Wren. You should just be happy that I got it.”

No, no, no. My legs gave out, and I crumpled onto the couch. If Hawk did something stupid again, I was going to kill him my fucking self. “Hawk, where the fuck did you get the money from?”

“What does it matter?”

I placed a hand on my roiling stomach. “It matters because I already figured out how to get you off the hook.”

There was a heavy silence, then, “You did?”

“Yes. It’s only just happened, and I’ve been meaning to tell you-”

“Does Bane have it now? The money? Everything I owe him?”

“Yes.”

“How?” His question was small, all trace of bravado now gone.

Sucking in a breath, I curled my legs beneath me, touching the soft leather of the couch. “I made a deal with him.”

“You did what?”

“You’re hardly in a position to be outraged, Hawk,” I snapped at him. His reaction to the solution was not what I was expecting. I thought he’d be happy that I’d found a way out just like all those times before. “Anyway, it’s done. The debt is gone, and you owe me a lot more fucking gratitude than you’re showing.”

“Fuck, fuck, fuck!” he muttered. “Jesus fucking Christ.”

“Hawk?” Jesus, I felt sick. “Hawk, what’s wrong?”

“Nothing.” He hung up, and I pulled the phone from my ear. What in the actual fuck was that about?

“Was that your brother?” Bane asked behind me.

I turned to see him standing a few feet away dressed in a pair of gray sweats that showed off the deep V between his hip bones. Fuck, that was sexy. Or maybe because it was Bane. I didn’t know. When I finally looked back at his face, his gaze was heated.

“If you keep looking at me like that, I’m going to take you on the couch and in the kitchen and every other room in my apartment.” He readjusted his cock, drawing my eyes there. What was wrong with me? I never got this wrapped up in men. Keeping my distance was the only way I knew how to navigate relationships, but Bane was resetting all of my methods.

Glancing away, I felt the blush heat my cheeks. Suddenly, Bane was there. He pushed my thighs apart, inserting his big body between them. Framing my face in his hands, he kissed more slowly, and thoroughly, and I tasted his toothpaste.

“Who was on the phone?”

“Hawk,” I replied. “He says he has the money for you.”

Bane frowned. “The debt is gone.”

“I know. I don’t know where he got the cash from, but knowing him, it’s probably not from a legal source.”

“He has to give it back, then.”

“He wouldn’t tell me where he got it from.”

Bane’s brows drew down over his dark eyes, menace lurking in their depths. “I’ll find out where.” He stood and walked away, leaving me with an ache in my stomach that had nothing to do with being hungry. I stayed on the couch and overheard the rumble of Bane’s voice as he spoke to whoever was on the other end of the phone. Honestly, I’d kind of numbed out. Not knowing where Hawk sourced the money was a gnawing ache in my head. I just hoped he hadn’t done something stupid to get it.

When Bane returned, he smiled at me, trying to put me at ease. “I’ve got someone looking into it right now.”

“Do you think they’ll find anything?”