Surrender (5 page)

H
olding Netherland’s hand firmly in his, Ashton walked her to her car.

“Would you like to drive, Ashton?” Netherland asked him, after inhaling deeply and blowing out a rush of air. She didn’t think her hands were steady enough to handle the steering wheel.

“Sure.”

Moments later with the windows down and the crisp feel of May air rushing at them, Ashton steered Netherland’s Pathfinder onto the highway.

“Where are you staying?”

“In one of those extended-stay facilities owned by Marriott.”

Netherland nodded. “I heard those type of places are nice.”

“Yes, they are. And this is a nice vehicle.”

“Thanks.”

“How long have you had it?”

“About six months.”

After several moments of tense silence Netherland said, “You were a hero last year when you rescued Trevor and Corinthians from the jungles in South America.”

Ashton shrugged massive shoulders. “The media got carried away as usual. Trevor had the skill and know-how to survive in that habitat for another couple of months or so had I not found them.”

“Because of his military background?”

“Yes. Trevor, Sir Drake and I used to be part of the marines’ Special Forces—the Force Recon Unit. We were trained how to survive in difficult situations. Each of us had a specialty. Trevor’s specialty is the ability to survive in the jungle or any other unusual or dangerous environment or domain. Sir Drake’s a whiz at ammunition and explosives.” Ashton smiled. “He likes blowing up things.” Ashton’s smile faded when he thought about the fact that right now Sir Drake was living his life pretty much like the explosives he enjoyed handling—dangerously. He liked living close to the edge by taking chances he shouldn’t. Ashton didn’t want to think about the things that Sir Drake was possibly doing working for the CIA.

“And what’s your specialty, Ashton?”

He looked at her when he brought the car to a stop at a traffic light. “Like this vehicle, I’m a Pathfinder, which is another name for a tracker. Being able to locate anything and anyone in thick woods, jungles, forest and any type of uncivilized or impenetrable territory is my special skill.”

Netherland nodded, deciding not to tell him that tracking wasn’t his only special skill. He was doing a pretty good job in the seduction area. The man was seducing her with the ease of someone who was an ace at it. Even now incredible sensations were skittering inside her. She had known from the moment Ashton had smiled at her at Clayton and Syneda’s house that she would be spending time with him tonight. She would have to approach what was happening to her logically and intelligently. Although there could never, ever be a future between them, there was no reason they couldn’t enjoy each other during the time he was in Houston on military leave. She was sure once she presented the idea to him that he would go for it. Something was better than nothing. She would get him out of her system, and he would get her out of his; then they would go their separate ways. He would travel around the world playing soldier, and she would remain in Houston contented.

She had gotten into this thing with Ashton, and she might as well finish it.

Ashton tightened his hands on the steering wheel. Dealing with Netherland was just as bad as dealing
with any band of terrorists. The woman was giving him the battle of his life.

He wondered what she was thinking. He could tell she had gotten relaxed. Out of the corner of his eye he could see she had undone the top button of her blouse. Was she deliberately trying to get next to him? He doubted it. Like him, she was probably beginning to feel hot.

“Ashton?”

“Hmm?” He had come to another traffic light. He looked at her, then wished he hadn’t. Her eyes were dark, desirously dark. And all that desire was focused on him.

“How much longer until we get to the hotel?”

He continued to look at her for a moment more before saying, “Not much longer.”

“Good.”

They rode the rest of the way to the hotel in companionable silence.

Netherland began questioning her actions when they walked into Ashton’s hotel room, and he closed the door behind them. Especially when she saw his marine uniform in a dry cleaner’s bag neatly placed diagonally across his bed.

She started to turn around and leave, then decided to take another approach. Without saying anything to him she walked over to his bed, picked up the dry cleaner’s bag and walked over to the closet and hung it up. She closed the closet door behind her.

“That won’t eliminate who and what I am, Netherland,” Ashton said, leaning against the closed hotel door.

“I know, but tonight I don’t want it to matter.” She walked back over to him and placed her arms around his neck. “And for the rest of the time you’re here in Houston, it won’t matter.”

“Why won’t it?”

She leaned up and brushed her lips gently across his, once. Twice. Then she answered, “Because we’re looking at this like two sensible adults who want to be together. Let’s enjoy today and not concern ourselves with tomorrow.”

“Are you suggesting we share a bed tonight and go our separate ways in the morning?”

She brushed another kiss across his lips before saying, “No, I’m looking at something a little longer than a one-night stand. I’m suggesting we share a bed while you’re in Houston and when you leave for parts unknown you won’t look back and I won’t have any regrets. The time we’ll spend together will be a memory we’ll have forever. What do you think of that?” She brushed another kiss across his lips.

Ashton knew it was time he showed his future wife just what he thought.

This time when her mouth touched his, he cupped the back of her head with his hand. Parting her lips with his tongue he swept inside her mouth, stealing her next words—whatever they may have been. And when she moaned in a shuddering breath, he stole that, too. He
continued kissing her with more fire and more passion than he’d kissed her that night in her office.

That was only the beginning.

He broke off the kiss and took a step back from her and began tugging the tails of his shirt out of his jeans. He then began unbuttoning his shirt while she watched him.

The rate of Netherland’s breathing increased when he removed his shirt and tossed it aside. His chest and shoulders looked firm, muscled, strong, and she wanted to feel the naked strength of them beneath her fingertips. Her skin began to feel heated when she watched him slowly unzip his pants. Her eyes widened. She blinked when he tugged down his jeans and revealed…a loincloth?

Netherland blinked again. Her jaw dropped. Ashton’s underwear was styled as a loincloth. She inhaled deeply. She had seen men in boxers. Her father and brothers still preferred those kinds. Erik had preferred wearing briefs. But she had never seen a pair of loincloth underwear and hadn’t known such a thing existed. Standing before her, he could have been either primitive Indian or primitive African. The loincloth could have served either purpose.

“Now your turn, Netherland.” The deep hoarseness in his voice filled the room.

She blinked again. “You want me to undress?” She could barely get the words out. She could barely swallow. The man had the best-looking body she had ever seen. All hard and firm.

She inhaled deeply and continued to look at him. He looked magnificent.

“Yes, I want you to undress. But keep your panties and bra on.”

She inhaled deeply once more. Then she did as he had instructed and began removing her clothes. He watched her every move.

First she unhooked her skirt and let it drop to the floor. Then came her blouse, which left her in her bra and halfslip. His eyes never left hers when she tugged her slip down past her hips, grateful that she’d had the mind that morning to wear a matching bra and panty set with—of all things—a tiger print.

If that didn’t beat all.

Here he stood before her looking like something straight from some African jungle or some American wildlands, and she was dressed like prey. A willing prey at that. Whatever fight or resistance would have been in her had left the moment he’d dropped his pants.

Their gazes locked and held as he walked slowly over to her. “You are about to be captured, Netherland. Totally and completely. You may as well surrender,” he said softly. “But make no mistake about it. If you surrender, you have to surrender all. I won’t take anything less than that. Do you understand what I’m saying?”

Not really, but Netherland nodded anyway.

“Do you know how much I want you, Netherland? Do you have any idea?”

She swallowed, then heard herself say, “It can’t be
any more than I want you, Ashton. This attraction between us is unnatural.”

“No, it’s not,” he whispered, reaching out and sliding his fingertips down her abdomen and beneath the band of her panties. Gently, soothingly, he touched her damp heat with his fingertips. “There’s nothing unnatural about it. You are my soul mate. Our spirits are entwined. I knew it the very first time I laid eyes on you. It was confirmed in my visions.”

At the moment, Netherland didn’t want to hear anything about visions. She could barely think about anything at all. Ashton’s fingers were driving her out of her mind. She was very close to the breaking point.

“Do you surrender, Netherland? Do you surrender all?”

Before she could respond he captured her mouth in a kiss. Instinctively, she closed her eyes and stood on tiptoe to lift her hips to press herself against the heat and hardness of him. The kiss became hotter, more demanding, more fulfilling. She felt herself being lifted into his arms and carried across the room. Moments later he placed her on the bed. Her mouth protested when he pulled back and looked down at her.

“Sit up, Netherland,” he instructed gently. “Indian style.”

She blinked, wondering if she had heard him correctly. He evidently saw the look of confusion in her eyes because he repeated himself. She still couldn’t comprehend what he was telling her. He wanted her
to sit up in an Indian-style position? Was this some unusual way to make love or something?

Not knowing what to expect, she did what she was told. She then watched as he joined her on the king-size bed and did likewise. “Ashton, what—”

“Shhh. I’ll give you the rules.” He sat in an Indian-style position facing her.

Netherland lifted a brow. There were rules?

“Now, before you surrender all, I want you to know just what you’re getting yourself in to, Netherland. We talk.”

Talk? She didn’t want to talk. She wanted him to make love to her. And here they were sitting in the middle of the bed like two Indians getting ready to smoke a peace pipe or something.

“This bed, Netherland, is sacred ground. It’s our reservation, our jungle. Our home. The floor surrounding this bed represents misunderstanding, mistrust and doubt. For now, neither you nor I can leave the safety of our reservation, our jungle and our home alone. We must make the journey together. Understand?”

The only thing she understood was that he was not going to make love to her. He wanted them to play some type of pretend game instead. “And what’s the purpose of all of this, Ashton?” she asked quietly. Her body still hummed with wanting him. Sitting in front of her half-naked wasn’t making things easy.

“The purpose of all of this, Netherland, is for the
two of us to have a meeting of the minds, to be in sync and on one accord. It’s important that we’re a united front about certain things.”

“What things?”

“What part we will play in each other’s lives. Not just for tonight but for forever.”

“But there isn’t a forever for us, Ashton,” she said in frustration. “Why can’t you understand that? Why can’t you see that?”

He smiled tenderly. “Because I have the gift to see things that you don’t see, sweetheart. I’ve told you about my vision but you refuse to accept it.”

“I can’t.”

“Then you can’t fully surrender until you can accept it. Look at me, Netherland. Look hard and tell me what you see. I want your complete honesty.”

She looked at him while he looked back at her. After a few moments she said, “I see a very stubborn man.” She then took a deep breath. “But I also see the most beautiful man I’ve ever seen in my life. Your features are strong, profound. And I want you.”

“I want you, too,” he said gently, truthfully. “But one thing you didn’t mention that you see is love. Surely you can see all my love for you, Netherland.”

Netherland gasped. Love? Surely he was mistaken. This man couldn’t love her. He didn’t even know her. He didn’t know everything about her. “You can’t possibly love me, Ashton.”

“Why can’t I?”

“It’s just not possible. You don’t know me.”

He smiled. “I know you a lot better than you think.”

She frowned. “Then you should know how I feel about military men.”

“I do. And I know your reasons for them are groundless.”

“Groundless!” Netherland sat up on her haunches. “How dare you tell me that something I feel so strongly about is groundless?”

He sat up on his haunches and met her glare, face-to-face, nearly nose to nose. “I can dare and I will dare, Netherland, because I am your soul mate. You don’t have to concern yourself with instability because my love will be the most stable thing you will have in your life. You won’t have to worry about not having a home because your home will always be with me, wherever I am. Home is where the heart is, and your home will always reside in my heart, like my home will always be in yours. You love me.”