Surrender (8 page)

The eleven o’clock news was just coming on by the time Netherland got into bed. She had called the restaurant to make sure things were going okay. Since it was Saturday night, Sisters didn’t close until two in the morning.

She had just turned the television off when her doorbell rang. As she was putting on her robe, her pulse increased at the thought it might be Ashton. Had he decided to use the door instead of entering her home as he had done the night before, like a thief in the night? She still couldn’t figure out how he had gotten past the alarm system. The technician she had called to check it that day had indicated it was working fine.

Netherland smiled after looking through her peephole. She snatched her door open immediately.

“Rome!”

She immediately went into her brother’s outstretched arms. It had been almost a year since she had seen him last. His last deployment for the marines had taken him to Iran. “When did you get back to the States? You weren’t expected home until the summer. Do Mom and Dad know you’re back?”

Rome Kalloren smiled at his sister as he contin
ued to hold her. “Yeah, the folks know I’m back. I just spent a week with them. Now it’s your turn to put up with me for a while.”

Netherland looked up at her brother, smiling. Because of his size and height he looked older than she did, when in fact he was a year younger. He stood tall and was proudly wearing his Marine Corps uniform. “I’d gladly put up with you anytime. We have so much to catch up on and I—”

“There better be a good reason why you’re holding my woman in your arms, Sergeant.”

The low, lethal voice penetrated the night air. Netherland felt her brother’s body stiffen. With his arms still around her waist, Rome slowly turned around.

And so did she.

The man walking toward them was not smiling. In fact he looked as if he was ready to kill somebody, and the stare he was giving her brother indicated he was the intended victim.

N
etherland hardly recognized Ashton. The anger pulsing out of him made him appear like a different person. Something deep tugged at her insides with the knowledge that the anger was because of her. She’d never known a man to show any possessiveness toward her.

But she immediately told herself to get a grip. Ashton’s anger may be on her behalf but at the moment it was directed at her brother. She took a step forward. “Ashton, this is my brother Rome Kalloren,” she said softly, quickly. “Rome, this is Ashton Sinclair.”

“Colonel Sinclair, sir!”

Netherland watched as her brother immediately
snapped to attention and focused his gaze on the man now standing in front of him.

“At ease, Kalloren,” Ashton said.

Netherland frowned. “Of course he can be at ease,” she said curtly, looking at the two men. “He’s on his own time, not the military’s.”

Rome drew in a long, deep breath as he relaxed somewhat. But his gaze still remained on Ashton. He wondered if Netherland knew just whom she was talking to. Colonel Ashton Sinclair was a legend in his own right among the marines. He had earned every stripe he wore as well as the deep respect from other marines. The man used to be part of the Force Recon Unit, for heaven’s sake! There weren’t too many marines who hadn’t heard, at one time or another, about the “Fearless Four,” which consisted of then Captain Ashton Sinclair, Captain Trevor Grant, Captain Drake Warren and the only female that had come close to becoming a Recon, Captain Sandy Carroll. Although Captain Carroll had been killed in the mission, the team had managed to successfully rescue a group of United States dignitaries held hostage in Haiti. That had been around four years ago.

Rome studied Ashton intently and wondered what the colonel’s relationship was to his sister. Had he heard the man correctly when he had referred to her as “my woman”? Rome cleared his throat. “Nettie, I’m a marine, twenty-four-seven, in uniform or out.”

Netherland crossed her arms over her chest. “Not tonight you’re not. You’re my brother who I haven’t
seen in more than a year.” She then gazed at Ashton. “I don’t appreciate your pulling rank on Rome.”

Rome raised his eyes heavenward. Was Netherland trying to get him court-martialed or something? The man had every right to pull rank if he wanted to. “Nettie, please, I—”

“No, Kalloren,” Ashton said, interrupting whatever Rome was about to say. “Let me handle your sister.” He then turned his complete attention to Netherland, who stood glaring at him. “I was not pulling rank, Netherland. What your brother did when he recognized who and what I was, is a matter of respect. And he’s right. A marine is a marine at all times.”

Rome looked at Ashton. He then looked at Netherland. Something was definitely going on between them, and he found that hard to believe. Everyone in the family knew of Netherland’s aversion to any man in the military. And Colonel Sinclair was definitely military. He cleared his throat again. “Is there something going on here that I should know about?”

“Yes.”

“No!”

Both Ashton and Netherland said the words simultaneously.

Rome nodded. “I see.” But he didn’t see really. There was evidently some lack of communication between the two, and he decided to get to the bottom of it right away. Ashton may be a colonel but Netherland was his sister. His only sister. He reached his hand out to Ashton. “It’s nice seeing you again, sir.
The last time was around three years ago when I was stationed in South Carolina.”

Ashton nodded as he returned the firm handshake. “Same here, Kalloren.”

“Ashton, why are you here?” Netherland decided to ask. It seemed both men had forgotten her presence.

Ashton smiled at her. “I came to see you.”

She frowned and tried to ignore the deep fluttering in her stomach with his words and megawatt smile. “As you can see, I have company. Rome just arrived.”

Ashton’s smile widened. “Yes, I’m aware of that now.” He then glanced back at Rome and saw the zillion questions lodged in the younger man’s eyes and decided he may as well set the matter straight since he doubted Netherland would. “How would you like to go to Sisters and join me in a drink, Kalloren?”

Rome met Ashton’s gaze. “That sounds like a winner.”

“But you just got here, Rome. You haven’t taken your bags out of the car. You can talk to Ashton some other time,” Netherland said, glaring at the two men.

Rome glanced at Ashton, then back at his sister. He needed to have a talk with the colonel tonight. He was determined to find out what the man’s intentions were since he seemed so possessive of Netherland, and she appeared not to want to be possessed. “No, I think Sinclair and I should talk tonight.” He leaned over and kissed her cheek. “Don’t wait up, sis. I’ll use my spare key.”

Rome pulled in a long, deep breath as he watched the man sitting across from him take a leisurely sip of his drink. All the while Ashton’s gaze was on him. He would rather face a firing squad than draw Colonel Sinclair’s anger, but he needed answers to all the questions buzzing around in his head.

“It might be better if you just go ahead and ask me what you want to know, Kalloren.”

Rome took a sip of his own drink before he said, “Yeah, it might be better at that.” He leaned back in his chair. “Is something going on between you and Nettie? Earlier you hinted there was, and she hinted there wasn’t.”

A long minute passed in tense silence before Ashton finally answered. “Yes, there is something going on between me and Netherland, although she wishes otherwise.”

Rome nodded. “Because you’re in the military.” It was a statement, not a question.

“I see you know your sister fairly well.”

“The entire family does. We know that of all of us, she had the hardest time dealing with moving around. And because of it she swore up and down that she would never get involved with someone in the military.”

“Yeah, I’ve heard the story but I’m not buying it.”

Rome studied the colonel. He’d heard the man could be a stubborn cuss when he wanted to be. “I hate to be the one to tell you this but I always figured she meant it.”

“And I’m sure she probably thinks the same thing.”

“But you don’t?”

“No.”

“I’m curious to know why.”

Ashton took another sip before responding. “My and Netherland’s destinies are to be joined as one, entwined. It was shown to me in a vision.”

Rome released a slow smile. “Did you tell Netherland that?”

“Yes.”

“Did she believe you about the vision?”

“No.”

Rome wasn’t surprised.

“Would either of you like anything else to drink?”

Rome’s breath became lodged in his throat when he glanced up into the most beautiful pair of brown eyes he had ever seen, and the features that went along with those eyes made him exhale a soft breath. He quickly looked at the name tag the woman wore, which read
Jada.
He swallowed before saying, “No thanks, ma’am, that’s all for me.”

She nodded before glancing at Ashton.

“That’s all for me, too. Thanks.”

Jada nodded and quickly walked off. Rome couldn’t take his eyes off her and watched until she had disappeared around a corner.

“Do you have any suggestions on the best way to handle Netherland?”

Rome had been so attentive watching Jada that he jumped when Ashton’s deep voice rumbled across
the table. He tried to laugh it off by saying, “Sorry about that. My mind must have drifted elsewhere.”

“Evidently.”

“What were you asking me about Nettie?”

“I asked if you had any suggestions on the best way to handle her.”

Rome looked at Ashton intently. “To be honest with you, I’m wondering why you want to. Nettie can be a pain in the rear end when she gets a bee in her bonnet about something, and that bee has been in her bonnet about military men for a long time.”

“Then it’s about time that I get rid of that bee, don’t you think?”

Rome figured if any man could, it would be the colonel. He was one tough marine. However, knowing Nettie, the assignment wouldn’t be an easy one.

At that moment Jada walked past their table again and immediately captured Rome’s attention. Ashton shook his head, smiling as he watched the younger man’s mind drift off again.

T
he next morning Netherland sat across from Rome, eating breakfast, refusing to give in to the urge to ask what went on with him and Ashton last night. It had been late when he had gotten back but she had refused to rush out of her bedroom for details.

“You’ve made a number of changes at Sisters and all of them I like,” Rome said, breaking the silence.

Netherland took a sip of her coffee before saying, “Thanks. Business has increased over the past year so I decided to stay on top of things. If you’re good to your business, then it will be good to you.”

Rome nodded and cleared his throat before saying, “I also note you have a lot of new people working for you.”

Netherland lifted her gaze from her coffee cup when she heard the tightness in her brother’s voice. She could always tell when something was on his mind by the tone of his voice. “Yes, I’ve got a number of new people working for me. Any one of them in particular you noticed right off?”

“Now that you mention it, there was one person,” he said, casting one quick look at Netherland to see if he had her attention. “It’s one of your hostesses, a woman by the name of Jada.”

Netherland frowned, nodding. “What about Jada?”

Rome shrugged and to Netherland’s way of thinking her huge hunk of a brother suddenly became somewhat shy. “She’s beautiful.”

“Yes, she’s certainly that.” Netherland studied her brother and slightly curved her lips in a smile. Of her four brothers Rome was the most easygoing. He was also the only one of them who didn’t make it a point to constantly be in and out of relationships. This was the first time she had known him to show any interest in a woman since Kimmy’s death. Rome’s fiancée, Kimberly Albright, who’d also been a marine, had died when the military aircraft she’d been a passenger on had gone down somewhere over the Pacific Ocean due to mechanical failure. That had been nearly five years ago, and Rome had taken her death extremely hard.

Netherland then thought of Jada and all the things that had gone wrong in her young life. If Rome was interested in Jada, he had her full blessings. Both
Jada and Rome were individuals who should experience happiness. But still she felt she needed to inform Rome of some things. “Jada just got out of a bad marriage, Rome. If you’re interested in her, she may not easily reciprocate.”

Rome smiled. “In other words she may be difficult with me the same way you’re being difficult with Sinclair?”

Netherland slowly fingered the design on her coffee cup, for the moment refusing to meet her brother’s gaze. “I’m not trying to be difficult with anyone. Ashton just doesn’t want to accept what is not to be.”

“He’s a good man, Nettie.”

Netherland lifted her gaze. “He’s military.”

“And because of it you’re condemning him?”

Netherland’s gaze narrowed. “I am not condemning him. I made it clear to him when we first met nearly three years ago that I had no interest in anyone in the military.”

“It didn’t look that way to me.”

Netherland lifted a brow. “What?”

“That you aren’t interested.”

Netherland pushed away from the table and stood. “So we can turn each other on. Big deal.”

“Yes, I think for Sinclair it’s a big deal. And the sooner you realize that, the better. I don’t think he’s going to give up until he has you just where he wants you. You’re one battle he’s determined to win.”

“Then he’ll continue to have one hell of a fight on his hands.”

A slow smile touched Rome’s lips. “I believe he knows that and has gotten prepared for it.”

Netherland glared at her brother. “Then he’s in for the fight of his life.”

“Or you’re in for the fight of yours.”

Netherland sighed. Over the past week or so she’d been wavering on her feelings about Ashton. Having spent two nights sleeping in his arms hadn’t helped matters. Now her common sense was returning. He couldn’t be an unexpected midnight visitor as long as Rome was staying with her. Then after Saturday night he would be someone else’s concern for a weekend. His time and attention would be given to whatever woman bid the highest for him.

“I’ll see you after I get back from church.” She made her way out of the kitchen, then turned around. “Better yet, why don’t you meet me later at Sisters for lunch?” She smiled. “I know for a fact that Jada is working today.”

He nodded briefly, then smiled and said, “I’ll be there.”

Netherland knew she could always depend on the after-church crowd on Sunday to keep things busy at Sisters, and today was no exception.

While at church, the pastor had held her attention while he’d preached a good sermon about the essence of giving. But now at Sisters something else was holding her mind captive, she thought as she watched Ashton enter her establishment.

Her heart thundered in her chest when their gazes locked. Her heartbeat accelerated and she began wavering about how she felt at seeing him. For some reason she couldn’t help but think how lonely her bed had felt the previous night without him holding her through the night in his warm embrace.

She inhaled deeply and tried shaking off those thoughts. She had to stand firm. She couldn’t let Ashton break down her resolve. She’d felt so confident when she had given Rome her spiel that morning at breakfast because she had meant what she’d said. She would give Ashton the fight of his life or die trying.

“Hey, there’s the colonel,” Rome said, smiling. Before she could stop him he had motioned Ashton over to their table. Netherland glared at her brother. He hadn’t been much company since all of his attention had been on Jada since arriving; however, it seemed that he was able to snap out of it long enough to notice Ashton’s entrance. And without asking if it was okay, he had invited him to eat with them.

Ooh-rah, just what I need. The last thing I want is for him to be sitting with me at the table,
Netherland thought. “Thanks for asking if I mind Ashton sitting with us, Rome,” she said in a bitter tone.

Rome glanced back at her. He studied her surly expression. “It won’t kill you to be hospitable, Nettie. Did you want him to eat by himself?”

“It wouldn’t bother me in the least if he did. He’s been doing it for the past two weeks or so. Anytime
he comes in here he eats alone.”
He eats alone and stares at me,
she wanted to expound and decided not to. Taking a deep breath she braced herself for Ashton’s arrival.

“Netherland. Rome. How are things going?” he murmured, and the rumble of his voice, deep and sexy, rolled up her spine.

Netherland watched as Ashton took the chair across from her. When he had gotten seated, she glanced into his eyes, and the flicker of desire that suddenly quickened her insides made the hand holding her fork tremble slightly. She placed the eating utensil down. “Things are going well, Ashton,” she managed to get out.

Rome chuckled. “Personally, I’d be doing a whole lot better if I could get one of Nettie’s hostesses to notice me.”

Ashton laughed gently as he glanced around the room and looked at the woman that he knew was the object of Rome’s interest. He then returned his full gaze to Netherland although his words were directed at Rome. “Sometimes you can’t wait for a woman to notice you, Kalloren. Every once in a while you have to take matters into your own hands and do whatever has to be done to make sure she knows that you’re interested. I believe you should always let a woman know when she’s wanted.”

Netherland inhaled sharply as Ashton’s gaze became a heated caress. She tried to think of something to say and couldn’t. So she picked up her fork
again and began eating the rest of her meal as she tried to ignore him as well as the comment he’d made.

“So you don’t believe in the subtle approach, Colonel?”

“No. I believe in going after what you want when you think the time is right.”

Rome nodded. “And how do you know when the time is right?”

Netherland couldn’t help but glance back at Ashton. His gaze held hers, and as she watched, his eyes seemed to go darker, deeper. A flush of heat spread up her legs and worked its way to her center. Then the curl of something hot and delicious settled there and stayed. Even shifting in her chair couldn’t get rid of it. Ashton’s gaze was doing things to her insides.

“Trust me, you’ll know when the time is right,” he responded to Rome.

“Some women don’t want to know they are wanted,” she decided to add to break whatever exchange was passing between her and Ashton.

“And some don’t think they want to know but actually they do. I would think any woman would want to know they were loved and wanted.”

Netherland had a difficult time swallowing her food when she thought of the two times Ashton had held her in his arms while she’d slept. Most times when she had awakened during the night to find his body tucked close to hers, he had instantly become awake and had whispered words to her that had made her feel wanted and loved. And they hadn’t made
love either of those times. But yet, their minds and bodies had somehow connected in another way. It was in a way she didn’t want. It was in a way she hadn’t realized until now.

“I think being direct may not be a bad approach,” Rome said to no one in particular as he stood. He saw Jada gather her purse and belongings. Evidently her shift had ended. “Will the two of you excuse me for a minute?” He threw a few bills on the table and without waiting to see if Ashton and Netherland would excuse him or not, walked off, leaving them alone.

Netherland watched her brother move across the room to Jada. “I hope he takes things slow with her,” she said softly.

When she looked back around at Ashton he met her gaze directly. “Some things aren’t meant to be taken slow, Netherland.”

She stared into his eyes and felt her body melt. She forced herself to blink to rid her mind of thoughts that should not be there.

“I have to leave town for a while.”

Netherland blinked again when Ashton’s words registered. “You’re leaving?”

He smiled. “Yes. Something has come up in D.C. that I have to handle.”

Netherland nodded. She didn’t want to feel the sense of loneliness his words had instilled within her, but she did so anyway. She missed him already. “Are you gone for good or will you be back?”

Ashton gave her a smile. “Oh, I’ll be back. In fact
I’ll be back in time for the Brothers Auction on Saturday night.”

Netherland nodded. She knew there would be a number of women who would be glad to hear that. “I hope you have a safe trip, Ashton.”

“Thanks.”

Netherland chewed at her bottom lip. Suddenly she was no longer hungry for the food on her plate. At that moment a hostess came up to take Ashton’s order. Netherland used that time to excuse herself and immediately went to her office. Closing the door behind her, she leaned against it. She wondered why the knowledge of Ashton’s leaving was affecting her this way. She wondered why she felt such an extreme sense of loss. Ashton was a complication she didn’t want or need in her life.

Images flashed in her mind, especially the image of the two times he’d stood before her wearing nothing but a loincloth. Netherland lifted her head upward, seeking strength from the madness that consumed her and her mind. Maybe with Ashton gone those few days, her life, as well as her mind, would get back to normal.

Netherland sighed as she wondered if anything about her would ever be normal again.

Jada tried not to glance over at the man who had offered to drive her home. At first when he had asked she had hesitated but then she had accepted his offer. She knew from the other hostesses that he was one
of Nettie’s brothers. She had noticed him right away when he’d come into Sisters the night before. There had been something about him that stood out, even when he’d stood next to Ashton Sinclair; and everyone knew that Mr. Sinclair at times seemed bigger than life. There had been something calm and trusting in Rome Kalloren’s eyes that had drawn her to him last night and again today.

“Looks like rain.”

Rome’s observation on the weather pulled Jada from out of her thoughts. “Yes, it does, doesn’t it.”

Rome nodded as he brought his car to a stop at a traffic light. “Where are you from? Do I detect a northern accent?”

Jada smiled. There was also something about him that made her feel comfortable. “Yes, afraid you do. I’m a New Yorker, born and raised in the Bronx.”

“What brought you to Texas?”

Pain settled on Jada as she remembered what had brought her to Texas. “My husband.”

Rome nodded. “You mean your ex-husband, don’t you?”

Jada glanced over at him. “Yes, my
ex-
husband. I just recently got divorced.”

“How long ago?”

“Only a few weeks, but we had been separated for five months.” Jada wondered if Netherland had told him about her particular situation.

“So things are over between the two of you?”

Jada had a reason to smile. For the first time in her
life she could answer yes to that question. “Yes, things are over between us.”

“Are you currently involved with anyone?”

“No.”