Free Requested Surrender by Riley Murphy Page A

stupid because she was going to be honest with him. She wasn’t even sure why she was doing it. “It’s my brother’s birthday. My parents always throw a big party and I don’t like to go.”
    “When is it?”
    “On Sunday.”
    “So, in less than a week.”
    She looked down and fiddled with her napkin. “Yeah.”
    “Let them know we’ll be there.”
    That got her attention. “What? No.”
    And her adamant reply got his attention too. He pushed his plate aside. Pushed his napkin aside and rested his folded arms on the table. “Yes.”
    “You’re going to make me go?”
    He wasn’t even fazed. Clearly she needed to bone up in the puppy-dog eyes department because they had no effect on him.
    “We’re going to go. Unless you use an out.”
    An out? Did he mean…? “My safe word?”
    “It’s about limits. If you and I visiting your parents pushes you beyond what you can comfortably deal with, then yes, I mean your safe word. Tell me now.”
    Oh boy. It was on the tip of her tongue to shout cowbell so loudly all the distant neighbors would hear, but would it be right to do that? It wasn’t the party itself, it was her family. Surely she could deal with them for a few hours. After all, it was him she had to worry about. In the coming days there might be a time when she’d have to legitimately use her out. Best not to be the wolf crier at this point.
    “No, I’ll call them. It will be fun.”
    “Perfect. Is there anything you should tell me about your family?”
    She shook her head. Praying the word absolutely wasn’t written all over her face.
    “You’re sure?”
    She couldn’t look him in the eyes when she nodded. She remained turned away for what seemed like five full excruciating minutes, but it was probably only one, as he studied her. She could feel his gaze drilling into the side of her head. Any second now the expansive quiet was going to break her.
    “Are you finished?”
    That question broke something. The terrible silence and she wanted to jump up and scream, Yes, yes I’m finished. I want to go home , but she wasn’t a wanderer. She wasn’t.
    “Yes.” Now she looked at him. “Did I read something about plans for us today?”
    He stood and held his hand out toward her. “For us?”
    “Yes.” She put her hand in his and went to get up.
    “No.”
    “But I thought…” She hesitated, looking up at him.
    “Do I have plans for you? Yes.”
    She didn’t like the sound of that. Not one bit.
    “Lacy?” He tilted up her chin.
    “Yes?”
    “Are you nervous?”
    She shouldn’t have been. He was softly caressing her cheek with the pad of his thumb, and his eyes no longer had that earlier intensity. Yet here she was. Nervous as hell. “Yes.”
    “Good.”
    When he went to turn from her, she stopped him. “Hey, why do you think it’s good that I’m nervous around you?”
    “It means I’m touching you.”
    “Is that all?” She gave an exaggerated snort. “Believe me, you nailed doing that last night. That was the best orgas—hey!”
    He pulled her over to one of the leather loungers that sat opposite his desk. One minute she was trying to disengage her hand from his and the next she was bent over the arm of the chair. Before she could push herself up from it, he held her down with one hand and pulled her pants and thong down with the other.
    “David!”
    He didn’t say a word as he bent over her. At first she thought he was going to screw her right there. But then he remained fully clothed even though he pressed himself intimately against her. His heat and the power of him was the best kind of aphrodisiac but, then he began raining light kisses on the side of her neck. Biting and licking so lightly she wanted more, and when he slid his hand between her and the chair and played with her breasts through her shirt, she moaned. He plucked at her nipples and pinched them hard until she flexed her bottom back into him praying he’d get the unspoken message.
    Oh God, he did. Just