Terms of Surrender (39 page)

"He has you now. He's not going anywhere."

Slany grinned, too, smoothing back Nick's stray black hair as she stared down into his handsome, soot-smudged face.

He wasn't going anywhere, she thought, and neither was she.

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Gracie C. McKeever

New York City—Thirty-Six Hours Later

Only his oldest sister could throw together a Welcome Home/Get Well Soon party of this magnitude in the span of twelve hours, Nick thought. He entered his condo in front of Slany to the raucous noise of people jumping up from behind furniture, yelling, "Welcome Home!" at the tops of their lungs as someone simultaneously turned on the lights.

He'd only left the hospital AMA an hour ago and had asked Slany to bring him some clothes. He left the hospital with her well after Angela and the rest of his siblings had left.

Now that he thought about it, she'd probably been in on this little surprise shindig, too, already learning to scheme with Angela like their sister-in-law, Tabitha.

Nick watched the women now—Angela, the ringleader, his other sisters, Donna and Emilia, and finally EJ's wife, Tabitha—all closing ranks around Slany and swallowing her up in their feminine conspiracy circle.

EJ sidled next to him, slapping him on a shoulder. "If that's not a dangerous portrait right there, I don't know what is."

"I'll say." Nick turned to him and grinned.

"She's got your number, bro."

"Slany?"

"Yeah, her too, but I was talking about our big sister, Angela."

Nick nodded, grasped the long-necked bottle his brother handed him, and took a big gulp.

Surrounded by his family and friends, watching everyone laugh it up and stuff their faces with the various fares he knew his sisters and mother had slaved over, it was hard for him to comprehend what had happened to him and Slany in the last twenty-four-hours. Hard to comprehend what had happened to Lorraine and Kate.

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He closed his eyes and took another swig of beer, picturing Kate's body when the authorities uncovered it from the backyard, one of six bodies that had to that point been dug up and discovered on the land surrounding Jake Parish's farmhouse.

The authorities also found the remains that ultimately turned out to belong to Lorraine Lennox and Mari Constantine.

Matt Wilcox took the time to stop by the hospital to give Nick the latter news in person, and the news confirming Jake's demise in the farmhouse, along with some other pertinent information on the case.

Seems Parish had been at his little side-business of kidnapping and torture for a while now, starting with Mari, a "test subject," from what Wilcox could gather, and ending with Ron Wells.

He explained had it not been for his, Nick's, and Lennox's tenacity pressuring Parish to more and more desperate acts and recklessness, who knew how many more men and women would have become victims of Parish's depraved "training program?"

"Training program?" Nick had frowned at the term and Wilcox's matter-of-fact delivery.

"I found a journal in the house that survived the fire. It went into vivid details about his

'trainees'—women he believed were created for him to master— and how and why he chose each one. Even went as far back as his parents. Seems our Mr. Parish started earlier than even I originally thought, way before your girl Ms. Constantine. He was the one who started the house fire that killed his mother and father."

Nick wanted to feel more regret and grief for all the women who had died, especially Mari, Lorraine, and Kate, but he couldn't get past his relief that the woman who meant the world to him had survived Parish's maniac reign of terror.

Now, if he could just get by the Vega chick brigade to Slany, then get all of these people out of his house so he could enjoy her, he'd be a much happier camper.

"Who do you think they're plotting on now?" EJ asked now, and prompted Nick to really focus on the group.

He immediately noticed Evelyn's absence, guessed she'd probably disappeared outside to catch a smoke.

He grinned at the idea of the vice he and his sister used to share and wondered if whoever Angela hooked her up with would be able to help Evelyn kick the habit.

At the thought, Nick was certain Evelyn was Angela's next target, caught something about a "present," "vacation," and "dude ranch," as Angela regaled her remaining sisters and sister-in-law with plans for Evelyn's surprise party.

Dude ranch? For Evie? Not exactly the kind of vacation gift he would have given a city slicker Wall Street broker like his sister, but he was sure Angela had her reasons.

Who was he to question, when she had finagled him and Slany finally getting together?

Slany sidled behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist just as he finished the thought.

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Gracie C. McKeever

Nick turned in her embrace and returned it as he gave her a deep, lingering kiss. The temperature around them instantly went up about twenty degrees.

"Uh-huh. That's my cue to go drag that wife of mine away from our sisters and see what kind of trouble
we
can get into. See you guys later."

Nick and Slany chorused their farewells to EJ's back before picking up where they had left off, kissing each other breathless and senseless.

Several seconds later, lightheaded and desperate to get her alone, Nick came up for air to ask, "So, who's next on Angela's hit list?"

"My lips are sealed."

"Mmm-hmm." He'd get it out of her, he decided, as soon as he evicted all these lovable interlopers from of his house.

Several hours and Lord knew how many pounds of food and gallons of alcohol later, Nick managed to do just that, ushering out the last of his relatives and friends on a cloud of finally-now-I've-got-Slany-to-myself relief.

But it seemed his little submissive had plans of her own for him, green eyes glittering bright as she waited for him in the center of his living room, fists on curvaceous hips.

"So, how's my wounded warrior holding up after all the fanfare?"

"I'm not that wounded, especially if you have something in mind." He wiggled his eyebrows up and down.

"Oh, I do. A little experiment. You up for it?"

"Depends." Now, he arched a questioning brow, her mysterious tone intriguing and slowly turning him on.

"This way." Slany put out her hand and directed him to the bedroom with a flourish, and Nick followed, heat and blood pooling to his center and making his cock creep to rigid life.

She stopped beside the bed, took Nick by the shoulders, and turned him around so that his back was to her. Before he could object, draped his favorite silk scarf over his eyes and tied it behind his head.

When she spun him back to face her—at least, he thought he was facing her—he felt like a little kid forced to play Pin the Tail on the Donkey.

Nick had a feeling Slany's plans were a little more x-rated than a children's party game.

"What—" He cut himself off when she put a finger against his lips.

"Shh. You'll like this. I promise."

He let her lead him over to the bed, heart drumming in his chest as she took his hand in hers, cock rock-hard now in his jeans and threatening to burst free.

"How do you feel about switching?"

Nick swallowed, as if she had already bound and disciplined him. "I think we might have to take away someone's Internet privileges."

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Slany chuckled, her husky voice a sexy caress over his skin, making him shudder. "You game, Vega?"

He had never thought of himself as a switch before, but couldn't deny his arousal at the idea of Slany having her way with him, playing submissive to her Dominant.

Hell, he'd let her have her fun, wanted her to feel comfortable and free around him. He was so glad she hadn't been scared away from him and what they liked to do together, he could barely contain himself.

"So, you game, Vega, or not?" she repeated.

"Always."

"I was hoping you'd say that."

He felt her slide a cuff around his wrist before she pushed him onto the bed. His cock throbbed with the idea of her audacity, heart filling with his love for her.

"You want to choose a safe word now, before we get started?"

She sounded unsure for a second, and Nick received an instant image of her biting her full bottom lip. His cock twitched with wanting to nibble on it himself. He rushed to reassure her, to reassure himself. "I don't need one."

"Are you sure, Nick?"

She already owned his heart and soul. The only thing left to give her was his body, completely and without restraint or reservations, the way she had given him hers.

Nick reached for her hand, and she quickly twined her fingers with his and squeezed.

He gently squeezed back, wanting to emit his total trust. "Whatever you want to do to me, Slany, I'm all yours."

"You submit so easily."

She said it with a touch of awe in her voice, as if she didn't believe he was giving in without more resistance. As if she couldn't believe her luck.

Nick smiled, blindly reached for her center, and familiarly cupped her warm, denim-clad pubis before he murmured, "Only because I like your terms, baby."

TERMS OF SURRENDER

The Matchmaker, Book 2

THE END

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AUTHOR’S BIO

Gracie McKeever is an author from the Bronx, and aside from several side trips along the way, has lived and worked her entire life in the New York City area. She has been writing since the ripe old age of seven when two younger brothers were among her earliest, captive audience for various short story readings and performances.

An eclectic and voracious reader whose audience has grown outside of the supportive family members, she's had the great fortune of being able to incorporate two of her favorite passions and talents—reading and writing—as a book reviewer for several online e-zines, both as a regular staff member and freelancer.

Her short stories, novellas and poetry have seen exposure in various lit and art magazines and other venues—online and in print. Of particular note, heard over the airwaves on KFJC’s morning show, Dancing In The Fast Lane With Ann Arbor (Unbedtime Stories) out of Los Altos Hills, CA (
New Life Incognita
was the story of the month for March 2000). She's also proud to be a member of the ("Worlds' Oldest Active Homeless Paper") Street News family and has seen numerous articles, poems and novel excerpts published within its pages as well as having had a poetry reading on Pseudo On-line Network (Street News Review).

In 2001, Gracie caught the erotica bug, sinking her teeth into her first erotic e-book for a review, and hasn't looked back since, an instant affinity for the genre spawning her first erotica title,
Beneath The Surface
, published in 2006 by Siren Publishing, Inc.

Visit Gracie’s website at

www.graciecmckeever.com

Other books by Gracie C. McKeever at

www.sirenpublishing.com/graciecmckeever.com

The Matchmaker, Book 1

Beneath the Surface : Terms of Surrender : Manifest Destiny

Angela Calminetti, mother of five, New Age practitioner and gifted psychic and telepath, is proud of her family ties and does everything she can to make sure that all of her younger siblings are as happy in love and marriage as she is…whether they want her to or not.

Note: Each book is written to stand alone.

Beneath the Surface

Former Madison Avenue ad exec EJ Vega just landed a seven-figure advance from Renegade Publishing. Older sister Evelyn convinces him he needs a fashion makeover before he goes on his first national book tour and has just the person in mind to turn his wardrobe inside out. EJ, too late, recognizes the handiwork of his oldest, matchmaking sister Angela, and by the time he realizes what he's gotten himself into, a very hot and uptight personal shopper has invaded more than just his wardrobe; she's invaded his soul.

From a broken home and driven by past demons, Tabitha Lyons is the proprietor of flourishing
Lyons Style, Inc.
and knows success when she sees it. In EJ she sees not just success, but sexy and sin with a capital "S." She doesn't want to turn his wardrobe inside out as much as she knows EJ will turn her world upside down...