Surrender by Tawny Taylor

“Tell me.”
    The light changed to green. I pointed. “I think I’d rather let her decide whether she wants to tell you.”
    “Fair enough.”
    We drove for another few moments without speaking. I switched back and forth from admiring Kam’s profile—he was such a stunning man—to watching buildings and cars fly by. The tension between us was still as bad as it was when we’d first gotten in the car. I was the one, once again, who broke the silence. “How was the rest of your trip?”
    “It was work. I don’t like leaving town. It wasn’t bad when you were with me. But once you left . . .”
    Did my presence really mean that much to him? “It was pretty strange coming to work every day and not seeing you.”
    He smiled at me. It was the kind of smile that made a girl’s heart literally skip a beat. “You say that now, but you’ll probably wish I was gone again by Tuesday.” He steered the car onto the freeway.
    I didn’t believe that for a minute. In fact, he had just returned and I was already dreading when he would have to leave next.
    “We’ll see about that,” I said as the weight of my words sunk in. The truth was, I was falling for him.
    Falling hard. Falling fast. Falling for my boss.

8
    “T hank you for accepting my spur-of-the-moment invitation.” We were stopped at an intersection after having driven about twenty minutes on the freeway. While Kam waited for the light to change, he gave me a long, assessing once-over. “I was surprised to learn you were home alone on a Friday night.”
    I shrugged. “I was in the mood for a quiet night.”
    “Did I ruin your plans?”
    “Nope. Not at all.”
    Neither of us said anything else until we were pulling into a dark parking area behind a towering brick and steel building. I just kept wondering what was going to happen tonight, after my rather awkward departure from New York. And he seemed to be in a very quiet, introspective mood. As strange as it was, I was okay with the quiet. I didn’t feel like I had to fill the minutes with eager chatter.
    “Have you ever been to the Cavern?” Kam asked as he shifted the vehicle out of gear, parking behind the building.
    “No.”
    “I hope you like it. I’m not much for crowds, but this place is pretty nice.” He unfolded his large frame as he got out of the car, then circled around to my side and opened my door. Seconds later, he escorted me to the club’s back door and knocked.
    “Isn’t this a service entrance?” I asked.
    “Like I said, I don’t like crowds.”
    The door swung open, and a man greeted Kam with a handshake and a big, friendly smile, welcoming him inside. As Kam steered me through the open door, he introduced me to our host, Miron.
    Miron gave me a quick up and down before extending a hand and offering one of those bright smiles. “Good to meet you.”
    “Miron owns the Cavern,” Kam told me as we zigged and zagged around hustling cooks in the kitchen. The scents of food made my mouth water, and the deep throb of music pounded through my body.
    “Only because Kam lent me the money to get the place up and running,” Miron said over his shoulder.
    “You had a great business plan.” Kam was behind me. “It’s been a solid investment.”
    “Yeah, well, you were the only one who saw the potential.” Kam smiled. “Which has paid off nicely.”
    The two friends shared a laugh. And Miron pushed open a door, leading out of the kitchen and into the dimly lit, sexy main space of the club. Two walls were brick, the black ceiling a soaring twenty feet or so up. Directly to my right was a stage for live performances, currently empty. And in front of the stage was a dance floor, also empty.
    “Have a good time, you two.” Miron motioned us out.
    “Thanks.” Kam gave Miron’s hand another shake, then steered me through the door with gentle pressure on the small of my back. My skin prickled beneath my dress as my nerves responded to his touch. “It’s a little early yet. This