Ultimate Surrender: The Surrender Series, Book 2 by Jennifer Kacey

and start the movie.”
    “Are you coming back?”
    Her quiet voice made his heart kick funnily in his chest.
    Looking up at her, he noticed she was looking anywhere but at him.
    “Natalie?”
    “Mmhmm?” Still no eye contact. And from her, he knew well enough she was feeling anything but safe at the moment.
    “Look at me?” He did frame it in the form of a question.
    Took her a couple seconds but her gaze finally met his.
    “I’m coming back. I’m gonna go do a couple things that will take me less than five minutes and then I’m coming back. Promise.”
    Her shoulders relaxed. So did her forehead, which he hadn’t realized until that moment had been tight since he’d pulled her out from under the bed. She nodded and he took that as his cue to go.
    When he got to the door, she called his name. “Hey, Campbell?”
    He glanced over his shoulder, and her shy smile did funny things to him again.
    “Thanks.”
    Throwing him curveballs like that was seriously going to fuck with his juju, and he had no clue what to do with them nor how to stay unaffected by them. “I’ll be right back.”
    He put pants on, got them both glasses of water, and tried to find a bit of his nonchalant charm he was known for. Took him a while to find it and on the way back to her room he pondered why he would lose it around her to begin with.
    It’s not like he wanted some kind of relationship with her.
    His stomach turned over.
    Relationship.
    Gag.
    That reaction made him feel a bit more like himself. He normally liked fucking women at their places. Not that he was thinking about fucking Natalie. Much. But he liked the ability to leave. Liked being immersed in all of their girlie shit for a bit but then he could go home to his man cave. With Natalie it felt different.
    Her aesthetic didn’t seem put on or all for show.
    Everything she had seemed useful. Not utilitarian per se but thoughtful. He nodded on his way back to her room. Not what he expected being the unofficial princess of NYC.
    Right before he crossed through the doorway into her bedroom he caught the scent of something delicious. It wasn’t his favorite smell. Pussy. But it was a close second. Lotion. Some ultra feminine fruity flowery concoction they spread on themselves when they were trying to get laid. His libido stood up and took notice. Wondering what state she was in made him want to move faster.
    Lingerie?
    Handcuffs?
    He couldn’t wait to find out.
    The movie just started as he walked in. There was Natalie putting lotion on…the dogs. Lights were still on full blast and both of the canines were up on the bed in Natalie’s lap, bellies up, getting rubbed on.
    He kind of stopped in his tracks and laughed at himself.
    Boy, his preconceived notions of the opposite sex were taking a nosedive with her. He kind of hated to admit it but it really did it for him. Losing interest in people he was dating…fucking…whatever, happened often. He actually wondered about looking for someone with a bit more substance to them. Might keep him interested longer than… Well, just longer.
    “Are you waiting for an engraved invitation?”
    He grinned at her annoyed tone and walked over to hand her some water. “I’ve taken a vow of celibacy and I’m wondering if I’m safe with you.”
    Yes, he did wait for her to take a drink of water before he said it. Who could blame him?
    She choked on it and both the dogs rolled over and moved to the bottom of the bed to avoid the splash zone.
    He laughed.
    She shot him a look that could kill as she coughed again. “Celibacy? You? That’s rich. And how long has this vow of chastity been going on?”
    “Oh. You know. I don’t want to toot my own horn.”
    He got in bed on the far side. To keep from touching her? Yes. Who could blame him with those gorgeous tits of hers naked beneath a simple t-shirt?
    He’d take that outfit over lingerie any day.
    Sans the panties.
    He wouldn’t mind snuggling up to that while they watched the