by Sierra
“In the meantime,” Marcus continued over the laughter, “Carrie and I would love for you to enjoy the beautiful night, the fabulous band, and as our special treat to you, horse-drawn carriage rides around the village.” A spatter of impromptu applause broke out at his announcement as a line of glossy carriages drawn by even glossier horses clip-clopped up the cobbled driveway.
The bride and groom ran to the first carriage in line, ducking ceremonial gold coins and showers of birdseed along the way. The last sight anyone had of them as they glided away was of Marcus, his strong hand cupping Carrie’s face as he stared deeply into her eyes and pulled her in for his kiss.
It felt as if he’d been stalking Matthew and Shannon forever when he finally caught up with them as Matthew handed Shannon up into a gorgeous cordovan-colored carriage drawn by a stunning bay gelding. Before either realized his intent, he swung into the seat facing them and gestured for the driver to go.
For a moment they both looked painfully vulnerable, then Matthew just looked tired.
“Daniel.” His voice was low and weary. It was a tone Daniel had associated with himself for years, but never with Matthew. “What is it you want from us?” Shannon laid her hand over Matt’s, and Daniel could literally see the other man draw strength from her touch.
“You’ve been teasing all day.” As Matt spoke, Shannon nodded. Her eyes were that warm melted-chocolate color they sometimes got when her emotions carried her away. It gave Daniel hope.
Matthew continued. “Long, significant looks.” His eyes narrowed, smoky green and ready to spark with anger. “Meaningful touches.” He shook his head, and Shannon finished for him.
“Daniel.” He knew she wanted to reach for him, saw her check the motion, and all he wanted was her touch. “We offered you everything…” Her eyes filled. “And it wasn’t something you could accept.”
He cleared his throat and dipped his head in acknowledgement. Everything they said was true.
“Matty.” He dragged his eyes away from Shannon to meet Matthew’s stormy gaze. “Nine months ago you sat in your brother’s office, and you called me a coward.” Matt raised his chin in acknowledgement, obviously expecting Daniel to argue the point. He was in for a surprise.
“You were right,” Daniel continued. “I have been. I let my fear of becoming my father, of being broken by love, control my emotions. Worse, I let my fear of becoming my mother, unable to be faithful, and ending up destroying the very people I treasured most, control my actions.” He dropped his eyes from Matthew’s and stared out at the beautiful, peaceful scenery rolling by.
“I hurt you both, even though that was the last thing I wanted to do.” He looked up again, meeting both sets of eyes in turn. “And in hurting you, I hurt myself.”
“Daniel.” This time Shannon did reach out for his hand. Her touch was like sunlight after years of darkness. “What do you want from us?”
The carriage was pulling back up at the reception as Matthew answered for him. “Babe, he wants sex.” It killed Daniel to see the bitter cynicism in the younger man’s eyes, which had bled into the pure green of anger.
Matt jumped lithely from the carriage and turned to lift Shannon down beside him. Daniel saw his future, his family, slipping from his grasp and shot the coachman a furious, “Wait for us,” as he leapt down to position himself in front of them.
“Of course I want sex,” he snapped, patience at an end. “But I could get that anywhere.” He laid a hand on Shannon’s cheek and all but growled in triumph as she pressed into his palm. “I want you, you ass.” He continued, meeting Matthew’s eyes squarely. Matt’s mouth dropped open. “I need you. Both.”
Daniel took a step back, fumbling in his pocket for the white satin box he’d been carrying since the night before. Facing the two people who completed him, he did the most courageous thing he’d ever done in his life. He flipped open the box.
* * * * *
Shannon was trembling at his side, and it looked as if Matt was fighting hard not to join her. When Daniel opened the jeweler’s box, he would have sworn the world stopped turning. He knew the party around them suddenly went quiet, and saw the comprehension of that little fact in Matt’s eyes too.
The box contained three rings. One boasted a flawless cushion-cut emerald flanked by two diamonds. The other two were obviously men’s rings. Solid, thick gold bands that proclaimed ownership to the world.
Daniel let his eyes slide from Matt’s to Shannon’s and back again as he plucked the rings from the box before closing it and dropping it into his pocket. Then, eyes glued to Matthew’s, he slid one of the men’s rings onto his own finger.
“I belong to you.” Matt sucked in a breath at the blunt announcement. Daniel turned to Shannon. “And, angel,” he took her hand, raising it to his mouth before slipping the exquisite emerald ring on her left ring finger, “we both belong to you.”
The tears in Shannon’s eyes spilled over as she stared at her hand next to Daniel’s, the matching glimmer of their rings catching the light of the candles being lit across the reception tables. Her answer was clear in the glow of her eyes.
There was one ring left. One answer left. Matthew looked up from their entwined hands and met Daniel’s eyes.
Daniel had never been so terrified, so exposed, in his life. When he’d admitted that Matt and Shannon owned him, he’d felt every remaining barrier inside him crumbling. He’d also felt every person at the reception watching them curiously. None of that could lessen the sense of rightness he felt when he slid the wedding band on his hand.
His relief when Shannon accepted her ring almost unmanned him. But he’d known Shannon would be the easy one. As much as he’d hurt her with his coldness and inability to express his love, he knew he’d hurt Matthew even more.
Matt came from a history of cold, domineering men, and the fact he’d let himself love Daniel at all was a miracle. By walking away from that love, Daniel knew he’d rubbed salt in every wound that Old Man Worthington, may the bastard rot in Hell, had left on his younger son’s heart.
Now, Daniel stood before them. His loves. His family. The ones who made him whole. He knew if Matthew couldn’t forgive him, he would never recover. Never love again. And he knew he didn’t deserve forgiveness if he couldn’t be ruthlessly honest and go for broke.
“Matthew Worthington.” His voice was gruff with emotion. Matt’s eyes flared smoky blue. “You are, without a doubt, the best man I know.”
He cleared his throat and heard Shannon sniffle as he paused to collect his thoughts. “Your courage puts me to shame.” He looked away and forced himself to look back, refusing to choke now. This was too important.
“You and Shannon exploded into my life at a time when I was so trapped in my isolation I didn’t even know there was anything else out there. You had the unmitigated gall to want me to be happy. Buddy, you knew I didn’t do happy.” He gave a wry smile. “But you made me happy anyway.” His smile faded. “And then you almost died, and I knew that if you had, I’d have died right there with you.”
Matt’s eyes blazed with blue fire, and his expression softened just a bit.
“And you were right, I was a coward. I couldn’t face the pain of losing you that way, so I hurt us all by sending you away on my terms.” He paused again, thoughtfully. “I thought if I controlled the loss, I could control the pain.” He grinned at the two standing rapt, caught by his words. “Here’s your chance to tell me I’m not only a coward, but a fool, too.” When neither responded, he merely raised his brows and continued.
“It didn’t work. Every day without you was worse than the day before.” He shook his head. “I’m not my dad. I won’t drown myself in whiskey.” He looked them in the eyes again. “And I’m not my mother. I have no desire for anyone except the two of you.” Matt’s eyes narrowed and Daniel knew the other man realized that he’d tried to fuck them away. Then he nodded as he accepted that Daniel had failed.
Daniel held up his left hand, directing Matt
hew’s eyes to the gleaming gold ring on his finger.
“I told someone last night that I’m off the market.” He let his hand rest against the strong line of Matthew’s jaw, savoring the rasp of his afternoon beard.
“I belong to you,” he repeated, his voice softening. “You are my family.”
Shannon was openly weeping beside them now, and both men automatically reached out to draw her between them. Daniel pulled her into his chest as Matthew dropped a kiss on the top of her head.
With his free hand, Daniel held up the final ring to Matthew.
“You asked me to be brave enough to take what I want.” He included Shannon in his glance. “What we all need.” He swallowed hard and laid himself bare.
“Matthew, I want your love. I want that damned happy trio rolling through life. I want to go to sleep with you both, and wake up with you both.” He drew in a deep gulp of air. “And someday, if it’s what Shannon wants, I want to have children with you both.” He was trembling now. He didn’t realize it until Shannon wrapped her arms around him and held tight.
He took Matt’s left hand in his and held up the ring.
“Will you take this?” Matt’s eyes seemed locked to their hands. “Do you still want me?” Matt’s gaze rose to meet his slowly. “Because if you do…” He faltered at the heat and smoke that raged in Matthew’s gaze. “If you do, I’m yours.”
The moment of silence that followed seemed to last a thousand years. Daniel couldn’t draw a breath, and he didn’t think Shannon was breathing either. Just when he’d begun to lose hope, Matthew wrapped his hand around the back of Daniel’s head and dragged him in for a kiss full of pain and joy and sweet relief.
“You supreme ass,” the younger man gasped, releasing his lips as the crowd around them burst into soft conversation. “If I want you?”
Matthew was laughing now, and Daniel found himself joining in. “You complete idiot.” Matt gave him a light shake with his hand on the back of Daniel’s neck. “You were the only thing that was missing. God, we fucking pined for you, you enormous dickhead.”
Shannon was laughing now too. Daniel gave them both a longsuffering look.
“Somehow, Matty,” his voice was wry, “that’s not the declaration of love I was hoping for.”
Matt’s laughter stopped, although his eyes still danced. He took Daniel’s hand, the one holding the ring, and raised his own left hand to it.
“I love you, Daniel Ellis. You and Shannon are it for me. If you belong to us—” His voice broke a bit as Shannon joined Daniel in guiding the ring onto Matthew’s finger. “Well, we’ve belonged to you since about the first time you didn’t duck when Shannon threw an olive at you.”
Daniel Ellis, man of granite, man with no heart, felt a swell of emotion so intense wash through him that it filled his heart, and his soul, and came spilling out from his eyes in the form of tears. Pulling Shannon safe between them, where she belonged, he dragged Matthew closer until the three were locked in an embrace as solid and unbreakable as the love they had for one another.
“Hmm-mmm.” The gruff clearing of a throat nearby brought Daniel’s head up. He blinked as he met the carriage driver’s twinkling eyes.
“So, would you be wanting to finish your ride now, sir?”
Daniel looked at his family and grinned. Giving Matthew a shove toward the conveyance, he swept Shannon into his arms and tossed her onto the soft velvet seat.
“Absolutely,” he answered as he and Matthew climbed up and squeezed in on either side of her. “We’ve got a whole life’s worth of planning to do.”
About the Authors
Sierra Summers lives in the Metro-Detroit area in Michigan. She is a married mother of two wonderful boys and one precious girl. She also cares for two spoiled dogs.
She still has the first book she ever wrote in first grade, Skeleton Rock, which started off her love for writing and she’s written ever since.The majority of her books take place in Michigan and she’s proud to live so close to Detroit, a city poised on the brink of a comeback. The revitalized downtown and surrounding area provides wonderful inspiration for her writing.
Finding her writing partner, VJ Summers, was the answer to her lifelong dream. Together the duo had written several books before Sierra also began venturing out on her own.
VJ loves to hear from readers!
VJ Summers: When not working the EDJfH (Evil Day Job from Hell), obsessing over whether her parents are getting enough to eat, obsessing that her kid is sexting the boyfriend, making coffee, drinking coffee or feeding the two cats who allow her to live with them, VJ can be found reading or writing erotic romance—either solo as m/m author VJ Summers, or as the shorter, more quiet half of the “Violet Summers” writing team (the tall half is Sierra Summers).
Sierra and VJ welcome comments from readers. You can find their website and email addresses on their author bio pages at www.ellorascave.com.
Tell Us What You Think
We appreciate hearing reader opinions about our books. You can email the authors directly or you can email us at [email protected] (when contacting Comments, be sure to state the book title and author).
Also by Sierra & VJ Summers
Corporate Affairs 1: Carrie’s Answer
Corporate Affairs 2: Meredith’s Awakening
Longfellow Seduced
Print Books by Sierra & VJ Summers
Corporate Affairs 1: Carrie’s Answer
Also by Sierra Summers
Conference with the Boss
Finn’s Redemption
Also by VJ Summers
Melting
Under the Influence
Ellora’s Cave Publishing
www.ellorascave.com
Daniel’s Surrender
ISBN 9781419936838
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Daniel’s Surrender Copyright © 2012 Sierra & VJ Summers
Edited by April Chapman
Cover design by Dar Albert
Photos: Stolbov Pavol/Shutterstock.com
Electronic book publication August 2012
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