Sacred Surrender

by Ava Riley

  Rowan stepped back away from the door, holding his towel just a little tighter as he felt himself grow even harder gesturing for her to come in. “Give me a second to throw something on,” he said with a wink, “and I’ll take a look at it.”

  “Thank you, I appreciate it. I hope it’s not a bother.”

  “Not a bother at all.”

  Rowan quickly made his way to the bedroom, trying to catch his breath, while what had to be the most stunning woman was standing in his living room. He didn’t know jack about faucets or wrenches, but he’d be damned if he let her know that. He dressed in a pair of faded blue jeans and a white t-shirt that stretched tight across his chest, threw on his socks and shoes, returning to find her standing right where he left her. Most women he knew would have fancied themselves a look around, hell, his sister, Tessa, certainly would have, but not Madison. Her feet were planted in the spot she’d been standing in when he left to dress. He liked that she didn’t seem the least bit nosy.

  “I’m ready if you are,” he said as he held the door open.

  They walked in silence to the small shed that sat in the corner of his backyard. The house didn’t have a garage, so when he’d moved in he had to purchase the wooden shed for anything that wouldn’t fit in the house. His toolbox being one of those items. He hurriedly grabbed a wrench that looked as if it barely came out of the package and they made their way to her house.

  “So, do you know much about plumbing? You’re a doctor, right?”

  She had no intentions of sounding rude, but when she’d seen how shiny his tools were it made her a little nervous that he might make her faucet worse. Her father’s tools were worn, soiled, and used, the way a man’s tools should be. To top it off, he looked like he hadn’t worked a day in his life; more like spent his time at the beach. He had to be a womanizer. She’d met men who looked like they just stepped off the cover of a GQ magazine and they were almost always cocky as hell. In college, she’d seen too many women throwing themselves at the feet of these men and it disgusted her. The bastard was a doctor for God’s sake, and in her book, that only spelled conceit. Damn it, men like him made her angry. She barely knew his name and already he pissed her off. She still couldn’t get over how gorgeous he was, though. He almost looked better fully clothed, almost. The whole wet with just a towel covering his man parts worked well for him and she thought he should definitely keep that look going.

  “Madison?” Even his voice sounded erotic as he pulled her from her thoughts.

  “Yes?” She absently responded, not able to pull her gaze from his amazingly deep blue eyes. As she watched his facial expression, her eyes locked onto his and she could’ve sworn they sparkled. His eyes mesmerized her and she knew if she wasn’t careful around him, she’d being doing his bidding in no time at all.

  “Ahem, which house is yours?”

  Rowan knew which house was hers, there’d only been one house near his that had been up for sale. She recently bought the cute little two bedroom cottage that had been empty for more than six months. It surprised him this nice little house had taken so long to sell, especially being so close to the beach. Looking at the woman who now occupied it, he thanked his lucky stars it had. He couldn’t have wished for a more beautiful neighbor. He hadn’t seen her when she moved in, but he remembered the moving company well, Three Men and a Truck. The name was catchy, so it was embedded in his mind.

  Rowan only asked which place was hers because he loved that she stood staring at him. He knew she’d get that coloring in her cheeks again. And yes, there it was, her pale creamy skin, colored with a splash of red. The faint freckles that were sporadic on the bridge of her nose and cheeks became more dominate as the evidence of her embarrassment crept out from under the collar of her black t-shirt and made its way up her neck. Her raven tresses whipped around her oval face from the morning breeze, her beautiful hazel eyes sparkled from the California sun, and her delectable scent made its way to his senses. To top it off, she wore a pair of khaki shorts that accentuated her perfectly rounded ass and beautiful long legs. Physically he couldn’t find one single thing wrong with her; she was the epitome of perfection. A woman he would gladly take to his bed. The problem, however, lay in that women like her tended to break his heart. After Erin, he’d promised never to let another woman into his heart, he’d never give up that much control to another person again and looking at this woman before him, he could tell she wouldn’t be happy accepting anything less.

  Hell, her very presence screamed naïve and romance novels. She probably stayed home on weekends and either read those cheesy books or watched sappy romantic movies. He would have no problem putting her out of his mind as soon as he accomplished his neighborly duty and went on about his business. That he was sure of.

  “So, what seems to be the problem,” he asked as they made their way up the walkway to her home.

  “The faucet to my kitchen sink is leaking and I have no idea how to get it to stop. It wouldn’t be a big deal, but, honestly, the dripping is driving me crazy.”

  I’d like to drive you crazy and make you dripping, he mentally told her. He let out a groan at the very thought of being snug between her thighs as his cock brushed against her wet core.

  “Are you okay?” The groan he let out brought a look of concern on her face.

  Embarrassed he’d let the sound escape his lips, “Absolutely. Well, let me take a look at the faucet and see what I can do. If I can’t stop it, you may want to get a plumber over here.”

  “Yeah, that’s what I was hoping to avoid. I appreciate you taking a look at it, though.”

  “It’s not a problem at all.”

  Immediately, Rowan found himself standing in the living room of Madison’s home once he stepped over the threshold. The small cottage house was just that, small. From the way it looked on the outside, he thought it would have been a little roomier, but it was nothing close to roomy. Cute and cozy were words he would use to describe it. He personally liked open and spacious; he needed to be able to move around without feeling claustrophobic. A person certainly couldn’t judge the inside appearance by the way the outside was presented, though. Erin taught him that lesson well, but then again, wasn’t that what he was doing with Madison. He already expected her to be like Erin, black on the inside when the outside was so beautiful and perfect. It really wasn’t fair that he was judging her based solely on her appearance and his past experience. She very well could be a wonderful person. Unlikely, however, since anything with female parts was a potential heartache.

  “The kitchen is right this way. Excuse the mess, I’m still unpacking.”

  “I see that,” he said with a smile.

  Rowan’s smile almost sent Madison to her knees begging him to take her in the midst of all these boxes. She needed to get it together and she needed to do it fast. Besides, like she would even know what to do with a man like him. She’d be lost the moment he touched her.

  Rowan quickly took inventory, noticing box upon box splayed throughout the hall and living room, even the kitchen was filled to the hilt with just a small path from the doorway to the sink. At least she made it a little easier for him to navigate through the mess to see what he was doing. Rowan quickly opened the double doors of the under cabinet to the sink and began to piddle around with the braided hoses that belonged to the faucet. He really didn’t have a clue as to what he was doing, but he sure as hell wasn’t going to let some woman, especially this woman, think he couldn’t wield a wrench. He tightened the hoses, stood up and turned on the faucet. Water sprayed in every direction as Madison let out a yelp. Rowan quickly pushed the faucet handle down to stop the flow of water, but not before soaking himself from head to toe.

  Chapter 2

  Madison let out a groan as the white t-shirt that Rowan donned went from pure white to completely transparent. Oh, holy hell. As he stood before her covered in water, she felt her panties grow increasingly wet. She didn’t know how much more her senses could take standing i
n the presence of this male. Her initial encounter with him alone would send any woman running to change her panties. With his lower parts covered in just a towel, water dripping from the muscles that now peeked through the translucent shirt, to the way his clothing gripped his body and clung as if to never let go. Standing before her now, covered from head to toe in water and looking like some kind of sun god, was about to make her short circuit and she realized her own “faucet” started to leak. His blonde hair was now darkened as water made its way down the bridge of his nose. His muscled chest cried out to be touched beneath the wet cotton that hugged his skin tightly, every rippled muscle of his abdomen tempting her to reach out and touch him. Her body experienced things she’d only read about in romance novels; the really naughty romance novels that would make her blush while reading, even if no one was around! She wanted so badly to run her fingers along his defined chest and abdomen.

  Of course, her lack of experience, didn’t take away from the burning desires to enjoy a man physically. She’d only had a few boyfriends in her life, when she was in high school. The most she’d ever done with any of them was kiss and even that wasn’t a great experience. It either felt like she was kissing a brother or it was sloppy and messy. Not a good combination either way. When college rolled around, she’d been so immersed in her studies, never having time for any kind of relationship. Here she was twenty three years old and she’d never even experienced a guy in the biblical sense. Oh, she’d seen enough movies and read enough books to know what the possibilities were, but that was all she had; all the knowledge in the world without one ounce of experience. The sound of Rowan’s cell phone brought her out of her own little world quickly.

  “Shit! I’m sorry. If you will excuse me I need to take this call.”

  Rowan made his way into the living room, but Madison could still hear his conversation. She tried to busy herself, but disappointment filled her heart as she heard his side of the conversation.

  “Hey, sorry I’m running late, I had to help my new neighbor. No, I did not forget I was helping you with the honeymoon. I said I’d help and I will, calm down. Just give me about a half hour and I will be there.”

  Damn it, he's engaged? Of course, he was. That was the kind of luck that followed her, did she really expect anything else. No wonder he seemed put off and uninterested in her. He was already taken. Well, at least he wasn’t one of those jerks who thought it was okay to flirt with every skirt that walked past him even though he was in a relationship. He had that going for him. Well, that and a lot of other wonderful attributes that she’d had the privilege of seeing or almost seeing.

  “Sorry about that,” Rowan said as he slid his cell phone in his back pocket. “Let me see if I can get this faucet fixed for you.”

  “That’s okay. I can just call a plumber. I’ve already caused you enough inconveniences for one day.”

  “Don’t be ridiculous. I’m already soaking wet, might as well get it fixed.”

  I’m already soaking wet too. Madison mentally slapped herself. What was she thinking? The man was taken and here she was having lustful thoughts about him. He wasn’t even just taken, but engaged. She was no doubt making him late for an appointment with his fiancée, which made her lustfulness even worse. From the sounds of it he should be helping pick out their honeymoon, not trying to fix her faucet. Heat crept up her neck and rested on her cheeks. She shouldn’t accept his help; if she were his fiancée she’d be pretty damned pissed he was helping some other woman instead of being with her planning out the beginning of the rest of their lives. She quickly snatched the wrench from his hands and walked to the sink.

  “You know, if you don’t mind, if I just borrow this, I’m sure I can figure out how to fix this. It really can’t be that hard. I mean damn, I’m a college graduate.” She was rambling; she did that when she felt nervous or anxious. And right now, she was feeling just that and more.

  Rowan walked up behind her and reached around placing his hand over hers; stopping her before she did more damage to the faucet than he would be able to fix. He felt her go still, her breaths become shallow. The smile he felt in his heart reached his lips and he could do nothing to stop it. He couldn’t remember the last time he truly smiled, but experiencing the reaction this beautiful creature in front of him was having by his closeness made something in his chest stir. Just as quickly as that smile came on, however, it vanished. He realized, standing there with her back to him, their bodies mere inches from touching that her reaction was purely a physical reaction, not an emotional one at all. That’s what he wanted, wasn’t it? No emotional attachment. He could take her to bed only to enjoy the pleasures their bodies would offer each other and not have any emotional strings. Not her though. Something in her eyes told Rowan that he would not get enough of her in just the physical sense. She would suck him in, heart and soul, and that was a risk he wasn’t willing to take. Not with her or anyone else.

  He quickly let go of her hand, the wrench crashing to the floor causing her to jump from the clanking against the tile. “I’m sorry. I need to go.” He said as he turned to walk away.

  “I know,” she whispered under her breath.

  Disappointment flooded Madison’s heart, while embarrassment reared its ugly head for the umpteenth time since meeting Rowan. She knew being that close to someone already in a relationship was wrong, but damn it, she liked how he felt inside her space. He breached her personal space, something no man had been able to do, ever. She couldn’t even remember the last time she’d been that close physically with anyone. For the first time in her life, with anyone other than her parents, a wall on that box she formed around her, found its way to the ground beckoning Rowan to come in. Why did it have to be him she felt comfortable with? Someone who was already in love and on the verge of getting married and it’s him she finds her comfort with.

  “What?” Rowan turned around to see Madison still had her back to him.

  “I overheard your conversation. I’m sorry, I wasn’t eavesdropping. It’s just this house is so damn small I couldn’t help but hear you. You’re planning your honeymoon, right?”

  Rowan about choked on the bile that rose in his throat as the words slipped past her lips. She thought he was planning a honeymoon for him. It took him all of two seconds for it to register that she actually sounded disappointed. His heart skipped a beat at the tone in her voice. Her disappointment because he was engaged, made him want to smile. Or that she thought he was engaged.

  “No, no, no. You misunderstood that conversation. That was my best friend and future brother-in-law. I am helping him plan his honeymoon, you know, my responsibility as the best man and all that crap.”

  “Oh.”

  And there was that coloring in her cheeks again Rowan was quickly coming to adore. “Listen, don’t…don’t touch the faucet and when I’m done with my duties as best man today, I’ll swing back by to see what I can do to get it fixed. Then, if I can’t I’ll help you find a plumber.”

  “You don’t need -”

  “I know I don’t, but it’s the least I can do to help out a neighbor. Right?”

  “Well, thank you, I appreciate it. Being new in town, I don’t really know anyone or anything around here. Any help you can offer is appreciated.”

  “Not a problem. Hmm, I guess I better go get some dry clothes on. If something comes up, just leave a note on my door.”

  “Sure thing. Thanks again.”

  With that Rowan was out the door and Madison found herself taking in a deep breath. Once she inhaled, she realized she shouldn’t have. His scent lingered in the small confines of her kitchen and overwhelmed her senses. She tried to place what exactly the scent was. The scent was a mixture of suntan oil and Axe Phoenix. She knew it well because she loved the way it smelled. She made a point to stop in the health department every trip she made to Target just to get a quick whiff of the scent. As odd a combination it was, it worked for him, and her.

  Madison didn’t want to leave the
small kitchen and finish her unpacking. She was afraid if she did, his scent would diminish before she’d gotten enough of it. She did want to at least get her bedroom unpacked and set up before she headed to bed later. A good night sleep after too many nights of sleeping in hotel rooms or on the hard floor, gave her the incentive to get her ass moving. She took in one last deep breath and filed away Rowan’s scent, placing it in her senses memory bank to get her through the tedious work that lay ahead of her. Reluctantly, she strode to the back bedroom that was the master, grabbed a hair scrunchie from atop one of the many boxes that littered the room, pulled her dark hair up into a ponytail and got to work.

  The doorbell rang that hideous bonging sound as Madison hung the last of her clothes in the large walk-in closet. Of all the wonderful attributes of the house enticing her to buy it, the closet was the one thing she would cherish more than anything. She’d never had a walk-in closet and had dreamt of the day when she could find her clothes within seconds instead of rifling through an overstuffed tiny room deemed as a closet. She didn’t have a lot of clothes, not on a college students part time salary, but what she had she was pleased with and now she would be able to see her lot spread out before her eyes. She wiped the sweat from her brow, tucked a loose hair behind her ear, and breathed a sigh of relief. Her room was completely unpacked, set in order just waiting for her to take full advantage with a peaceful night’s sleep. She pulled the brown and tan checkered comforter tight just as the doorbell rang again.