ReclaimedSurrender

by Riley Murphy

  “Did you tell Mr. Tanner?”

  “You won?” He came down on a knee as he spoke. Cara was so small it was hard to believe she was nine. Even in this position, Rene was half a foot taller than she was.

  “Yep. Mrs. McDonald said that you sure must like cookies. You and Mrs. Tanner ordered more than our whole class put together.”

  Alexis had finished showering. She was wrapped in Rene’s robe and had towel-dried her hair when she heard the doorbell. Going to investigate, because she thought Rene was gone, she paused at the top of the stairs, hearing him chuckle. It warmed her to the core. Staying where she was, she watched and listened.

  “I’m sure Mrs. McDonald would give us a detention if she knew how many cookies we ate before dinner. Don’t tell anyone, but Mrs. Tanner eats more than I do.”

  Cara giggled and pushed Rene’s shoulder. “I don’t believe you. You’re way bigger than she is.”

  “Ouch. Are you trying to tell me I’m fat? Good thing I’m going to the gym then.”

  “Thanks, Mr. Tanner and thank Mrs. Tanner too, for ordering so many boxes. I got the ribbon and the prize and everything.”

  Rene stood and Alexis could practically hear the smile in his voice. “I’m glad. Whoa there, big fella.”

  Alexis rolled her eyes as Killer made an appearance. He was ten and half pounds of TNT who thought Rene was the dreamiest alpha-male around. She leaned forward so she could catch a glimpse of the sweater-wrapped, tan Chihuahua lying on its back while Rene bent over to scratch the belly of the sucking-up canine.

  “Are you sure you haven’t been feeding him a ton of cookies? Look at this gut.” Rene’s big hand looked as if it could wrap around that animal twice.

  Cara giggled again and her mom said, “Come on, Care Bear, we have a few more deliveries to make.”

  Cara picked up Killer and said goodbye. When she was out of earshot Rene asked her mom, “Did Vanskipe order any this year?”

  “Nope, he just peered through the drapes when we knocked and later that same week I spied him loading up on cookies at the grocery store. But hey,” she motioned to the plethora of boxes on their front step and shrugged, “does it really matter when we always have you guys here?”

  Alexis stepped back so Rene wouldn’t see her when he shut the door. She sank against the wall and closed her eyes. Not quite sure why this little scene and Sylvia’s comment affected her so much.

  Don’t be an idiot. You know why your heart is aching. You want to be that couple in the neighborhood who’s always there.

  * * * * *

  By the time Rene pulled into the gym parking lot he was calmer. The desire to do murder had lessened until an advertisement sign for chocolate candies reminded him of the MMM… on Alex’s phone. What the hell was she thinking? Not that he, for one moment, thought she’d inputted that moniker herself. The most Alex did with her smartphone was answer it and text on it. Which meant that she’d let Kavanagh do it. Clearly she didn’t know where the line was to be drawn between a business partnership and guy friend. Michael was not a guy friend of hers. Hell, even if he were it wouldn’t be okay. It seemed as if Michael were getting a little too close to her on all fronts. Partnership or no.

  Too bad Rene hadn’t picked up on this sooner. Reading Alex’s journals had certainly helped. True, she may have used those pages for her personal soapbox, but buried in there were the telltale signs of her confiding in an overeager listener. An outsider readily agreeing with her every negative thought about her husband. The things she’d detailed that Michael had said, the sorry-ass reasoning the guy had spouted that hugged the truth so closely and yet missed the mark by a mile, was frightening. He thought about this latest intrusion with his Ms on her phone and it hit him. Why, it was almost as if the guy were—?

  “Son of a bitch.” His hand came down so hard on the steering wheel he thought he’d cracked it, but he couldn’t help his outburst. Michael Kavanagh had all the signs of a guy looking to find an in with a woman who was on the outs with her husband. Suddenly the asinine words and misguided advice Alexis had been eating up for months made sense. The guy’s backward logic read like it came right out of a player’s handbook. Not that Rene thought he was capable of causing them serious damage, Alexis was too smart and loyal for that, but his interference had certainly muddied the waters. Rene was sure of it.

  The more Rene tossed this theory around the angrier he got. Halfway into his workout he was all riled up again. He couldn’t go home like this. He needed to be in control and levelheaded to deal with this new complication.

  * * * * *

  Alexis had waited the rest of the day and most of the evening for Rene to return. After doing some detective work she surmised he’d gone to the gym because his workout bag was missing and to the youth shelter to drop off the cookies as they were also missing. Since that’s where they donated the huge stash they ordered every year she figured it was a safe bet. But when dinner came and went she was stumped. He was still a no-show. He hadn’t called. He hadn’t sent a text.

  More payback.

  Finally giving up, she returned Michael’s numerous calls. He was good at giving her the silent treatment on occasion so she picked her battles carefully with him. He’d be mad that she had taken so long to call him back so she dove right into business. She spoke for a good five minutes going over things and then wrapped it up.

  “I had a look at the final figures and I think you’re good to send it now.”

  “This phone-in crap is no good. I need you here.”

  “I’m sorry, but today I had—it was something I had to do. I promised Rene.”

  “Rene? Really? He was home? Is he there now?”

  “No.” She hated that Michael called her on things like this. Like yesterday with Rene standing her up and now today, after he’d made her come home, he deserted her.

  “Come on, Alexis. Do you really think he’d do the same for you? Don’t let him control you. You know how good he was at that before you got your life back.”

  Yeah, she’d gotten her life back all right, and she hated it.

  Thinking of hating, it just occurred to her how good Michael was at berating her husband. It was one thing for her to do it because, well, she loved Rene and needed to blow off steam once in a while, but when Michael so openly badmouthed him to her? Well, it her got under her skin and burned. Especially after that kiss.

  “Of course he’d do it for me. He did do it for me. Last week, as a matter of fact. Only I had to go help you close the deal in Chicago, remember? Do you remember what happened in Chicago, Michael?”

  “Settle down. I’m not the one you should be mad at. I’m not the bad guy here. I’m present at least by phone, which is more than I can say for your husband who needed you home today. Listen, as far as Chicago? We needed that account. You know I wouldn’t have asked otherwise. Can I help it if our clients like you better?”

  It always came down to this with him. She had to bend to save the day. Always agree, but not tonight and not after he ignored her pointed reference. “They do not. You just think they do. Look, I’m going to go, but I’ll be in first thing in the morning. We can talk about it then. We can talk about a lot of things then.”

  “That would be fine. I’ll put the Salenger paperwork aside for now. Maybe tomorrow you can help me take care of that.”

  Alexis took a deep breath. She wanted to tell him no. To tell him that he should stay at the office late as she usually did, and get the job done, but she couldn’t because he was right about one thing. Over the years, he’d been there for her when Rene was too busy. “Sure. I’ll see you in the morning.”

  “Al?”

  “Yeah?”

  There was a long pause before he said. “I’m not sorry.”

  Damn.

  Clicking off the phone, she realized with a small amount of shock that for the first time in over a year she wasn’t looking forward to work tomorrow.

  Chapter Five

  The next morning Re
ne waited until his wife was nearly to the door to flick on the hall light. He ignored her startled gasp and asked, “Where are you sneaking off to at this early hour?”

  She spun around and shaded her eyes, peering at him under the cup of her hand. “I’m not sneaking off.”

  Pointedly, he stared at the shoes she clutched. “I think you are.”

  Dropping the hand bridged over her eyes, she said, “I’m going to work. I know it’s earlier than usual, but Michael needs help with—”

  “Another one of those tricky deals he can’t seem to work out for himself?”

  Apparently she didn’t know what to say to that.

  “I told you yesterday that I wanted you home.”

  Her arm dropped until the heels of the shoes she held dangled by her knee. “I thought that was just for yesterday.”

  “No. I want you home for the rest of the week.”

  “But—”

  “You had your week and I get mine. That’s the contract we both signed.”

  “Yes, but I didn’t hold you to taking time off work.”

  He shrugged. “You could have.”

  “I could be fired.”

  “I don’t think that’s going to happen. I do believe the owner of the company had the foresight to call the HR department and tell them that you were receiving a surprise anniversary gift that requires you to take the time off and be with him for the balance of the week.”

  “I—you promised never to use your position to affect mine. I didn’t interfere with your work week.”

  “Desperate times call for desperate measures. Now put down the shoes, take off your coat and meet me in my study.” She looked as if she were going to deny him, which would be a colossal mistake. “I’ll be waiting.”

  He left her standing there because there was no need to remind her that she’d promised to go through with this. She was a smart girl and she always followed through with things no matter how trying they were to her. This little character quirk of hers had led them to some of the best sex they’d ever had. Of course, this morning it was all about him getting her to do what he wanted, so he could see where she needed a moment or two to adjust.

  Sitting in his Burmese leather chair, he waited. The clock on the credenza ticked loudly as seconds turned into a minute. Then two. Even still he didn’t budge. She was going to have to come to him from now on. That decided, his eyes strayed to his shiny desk and he almost smiled. She’d nearly gotten to him yesterday. If she had, who could blame him? An image of her sprawled there covered in oil made him hard even now, so it was a good thing she chose that minute to come in. Her set little features and square shoulders made him refocus.

  He didn’t even smile when she blandly asked, “More ironing?”

  “No.” He scooped up a notepad and pen from the table beside him and said, “I want you to make a list.”

  When she came forward he pulled the items back. “First take off your suit jacket.” He waited until she laid it over the credenza, and then whispered, “Now the blouse.”

  Her lips compressed into a set line as she unbuttoned her blouse. She didn’t say anything, which was quite unlike her.

  “What are you thinking?”

  Pausing mid-shrug, she stared at him. “I’m thinking you’re enjoying yourself.”

  “I am.”

  She whipped her blouse off and flung it on top of her coat. She didn’t slow down, just went directly for the clasp at the back of her skirt.

  “I didn’t tell you to take that off.”

  Her lips parted and her eyes narrowed. “My mistake.”

  “I want you to take off the bra.”

  “I’m sure you do.”

  “Alexis.” He stared her down until she snapped her bra off so hard her breasts bobbed. “That’s a girl. Here.”

  Although it looked as if it killed her to do it, she took the notepad and pen from him and walked over to his desk. Somewhere between collecting the items and arriving at his desk she must have come to terms with her half-nakedness because she thrust her shoulders back while she pulled out his desk chair with a flourish.

  “I didn’t say you could sit there.”

  Using the end of the pen to scoop a chunk of her hair back, she hooked the strands behind an ear and asked, “Okay, where else would you like me to sit so I can write?”

  “Here.” He pointed to the floor in front of him and then tapped his thigh. “You can use my leg as a table.”

  Her shoulders drooped and color bloomed high on her cheeks. “I’d rather iron.”

  “Maybe later. Come on.” He patted invitingly. “I want you to get this stuff down so you can run some errands before we do what I have in mind today.”

  “Gee, can’t wait.”

  He chose to ignore her bratty comment while she made a big show of settling at his feet. Once she was comfortable with the pad on his thigh and pen poised, she stared up at him expectantly.

  The sight of her made him sigh. “Do you know what it does to me when you kneel at my feet?”

  There was a flicker, a gleam in her eyes for just an instant, which told him a number of things. The most important? She liked this too. No matter how much she tried to hide the fact behind her sarcasm.

  He began the list with a pile of inane things for her to do. Pick up the dry cleaning, go to the hardware store, the pharmacy, the post office. With each of those directives he had little things she was supposed to do and he patiently waited while she wrote out all his instructions.

  “Take down this address.” He rambled it off and then said, “It’s for The Store Of O.”

  Pausing mid-pen stroke, she looked up at him.

  He stared down. “Problem?”

  Shaking her head, she returned to diligently writing out the name of the store.

  “I want you to ask for Ken, he’s the manager. He’s very knowledgeable about the products he carries. I want you to ask him about The Flirt.”

  “The what?”

  He didn’t blink. “Write this down. Just as I tell you.”

  “Ask him what it is and how it’s used. Then ask him about the Rabbit. How many speeds this particular vibrator has and if it comes in different sizes. Lengths and widths.” He waited for her to finish. “Then ask about the remote-control butterfly. What’s the range and how many speeds?” She finished writing out that question and sat back.

  “I’m not done.” He added a few more items on the list and said, “Now, for the last one. This is the most important. Tell him you want to pick up what your husband ordered for you. Give him my name and ask him if they were able to customize the lock the way I requested.”

  She swallowed and wrote it all down, but when she was done she didn’t look up. She didn’t need to. He saw her fully spiked nipples. A state that could have been caused by the temperature of the room, but that didn’t explain the rapid beat of the pulse at the base of her throat or the pretty flush to her cheeks.

  “Alex?” He curled his index finger under her chin and pulled up until her reluctant gaze met his heated one. “I want you to bring those items home to me. Do you understand?” His thumb caressed her cheek until she nodded. “Good. You are not to go anywhere else but those places on your list. Nowhere, and if you can’t find what I’ve asked for, call me.” She nodded again and he let go of her. “You can get dressed now and go.”

  * * * * *

  By the time Alexis backed out of the driveway a half-hour later, she was breathless, albeit ready to shop. She’d changed her clothes, opting for a pair of jeans and a white cable-knit sweater now that she wasn’t going in to work. She also switched her usual heels out for a comfortable pair of flat boots. Although she dreaded having to deal with the last part of her list, she was kind of intrigued by it. A customized lock on what? Well, she’d find out in a few hours, wouldn’t she?

  She spotted a piece of paper stuffed into her cup holder, which had their business logo on it. Crap. She’d have to call Michael at some point and give him the bad n
ews. Checking the time, she saw that it was nearly eight. Early enough that she doubted he’d be in the office, but she knew Jennifer was.

  “Good morning, Jennifer. It’s Alexis. Can you give Michael a message for me?”

  She wasn’t surprised when her phone went off an hour later. Still at her first stop, waiting for the dry cleaners to collect up Rene’s numerous tickets, she pressed a button and sent Michael directly to voice mail. She’d call him later.

  It was a good thing she hadn’t wasted any time, because her tidy little list kept her busy. She didn’t have a chance to do more than breathe until her second-to-last stop was completed. When it was, she sat in her car and stared at the address of The Store Of O. It wasn’t far from the pharmacy, only a few miles, but she held back. Gearing herself up. Talking herself into being able to do all that Rene asked when her phone went off for the sixth time.

  She scowled. “Hello, Michael.”

  “Alexis, where are you?”

  She cringed. “I’m busy.”

  “With what?”

  “That’s none of your business.”

  Silence.

  She waited nearly a half a minute and then felt bad. “Listen, I have this thing like I told you and my plans have changed. I won’t be in to the office for the next few days.”

  “I know. I got your out-of-office email. Hey, this is me you’re talking to. Your partner, remember? And partner, we have a situation here.”

  She wanted to scream. Don’t you think I know we have a situation? One you created with that stupid kiss? But she knew he wasn’t referring to that. “Another one?”

  “Yeah, the Salenger deal is going south fast. They want the quarter end figures if we expand their shares and I can’t make the numbers line up. I had Jennifer take a look but she—”

  “Jennifer? Michael, she’s your secretary not your assistant.” Alexis thought about all the hard work, time and effort she had put into landing the Salenger account. She didn’t want to lose it. Not this late in the game when they were so close to the finish line. “Never mind. Can you send the files to me at home?” She briefly considered getting the information for him from her laptop, but Rene wouldn’t allow it, she was sure. Which, when she thought about it, was very high-handed of him. As high-handed as calling her home yesterday and then leaving her.