Her Surrender (Irresistibly Bound Book 2), page 1
Her Surrender
Anna Stone
© 2018 Anna Stone
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be replicated, reproduced, or redistributed in any form without the prior written consent of the publisher.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
Cover by Kasmit Covers
Sign up for Anna’s newsletter to stay up to date on her new releases, news, giveaways, and freebies!
Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Epilogue
Afterword
Also by Anna Stone
Hers to Keep - Preview
About the Author
Chapter One
“I can’t believe she broke up with me over text.” April scowled and placed her phone on the table next to her plate. “Who does that?”
“That’s pretty cold,” Lexi said between mouthfuls. “Did she say why?”
“No, but I have a few ideas.” Actually, it was more like a long list of ideas. At the very top of it was the fact that April and Christie had fought constantly. “We were only together for six weeks, but the least she could do was call me!”
“No one makes phone calls anymore.” Lexi pushed one of her dark curls out of her face. “At least she didn’t just ghost you.”
“You’re not helping, Lex.” April’s long-time friend and coworker had a cavalier attitude when it came to relationships.
“Sorry,” Lexi replied. “I know it sucks, but just last week you were saying that you weren’t that into her. Admit it, you were going to break up with her anyway.”
“If I was going to break up with her, I would have done it in person.”
“Look at it this way. She saved you the trouble of an uncomfortable conversation.”
“I guess.” April rested her chin on her hand. “I’m never getting back that book I lent her, am I?”
“Probably not,” Lexi shoveled the last of her lunch into her mouth.
April wasn’t that upset, not really. Christie had been nice, and they had a lot in common, but there were no sparks between them. What bothered April was that this was just the latest in a string of short relationships that had fizzled out, mostly because of personality clashes. April, as one of her exes put it, was “strong-willed”. She was pretty sure that meant that she was hard to get along with.
April sighed. She was twenty-eight now. She knew that it was silly, but she was beginning to feel like she was doomed to spend the rest of her life alone. All her friends were pairing off and getting married, then moving away to start new lives, and April was being left behind.
“We should head back,” April said. Their lunch hour was almost over.
“Yes, boss,” Lexi said.
Waving goodbye to the cook, April and Lexi left the diner. It was a short walk from the library where they both worked, so they went there regularly for lunch. The diner had been there for as long as April could remember, and it was one of the few remaining local, family-run businesses in the area. But with rent prices going up as they were, April wondered how much longer the diner would last.
April and Lexi made their way back to work, chatting as they walked. Their workplace, the Oakmont Street Library, was just a few blocks away. The library was more than a library. It doubled as a community center and a meeting place for everyone who lived in this part of the city.
April was the library’s director, but only for the last few months. She’d worked at the library for years and had been promoted to the top spot after the old director’s sudden resignation. The timing couldn’t have been worse. As soon as April had taken over, all of Oakmont Street, including the library and the surrounding apartments, had been bought by a multinational property development company. Oasis Developments had big plans for Oakmont Street. And those plans didn’t involve leaving the library standing.
Lexi and April reached the library and headed to their small shared office in the back. Lexi was the library’s event coordinator, which had been April’s position before her promotion. The two of them, along with a few others, made up a bare-bones staff that barely kept the place running. Somehow, the library scraped by despite all the funding cuts.
But now, its time was running out.
April picked up the bundle of mail that had been left on her desk and flicked through it. She reached an envelope with a familiar logo. Her heart stopped.
It was a letter from Oasis Developments.
Ever since Oasis bought the building, April had been trying to get in touch with them to talk about the library, but all of her phone calls and emails had been ignored. This was the only piece of correspondence the library had received from Oasis in months.
April ripped open the letter and scanned the page. Her stomach sank.
“Everything okay, April?” Lexi asked.
“It’s from Oasis. We have 90 days to vacate the building.” April collapsed into her chair. She’d known this was coming since Oasis bought the building. The city didn’t have the funds to relocate the library, so they were on their own. Unless April could come up with a way to save it, the library would be forced to close its doors. “It’s official. This is really happening.”
Lexi placed a hand on April’s arm. “Sorry, April. I know how much this place means to you.”
The library was special to April, for reasons that ran deeper than the fact that she worked here. It was her library. She’d always thought of it as hers, even before she became director, even before she started working here as a page in high school.
“They can’t just tear it down,” April said. “Half of West Heights has already been torn down by developers. Soon there’s not going to be anything left.” April dropped the letter onto her desk. “It feels like everything is changing so fast, and there’s nothing I can do to stop it.”
“I know,” Lexi said. “It sucks.”
April sighed.
“Do you know what would cheer you up?”
April raised an eyebrow. “Does it involve getting drunk?” That was usually Lexi’s go-to suggestion.
“No,” Lexi said, feigning offense. “Well, yes, it involves alcohol, but that’s not the point.” She sat down in her chair and rolled it over to April’s desk. “Come to The Sapphire Room with me tonight.”
April groaned. The Sapphire Room was the city’s lesbian bar. April hadn’t been there in years. Lexi, however, went there on a regular basis, usually to pick up women.
“Come on,” Lexi said. “It’ll be fun. And you never know, you might meet someone.”
“I’ve had enough of relationships for a while. I’m not looking to start another.”
“Who said anything about a relationship?” Lexi asked. “Nothing like a mindless one-night stand to help you forget about all your problems.”
“I don’t know,” April said. “That’s not my thing.”
“Come on, it’ll be fun. I’ll be your wing-woman.”
“I guarantee that you’ll be the one dragging some woman home with you within an hour.”
“Then you won’t have to stay for long, will you?” Lexi said. “Just a few drinks. If you’re not having fun, you can go home.”
“All right,” April said. “Just a few drinks.”
April leaned back against the bar, sipping the mojito she’d been nursing since they arrived. It was loaded with sugar, probably to mask the taste of the cheap rum.
As soon as she’d walked through the door, April remembered why she hadn’t been to The Sapphire Room in years. The bar, which was decorated in an eclectic mix of shabby chic styles, was too loud, and much too crowded.
“Anyone catch your eye yet?” Lexi asked, scanning the crowd.
“Not really,” April replied.
They’d been here for almost an hour, drinking and chatting. Lexi was making a valiant effort to stay with April, but April could tell that her friend was losing her resolve with every woman who shot her a flirtatious glance. April didn’t understand why, but women practically threw themselves at Lexi. She seemed to be seeing a different woman every week. To her credit, Lexi was always upfront with the women she met about her casual approach when it came to dating. It didn’t deter them.
“You know, you’d have more luck if you didn’t glower at every woman who looks your way,” Lexi said.
“I am not glowering.” Nevertheless, April tried to look more relaxed. “It doesn’t matter. I’m not interested in anyone anyway.”
“It might help you get over Christie,” Lexi said.
“Is sex your solution to all of life’s problems?”
“Not all of them. Just most of them. Besides, I seem to remember you complaining about how boring your sex life was even when you were with Christie. When was the last time you actually had good sex?”
“God, I can’t even remember.” April’s last few relationships had lacked any excitement in bed. Pretty much every part of her life was lacking in excitement right now.
Lexi shook her head. “Life is too short for bad sex. Or worse—no sex.” She downed the rest of her beer. “I’m going to the ladies’ room, I’ll be right back.”
“Okay.”
April placed her drink on the bar and pulled down the hem of her dress. She didn’t know why she’d bothered to dress up. It wasn’t like she was trying to impress anyone.
Her mind wandered back to the library. There were ninety days until the library had to close its doors. Ninety days to come up with a way to save it. April spent the next few minutes brainstorming ideas but came up empty.
When Lexi returned, she had a guilty look on her face. “So, I know I kind of forced you to come here…”
“Seriously?” April said. “You’re going home with someone?”
“Someone is coming home with me. I hate sleeping in another woman’s bed.”
“How did you meet someone in the five minutes you were gone?”
Lexi shrugged. “There was a line for the bathroom. I started talking to the woman in front of me. We had a very interesting conversation.” Lexi cocked her head toward a gorgeous long-haired woman standing near the door, typing away on her phone. She was exactly Lexi’s type.
“I’m sure it was her conversation that won you over,” April said. “It’s okay, I was getting bored anyway. I’ll probably just go home. Have fun.”
“Have I ever told you that you’re an amazing friend?”
“Only every time something like this happens.”
Lexi grinned. “I’ll see you on Monday.”
April watched Lexi walk over to the woman, smoothly slide her arm around the woman’s waist, and lead her out the door. April finished off the last of her drink. If she left now, she could be in bed by eleven-thirty. Perhaps a good night’s sleep would help her tackle her problems in the morning.
As April turned to leave, she noticed a woman standing at the other end of the bar, waiting to order a drink. She looked older than April, but not by much. She was tall and slender, with high cheekbones, and short, feathery blonde hair that was swept back from her face. She was dressed in a way that seemed effortless and stylish at the same time. Dark skinny jeans. A black blazer with the sleeves rolled up. Heeled ankle boots. She possessed an androgynous air while still seeming utterly feminine.
Had the woman been here all along? The bar was small, and April had been idly watching the crowd all night. April definitely would have noticed someone like her. She simply radiated this cool confidence that made it impossible for April to tear her eyes away.
Suddenly, the woman turned toward her. Her eyes locked onto April’s across the bar. The woman smiled, an enchanting smile that made April’s whole body weak. A smile that whispered a suggestion into April’s ear.
April looked away, her heart racing. The woman at the other end of the bar had turned April’s legs to jelly with no more than a look. What could she do with a word?
A touch?
April’s skin grew hot. She had barely shared a glance with this woman, yet her mind was going off to indecent places. What was wrong with her? It was time for her to get out of here. She fished around in her purse, looking for her phone so she could order a ride.
“Hi.”
April looked up. The woman was standing right next to her.
“My name is Victoria.” She smiled. “But you can call me Vicki.”
Chapter Two
“And you are?” Vicki asked.
Where did she come from? April had been so lost in her head that the slim blonde had seemed to materialize next to her.
“April,” she stammered. April, tongue-tied over a woman? If Lexi could see her right now, she’d have a field day.
“What are you drinking, April?” Vicki had to lean in so that April could hear her voice over the noise of the bar.
“A mojito,” April replied.
Vicki waved over the bartender. “Two mojitos.”
Wait, what? This woman was buying April a drink now? This wasn’t part of the plan. April was supposed to be going home.
Vicki turned back to April. “Did that friend of yours abandon you?”
April nodded. “She picked up someone in the bathroom,” she said, finally regaining the ability to speak in full sentences. Wait, how long had Vicki been watching her?
“I’m glad she did,” Vicki said. “I’ve been waiting to get you alone.”
“And why is that?” April’s wits were returning now. And suddenly, Vicki’s smile seemed more arrogant than alluring.
“I wanted to talk to you,” Vicki replied.
“About what?”
“How about we start with why you’re here tonight?”
“I’m here because my friend dragged me along with her,” April said. “But since she’s gone, I was planning to go home.”
“Was? Does that mean you’re not planning to go home anymore?”
April hesitated. “That depends if I can find a reason to stay.”
“Here’s one right now.” Vicki tilted her head in the direction of the bartender. She’d just finished making their drinks. She placed them on the bar in front of them. Vicki slid one of the glasses over to April. “Now you have a reason.”
April picked up the drink and sipped it nonchalantly. She didn’t want Vicki to think she was interested. Because she wasn’t. Even if she was, it was only because Vicki was outrageously attractive. Those cheekbones of hers could cut glass, and her eyes were a striking green. And she was so tall; although, everyone was tall compared to April.
Everything about Vicki seemed too perfect. Even though her outfit was casual, her clothes were fine, almost too nice for a place like this. And she smelled divine, a sweet, citrusy scent that could only have come from a very expensive bottle.
April realized that neither of them had spoken in a while. “Why are you here tonight?” she shot back.
“I was hoping someone exceptional would walk through the door.” Vicki ran her fingers through her short hair. “I’d given up until I saw you.”
If those words had come out of anyone else’s mouth, April would have rolled her eyes and walked away. But somehow, coming from Vicki’s lips, they made April want to melt.
“Judging by the way you were looking at me earlier, you were thinking the same thing,” Vicki said, never taking her eyes off April’s.
“Can’t a girl just admire the view?” April asked.
“You’re admitting it then? That you were checking me out?”
“I didn’t say that,” April said, twirling a lock of her long brown hair around her finger. When she realized what her hands were doing, she stopped. She was not some flirting teenage girl.
“You never did answer my question.” Vicki leaned down on the bar. “Why did you really come here tonight? It can’t be just because of your friend.”
“Do I need a reason to come to a bar? Maybe I just wanted a drink.”
“You’re not here to drink. You can’t have had more than a couple of drinks, or you’d be at least tipsy. And you’re not the type to come to a place like Sapphire for no reason.”
“How do you know that?”
“I can tell,” Vicki said. “And, I would have seen you here before if you were.”
“Spend a lot of time here hitting on women, do you?” April had been friends with Lexi for years. She knew a player when she saw one.
Vicki placed her glass down on the bar. “It’s my turn to ask questions.”
“Excuse me?”
