Ultimate Surrender: The Surrender Series, Book 2 Read Free

like Clay. She moved the neck of her shirt over the curve of her shoulder, exposing a big patch of scratched skin on her upper arm.
    “What happened?” He automatically reached to touch it, and she wrenched her shirt back up as if he were going to burn her.
    “Someone tried to hit me a couple days ago.”
    “Hit how? Hand, shopping cart, turkey leg?”
    “They tried to run me over on the sidewalk.”
    “This is New York, sweetie. Lots of—”
    “Don’t call me sweetie or girlie or honey love or any of the other stupid pet names you call your hookups. And I know what happened. I was there. All three times.”
    He held his hands up, trying to process the last words. “I’m not saying it isn’t possible. All I’m saying are the odds of that happening are long.”
    “Hi, folks. Can I get you anything else? Dessert?”
    Natalie stood, yanking on her gloves and scarf. “No, we’re quite done.”
    The poor waitress looked flustered at best. “Here’s the bill then. Thanks for coming.” She rushed off like he normally did after a sex date.
    Campbell pulled his wallet out to grab cash, while Natalie shoved her arms through the sleeves of her coat. “Hey. Why are you rushing out? We have to talk about this. Get a game plan.”
    “By talk you mean you tell me why I’m wrong and I fall all over myself in thanks? I think I’ll pass.”
    “Hey, wait. Natalie. Wait!”
    She stormed out in a huff. Campbell planted his hands on his hips and hung his head.
    People stared. Now he was the ass who upset a chick. Girl? Woman? Gah . He turned to a table full of guys who were eyeing him. “Stay bachelors forever.” He tossed money on the table, grabbed his coat, and put it on as he sauntered out.
    She stood on the street between a couple parked cars, hailing a cab. Glaring at him as he approached, she raised her arm higher in the air.
    “Come on. Be reasonable.”
    She gave him the stink eye again.
    The squeal of tires and the rev of an engine on a somewhat quiet street didn’t belong. He’d heard it before and the short hairs on the back of his neck knew what those sounds meant.
    As he reached for her, she narrowed her eyes and lifted a foot to step farther into traffic. Then she must have heard it. The car. Aiming for her. She stumbled and pure panic transformed her face just as a vehicle sideswiped the car next to her.
    Campbell snatched her out of the way, rearing backward as the car veered right where she’d been standing. He tripped over the curve, falling with her on top of him to cushion her body. She screamed as he held her close and tucked her face into the crook of his neck. The fucker plowed into the next vehicle, smashing out the lights.
    He rolled to the side, protecting her as glass exploded all around them.
    The car just kept going, shoving the second vehicle out of the way into another car then peeled out to get away. A hit-and-run. But if Clay hadn’t been there, it would have been a homicide investigation. Calling Detective Wyatt wasn’t high on his list of fun things to do on a Friday night, but it looked as if it was just moved to the top.
    They both lay there, huffing. Her breath on his throat dumped a totally different kind of adrenaline into his system.
    “You okay?”
    A shiver ran up her body and he tightened his hold on her. Her weight on him was nice. Odd for him to cough that up at a time of crisis. But…whatever.
    It took a few seconds but she finally offered an, “I think so. Probably.” She took a deep breath. And another. “You?”
    “All good. Hard head.”
    “Now do you believe me?”
    “Yes.” He didn’t laugh. Didn’t joke. He palmed her cheek to make sure she knew how serious he was.
    She licked her lips and he kissed her. Don’t know where it came from. It just happened. It was good, too. Softest lips he’d probably ever kissed. Remove probably. He palmed the back of her head to deepen the kiss and she reared back.
    “Good.”
    Good what? His brain fought to remember